#2829 Top Chef S22E8 Part Two: Grandma Got Run Over By a Restaurant War

Summary

Watch What Crappens Episode #2829 Summary: "Top Chef S22E8 Part Two: Grandma Got Run Over By a Restaurant War"

Release Date: May 6, 2025
Hosts: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam
Podcast: Watch What Crappens | Wondery

In episode #2829 of "Watch What Crappens," hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam dive into the thrilling finale of "Top Chef" Season 22, Episode 8, titled "Grandma Got Run Over By a Restaurant War." This detailed recap captures the intense competition, emotional moments, and culinary brilliance that unfolded during the episode. Below is a structured breakdown of the key discussions, notable quotes, and overall insights shared by Ben and Ronnie.

---

1. Introduction to the Finale

[03:48]
Ronnie Karam kicks off the episode by welcoming listeners to part two of their "Top Chef" recap. She sets the stage for a high-stakes competition between two rival restaurants: Flora and Fauna versus Nona Pifona. The anticipation is palpable as both teams vie for the coveted $40,000 prize.

---

2. Restaurant Performances and Key Dishes

Flora and Fauna: Mastery Under Pressure

Service and Atmosphere
[07:23] Ben Mandelker:
"Massimo's greeting was over the top... juggling gorgonzola. This is too much of a greeting."

Dishes Highlight

• First Course:
  Lana's Cured and Smoked Trout paired with pot liquor consomme, collard greens, and crispy trout skin received mixed reviews. While some appreciated the balance, others felt certain elements were underwhelming.

  Tristan's Mushroom Escovich:
  [11:12]
  Ronnie Karam:
  "He's clearly gonna win this whole show because he wins every single week."
  Tristan's dish was a standout, blending grilled Ontario mushrooms with ajo blanco and bay scallops, showcasing his ability to remain composed under extreme emotional duress.

• Second Course:
  Vinnie's Butternut Squash with Grilled Pork:
  [14:50] Ben Mandelker:
  "He put as much pork on the plate as there was squash... It might as well be called pork forward."
  Despite its creative approach, the dish sparked debate over its execution and balance.

Nona Pifona: Struggles and Shortcomings
[38:58] Ben Mandelker:
"Nina's like, yeah, there was no interaction... everything was just... how was everything?"

Nona Pifona faced challenges with inconsistent dish execution and poor time management, ultimately leading to their elimination.

---

3. Emotional Undercurrents

Tristan's Personal Struggle
[31:32] Ben Mandelker:
"He credits the team, and he tells them that his father passed away..."
Tristan’s revelation about his father's passing added a heartfelt layer to the competition, eliciting empathy from both hosts and fellow contestants.

Hosts' Emotional Responses
[31:55] Ronnie Karam:
"This is her first cry. But this was a very, very richly deserved cry because it was so sad."
Both Ben and Ronnie reflect on the emotional depth of the finale, highlighting the human element amidst the culinary battles.

---

4. Judging and Critiques

Kristen's Perspective
[30:07] Ben Mandelker:
"You say who you are and you support it."
Kristen emphasizes the importance of a cohesive restaurant concept, praising Flora and Fauna for their clear identity.

Tom's Technical Feedback
[35:48] Ben Mandelker:
"Chili should have been seasoned, and it wasn't."
Tom focuses on the technical aspects, pointing out seasoning flaws and dish consistency.

Gail's Evaluation
[25:32] Ronnie Karam:
"I'm never coming back to the show."
Gail expresses her frustration with Massimo’s service approach, critiquing his overzealousness and lack of consistency.

---

5. Elimination and Winner Announcement

Winning Restaurant: Flora and Fauna
[29:28] Ronnie Karam:
"Congratulations. You win $40,000."
Despite some contentious dishes, Flora and Fauna's overall performance, concept alignment, and standout dishes secured their victory.

Eliminated Restaurant: Nona Pifona
[38:58] Ben Mandelker:
"Nina's like, yeah, there was no interaction... How was everything?"
Nona Pifona's inability to maintain consistency and their lackluster dishes led to their elimination from the competition.

---

6. Notable Quotes and Highlights

• Ben on Massimo's Misunderstanding:
  [42:32]
  "He's misunderstood. But he also is annoying as hell, so I get why they hate him too."

• Ronnie on Paula's Efforts:
  [37:08]
  "She sacrificed her own dishes to help everyone else. She kept us super organized."

• Tristan's Resilience:
  [23:40] Ben Mandelker:
  "He truly did it. Even though he put sherry vinegar on dessert and dirt, I'll forgive it because he's had a rough day."

---

7. Conclusion and Final Reflections

Ben and Ronnie wrap up the episode by reflecting on the emotional and competitive nature of the finale. Tristan’s heartfelt journey and Flora and Fauna’s culinary excellence are celebrated, underscoring the blend of talent and resilience required to succeed in "Top Chef."

[43:27] Ben Mandelker:
"It's always a good episode and in this case, an emotional one too."

[44:55] Ronnie Karam:
"Let's catch you on the next episode of Watch Crappens."

---

Overall Insights

• Cohesive Concept Execution: Flora and Fauna’s success was largely due to their clear restaurant identity and consistent dish execution, aligning with Kristen's emphasis on supporting one's concept.

