“Top Chef” Upset: Sam and Elia Pack Their Knives

Wow, look at all the bitterness on display! Marcel, think you can reign in your minions now? Your 15 minutes is long gone, hon, how about concentrating on improving your skills now?

Elia, you were obviously one of the best in every way on the show and we know you'll go far. Thank you for being up front and not bowing down to the publicity doctors. You ROCK. (And your food's awesome...we had the...+READ

Wow, look at all the bitterness on display! Marcel, think you can reign in your minions now? Your 15 minutes is long gone, hon, how about concentrating on improving your skills now?

Elia, you were obviously one of the best in every way on the show and we know you'll go far. Thank you for being up front and not bowing down to the publicity doctors. You ROCK. (And your food's awesome...we had the special on Monday night.) ;)-COLLAPSE

By wootle on April 4, 2007 02:48 PM

elia,
maybe you are britney spears top chef - you two can party together now with ur matching hairDO's. Ewwwwww!

By middlechef on February 19, 2007 07:14 PM

Elia a la verdad que eres una hipocrita , de casualidad eres bipolar. Amigas como tu no las quiero ni regaladas.
Ilan is the TOP COPY RECIPES.
Sam the instigator
You all lost my repect.

Marcel is the TOP CHEF in my book. Marcel come to Puerto Rico.

By tita39 on February 16, 2007 06:02 AM

lots of unfortunate things resulted in the season. it is good to remember that one challenge can make or break a contestant's winning streak. sam was by far the favorite. it's sad that he was awarded $10K and Marcel -0-. How does that work? oh well.....reality tv. nice to have a place to vent.

By middlechef on February 8, 2007 09:11 AM

Why wasn't Sam in the finals?? I can tell you...ratings, RATings, RATINGS!!
I would hope that none of you are fooled. The producers knows EVERYTHING that is going on at all times. They were WELL aware of the growing numbers of tension between Marcel and the remaining gang, JUST as they were WELL aware of the whole shaving Marcel thing. They didn't stop the attack because it added "spice" to the...+READ

Why wasn't Sam in the finals?? I can tell you...ratings, RATings, RATINGS!!
I would hope that none of you are fooled. The producers knows EVERYTHING that is going on at all times. They were WELL aware of the growing numbers of tension between Marcel and the remaining gang, JUST as they were WELL aware of the whole shaving Marcel thing. They didn't stop the attack because it added "spice" to the show and they got rid of Sam because the ratings and the viewers would top out with the HUGE rivalry between Ilan and Marcel-COLLAPSE

By SUShan on February 7, 2007 08:41 AM

Elia is a bitch. Ilan is an asshole and a bitch. And Sam- was ok until he sabotaged Marcel in the last episode and tried to take credit for something he didn't create. So that makes Sam a jerk.

By cutelotusflower on February 6, 2007 01:31 PM

SAM you are Top Chef in my book. Collicchio needs to have his head examined. Go on and show the world what you are capable of and get out there and succeed big time baby! Love ya!!!

By PaulaBabe on February 5, 2007 09:52 PM

Add really stubborn to the list of your negative traits, Elia. WOW. After listening to you talk about being eliminated, it is clear you hadn't the fortitude to carry the title of TOP CHEF even if your food was good enough.
Discussions of cheating are a little after the fact. Like Betty was called out for using more sugar, and there was the suggestion of additional olive oil being added by...+READ

Add really stubborn to the list of your negative traits, Elia. WOW. After listening to you talk about being eliminated, it is clear you hadn't the fortitude to carry the title of TOP CHEF even if your food was good enough.
Discussions of cheating are a little after the fact. Like Betty was called out for using more sugar, and there was the suggestion of additional olive oil being added by someone, you could've addressed cheating when it was appropriate. When you are losing, well - Elia, it looks like you are just a sore loser.
OH - DON'T FORGET YOU WOULD'VE BEEN LONG GONE IF MIA HADN'T SAVED YOU. You were SO GONE that challenge as you displayed NO LEADERSHIP SKILLS WHATSOEVER.
You sound ungrateful for the opportunity and you have nothing good to say. After Clippergate we all saw a different Elia, one the public doesn't like. All those diplomas and certificates haven't earned you life skills, unfortunately. Maybe go to charm school for your next degree.
Another thing I would like to address is your disappointment with the way you say Americans view culinary arts vs. the people of France, etc. People in other countries apparently value and love the art of food more than we Americans. You say this country is more concerned with the dollar than the art. On behalf of people like Marcel, I say, WHATEVER. I'm convinced that it is the reason you ended up in this country - Las Vegas no less - from the culinary appreciation capital of the world - Mexico. My advise to you is simple. GO HOME. Enrich the culinary world of some other more worthy country. PLEASE.-COLLAPSE

By middlechef on February 4, 2007 08:11 PM

have to disagree about sam earning respect from the show. while the show allowed him to showcase his considerable culinary skills, it also showed sam to be liar and morally bankrupt. He lied about the timing in clippergate; he lied about creating Marcel's second dish at the finale when he really just help Marcel to calm down; and he has a habit of just standing by when others are being assaulted...+READ

have to disagree about sam earning respect from the show. while the show allowed him to showcase his considerable culinary skills, it also showed sam to be liar and morally bankrupt. He lied about the timing in clippergate; he lied about creating Marcel's second dish at the finale when he really just help Marcel to calm down; and he has a habit of just standing by when others are being assaulted (clippergate) or thrown under the bus (elia and the cheating accusation).

Also, i just listened to marcel's interview on chow.com and marcel asserts that during the 4 hour prep time, Sam barely helps and actually disappears for an hour to do an interview. Some help. In fact, Marcel praised Michael for being a workhorse during the prep, something the cameras did not show. Also, during Marcel's interview, he does not come off arrogrant at all, and does indeed seem to have the passion for food that great, creative chefs have.

Ironically, i was also rooting for sam and elia to be in the finale, but in the aftermath where their lack of character was exposed, i am glad neither of them were.-COLLAPSE

By sushidog on February 4, 2007 11:15 AM

lovech75 you lucky chick(?)...he sure is hot. But what makes him hotter is his humbleness when it comes to his obvious talent..and smoldering sexyness. I for one am soooooo glad he didn;t shave his head. I also am glad I was drunk enough to sit through the finale and watch marcell go down in flames. Its just sad he can't listen to anyone. Just more proof of what egos - and men with small penises...+READ

lovech75 you lucky chick(?)...he sure is hot. But what makes him hotter is his humbleness when it comes to his obvious talent..and smoldering sexyness. I for one am soooooo glad he didn;t shave his head. I also am glad I was drunk enough to sit through the finale and watch marcell go down in flames. Its just sad he can't listen to anyone. Just more proof of what egos - and men with small penises - can ruin. Hes just such a little douch.I heard someone in Vegas cracked him on the head with a beer bottle. Not saying I condone violence...but some people just need to know when to shut the ffff up.
Let Sam know if hes ever in LA and in need of some spice..I ll be glad to lend a helping hand....or more ;) lol-COLLAPSE

By 818valleygirl on February 3, 2007 06:37 PM

Sam is an AMAZING chef and extremely talented. He puts his absolute all in basically everything he does. I've known him for 6 years. He moved to New York to pursue and fufill a dream of becoming a fantastic chef in a big city. He's done it. He's a wonderful, thoughtful, not to mention sexy as hell man who is going to to very far in this world --- and Top Chef only helped him-- he came out of it...+READ

Sam is an AMAZING chef and extremely talented. He puts his absolute all in basically everything he does. I've known him for 6 years. He moved to New York to pursue and fufill a dream of becoming a fantastic chef in a big city. He's done it. He's a wonderful, thoughtful, not to mention sexy as hell man who is going to to very far in this world --- and Top Chef only helped him-- he came out of it all so respected. If anyone knows him as well as I do, personally, you know he'll be very very successful in anything and everything he does.-COLLAPSE

By lovech75 on February 2, 2007 12:10 PM

Pardon me, how could I forget...the infamous frozen waffles with beans, eggs and syrup. I think Elia should have been on "Survivor" and not "Top Chef."

By Gastronomique on February 1, 2007 08:38 PM

I almost decided not to watch the final, but channel hopped and caught the last 30 minutes. My eyes could not believe that I actually had seen Marcel pick Sam and Mike as his Sous Chefs (thinking perhaps if he went down in flames, he could blame them). Elia was a given for Ilan, Betty a surprise (like I said tuned in late, so I'm assuming they had to chose from the last 4 bump offs).
Marcel will...+READ

I almost decided not to watch the final, but channel hopped and caught the last 30 minutes. My eyes could not believe that I actually had seen Marcel pick Sam and Mike as his Sous Chefs (thinking perhaps if he went down in flames, he could blame them). Elia was a given for Ilan, Betty a surprise (like I said tuned in late, so I'm assuming they had to chose from the last 4 bump offs).
Marcel will be a talented Chef in 5 years, but it will take him that long to get through the Carnegie Book. This show also showed his lack of preparation and use of Plan B (which you damn well better have in the kitchen, especially off premise). His got to learn how to develope team skills, and be a better leader and remember respect to be earned, must be given.
By the way, he has been billed as a Master Chef has he taken the following certification:
http://www.acfchefs.org/Content/Education/Certification/Levels/CMC.htm-COLLAPSE

By bob farrell on February 1, 2007 08:37 PM

Let's see...Elia...roasted chicken, mushroom soup, cheese burgers, raw tuna with capers and olives...oh yeah, real hard stuff! I think she forgot this was a "Top Chef" contest and not a high school "Home Economics" course.

