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"Idol" saved the best for last.

Not singers, mind you, but some truly wacky contestants. That really sums up Thursday night's last audition show for me. Oh sure, there was one singer in the bunch who wowed me but even she was quirky. It was also a split-city show taking us from the bustle of New York City to the beauty of San Juan as "Idol" searched for more hopefuls. What we got, mostly, was a whole lot of silly.

The top contenders of said silly were New York's Nick Mitchell, aka "Norman Gentle," who sparred with Simon and somehow miraculously got a golden ticket, and San Juan's Joel Contreras, the offbeat rocker with a penchant for dressing up in costume and screaming at people on the street.

Let's first turn our attention to Nick -- I'm sorry, I mean Norman -- who appeared at the audition with a headband and heaps of energy. Immediately, Simon said he didn't want Norman to turn the tryout into a joke. So, Norman promised he would treat is seriously and started singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Quickly into it, Simon said, "You told me you weren't going to make this funny." And then came one of the sure to be remembered retorts of the show. Here was the exchange:

Norman (to Simon): "You hurt me where you get kicked sometimes. That was very hard."

Simon: "I would've thought you would have quite liked that."

Norman: "You mean the way you like it when Seacrest does it?"

Simon: "That was actually funny."

Norman could have stopped there because, by now, the guy's gonna be remembered for his bit with Simon.  But he kept going and pleaded with the judges to let him sing "Amazing Grace" to prove he can sing. And you know what? Norman's not too bad when he is being a serious singer. Ultimately, the judges loved him because he was so entertaining and moved him on to Hollywood. Now, Norman dear, you don't stand a chance in Hollywood but you'll be a hoot to watch.

In San Juan, were were treated to the comedy of Joel Contreras, which included dressing up like a rat and hugging people on the street, throwing himself at a wall and, the best, coming to the audition in costume as an iPod, or "guyPod," as he called it. Too bad his singing wasn't as memorable as his costume. When it appeared that all was lost in the audition, he pulled out a hand puppet, a lion, and started singing "Circle Of Life." That moment did make me roar with laughter. But, unlike Norman, this jokester wasn't given a golden ticket.

The judges did manage to find a few talented singers, including Melinda Camille, or Miss Most Likely to Join a Nudist Colony." Melinda informed viewers and the judges that she loves to dance naked. Also, she wants her singing to uplift humanity. Well, it managed to uplift the judges who sent her on to Hollywood. All in all, she has a nice voice and a sparkling personality. Just keep the clothes on in public, girlie.

Next up with "Idol" we head to Hollywood, and it's about time. I'm starting to forget the people I liked early on in the auditions. I need to see their smiling faces and hear those voices again to see if they have the right stuff for "Idol" stardom.

Having just an hour to soak into the island lore last night, I was still happy with the result. There were new potentially deadly predicaments for our characters to deal with and one little twist of the pen of the writers that had me nodding my head and saying, "hmmmm." Charles Whitmore? Huh.

The H-bomb thing was a little anti-climactic of itself. All the build up to deal with only for the "professor" to say, "Bury it; it will be okay." Desmond's hunt for information was akin to the rat maze he found in the hidden office. Now he has to go to LA? Are they going to take the boat? I was touched though that Des named his boy Charlie. Aww.

Last night was a fun ride. One other comment I have is that I was pleased that we are not hanging on Jack's every word now. Past episodes have been clearly led by his character and we neglected to see all the others. The perspective of The Others is just as important to the tales. So far, so satisfying.

Blog by Amy Hanek
 
Kicking off a Superbowl themed Top Chef this week, Padma places an obvious product placement into the show with her Quaker Oats Quickfire challenge on football squares. Each of the remaining seven chefs pick a square, assigning them a duo of ingredients - all of which include oats. Scott Conant, the owner of Scarpetta (an Italian restaurant) is the guest judge this week.
 
And I think Fabio is smitten, just a little. So, when Conant doesn't return those feelings toward Fabio's food, Fabio takes offense.
 
In the end, Fabio, Leah and Jeff "fumble" this challenge and Stefan (big surprise) wins with a banana mousse with oats and oat almond petit fours, making this his 5th win in a row. Carla presents a little foreshadowing with her comment that Jeff just can't "quiet the creative monkeys" and needs to simplify.
 
On to the main event - a Top Chef Bowl.
 
