Hello TCFL! I honestly couldn't believe how quickly Restaurant Wars came this season. My biggest takeaway is that RW is definitely changing. Chefs are prepared. They know it's coming. It isn't incredibly daunting for them anymore. Tom saying that No Nem was the best restaurant to lose RW is definitely something.
But that the Chefs are more prepared doesn't mean that the nature of eliminations has changed. Jackson (very surprisingly to me) sucked at Front of House (FOH). The only debate was whether Luke (as a Line Cook [LC]) sucked more than him. Long time TCFL player and historically epic ranter Kim W. reached out with her annoyance that LCs always get by and that it isn't worth it to be an Executive Chef (EC) or FOH.
Of course I had to check the numbers. According to Top Chef Stats (no affiliation but still awesome) this perception is only negligibly true. In 20 total eliminations, seven have been ECs, seven have been FOH, and six have been LCs. On the other side, ECs and FOH have won RW six times each. LCs have won five. And the team as a whole has been deemed the winner once. With that said, I do agree with Kim W. that Luke should have been the one to pack his knives. What do you think?
Restaurant Wars has always been the natural midpoint for any Top Chef/TCFL season. So it feels like a good time to Power Rank the remaining Chefs... but with a twist.
Obviously I haven't been writing as much or as often as I (or some of you) would like this season. These last couple of weeks specifically has been because we've had family over several days in anticipation of and in preparation for our little boy's 2nd birthday party. He was born in April of 2020, so he is a true pandemic baby. He didn't get to have a baby shower, sip and see, Christening party, or 1st birthday. The parental guilt has really started to sink in, so we wanted to do this one properly, including plopping a bounce house in the middle of our front yard. I gotta say, there is no fear like feeding a bunch of toddlers and pre-schoolers a bunch of cake, then hearing them all scream "Let's jump in the bounce house!!".
All of this to say... Happy Birthday to our little boy Freddy. Sometimes all the other stuff (like TCFL) needs to take a backseat, and I hope you all understand. But I'm still The Commish. And I still love making the #CONTENT. So let's have fun with this one. Here are the Power Rankings of the remaining Chefs (post-RW), as told through my son's birthday presents:
BONUS: An un-assembled Rocking Chair
This chair was sent to us because Freddy's sister has one like it for use on our back porch. I'm sure it's a nice chair. But what it really is is just extra work for me. It's a lock that if/when I put it together, Freddy will continue to want to sit in his sister's chair instead. And I'm sure that until we put it together, Mrs. Commish and I will continue to get texts from the gifter asking if we've put it together yet and if we can send pictures of Freddy sitting in it. In the end, the chair ends up being more trouble for what it is, and couldn't overcome. This chair is... Jackson
#8: A Bucket of Duplos
Duplos (or any building toys) are awesome. I loved all of it when I was a kid. But it's different as a parent. They're always in the corner... lurking, or hidden in the patterns of your area rugs waiting for you to accidentally step on them. In our house, they are usually tucked away waiting to be played with. But when the kids bust them out, they are both awesome and make a gigantic mess. This Bucket of Duplos is... Sarahwho is absolutely dominating LCK
#7: A Play-Doh Set
This Play-Doh set has all the tools (literally). On paper you have everything you could possibly want. More than enough Doh, a plethora of cutters and molders, a collection of shapers and extruders. But then you start to play with it. There are crevices where you can't get the Doh out. Your kids inevitably leave the Doh cans open and everything dries and crumbles. You find bits of Doh in your Dyson even if you swear you got everything up the last time. This stuff wasn't nearly as awesome as we initially thought it might be.
This Play-Doh Set is... obviously Luke
#6: A Racing Wheel
This is a kids racing wheel that attaches to the headrest of a car so that a kid can pretend to drive while in the backseat. It makes a shit ton of noise, has a bunch of switches and buttons, and lights up like crazy. But this is the one toy that has already broken and has needed dad repairs. As cool as it is, I don't think it has the stuff to last. This Racing Wheel is... Ashleigh
#5: A Thomas the Train Set
Trains are awesome. And Thomas the Train is iconic; a classic. But does Thomas have the chops to hang with the Blueys and PJ Masks and Paw Patrols of the world? There is nothing wrong with being an awesome throwback, but is it enough to keep Freddy's attention? Not with *checks box* only seven (!) pieces of track to work with! This Thomas the Train Set is... Nick
#4: A Basketball Hoop
Everyone has had one of these hoops. But depending on the day and the mood, these hoops are either played with for hours, or are fading in the driveway. It's the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. You are a solid toy no matter what, but can you have more good days than bad? This Basketball Hoop is... Jae
#3: A Little Tikes Dump Truck
I don't know what to make of this toy. Almost every little kid loves a dump truck. And not only is this a dump truck, but it makes sounds, has a little (YMCA-ish) figure, and a couple of boulders to haul around. Freddy will love this thing in fits and starts, but does it have the personality to be a consistent favorite? This Dump Truck is... Damarr
#2: A Mr. Potato Head
Everyone has a Mr. Potato Head (or a crazy iteration of one). Maybe you have multiple Potato Heads. For us, this one is the third we've had across two kids. It's tested. It's tried and true. It's (true story) the toy that Freddy wanted to play with the most when we laid everything out for him. But when will the luster come off? Can Potato Head last long enough without losing too many pieces? This Mr. Potato Head is... Evelyn
#1: Target Gift Cards
Now this is what you want. These are the best gifts you possibly could get. You can buy what you want and it isn't a check so your Mom and Dad can't deposit it into your super lame college fund. Gift cards are your favorite. You control your own destiny. If you mess up with your gift cards, you have no one to blame but yourself. These Gift Cards are... Buddha
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As always, you can find the Standings HERE. If you missed the Episode 7 Quick Hitters, you can find those HERE. Until next time...
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