In light of our Top Chef obsession---although we're not as bad as the people who watch the show and simultaneously blog or chat on message boards---we have some potential TC spoilage today. Everyone knows we loves a good spoiler, and now that we're down to the final seven contestants, the playing field is about to get clustered with all sorts of amateur guessing games. Allow us to partake. Back to our regularly scheduled restaurant gossip in a bit.
Our giddy friends over at Amuse-Biatch start the spoiler fun today after a closer inspection of the Top Chef post-show interview with Tom Colicchio and Rocco DiSpirito. An AB reader suggests that judge Tom kept mum on the subject of Hung for a reason:
Raggaydy Andy, as is his wont, had the guests playing a word association game, and when it came to cheftestant Hung Huynh, Tom Colicchio declined to say anything. Why? Well, as Tom said, "I'm still judging him." (If you want to see for yourself, go to the Bravo website and check the "Watch What Happens" archives. It comes at the 2:32 mark on Part 4).Like it or not, Hung as a final two contestant isn't a huge surprise. But trying to figure out who the second contender might be, well, that's where we'll jump in the pool.To us, it suggests that Hung is one of the final two, and that since the final decision, to be revealed live, hasn't perhaps been made, Tom, out of an abundance of caution and conscience, decided to bite his tongue.
Our first question to CJ yesterday was, "How was Aspen?" Normally a quick-fire answer kind of guy, we noted a pause, then he said, "I don't know what you're talking about..." Of course, these calls are all monitored by the lovely Emily from Bravo's PR department, so it's not like he'll say, "Dude, it was AWESOME." While we know CJ was out of town a few weeks ago (he says visiting Montana with family), it doesn't mean he was in Aspen. And even if he was, he could've been one of the cheftestants brought back to help the final two in the finale, which took place a couple weeks ago. Or, maybe, perhaps, it's just crazy enough to believe...he was one of the final two. This is all speculation, but wouldn't it be hilarious to see laid-back tall CJ compete against diminutive mile-a-minute Hung? In some ways it would mirror last season's Ilan vs. Marcel showdown. Remember people, it's still all about the entertainment value.
Here's another little something that we pocketed away for the right time. Last weekend at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo we found ourselves in the 'beer garden' (natch) standing next to a woman with an Oceanaire/San Diego, CA badge. Why...cheftestant Brian Malarkey works at the Oceanaire! Always one to take advantage of a situation, we asked the co-worker: "Hey, did Brian win?" OK, maybe we thought we'd trip her up. Conniving? A little bit. Results? Nada. The woman's eyes widened, then she paused, smiled, shrugged, looked away and kind of giggled. "I don't knoo-oooow..." This, in that way that suggests, "Yes, I know, but of course I'm not going to tell you crazy stranger." Then she added: "I probably know more than most people because I'm friends with his wife." Honestly, if you were there, it was painfully obvious Brian made it pretty damn far in the competition.
· Spiler Alert (?): Is Tom Colicchio a Bad News Bear? [Amuse-Biatch]
· Top Chef 3 Semi-Spoiler: Finale Taping Right Now [~ELA~]
· Top Chef Recap Part II: What the Hell Happened, CJ? [~ELA~]