This Superbowl-style elimination challenge brings back more All Stars from past seasons. In no particular order they are: Spike (season 4), Andrew (season 4), Josie (season 2), Andrea (season 1), Camille (season 3), Nikki (season 4) and Miguel (season 1).
 
Because Stefan won the Quickfire Challenge he gets to choose what team's city he will represent and who he will cook against from the All Stars. Stefan chooses Dallas and Andrea. Fabio speculates that his European buddy chose the nuts and grains girl, assuming he has this challenge sewn up. More foreshadowing?
 
After over two hours of cooking, 20 minutes at a time, the Home Team (season 5) wins the team challenge against the All Stars - 37 to 33. It was close. And only made closer with the losers, Jeff, Fabio and Stefan.
 
Say Wha?
 
I couldn't believe both Europeans and Jeff made it to the losing end of this competition. And it's a good thing their egos deflated a little with the loss. I don' think all three would've fit into the room together, otherwise. Especially Stefan's.
 
Carla brought her love to the table this week, with her 20-minute gumbo, representing New Orleans (VERY risky) and won two Super Bowl tickets for this weekend's game. Lucky girl. Here's her recipe for those cooking along at home: http://recipes.mt.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_5_1/episode_10_2/crayfish_and_andouille_gumbo.php
 
Jeff was told his ceviche just didn't pack enough flavor and was sent home to Miami. He blamed those "creative monkeys" on his way out the door.
 
This episode woke me up a little as the tables turned for most of the chefs.
 
Maybe Stefan and Fabio can incorporate humble pie onto their plates next week. It'll be interesting to see.

Utah must be a utopia.

How else would you explain all the happiness and enthusiasm that exuded from tonight's "Idol" hopefuls? Even the people who got rejected were still polite. Must be something in the water or that crisp Utah air.

All that cheeriness did make for a great audition show. Well, that, and some amazing singers.  So, without further ado, let's get right into that.

I heart Rose Flack. The blond hippie chick from Idaho has spunk and a sweet voice. I like that she is different and that her voice is distinct. The judges did, too, and gave her a golden ticket. But Rose, please put on some shoes the next time you face the judges. 

Other golden-ticket grabbers were Frankie Jordan, who channeled a little Amy Winehouse in her tryout, and Taylor Vaifanua, who has a big, beautiful voice. Taylor already outshines some of the other Hollywood-bound contestants we've seen in earlier shows. Even the famous Osmond family was well represented by one of their own, David Osmond, who displayed some nice vocals and got himself a trip to Hollywood. We don't know yet if he's a little bit country or rock 'n' roll.

Of course, with any "Idol" audition show there has to be some interesting folk. Salt Lake City was no exception. My favorite was Rich Kagel with the rose-colored glasses and lizard-like tongue. Simon nipped that contestant's hope in the bud with this remark -- "You're never ever in a million billion years going to win a show like this." Guess that clears up any confusion Rich may have.

Coming up Thursday night, "Idol" will showcase auditions in New York City and San Juan. It should be exciting, but I'll miss Salt Lake City. You brought me joy, super singers, an Osmond and a grown man dressed up as a pink bunny. Salt Lake City, you definitely brought the entertainment tonight.

Perhaps it was all that sun.

Maybe that's the reason the judges were some kind of strange tonight when the "Idol" crew landed in Jacksonville, Fla. There was Paula and Kara's mock kissing, Paula sitting on Simon's lap, Ryan sitting on Kara's lap, a dog nestled in Simon's lap and Paula leaving the room but getting coaxed back by a contestant. Is this what too much sun and surf in Florida does to a person? And here I thought that kind of living would be a little slice of heaven.

However, the Sunshine State proved somewhat productive. It gave us teen Jasmine Murray, who has a strong voice and sweet demeanor, and Ann Marie Boskovich, who was given a second chance by the judges to come back to the audition after she got a little glammed up with makeup, switched her clothing a bit and worked to unleash her inner star. After all of that, Ann Marie showed that she can sing well and will join the other hopefuls in Hollywood. T.K. Hash was another standout. He tried out for "Idol" before and came back this season new and improved. He also is headed to Hollywood.

There were some picks from the judges that made me scratch my head in confusion. Contestant Joshua Ulloa was told by Simon that he was corny and gimmicky, yet he got a golden ticket. Also, beauty queen Julissa Veloz was bubbly and personable but not the strongest of singers, yet she is Hollywood bound.