• Emotional Resilience: Tristan’s ability to perform under personal stress highlighted the human side of competitive cooking, earning him respect and empathy from both hosts and fellow contestants.

• Technical Precision: Judges valued technical skills, with critiques focusing on seasoning, dish balance, and consistency playing pivotal roles in determining the winner.

• Service Consistency: Massimo’s inconsistent service approach served as a cautionary tale about the importance of maintaining professionalism and uniformity in customer interactions.

---

Final Note:
Episode #2829 of "Watch What Crappens" offers an engaging and heartfelt recap of "Top Chef" Season 22 Finale, blending humor, critical analysis, and emotional depth. Whether you're a fan of the show or a culinary enthusiast, Ben and Ronnie provide valuable insights that enhance your viewing experience.

Transcript

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[Ronnie Karam]

Hello and welcome to Watch what Happens, a podcast about all that crap on Bravo that we just love to talk about. This is part two of the recap. If you missed part one, go check out your podcast feed. It's right there. And without further ado, let's get right back into the recap.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Kristen is asking Nina what she thought of everything. And Nina's like, so satisfying. You know, it's like what you feel when you go to Granny's house.

[Ronnie Karam]

And I don't know why that's funny to me, but she's like, yeah, it's beautiful. Kind of stick to your ribs. You want to sit there for hours and hours and just talk. Which is sort of what we're doing while we wait for Schweid to just say something to us.

[Ben Mandelker]

I know I'm kind of jealous of. I mean, look, I had two amazing grandmothers. Both were just fantastic. But sometimes when they talk about grandmothers on food shows, I feel jealous because like my Lebanese grandmother, let me tell you what dessert was. She would go into this freezer in her other room, you know, her second freezer. It was like one of those big chest freezers and she would pull out Candy from like 1960. She would just Save shit from pick and save and put it in her freezer. And when it was time, she'd give you like 50 year old candy. And it was never good. It always tasted like freezer burn. So I get jealous of these people who are like, oh, my God, it's just like granny's homemade desserts, etc. The other one, the memo, boiled US beef every week. Boiled it.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. I think that, like, we have to accept the fact that, like, not all grandmothers serve amazing food. Actually, I had my grandma Sally, not a great cook. There's like stories about how bad her food was, but, like, I am too young to remember how bad her food was, but she was like really good at me making something called mandelbread, which was actually an almond bread. And then, because actually my name, Mandelker, I think it means, like almonds, essentially. So Mandel bread, I mean, we didn't invent Mandel bread, but that's the Mandelbread almonds. I invented almonds, by the way, everyone, I just want you to all know I invented. I'm literally writing about almonds in my next newsletter, actually. So that's a little bit of a tease, as we call it. But my grandma Sylvia was a good cook. And the thing though, that I remember that she made, that was the best, oddly enough. And she made a lot of things. But the only thing I really committed to memory was she made a killer French toast. I love when Grandma Sylvia made me French toast. And she made good peas, too. And I don't normally. I don't normally like peas, but herpes were good, but, yeah, my. But either one, it wasn't. It was never like going to Granny's house and getting that feast and, oh, God, can't wait for that big granny spread. It was never like that for me either.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah, I'm like, did your grandma hit you with a fly swatter and tell you to get the out of the room? Well, welcome to Mimos. Okay. She never said the F word there. So Tom's like, well, you know, the desserts, I mean, there was some charm, I guess, to this whole thing. I mean, the concept carried through, but there was just a small technical issues. Drag some of the dishes down. You know, it's like, I don't know, Gail's outfits.

[Ronnie Karam]

Hey, hey, Tom. That was uncalled for. This is supposed to be a safe.

[Ben Mandelker]

Space now that Padma's dead living person.

[Ronnie Karam]

Until you can explain your jorts, Tom, stay away from the fashion jokes. So Janet's like, well, maybe I'm going to Be a little bit of a nitpick here with shuai, but when you approach the table and someone says, how are you? And you say, I'm tired. Don't tell me anything that isn't positive about that and about the customer. And in fact, don't tell me anything about you. I don't care who you are. You are a vessel. Just hand me food.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So then we go to Flora and Pufana, and Massimo's like, hello. Hello, It's a chef. It's a chef. Hello, it's me, Massumo. Hello. This is a time step. This is juggling. I'm juggling gorgonzola. She's like, okay, this is. This is too much of a greeting. Jesus Christ. Can we get the center bear, please? Just right.

[Ronnie Karam]

The definition of hospitality for me is the way Henry Hill and Karen Hill felt when they walked into that restaurant in Goodfellas. Within five there would be serving all sorts of food. It also explains why I hired a helicopter to menacingly fly overhead for when people leave the restaurant and everything falls to thank you.

[Ben Mandelker]

So they're like, wow. Well, he said, hi. And Tom goes, well, yeah, but he didn't. He didn't give the same touch to the group in front of us. Notice that, huh? So regular people get treated like only celebrities get treated well here. See that? Tom hates Massimo. And I. I'm living for it.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. I love. That's like, for the first time ever in 22 years, when the judges give the. When the. When the chefs give the judge special service, this is the first time Tom cares about it. I mean, what about the people? I mean, hey, you didn't give wine to the other people. I mean, what's going on here? We're all the same.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Massimo comes straight to their table. He's like, welcome. Welcome to Fauna for our. Whatever. Massimos. Welcome to Massimos, okay. Where we celebrate land soil pasta. We're gonna celebrate pasta at some point. You know that, right?