By Gastronomique on February 1, 2007 08:23 PM

elia is also the youngest out of all the contestants, so she still has time to mature. he age def. made her sensitive during elimination. she was probably not used to that kind of rejection because she is in fact so young
i
ts interesting how someone so young was better then people much older who had been cooking all their lives.

i wish the best for elia.

By callonme06 on February 1, 2007 04:00 PM

i think you all are being really harsh on Elia. i mean, did you guys actually watch the show or are you just judging her based on this interview? because she was a great chef and won a lot of the quick fire and elimination challenges. obviously she deserved to get as far as she got. but i dont understand why you all are slamming her?????? she was well liked by all the contestants and was the only...+READ

i think you all are being really harsh on Elia. i mean, did you guys actually watch the show or are you just judging her based on this interview? because she was a great chef and won a lot of the quick fire and elimination challenges. obviously she deserved to get as far as she got. but i dont understand why you all are slamming her?????? she was well liked by all the contestants and was the only one who didnt have problems with the other chefs, so why is she bitchy, or arrogant, or petty etc?????
maybe cuz she didnt take her elimination well but so what?? how would you feel if you lost to someone who was undeserving of of the title?

None of us know what happened on the show or behind the scenes and what not because only a small fraction of what actually happened was aired, which is def not trustworthy because it was edited like crazy. so how can you make assumptions that marcel was a good guy and innocent and blah blah blah?
he was the most hated out of all the chefs! there has to be a reason for that!!! so obviously he was an ass at the kitchen and unrespective to the other contestants. i mean, the other people arnt just gonna randomly choose someone to bully.

im gonna defend elia because i think she deserved to be in the final round, but not necessarily the top chef. in the final round, ilan even said that elia was a better chef then him.

and this whole thing about elia and marcel being friends at the beginning, who knows if thats actually true, maybe she was just nice to him out of respect. but if she just suddenly changed her view on him, then something bad must of happened that just pushed her on the edge and made her say on those things on the judges table.

marcel was an asshole throughout the competition, not elia, so dont try and turn the tables around and make her the bad guy. in fact STEP OFF!!. she told the truth as it was, and the fact marcel cheated throughout the competition, she believed he needed to be called out on it. all of you would have done the same if $100,000 was it stake.

and you know, reading through all the comments, i wouldnt be surprised if it was actually MARCEL or his friends/family writing things in his favor and defending him while bad talking elia and ilan.-COLLAPSE

By callonme06 on February 1, 2007 03:55 PM

Personall, I think that Marcel should have been dismissed after the incident that got Cliff ejected. In the clips (that were even shown in the show) Marcel is walking down the hallway and shoves (quite forcefully) one of the persons holding a camera. And if what Tom said about agressive physical contact, then Marcel should have been done with as well.

By DaruisHeathen on February 1, 2007 03:32 PM

For what it's worth, here's my post-mortem. I was pulling for Marcel, but had my doubts when he chose Mike to be part of his team for the finale. Mike didn't care much about the contest when he was in the running, so why in the world choose him as a sous chef? I thought Marcel's choice of Mike showed very poor judgment--I'd have gone with Mia, if only for her genuine desire to help Marcel.

I'd...+READ

For what it's worth, here's my post-mortem. I was pulling for Marcel, but had my doubts when he chose Mike to be part of his team for the finale. Mike didn't care much about the contest when he was in the running, so why in the world choose him as a sous chef? I thought Marcel's choice of Mike showed very poor judgment--I'd have gone with Mia, if only for her genuine desire to help Marcel.

I'd had reservations about Sam after the clippergate mess, but I will say I thought he was a class act in the finale. He showed a quick grasp of how to deal with disasters, and how to move on quickly and salvage a bad situation--both with the sugar-encased vinaigrette, and the missing fish. Also important along those lines, Marcel showed he could listen to Sam's good advice and move on quickly--could you picture Elia in either of those situations? She'd be tossing in the towel again. Or smearing vinaigrette all over her face. In other words, when disaster hit, Marcel and Sam seemed to actually work very well as a team. (Marcel also showed this quality when he agreed to move the restaurant concept his team had come up with to the diner concept--he wasn't adamant that it had to be his way or no way.)

I always got the feeling that Ilan was a good bistro/ Spanish cuisine cook, but that Marcel was really the more adventurous, more likely to push boundaries. But in this last episode, I got the sense that Marcel is just too young--perhaps immature is the better word. Marcel is somewhat inarticulate (why couldn't he have let the judges know he'd taken good advice from Sam? This might have shown them a side of Marcel they were totally unaware of.) The poor judgment shown by the choice of Mike was bound to lead to disaster.

In the long run, not getting the Top Chef title may be best for Marcel. WIth some emotional maturity and development of leadership/interaction skills, I think he could eventually turn into one of the great American chefs. I have a sense that Ilan will always be a good cook, but I got no sense from the show that he had great vision or would push boundaries like Marcel probably will. (Though chicken livers covered in chocolate ganache is one boundary I never thought I'd see broken through!). I think the Top Chef title might have been premature for Marcel, and would likely have made him less likely to develop basic skills that will be more helpful to him in the future.
Will miss the show.-COLLAPSE

By PJ101 on February 1, 2007 12:24 PM

This season was the first time I watched "Top Chef", and believe me, I won't watch it again. I thought the judges were looking for innovation and talent. Well, I don't think they scored either with Ilan. Ilan offered the same predictable approach with each challenge---Spanish, Spanish, Spanish!!! (And if his dish was found unsavory, Ilan was sure to mask his insecurities by slighting an...+READ

This season was the first time I watched "Top Chef", and believe me, I won't watch it again. I thought the judges were looking for innovation and talent. Well, I don't think they scored either with Ilan. Ilan offered the same predictable approach with each challenge---Spanish, Spanish, Spanish!!! (And if his dish was found unsavory, Ilan was sure to mask his insecurities by slighting an unsuspecting Marcel in some way or form.) I have to say, I was incredibly disappointed that Marcel didn't win. He demonstrated great culinary skill and great civility even when his petty rivals verbally and physically (Cliff) assaulted him. His culinary diversity and talent were evident.

FYI---(to the sore losers such as Elia, Sam, etc.) This wasn't a personality contest. You know, some "real life" top chefs are like hell to work for in the kitchen. They don't have time to stroke their kitchen staff's ego, or to engage in time consuming diplomacy.

Anyway, what about some of the other would-be top chefs? I thought a few of the other contestants were a bit obnoxious, i.e., Betty (the vicious and foul-mouthed Betty Crocker), Mike (who I wouldn't allow to prepare a boiled egg in my own kitchen at home), and oh yeah, Elia - you made it as far as you did because Mia's voluntary departure catapulted your ungrateful butt ahead. Well (to the Bravo reps who might possibly read this), can't wait for "Project Runway", 'cause I sure won't be watching "Top Chef" again.-COLLAPSE

By Gastronomique on February 1, 2007 12:16 PM

Sam,
When the season began, I thought you were excellent, but this thing against Marcel, you guys don't know how petty this came across. In the end, I thought Marcel deserved to win, certainly not Ilan. I would have preferred a showdown of you and Marcel, but your pettiness got you.

Elia, you are such a beautiful woman, why would you act petty and mean to Marcel? That I think destroyed your...+READ

Sam,
When the season began, I thought you were excellent, but this thing against Marcel, you guys don't know how petty this came across. In the end, I thought Marcel deserved to win, certainly not Ilan. I would have preferred a showdown of you and Marcel, but your pettiness got you.

Elia, you are such a beautiful woman, why would you act petty and mean to Marcel? That I think destroyed your creditability. What a shame!!!!!! I think you hurt Marcel personally. He was sad at what you had to say. I would never be spitful and mean like that to someone, but then again I am not you. Thank Goodness.-COLLAPSE

By Starr on February 1, 2007 11:22 AM

I think Sam .Elia,Ilan,and Cliff lied about the whole hair cutting episode per one of Marcel's interviews. They cut their hair after they tried to cut Marcel's hair.Bravo reversed the time line.

