Well, possums, as we half suspected, the public "apology" and publicity rehabilitation of Hosea Rosenberg were indeed necessary because he was just revealed as the winner of this season of Top Chef. You cannot, after all, have a Top Chef whom America perceives as a cheater. We cannot harrumph loudly enough or roll our eyes violently enough.
43 comments:
So disappointing! First season that I was rooting for someone, as opposed to rooting against someone. Carla, I cried with you tonight. You broke my heart but I love you anyway. Hootie Hoo!!
PS - I know it isn't really Casey's fault, but I never did like her much.
seriously? the fish guy who can't filet fish properly? he won? whyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
This faux- "seafood guy" is just embarrassing. The Sarah Palin of the Bravo network. While Carla was charming and obviously a more skilled and thoughtful chef than Hosea (not too tough!), it was Stefan who was truly robbed here. I don't think Ripert, Scott Conant, Dufresne, and Stephen Starr can all be wrong. Colicchio should be embarrassed. Good luck showing off this sow's ear, Top Chef!
Painful and embarrassing. Seriously, I'm done. Top Chef and another cable show that I'm too mortified to mention kept me from rabbit ears. Now no more - the other show is over in a few weeks, and Top Chef? Amuse-Biatch was way more fun than the hours I squandered actually watching this season.
Robbery - ROBBERY, I tells ya! If they wanted good, creative food, Carla should have taken it, fair and square. If they were going for classic technique, Stephan. And for sheer oily douchebaggery, it's hard to beat Fabio. But HOSEA??? Seriously? Lordy.
Gail's breasts were marvelous to watch, so I'm content.
lame. extremely lame. top chef = american idol for whole foods snobs.
I dont know why you guys are so Anti-Hosea??? Was it bc he cheated on his gf? Most men do! Stefan is as arrogant and pompous, even more so than Marcel. Although he is talented and very classically well trained, his dishes fell flat.
I was appalled that Fabio was kicked out. BUt you got three people, Carla fucked up. Unfortunately, but she did. I would have liked her to win, but that's life.
Between the two of them, Hosea and Stefan, Hosea's trio was more complete. He CAN cook. He has proven that time and time again in quickfires and eliminations throughout the competition. Out of all those 3, Hosea was by far the most consistent out of the bunch.
This is a slap in the face to professional cooks/chefs everywhere. This show has gotten so far off base, with the ridiculous product placements, the "Real World" style drama, and the watered down talent pool(even though I know many quality chefs and some amazing chefs that tried out, and didn't make it! Reinforcing my hunch that this is now about beauty and personality, rather than true culinary talent) that I can no longer take it! Hosea Rosenberg isn't even the 5th best chef in Boulder! He was not shown the door many times because they wanted to play up the whore mongering with Leah(also a total hack!) Jax is a joke! How am I supposed to take this show seriously when the "Top Chef" runs a restaurant that overcooks and under seasons every fish on the menu and serves oysters with cocktail sauce! I know this is going to come off as a bitter rant by a jealous industry worker, but here me out. I have worked in Michelin Two stars in France, helped open Boulder's best restaurant, Frasca F&W, worked alongside Maria Hines, and run a very successful 4 star restaurant on the west coast. I'm from Boulder and have respect for many of the people who have come and gone on Top Chef. I admit that many of the past contestants might be able to cook me under the table. However this season, especially with the outcome is a tragedy. I hope Hosea and his CIA entry level cuisine are happy squandering that 100k and booth at the Aspen festival. I'll be there and probably will be inclined to heckel Hack-sea( even though I won't out of respect for the industry) Oh well I'm gonna go down to Jax and see if I can get some oat crusted egg white sushi and wash it down with a Diet Dr. Pepper spiked Manhattan. Good grief Chuck Brown. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
i HATE hosea!!!!! gross!!!!!
