#2828 Top Chef S22E8 Part One: Grandma Got Run Over By a Restaurant War

Summary

Watch What Crappens Podcast Episode #2828: Top Chef S22E8 Part One – "Grandma Got Run Over By a Restaurant War"

Release Date: May 6, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In Episode #2828 of Watch What Crappens, hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam dive into the intricacies of Top Chef Season 22, Episode 8, titled "Restaurant Wars." This episode marks a pivotal moment in the competition, combining intense culinary challenges with unexpected emotional twists.

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Upcoming Events and Announcements (03:16 - 05:08)

Before delving into the episode recap, Ben and Ronnie share exciting news about their upcoming live shows across Texas, Vegas, Seattle, and Los Angeles. They encourage listeners to purchase tickets via watchcrapids.com and promote their Patreon for exclusive content.

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Recap of Top Chef Season 22, Episode 8 (05:08 - 54:56)

Restaurant Wars Challenge Overview

• Challenge Brief (05:08 - 06:14):

  • The contestants are informed about the "Restaurant Wars" challenge.
  • Ben Mandelker shares, “[...] Restaurant Wars, Top Chef, Season 22, Episode 8, Restaurante World says sad episode. Someone I like gets kicked off, not happy about it (05:28).”

• Team Formation and Initial Challenges (05:45 - 12:03):

  • Contestants gather to form teams via a draw.
  • Ben humorously critiques Gail Simmons' Kentucky Derby outfit: “She wore her toothpaste as a hat” (06:47).
  • Guest judges Nina Compton, a James Beard Award winner, and Janet Zuccharini, CEO of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group, join the challenge (07:25 - 09:01).
  • Ronnie Karam remarks on Janet's keen observations: “Janet Zuccharini, she is like, she picks up on everything that I pick up on” (09:25).

• Team Dynamics and Strategy (12:03 - 18:05):

  • Teams are divided based on strengths and personalities.
  • Ben theorizes potential conflicts in Tristan's team: “[...] Tristan's team is gonna have some issues, like a battle of egos and they're gonna have some problems” (13:26).
  • The Southern team led by Paola demonstrates strong leadership and organization, contrasting with the Vancouver team's struggles with cohesion (14:35 - 18:05).

• Design and Menu Planning (18:05 - 27:00):

  • Both teams grapple with restaurant themes and menu creation.
  • Ben critiques the creative choices: “Jackrabbit Philly. What? I mean, come on” (11:09).
  • Ronnie laughs at the overlap between restaurant names and personal quirks: “Why would they think about their grandmothers when they think of pizza?” (46:33).

• Shopping and Preparation (27:00 - 35:24):

  • Teams split responsibilities for shopping at Whole Foods and specialty markets.
  • Ben notes Massimo’s chaotic shopping style: “Massimo is just running around kicking down” (29:23).
  • Emotional undercurrents emerge when Tristan receives news of his stepfather’s stroke, adding depth to the competition: “Tristan is getting pissed because there's a server that's just writing all the orders wrong” (32:27).

• Execution and Challenges (35:24 - 44:56):

  • The "Grandma Chic" and "Flora and Fauna" themes are tested as teams strive to execute their visions.
  • Ben suggests creative improvements: “Our theme is industrial warehouse chic” (36:57).
  • Emotional strains peak as Tristan deals with personal loss while striving to keep his team afloat: “Tristan is just gonna go forward” (34:54).
  • Interpersonal conflicts arise, especially with Massimo’s domineering nature causing friction: “Everyone hates Massimo because he's just too much” (13:42).

• Judging and Feedback (44:56 - 54:56):

  • As the dishes are presented, both teams receive mixed feedback:
    • Nina Compton praises the arancini: “The breading isn't too heavy. It's quite light” (49:36).
    • Criticisms focus on execution issues like seasoning and presentation, highlighting the importance of cohesive flavors: “Sort of like when Gail wears her polka dotted culottes” (42:27).
  • Ben and Ronnie inject humor while critiquing the contestants’ efforts, maintaining an entertaining yet insightful analysis of the culinary performances.

Notable Quotes with Attributions:

• Ben Mandelker (05:28): “But we start off with everyone drinking coffee in the living room of their loft or whatever they're in.”
• Ronnie Karam (09:25): “Janet is unabashedly disappointed already.”
• Ben Mandelker (11:09): “Jackrabbit Philly. What? I mean, come on.”
• Ronnie Karam (13:42): “Everyone hates Massimo because he's just too much.”
• Ben Mandelker (27:00): “You know what I would do? I'd be like, okay, our theme is industrial warehouse chic.”
• Ronnie Karam (44:56): “Yes, Paula's Paola is going to make this walnut torta with the tres leches.”

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Conclusion of Part One

As the first part of the episode wraps up, Ben and Ronnie leave listeners on a cliffhanger, hinting at intensified drama and culinary battles in the upcoming segment. They maintain their signature blend of humor and sharp commentary, ensuring listeners are both entertained and informed.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Watch What Crappens provides a comprehensive and entertaining recap of a pivotal "Restaurant Wars" challenge in Top Chef Season 22. Ben and Ronnie's dynamic hosting shines through as they navigate the highs and lows of the competition, offering insightful critiques and memorable moments for their Bravo-loving audience.

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Stay tuned for Part Two of this recap, where Ben and Ronnie will delve deeper into the results of the Restaurant Wars challenge and its impact on the contestants' journeys.

Transcript

[Ben Mandelker]

Hello, darling. How are you, darling?

[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ben Mandelker]

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[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ben Mandelker]

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[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ben Mandelker]

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[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ben Mandelker]

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[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ben Mandelker]

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[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ben Mandelker]

Who cares what happens when there's so much that happens? Hello and welcome to Watch our Crapp Ins, a podcast about all that crap on Bravo that we just love to talk about. I'm Ben Mandelker and joining me today is the wonderful and hilarious Ronnie Caram. Hi Ronnie. How's it going?

[Ronnie Karam]

Good. What's going on with you?

[Ben Mandelker]

Not much. We are, we have a big week this week. We are going back to Texas. Ronnie's actually already there. He's already there. I will be going to Texas. I will be joining Ronnie in Austin for our Friday night show at Emos where we are recapping Summer House. And then the next day we are driving up to Dallas and then we're going to recap the classic Vanderpump rules ep, texts, lies and audio tape, which is season six, episode five. So we're looking forward to both those shows. We always have a great rowdy fun time in Texas, so we expect that yet again. And so if you haven't gotten your Tickets, go to watchcrapids.com to get your ticks. And then the following week, next week we're going to Vegas. We're doing our very first ever Vegas show, which would also be great. And we've decided let's keep the summer house train going. The show's on a Thursday. Summer house is on Wednesday. So we are going to recap Summer House in Vegas. Really excited for that one. And we just added two last shows onto our schedule. June 12th, we are going to be in Seattle going back up to the Neptune. And then June 19, our first ever show at the Fonda here in Los Angeles in the heart of Hollywood. It's a great venue. I've seen many shows there. So it's very exciting that we actually get to do a show there ourselves. So come, come celebrate the end of our tour in Los Angeles at the Fonda. It's going to be so fun. Watchcrapus.com for all your tickets. Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

Okay, let's get into it. It is the very important episode of Restaurant wars on Top Chef. Restaurant Wars, Top Chef, Season 22, Episode 8, Restaurante World says sad episode. Someone I like gets kicked off, not happy about it.