[Ronnie Karam]

Kristen's like, I'm excited about this menu. And there are some buzzwords that I like. I love a consummate. Please tell me this Consummate comes with wet nuts, preferably in a dessert.

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh, my God. One of Gail's. One of Gail's husband's least favorite words. Consummate.

[Ronnie Karam]

Please tell me consummate with every dish, Please. So Mossbo is saying, it's. Everything's going great and everything. And then he's like, so how long have you been down for, chef? And Nina's like, I leave on Sunday. Are we really having a conversation right now? We're not supposed to be doing this. He's like, oh, okay. So you're in town for a while? Yeah. And then Jan's like, I. Yeah, I'm just in town for a few days and just enough to eat some delicious food. And the time limit for this conversation has expired. I'm going to have to have a nitpick with you very shortly. Thank you.

[Ben Mandelker]

Very awkward conversation. And also, like, super awkward questions, like, how long are you in town for? She's like, I leave on Sunday. Good. Want to go to a movie? I like movies. You like water fountains? Let's go check out a water fountain. All right, toots. All right. What about you? Huh? What about you, Janet? What about you? She's like, I'm just here to eat some food. Okay. You sure you don't want a date? We could do something. I mean, come on. It's like, don't ask those questions. Don't ask me about my personal life. I don't want to talk to you. You talk to me.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, yeah. I don't. This is. That's. This is not how it works. So he's like, okay, I'll be back with some food. And Gail's like, huh. Well, Massimo is a character, am I right? And they're all like, this guy. So then he goes. And Massimo is also, by the way, when he's. When he's talking to them, I believe he's also kneeling down. Or is he kneeling. Either way, he's kneeling down other tables.

[Ben Mandelker]

Immediately gets down on his knees and puts both of his flat on the table. And then, like, puts his head on his arms. Like, what's up? Oh, what's up? I'm just a cute little man.

[Ronnie Karam]

Are we in a tgifs? What is happening here? I hate the kneel down, arms on the table thing.

[Ben Mandelker]

I hate it. Like, we're not best friends. Give me my goddamn food. By the way, I was guilty of this a lot as a waiter.

[Ronnie Karam]

Really? Well, you were young. You were young. But Janet, you know who doesn't like it? Janet, She's. I mean, the kneeling down, the resting on the table. I like to be a little bit more buttoned up and professional. Or. What's the word I'm trying to use? I don't like when waiters are so annoying and terrible intrusive.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Lana comes out with the first course cured and smoked trout and then a pot liquor consomme with a little bit of chiffonade, collard greens and crispy trout. Skin. So then Tristan brings over his mushroom. Escovich grilled Ontario mushrooms. A little ajo blanco at the bottom. And then the broth is made from Dawadawa and some beautiful bay scallops in there as well. So he says we're veg, but a little essence of everything. So so far we're not veg forward. I just like to say, except for this mushroom. The mushroom, I think was. But the. Well, I think you're. So far you're serving salmon and scallops and what's the other thing there was.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, it was. Yeah. I guess it's still. Yeah, it's that. I guess it's more like there's a large vegetable presence, but maybe not vegetable forward. Maybe vegetable side by side at this point.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. I don't get how this is a veget forward. Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, Kristen couldn't be happier because it was a consummate. I just live for consummate. This consummate. It's beautiful. Nina really enjoyed the broth. The. She didn't love the vegetables being raw. But Kristen's like. But the consummate itself was just great. I thought it was. It was stunning. I said at the beginning of the season, I said, someone please serve me a consummate. For it to happen in the middle of restaurant wars.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's interesting. It's interesting how they change it up from when they're judging right now to the end. Because she's like, yeah, I mean, the broth was good, but the greens were raw. The chiffonade was hard to eat, the chip was good. So she said it like, this wasn't good. But I did like this one thing and kind of this. This.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yes.

[Ben Mandelker]

Or whatever. But then by the end, they're like, brilliant dish. Every single thing about it.

[Ronnie Karam]

I know.

[Ben Mandelker]

Just amazing.

[Ronnie Karam]

Consummate was the consummate. Consummate. So then Janet is like, Tristan's dish I really loved. He managed to do something that. A juxtaposition of subtle and light, yet rich and savory, poor and home trying to find something.

[Ben Mandelker]

I'm sorry, we're just gonna do this all night. So, Steve, Gail ends stringy and tushy. Anyone else?

[Ronnie Karam]

Subtle and light. Two concepts that Gail has never been fond of. Sorry, everyone. I just got so distracted by Virginia Wolf. She's juggling right now in the middle of restaurant wars up here. It's very off putting.

[Ben Mandelker]

She's already drunk, by the way. So Tom's like, well, you know, Tristan's dish is just beautiful. Just beautiful. He's got finesse he knows when to do it. And I'll bet he wouldn't try to make me a cosmopolitan on Father's Day, so that helps. And Kristen's like, yeah, I appreciate that they're explaining their dishes. And Gail's like, well, but not one person. But Schwei came out to us on the other team, which is fine. I mean, I guess that's fine.