Too bad for Carla.. I'm glad that pompous ass Stefan didnt win. He might have a good catering company but with his crappy attitude and big head his 15 minutes of fame are o-v-e-r. May we never have to hear his lame comments ever again
*laughing my ass off*
Hosea is a cook in a mediocre fish restaurant in Boulder. I've been watching the show religiously since season one and am saddened - now, with every season - (as any long-time watcher is) to see that the contestants chosen are of such substandard quality. There is no way, no WAY, that Hosea could match talents with the winners of Seasons 1 -3. The chefs of the later seasons aren't even in the same realm of artistry! And Mel from Boulder - are we serious here? Of all the chefs to choose from, she is to be considered for the "Top?!" I'm from Denver, dined everywhere in the world, my boyfriend was in restaurant PR in Boulder - we know these people and what they produce. Bravo is selling out. We all know it. And, as another blogger said, I am out. This is as worth any serious foodie's time as Hell's Kitchen. Sad, but true.
The outcome of this season is laughable. Stefan Richter was by far the best chef this year, but still: Jamie Lauren, Fabio, Carla, and Jeff were each great chefs in their own right, all FAR better than Hosea. I'm sure Hosea is a nice person, but seriously--this is an embarrassment. (did it seem like Tom and Gail had something against Stefan? I know he didn't exactly endear himself to the judges, but it seems like blatant bias for them to choose Hosea over the other two finalists.) p.s. I'm quitting you, Top Chef.
This is truly a travesty. I have had my fave lose out before, but always felt that the winner was talented. I've never even felt compelled to come on the blog and comment.
He barely carried his weight throughout the season. This guy is poser and hack, unremarkable if not downright awful and pretty much a joke. He can't cook fish. He was not inventive. And he was such a baby - ungracious at the end!
Completely disgusted and this whole season has left a bad taste in my mouth.
Absolutely ridiculous. I wonder how many people called bullshit right after Padma congratulated Hosea.
I became a fan of this show, just during this season, but I've had the opportunity to catch up with the previous seasons, and by far this season is a travesty.
Hosea should have never graced the top 5, let alone be crowned Top Chef.
Also, did Leah kiss Hosea on the mouth during the little after-party footage? Classy.
sad, sad business .. i hope that deep inside the producers or at least the judges know and feel that they made the wrong decision.
Actually, if you view the epsoide you will find it is Tom who fixed the finals so that Hosea would win. The guest is did he check to make the extra money for the new Top Chef show, or was the Top Chef show a pay off for cheating?
If you watch the show, Tom tells all the chefs "they better listen to their soux chef because they have been hear before" They at Judges table he doesn't even mention that the two dishes that Carla did fail because of what and were influence by him. The reason Carla lost was clearly due to Tom. Once Carla was out he would force the vote to go his way as the other judges have already admitted. If fact their is a question whether the final vote was the judge's or not if you listen to the other Judges Blogs and columns. So my question is did Tom Cheat as a payoff or something else?
payoff for what?
We have Obama as "President" - and Hosea as "Top Chef."
What is next?
OJ Simpson as Dr. Phil?
Words cannot express my disgusting that the Cheating Douchebag took the title. The attempt at rehabilitating his image gets filed under "Epic Fail." Bah.
Fuckin' Hosea?! Stupid Biatch. There ain't an ass hat big enough for that egg-head.
Give me a freaking break! Hosea??? Come on Tom! Let's call it Mediocre Chef/Real World. Stefan everyone knows you are the Top Chef.
egyptchick7,
Hi, Leah!
It breaks my heart that Carla didn't trust herself and listened too much to Casey. I felt badly for her in earlier challenges, like the bridal shower one, where she was criticized for not speaking up and making things better. Criticizing her for not speaking up is fair, but the reality is, if it's 2 against 1 and you're all peers, it's on you. In this case, she and Casey were not lateral. Casey was the sous, and not a cheftestant, so Carla should have complimented her ideas but said, "I want to do it my way..." It breaks my heart that she didn't.