[Ben Mandelker]

And then there's also sadness in general. But it was still a good episode. Good episode, but some sadness. But we start off with everyone drinking coffee in the living room of their loft or whatever they're in. And Shuai is just saying how he didn't think he would make it this far. Nobody's safe anymore.

[Ronnie Karam]

A note under the door, and guess what the note says, go to the warehouse venue. And so they're like, oh, my God, is that a rave?

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh, my God, we're gonna do a rave. And my smell like 100. And Tristan's like, do you think the warehouse is large enough to house two restaurants that would pop up in 24 hours? They're like, oh, yeah, I guess that's that. We were really hoping for a rave challenge. Could you imagine? They go to Toronto to do a rave challenge.

[Ronnie Karam]

Wow. Something Gail's never received on one of her outfits.

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh, wow. By the way, did you happen to see Gail Simmons's Kentucky Derby outfit?

[Ronnie Karam]

I'm sorry, instead of doing that, could we just have a Gail Simmons challenge and call it Shave, please?

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. Well, Gail Simmons, this is a true story. Gail Simmons, Kentucky Derby. I'm pulling up the picture, so that way it's seen. So she wore a hat for the Kentucky Derby. That was a cheese platter.

[Ronnie Karam]

Oh, she really did. In real life.

[Ben Mandelker]

She really did. Oh, wow. She finally did it. She wore her toothpaste as a hat.

[Ronnie Karam]

So everybody heads over to the warehouse. Guess who's there. It's Kristen. And we get some guest judges. You're gonna be shocked. This one is a James Beard Award winner. Guys, this person won the James Beard award for best hopscotch on a Sidewalk Drawn Only with macaroni. Executive chef and owner of Compe La Ping, Nina Compton. Wow, it's good to see Nina again. I love Nina.

[Ben Mandelker]

I do. Or I. Or as I like to call her, the true winner of Top Chef New Orleans. Because we all know, hell, yeah. It was not that Nicholas guy. It was Nina. This was one of the biggest failures Top Chef ever had.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, that definitely should have been Nina. But award. So, yeah, you go, so what did she win her James Beard Award for?

[Ben Mandelker]

I don't know. She has a new cookbook out right now, actually. I just was reading about it last week. She's killing it. I mean, she's. She is a really, like, a highly respected, you know, chef and food personality and writer, and the other guy is, I'm sure, making a great salad somewhere. But she is my winner, and she always will be my winner.

[Ronnie Karam]

She's actually won two. She's won 27 and 2018. Best chef of the South. That's crazy. That's not even one of those little ones they make up for. People like best neighborhood fire attendant watcher in the northeast sector of NASA Parks.

[Ben Mandelker]

And the south has a lot of really amazing chefs, so that's so incredibly impressive.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah.

[Ben Mandelker]

So PA is excited. Everyone's excited. And then Kristen's like, oh. We also have a Toronto native, a restaurant tour, and a part time Courtney Cox impersonator. Please welcome Chef Canada judge Janet Zuccharini.

[Ronnie Karam]

Also kind of named after a watery squash that nobody really likes, but we all pretend to because we have to.

[Ben Mandelker]

Someone said they wanted to merge broccolini with zucchini, and what we got is Janet Zuccharini. So please welcome. Please welcome Top Chef Canada guest judge John Zuccharini.

[Ronnie Karam]

She is the founder and CEO of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group. And Massimo's like, that is Italian. That is Italian. This is going to be my challenge. She's Italian.

[Ben Mandelker]

And we'd also like to inform you that she is already very disappointed in very specific things you have all done wrong this morning.

[Ronnie Karam]

Can warn you, Janet is unabashedly disappointed already.

[Ben Mandelker]

I love her. Why is she not a permanent judge on this show? This is two weeks in a row where the Canadian judges have really upstaged regular Top Chef. Because Janet Zuccharini, she is like, she picks up on everything that I pick up on. Like, later on when Massimo kneels down, I was like, ugh, I hate that. She's like, honestly, I hate that. I was like, yes.

[Ronnie Karam]

Janet Sukarini, arms on the table. Disgusting. How dare you? Elbows and arms and hands. He put them all on the table. Like, what is this? The peanuts? He's like, you see? Waiting for customers at her $0.05 advice stand. Come on.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's also really fun trying to figure out which celebrity she looks most like. Because she looks like Courtney Cox, but also Demi Moore, but also Susan Lucci. She kind of like vacillates between all these faces, but then there's, like, other ones that sometimes come in. She's like an enigma to me.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, she's but she's not a mystery at all. Let me tell you what she's. What she likes nothing. So I like her. So Swei is like, oh, my God, 24 hours a real restaurant. It took me, God, three months to just pick a color to paint for Jackrabbit Philly. It's not a real restaurant. Babe, you're gonna just pick out some napkins. I like that they all pretending that going to pick out a napkin and a paint color for the walls, it's like really opening a restaurant. It's really not.

[Ben Mandelker]

Jack Rabbit Philly. Jackrabbit Philly. What? I mean, come on. Do we. What sort of name is that for a restaurant? I don't know why restaurants always have the most ridiculous names. You know, the joke used to be about bands in the 90s having ridiculous names, but I think it's. We really need to. We really need to give some of these restaurants grief. Jackrabbit Philly. I mean, it's just so silly.

[Ronnie Karam]

And let me tell you what paint color he ended up picking. Brown. It's not even painted. It's actually. Well, this is Eater Carolinas Park Circle, Eater Carolinas. That's where it is. Right? So it's wood paneling. So I don't think he even did pick a paint color. It's all like 70s wood paneling.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's cute.

[Ronnie Karam]

Of course, I had to look it up because I was like, if it took you this long. Okay, well, Charleston's Jackrabbit Philly. Well, this is a different one. And this one, this sounds like a navy blue or royal blue, I guess you call it at the bar. And then a white on the rest. So, I mean, I don't know.

[Ben Mandelker]

Jackrabbit Philly. Of course it's in Charleston because it sounds exactly like one of the strange beers that like. Like a microbrew that Austin Wood Pioneers like, hey, you want Jackrabbit Philly? It's delicious, man. It's insane how good Jackrabbit Philly is.

[Ronnie Karam]

So Kristen's like, you have to come up with a three course menu with two options per course. So six dishes total. Are you ready to draw four teams? Massimo? So they're drawing knives for teams, and Massimo's like, looks like we're opening Italian restaurant. Am I right, Gusto? Am I right?