[Ronnie Karam]

Still really holding a shy grudge over there in the new restaurant. She's like, remember when we were over there at Mama Lipone or whatever it was called? And Schweidn say hi to us. Still angry about it. Still angry.

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh, Gail holding on.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. Then we have second course. Comes. Lana has this pithavir Pithavier. It was basically like a puff pastry with. With veggies in it. And so. And that's fine. That's veg forward. But then because it has a lamb. The lamb jus. But that's it. But then Vinnie, this was the biggest. This. This was like, really? This is a violation. He's like, okay, I made you a comfy butternut squash served with some grilled pork. Served with some grilled pork. It was giant slabs of pork in the center of the dish with, like, a little squash on the side, like, Like a little earring squash earrings on the pork.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. He's like, we wanted to give you a little bit of protein. But wait, can I ask you about Lana's dish? It was just lamb jus, but then what'd they do with the lamb that came from it?

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, because normally this dish. I think they said at some point this dish is normally served with, like, a meat filling. And so they did a. So she. They did a vegetable filling for this kind of puff pastry cake. But the. Oh, are you saying what do they do with the lamb that they made the jus with? Is that what you're asking? You'll have to ask Gail, because she got there first. Unfortunately, bless her heart, they saved it.

[Ben Mandelker]

For Gail to use his mouthwash later. Veg forward pork dish, which is ridiculous. And then Kristen compliments Lana's technical work, and Tom's like, yeah, you know, I mean, the dough is slightly raw. I mean, it was. It was like Gail in food form. Well, I mean, it could have been cooked a little bit more, but it's tasty, so that's good.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. It's like Gail when she finds out the 711 sold out of Charleston shoes, She's a little bit raw about it.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Nina loved Vinnie's pork, and the squash was amazing. It Was breathtaking. Squash, guys. And Janet's like, how do you get squash to taste that? Amazing. Oh, my go. Now, the low point on the dish, it was still executed well, was the pork, but, God. Low point. Low point pork. That's what I call it.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, we call this sandbag pork. You tie it onto something, and it drags everything down. Oh, you mean a gale pork. Yes, I'm familiar with the term.

[Ben Mandelker]

So then Massimo comes by, and Tom's like, well, I mean, there was as much pork on the plate as there was. And Massimo walks away again. And Gail's like, okay, well, we just can't have a conversation here. I guess I almost missed Schweig boring us, because that was a lot how Massimo came over here. I mean, can we get a break? I mean, geez. It's always Massimo, Massimo, Massimo. I would like to talk about pork. Pork is my favorite subject.

[Ronnie Karam]

I actually got an 8. I actually got a 5 on my AP pork test in high school. And Tom is like, do you feel like you're being handled? Because. Yeah, I feel like we've been overtouched a little bit at this point. Wow. That's the first scale. Am I right? So, Thomas. So Tom's like, yeah, I mean, there was as much pork on the plate, and there was squash on the plate, and you're telling me this is veg forward, and yet all that dish didn't come through. You might as well call it pork forward. I don't understand it. It's like, you know, it's like you're going to a parking lot, and they say, park over here. But instead of saying, park over here, they're saying, pork. Pork over here. See what I'm doing there? See what the joke is?

[Ben Mandelker]

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[Ben Mandelker]

So now flora and fauna guests are complaining about being hungry and not having menus or food. Everything's falling apart. But Massimo's just walking around confident as hell, you know, and he's like, well, you know, things go bad, I make sure it's normal. That's what I do. So he's apologizing to tables. And meanwhile, at Nona Pipon, they're running low on tres leches, and they had to put out extra churros instead.

[Ronnie Karam]

And then back at at Laura and Flauna, Massimo brings out his dessert, which is that. That corn ice cream with the blueberry thing has like a little blueberry hat on it. It's like a crisp of blueberry that's like. It's like a fascinator on it. And then Tristan has. Okay, I love Tristan. I really do. He's clearly gonna win this whole show because he wins every single week. He's great. He's wonderful. He's cooking under extreme emotional duress at the moment. Like, this is. He's really being a champion. His dessert looks delicious. Looks truly delicious. But you know what my issue is going to be with it, don't you? You know where I'm going with this? You know, I'm already getting annoyed. I cannot stand chocolate soil. Like, this is the stupidest culinary trend. It's been around for a few years now, where you get dessert and someone makes like a chocolate crumble and calls it a chocolate soil. First of all, why are you calling it a chocolate soil? Like, yes, it looks like soil, but why do you have to take me there? I don't need to eat like a chocolate dirt. Also, like, it usually doesn't taste that good. It's usually kind a dry crumble that doesn't really help anything. It's just kind of like, wow, I made something that looks like dirt, so I'm going to call it a dirt. And when you eat it, you'll find it's not dirt, but it's actually chocolate. But it still tastes kind of crumbly. Like, the texture.

