A Very Merry Top Chef Christmas

Admittedly, I'm a couple weeks behind on my tv watching, so last night amidst the pathetic television re-run fare (especially given the seemingly never-ending writers' strike), I hunkered down to watch the Top Chef Christmas special. Shot in Chicago and featuring some of my favorite "oldies but nasties" like Marcel, Stephen, Tiffany, and Betty, this Christmas special was a nice shot of a good show that I miss in its off-season. Here's a list of the "naughty" and "nice" of the event:

Nice

• It was great to see all the usuals--although I'll admit it was a weird band of minstrels. Tiffany, Stephen, and Marcel have now done about 4 of these specials and now are starting to appear as TC whores, but I still love them and they make things interesting. They were joined by CJ, Trey, and Sandy from this past season and Betty and Josie from who cares when. It was nice to watch and know what people were gonna bring.
• A slightly new format. Three courses total with 2 chefs eliminated after each course. The real kicker: the Chefs didn't know who was eliminated until they appeared to serve the next course. So all 8 started: Sandy (no surprise) and Stephen (surprise) went first; Josie and Betty next; Marcel and CJ next, leaving...
• Trey and Tiffany as the finalists. If any two chefs have gotten equally screwed on this show, it's these two, so it was nice retribution for both. Having said that, I still think Harold was the rightful winner of season 1 (in which Tiffany came in 2nd). These two had to cook a surprise 4th course in 30 minutes with the leftovers. Ah, glorious Top Chef shenanigan through and through.
• Tiffany won. The first woman to ever win one of these eff-ers. She deserved it and went home $20,000 richer. Meanwhile, Trey took home a pile of autographed cookbooks. Really, just like $20,000 only on glossy paper (not.) Ahh, poor Trey screwed again, but least this time it was 2nd place and not 9th.
  
• The guest judges. I'm not a "foodie" (thank god) so i don't know their names but they're a group of my favorites from season's past. Even though the group of cheftestants (just to be clear, that's Bravo's word) appeared kinda random and not equally talented (c'mon, we all knew Sandy was out first and Josie and Betty would follow close behind), these judges were the cream of the crop. Bravo...Bravo.
• CJ's joke about the nutcracker. In the QuickFire, they played "Nasty Santa" or whatever that game is where other people can take your presents, with each contestant drawing one "secret ingredient" for a challenge that would earn someone a "free pass" for one round of elimination. CJ kept drawing awesome ingredients and people kept taking them until he finally got walnuts which were presented in a Nutcracker to which Tiffany responded, "That's appropriate." Hilarious. For those unaware, CJ had testicular cancer and in his "talking head" moment said something to the effect of, "The last time I had nuts someone took them and kept them. This time, they're mine." Mmmm-mmm--nothing like a good double-entendre nut joke to make my Christmas merry and bright.
  
• Tom Colicchio--he's like "tough guy" of food. I miss him. AND...I think Tom has always pulled for Tiffany to win. He seems to really respect her and I think that's really good to see evident on television. He falls all over her food (and he did in Season 1 as well). Good for you Tom--endorsing the woman who deserves respect and acknowledgment for beatin' the boys fair and square.
  

Naughty

• No Tony Bourdain. Or Rocco Dispiritu. Together. God that would have been awesome.
• Padma and CJ are definitely doing it. And even if they're not, the editors are trying to make us all think they are. We all remember the "Breakfast" episode last season when she wanders in to wake them all up to make her breakfast and she and CJ just completely drool all over each other. C'mon. We know. Honestly, I don't blame Padma one bit.
• Giving Trey cookbooks as 2nd prize. HOW LAME. And he has to play it off all, "Oh this is great." No, it's not great. It's cheap and hokey and self-serving especially when Padma puts hers in there--how she gets lumped in with some of the best chefs in the world I don't know.
• Josie overcooked the turkey. Sandy screwed up mushroom soup. Really? HOW does one actually do this and keep getting invited to these shows? Where are Harold, Sam, Elia...some others of the AWESOME chefs who really could have been interesting to watch. Instead we get stupid Betty who just makes up food (last night it was some crappy and ridiculous "Pork Baklava" or something which just means pork tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry) and calls it great. She's always wrapping something inappropriate in puff pastry. (Do with that entendre as you will, but I'm referring to her season's ridiculous and disgusting looking savory portobello and onion "napoleon." C'mon...A Napoleon is a DESSERT...BETTY! Even my non-foodie self knows that!) And I've had it! Ted Allen totally called her out, but its just not fun to laugh at Betty anymore because she's such a food dolt. (Hands smack the table top) I JUST WANT TO SEE THE TOP CHEFS ON THIS SHOW!
  

All in all, no complaints here. It was just the perfect taste of Top Chef at the mid-way point of its dormancy for the winter. In March it returns for the next season, completely filmed in Chicago, and I'm already counting down the days. It'll be delicious...literally.