By jewelrymavin on January 31, 2007 05:43 PM

i can't believe that people on this site like marcel. he completely annoyed me, and i could turn him off anytime i wanted, so i can imagine what the other contestants must have felt. he is such a one trick pony, with the foams. come on! and personally, i think his fold is so outdated, isn't the current trend all about natural ingredients? he was using chemicals! the mark of a good chef, imho, is...+READ

i can't believe that people on this site like marcel. he completely annoyed me, and i could turn him off anytime i wanted, so i can imagine what the other contestants must have felt. he is such a one trick pony, with the foams. come on! and personally, i think his fold is so outdated, isn't the current trend all about natural ingredients? he was using chemicals! the mark of a good chef, imho, is someone who can create amazing and delicious food out of the fresh and simple ingredients. primarily, a chef must be good at delegating, and leading a team and those two things are completely lacking in marcel. he doesn't inspire loyalty or even conviviality. he definitely doesn't deserve the top chef title. it is too bad that the one who does, was kicked off the show already - sam.-COLLAPSE

By smugbunny on January 31, 2007 05:06 PM

This is the first time i've read this blog thing, but I am a fan of the show. NOte: Watching the show does not tell you what the food TASTES like, dudes. I don't see how so many people can feel so strongly about FOOD they never ate. The contestants, yes, but the food?

Can't wait to see the finale. This is the best show on TV.

By wishbugger on January 30, 2007 02:38 PM

BOYCOTT THE FINALLE! It's all a scam!! They only chose those two idiots because they think it will bring the best ratings because of thier stupid rivalry. Sam should be there - he is the one with the most culinary skill and vision. THIS IS BULLSH_T and the producers know it. Stupid padma. Hope shes gone like last seasons host. LET STIFFLERS MOM HOST! At least shes funny...and hot.

By 818valleygirl on January 30, 2007 12:35 PM

Where is the TV.com poll ? this way i can vote for Marcel. And for the record im not a "hacker" lol she is a joke. At first i thought Marcel was a prick, but as the show goes on..... I hope he wins just to say screw you to the rest of them. I know there is a lot that we do not see, i know it is a reality show ie drama wins ratings, but hope he wins never the less. Would like to see a Marcel on...+READ

Where is the TV.com poll ? this way i can vote for Marcel. And for the record im not a "hacker" lol she is a joke. At first i thought Marcel was a prick, but as the show goes on..... I hope he wins just to say screw you to the rest of them. I know there is a lot that we do not see, i know it is a reality show ie drama wins ratings, but hope he wins never the less. Would like to see a Marcel on Iron Chef America ..... then we will see if he has what it takes . Maybe make that next step after the final. Would be interesting.

America isnt a race, yeah shes putting down americans. The truth comes out.-COLLAPSE

By wickedjeweler on January 30, 2007 12:24 PM

Ok first off Elia title as sous chef. Ok at a restaurant that large there are many sous chefs; am, pm, and executive. With one was she? Next how do you go from that high of a position all the way down to assistant room chef not executive room chef but assistant and at another hotel within the company. “Looks like huge drop” no is a huge drop have fun climbing out of that one. Point #2 didn’t we...+READ

Ok first off Elia title as sous chef. Ok at a restaurant that large there are many sous chefs; am, pm, and executive. With one was she? Next how do you go from that high of a position all the way down to assistant room chef not executive room chef but assistant and at another hotel within the company. “Looks like huge drop” no is a huge drop have fun climbing out of that one. Point #2 didn’t we all see Ilan with his sausage tom commented is that allowed “yes, as long as it doesn’t need refrigeration”. What is good for the goose is good for the gander! Point#3 ok I am bias years ago my husband worked in Marcel’s home town! Yes at one of the first restaurants Marcel ever worked in he is a great kid and I say because that is what he was at the time not now! Marcel doesn’t care what the others think of him he knows who he is and is ok with that person can all you bashers out there say that about your self’s! Yes I only watched the show because it is very cool to see what he has done with his life after living on the rock (as we call it) So all I have to say is way to go Marcel !!!!!!!!-COLLAPSE

By funlife on January 29, 2007 08:52 PM

It's about the food, stupid.

Rings a bell. Sam is a decent guy, capable of not being his best, as we all are. Elia is cute, which doesn't matter, and 23, which sometimes matters, and probably damned well more talented than any of us writing here, and she was on the show for a long time -- probably deservedly. Marcel is not liked by those who were there, reasons unnecessary, and it is equally...+READ

It's about the food, stupid.

Rings a bell. Sam is a decent guy, capable of not being his best, as we all are. Elia is cute, which doesn't matter, and 23, which sometimes matters, and probably damned well more talented than any of us writing here, and she was on the show for a long time -- probably deservedly. Marcel is not liked by those who were there, reasons unnecessary, and it is equally irrelevant. Ilan never impressed me, but he doesn't have to. He cooks, cooks well enough to make it to finals, has flaws and virtues, probably is a guy like me just trying to get through the day. Competition is tough... be glad, not angry, that there's cooks still standing. Many people would have quit.

As for shaving Marcel's head? Boys will be boys, which is a shame, and regardless of whether that hair style should go (it should) NO ONE has the right to be touched, especially in an aggressive way, without that person's permission. It's the basis of our civilization, and the act was uncivilized. Punishing an uncivil act in a civil competition is the civilized thing to do.

Love the show. I fantasize eating oysters with Padma.-COLLAPSE

By Chalie Can Cook on January 29, 2007 01:41 PM

How about not doing another spoiler this week?

By Robert Lauriston on January 29, 2007 01:36 PM

Why is it that Marcel has so many votes on tv.com, but Sam won the fan favorite on Bravo (he got $10,000) and when they showed the bravotv.com polls of who should be voted off on each episode, it was frequently Marcel (and usually by an overwhelming margin)! So all you Marcel lovers out there that voted on tv.com, where were you on Bravo?

Maybe it's not hacking as Elia suggests, but multiple...+READ

Why is it that Marcel has so many votes on tv.com, but Sam won the fan favorite on Bravo (he got $10,000) and when they showed the bravotv.com polls of who should be voted off on each episode, it was frequently Marcel (and usually by an overwhelming margin)! So all you Marcel lovers out there that voted on tv.com, where were you on Bravo?

Maybe it's not hacking as Elia suggests, but multiple votes from Marcel and what few friends and fans he has. You can sit there and click on your choice as many times as you want, so this can hardly be counted as an accurate poll. Thank goodness Sam won the real one and got some money for it. I wish him the very best and I'll be watching to see if he opens a restaurant.

Anyway, I wasn't a big Elia fan either, but I think she does have a point. This season as opposed to the first one seemed to focus much more on drama and less on the cooking and the food. I can understand her frustration when as a chef all she wanted to do was cook her heart out, and so much is devoted to what's going on in the loft. The producers seem to have forgotten why we started watching the show in the first place - because it WASN'T like your typical reality TV show. Not anymore.

The judges have also apparently forgotten that the name of the show is Top CHEF, not Top Cook or Top Dish. In Season One, Tom gave a big speech about how the Top Chef has to encompass more than just good cooking. This season it's "all about the cooking" - make up your mind, Tom! Marcel could never be a Top Chef, Elia probably not either, until she matures, but Sam? Definitely.

Oh, by the way, all chefs have egos. HELLO! It's a good thing, too - they have to believe 100% in their food and be proud as hell about it, maybe even snotty about it. Some just display it differently than others. Elia defending her dishes in the podcast is normal - I should hope she thought they were better than the others', otherwise that means she doubts her own abilities, and I really wouldn't want to eat food from a chef who doesn't have a big ego, to be honest.-COLLAPSE

By chefwannab on January 29, 2007 12:27 PM

I personally think that Sam was robbed. I think he deserved to be in the final over Marcel and Ilan. If you look at Sam's performance and the amount of wins he had, he blew both of those guys out of the water. I use to like Ilan, but then he started to go psycho.

Marcel was targeted as "the bad guy", please it helps the ratings. There always has to be a character that people dislike and he...+READ

I personally think that Sam was robbed. I think he deserved to be in the final over Marcel and Ilan. If you look at Sam's performance and the amount of wins he had, he blew both of those guys out of the water. I use to like Ilan, but then he started to go psycho.

Marcel was targeted as "the bad guy", please it helps the ratings. There always has to be a character that people dislike and he played the part to the hilt. Please how many more foams do we have to see. I personally don't like Marcel, I think he is asked for a lot of what he got. Don't sit there and say, no one helped him......he didn't help anyone either. I don't think Marcel should be awarded for his behavior. He doesn't deserve it. He is not a nice guy.

Elia, I agree, cry baby. Mia gave up her position so that Elia could advance. Elia should have stuck up for Mia. Not that Mia was better but please. And no she didn't take criticism as well. She always argued when someone didn't like her stuff.

But as someone who loved this show, who would watch it all the time and also rewatch it, I am done. I have totally lost respect for the judges and their final choices. The fact that they kicked Sam out after this, kills me. He is the only one that deserves to win. I won't be watching the finali or next year for that matter. Disapointed fan.

