I want that mole. Now.

Also, the weird chick that did the scallop-shrimp-overcomplicated-vice thing sounds EXACTLY like Mel from Flight of the Conchords.

Bwahaha! So true.

WOO HOO! BAYLESS!!!!!

I am now desperately sad that I am not eating mole right fucking now.

YAY!!! Rick Bayless!!! I'm sorry Chiarello beat Hubert by 1/2 a point though. His food did look awfully good, though.

The fact that Bayless has never been formally trained just blows me away! I hadn't realized that before.

Also, the weird chick that did the scallop-shrimp-overcomplicated-vice thing sounds EXACTLY like Mel from Flight of the Conchords.

OMG - you're right! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I am now desperately sad that I am not eating mole right fucking now.

The worst part is, I don't think it's something he has on his menu regularly (given the complexity), so even if I ever get to Chicago I might never be able to get that. I could be wrong though - it might be one of those things you can keep over low heat once it's done.

I've had decent mole, but I've also had more that are so atrocious that it's not worth the risk of ordering if you don't know it's going to be good.

Franken,

I believe you and I have eaten at the same restaurants. Bad mole lives with you forever.

I'ma have to get back to Frontera one of these days soon. (Topo is for when I'm feeling more flush.)

You can't wrap your head around a lady beating you at shucking clams? Life will be tough for you.

Also loved the guy who immediately asked Jen if she was the pastry chef when she said what restaurant she came from. I really, really don't need a season of sexist douchbaggery.

Um, her mispronunciation of "ceviche" is driving me BATTY. I think I'm going to scream.

This. I liked Jen and I hope she does well, but this drove me nuts.

Also, I would like to sign on for the Wolfgang Puck fan club. He was an awesome guest judge. And Colicchio's disbelieving "You just threw a donut. . ." That was hi-larious.

I'm also kind of rooting for the chef from PR who wanted to make chicharrones. He seems kind of great, so I hope he recovers from the first round misstep. (Chicharrones are normally pork, no? I'm not sure, but that's what I thought)

I think so.

Definitely hated Misogyny Mike--he does seem to be an equal-opportunity asshole, the way he was snarking about his male competitors' cooking, but he was picking apart the guys' cooking talents, whereas with the women he was just being a sexist pig. (Can we grill him and carve him into pieces like Bayliss did the suckling pig?)

I'm really liking the guy who won (Ken? I'm still learning names) and the halibut lady (I hope someone told her that Puck said she could sell that at any restaurant in town), and I hope that Hector bounces back--he looks like he'll be fun to watch. The Haitian guy can bring some nice variety to the mix with his island cuisine, and he was smart to turn his big Life Story Highlight into a key part of the story of his first round dish; the judges will remember him much better next round.

I was convinced that Eve with her bland curry was gone--why oh why don't these people learn to taste their food??? On the Masters competition, I saw all the chefs constantly tasting their dishes, but rarely saw the young chefs doing the same on TC:LV.

Speaking of the Masters, yay hometown boy Bayless!!! I've always wanted to go to either Frontera or Topolobampo, but I think I can kiss off any chance of getting a reservation at either for the next few months. It was a bit surprising to hear the judges saying how even they don't expect to have top-class Mexican food they way they expect French or Italian--I would have thought that thinking would have been dispelled by now. I wonder if they have the same prejudice against Thai food? (Arun's in Chicago is a four-star restaurant, but one of the few Thai places with that distinction.)

(Can we grill him and carve him into pieces like Bayliss did the suckling pig?)

It wouldn't make him any more palatable (Bayless is really good, but I don't think he's that good), but it would make him quiet, so have at it.

I was convinced that Eve with her bland curry was gone

So did I, and the fact that the cream was a substitute for the white wine she couldn't find (something she didn't tell judges) confuzzles me more. Wine in curry? That sounds wrong like a wrong thing that's wronger than the wrongest thing in wrongolia.