[Ben Mandelker]

It also looks just like chocolate powder, like cocoa powder. It doesn't even look like anything. But that looks like you just, like, drizzled some cocoa powder on there.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's stupid. And the other thing, it's like, I think my two least favorite things are chocolates. It's like a soil. A quote unquote culinary soil, or a study. Because I remember one time seeing one of these shows and someone brought out a dish I Had, like. It was like, a long dish and had three versions of, like, the same. Like, of using an ingredient. And, like, this is a study in prosciutto. And I was like, oh, Jesus.

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh, God. Mine. My big pet peeve is a foam. I hate a foam. They look like spit. They're always gross. I just think they're disgust. They never come out foamy. They always come out, like, a hot. They always. I hate those. But he didn't do that. He did do the dirt chocolate, however, and then he did some caramelized parsnip with sherry vinegar for a touch of acidity to bring that vegetable forward. Now, to me, this sounds disgusting. Chocolate custard with parsnips and acidity. Sounds gross. Sorry. But they like it. Kristen calls it.

[Ronnie Karam]

They like it. It works. Yeah, it works. So Kristen said Massimo's dessert was stunning. It was like, the consummate of dessert. And those plump blueberries, I mean, that could have been a dessert in and of itself. And Janet's like, yeah, the corn is subtle, but it's just. It's just so creamy. It's so perfectly made. And I smashed the beat with energy. Oh, yeah. Because Massimo did a whole thing about, like, you have to smash it with energy and then become one with the universe. So he had such a ridiculous preamble about his dessert.

[Ben Mandelker]

Everybody liked Tristan's dessert, and Gail's like, the parsnip adds, like, a little bit of sweetness, but it tastes very balanced. One thing. Gail's never been on a teeter log.

[Ronnie Karam]

We always say, gals, get off that log. And she says, no, I'm gonna do it anyway. Well, brings new meaning to the word timber.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Tom's like, well, these aren't pastry chefs. But it was executed well, so. And Nina's like, cohesive. Very cohesive. So now Vinnie is like, God, we put so much pressure on ourselves because we. To perform for Tristan after his bad news. God, it's so difficult for Tristan. But he did it. He made it through, which is true. Tristan nailed it. And even though he put sherry vinegar on a dessert and dirt, I'll forgive it, because he's had a rough day. But Kristen is. So now they're debating on what they like, and they think that flora and fauna basically delivered. But the other one was kind of a fail. Let's face it. This one wasn't very confusing.

[Ronnie Karam]

It was pretty obvious at this point who is gonna lose. Although I like that Janet's like, yeah, it was very. It was very sophisticated, very elevated. I just wanted that to be mirrored in the service. I mean, that was. If I have to see one more waiter on his knees talking to me from below my water glass, I'm literally gonna leave this entire industry.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. She's like, if I ever have a dining experience compared to Goodfellas, again, I'm never coming back to the show. But otherwise, good.

[Ronnie Karam]

So they go to judges table. Tom's like, so each team had an idea of what the restaurant should be. And I really believe that it was, in both cases, supported really well with your food, with your service, with your style. And I think that's the mark of a good restaurant. You know, you say who you are and you support it. And of course, by both restaurants, I mean, only one really did it. The other one was a total failure. But we'll try to lift them up a little bit before we just savage them to pieces.

[Ben Mandelker]

Okay? One of you smelled good. One of you smelled rancid. Guess who it is. Not going to tell you yet, but we're gonna find out. Okay? Some of you are better suited to just pooping on yourselves and being thrown out of houses. Okay? Okay. Podmon. Podmo.

[Ronnie Karam]

So I guess one says one of you were like a thong. The other one of you is sort of like granny panties. You try to figure out which one is which because it's kind of in your vibe.

[Ben Mandelker]

All right, are you just leaving this one open for me? No, Padma, you're trying to judge with the living. Okay? So Paula, they ask Nona people, how was their day? And Paula's like, oh, it was rocky. You know, mean. We were running, but we were ready for the opening. And Nina asked Shai what his approach for front of house was. Shy. Did you mean to suck dick as the leader of the front of the house? And he's like, well, you know, I just trained him like I trained our staff at Jackrabbit Philly, which is a very well thought out blue as a pink color. So did it work?

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, we had questions. We asked you questions, and unfortunately, you told us the truth. Okay? We said, how are you? And you said, I'm tired. Okay? Congratulations. We're all tired. You think I want to be here on this stupid fucking show? You've got to be selling us in your concept. I need more press. Wait, where's Shuai? Did he. He literally left in the middle of this. He's gone again.

[Ben Mandelker]

I can't even believe this. Shuai, could you please not smoke cigarettes while I'm trying to discuss things with you?

[Ronnie Karam]

Can we get a runner out there? To find Shuai. Can we bring it back in?

[Ben Mandelker]

Okay, so how did it go for Flora and Pifana? And Tristan's like, that was good. You know, we knew what we wanted and we did it. And so Tom's like, well, you want to talk about of the house? Or as I like to call it, bottom of the barrel. Anyone want to come put elbows up on our table?

[Ronnie Karam]

How are your knees feeling after you spent all the time kneeling at every single table in the middle of this quote unquote, fine dining restaurant?

[Ben Mandelker]

You're. You're on your knees more than my son is when he's begging for jobs mixing iced tea with liquor. So.