[Ben Mandelker]

Am I right? Zuccharini? And yeah, because it's basically Massimo and Vinnie are on the same team. And Vinnie, as we all know, has a brother who makes more innovative pizzas than he does. And then everyone's picking, picking different knives and everything. And Vinnie says, well, strategically I don't want to be on a team with Tristan. He has immunity, so if you lose, you have a 33% chance of being eliminated. But on the other hand, he might be down for my next idea, which is a hollandaise pasta made out of frozen hol cut into spaghetti shapes.

[Ronnie Karam]

My idea for a restaurant is going to be called Holland Days. Like days in Holland but it's gonna.

[Ben Mandelker]

Be spelled N O M a D. It's kind of weird.

[Ronnie Karam]

So it ends up being Vinnie. What's his buns? Massimo. And then Tristan. Yeah, he gets Tristan and lan and Lana. Yeah. And then Schwai is with Cesar, Paula and Bailey, team number one.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So Tristan's saying that Massimo is strong willed and Lana's more reserved and Vinnie is really confident but that he's stubborn. So I'm already sensing that the Tristan's team is gonna have some issues, like a battle of egos and they're gonna have some problems. That's what I initially thought. Of course.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. Really, nobody has problems. Except for with Massimo. Everybody hates Massimo because he's just too much. You know, he's not mean, but he's like too domineering, too loud. He's kicking everything over all. He's just too much even to Tom serves them. Tom's just like, oh God, hate that.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's been much. It's been much. So Lana's like, well, I don't mind taking front of house and must like I do everything in my R1 so I'll do front of house. I'm like, okay, so once again just okay, team challenge lady gets like, gets just like brushed over. So Massimo is going to do front of house and well, I guess because they do like rock, paper, scissor. And then Lana's like, okay, whatever, just let the man have it. Which is probably for the best because she winds up being a line cook. And as we know know, if you're a line cook in restaurant wars, you're pretty much safe every single season. I feel like they need to find a way to make the line cooks have more risk involved.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, it's always weird that they're kind of fighting over the front of the house and the head chef because those are the people that get fired every time.

[Ben Mandelker]

So my theory is that they should do a restaurant wars where they make four restaurants and everyone has to be either executive chef or front of house. And then the line cooks are the people who've been eliminated already. So that way you still have the same number of people competing in restaurant wars, but they all have high stakes jobs. Just a lot.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. Restaurant wars is more fun when there's a lot more chefs on it. Yeah, right. Than when it's just like a few chefs. So Shuai is gonna do. He works in an open kitchen, so he's comfortable talking to people. And he's like, you guys, he runs a restaurant. He is so comfortable with people. Surely he should run a house. When he said that, I was like, oh, no, we're in trouble. Trouble. Because every time somebody says that, they fail every time.

[Ben Mandelker]

I don't know why you would doubt a man who took three months to choose the color brown for his restaurant. But yeah, when he said that, I'm like, okay, whatever. So then Paola's gonna. Is it Pala or is it Paula? I don't remember how, how, how it's supposed to be said, but I apologize if I'm saying it the wrong way. Is Paola. Paula.

[Ronnie Karam]

Paula.

[Ben Mandelker]

What'd you say?

[Ronnie Karam]

Paula.

[Ben Mandelker]

Paola.

[Ronnie Karam]

Paula.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Paula's like, she's like. She decides to do exact Executive Chef. So she's going to do that Tristan's going to do. Tristan also winds up being executive chef. Since he has immunity, he's gonna do the higher risk thing. And so they. That's what they all decided on. So now they get into deciding what. Oh, well, first, Kristen's first. I'm sorry. First Nina says, I remember being in your shoes many years ago, and restaurant was. Is the most difficult challenge, but really had fun with it. And sure. Your concept is clean and concise. Okay, well, thanks for the insight. Janet, what do you have to say?

[Ronnie Karam]

She's like, you're creating a transporting experience. Make it compelling. I'm Janet. I'll eat you alive. Gusto. Let me tell you what me no gusto. Anything you idiots came up with today? Like, yes, Janet.

[Ben Mandelker]

Also Schweid. Don't like the way you tied your shoes. Double knot it next time you're in my presence.

[Ronnie Karam]

So they're given the rules. They have 4, 500 to shop at Whole Foods and 2300 at a variety of specialty markets. And then they can only prep and cook today until 8pm so they have to be strategic in how they're going to spend their time shopping because they don't have very much time. And then tomorrow, they only have four hours to prep, cook, and set up the restaurant. So that's crazy. It's a crazy short time.

[Ben Mandelker]

The time frame is very short. Okay, so then Massimo Is like, so the. The Tristan team sits down and, okay, I've got an ide. Yeah, we could do six issues that represent the different stages of Canada. Something French, something English. That's basically all I've got. And they're like, yeah, no, that. We don't like the sound of that. So Miriam's like, oh, God, they really are losing the egos. They can't come up with an idea. This team is really screwed.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. And so Tristan's like, what about veg forward? And Vinnie's like, yeah, because with that, we could still be ourselves. I mean, Holland dates a vegetable.

[Ben Mandelker]

I made a lot of vegetables at the Nomad, so I could really just be myself at last.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. He's like, I got an idea for a name for it. N O a O a M A H D D Like Vinny. Come on, guys.

[Ben Mandelker]

So they decided to do veg forward, which I thought, again, was a trap, because in the past, when teams have done poorly on restaurant wars, it's because they've gone with, like. Like, global cuisine. They go with something so broad that they can all just cook whatever they want, and then it's not cohesive. So I was like, okay, this one's gonna be a failure. So we go to the other team.

[Ronnie Karam]

But they all give you veg forward, and then everything is meat. Well, especially 90 of it is neat. And I know that they're just saying, like, it can still have a little meat, but meat's not the star. But meat was the star. I just don't understand how they got away with that, because I thought for sure someone would be like, oh, I mean, I get it. It doesn't have to be a vegan restaurant, but you're serving us.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. Vinnie definitely was the one who was out of control with that. I was actually mad. And he did get clocked for it, which I was happy about. So the other team, Bailey, is like, okay, well, we've got Italian, Latin, Italian, Latin, Latin, Italian. And they're like, okay, let's do it family style. And they, like, settle on this idea really quickly. They all come together. I was like, this is going to be the winning team. They have a cohesion of an idea. They're all on board. They're happy to work together. I see how this is all going to work out.

[Ronnie Karam]

I knew this was going to be a fail. Because family style, no, judges don't like.

[Ben Mandelker]

I didn't even think about that.

[Ronnie Karam]

When it's so. When it's so. They want something refined. You know when you just throw a Bunch of plates on the table. They're usually. They'll. They'll ding your ass for that. And then Italian, like, come on. Like, Bailey just made a chicken parm pizza. Then she made a, like, stupid thing the week before that was really bland and plain and Italian. I don't know. I just. Boom, boom.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah, No, I didn't. I didn't flag that, and I should have, because you're right. So Cesar is like, it's gonna be.

[Ronnie Karam]

Like, I'm not dissing you. I'm not, like, getting on you. I'm just.

