One More Thing About Top Chef Season 4

Let Me Just Make It Clear Why I Won't Be Watching...
Ok, Maybe I’ll be Watching (Just A Little), But I WILL NOT be Reporting On It Anymore This Season

Dale was my boy, my man, my chef. I adored his cooking. I just love Asian and fusion cuisine and any and all combinations. My absolute favorite places are Buddakan, Vong, Tabla, Asia de Cuba – they’re my go-to restaurants.

Maybe I’m a bad sport, but I don’t care about the other chefs.

Antonia may end up taking it all, without once having uttered a profanity or stabbing anyone in the back. She’s like a hardworking journeyman...woman – eminently capable, gets the job done, good food which looks ok, but where’s the fire, where’s the spark?

Dale was a naturally gifted ninja (is that too much of a stereotype?) in the kitchen. His creations (until his final night) were perfectly put together, wonderful tasting and, despite Antonia’s criticism that he ALWAYS cooked Asian, smartly inventive. (Nikki ALWAYS made pasta, including the night she was recruited as a helper for Antonia’s team.)

Listen, I have nothing against Antonia. She’s a mom (aahhhhhhhhh, that’s what they want us to say) she cooks with her head, she’s sensible, nothing is ever too out there. But Dale, aahhhhhhhhh Dale, he cooks with his heart. He moves fast and thinks on his feet, and the judges absolutely should have taken into account his overall superior skill level.

Now, we (well, actually YOU) are forced to watch Lisa, the witch; Spike, who I still can’t tell apart from Andrew, but now that Andrew’s gone, I don’t have to; Richard, who is very gifted, but really he’s a one trick pony*; Stephanie, ehhh, nice kid, I’d have no problem eating in her restaurant, but I don’t want to watch her sweat and strain to get there.

So enjoy the show, and I’ll just have to try for a reservation at Buddakan, where I can be closer to my Dale.

* I kinda get the deal with the Ras el Hanout, though. I once bought a particularly fragrant brand of Smoked Paprika and it was such a revelation that I used it on EVERYTHING. I thought it brought out the meatiness of meat and added a rich flavor to non-meat items and I just LOVED the taste. (I haven’t used it in months, though, I just got burned out.)