[Ronnie Karam]

Wow, you're more. You're on your knees more than. Well, probably Gale has been ever, if you know what I'm saying. Wow. Got salty up here in heaven. So then Mossimo's saying that. He's like, oh, it was somewhere in the middle of perfection and a car crash. Okay. It was that line right in the middle, just running in that energy. Janet's like, Massimo. Okay. I'm also on the business side, in case you didn't know, because I haven't reminded you in two minutes. Your concept overall was extremely refined. You have a fantastic personality. I don't understand what Goodfellas has to do with any of it. Am I going to wind up in the trunk of some car? Come on, I'm a made man.

[Ben Mandelker]

You know what? You don't like Lorraine Bracco, Just say you don't like Lorraine Bracco.

[Ronnie Karam]

I don't like Lorraine Bracco. There, I said it. Okay, well, I say this. Who's. You know what? Here's the thing. When Lorraine Bracco and I get together, we become broccolini. And that's just too much, too close.

[Ben Mandelker]

To home, so, you know, get more refined. And he's like, heard, heard. I heard that. Didn't like it. Heard it. It heard it. So Kristen's like, okay, Flora and Pafana, stay here. Nona Pippon, rest on the side, you losers. Okay. Pfloran, Pifana, Just because of the extra pHs on two words, you win. So congrats. You win $40,000.

[Ronnie Karam]

Your name is just slightly more pretentious. And that really gave us. Gave you the edge here. So you're gonna get some food. Okay? We're gonna talk food.

[Ben Mandelker]

And Nina didn't really love Lana's dish because Lana, I loved her dish. It was so elegant. It needs to be on a menu at your restaurant. It's very Southern.

[Ronnie Karam]

Nina was the one who was actually Most negative about the dish. She's like, I didn't like the raw collard greens or something like that.

[Ben Mandelker]

And she said the trout was weird too. She. But she just liked the chip and the sauce. So I was like, oh, well, it's kind of a big change there, Nina. But they roll with Lana.

[Ronnie Karam]

You should put it on a. You should put it. Put this dish on your restaurant so that way a reviewer can come in and trash it, and then you can see what it's really like to be a chef.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah, please do it at a Southern restaurant so I can win again another year.

[Ronnie Karam]

You should put it on your. Put it on your restaurant, get better reviews, and then you can see how. How it feels to be extremely talented and passed over yet again.

[Ben Mandelker]

And so Tom compliments Tristan and Kristen didn't. She said it didn't just feel like a rich chocolate pudding. The texture was beautiful. The sherry vinegar, that was the shining star for me.

[Ronnie Karam]

And then Janet's like, vinnie, what magic juju spell did you put on that squash? Because it's the best squash I've ever had in my life. He's like, well, it was cured in hollandaise. That's it. Hollandaise. You already know that, didn't you?

[Ben Mandelker]

It's a very special squash. We call that a nomad squash, so hope you enjoyed it.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's been around. It's a nomad squash.

[Ben Mandelker]

And then dessert was also very good. And Gail's like. It was so balanced. There was tartness. There was beautiful textures. The dehydrated blueberry on the best dishes we've eaten all day. Elbows.

[Ronnie Karam]

You all won as a team, but there was one chef that really took it over the top for us. For me, it was the consummate. But for everyone else, Nina, Janet, as our guests, you get to announce who that is. Our winning chef for today that contributed the most to the success of the team is Vinnie. Just kidding. Of course. It's not Vinnie. It's Tristan. It's tr. I mean, you guys knew it was always going to be Tristan.

[Ben Mandelker]

And so they clap, and he credits the team, and he tells them that his father passed away, and so it's really sad. And they all kind of cry and stuff and tell him that their dad. His dad is proud. And Kristen's like, don't ever feel like you have to be on. This is also real life too. Yeah. Look at Gail. She's never on, and it's her 22nd season.

[Ronnie Karam]

On trend. That is. Yeah, this is. This is. Well, so last season, what was sort of amusing to me was that toward, like, in the last third of the season, every time Kristen had to eliminate someone, she started to cry. So this is her first cry. But this was like a. Well, a very, well, richly deserved cry because it was so sad. And I was crying too. I was like, everyone's crying. I'm gonna cry too. But it was so sad, and they were so sweet to Tristan, and they gave him. They really. They really supported him in a really loving way. And I really. And Gail, you know, they said, sorry for your loss. So then Kristen's like, okay, okay. Well, Nona Pipon, you had our least favorite restaurant of the day, in case you couldn't figure it out. Dummies sitting on the side. One of you will be eliminated. Let's start with schwai. Wait, is schwei.

[Ben Mandelker]

He.

[Ronnie Karam]

He left again, didn't he? Is he here? Is he tired? Tell us what's going on with Shuai.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Janet starts with the fruity dimar. The base of flavors was there. I just wanted the flavors amped up, you know? I mean, come on, give me something. Give me a little Goodfellow does. Hey, wait a minute. Not you, idiot. Not you. So Nina is like, you know, the second something is under season, that dish falls flat. And so Kristen goes. Who executed that on the pickup?

[Ronnie Karam]

Like, Chef Paula picked it up. I had the pass. Oh, I thought you were asking what was Gail doing on a pickup truck. I said, that's her bathtub. Sorry, everyone. That was a little. I was a little distracted on that one. So it didn't quite come together.