[Ben Mandelker]

No, no. I'm saying this is a blind spot.

[Ronnie Karam]

But then I also choose grandmas because they know how people are, and if they can say, like, my grandma liked this and she had a really hard life, the judges are like, oh, my God. Thank you so much for sharing about your grandmother. Tell me about how she made her eggs. You know, like, they love a good, like, sad story. So then they could all be like, well, my grandma was in, like, seven wars, and all she really wanted was a brussels sprout and a piece of bread. And so they think they're gonna have this, but I thought, oh, no, I. This doesn't. They want to make it grandma chic, and they paint the rest of pink grandma chic.

[Ben Mandelker]

Sort of like when Gail wears her polka dotted culottes. Am I right? Ooh, ghost of Padma back.

[Ronnie Karam]

Sort of like what grandma. What Gail's grandma says to her. Not chic. Not chic grandma. Semicolon. Not chic dash. Gail's grandma. Is that too long for the front of a restaurant?

[Ben Mandelker]

Yale got excited about the idea of grandma chic until she realized we said grandma chic, not grandma sheet cake. That's exciting for her then.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yes, everybody. Gail's grandmother was a sheet cake. Was anybody surprised?

[Ben Mandelker]

Gail comes from a long line of proud sheet cakes, so we try to be sensitive about the topic.

[Ronnie Karam]

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[Ronnie Karam]

At forhers.com crappins that's F O-R-H-E-R-S.com crappens for your personalized hair loss treatment options for hers.com crappens individual results may vary. Compounded products are not FDA approved or verified for safety, effectiveness or quality prescription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan. See website for details, restrictions and important safety information. So Bailey's like I love grandma vibes. Could we just do grandma restaurant? And they're like oh God all right, so throw out some grandma's names and goes my grandma's name is just Grandma.

[Ben Mandelker]

Pa's like but my abuela was Pipon like so. And then Paula says I don't think.

[Ronnie Karam]

I just to call it Peon. Because that's a famous chef.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah, exactly. And sort of like a mustard.

[Ronnie Karam]

And so then I'm almost a Real Housewife of Miami.

[Ben Mandelker]

So we've decided to call our grandma. She Crestron, Larsa, Pippin Larson.

[Ronnie Karam]

Pippin's Bleached Asshole. And Paula tells us that pipon means have a belly, which you'd all be cut off if I was your grandpa. And you were like, hey, there's. There's this fatty. Here's Grandma Fatty Ronnie.

[Ben Mandelker]

So they decide to call it Nona Pipon, which is cute, but if you think about it, it's like grandma with the big belly. So now. Now they're trying to figure out. The other team is trying to figure out what they're going to call their Veg Forward restaurant. Because Nomad just isn't really flying with anyone but Vinnie. So they're very literal, right? So Vinya's like, oh, like a garden. And Lana's like, what about something like flora and like, what about flora and fauna? Like, yeah, flora, but like, then Tristan's like, P H L O R A for flora.

[Ronnie Karam]

Why?

[Ben Mandelker]

I don't know why it has to be ph. Also, isn't the fauna the animal part? If it's veg forward, why you include. Why do you have. Why do you have a fauna? Okay, just make a flora. Why do you need flora and fauna? I don't get it.

[Ronnie Karam]

I was hoping you'd know why they did that. Because they did ph for flora and for fauna. So I didn't really get why. Why they would do that. I mean, except that you're a restaurant, so maybe you're trying to make it cutesy, but I just don't. Are. Do those mean different things?

[Ben Mandelker]

Is it like acid? Is it like. It's gonna be veg forward, but with, like, a lot of acidic flavors? So it's gonna be ph. Ph balance for. Strong enough for a man, but ph balance for a woman. That kind of flora.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, I looked it up and Nanak Flora is an actor from Deadpool and Wolverine. It's child actor, a tribute. There you go. That's all I know about it.

[Ben Mandelker]

Vinnie's like, I like that. Okay, we have to get food. I will be on top of going to the Holiday Depot or we. We are going there, right? Holidays Depot. No. Okay. I was sort of hoping we get to go there bulk holidays for days.

[Ronnie Karam]

Sorry. I was deep into flora on the Internet. Wow, what a talented young man. So, yeah, Vinnie's like, you know, there's pressure, there's stress. I might Come off as cocky. But the goal is to win with no man's recipes. So hopefully I can do that. And Tristan decides he's gonna do a mushroom salad.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. And Lana's gonna do a potluck. Our consummate. And so they're just all plotting out their. Their menus and everything. Bailey's gonna do an arancini, and Schwai is going to do a futi damarel. And they're just gonna. They're just making all sorts of comfort food, and it's gonna be fun. But Pala decides that she's gonna do an Italian cake, a torta dinochi. But it's gluten free. It has no flour. So that's what she's gonna do.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yes. So then they're just talking over what they're gonna do, and then we go to what I said.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah, they're just planning.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, they're just planning. So then Tristan is like, okay, I. I don't mind doing a vegetable forward dessert. How about a chocolate custard, probably with parsnips or something? And Vinnie just makes a face and he goes, I'm comfortable with that, Vinnie. I'm 100 comfortable. I love how Tristan dealt with Vinnie because I feel like people like Vinnie can start fights. And I like that. Tristan's just like, no, this is what I'm doing. Shut the up, you stupid nomad.

[Ben Mandelker]

Vinny's like, but I don't understand. You said a chocolate custard with parsnips, but you didn't mention the hollandaise part. Did you forget that that's going to be part.

[Ronnie Karam]

So now they go to the event space and. Oh, no, they go to shop for the dishes and stuff.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

And. And Tristan's like, we have flora and fauna theme. Okay. So we need something natural and foresty. Right?

[Ben Mandelker]

Yes. There's. So they're very, very literal. I kind of feel like they should have gone for a kind of a chic look. Not. It doesn't. Like, just because you're cooking with vegetables doesn't mean you need to actually make your. Your furniture look like trees, you know?

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. White plates, plain chairs, regular. Just like black paper napkins. But, like white napkins, boom, you're done. Like, I don't. It has to be green. And what reminds us the most of nature? You're killing a pig. And so let's just veer away from that.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. And they also like you. None of these guys have any sort of design sense. And you can see Lana's getting frustrated. She's like, can we just like move this along because we don't need to be here all day. You guys are making terrible choices right now.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah.

[Ben Mandelker]

And then meanwhile the other one, the other team is like pulling out like lots of fun grandma chic things like, like old, like vintage kind of plates and things that have like flowers and whatever, which I actually like. I think this work, this works their theme very well.

[Ronnie Karam]

And they have a cute counter because every time they pick something like that's cute. No, that's cute. Oh, that's cute. That's cute. Cute. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Cute, cute, cute, cute, cute. So now they have to split up to. They have to decide what to do for the markets because they've got multiple markets. So Mossimo comes up with the idea that he'll go to Whole Foods himself, which could have been a disaster because it's. Yes, Massimo left alone with everybody shopping. That could have been scary. But he's going to go there and then send the rest to the specialty markets. So that's how they're going to save time.

