#2849 Top Chef S22E10 Part Two: Season’s Eatings

Summary

Watch What Crappens Podcast Episode #2849: Top Chef Season 22, Episode 10 - "Season’s Eatings" Part Two

Release Date: May 19, 2025

Hosts: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam
Platform: Wondery

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Introduction

In episode #2849 of Watch What Crappens, hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam dive deep into the finale of Top Chef Season 22, Episode 10, titled "Season’s Eatings." This two-part recap, particularly the second part, dissects the final culinary showdown with their signature blend of humor, wit, and candid critiques.

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Recap of the Final Dishes

Lana’s Spaetzle Creation (03:46 - 07:01)

The episode kicks off with a detailed critique of Lana's spaetzle dish. Ben expresses mixed feelings:

Ben (04:09): "So Lana is doing her spaetzle smaller than normal. It's gonna be like butterfly risotto because they're cuter."

Ronnie humorously notes the attempt to blend German heritage with modern presentation:

Ronnie (04:09): "Tiny spaetzle. So hold me closer. Tiny spaetzle. German heritage."

Despite acknowledging the technical execution, Ben criticizes the lack of depth:

Ben (06:22): "This is the first episode that Tristan's ever gotten on my nerves, but I don't even know what the fuck he's talking about at this point."

Tristan’s Trout Roe Infusion (04:50 - 07:28)

Tristan's dish involves trout roe, which Ronnie finds problematic:

Ronnie (07:28): "Finally, someone's shading these chef Testins. Do it again, Antonio. I love that. Did you mean to add such salty roe into your butter sauce?"

Ben further mocks the overly complex justifications for dish components:

Ben (08:43): "Everything doesn't have to be a fucking TV Answer, for fuck's sake. Just make your boring ass dumpling, dude."

Vinny’s Lamb Dumpling with Morel Mushroom Consommé (07:40 - 09:25)

Vinny’s dish is scrutinized for technical flaws and mismatched seasoning:

Ronnie (12:07): "They're like, wait, you ate the potatoes with the sauce that goes with the potatoes? That's just crazy."

Ben (11:09): "It's just stuffing leftovers. Anything that was trimmed, that didn't get added to the stuffing is in the consummate. But if they didn't make it into the stuffing, is it really worth even putting into the consummate?"

Cesar’s Summer-Inspired Corn Dish (14:09 - 16:11)

Cesar presents a colorful, summer-themed dish that Ronnie deems extravagant yet lacking:

Ronnie (14:36): "He says his dish screams summer. I say it screams poor person. Without famous friends."

Ben (15:21): "Filled with pistachio cream and a lightly poached lobster."

Judging and Critiques

The judges provide a mix of praise and harsh criticism:

Antonio’s Feedback (18:04 - 19:54)

Antonio praises Massimo’s dish while critiquing others for being excessively salty or under-seasoned:

Antonio (16:17): "It's a good dish, but there's no excitement. Where's the excitement?"

Ronnie (19:23): "I liked the polenta was fantastic. Crispy, not greasy. Aggressive agrodolce. But I liked it."

Gail’s Harsh Comments (17:57 - 20:32)

Gail doesn't hold back, especially targeting the overuse of lamb and lack of seasoning:

Gail (12:07): "I found the potato is under seasoned."

Ben (33:02): "You think it sucked? It was amazing. It's my best work."

Ronnie (35:46): "What are things that taste sweet? You. Cardboard, rocks, paper, fingernails."

Kristen’s Summations (28:14 - 36:11)

Kristen balances critiques with observations about presentation and seasoning:

Kristen (38:36): "So Lana's dish, I think it ate totally one note."

Ben (32:15): "It was a huge dish. Spaetzle should be the spaetzle."

Elimination and Final Judgments

As the competition narrows down, Ben and Ronnie humorously discuss the prospects of eliminating contestants based on their performances:

Ben (33:21): "If you didn’t rob me of a radish today. So for that, I thank you."

Ronnie (34:51): "Tristan made a hot dog soup with a croissant in it. So I don't know that that's much better."

Ultimately, the elimination focuses on Vinny’s and Tristan’s dishes, with Gail heavily influencing the decisions:

Ronnie (37:46): "She says the ratio of corn to the ground cherries to the yellow peppers, what was that? Were they all equal?"

Ben (38:36): "Titlastylant go to the Netherlands."

Hosts’ Personal Anecdotes and Humor

Throughout the episode, Ben and Ronnie interject personal stories and jokes to keep the recap lively:

Ben (24:56): "I mean, whoa. It was like David Blaine there. One minute there's a spaetzle, next minute, there's the top hat."

Ronnie (28:25): "I gained power off of your tears. So if someone Would like to cry. Do you want to cry over that squash? No."

Conclusion

Ben and Ronnie wrap up the episode with final thoughts on the chefs' performances, highlighting standout moments and lingering disappointments. Their candid and humorous approach makes the recap both entertaining and insightful for listeners, regardless of whether they've watched the episode.

Ronnie (42:34): "We're on the floor with Molly Dorset. There's a chance of meatballs."

Ben (43:00): "Nomad. Nomad. Nomad. Go. Just go."

Final Winner

The episode concludes with the announcement of the winner, Punky Brewster, whose agrodolce dish received praise for its balance and flavor intensity:

Ben (29:21): "The winner today gave us a delicious dish, which really connected to the season. Punky Brewster, congratulations. I love your work."

Ronnie (29:40): "So Shuai is saying how, oh, my God, it's his first solo win, and it's so personal to him. It was a very proud moment being Chinese."

