Anyway, the crew is scheduled to wake up at 4:30 am and go to the kitchen and Padma is a no show. Instead a note is left that tells them they are going to Montauk. Montauk from the city is about a 4 hour drive, now we get why they woke up so early. Once they arrive, they discover that there is no Quickfire Challenge, instead they have five hours to catch as much fish as they can and cook it at a beach setting for 200 people. So basically they have to cook their catch. If they don't catch anything, they might as well back their bags. Also, this is a double elimination challenge. I have a little theory as to why they are having so many double eliminations, I think when it gets down to the wire they will have all the chefs that got eliminated back to try to win a fourth place seat in the finale. But only time will tell if I'm right. Point is the group is divided in 4 teams of 3. Team 1 is Dale, Carla and Tre, Team 2 is Mike, Angelo, and Tiffany D, Team 3 is Antonia, Jaime and Tiffany F and Team 4 is Marcel, Fabio and Richard. Evens on one boat, odd on the other. The even teams boat gets a catch within seconds of putting down their bait and begin to catch fish like crazy! Meanwhile 2 1/2 hours later for the odd teams boat and they still haven't had a catch and everyone begins to worry! Finally with 2 hours left they get a bite and the flow of fish begin to pour in.
I have to say this episode began to show the budding bromance of two of my favorite people Fabio and Richard. They hang out all the time and now cook together. Antonia said it was like the Professor and the strange Italian immigrant. Can't wait to see that magic unfold. Oh love!
The next day they cook at Water Taxi, L.I.C., NY (which frustrates me because that's a hop and a skip away from where I live and I wasn't there, what the hell was I doing this summer?!?!?! I could have been there!!!) and of course our favorite whiner is bitching and moaning. Everyone has had about enough of it too. Tre said, "It's like a baby crying in the background" I hear your pain. Team Boys (Fabio, Marcel and Richard) decide to do one dish that way the judges won't be able to decide who to send home (good strategy) meanwhile the other teams do individual dishes that way each person is responsible for their dish. So a big part of the challenge was to schmooze the crowd and all the chefs seemed to do a good job at that. Of course Carla and Fabio excelled at it. But it also gave the diners a chance to catch up with their favorite cheftestants. (WHERE WAS I?!?!)
During Judges Table, Carla, and Dale are runners for the win. Dale with his fish tacos that looked damn good and Carla with her lettuce wrap that also looked pretty good. Carla wins the challenge AND a flippin' trip to Amsterdam! Damn the prizes are getting good, good thing Hilton Hotels is a sponsor! So that means that Team Ladies and Team Boys were on the bottom. Poor Antonia was told that had it not been for her two teammates (Tiffany F and Jaime) she would have had the winning dish (and a trip to Amsterdam!) but in the end the loser two Tiff and Jaime had to leave. Thank god! I love how Jaimes' last lines of Top Chef were like, "I'm sad I didn't get to plate 2 dishes and the 1 dish I liked the judges didn't like but oh well". Ummm, yeah right you're sad! You are happy you got lucky! Had Tiffany done a good dish, you would have scathed through another elimination. The worst part was she actually liked the dish she got eliminated for, water cucumber whatever, something she wanted to look like a broth, because that's all she knows how to do, soups and scallops!Can't wait for next week, RESTAURANT WARS!!!!