[Ben Mandelker]

And he's acting like he just invented some amazing concept of multitasking. He's like, this is actually the best idea ever. The four headed dog. Maybe too much much. But we divide and conquer. I'm like, so you, you split up tasks and you did one of the tasks that you were assigned. I don't think this is a huge innovation. But then again, compared to the other team, the other team was like, we are a team and we're going to be a team together and we're all going to shop at the St Lawrence Market together.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. So that's what they decide to do, which is a fail. So then we go to shopping. So we're at the market and Paula is like team, team, team, team, team. And then we see Massimo just, just like a nightmare in the Whole Foods to anybody who ever shops. It's like, yikes. He's just running around kicking down. He's like, there's some beans I need. He like kicks down the whole thing.

[Ben Mandelker]

Cans are all over.

[Ronnie Karam]

He takes one little can.

[Ben Mandelker]

He's like, not you over shell yourself, Lana. At one point she's talking about her potlucker consume. And she talks about how her background is originally in journalism and she does a lot of investigating food now. And she talks about how her ancestors made potluckers potential pot, pot liquor because it was all that they could eat. Etc. And they show a picture of her graduating and with her parents. It's a sort of. It's the sort of, like, biographical detail that normally someone gets when they're either going to be in the top or the bottom or possibly eliminated, and she winds up in neither place. And this is, like, the second or third week in a row that this has happened where they've just sort of inserted a little bit of biographical information on Lana that had no bearing on the actual episode, which makes me believe my theory is even more correct, that she's gonna make it all the way to the end. I feel like they're trying to form a story with her to make. To carry her into the finals.

[Ronnie Karam]

I'm just, well, guess who's gonna tell you whether you're right or wrong Time.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. Or my dear friend Ali Wong. Tell him who's right. Okay. Or how about this? Tell them who's stupid. I've got an answer for that. You are stupid.

[Ronnie Karam]

So they're running low on time, so Paula's like, okay, it's after five, so maybe we should start going to Whole Foods. So they break. A couple of them break off and run to Whole Foods. And then we see Massimo's team arriving at the warehouse, and so they are getting all their mise en place and cooking started and all that stuff. And Shuai is like, yes. SSR and I went back to the warehouse, and we've got two hours to prep, which is plenty of time. But Paley, Bailey, and Paula have half the groceries. So they have all my seafood.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So he can't prep any of his seafood, which he needs to get done because he's front of house. So he's not going to have a lot of time tomorrow in the kitchen. So he's just sort of, like, wasting time doing nothing. And meanwhile, Bailey and Paola are like, oh, my God, time's slipping away. It's taking so much longer. And yada, yada, yada, and. But the other team is fine. They're getting to work. They're working on their stuff. Tristan's working on his mushroom escavich, and Lana is working on, you know, her second course. Vinny's like, I'm making a squash dish with the pork tenderloin and XO sauce. For some reason, it really bothers me when chefs just say xo. Like, I don't know. I need them to say xo sauce. When they say xo, to me, it's equivalent of saying Nick Cage. It's a weird quirk. I have, like, a weird. Like, it's like, am I the only one who's like that? Who's like, I Want them to say xo sauce, not just xo. It's like saying, I'm gonna add some. I don't know. This may be a hill that's not worth dying over, but I have to share my honest truth.

[Ronnie Karam]

I need to know what exo you're making. Is that a sauce? Is it a game?

[Ben Mandelker]

My sauce is like, xo. Xo. Okay. So Massimo is gonna be working on a corn on the cob ice cream with grilled blueberry condiments, all that stuff. So Bailey and Paula finally arrive.

[Ronnie Karam]

But I'll try it. Yeah, try corn ice cream. Why not? Corn's in everything.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So Paola and Bailey finally arrive, which means they only have an hour and five minutes left to prep and do their work, which is not enough time at all. And this winds up them for the rest of this entire episode.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. So she's like, well, you know Paula. Paula's like, well, I know we're in the weeds, but I'm exact chef, so I have to make sure I'm organized. And, you know, we've got chipotle chorizo for first course and arancini with Bailey, and it's the perfect marriage of Italian and Latin cuisine. And she's just naming dishes they're gonna make, and sh is like, I'm. So it's my only dish, so I could be going home if I this up. And then Cesar is going to do a brace short rib with polenta and ancho peppers for the second course because they need something homey and brazy.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. And then Cesar is also going to do a churro with a pistachio crumb. And Paula's Paola is going to make this walnut torta with the tres leches. So they're just, like, working really, really hard. And I was impressed. I mean, Paula Paola was, like, really good as an executive chef. She was like, like, delegating responsibilities, telling people what to do. So again, I'm still, like, in this mindset. Like. Like, even though they're behind, they're going to pull it out because they're very organized. So then things get really sad because a producer pulls Tristan aside and says that he got a call. They got a call from his mom that there's a family emergency. So he goes outside and calls his mom, and then the screen s goes. Goes to black. And then it comes back, and he says, talk about how the night before, his stepfather, who is basically his father, had a stroke and is in an induced coma. And it's obviously, he's like, he's he's going through it, but he knows that, like, his parents would never want him to quit on the dream. And they. That's actually what his mom tells him. So he goes back in the kitchen. He's like, crying, and it's, like, really sad.

[Ronnie Karam]

He is crying, but he gets right back to work. I mean, my God, that guy's a trooper. Seriously. So they just keep on working. And Shuai tells us he loves to be in the front of the house. He's so good at it. It. And he's like, let me tell you about communism, guys. So we didn't have anything in China, you know, no electricity, no running water, no toilet. But his mom and his grandma never let him feel it. He never felt hungry. He never felt cold. And that's why he cooks.

[Ben Mandelker]

And.

[Ronnie Karam]

Which didn't really tie back to the front of the house thing, but I was like, oh, it's still a nice story. It was kind of a story where I was like, wait a minute, but why do you like working in front of the house? But that's a crazy story, right? My God.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So now it's the next day. And now Tristan has received news that his stepfather has not made it. His stepfather has actually passed away, which I can't honestly even imagine, like, going forward with this competition, like, knowing that your dad has. Has died and. But he's. His team rallies around him. It's, like, very emotional. I'm, like, sitting there getting choked up watching it, and he's just gonna go forward. So a lot of emotions are running high during all this. And they. It. They've got four hours to prep and everything, and they're doing all this stuff. It's like, prep. And meanwhile, Shuai is dealing with the servers. They're setting up the restaurant and Schweize, like, trying to train people. But, like, Massimo is, like, making so much noise on his half of the warehouse that, like, you can literally just, like, hear him. Masimo's, like, not even with people. He's just moving tables around. And you just hear him be like, oh. And sh is just, like, losing his mind trying to train these people.