[Ben Mandelker]

Kristen's like, I needed a more pump up in the agua chili department. Okay, losers. And Gail's like, bailey, the orange genie were fantastic. Great start to the meal. Love the idea of the chorizo because you were bringing in the nana and the opelita. Wow. Chorizo. Every grandmother under the sun loves that. Am I right? God, what a grandma thing to do. Chorizo. But the cannelloni, I just had one frustrating issue with it.

[Ronnie Karam]

It.

[Ben Mandelker]

The almonds. They were whole. That was strange. It was very, very strange. You know, Gail, every time she lost a tooth as a kid, just put an almond in the slot. So I'm not sure why she's so upset about it now.

[Ronnie Karam]

That's why for the longest time, she was known as Gail Almond Tooth Simmons. Sometimes she feels like a nut. Sometimes she feels like a nut. There's really no other option. So then Bailey is like, well, I wanted to finish, win the Robocop, because is that A machine? The Robocop. Is that like a blender or something like that?

[Ben Mandelker]

How do we not know that sounds like something we could waste money on. RoboCop. But she didn't have time, so they immersion blended it. And Paula doesn't take credit for that, which I thought was weird because that was kind of a Paula thing. And Tom's like, paula, well, we all had a problem with your weird wet cake. That was a very strange texture. I mean, I'm not really sure what to make of that. It was like reaching your hands into a grab bag and finding Gail in it.

[Ronnie Karam]

Could you even imagine? So then, wow. I mean, I'm just shocked by my own commentary at this point, because I.

[Ben Mandelker]

Don'T know why this made me laugh so hard, but Nina just goes, it just looked like a soggy piece of cake.

[Ronnie Karam]

Anyone want to take this one? Janet, you seem to be doing a good job. You want to go for this? Come on. Soggy piece of cake. Gail, go do it.

[Ben Mandelker]

What is it? Gail's yearbook picture day.

[Ronnie Karam]

I'll accept that. Dorothy Parker says, ha.

[Ben Mandelker]

And Nina's like, well, but then, you know, with the progression of the meal, I mean, we get to the final, it's like a screeching halt. And Paula's like, okay, I'll be honest. Look, I'm the executive chef, so everything you guys have mentioned, it could have been fixed by me. And Gail goes, oh, everyone plays a role. Don't worry. Okay? Everyone plays a role. Yeah, but some people fail more than others. Am I right? Rhymes with pale.

[Ronnie Karam]

Wow. Gail says everyone plays a role. But in the case of Gail, seems like everyone eats a role, too.

[Ben Mandelker]

Everyone bases their lifestyle around roles. So Kristen talks to Caesar, and Tom's like, no to short rib. You know, I mean, that was braids nicely. There was a lot of flavor there. And, you know, it's like. But the polenta, that was tight. Like, what was that? Gross.

[Ronnie Karam]

Okay, I. There is a joke to be made about Gail, but I think this is. There's even a limit for me. And so Janet's like. Like, she's like, the churros you want to deliver on crispy and then light and fluffy, and then ended up feeling like it was dense. Dense churros. Dense, stupid churros. It was like that churro came up and got on his knees and took an order from us at the table. Stupid.

[Ben Mandelker]

Good flavors, though. So Chris is like, do you guys have anything to add before we just completely decimate and send one of you home? And they're like, no, Bailey's like, oh, well, I'm super proud of everyone on the team. But Paula just really crushed it. I mean, everything except the almond. No offense. And she kept us super organized. She made sacrifices so our dishes could come to life. And Kristen's like, yeah, Bailey, you're always five steps from the grave as it is, so just go ahead and go back. She's like, okay, well, I tried.

[Ronnie Karam]

Can I say something? I am still caught up on the robot coupe. It's called not a robocop. It's called a robot coupe. It's a type of food processor. And I think it's like a high end. Like, destroys everything in its path bath thing. Like, it's like you put something in there and it's like, I didn't even know. I'm shocked. I never even knew about this thing. And it is. First of all, I love that it's called a robot coupe. Like, I'm mad. I want a robot coupe. I just want to say I have a robot. Like, I'm gonna. Oh, time for me to make a pesto. Time to get up. Time to get out the pesto robot. We have to look into this. Okay, so time for delibs.

[Ben Mandelker]

Nina Pipon's concept, they had good follow through, but at the end of the day, you get nothing for nothing. It's about the food that puts front of us. And Bailey's dishes were good, which I was kind of surprised, cuz Bailey's looked basic. Like she's serving just another big pasta thing. I didn't. I wasn't into it, but they were. And they like the arancini and they thought that was the best dish. So Bailey is safe. And so now they're arguing on why c. Like, should Caesar go home before Paula or sh. And they're like, no, Caesar. Like, at least his churro was decent. And with a gil who's like, I love churos. I'm a big hero fan. Someone kept calling them chiros. It was making me a chiro.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, I know. I love a chiro. And Gail's like, you know, it always comes down to the chef and the manager and Janet's like, well, the only element that was a detraction from the concept was shuai. And Nina's like, yeah. There was no interaction. There's just like, how was everything? And then he just scurried away.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. I was kind of hoping it was going to be shuai, even though I like shuai too. But I know Paula has an edge for me, but. And also, also, schwai failed at the front of the house so bad that I thought it was gonna be him.

