Top Chef S9E7.

Recapping another episode of Top Chef: Waterworks…

* Quickfire: This episode of Top Chef did not include a Quickfire, replacing it with an infomercial for some brand of tequila.

* I don’t like tequila – you know my spirit of choice (great book, by the way) – although I use agave nectar every morning in my tea, so it’s not the plant; I get a lot of smoke flavor from tequilas but no brightness to balance it out, although I’ve never had a fine sipping tequila like the 1942 used in this episode. Given the choice, I’d go for bourbon (like Ed), which at least has some sweeter notes to balance the char. So I don’t envy the chefs.

* Ty may have won, but Chris C.’s dish – raw oyster with tequila tapioca pearl and sea salt air – screamed “final three” to me. He’s going to push the envelope every time out, and he has the execution skills to pull it off. But what the hell is sea salt air? “Hey, I put some air around the dish for you” (with magical hand movements). Or maybe he bought it from this guy.

* Did Sarah put tequila in the risotto, in place of the wine? I may have missed that, but I would understand the criticism of the pairing in that case. Otherwise, I’m with Hugh on Tim Love’s views on an essential Italian dish.

* Elimination challenge: Working in teams of two, cook an assigned game meat for a table of judges and chefs who specialize in cooking game. I’ve had quail and duck, but don’t think I’ve had any of the others (venison, boar, elk, squab a.k.a. pigeon). Slightly surprised there was no rabbit, but perhaps that’s not game enough?

* Yeah, I’m sure that’s a total coincidence that Heather and Beverly were paired up. I understand that some drama is necessary given the format, but there’s organic drama (just from the pressure of the competition) and then there’s artificial drama (from putting the mildly racist chef with no self-awareness on a team with the emotional Asian chef). Someone pointed out on Twitter that other chefs should have stepped up to confront Heather over her bullying, but other than one attempt by Grayson, no one really did. I understand that confrontation can have its costs, but the long-term costs of doing nothing are higher – especially if you eventually have to work with her.

* That said, the whole format – where the entire losing team goes home, regardless of who contributed what to the dish – sucked. Sending Nyesha home because she didn’t check on Dakota seems awfully weak, especially since we’re watching another team with one chef trying to micromanage the hell out of the other.

* Also, was it just me or was there a huge disconnect between the comments about the venison during the meal and Tom’s comments at judges’ table? Tom called it “a little undercooked,” and one of the guest chef-diners said it was “a little blue.” At judges’ table, Tom said it was severely undercooked. I don’t know which was right, or if this was editing weirdness, but the inconsistency was shocking, and all of their other comments about Dakota and Nyesha’s dish were positive. Hugh wrote it was “UNDERDONE” in his blog, so perhaps the diners’ comments were off.

* Back to Heather – this season’s official Top Chef Villain™ – does she understand that Asia is a continent with maybe a hundred different cuisines? She keeps using “Asian” as if Asia is a small city outside Rome. Even within east Asia there are enormous differences between cuisines, and if she’s had any kind of formal culinary education, she should be aware of that. She reminds me of my grandparents’ generation, where “Asian” cuisine meant Chinese take-out, and sushi or pad thai were simply unheard of. Meanwhile, Beverly tells an even sadder backstory than Whitney’s, one equally deserving of praise for her ability to overcome it.

* Back to Grayson again – nice to see someone finally acknowledge that abasing yourself in front of the judges doesn’t work. Stand behind your dish. Admitting failure before the judges is just inviting them to send you home.

* LCK: First time this really felt necessary, since Nyesha was ousted under dubious (in my view, at least) circumstances. And it seemed like she cleaned up, despite being thrown by the use of cactus in the challenge. I think Nyesha could go on some kind of run here and make a legitimate difference whenever she’s allowed to re-enter the competition.

* Final three: Still Paul and Chris C. and then a big dropoff to everyone else. I had Nyesha in the third spot, but with her out I think it’s Edward over Lindsay to round out the top three. I wouldn’t exclude Heather here just for her personality, but I think her carping over “Asian” cuisine says something about her limitations as a chef, and limited chefs typically don’t win on this show.