[Ronnie Karam]

I think it's a big mistake that they choose these paints because the grandma restaurant paints it bright pink, which is ugly as first of all. And also, it smells like paint. Like, who wants to eat when everything smells like paint? Like, new house smell is not good when you're eating. It's not even new house smell. It's just straight up paint. And the other one does, like, a really deep Green. Because vegetables. Vegetables are green in general.

[Ben Mandelker]

I know, it's so literate, so on the nose.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah.

[Ben Mandelker]

What. You know what I would do? I'd be like, okay, our theme is industrial warehouse chic. And then you don't have to do anything. You keep it. You keep the floor dusty, you keep the walls the way they are. And it's just that, that's just the way. That's the theme. That's. That's the vibe for the food.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, Just sawdust. Just be like, we're eating in a mill today.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Paola's working on her cake. She's. She's combining two different cakes together. She's done each cake on its own tres leche and the torto de whatever it is, nochi. But she's never combined them and she's not sure how that's going to work. I was like, okay, well, well, I'm starting to sense that this team is now going to lose because if you're experimenting with a dessert, it really only works out once per season. And that. That already happened. So this is going to be a problem.

[Ronnie Karam]

And cakes are so difficult to make.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. You don't play around with that.

[Ronnie Karam]

You don't mess with that on. On an important day. So then, yeah, we hear Massimo kicking down walls. Like, that's Massimo over there. So then Bailey's like, I wish we had a little more time to make adjustments, but here we are. And then the diners start to arrive.

[Ben Mandelker]

So it's happened, it's. It's arrived. And now, now things are really starting to kick in. The guests are arriving, tickets are coming in. And the first problem with family style is that no one's ordering it like, family style. They're not sitting there and ordering for, like, the table. People are ordering individual family style portions. And so the first, there's two problems right away. First is that, like arancini arrive at a table and there's only like, like two or maybe four arancini on the plate. That's supposed to be family style, which is hilarious. And then. And everyone's just like staring at it because everyone's clearly hungry because they've probably been waiting and holding from production for like three hours. And now they're in there and starving. And now you've got a table of eight strangers all staring at four arancini. And no one wants to be rude to people they don't know, but everyone wants their hands on that. And so already the. This concept is backfiring.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. And I was cracking up because Sw is explaining the grandma theme to one of the guests and he walks away. And the guest goes, I just, I just can't wrap my head around this concept. Really, it's like the most hacky concept ever. Like food you'd have at your grandma's house. Like, I just don't get it.

[Ben Mandelker]

Shut up.

[Ronnie Karam]

Stop filming the normal people, please.

[Ben Mandelker]

Commercials.

[C]

Here comes one right now.

[D]

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[E]

Everyone has that friend who seems kind of perfect for Patty. That friend was Desiree. Until one day I texted her and.

[Ronnie Karam]

She was not getting the text. So I went to Instagram. She has no Instagram anymore. And Facebook. No Facebook anymore.

[E]

Desiree was gone. And there was one person who knew the answer.

[D]

I am a spiritual person, a magical.

[E]

Person, a witch, a gorgeous Brazilian influencer called Kat Torres. But who was hiding a secret from Wondery. Based on my smash hit podcast, from Brazil comes a new series, Don't Cross Cat, about a search that led me to a mystery in a Texas suburb.

[Ronnie Karam]

I'm calling to check on the two missing Brazilian girls, maybe get some undercover crew there.

[Ben Mandelker]

The family are freaking out.

[Ronnie Karam]

They are lost.

[E]

I'm Chico Felitti. You can listen to Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Mandelker]

So then the judges arrive at Nona Pipon and they do that whole thing where they pretend like they're going to a real restaurant. And Kristen's like, hi, we have a reservation for. For Kish Simmons, Zuccharini, Compton, Colicchio, and Chipotle, where food is always fresh. No microwaves, no can openers.

[Ronnie Karam]

This dinner will be paid for by the Visa Grande, which is the most cash back on any other card. Thank you.

[Ben Mandelker]

I like to say that the chairs tonight have been provided by Jennifer Convertibles. They are getting into the chair business, so take a seat and enjoy yourself. Convertibles.

[Ronnie Karam]

Gail's like, wow, look, here we are at Restaurant Wars 22. Wow. Maybe at 23, you'll learn to pick a dress that fits.

[Ben Mandelker]

Restaurant Wars 22. 22. The number of restaurants Gail Simmons has actually eaten. If you see a bite mark in that Applebee's, you know Gail's been here.

[Ronnie Karam]

22. The number of Apple computers that were sold before they finally just decided selling it with a logo with an apple already eaten out of it because Gail kept eating all of the apples. Sorry, that was a little long, guys. Sorry, that was a little long.

[Ben Mandelker]

22 is the number of menus Gail stacks in between layers of buttercream in what she calls a cake.

[Ronnie Karam]

So a waiter comes over. He's like, oh, hi. Welcome to Nona Pen. We're Italian and Hispanic inspired, and we want to bring your mother's house to your house. Oh, does anybody smell mothballs? Sorry, I peed on the floor. Anybody? And they're like, wait a minute. Why isn't Schwai here? What's her buttons? Gail's like, where is Shuai? I like to be greeted.

[Ben Mandelker]

I don't. It's. Honestly, it's a fair question. This is Restaurant Wars 22. This has happened 22 times. How in the world do you take the front of house thing? And you do not greet the guests the moment they walk in, and you don't give them all the attention? It's literally every season this happens. How does this happen? Like, I don't like. And. And shy does that thing. And I think it was like, Jackson a few seasons ago, where Schweize. Like, oh, I'm afraid. I don't want to be too overbearing. Yeah, you don't have to be overbearing, but you have to greet them and say hello. Like, how do you mess that up?

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. And especially when he's like, I'm the servant. I'm the front of house guy. That's me. I'm the. I'm the one. And then he's terrified. Like, he's turning red. He's shaking, and. Yeah, it's not. It's not going out well. And they're pissed. They're automatically pissed. So he finally goes up over. Yeah, he finally comes over. He's like, how's everyone doing? And he's like, I'm tired. I mean, but I guess I feel good. So anyway, the Orange Genie was Bailey, and I made the Fruity Tomorrow, and then Paula helped make the aguachile, so. Oh, God, I wish you made a nap for me. Am I right?

[Ben Mandelker]

This sucks.

[Ronnie Karam]

God. All right, enjoy. Hope you enjoyed this more than I'm enjoying it.

[Ben Mandelker]

Janet is furious. Wow. He's tired. Well, you know. You know who's tired? Me. For having to carry this new slate of judges on the Zuccharini back. Okay? So don't talk to me about being tired.

[Ronnie Karam]

And Janet's like, I have a serious pet peeve. Oh, really? Because every pet I've ever passed is peeved at Gail. You can't take that woman around a dog farm. Trust me, they'll try and bite her.

[Ben Mandelker]

I have a pet peeve, which is that gal keeps trying to eat my pets.

[Ronnie Karam]

So what's odd is that Gail has pet peeves. Not one of them has stayed alive for more than an hour.

