Top Chef Season 6 Episode 2 -Bachelor/Ette

Fresh off of last week’s season premiere, Top Chef: Las Vegas was back last night minus Philadelphia’s Jennifer Zavala who was the first to go home over her Seitan stuffed Chile Relleno.  Philly’s other chef , Jenn Carroll impressed last week and looked to improve upon her standing as a frontrunner in the competition.  Todd English took some time off from selling his GreenPan on HSN to guest judge.

QUICKFIRE

-A High Stakes Quickfire in which the contestants rolled the dice at a craps table and had to prepare a dish using the number of ingredients that they rolled.

– High Roll went to Bryan and Kevin at 10, with Bryan poaching Black Cod and serving it alongside carrot Ginger Puree and Daikon. Kevin came up with an Asparagus and Celery Salad with Fennel Cream and a Boiled Egg.

– Low Roller was Laurine with her respectable 3 ingredient Asparagus and Leek Soup with Lemon.

– Jenn made Salmon with Lemon, Garlic, Shallot, Parsley and Jalapeno Emulsion.

– The winner of the Quickfire and $15k was Michael Voltaggio and his Nitro Gazpacho with  Compressed Cucumbers and Toast.

ELIMINATION CHALLENGE

– This weeks Elimination Challenge split up the girls and guys with each team catering one half of a shared , poolside bachelor and bachelorette party.  The men would cook for the Pescatarian bride. So they focused on a seafood heavy menu as mammals and birds were pretty much out.  The women were the caterers for the bachelor side favoring Asian flavors and lean protein.

– The chefs had to pair their dishes with the bride and grooms favorite shots, a gingery Moscow Mule  Tequila neat, and a sweet and sour Golden Delicious.

– Jenn wasn’t too keen on the idea of the battle of the sexes. Ashley found the challenge to be a bit patronizing because of gay marriage laws.

-Jenn had a good showing with an Octopus Ceviche with Citrus Vinaigrette and Ashley was 1-2 with a nice Watermelon Carpaccio  but the men walked away as the winners to this Elimination Challenge.

- Top 4 – Hector with a well executed Tofu Lemon-Lime Tequila Ceviche, Eli’s impressive Tuna Tartar with Puffed Wild Rice, and Michael Voltaggio’s interpretation of the Golden Delicious;  Apple and Goat Cheese Sorbet.  Winner– Bryan and his Sweet and Sour Macaroon filled with Guacamole, Corn Nuts, and Corn Puree.

–Bottom 4– Jesse dried out her chicken last week and was too sloppy with it this week in her Thai Lettuce Cups with Shiitake Shiso, and Ginger Beer.  Ashley had one of the best dishes of the day with her watermelon, but her Bay Leaf Panna Cotta didn’t go over very well and landed her in the bottom 4.

Preeti overcured her Coriander and Sesame crusted Tuna with Spicy Eggplant and Wonton Crisp.

–Who packed their knives? Eve missed the flavor mark with her shrimp for the second week in a row. This time making a Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche with Tomato Salsa and Popcorn.

Closing Thoughts

-Eve was noticeably different from her spunky debut last week and it came out after the show that if she was not eliminated she would have volunteered to go home. Reality TV isn’t for her. She is a talented chef and has her namesake restaurant to go back to in Ann Arbor.

-Preeti came pretty close to going home and needs to come out with a strong showing next week.
-Jesse is really likeable, but has had major flaws in her dishes the past two weeks and

needs to step away from the chicken and put together a solid outing.

-Ash has pretty much blended into the background and remains someone to watch. The same goes for Mattin.

-Mike Isabella was quiet this week after a strong showing in the premiere.

-Homegirl Jenn Carroll has risen to the top along with the Voltaggio brothers, Eli and Kevin. She may be the only person who can get in her way from going to the top. Past technicians like Richard Blais hit all the right notes but just missed the final prize. With her recent success, Carroll could certainly afford to go out on a limb.

-Next week, the Chefs cook for the Air Force Thunderbirds, a perfect venue to showcase their ingenuity and creativity as the contest moves forward.