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Key Takeaways

• Humorous Critique: Ben and Ronnie maintain a light-hearted yet critical tone, balancing genuine feedback with comedic relief.
• Detailed Analysis: Each dish is dissected for its technical execution, flavor balance, and adherence to seasonal themes.
• Engaging Narrative: Personal anecdotes and playful banter keep the recap engaging and relatable.
• Conclusion Highlights: The episode effectively summarizes the competition's outcome, providing closure while maintaining the show’s signature humor.

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Whether you're a culinary enthusiast or just in for the laughs, episode #2849 of Watch What Crappens offers a thoroughly entertaining recap of Top Chef Season 22's finale.

Transcript

[Ben]

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[Ronnie]

Who cares what happens when there's so much that happens? Hi everyone. Welcome back. This is part two of a two part recap. If you're wondering where part one was, well, go check in the feed and be sure to subscribe. So that way you always get your episodes. But enough of that, let's get right back into the episode.

[Ben]

So fisun again is like, oh, nice. Technically everything was cooked properly. While I enjoyed the taste, there's just something missing. God. So Lana is doing her spaetzle and she's like, I'm doing this spaetzle smaller than normal. It's gonna be like butterfly risotto because they're cuter. So yeah, that's it. That's why.

[Ronnie]

Tiny spaetzle. So hold me closer. Tiny spaetzle. German heritage. So Tristan is like, he's saying that he's going to add some trout roe because usually trout roe comes in existence in the springtime during a breeding migration. So this is a story of a trout roe that was hatched in my food because of springtime. I'm like, okay, so Vinny is like, well, I'm getting down to the wire here. I just want to make sure the dumplings are cooked through. And it's a last minute ditch to get everything on the plate and some of them are sticking. And so that's end of the time that I have. And basically he doesn't get to put a little radish garnish. He tries to do the Katiana thing, which is the little like radish stamp, but he doesn't. He's not Katiana, so he's not able to do it very well. And he only gets, like, two of them onto the plate.

[Ben]

But it is nice to see him rip off somebody besides Nomad, so that's good. I was proud of him.

[Ronnie]

It was nice to see him opening up his oeuvre of ripoffs.

[Ben]

So now it's springtime, and Gail's like, oh, well, I'm missing a radish. Great, great.

[Ronnie]

That's the same thing every rabbit says every time you walk by.

[Ben]

Well, hey, you may be missing a radish, but at least you still got a radish.

[Ronnie]

Wow. You may be missing a radish, but you're jorts. Seemed to be in oversupply. Seem to really trying to say you went. You went hog wild in dress barn. Sorry, I'm just totally disoriented right here. Rock's not talking to me anymore.

[Ben]

Rock broke up with me, and I can't stop saying dress barn.

[Ronnie]

He said something like, wow, congratulations on looking like you're from 2019. I was like, what's that supposed to mean? And then he just rolled his eyes and walked away.

[Ben]

So Tristan's like, the only time I've ever had to play with spring stuff is when I was in Sweden, in Scandinavia. So this is a Caraflex cabbage. It's never been spring anywhere that you live. Tristan. Tristan, listen. Tristan's. Tristan's. This is the first episode that Tristan's ever gotten on my nerves, but I don't even know what the fuck he's talking about at this point.

[Ronnie]

Caraflex cabbage. Yeah. How does he not get to. You don't get to use peas. Or does he. Does he run a barbecue place in Texas? Is that his thing?

[Ben]

Maybe not so. But it's literally spring every year, so I don't get it. And he's like, but, yeah, I did also spring new potatoes with smoked lake fish. You know, I didn't waste anything, guys. Even the bones from the fish went into making the butter sauce.

[Ronnie]

Which reminds me, if you wind up choking on what should be just a normal silky butter sauce, that's because there's fish bones in it.

[Ben]

I know. I was thinking, I don't think fish bones are the kind you want to use for that, right?

[Ronnie]

I have no idea.

[Ben]

This will kill you.

[Ronnie]

I'm assuming he made, like, a stock, like a. Like some sort of, like, fish stock, and then made that for the butter sauce. I'm not sure. And then Antonio is like, oh, the trout roe. You know, the trout roe. You know that the trout roe is really salty, don't you? Ooh, who is this person? Finally, someone's shading these chef Testins. Do it again, Antonio. I love that. Did you mean to add such salty roe into your butter sauce?

[Ben]

And he's like, yeah, I tried to not put too much. And Antonio's like, oh, okay. Thank you. Fail. That was a fail on the row, row. Fail.

[Ronnie]

Row, row, row your boat gently down the. Get out of this competition.

[Ben]

Vinnie, what's your dish? And he made a lamb dumpling with the morel mushroom consomme enoki mushrooms just raw. And some shucked English peas. I could not believe. I love that he said shucked because it's so Vinnie. Like, oh, wow, you made a shucked peas. Thank you. Thank you for not giving us peas in the pod, you fuck. But I really thought he was gonna say hand shucked. I thought he was gonna say, I did some hand shucked English peas with.

[Ronnie]

A pea soil and a virus of pee. And then he's like, well, I'm originally from New York, so it's like. It's just more of a traditional spring. It's kind of like. I think, as we all know globally, that New York has the most traditional spring. So moving out into Napa Valley, you see spring items as soon as February. So I want to try to do a little bit more of a bridge. So a rich, consummate going into a lighter spring item. I'm like, what does this have to do with China? But what's that whole story about holding the panda? And then you're going to serve peas and, like, a Napa Valley, New York hybrid Chinese, like, what the hell is this dish?