I think it's insane that a dessert course was not required. I agreed, for once, with Toby Young. This is TOP CHEF and that means you have to be able to cook a little of everything.... not just savory dishes. I think since it wasn't mandated, they couldn't grade Hosea down for it, but it should have been mandated.
Also, frankly, I think Stefan should've gotten bonus points for doing great alligator hors d'oeuvres.
Could Hosea have been any more fricking lucky? First pick of sous chef and first pick of protein for the twist?
And there is no comparison between Hosea and Stefan in terms of their arrogance. Seriously. Stefan was arrogant but also playful about it. I grew to really like him. I love that on his blog, he says he picked Marcel b/c he could see Carla was terrified of getting Marcel. I love that he saved Carla from a crab and hugged her when she started crying at judges' table. Carla is no damsel in distress, but I just like that for Stefan, it wasn't all about winning.
Hosea, on the other hand, wouldn't share the foie gras??? Okay, grudgingly, he agreed to share a teeny bit. I get that this is a competition, but c'mon... There is grabbing an ingredient because you need it and then there is hogging an ingredient so someone else can't have it.
Yuck. So disappointing.
I also wondered about that lame Hosea blog when it first came out.
Colicchio and Co. had been bending over backwards to undermine Stefan and thus justify the long-announced win of Mr. Jingoistic Mediocrity. There was no way in hell they would let the appointed Eurovillian(s) win. Neither Stefan in the kitchen nor Toby in Judges Table (fighting for a Stefan win) had a chance in this bad Hollywood movie with a message. Death to European Haughtiness! Long Live American...ness (no matter how mediocre). Too bad Miss Underdog sabotaged herself. Would have been a way more satisfying ending than this bullshit.
I agree with Anonymous #3. The image of Hosea as Top Chef is almost as ridiculous (and telling about us as Americans) as the image of Sarah Palin in the White House. Yuk.
Hosea is a wimp and a douchebag. I love Carla but she floundered and let Casey influence her too much. Stefan clearly should've won!
I'm so disgusted by the outcome that I'll never buy glad products again.
I really disliked Stefan throughout the show, but he was by far the best chef this season. Hosea? Come on. What a joke.
Just a small suggestion to Bravo - you had better choose better chef talent next season or this show is going to spiral downward rather quickly.
Top Chef blew it this year - horrible choice. Say it aint so Tom!
The top three should have been Stefan, Jeff, Carla/Fabio (either one would have worked). Hosea had no reason to be there. And Leah should have been gone by episode three.(hearing her butcher the english language by using LIKE so much makes me understand why she could so poorly butcher her proteins). Stefan was obviously crass, but he had heart... helping Carla shuck her oysters in the first NO episode, which the Producers conveniently avoided showing us... schmucks.
What's funny about the judges, not to repeat what all has been said here, was that when Gail ate Stefan's 2nd dish, she said she could "taste his story", could tell where he "lived as a child"; and THEN she proceeds to say his food has no soul a few minutes later. That is offensively contradictory to Stefan and the viewing audience.
I know we all tolerated the forced product placement in the beginning because we got the chance to see young great chefs dazzle and dance with ingredients producing exciting and brave dishes that compelled us to go out to eat an extra night per week, or try that new restaurant we have heard about across town, or buy that new ingredient at the farmers market to bring home to play with in our own kitchen, but no more.
As the seasons have progressed (with a few exceptions of greatness, I'M LOOKING AT YOU BLAIS, YOU ROCK!), the food and entertainment value feels a little too "focus-group" produced. They dump on Stefan for having no soul... can Top Chef ever be so audacious to make that critique again?
I suspect a Casey Curse. After all, she looked good for the win in her season and choked epically.
Now, thanks to her advice, Carla -- who was also looking good for the win -- choked epically at the final moment.
It's terribly sad, because I really thought she had it in the bag, and she seems like a legitimately nice person.
I will say my opinion of Stefan rose when he comforted Carla at final judging. He really did seem to feel awful for her.