Sam, let me know where your OWN resturant will be. I will pay you a visit!!! Congrates on your 10K, I voted for you!-COLLAPSE

By starchld on January 29, 2007 12:21 PM

Boy, it sounds as if Titika is Elia in real life or has some connection with her. This is a freakin' television show. Why is she taking this so personally?

In my opinion, while Sam may have been a bit weasly (aka diplomatic), overall he should have been the top chef. He will be able to command attention in a kitchen, he's a good worker and he is innovative. His personality skills are pretty good...+READ

Boy, it sounds as if Titika is Elia in real life or has some connection with her. This is a freakin' television show. Why is she taking this so personally?

In my opinion, while Sam may have been a bit weasly (aka diplomatic), overall he should have been the top chef. He will be able to command attention in a kitchen, he's a good worker and he is innovative. His personality skills are pretty good as well. He knows when to shine and when to lay low. He has a wilingness to learn and to expand. I'm pretty sure he will suceed in whatever he decides to do in the culinary field.

While I think that Elia is a good in the kitchen (probably better than Sam), she will not last very long in this career unless she matures. I do admire her for her frankness and her passion, but her weakness is her pouting, her complaining. She is probably the type of woman who always excelled in everything she did when she was young - school, swimming, etc. She probably received special treatment for that. She probably was told that she is way beyond her years, etc. And because of this special treatment, her head is up in the clouds. She needs to pull it down a few notches. She think so much of herself that she has problems seeing other people's viewpoints. Elia, you're a very talented woman. You can really go many places if you check your ego at the door. You still have a lot of growing up to do.

I really don't like Marcel's personality but I admire his willingness to learn and to excel. He also needs to grow up quite a bit as well. I think that in many ways Elia and Marcel are very much alike. Perhaps this is why they got along in the beginning. Both very talented, but both with major personality issues. Elia is just a bit more likeable. As it seems like the editing is done to gear sympathy for Marcel, my prediction is that he will be top chef. Nobody wants to hate the winner.

In the beginning I really liked Ilan. Then as I got to see certain aspects of his weasley character, I disliked him more and more. He is talented, but I felt a lot of his dishes were things he just rehashed from Casa Mono. I would have liked to see him branch out of his comfort zone for a bit. While he has the type of character that may succeed (underhanded, a bit of an a**hole), I actually hope he doesn't. I don't want any positive reinforcement for this type of behavior. Ilan, I liked you a lot more when you were more low-key and sweeter.-COLLAPSE

By Top Chef Fan on January 29, 2007 09:21 AM

I think Marcel deserves to lose, from his "rap" about being the show's outcast when he was composing his thoughts on the roof a few episodes back. It was so cringe-worthy, I covered my eyes. Also, foam is not the answer to EVERYTHING. It was "creative" only to the point when he used it in...every...challenge.

Ilan, eh. I'd want to try some of the things he made, but they seemed uninspired.

...+READ

I think Marcel deserves to lose, from his "rap" about being the show's outcast when he was composing his thoughts on the roof a few episodes back. It was so cringe-worthy, I covered my eyes. Also, foam is not the answer to EVERYTHING. It was "creative" only to the point when he used it in...every...challenge.

Ilan, eh. I'd want to try some of the things he made, but they seemed uninspired.

Elia- don't think she had the creative vision to pull off her own space.

Sam- oh, Sam. He will always be top chef in my mind. I thought he had a good understanding of concept development, flavor pairings, and he had the most great sounding collection of challenges- quickfire wins... he's got imagination, and is not too hard on the eyes either :)-COLLAPSE

By lolapop on January 29, 2007 08:48 AM

And watching a cooking show isn't good thing for my kids to watch? What is Titka?

By fablady on January 29, 2007 07:21 AM

a comment to titka, my kids know the difference of a bully and a nice person, so get off your high horse and see what most people are seeing, Elia and Sam weren't nice and were mean and bullies to someone they saw as a threat, at least Sam was graceful went he left, not Elia she thinks she MIss KNow it all, and Titka,I'm glad that we saw how these guys were acting and didn't like it, you think...+READ

a comment to titka, my kids know the difference of a bully and a nice person, so get off your high horse and see what most people are seeing, Elia and Sam weren't nice and were mean and bullies to someone they saw as a threat, at least Sam was graceful went he left, not Elia she thinks she MIss KNow it all, and Titka,I'm glad that we saw how these guys were acting and didn't like it, you think its ok to be mean and cruel to others just because everyone else is, and just so you know, Elia admits she cut her hair after they had Marcel down, so she was in on that cruel joke too, you need to open your eyes and see that bullying isn't the right way to win, as you see they are not in to win Top Chef, and so get over it, and quit trying to justify bad behavior.-COLLAPSE

By fablady on January 29, 2007 07:19 AM

I think a lot of people liked Sam and Elia and are upset they're gone, not realizing that this is a cooking competition, not a personality competition. I mean, Marcel is a chef at Joel Robuchon, arguably the best restaurant in the country. No one else in the competition had the kind of experience he does. One must assume he's good at what he does to be working there. I think Tom C probably got...+READ

I think a lot of people liked Sam and Elia and are upset they're gone, not realizing that this is a cooking competition, not a personality competition. I mean, Marcel is a chef at Joel Robuchon, arguably the best restaurant in the country. No one else in the competition had the kind of experience he does. One must assume he's good at what he does to be working there. I think Tom C probably got tired of the childish whining and excuse making from some people, especially right before Elia got kicked off. Sorry, but there's a BIG difference between THE Cafe and Joel Robuchon! I'd have been suprised if Marcel wasn't in the top 2, though he does have weird Japanimation hair.-COLLAPSE

By elrushbo on January 29, 2007 06:22 AM

Elia, STFU! You really think Marcel hired a hacker to cast votes at Tv.com? How stupid are you? Don't you realize that Marcel has a dedicated fan base that votes for him every single day? I, for one, have voted at least 1000 times.
And forgive me, but I don't believe for one second those cheating accusations that you so conveniently came up with at the 11th hour. Desperate much? If Marcel had...+READ

Elia, STFU! You really think Marcel hired a hacker to cast votes at Tv.com? How stupid are you? Don't you realize that Marcel has a dedicated fan base that votes for him every single day? I, for one, have voted at least 1000 times.
And forgive me, but I don't believe for one second those cheating accusations that you so conveniently came up with at the 11th hour. Desperate much? If Marcel had cheated at all throughout the competition I'm sure either YOU or one of the other contestants would have brought it up. Please, you threw Otto under the bus yourself! And Mia & Sam made sure that the judges knew about Betty... and you're telling me that EVERYONE knew Marcel was cheating but. . . what? You all liked him so much that you decided to ignore it? Please! The others would have LOVED having Marcel kicked out for cheating. You came out looking like a bitter loser at the finale. Congratulations!!-COLLAPSE

By Lali on January 28, 2007 02:28 PM

I love the show and I hope Marcel wins. His style is unique and sophisticated. For a young chef, he appears to know his stuff. Give the guy a few more years to mature and his food will be more extravagant.

By MeAFoodieYep on January 28, 2007 07:12 AM

After listening to Elia's and Sam's interviews on Chow, I have to say that both are morally bankrupt in contending that the Cliff's wrestling of Marcel to the ground and holding him down was "just a joke" and nothing more. It was a flat out assault, for which Cliff as well as BravoTV could be held liable for lots more that $100,000. And for Sam to say that Elan and Elia had shaved their heads...+READ

After listening to Elia's and Sam's interviews on Chow, I have to say that both are morally bankrupt in contending that the Cliff's wrestling of Marcel to the ground and holding him down was "just a joke" and nothing more. It was a flat out assault, for which Cliff as well as BravoTV could be held liable for lots more that $100,000. And for Sam to say that Elan and Elia had shaved their heads before the incident--well, i guess that was a convenient lapse of memory.

Anyway, I really hope Marcel wins on the merits, and not by some default or artifice-- that would really diminish the credibility of a show that has slipped a lot from season 1 (except for Padma, who is an improvement over Ms Billy Joel).

Also, I:
--agree that Elan is a major tool for manipulating Elia into backstabbing Marcel. I wonder how many phone calls occurred during the 2 month hiatus between the two of them that caused such a distinct shift of Elia's position of neutrality into one of a co-conspirator. Or is there more?
--Agree that Elia is too weak in character to run a kitchen, with her penchence for quitting at the first signs of adversity and for being the sucker for Elan and Sam.
--Agree that Sam is definitely passive-aggressive, and is just as smarmy as Elan, only he is more deft at it than Elan.
--Agree that the producers wanted Elan in the finale instead of Sam for the added drama.
--would be very disappointed if Elan won, because it would justify (to him and others) his smarmy behavior.
--Hope that Marcel is not "the elitist" sh*t that others say he is. If so, I hope all the judges get food poisoning in the finale and disqualify everyone.