[Ben]

I think that they're just making shit up. You know, on that show Next Food Network star, we used to watch that show a long time ago, of course, Suzy Donaldson. The advice to them was always like, your food has to have a story. You can't just come on and say, I'm making grilled cheese because I like grilled cheese. They'd always be like, it has to have a deep, meaningful story. And so part of the fun of it was watching these people try to come up with something TV ready. Like, oh, I'm doing this because my aunt who's dead now, then they like your grilled cheese better if you have an aunt that's dead. They're like, yes, yes, I loved your dead end grilled cheese. And that's what this show is turning into. Like, it doesn't. Everything doesn't have to be a fucking TV Answer, for fuck's sake. Just make your boring ass dumpling, dude.

[Ronnie]

He should have just said, When I was 20, I went to China and I held a panda. That panda died the next day. But before it died, it said, I just want to have one more pee. One more English pea. Because people don't realize that English peas are very popular with pandas in China. So this is a tribute to that panda. And this Consummate represents the richness of my life after I met that panda.

[Ben]

There you go.

[Ronnie]

Kristen would have been like, you had me at consummate.

[Ben]

You had me at Consummate.

[Ronnie]

Yeah.

[Ben]

I mean, if you're going to do it, do it well, but the same thing every week. Look, my mom, my grandma, my grandma, my mom, all of these people. Like, enough already. Enough. I'm sick of eating your fucking parents. All of you. I've had it.

[Ronnie]

I also, for some reason, it, like, annoyed me when he said that, like, I grew up in New York, which has a traditional spring. I don't know why that annoyed me so much. Like, what, the spring?

[Ben]

Yeah, it annoyed me, too, because he's trying to skirt the rules by doing a consummate. Everybody knows what fall, winter, spring, and summer means. It's not different. I mean, I get even. Even. Kristen was like, well, it's different in every place. No, we all know what fucking winter means. Nobody says, let's get some winter clothes ready. And they mean shorts because winter is shorter. And you know what I mean? Like, we all know what it means. Stop trying to skirt the rules, Vinnie.

[Ronnie]

So Antonio's like, how did you compose the soup? And thanks ahead of time for not adding salty roe to it, Tristan. So then Vinny's like, well, basically, any trim off cuts from the preparation of the farce went into the preparation of the consummate. So it's so it's like this is like stuffing leftovers. Anything that was trimmed, that didn't get added to the stuffing is in the consummate. But I'm like, if they didn't make it into the stuffing, is it really worth even putting into the consummate? Because the stuffing has everything basically, right.

[Ben]

Yeah, he's just. He's. He's grasping. So now they start judging the dish, and Tristan's is first. And the over seasoned salt. The roe did too much here. Okay. And Antonio's like, ow. It was doing this to me. Ow, Ow. Punch, punch. Ow. Punch. Ow. I felt very, very punched by roll.

[Ronnie]

And Gail says, I find that the potato is under seasoned. Gale, don't be Mean to yourself. That's my job.

[Ben]

It's also overdressed, but that's another story. So Tom's like, yeah, I was gonna say that. I was gonna say that. And Gail's like, no salt. There is no salt on it. I mean, what the heck? And Punky's like, yeah, I was confused, but I used the sauce to my advantage and just dipped the potato in the sauce. And so then the under seasoned potatoes became seasoned with the over seasoned sauce, and it kind of worked out. That's punk math.

[Ronnie]

They're like, wait, you ate the potatoes with the sauce that goes with the potatoes? That's just crazy.

[Ben]

That is insanity. Now, what about Vinny's dish? And Punky's just like, no, I mean, it was springy. It was a springy dish.

[Ronnie]

So Fission's like, well, technically, the dumpling was nicely made, but I was missing some components to make it complete because, yeah, I am. I'm spring, but I don't get spring. And then Gail's like, well, there is an aggressiveness to the consummate. It had a funk to it. It's an aggressive consummate. Not happy with it.

[Ben]

Wow. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? So Tom's like, well, I mean, you put scrap lamb into it. I mean, that's what you're getting. You're getting scrap lamb. Scrap lamb. Consume. I mean, who wants.

[Ronnie]

Little known fact, Gayle used to be a race car driver, and that's what they'd call her. Scrap lamb.

[Ben]

Scrap lamb called to me. Gail's like, well, I felt like it overpowered the dish. That's how I feel. So to hell with scrap lamb. That's what I say. And Kristin asks. She's like, so did you have the radishes? And Tom's like, no, I didn't. And Gail's like, I had no radish.

[Ronnie]

Or fashion sense, but that's a whole other issue. That's nothing that Vinny could have given you in the first place. Then Antonio, he's such a dick. He goes, oh, you guys didn't actually get it. Yes. I love Antonio bragging about how he has radish access.

[Ben]

So Bailey, who's now leaning a lot on these agradulce. Last week, it wasn't technically that. What was it called last week?

[Ronnie]

I don't know.

[Ben]

Aguachile is what she did last time, but she's like, I want my agrodolce to be in your. It's a flavor bomb. It could be polarizing. And the old Bailey would Have cared. But this is New Bailey, and New Bailey is giving you overpowered agrodolce. That's it.

[Ronnie]

Polarizing. Sort of like the time that Gayle tried to wear a ball gown into a Dave's Hot chicken. People had a lot of opinions about that.

[Ben]

So Cesar is going for bright colors. The bright yellow in corn, the bright green in the dill. The pop of the red from the tomatoes.