[Ben Mandelker]

The most embarrassing thing is watching Gail trying to attach a leash onto a pee and walk it on the streets. Gail, it's not gonna work.

[Ronnie Karam]

So Dan is like, well, my pet peeve is when you're offering the service of family style, you need to have sharing utensils. We're splitting this with a our forks.

[Ben Mandelker]

She's right. She's right. How do they not have serving spoons with your family style? Also, the serving spoons is a better way to signal that this is family style. If you have a big old serving spoon.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. They seem to fix it in later dishes, but this one went. Was sorely missing. They were sorely missing.

[Ben Mandelker]

So sorely, sorely. Sorry. This is sorely missing.

[Ronnie Karam]

So Nina likes the arancini. She said the breading isn't too heavy. It's quite light. And Kristen's. I liked my first bite of orangeini. It tasted like pizza. And then that connected me, I think, to this concept, which brought me a little joy. Cuz pizza reminds me of grandma. Grandmas remind me of this. So here we are, Grandma's and pizza. Even though this wasn't pizza, I'm still connected and I feel joy.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. You know, Gail also tastes pizza and everything she eats, but that's because she always adds a slice of pizza to everything she eats.

[Ronnie Karam]

I smell the pizza and I just think of Gail's perfume.

[Ben Mandelker]

I love that. Kristen. I don't. You know what's so funny? Like, pizza is such, like, a comfort food and warming, but I do people really think about their grandmothers when they think of pizza? If I taste pizza, I don't go to Grandma. I think of just Pizza Parlor. I think of, like, childhood. But, like, not Grandma.

[Ronnie Karam]

I think of childhood. I think of, like, my mom is sick of talking to me.

[Ben Mandelker]

Here's a pizza.

[Ronnie Karam]

Here's a pizza. Or drop you off at the Chuck E. Cheese. Whatever it is. So then.

[Ben Mandelker]

Well, everyone, I've got bad news. We failed. Gale's here. So I guess we didn't avoid the noid. Okay, everyone, enjoy your pizza. Noid's here.

[Ronnie Karam]

All right, Gale's almost here. Anybody? Everybody have their hot and ready counter set? We can see how far away Gail is.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow, this reminds me of growing up and ordering in from Pizzagale. I'm sorry. I meant Pizza Hut.

[Ronnie Karam]

So Kristen didn't like the aguachile. She said the smoothness of the squid wasn't right, and the whole thing was lackluster. And Tom's like, the seafood itself, that's kind of bland. You know, what a boring seafood. Lot of boring seafood.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wasn't planned for Gail because she dipped some pepperoni into it.

[Ronnie Karam]

So then I think they had so many different parts, and as they started building it, they didn't really season it properly. I mean, what are you gonna do? Like, one part sucks, the other part sucks. Three parts aren't gonna suck less, that's for sure. I'll tell you that much. Get some salt. Know what I mean?

[Ben Mandelker]

This. This agua chili, it's made me feel a little agua hot under the collar. I don't like it.

[Ronnie Karam]

And now Tristan is getting pissed because there's a server that's just writing all the orders wrong. And they have a. They have a way that they're supposed to be doing it, and they're not doing it right. And so that you see him walking over to Masimo. Masimo's, like, okay, I. I would have.

[Ben Mandelker]

Liked this server to have been shamed on tv because there was, like, a clear way to do things. It was like, write down all the orders on, like. And, like, write it down. And this person took check marks and put them next to, like, every menu. Like, handed in, like, 10 menus or something with check marks on them. Like, it made no sense. I don't know.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, they just put check next to everything. And they're like, I always needed to.

[Ben Mandelker]

Be shamed a little bit. We needed to see their face.

[Ronnie Karam]

Shame. So the waiter brings the second chorus, and the waiters, oh, I'm sorry. He didn't go up to Massimo because Massimo's not on this team. Sorry, my bad. So the waiter comes up, and he's like, okay, this is Can. This is Canelli. And Nina's like, this is cannelloni, whatever. And then poncho braised hort bibs. Like, okay, can we just got a better Later.

[Ben Mandelker]

He's really messing. He's really scrambling his. Scrambling his letters there. So Janet is like, well, this looks really homey, but I have an issue with it. I. If I'm gonna have something homey, I would like a small, little diorama of a home setting in front of me, too. I just want it to be sold.

[Ronnie Karam]

That's how we.

[Ben Mandelker]

I don't see a diorama.

[Ronnie Karam]

I'm a service person. So Kristen's like, well, I thought shy would come and check in with us, but still hasn't. She's like, schwai, Gail. Gail's like, schwai. We have some questions. Do polka dots go with stripes? No. That's what Padma used to say too. I don't care. I'm gonna keep trying it.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. At this point, like, if you're doing front of house on the show, and if Gail or any of the judges ask sort of passive aggressively, we have some questions. No, that's their way of saying, we've been waiting a while, and you're not attending to us. And so the questions have built up, and we're confused. And why aren't you? We're celebrities. Why are you ignoring us? Like, if you hear that tone, that means you do not leave their side the rest of the night.

[Ronnie Karam]

Right. So Kristen asks, who made each course? And he's shaking. He's like, the ancho short ribs are from Caesar. The pasta is from Bailey. Bye. He runs away. So Nina's like, the short rib had a lot of flavor, but the consistency of the palenta is it's off putting.

[Ben Mandelker]

And Kristen's like, oh, man. What did you think about the cannelloni, Tom? Thank you for saying it correct. No problem, Janet. I got you. So Tom's like, you know, it's good. It's a smart idea because, you know, you can produce it pretty easily. And I prefer the sauce actually, a little bit smoother. It's a little bit of a crunchy sauce. I mean, what's the point of having a. What's the point of having a sauce if it's not gonna be smooth? You know what's smooth? Growing up with a father who's a celebrity chef and knowing you can take over his restaurant someday. And then you decide to go and become a mixologist. You know what that is? That's like the sauce. Nuts full of nuts.

[Ronnie Karam]

I'm getting whole almonds. There are whole almonds in here. They're not even crushed or chopped. Well, why bother? An almond saw you coming a mile away and said, I'm dead soon anyway. I might as well just lie here and wait for the beast to crush me.

[Ben Mandelker]

God, what a sad almond. Guess what? I just talked to the almond because I'm in heaven with the almond. You guess. Fun fact. Almond heaven and human heaven share the same space. And the almonds said, g, God, I had to die on Gail's plate. I said, I know. I'm so sorry. Just a fun story.

[Ronnie Karam]

Kristen's like, I like wet nuts. They're like, oh, my God, Kristen.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

She goes, well, I mean, I like them for my ice cream, but wet nuts together, just not for me. Tom's like, you know, grandma had a blender. I mean, unless your grandma was a goddamn idiot.

[Ben Mandelker]

Meanwhile, sh just told the story how they had no electricity and electricity and, like, rations. He's like, I mean, everyone's grandma had a blunder.