All in all, there has been too much bs on the show this year; in fact, i may just watch the last five minutes to see who won before deciding to invest the entire hour to watch the entire program.-COLLAPSE

By sushidog on January 28, 2007 01:25 AM

**he was irritating enough**

Most of the people here and Marcels whole fan base do NOT find him irritating AT ALL. We find the OTHER contestants to be Irritating. That is why we are HERE talking about it. Showing our support for Marcel!!!
Honestly it took me 3 days before I could stomach coming here to listen to these interviews. After reading about the garbage at TWOP about them, I said,...+READ

**he was irritating enough**

Most of the people here and Marcels whole fan base do NOT find him irritating AT ALL. We find the OTHER contestants to be Irritating. That is why we are HERE talking about it. Showing our support for Marcel!!!
Honestly it took me 3 days before I could stomach coming here to listen to these interviews. After reading about the garbage at TWOP about them, I said, "NAH don't think I can take it", and yet here I am. I want to see exactly what these 2 say so that when I defend Marcel I will be correct in my assessment of the azzhats. And I do want to say one thing in favor of Sam and this is truthfully the first nice thing I have had to say about him since episode 7. During the aftershow with Tom/andy/Sam, at one point, andy asked Tom and Sam a question about Marcel and his MG, well Tom/andy think this is funny but Sam did not. It's like he was thinking, "why is this funny?".
I honestly hope with my heart that Sam helps Marcel in the finale and they Rock it Hard. That would redeem Sam in my eyes (not completely) but it would be a fantastic start. Good Luck in the finale Team Marcel!!! :))-COLLAPSE

By jwd on January 27, 2007 11:10 PM

Excellent interview with Marcel:

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2007/01/18/feature2.html

By jomavesa on January 27, 2007 10:01 PM

When Meredith asked Sam if Elia and Ilan had shaved their heads before or after the assault on Marcel, he said, "Before, I THINK" (emphasis added). These are weasel words. Sam should be ashamed, he isn't protecting his honor or integrity with this kind of obfuscation. There is enough proof online to establish that Elia, Ilan (and Sam) assaulted Marcel first, then tried to cover their tracks by...+READ

When Meredith asked Sam if Elia and Ilan had shaved their heads before or after the assault on Marcel, he said, "Before, I THINK" (emphasis added). These are weasel words. Sam should be ashamed, he isn't protecting his honor or integrity with this kind of obfuscation. There is enough proof online to establish that Elia, Ilan (and Sam) assaulted Marcel first, then tried to cover their tracks by shaving Elia's and Ilan's hair. Sam didn't even have the guts to go along with that deceit. Your interviewer, Meredith, isn't an interviewer or journalist at all--she's just all too happy to be part of the cover-up of this smelly mess. She let Sam get away with it. It reminds me of what someone once said about Barbara Walters' interviewing style--"She never did an interview except on her knees, with her mouth open." Get real, if you can't be honest, just get off the web.-COLLAPSE

By PJ101 on January 27, 2007 04:32 PM

I have to say I prefer Meredith Arthur's interviewing style to Joyce Slaton's. I found Meredith straightforward and honest. I've been listening to Joyce's interviews of the Top Chef contestants throughout the season, and found her tactics questionable and underhanded. She butters up certain contestants to get them to spill their guts. She then badmouths them to other contestants later on. She...+READ

I have to say I prefer Meredith Arthur's interviewing style to Joyce Slaton's. I found Meredith straightforward and honest. I've been listening to Joyce's interviews of the Top Chef contestants throughout the season, and found her tactics questionable and underhanded. She butters up certain contestants to get them to spill their guts. She then badmouths them to other contestants later on. She seems to promote sensationalism.

My suggestion is to have Meredith do all the interviews from now on.-COLLAPSE

By Top Chef Fan on January 27, 2007 03:59 PM

A comment to fablady: how sad to know that you and your kids are educated by tv, no wonder how you think. If I were you I wouldn´t dare to speak so poorly about someone I don´t even know, it is no reality tv, they cut parts of it, don´t believe it all!

and just in case you all didn´t know, Elia didn´t apply for this show, they (top chef) looked for her. out of thousands of cooks that apply for...+READ

A comment to fablady: how sad to know that you and your kids are educated by tv, no wonder how you think. If I were you I wouldn´t dare to speak so poorly about someone I don´t even know, it is no reality tv, they cut parts of it, don´t believe it all!

and just in case you all didn´t know, Elia didn´t apply for this show, they (top chef) looked for her. out of thousands of cooks that apply for the show, they couldn´t choose, they wanted her, so this only tells me she´s got to be quite special. Maybe it´s just that she studied in the best ¨haute cuisine¨ school in the world, she worked with one of the best chefs in the world in Paris and opened his restaurant in Vegas,( Robuchon once named the chef of the century) and she´s just 23, I would say she is professional, comitted, hard working and honest so she obviously wasn´t thrilled with the idea of competing with a cheater and being judged by a man who roasts meat. Bravo surely told her it was a serious competition as we all thought but surprise, it´s not! it is all arranged. Let´s digg in a little deeper on the contestants life before judging and stop talking off your bottom.-COLLAPSE

By titika on January 27, 2007 02:08 PM

wow, it´s amazing how people just write crap thinking they know what actually happened every single day during the taping of the show. First of all, is that you Marcel writing all those comments? ´cause I mean, it´s imposible to have so many lies together. For all of those like jomavesa, cb2, etc that think Marcel is a victim.. please open your eyes and use your brains not your feet when writing...+READ

wow, it´s amazing how people just write crap thinking they know what actually happened every single day during the taping of the show. First of all, is that you Marcel writing all those comments? ´cause I mean, it´s imposible to have so many lies together. For all of those like jomavesa, cb2, etc that think Marcel is a victim.. please open your eyes and use your brains not your feet when writing a comment, it´s no coincidence that EVERYONE on the show hates him, he sure is no angel, if contestants say he cheated the whole time is because he did and he should have been disqualified for it, (if I was in their shoes I would also be mad at someone who cheated) remember that shows are edited to the producers´convenience and they don´t care about awarding the best cook/chef, they care about rating so if drama gives them that, they keep drama, that´s why they never show the tapes where Marcel cheats. Top Chef title is a joke, we all know that Elia and Sam are the best chefs and they´re out. I don´t get why you keep on throwing crap at Elia, she ain´t no backstabber, she never told Marcel she was his best friend, actually she was his sous chef at J.Robuchon, she trainned him so he surely respected her for a while but when he starts behaving with Elia as he did with the rest, there´s no reason for Elia to stand it, enough is enough and by the end they were all probably quite sick of him. Humility doesn´t mean to let yourself be stepped on. TV controls viewers through lies, gossip, drama.. so when someone is honest we don´t like it, I say bravo to Elia for answering the truth to all the questions, she didn´t whine, she just expressed what she thought. Sam and Elia, you are the best, you are already winners. Good luck!!!-COLLAPSE

By titika on January 27, 2007 01:43 PM

I had Sam picked for Top Chef from the start.
I was surprised to find out the he is a type 1 diabetic, and know first (well, close first) hand about his situation, my daughter is type 1 and is now enrolled at New England Culinary Institute (2nd year). She is a 'pump girl' and just about the only one allowed to were jewlery there (Medi Alert tag). Just came from a Parent's Weekend there and most...+READ

I had Sam picked for Top Chef from the start.
I was surprised to find out the he is a type 1 diabetic, and know first (well, close first) hand about his situation, my daughter is type 1 and is now enrolled at New England Culinary Institute (2nd year). She is a 'pump girl' and just about the only one allowed to were jewlery there (Medi Alert tag). Just came from a Parent's Weekend there and most of the Chef Instructors were surprised to find out she's a diabetic, and does what she does.
Hey Sam..in your position with the Diabetes Foundation how about pushing for scholarships for those diabetics (type 1) who wish to become Chefs. As you will know nurition is a big piece of controlling diabetes. (I have yet to find any scholarships for this qualification).
When you get your resturant up and running I sure I know someone you would love to work with you.-COLLAPSE

By bob farrell on January 27, 2007 08:56 AM

No Chef Tom, it's not about the food; it's the drama. The producers have a say in who wins and to keep people tuned in, they put the two remaining most conficting personalities into the final. Editing the hundreds of hours of tape can twist what happens, so if we see a 'blow up', it may only SEEM unprovoked. Sam got the shaft at the final four. However, he can probably now get financial backing...+READ

No Chef Tom, it's not about the food; it's the drama. The producers have a say in who wins and to keep people tuned in, they put the two remaining most conficting personalities into the final. Editing the hundreds of hours of tape can twist what happens, so if we see a 'blow up', it may only SEEM unprovoked. Sam got the shaft at the final four. However, he can probably now get financial backing from celebrities or others looking to invest (stirke while the iron is hot, Sam). And he doesn't have to be burdened by the title of "top chef",(the title is now a bit of a farce anyway). The majority of the show, he was professional and nearly every dish prepared was highly complimented. I don;t think the judges made that up each time. He interpeted the Hawaiian dishes and they were well received. ; if Tom wanted everything cooked, then raw foods should not have been presented as an opition to the contestants. And if one must cook to be a chef, then all those sushi people just lost their title as chef.-COLLAPSE

By momkat on January 27, 2007 06:11 AM

Uck. I hope Marcel wins. I dont care if the guy comes off cocky, he really seems to know a lot about food and so far has come off to be the most innovative, risktaking chef on there, I dont care for Illan but I would have preferred for a Sam vs Marcel showdown. Really disappointed by the immaturity of this bunch.