[Ronnie]

Chocolate.

[Ben]

To me, that screams summer. And I'm not seasoning anything. I'm just gonna put corn. I'm not gonna sweeten it at all. Cause it's corn. Who needs it? That was a fun challenge. I connect with it. Cause it's summer. I have a rooftop too.

[Ronnie]

Wow. He says his dish screams summer. I say it screams poor person. Without famous friends.

[Ben]

That might just be Gail. Gail, be quiet.

[Ronnie]

Who here has an Emmy? Anyone, raise your hand. Not you, Cesar. Okay, great. Good luck cooking your non Emmy winning friends.

[Ben]

So he presents his dish and he's like, I grow all these things in my garden. Corn, gazpacho, smoked cherry tomatoes, sperm. Sock. Sorry, that was the garden under my bed. Sorry.

[Ronnie]

How do you grow gazpacho? Well, the components for it. I'm still not following. Okay, thank you, Sasha.

[Ben]

Filled with pistachio cream and a lightly poached lobster. So they start with Caesar's dish. And Gail's like, I wish the corn was sweeter. I don't like. You know, I don't taste the true delicious, sweet corn flavor.

[Ronnie]

Yep. And for me, I just wish this gazpacho were a consummate. I mean, why do you even serve another soup if it's not a consummate? That's all I gotta ask. So then they. They do like the tomato, but punky is like, but don't tell me that this is a lobster dish, because I'm not getting any lobster. Okay. She's basically got like a tiny little piece. Funny, because we saw him taking the lobster out of the shells, and look, there's tons of lobster. And yet, I guess he only put a little bit in. So. Yeah, they like it, though. I mean, it's just. So then Antonio's like, it's a good.

[Ben]

Dish, but there's no excitement. Where's the excitement? Bring me excitement.

[Ronnie]

Don't tell Gail that. She's going to put on her best paisley. So then now it's time for. Now it's time for Lana and Bailey. So Lana is like, so these are our sauerkraut compressed apples. The juice from the sauerkraut is like a nice Pop. And she's, like, very excited because she can show off her German side for once. And Bailey, Bailey is saying how she is finding herself. Normally she's an overthinker, but now she's just more and more clear headed, which is that she wants to destroy everyone's pallets with an aggressive agradulce. And now she's set that mission for herself and she knows exactly how to do it.

[Ben]

Yeah. And Kristen's like, it's time for fall. My personal favorite season, weather wise. And Gail's like, sweater weather. Oh, Gail, please. You wear sweaters to the pool.

[Ronnie]

Sweater weather. Which is, of course, we know the season when Gail eats nothing but sweaters.

[Ben]

Or any season, because that's when Gail's a sweater.

[Ronnie]

This is fall is the only season, though, where Gail's sweat smells like pumpkin spice.

[Ben]

Gail calls every season sweater weather. And we call every season with Gail paper towel weather. So you can wipe Gail's sweater off her. So baby's like, I saw beautiful squash and I was inspired by it. And so this is agrodolce. There's honey nut, curry squash, kabocha squash, acorn, Caribbean chili or Calabrian chili, rather crispy polenta, smoked lovene, and New Bailey. This is made with New Bailey.

[Ronnie]

New Bailey fizzoon takes a bite. She's like, oh, ooh la la.

[Ben]

She literally was like.

[Ronnie]

Take me back to Montreal. I would rather listen to Atlantis more set than it is.

[Ben]

I don't like to criticize other countries, but Canada's Top Chef is actually better. You people suck. Go back to America.

[Ronnie]

Solana's like, I did a butternut squash spaetzle, sauteed kielbasa apples compressed with sauerkraut juice. My father's side is actually from Germany, and this is my ode to that. It's also kind of an ode to the pickle fridge I had growing up. God, I love that thing. Even with the sauce, I cooked it down a little bit and put out a little bit of beer. So it's kind of giving Oktoberfest with teeny, tiny spaetzle. Kind of basically like rice. Spaetzle rice.

[Ben]

So they judged the dishes. And Antonio's like, oh, my God. Bailey's dish. My first bite. Holy cow. I got hit by baseball bat.

[Ronnie]

And Antonio's like. I was like, what is this? All this saltiness, acidity on all these spices. It's so American. And Tom's like, yeah, well, you know, the acrodolce is kind of aggressive, but I like it because, you know, I think the squash is really rich. And then you have all that fat from the fried Brussels sprouts, and then you mix it with labneh Laudna cools it down. It actually kind of all works. Unlike my son, who barely works or I guess works in air quotes as a mixologist, I suppose. Not really a living, but that's fine.

[Ben]

I love that. Tom's like, okay, we're nearing that part of the program where every dish sucks. So I have to say something's good, because otherwise it looks like we've got four really shitty chefs. So, okay, we're at six. How many ever there are. And so Punky's like, actually, hers is my favorite, you know, acidity spice. It was very good. It was very satisfying. And Kristin's like, listen, I hear you, but this feels like a condiment, not a dish. I was like, let Punky feel her way. How about that?

[Ronnie]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, then how about you just, like, eat it as a condiment then?

[Ben]

Yeah, don't tell Gil. Condiments aren't dishes. Otherwise, you'll have to take the spoon out of a mayonnaise jar.

[Ronnie]

Fred's like, it's very good. But I do agree there's something missing a little bit like somebody with a tuxedo and shorts.

[Ben]

Okay, now I feel like you're attacking America, so.

[Ronnie]

All right, so no need to make fun of what I wore to the Emmys. We usually serve that for Gale.