[Ronnie Karam]

Paula. They did say that, Paul, like, they give credit to Paula that she sacrificed her own dishes to help everyone else. And I thought, like, she was doing a really good job as an executive chef. It's just that the dishes just didn't come together. They had a real. They were just totally screwed by that timing with the shopping, and they never recovered. Where Shuai had, like, a. A mistake that was so on. Like, it was so. It was like a. It was an unforced error. Like, that was a mistake that the other things could be like, okay, we lost track of time. We're trying to catch up. There was chaos. But his was just like, all you have to do is go over that table and don't say you're tired when you get there.

[Ben Mandelker]

Well, also, they didn't like his dish, but a lot of the stuff was. So people helped him put it together. And the part they didn't like was the aguachile, and Paula helped him with that. So they blame Paula for that, which is not fair because that's his dish. Like, that was extra credit for her. So I didn't like that. And Tom's like, well, chili should have been seasoned, and it wasn't. And Gail, at least is like, we're letting him off a bit easy here. Okay. And so Kristen says, yeah, when you're a guest chef, one of the first things you do when you get to the event is you make sure that they're doing it how you want it done. So I'd rather have an under seasoned agua chili than that torta.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah.

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh.

[Ronnie Karam]

And Tom's like, I mean, if she were a cook and I had no responsibility other than cooking that dish, fish, she goes home. And Gail's like, well, it becomes clouded a little bit by the amount of work the team really can make. To use what Paula did as. That. That Paula did as. As for the team as a chef. And Kristen's like, yeah, but, like, she didn't find the sauce. She's using aqua chili. She just screwed up everything. Nina's like, well, I think the time management definitely got away. So basically, it looks. It's pretty clear how this is gonna go. And Tom gives his closing monologue.

[Ben Mandelker]

Guys. Well, you know, sometimes restaurants open, sometimes they close. I went to Applebee's as a kid. When they first opened, it was a mess. They were microwaving the cheese sticks. Nothing was working. Mayonnaise was on everything. But I still liked it because it was about $10 back then. My, how things have changed. Padma.

[Ronnie Karam]

Thanks, Tom. That was a great story that I'm gonna tell no one up in heaven.

[Ben Mandelker]

So let me tell you who didn't laugh at your story and ranking. Let me tell you why. She has taste. Okay, Go back to the. Go back to your little show Living people.

[Ronnie Karam]

Guess what Anne said. She said I'm ranking that story as a zero out of zero.

[Ben Mandelker]

Is my stepsister rank there? Oh, yeah, she is. Hi, Gail.

[Ronnie Karam]

Oh, God. And Bob Fosse came over and said, how about this first story? I dance better than all of you. It was strange. Didn't have anything to do with anything, but it set a tone.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Kristen up here, we call him Bob Fussy God. The guy never stops complaining.

[Ronnie Karam]

He's the real Janet Zuccharini of heaven. Am I right?

[Ben Mandelker]

So it's Paula. She's out of here and she's still proud of herself. And she's like, we came as strangers, but I'm coming up with a whole community.

[Ronnie Karam]

Oh, I'm gonna miss. You know, I'm gonna miss most about Pa. I'm gonna miss her. Her little shawl shawl that she just wears during the interviews. Just wrapped around her shoulders. I love it.

[Ben Mandelker]

I like her abuelita shawl. I also like that she hates Massimo so much and is not.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, that's it.

[Ben Mandelker]

Even though I don't hate Massimo, I feel kind of bad for Massimo because he's just so misunderstood. But he also is annoying as. And I get why they hate him so.

[Ronnie Karam]

And I support.

[Ben Mandelker]

I support it.

[Ronnie Karam]

He was too casual with the service. But the truth is, he actually ran that room very well. He was really good about tending on guests. And when Tristan was having a freak out about that one crazy service, server Mossimo was very calm and went and handled it. So he actually did a really good job front of house despite, like, his Applebee's service. But anyway, that's it for Restaurant Wars. Another one bites the dust. It's always a good episode and in this case, an emotional one too. Thanks, everyone for being here. Go to watchcraft.com to get your tickets. Go to patreon.com watchcraftins to watch us and also to get bonus episodes and things like that. And we're gonna catch you on the next episode of Watch Grappens. Bye, everyone. 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.

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Know your worth With Jason Kurth.

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[Ben Mandelker]

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] survey at 24 I lost my narrative.

[Ronnie Karam]

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 plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Everyone has that friend who seems kind of perfect for Patty. That friend was Desiree, until one day.

[Ben Mandelker]

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

[Ronnie Karam]

Desiree was gone and there was one person who knew the answer. I am a spiritual person, a magical person, a witch, a gorgeous Brazilian influencer called Cat Tourists, but who was hiding a secret from Wondery. Based on my smash hit podcast From Brazil comes a new series, Don't Cross.

[Ben Mandelker]

Cat, about a search that led me to a mystery in a Texas suburb. I'm calling to check on the two missing Brazilian girls, maybe get some undercover crew there.

[Ronnie Karam]

The family are freaking out.

[Ben Mandelker]

They are locked.

[Ronnie Karam]

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