By bassbiz on January 27, 2007 12:12 AM

im happy sam is off finally, his blowup at marcel in the store was unprovoked and showed his true colors: ie immature, self-righteous, etc.

when they asked elia to give a concrete example of why marcel sucks she was like "uh, well, um," just like everyone else

in the world, there are haters and playaz, haters always get upset and cry and point their fingers, playaz play

By stangoldsmith on January 26, 2007 06:21 PM

danaf, read Tom's blog. The chicken wasn't raw.

By renaissance22 on January 26, 2007 03:08 PM

Elia is a sad, bitter, delusional woman. I'm off to vote, er, hack into the poll for Marcel.

She should learn from this experience and grow from it. But I doubt she will.

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, Elia.

It's sad that so many people are buying into the Marcel-hate. I'd suggest doing a little digging and you'll see that there is more to the story than what a few...+READ

Elia is a sad, bitter, delusional woman. I'm off to vote, er, hack into the poll for Marcel.

She should learn from this experience and grow from it. But I doubt she will.

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, Elia.

It's sad that so many people are buying into the Marcel-hate. I'd suggest doing a little digging and you'll see that there is more to the story than what a few bitter losers are whining about.

Go Marcel! I do wish it was a Sam/Marcel F2 though.-COLLAPSE

By renaissance22 on January 26, 2007 02:54 PM

In Sam's final exit video he states that he heard people in Hawaii commenting about how much they were enjoying Marcel's food. So, even Sam acknowledges that he was not surprised that Marcel would be chosen as a finalist. I applaud Sam's graciousness in providing that information. Marcel is a Master Cook, at a French restaurant in Las Vegas. Only someone with talent and abilities could get to...+READ

In Sam's final exit video he states that he heard people in Hawaii commenting about how much they were enjoying Marcel's food. So, even Sam acknowledges that he was not surprised that Marcel would be chosen as a finalist. I applaud Sam's graciousness in providing that information. Marcel is a Master Cook, at a French restaurant in Las Vegas. Only someone with talent and abilities could get to that level, and obviously, only someone with a lot of strength could deal with the abuse he endured and still came out a winner like Marcel.-COLLAPSE

By jomavesa on January 26, 2007 02:27 PM

You know what a good cooking challenge show that I miss is?...Hell's Kitchen. When someone served raw chicken on that show they got the boot because in the real world your restaruant could be closed for that.

By danaf on January 26, 2007 02:22 PM

I would've liked to see Sam go on to the end. He is definitely the better chef. Many of the pro chefs liked his dishes. I feel he was persecuted because he didn't stop Cliff from wrestling with Marcel. That is really unfair. Marcel is a joke. He has little cooking abilities. Marcel needs to gol

By inkling on January 26, 2007 02:14 PM

Marcel is an annoying twit who has an ego problem. I hope he loses as he is a pain in the rump and has no personality except his over inflated ego. I've worked around people like Marcel, and it is an extremly annoying experience. I hope he doesn't win. Those judges would have to be lame to vote for him.

By inkling on January 26, 2007 02:10 PM

There's only a disconnect between the judges' comments and the final decision because it's edited that way for suspense. On the bravo blogs the judges say clearly the two best dishes were by Ilan and Marcel, notably Marcel's salmon which they don't even show being discussed, unlike his pineapple poi which was questioned a little. I think Sam, Elia and Ilan have all been closer to being voted out...+READ

There's only a disconnect between the judges' comments and the final decision because it's edited that way for suspense. On the bravo blogs the judges say clearly the two best dishes were by Ilan and Marcel, notably Marcel's salmon which they don't even show being discussed, unlike his pineapple poi which was questioned a little. I think Sam, Elia and Ilan have all been closer to being voted out than Marcel. That being said, I personally would probably like Sam's food best because I love vinegar and pickled things.-COLLAPSE

By traceybell on January 26, 2007 02:07 PM

I agree with danaf - ratings definitely won over talent. I feel like I watched a completely different show than a lot of these Marcel supporters. He was often in the bottom on the challenges and his food just didn't look very impressive. Personality aside, there's no way he's a Top Chef. Sam, Ilan & Elia all seemed stronger. I believe that the judges either made their choice based on what they...+READ

I agree with danaf - ratings definitely won over talent. I feel like I watched a completely different show than a lot of these Marcel supporters. He was often in the bottom on the challenges and his food just didn't look very impressive. Personality aside, there's no way he's a Top Chef. Sam, Ilan & Elia all seemed stronger. I believe that the judges either made their choice based on what they were told to do by producers or to "pay back" the other chefs for their so-called treatment of Marcel. There was a huge disconnect between the comments at the judges table (esp guest judge & other guests) and the final decision.
I would love to eat at Sam & Elia's restaurant!-COLLAPSE

By cfair on January 26, 2007 01:47 PM

Are there really pro-Marcel communities out there? I mean this is just a TV show and you know they only cast and kept him on so long because he was irritating enough to get the various hothead types on the show to want to put him in a chokehold. It's the same scheme Bravo uses for all their reality contests. Keeps the ratings up. I was just sad to see that ratings won over talent. They just put...+READ

Are there really pro-Marcel communities out there? I mean this is just a TV show and you know they only cast and kept him on so long because he was irritating enough to get the various hothead types on the show to want to put him in a chokehold. It's the same scheme Bravo uses for all their reality contests. Keeps the ratings up. I was just sad to see that ratings won over talent. They just put the last 2 together because they are the "arch-rivals".-COLLAPSE

By danaf on January 26, 2007 12:37 PM

It's interesting to see some people defending the animosity displayed in Elia's interview while simultaneously criticizing others for calling her out on it. The reason why people have brought up Elia's previous actions is because it indicates a lack of integrity on her part. When she accuses someone of cheating in a competition, the point that her credibility is highly questionable should be an...+READ

It's interesting to see some people defending the animosity displayed in Elia's interview while simultaneously criticizing others for calling her out on it. The reason why people have brought up Elia's previous actions is because it indicates a lack of integrity on her part. When she accuses someone of cheating in a competition, the point that her credibility is highly questionable should be an issue.-COLLAPSE

By Parkay on January 26, 2007 12:03 PM

Throughout this whole competition, Marcel has a calm demeanor and willing to help. Whenever there's a problem, he always shift the subject to "food"; I believe he'll be a great leader, he listens and take other chef's ideas into a consideration (i.e. M.E.C.). Obviously he cares about the competition enough he hasn't respond in a vicious manner. We are aware that you don't like Marcel, but this is...+READ

Throughout this whole competition, Marcel has a calm demeanor and willing to help. Whenever there's a problem, he always shift the subject to "food"; I believe he'll be a great leader, he listens and take other chef's ideas into a consideration (i.e. M.E.C.). Obviously he cares about the competition enough he hasn't respond in a vicious manner. We are aware that you don't like Marcel, but this is a competition, you're here to cook, not to argue. It's pretty sad that Elia sold herself out like that. Marcel has a large loyal fan base and online community groups dedicated for Marcel, just because you don't like him, that doesn't others doesn't like him as well. She burns out very quickly and has no backbone. Sam and Elia running a restaurant together? An insigator and a backstabber, there's no chance this place will last very long, probably burn quicker than Elia's meltdown.-COLLAPSE

By Corcovado on January 26, 2007 11:27 AM

I thought Sam was a great chef and a he did have good morals. Aren't they all adults? No one is perfect but seriously, all of this pro-Marcel crap is ridiculous. He obviously plays that "character" who is annoying to a point people start putting him in headlocks. Then we feel sorry for him. No thanks. I'd stay out of it too. Sam was the winner for me, screw the finale.