[Ben]

And Gail actually said, yeah, we do that around here a lot around here, actually, which I like, because, you know, that's true.

[Ronnie]

Yeah.

[Ben]

It's time for a commercial. It's time for a crappin's commercial.

[Ronnie]

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[Kristen]

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.

[Ronnie]

Every successful business starts with an idea, and on the best idea yet, we're obsessed with those light bulb moments, like how a bored barista invented the Frappuccino during his downtime and then it got acquired by Starbucks. Or how Patagonia's iconic fleece was inspired by a toilet seat cover. On the Best Idea yet, we dive into the untold origin stories behind the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk takers who made them go viral. These are the wild ideas and insights that made Birkenstock the best selling sandals since Jesus and made Super Mario the most played video game in the history of attention span. Yeah, Nintendo almost became a ramen company until Super Mario saved it. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Follow the best idea yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus. And if this podcast lasts longer than 45 minutes, call your doctor. So then Kristen's like, okay everyone, what did you think about Lana's Spetzel dish? Not enough consummate, Am I right everyone? No, no. And Punky's like, well, Lana's dish definitely reflected fall to me. I mean it could have been a. It could have been a smaller dish though. It was a lot of spaetzle.

[Ben]

It was a huge dish. And I think what they said about hers was true because they're like, yeah, you know, there's a lot of little things. Everything's really cut up into the same size and it just looks kind of like a big plate of, I don't want to say slop because it was Color more colorful. But it was just a huge dish of who knows what, and it was too much. And also, spaetzle should be the spaetzle. It should be the dish with the other stuff is kind of, like, in it, but not the whole dish. It looked like a corn dish.

[Ronnie]

Yeah. It kind of actually reminded me of the dish that we both got in Vegas, that gnocchi that we got. That was so good. But I was like, I feel like I could just tell the gnocchi. Our gnocchi was better because, like, our gnocchi had, like, different sizes of things in it, you know, Whereas this was just kind of like, it did sort of have a porridge y feel to it, right?

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Ronnie]

Just looked like.

[Ben]

That gnocchi was amazing. We ate at Scarpetta in Vegas, and that gnocchi was killer.

[Ronnie]

It was so good. I love that meal. Everyone should go there.

[Ben]

Yeah. Everything that happened in that meal was great.

[Ronnie]

I don't even remember the. Oh, yeah. That was really good.

[Ben]

Okay, so. And in case anyone's like, how the did you two pay to go to. We had a friend with a friend who was like, I'm king of the world. It was amazing. What a way to go. To just be like, I have this. I'll have that. I'll have 10 desserts.

[Ronnie]

It was delish. Yeah. So. So basically, they are like, meh. Tom's like, you know, flavor wise, it's fine, but there's like, you know, there's a lot of little things happening. You know, just, you know, I. But I, you know, I think it's a very telling that this is a spaetzle dish, and no one's mentioned spaetzle once. It's like, how do you say. How do you have a spaetzle dish? And you don't. The first thing you don't say is spaetzle. Like, how. We're not even talking about the spa tzel. It's all about the spatul, baby. Well, why are we not talking about the spatula? We're talking about the garbage.

[Ben]

Where's the special discussion? So Kristen's like, yeah. She says the thing about everything being diced too small and all the same words and same words, same sizes, and so they have to eliminate somebody. And Antonio's like, oh, shit. So let's go to the judges table, guys. So the judge. The fuck, Ronnie. The chefs are talking back in the stew room, and Massimo is happy with his dish, but now he's going to start qu. Questioning everything because they're waiting to be judged and Shwai's like, I got a morning note from my wife, so I felt so motivated. I felt good cooking this food today, because today wasn't a day that I say, I did this for my grandmother and my mother. Today is the day I say, I did this for my grandmother and my mother after a note from my wife.

[Ronnie]

And you know what, Shuai? We also definitely noticed, not only did you have a pep in your step, but when you did have that pep in your step, there wasn't that, like, crunchy sound that normally comes from around your underwear region. That was nice.

[Ben]

The letter's still going. She's just writing it through the whole season. So now they go to judges table. And Massimo, Shuai and Bailey, please stay here. You won. Congratulations. You're amazing people.

[Ronnie]

So Massimo was like, I had a good cook. Today we are cooking for Montreal royalty. So if 10 years ago, I would have been told that I'd be in the same room as everybody that was present today, I wouldn't believe you. And Gayle's like, wow, that's. That's great. Well, the chicken was exceptionally well cooked. He's like, thank you. And Antonio is saying, the balance of the vegetables, the balance of the chicken, the balance of the sauce, it's not because you're from Montreal, buddy. It's just that it was a really, really well executed dish.

[Ben]

And sh. How did the day go for you? He's like, good. Grandmother, Mother. Mother, Grandmother, Mother and grandmother. So it was good. Pretty good.

[Ronnie]

Fresh underwear. Yeah. And Tom's like, yeah, I really got a sense of how you cook. It's nice. You don't. It just seemed like a much freer dish. Sort of felt like freer in all areas.

[Ben]

Was.

[Ronnie]

Was your ball sack area a little freer today? So I don't know. I'm getting a different vibe. You looked at the dish, and they just were, like, so many little pieces of it, and it just. It looked like a package. It was good. Everything was beautiful. Exceeded.

[Ben]

And so I was like, yeah. Today was the first day I felt like myself making a dish. I was like, you made it, turducken. I mean, come on. It's not your first day cooking like yourself. I don't believe it. So then he gets the comment that he. Someone said that they'd remember that squash for the rest of their life. So put that in your pocket.

