Though one of our hometown representatives has been eliminated from the Food Network's newest reality show competition, Chris Cosentino of Incanto continues to carry the San Francisco torch. Here are our thoughts on the season's third episode. Warning: spoilers are involved.
1) Unlike previous episodes, this installment only features a single competition: resourcefulness. The only thing missing from The Chairman's dramatic proclamation of the challenge—"An Iron Chef must be resourceful. Even ... when he has no kitchen!"—was Doctor Evil's pinky-finger to the mouth.
2) We have no idea why they would choose to eliminate a pair of chefs instead of one, thereby shortening an already short season of an excellent show. Alton Brown chalks it up to a lack of competitive spirit. We're not so sure.
3) The line of the night belongs a smug Michael Symon, after denying Cosentino offal: "No guts, no glory."
4) Despite Symon's quip, the nature of the competition is very friendly. Unlike Top Chef, none of the cheftestants have anything to prove, making for an amiable, not cutthroat environment.
5) Second best line of the night, by Aaron Sanchez: "I'm looking out for one person ... and that's me."
6) How about those chefs' sunglasses as an indicator of personal style? Gavin Kaysen, for example, looks like he belongs on the set of The Hills. (Speaking of fashion, what was going on with Alton's shirt?)
7) In the wake of both women chefs going down, Donatella Arpaia seemed to get significantly more camera time. Also, Andrew Knowlton hates Sanchez.
8) And then it hits us: Morou is a dead ringer for Avon Barksdale.
9) In a bit of a foreboding segment, Cosentino gets called out for his developing pattern of pairing a great dish with a mediocre one. This time around, the great dish is a dandelion greens salad, the likes of which has definitely been on Incanto's menu in the past.
10) Knowlton's grudge will have to wait another week, as Morou and Kaysen get sent packing. Meanwhile, Symon wins the competition and emerges as the favorite, begging the question that if he wins, will the Symon-Ruhlman bond become an eyebrow-raiser?