[Ronnie Karam]

All right? So, yeah, also, one part we skipped over was when they were making this whole thing, wasn't this the one where Paula was taking over for someone? And they were. She's like, bailey. And she's like, how do you like your almonds? And Bailey was like, crushed, but they still came out kind of whole. So we're like, what happened? How did Paula drop the almond ball? So then the tres leches comes over, and that's from Paula. And then they're also serving a little churro. And that one is from Cesar. So Nina's like. And the trust leches is usually light and spongy, and this is juicy. Like, what the. What. What is this dense, nutty pound cake thing?

[Ben Mandelker]

There's got to be a joke in here somewhere. I just can't access it. It. So then Tom is like, I mean, it's so dense when it soaks. It's just the outside gets the milk, and then the rest just falls apart. And then you just get that old cereal. Like, this is what's left at the bottom of the cereal bowl. Really? I'm not sure Gail understands that concept, if you know what I'm talking about.

[Ronnie Karam]

And Nina's. Nina loves a churro, but it's dry because the ratio is off. And we also saw that when they were making these, he was kind of pre piping them out. And then Letting them sit there because he had so many to make, which I guess got him in the end. So Gail's like, wow, why would they put it in this shape? I mean, it just made it so much more dense. Oh, God. Ask your creator, Gail. Geez. We've been asking. We've been asking the skies that ever since we met you.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. That was oddly poetic, Padma. Thanks. No problem. That's because I'm in heaven, and I just learned about poetry from Shel Silverstein. So Kristen's like.

[Ronnie Karam]

God, I wish he spoke as well as he wrote. That guy's a real pain in the ass to have dinner with, I'll tell you that.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. Excuse me. I'm about to do Heaven Restaurant wars with special guest judge and James Beard award winner Emily Dickinson. My new friend Sylvia Plath is one of the chefs.

[Ronnie Karam]

Sylvia Platt. Laugh. She's a little depressed, but don't worry. That's just part of her personality.

[Ben Mandelker]

Sylvia, did you mean for this dish to taste so much like your head?

[Ronnie Karam]

One of our judges is Dorothy Parker, and we're making her eat at a rectangle table. You guys probably won't get that because you're not dead yet.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. Gertrude Stein. Why'd you serve this in a mug instead of a. Wait for it. A Stein. Get it?

[Ronnie Karam]

Wow. Hold on. Hold on, everybody. Gertrude Stein is trying to leave early. I'll be right back. Living people.

[Ben Mandelker]

Hey, everyone. This is the end of part one of this recap for part two. Keep an eye on your podcast feed. It is coming up in just a moment. Thanks so much for listening. Catch you on the second half. Watch what Crappens would like to thank its premium sponsors. Ain't no thing like Allison King. It's always a party on Allison Block.

[Ronnie Karam]

Our way is the Amber way.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's the Foster and the Furious. It's Amanda Foster.

[Ronnie Karam]

She can run my country. It's Angie McGovern.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's always automatic with Ashley Auto. Put your hands together for Carly. Clap.

[Ronnie Karam]

Get on the right foot with Chrissy Offutt. She's not just a Sheila. She's a Daniella Etchells. We never miss her call. It's Diane Coleman.

[Ben Mandelker]

Erin McNicholas. She don't miss no Tricolus Hava Nagila Weber. You'll never hide from Heidi Eleanor Jones. I go, you go. We all go for Hugo Jamie. She has no less namey.

[Ronnie Karam]

She's our kind of mess. It's Jennifer Messer. Sip some scotch with Jessica Trot.

[Ben Mandelker]

She's our favorite streamer. Caroline Peacock.

[Ronnie Karam]

Kristen the Piston Anderson. Get a bee in your bonnet with Lacy B. Rigging the funk.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's Leslie Plunkey.

[Ronnie Karam]

She gets a name from us. It's Lindsey D. Let's give a Kisserino to Lisalino. Fresh as a daisy. It's Maisie McHenry we love her on the rocks It's Melissa Cox. Megan Berg. You can't have a burger without the Berg.

[Ben Mandelker]

This is living with Michelle Vivian I.

[Ronnie Karam]

Love a YA Olivia Williamson. Tastier than Flanderson. It's Rachel Manderson.

[Ben Mandelker]

She sure is swell.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's Raquel, yes we can. It's Savannah.

[Ben Mandelker]

Cast a spell with Shannon Spellman. Let's share with Sharon Eldridge, the Bay.

[Ronnie Karam]

Area and our super premium sponsors. She's VVIP It's Amanda V. Can't lose when you're with Amy Baldwin.

[Ben Mandelker]

Somebody get us 10cc's of Betsy MD.

[Ronnie Karam]

We'Re taking the gold with Brenda Silva.

[Ben Mandelker]

Let's get real with Caitlin O'Neill don't.

[Ronnie Karam]

Get salty with Christine Pepper can't have a meal without the Emily sides. Let's go into the woods with Guy.

[Ben Mandelker]

Tubbs who, what, why, where? And Gwen Pentland.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's our queen.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's Queen Laifa Nobody holds a candle to Jamie Kendall.

[Ronnie Karam]

Know your worth with Jason Kurth Hail.

[Ben Mandelker]

The cork master the master of the cork Jennifer Corcoran. We got our wish. It's Jen Plish she's not harsh She's Jill Hirsch She's a little bit loony Junie, my Favorite Murdo Karen McMurdo she.

[Ronnie Karam]

Gets an A It's Kelly B.

[Ben Mandelker]

We love him madly It's Kyle Pod Shadley we're ride or die for Lisa Ryder Baron She's a wiz It's Liz Sarthi always killing it It's Lola Al.

[Ronnie Karam]

Kalani the incredible edible Matthew sisters She eases our woes it's Melissa St. Rose we're on the floor with Molly Dorset There's a chance of meatballs It's Rebecca.

[Ben Mandelker]

Cloud she's the queen bee. It's Sarah Lemke. Shannon out of a can and Anthony. Let's take off with Tamla Plain.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's always a good time when you're wasting time with Bravo. She ain't no shrinking violet Coutar. We love you guys. If you like, watch what crappens. You can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail].

[C]

Some people get a wild haircut or book a spontaneous trip when life throws them a curveball. But Molly? Well, she dove headfirst into a world of no strings attached sex, secret rendezvous, forbidden affairs and unforgettable adventures. And together we tell every juicy detail in Dying for Sex, Wondry's award winning podcast that's now streaming on a TV near you, starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. And to top it off, we're dropping brand new bonus episodes where I sit down with the cast to spill all the spicy secrets, desire, friendship, self discovery and the ultimate bucket list of pleasure. This is a story that had everyone talking Listen to the original Dying for Sex and brand new episodes on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge the original series before anyone else and completely ad free on Wondri.

[F]

At 24, I lost my narrative. Or rather it was stolen from me, and the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and family knew was usurped by false narratives, callous jokes, and politics. I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks both recognizable and unrecognizable names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected with the people that I'm talking to, and leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful. Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Reclaiming early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.