[Ronnie]

Thank you. Would you like to cry now? I feel like no one's really cried this season, and I'm really yearning. I gained power off of your tears. So if someone Would like to cry. Do you want to cry over that squash? No.

[Ben]

One time after Gayle sat in a chair, the chair told me it will remember being squashed like that for the rest of its life. I love this.

[Ronnie]

Billy, what about you? And she's like, I had fun today. Yet there was such a fascinating layer of flavoring in your dish, a real intensity in the squash, and then there were these beautiful smoky and cooling notes in the labneh. It was like the dish I haven't really ever seen before. No one saw it because you ate it so quickly, gal.

[Ben]

Yeah, the polenta was fantastic. Crispy, not greasy. Agrodolce, aggressive. But I liked it. You know, it almost murdered the French lady who was here. She almost died. But I like that too. That was fun, you know, so it's the richness from the squat. Now, was it the best squash that Antonio ever tasted? Nope. But, you know, you tried, and it was good. Tasty, interesting, beautifully executed. Nice, nice, nice. Good, good, good. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Ronnie]

We. We did get an email from Jen Zuccharini, who says, wasn't my favorite squash either. So 0 for 2. 0 for 2 with the best squash ever. That's okay.

[Ben]

The winner today gave us a delicious dish, which really connected to the season. Punky Brewster, congratulations. I love your work.

[Ronnie]

So Shuai is saying how, oh, my God, it's his first solo win, and it's so personal to him. It was a very proud moment being Chinese. So Kristen's like, okay, well, you can step to the side. And Tristan, Lana, Vinny, and Cesar, step forward. You four had just terrible dishes. We're embarrassed that you cooked such things for such wonderful chefs. Have for us. I don't know why you're in this competition. And the one consummate that I did have for many of you sucked. All right, so tell us, how did today go for you?

[Ben]

Tristan starts, and Kristin's like, so the potato and the fish ratio, was that equal? You're learning, kid. You're learning. Now just start it with, did you mean.

[Ronnie]

Did you mean to have such a terrible ratio of fish to potato?

[Ben]

And he's like, oh, I wanted more veg side and the fish to just barely be there. And Tom's like, well, well, you know, I got news for you. The potatoes were completely bland. What are you, TV Guide? Reviewing Gail's first season.

[Ronnie]

Tristan says, you know, I tried everything together at the time, so the potatoes seem seasoned to me. And Antonio's like, well, I appreciate the sustainability, but I feel like when you do too much on one Plate, and there's three sauces with the other. With the other oil. It just gets very confusing. Yeah. Sort of like Gail's choice. Is that T.J. maxx? Sorry. I wanted to honor her other favorite stores.

[Ben]

Lana, when you cut all the garnishes in Kristen, again. When you cut all the garnishes the same size as the spetzel, was that for a reason or. I'm just trying to.

[Ronnie]

You really need to work on your sentence construction. Kristen, let me try. Did you mean to cut all your garnishes the same size as the spetzel? There's only one right answer. No.

[Ben]

She's like, well, I mean, I guess I was hoping that you'd kind of get a bite of everything. And Gail's like, well, because you cut everything to the same size, it was very hard to differentiate texturally between everything. Is this a squash? Is it a piece of corn? I don't know. Is it a piece of bread? I mean, I really don't know. I have no idea. Very difficult to differentiate foods cut the same size.

[Ronnie]

Gay looked more confused than the time I gave her a grab bag of Mounds and Almond Joys. She didn't know which one was which. After a while, put too many in the mouth, it just all tastes the same.

[Ben]

I liked where you're going there. Okay. You know, felt very fall. Okay. But the spaetzle was a little on the soft side, and it just disappeared. Where's the spaetzle? Spetzel. Hello. Hello.

[Ronnie]

Hello.

[Ben]

I mean, whoa. It was like David Blaine there. One minute there's a spaetzle, next minute, there's the top hat. Spaetzle's in there, puts the top hat on, his head's not covered with it. Where'd the Spitzel go? Where is it?

[Ronnie]

Yeah. Sort of like Tarzan's career after this Mission Impossible movie runs its course. Am I right? Sorry. That's right. You got a straight Tarzan. I'm not afraid.

[Ben]

Hey, everybody, I have one question. Do you think that Tarzan knows Tom Cruise? Just kidding.

[Ronnie]

Hey, Tarzan, I'm hanging out with the real Tarzan up here in heaven. And he said, stop using my name. I have a legacy, you know?

[Ben]

So Gail's like, vinny, what happened with the radish?

[Ronnie]

Some of us didn't get radish, and some of us are not happy about it. He's like, well, it was just a timing thing. I mean, I just. Just boiled down, and I guess I missed a few of the plates. Wow. So you're saying that the little piece of radish that you stamped out, that you could have done, I don't know, maybe 30 minutes prior. You just left that for the last second and couldn't get it onto the plate. I radish.

[Ben]

Vinnie and Gail's like, so did you taste the Consummate? On its own. Radish robber. And he's like, well, I tasted it afterwards, and it was seasoned. I mean, it was definitely there. Look, when someone's asking you a question to inform you that you sucked, don't say you did it on purpose. He's like, yeah, it was delicious. You think it sucked? It was amazing. It's my best work.

[Ronnie]

Kristen's like, it was rich and heavily seasoned, and it overtook everything else. You took the thing I love most in life, a consummate, and you ruined it for me. You will pay. You will pay dearly.