By their meals in the final challenge, I can see why the judges chose Hosea, but I don't think he should've been in the competition that long to even have a chance. Once Carla was out, I was hoping Stefan would win based on merit, but alas...now we're stuck with Hosea. *sigh*
@ publicity rehabilitation
Big Fail.
Cheesy smile indeed.
I can't believe this! Top Chef is definitely selling out. I will admit this season has been the most disappointing batch of chefs (no offense to Carla, Stefan, Jeff, Jamie, and Fabio). The only people who seemed to put any creativity into their food was kicked off (Jamie and Jeff). To make matters worst, the judges wrote off the classically trained chefs. Instead, they pick some slimy, cheating, mediocre chef (who screwed up on fish-his area of specialty)as the winner. Way to go Top Chef! You're starting to remind me of MTV's the real world in its early days. It started out as entertaining and somewhat decent...then slowly declined to shouting matches and drama. Is this where Top Chef is heading by focusing on the "talent" (aka looks and personality)? I'm very disappointed in you Top Chef.
Ok, let me get this right..
Carla- did not win because she screwed up two dishes.
Stefan- did not win because he made a sub par dessert. And Tom and Gail did not like his attitude.
Hosea-WON because he cooked dishes that he was comfortable with.
The winner won because he was "consisten" and cooked food that he was comfortable with in the final challenge. Is that what it takes to be TOP CHEF? So much for "pushing the boundaries" Tom. I'm so disgusted with this season of Top Chef.
this show was rigged to have a "feel good" ending! Stefan was confident and yes it did border on being a jerk at certain points. But what was so different wit Hosea? He was always announcing that he would win AND beat Stefan. Plus he hogged all the ingredients that he knew Stefan would need !
Overall, Hosea should have never been there, he barely won anything and blew the "fish" portion of the competition! This was all about a "tv show" and not the best chef!
Radihka and Jeff were so much better chefs and let's not forget Jamie as well! it's a real shame that this show has gone the way of most reality shows which is to focus on the "personalities" first then the food. Carla showed an interesting personality and really came on towards the end , winning a number of shows. I have no problem saying that my eyes welled up when she was crying, heartbreak and hootie !
I will watch next season, but if "top chef" does this again, rewarding a hack like Hosea, then it will be my last season.
Btw, Gail's breast looked amazing, overall, she was glowing! Could she be knocked up?......
Yep, the finale was a bummer.
Long live Carla and Fabio! I hope we see more of them in the future.
Tom screwed Carla over! Rematch!
i seriously cannot believe that hosea won. he clearly did not deserve it. he was so arrogant and obnoxious, unlike stefan who was overconfident but was at least able to back it up and have fun with it. i knew that hosea was going to win when at judges table bravo cut out almost anything bad about his second dish being under-seasoned or not living up to its presentation. also, this season overall, i couldn't believe some of the contestants that bravo had, like melissa and leah--they were such mediocre chefs, and not even interesting people. ugh!
L. and Shawn, you have pretty much summed up all my thoughts about the season and the finale. Good posts! Gail's snappy attitude bugged and Toby was the sole voice of reason at JT -- who would have imagined? I need to go back and watch some of the earlier episodes this season; it's been nagging at me for several weeks that there were instances where Tom, undeservedly, cut Hosea some slack. I think this questionable win has been building up for awhile, but we missed some of the clues. Like others, I'm interested in what Stefan and Carla do; not so for Hosea.
The shark-jumping moment this season was Restaurant Wars, when Radhika was booted for being a substandard hostess, while soap-opera-kiss Leah stayed for serving raw fish.
I only wish that Hosea had gotten the alligator.
Sorry to harp on this, but Gail's breast looked ten times more appetizing than anything Hosea made all season.
glad to see I'm not alone in feeling unsatisfied w/ this season's outcome. I too will most likely stop watching this show + look for something more authentic (like no t.v. at all in that time slot ;) maybe
oops dissatisfied
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