By aprilluv4 on January 26, 2007 11:07 AM

I think Sam deserved to stay. Not only is he a good chef but he is a decent and sane human being. Marcel is a jerk. He reminds me of many people that I've worked with in the food industry that are cocky and try to assert themselves over others. While his knowledge is impressive, no one has a right to be disrespectful to those around them. I have no desire to see either of the last two win. Marcel...+READ

I think Sam deserved to stay. Not only is he a good chef but he is a decent and sane human being. Marcel is a jerk. He reminds me of many people that I've worked with in the food industry that are cocky and try to assert themselves over others. While his knowledge is impressive, no one has a right to be disrespectful to those around them. I have no desire to see either of the last two win. Marcel would just end up being that evil boss that doesn't learn from the times he was treated badly and Ilan's business would fail because he is somewhat of an average linecook with no management skills.-COLLAPSE

By danaf on January 26, 2007 10:07 AM

You guys are being too hard on Elia. I think she folded in the final episode and spoke when she shouldn't have...it didn't make her look good, nor did it increase her chances of staying. But you guys are too critical! You guys are keeping tally of her rights and wrongs....and it's kind of weird. You're upset that Elia said that Marcel cheated...but you fail to mention that Marcel tried to get...+READ

You guys are being too hard on Elia. I think she folded in the final episode and spoke when she shouldn't have...it didn't make her look good, nor did it increase her chances of staying. But you guys are too critical! You guys are keeping tally of her rights and wrongs....and it's kind of weird. You're upset that Elia said that Marcel cheated...but you fail to mention that Marcel tried to get full credit on that one episode - saying he didn't need any help etc...I am not putting Marcel down nor am I defending him, but let's be fair here people.

And let's try to be a little nicer....you're sitting here crticizing people at the comfort of your desk - but what would you do in the heat of the moment in the competition?

Be nice, people!-COLLAPSE

By pepperminta on January 26, 2007 08:07 AM

I think Elia needs an eye-opener. She should actually check out some of the 'Top Chef' fan forums out there. Maybe then she'll see that lots of viewers like Marcel and lots of viewers loathe her.

By Parkay on January 25, 2007 08:34 PM

All of you people sound mentally ill.

By montecore on January 25, 2007 06:04 PM

HEy Sam and Elia open a restaurant together, who would come? Hmm Ilan, Betty, Frank, Cliff, and the rest of us human beings would not!

By fablady on January 25, 2007 03:24 PM

Elia is such a poor loser and she is a joke

By jewelrymavin on January 25, 2007 03:19 PM

I'm glad Sam got voted off!!! Elia is a jerk. I'm also glad she is gone.

By jewelrymavin on January 25, 2007 03:15 PM

we watched we listened , Elia your a bitch!!! You are so full of yourself, you need to get over yourself!!!!

By fablady on January 25, 2007 03:03 PM

No Elia the poll was not fixed. I have never participated in anything online before but I was so appalled by the psychological "mobbing" that Marcel received on this show that I voted as did my family and friends. I am sure this is true of many people who saw none of the negative characteristics in Marcel that you and the others tried to project upon him from the beginning. And if the voting had...+READ

No Elia the poll was not fixed. I have never participated in anything online before but I was so appalled by the psychological "mobbing" that Marcel received on this show that I voted as did my family and friends. I am sure this is true of many people who saw none of the negative characteristics in Marcel that you and the others tried to project upon him from the beginning. And if the voting had continued after the "assault" I doubt Sam would have won fan favorite on the bravo poll either.
But this is hard for you to believe because you are so certain that you and Sam can do no wrong even when all evidence to the contrary.
When your dishes don't succeed it is the judges poor decision.
You pour chocolate all over yourself because the judge liked another dish better than yours, pout and act like a two year old and bad mouth the judge, then in the next breath say how you "respect him". Oh, and let's not forget you wanted TWO appetizer choices for the party show. You should have gone home then.
Then after months of silence when Sam hears that the guests like Marcel's food, suddenly a plot thickens to accuse him of "cheating".
Both of you are truly the lowest of the low. A restaurant together? What are you going to call it..Backstabbers Inc?
At least your true nature was finally exposed to the point that viewers couldn't help but see it. I can't believe there are so many out there willing to just overlook all the manipulative instigating, the outburst at the fixture store, and the other passive-agressive behavior by Sam and buy into his well crafted "good guy" image. He is anything but. The editing helped of course, as do these forgive and forget interviews. I can't believe people saw the same show I did.
Bullying in the schools and even in the workplace is becoming a growing problem and shows like these certainly do nothing to discourage it. It is especially troublesome because it comes in the guise of "respectable" programming. It is becoming clear that Bravo is more about wider ratings than quality television and I hope the sponsors take note. I for one will be letting them know my feelings.-COLLAPSE

By cb2 on January 25, 2007 02:42 PM

Yeah for Marcel! I can't believe the hostility shown towards him. He handled so many ruthless attacks on the show, yet, he still maintained a sense of dignity while competing with those vicious people, especially Betty. She was so self-righteous, yet had such a foul mouth and evil spirit when addressing Marcel. Elia also showed her true colors. Poor Marcel. He even had the grace to hug Cliff...+READ

Yeah for Marcel! I can't believe the hostility shown towards him. He handled so many ruthless attacks on the show, yet, he still maintained a sense of dignity while competing with those vicious people, especially Betty. She was so self-righteous, yet had such a foul mouth and evil spirit when addressing Marcel. Elia also showed her true colors. Poor Marcel. He even had the grace to hug Cliff after he assulted Marcel in such a frightful manner. When Marcel was shown with his co-workers, during the two month break, there was no hostility, he obviously can get along with co-workers. It is apparent that the hostility shown towards him during the Top Chef episodes was due to the facts that the competition sensed his abilities and charisma and were threatened by it. When Elia stated that he never posed a threat to her and that is why she could deal with him, I cringed thinking that she represented herself as his friend. Marcel deserves to win, especially since he is talented, has style, and was able to overcome all the adversity, physical and mental, doled out to him during this long running show. He kept doing what he does well, and that is cook and produce, despite the hatred. Good going, Marcel. You derserve to win! You are the "Top Chef"-COLLAPSE

By jomavesa on January 25, 2007 02:40 PM

Ok, I'm in agreement with everyone here. Elia doesn't come off well in the last episode or the interview posted here. Could be a case of - what everyone is accusing her of - self indulgence, cry babyism, and sore loserdom. (all real words - look it up)

I want to say, yes I felt bad that Marcel was picked on by everyone. I REALLY DO. Contestants trying to call him out in front of the judges is...+READ

Ok, I'm in agreement with everyone here. Elia doesn't come off well in the last episode or the interview posted here. Could be a case of - what everyone is accusing her of - self indulgence, cry babyism, and sore loserdom. (all real words - look it up)

I want to say, yes I felt bad that Marcel was picked on by everyone. I REALLY DO. Contestants trying to call him out in front of the judges is one thing (this only backfires, as we saw), and drunken fratboy antics is another thing (this only gives hang-overs and gets you kicked off the island); I do feel like refusing to help serve Marcel's dish during service at the expense of professionalism is the ultimate backstab. He didn't deserve any of this aggression and bad behavior.

After having said all that, I do want to say the guy does seem like a major tool.

PS. I'm sorry Sam was voted off last night. It would have been wonderful if the last episode was Sam vs. Marcel. Now the last episode will be more drama than food.-COLLAPSE

By vevina on January 25, 2007 02:39 PM

Elia your a piece of work, a cry baby, I didn't win, why not, you are the kind of person I tell me kids to stay away from, you say your a friend but your not, you say your a christian but your not, if its by your actions your not, You are not a very nice person, you think too much of yourself and blame everyone else but yourself, I am so glad you got the boot, I jumped for joy and said glad they...+READ

Elia your a piece of work, a cry baby, I didn't win, why not, you are the kind of person I tell me kids to stay away from, you say your a friend but your not, you say your a christian but your not, if its by your actions your not, You are not a very nice person, you think too much of yourself and blame everyone else but yourself, I am so glad you got the boot, I jumped for joy and said glad they got rid of you, and you know what at one time I liked you, you don't get why we don't like you do you? Your a back stabber a whiner, a person who brown nosies and think they are the best and picks on Marcel because everyone else does, your a bully, not a nice person, and you know what I'm am glad you showed your true colors, because hopefully nobody else gets fooled by you again. I;m sorry you were on Top Chef you didn't deserve to get as far as you did, except fot Mia, and did you ever really thank her, probably not, its all about you!! You think it was Marcel that was bad, well babe we saw you and the others and guess what we think you were the ones wrong not Marcel, you were the cheaters and losers, and haters, you were the ones that nobody respects, and likes anymore, so get over yourself and look at your self and your actions, then come back and maybe say your sorry how you acting, and quit putting the blame on Marcel, if he was so bad, then why do we all think you guys are? If you want to be a friend then be trustworthly and kind, you were neither, I feel sorry for you and how you acted, you should be ashamed but you are so big on yourself you don't see it. Someday I hope nobody treats you like you treated Marcel, or maybe your see why your dislikes so much. I hope I never have to heard your voice again, whine, crying, you are so full of yourself, that you can't see beyond yourself, sorry that I had to have you on my tv to watch, glad no overjoyed your gone!!! GOOD RIDDANCE ELIA!-COLLAPSE

By fablady on January 25, 2007 01:48 PM

Great. Thanks for spoiling it in the title.