[Ben]

Yeah. You know, the lamb was too punched up. I mean, stop punching lamb. Can we just let lamb live their lives? Don't they have to go through enough? Why are we punching lambs? Stop punching lambs.

[Ronnie]

Scrap lamb. Don't forget that part. Scrap lamb.

[Ben]

Scrap lamb. Consummate.

[Ronnie]

Elvis called. He said I would never make a sandwich out of that. So Tom's like, I tried.

[Ben]

I tried feeding Elvis peanut butter, banana, and scrap lamb. Consummate sandwich. And he passed away again.

[Ronnie]

He went to other heaven. So then Tom was like, I mean, this is just a dish that anyone can make. Anyone can make scrap lamb. I mean, I could throw some peas and some scrap lamb into a bowl, and you make it. I mean, I know you have a point of view. I'm just not seeing the season. I'm not seeing you. What's your season? What's your point of view? How much scrap lamb do you need to put into something? I just don't get it.

[Ben]

So Mouse sr. I was excited to cook Summer because it reminded me of my garden. Have a garden. And, like, the ingredients I put on the plate, that's something I grow. Yeah. So I know it goes well together. I grow it myself. Not in this garden. My other garden. So maybe it'll taste different on my garden. It tastes good. I hope it tastes good on the same foreign garden.

[Ronnie]

Gail's like, let me try this question again just with you. I fucking hate Padma, but sometimes she has a good way of getting to the bottom of things. So did you taste the corn itself?

[Ben]

He's like, yeah. And she goes, was it sweet? And he goes, yeah, a little. She's like, no one is understanding how sweet corn needs to be.

[Ronnie]

Do you understand? Do you understand the concept of sweet. What are things that taste sweet? You. Cardboard, rocks, paper, fingernails.

[Ben]

Come on.

[Ronnie]

He's like, yes, yes, and yes. Well, there's a problem.

[Ben]

You did not rob me of a radish today. So for that, I thank you.

[Ronnie]

Thank you for at least providing me as much corn as everyone else. Unlike some people with their radishes.

[Ben]

Kristen is like, so the ratio of corn to the ground cherries to the yellow peppers, what was that? Were they all equal? Did you mean the inequality of the. Come on, Kristen.

[Ronnie]

Oh, my God. I feel like. I feel like whatever character Edward James almost played and stand and deliver, I'm just teaching these people over and over again.

[Ben]

So they also want to know why he filled the tomatoes. And he's like, I thought a creaminess was good. Tom's like, I don't think you need that, because, you know, that nut, it just gets in the way of those fresh flavors. Oh, nuts. Am I right? God, nuts. Always ruining fresh flavors. You know, all these summer ingredients didn't shine the way they normally should without nuts.

[Ronnie]

By the way, here's an idea. If you want to add creaminess to your corn salad, how about you add cheese? Why are you adding pistachio cream? Add a little feta. Add a little something. A bright cheese, a brownie. But other. It's acting like they don't have access to cheese. You can do cheese. It's okay. It's not going to end. The. End the world. So wrong. You use feet cheese.

[Ben]

So now they have to. Do they have to go back to the stew room? And the guests or the judges have to decide. So they are taking into account the quick fires. So between coming out first on the quick fire, you know, he didn't have a bad dish, Cesar, So he's probably safe. So that means Tristan, Lana, or Vinnie is out.

[Ronnie]

So Gail's like. Lana's dish, I think it ate totally one note. Okay. It was like Padma trying to sing a song. One note. Hey, that's not fair. They told me to only use one note in glitter. That's not. That's not nice. Gail. I don't like how she did that to me.

[Ben]

That's. That's pretty strong for someone who literally ate one note when she swallowed a didgeridoo whole.

[Ronnie]

Wow. It's the only instrument that makes my noise. Wow. Wow.

[Ben]

Hey, everybody, here's the note that Gail ate.

[Ronnie]

So Kristen's like, I mean, all this other stuff was happening inside, and, like, yet you couldn't taste any of it at all. And Gail, that was my problem. Her dish felt lackluster. Almost as lackluster as dumpling without a radish. But I think of the three, Lana's made the most sense for her season. And so they're like, okay, Lana's safe. Lana's safe. So now it's really coming down to Vinnie and Tristan at this point. Like, there's never there. There's no way they're gonna ever eliminate Tristan ahead of Vinnie. They're just. It just won't happen.

[Ben]

Well, I don't know. I. I wasn't sure because they like to keep it spicy in here. I mean, we all thought Katyana was going to come back, and Cesar came back instead. So I was like, oh, my God, maybe they're gonna make it really crazy and get rid of Tristan. But they didn't. Tom's like, for me, Vinny's fish didn't feel like spring. I mean, what? And there was a couple of peas thrown in there. Hand sucked peas. Okay. But still. But still.

[Ronnie]

Yeah. I mean, the consummate should have just been lighter. It should have been a light consummate. But it was the lamb. It was really lambie. Super lamby. Lamby, lamby, lamby. Padma, you have a joke about that.

[Ben]

Consummate lamb scrap. Consummate.

[Ronnie]

That's all I have to say about that lambie consummate. That's like. That's like Rock Hudson and Joan Arc having. Making soup together in heaven. Shut up. Let me consummate. Oh, God, I wasn't ready for that.

[Ben]

Just kill me again. So Kristen's like, you know, Finny's very good at taking the challenge and fitting a story into it. Even though today we really didn't get any kind of story. But I didn't hear he talked about a panda one time. So.

[Ronnie]

Yeah, I mean, he likes, you know, I know he got caught in the middle somewhere. He was like, okay, sustainability. So I'm gonna add lamb bones as opposed to just, you know, just thinking, does he. Did he even think that the consummate needed. It's just an innocent consummate. A consummate does not need lambons. How could he do this at the consummate? So they. They're torn between this consummate and Tristan's under seasoned potato. And Antonio's. He really had a real bone to pick with that salty sauce. Because I don't think anyone else really about the sauce but him. He's like, I mean, he used such a salty row. Is anyone else picking up on this? It was such a salty sauce.

[Ben]

I mean, it was rich and heavy enough for Padma to marry it. All it needed was about 50 years more in age. So in this challenge. Oh, go ahead.

[Ronnie]

That's rich and heavy enough for Gail to. Wait a second. Did you use that against me first?

[Ben]

Wow, Gail. That was really mean. I really don't like judges criticizing each other like that. Well, wow, Gail. Really mean audible. Gail, horrible thing to do.

[Ronnie]

Yeah, go too far, Gail. Too far. Gail. We don't stand for those kind of jokes on this show.

[Ben]

So let's talk about the quick fire. Okay, let's talk about that. Or as I call it, whatever they say to my son every time he tries to get a job. Quick fire. So Kristen's like, vinnie had a foie gras. He had a foie goat cheese uncrusted sandwich. I mean, what was that? The.

[Ronnie]

Why would you put f. Raw and co together? That's ridiculous. That's. That's worse than a scrap lamb in a soup.

[Ben]

Yeah, that was pretty weird. Then Kristen brings up Tristan. She's like, yeah, Tristan made a hot dog soup with a croissant in it. So I don't know that that's much better.

[Ronnie]

Well, it's official, everyone. Our show is Jump the Shark. These descriptions have.

[Ben]

We're canceling our own show right now in the. In the judging. So Kristen's like. I mean, they're. They're all pretty much equal right now, which means they suck. So do we have the answer? Who do we hate the most? Okay, who has run out of panda stories? Okay, let's bring it back in.

[Ronnie]

So the chefs, Three of you have done some great work all season long. Unfortunately, you decided to stop cooking well when Buggy showed up. That's not nice. This is the point of the company.

[Ben]

Yeah, yeah, go on. Go ahead. Sorry, I thought you were done there.

[Ronnie]

No, no, I know. I. I sort of sounded like I was finishing, and then I. Surprised. I kept them going. Kind of like Gail at a cafeteria.

[Ben]

Some chefs are good. Some chefs are bad. Like you. Some chefs succeed. Some chefs fail. Like you guys today. Some shells. Some chefs are yes. Win. No. Yes, happy. And some chefs are no, mad. Vinnie, get out. Get out, get out. Kristen, Padma. Padma, Padma.

[Ronnie]

Very. Now that you're off the show, I hope you can do something with your winnings. Maybe take a trip to the Netherlands. That way you can have some Holland days. Holland days. Some days in Holland.

[Ben]

And Vinny's like, well, at least I got to show people who I am, but I don't really think I got to Full. My show. My full representation of food I could make. I'm like, yes, you did. Holidays, Holidays, Holidays. Nomad. Nomad. Nomad. Go. Just go.

[Ronnie]

Brothers pizza. Brothers pizza. Katiana's garnish. That's it. That was what you showed us.

[Ben]

Goodbye.

[Ronnie]

Well, Vinnie, I thought he was gonna make it into the finals, but he just could not get it together. So, yeah, now it's. Now we're getting down to it. And Lana, Lana Bailey, Tristan, Massimo and Cesar. So we'll see what happens in Calgary. Until then, thanks everyone for being here and we will catch you on the next episode. 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.

[Ben]

Our way is the Amber way.

[Ronnie]

It's the Foster and the Furious. It's Amanda Foster, she can run my country?

[Ben]

It's Angie McGovern.

[Ronnie]

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

[Ben]

Get on the right foot with Chrissy Offutt. She's not just a Sheila, she's a Daniella Echo. We never miss her call. It's DIANE Call Erin McNicholas.

[Ronnie]

She don't miss no Tricolus Hava Nagila Webber. You'll never hide from Heidi Eleanor Jones. I go, you go, we all go for Hugo Jamie, she has no last namey?

[Ben]

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

[Ronnie]

She's our favorite streamer.

[Ben]

Caroline Peacock, Kristen the Piston Anderson. Get a bee in your bonnet with Lacy baby bringing the funk. It's Leslie Plunkett, she gets a name from us. It's Lindsey D. Let's give a kisserino to Lisa Leno. 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.

[Ronnie]

This is living with Michelle Vivian I.

[Ben]

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

[Ronnie]

She sure is swell.

[Ben]

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

[Ronnie]

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

[Ben]

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

[Ronnie]

Somebody get us 10cc's of Betsy MD.

[Ben]

We'Re taking the gold with Brenda Silva.

[Ronnie]

Let's get real with Caitlin o' Neal.

[Ben]

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

[Ronnie]

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[Ben]

And Gwen Pentland it's our queen It's.

[Ronnie]

Queen Laifa Nobody holds a candle to.

[Ben]

Jamie Kendall Know your words with Jason Curse.

[Ronnie]

Hail 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.

[Ben]

Gets an A It's Kelly B.

[Ronnie]

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

[Ben]

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.

[Ronnie]

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

[Ben]

It's always a good time when you're wasting time with Bravo. She ain't no shrinking violet couture. We love you guys. If you like, watch what crappens. You can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery 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.