By Professor Salt on January 25, 2007 01:09 PM

Yeah...no shit. I TiVo'd this to watch it this weekend with my girlfriend and now I know what happens. WTF Chowhound? Don't put a big headline on the boards that gives it away.

By pastoralia on January 25, 2007 12:27 PM

Wow. There are really no words. I can't believe that after seeing themselves acting like 7th grade Mean Girls, neither Elia nor Sam have the grace to apologize for their appalling behavior. Marcel annoys you. We GET it, so get the heck over it and move on. I work with lawyers, for Pete's sake. Have I ever blown up at any of my co-workers in public? No. Have I ever ribbed them about their lack of...+READ

Wow. There are really no words. I can't believe that after seeing themselves acting like 7th grade Mean Girls, neither Elia nor Sam have the grace to apologize for their appalling behavior. Marcel annoys you. We GET it, so get the heck over it and move on. I work with lawyers, for Pete's sake. Have I ever blown up at any of my co-workers in public? No. Have I ever ribbed them about their lack of sexual experience? No. Have I ever plotted anyone's overthrow with my Horde of Incompetent Fools? No, no, no. You know why? Because I learned, way back when, that ganging up on someone never works out. It just makes you look cruel and immature.

And Elia? Refusing to defend someone while he is being manhandled means that you DID participate in the bullying. I rooted for you the whole season, until you showed that you could be every bit as hostile as everyone else, with a good measure of hypocrisy and delusion thrown in.-COLLAPSE

By Gravity80 on January 25, 2007 11:58 AM

Personally.. i am thrilled THEY KICKED OFF ELIA.... Does this woman have any sanity left??? I can't even comprehend how desparate her EGO IS.. to assume "hackers" helping Marcel... she even called him "A piece of Crap" during her exit interview on Top Chef. This woman.. is so pathetic and egotistical.. which shows in her "disturbing" behavior.. which she showed during the competition. She has...+READ

Personally.. i am thrilled THEY KICKED OFF ELIA.... Does this woman have any sanity left??? I can't even comprehend how desparate her EGO IS.. to assume "hackers" helping Marcel... she even called him "A piece of Crap" during her exit interview on Top Chef. This woman.. is so pathetic and egotistical.. which shows in her "disturbing" behavior.. which she showed during the competition. She has NEVER been able to take any type of criticism from any superior Chef.. esp. the judges.. amazing to live in a world where shes a LEGEND IN HER OWN MIND!! Man.. i wish to God MIA had let her get kicked out several episodes ago.. she should be ASHAMED of her behavior.. and it so embarrassing to hear what this crazed woman is saying?? Does she have any pride?? Marcel.. if you ever get to read this.. THANK GOD.. she's not part of your life.. for people who tout "God" and "Meditation" who hasn't a clue on what true "humility" is.. needs lots of help... As Padma pointed out.. she's definitely representing the V in Vendetta... too bad "class" is something she hasn't grasped yet.-COLLAPSE

By dancr777 on January 25, 2007 11:56 AM

Larry,

All reality shows are pretaped. Usually the contestants sign NDAs that are on the order of $5 million if you break it.

By spcmnspf on January 25, 2007 10:00 AM

Honestly I could never understand the hostility toward Marcel from what is shown on tape. Perhaps, it was just the threat of his persona and talent? Or as he said,each season maybe has to have a "goat". I was disappointed by Elia and Ilan during judges table-could they have been more vindictive and childish. Desperate measures. I really hope the finale gets back to target the food without the...+READ

Honestly I could never understand the hostility toward Marcel from what is shown on tape. Perhaps, it was just the threat of his persona and talent? Or as he said,each season maybe has to have a "goat". I was disappointed by Elia and Ilan during judges table-could they have been more vindictive and childish. Desperate measures. I really hope the finale gets back to target the food without the personal drama. But, I have my doubts if Elia gets teamed with Marcel, Sam would cooperate I hope but I wasn,t thrilled with his performance during the shaving episode. Do you think they will go it on there own or be partnered with someone for the final episode?-COLLAPSE

By foodseek on January 25, 2007 07:55 AM

So " Top Chef" is not live. Its taped, produced in the past. Its over. One way you can see this is in between the show where the chefs shave their heads and last nights Hawaii showdown, their hair grows, considerably. Two months pass. The "final" show next week is taped and done, over.

So...in this day and age of instant technology, IMs, email and Net gossip, surely someone somewhere knows who...+READ

So " Top Chef" is not live. Its taped, produced in the past. Its over. One way you can see this is in between the show where the chefs shave their heads and last nights Hawaii showdown, their hair grows, considerably. Two months pass. The "final" show next week is taped and done, over.

So...in this day and age of instant technology, IMs, email and Net gossip, surely someone somewhere knows who the "winner" is. As long as this stuff is not live, its a done deal.

Why does the public fall for this?

Its Ilya and Marcel. Somewhere, someone knows the outcome BECAUSE ITS ALREADY HAPPENED!-COLLAPSE

By Larry Brooks on January 25, 2007 07:17 AM

Elia, that was no hacker at TV.com. Traceybell's right. A lot of us mobilized at Television Without Pity to get his numbers up. If you initially liked Marcel yourself, why's it so hard to believe that there are many of us who do too? Not anyone's fault if people found you too weak, whiney, and unable to take criticism to vote for you. As a woman, I'm embarrassed at how your lip trembled over...+READ

Elia, that was no hacker at TV.com. Traceybell's right. A lot of us mobilized at Television Without Pity to get his numbers up. If you initially liked Marcel yourself, why's it so hard to believe that there are many of us who do too? Not anyone's fault if people found you too weak, whiney, and unable to take criticism to vote for you. As a woman, I'm embarrassed at how your lip trembled over Cleef bellowing in the kitchen yet you had no problem turning your back on Marcel once Ilan invited you to join the Cool Kids Clique...and how you still maintain that this "joke" was no big deal. You totally allowed yourself to be set up by Ilan and Sam last night, and looked like the weak-willed ninny you are for it. Marcel moved your pot when the flame was off...boo hoo! Get a backbone. If adapting Joel Robuchon recipes is "cheating," then surely Ilan has been cheating too with his constant renditions of Casa Mono recipes. I find it very interesting that for all these adamant cries of how irritating Marcel is, and how he cheated, no one can come up with concrete examples when pressed. And Marcel turned on her? Gee, ya think it's because he thought she was his friend and she thought him being held in a full-nelson was hysterical? Get some perspective, Elia! Really, I'm amazed that any of these jokers think they have a leg to stand on after last week's debacle.-COLLAPSE

By tessiek on January 25, 2007 07:13 AM

What a disappointing outcome! The difference between a chef and a cook is that a chef runs the back of the house. That means managing staff, managing food costs, and managing logistics. Top chef? Would you work for Marcel? Ilan?

By NYprof on January 25, 2007 06:31 AM

I'm disappointed that this spoiler is shown on every single Chowhound page that I've been to so far. I DVR it and sure wish I'd had time to watch it before I knew the outcome. Take at look at the comments on this bad faux pas by the Chow group. This should not have happened.

By Carole on January 25, 2007 06:26 AM

I am disappointed that Sam didn't make the finals. He is a class act, as you can tell from his interview above. Elia was a crybaby the entire show and had/has no respect for the judges. I think alot of people voted for Marcel because of the hair shaving incident. Even if Marcel was a pain, even if he had a hacker, what does that have to do with the competition and the cooking? And Elan is just as...+READ

I am disappointed that Sam didn't make the finals. He is a class act, as you can tell from his interview above. Elia was a crybaby the entire show and had/has no respect for the judges. I think alot of people voted for Marcel because of the hair shaving incident. Even if Marcel was a pain, even if he had a hacker, what does that have to do with the competition and the cooking? And Elan is just as bad as Elia! Now who do I want to win? No one!-COLLAPSE

By gogators4 on January 25, 2007 05:49 AM

Elia demonstrates in this interview (as she has in other recent interviews) that she in no way, at least at this point, has the poise or maturity to be Top Chef. Her frequent kitchen breakdowns and inability to accept constructive criticism did not bode well in that respect. She was absolutely out-cooked in the finale, and really didn't create much that was terribly exceptional throughout the...+READ

Elia demonstrates in this interview (as she has in other recent interviews) that she in no way, at least at this point, has the poise or maturity to be Top Chef. Her frequent kitchen breakdowns and inability to accept constructive criticism did not bode well in that respect. She was absolutely out-cooked in the finale, and really didn't create much that was terribly exceptional throughout the season. There was no question that her dismissal was warranted.
Her bitterness regarding the tv.com poll is also quite unseemly. Unfortunately for her, she didn't come across well this season, particularly as the episodes progressed.-COLLAPSE

By MDS on January 25, 2007 05:10 AM