On another note, I did enjoy the end of the show sing-along to "Walking On Sunshine," one of my favorite '80s hits. For that, "Idol," you made me smile.

Next up in this audition week is Salt Lake City. Let's see if Utah ushers in some stunning singers.

Ah, I rejoice in the return of Lost!  I didn't realize I was sitting down for a three hour tour but that's my bad for not checking the listing. Silly me just took notice of my Facebook alert to  tune in. But what a tour it was!

The first hour re-cap was tolerated for the benefit of those who were not in the know. The two hour re-entry was delicious in true Lost fashion. Twists and turns that tickle the mind.

So, Claire might not be dead? So, Jin might not be dead? So, what about Charlie? My favorite guy was not even mentioned. I guess he's really dead. And what about Locke, who appears to be dead, but Ben hints at other possibilities? Time travel, physics? Wow. I'm so looking forward to next Wednesday night.

Blog entry by Amy Hanek

Last night I tuned in for Top Chef from a condo in Fort Myers, FL. My family and I are on a vacation, trying to escape the cold VA weather. And I'm freezing this morning anyway (temps are in the low thirties).

Anyway, when in Fort Myers, I'm always sure to indulge in the local phenom - Norman Love Chocolates. I snacked on them while watching Top Chef last night. And yes, they are as good as they look.

Because I missed the last two weeks of Top Chef, I hadn't met the newest judge, Toby Young. And after reading Nona and Lindsey's post, I expected a little more arrogance. I'm wondering if some of his rudeness is being edited out to keep viewers from turning the channel to "Lost" or "American Idol" in disgust.

So, the much anticipated Restaurant Wars kicked off last night with the introduction of guest judge, Steven Starr. Starr made it clear to the chefs by explaining, "It's not just about the food..." If only everyone had listened. These ominous words rang true at judges table later.

Offering up their restaurant concepts and a tasting to Starr, the eight remaining chefs vied for a chance to run their own restaurant, or not. Jamie, one of the more honest ones admitted what quite a few might have been thinking - "I don't think I want to win this challenge."

Fabio staked his claim as usual with his gutsy remark about restaurant wars, "In love and war you are allowed to do everything." And he follows through with that later. When Starr passes on Stefan's "lunch concept," complete with a prime rib sandwich (not a cheesesteak), Fabio and Stefan plan a European takeover anyway.

It was disappointing to watch Leah's Asian concept get lost in translation as she and Hosea hooked up. I even wonder if she wasn't smooching on Hosea long before now, but had just been caught this week. The couple have been chummy for a while.

Anyway, Leah can cry distraction while undercooking her Black Cod this week. But next week, she better start worrying about the competition at hand and not the cute chef in the next room, or she'll be hitting the road.

I wish Radhika had risen to the challenge too. She had a great "foreward thinking concept" according to Starr with her "Old Spice Trade" concept. And it all fell to pieces when she gave no direction at all. When push came to shove, she hid in the kitchen, instead of wooing those guests out front.

If it weren't for Fabio and Stefan (men we all love to hate), both restaurants would have been almost complete disasters.

And as Starr said in the beginning, "It's not just about the food..." Fabio became the saving grace for "Sunset Lounge" with his front of the house skills. This forced "Sahana" into the losing category. And Carla and Radhika on the chopping blocks.

Carla's desserts fell to pieces when her cake didn't measure up and the freezers weren't able to freeze her yogurt correctly. And yet, Stefan won the entire challenge with his Ginger and Lemongrass Panna Cotta - found here:
http://recipes.mt.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_5_1/episode_9_2/ginger_and_lemongrass_panna_cotta.php

And his freezers weren't working either.

Stefan's philosophy: "You fix stuff."

Carla's philosophy: Exclaim, "It's a hot mess" and then give it (the food) some love.

Guess which one worked.

My favorite one-liner from Toby Young was, "the couscous tasted like dishwater." I have to wonder if he's speaking from experience.

But, I think my favorite one-liner all night came from one of the diners when asked about the Sunset Lounge's first course (an amuse busche). While commenting, "It amused my busche" I can only assume she was a victim of Fabio's wooing.

Starr awarded a GE suite of appliances (more product placement) to Stefan for winning over the hearts of his restaurant's guests with his stellar desserts and Radhika was sent packing for hiding in the kitchen most of the night.

Louisville was kind of a letdown.

Maybe I'm saying this because I am getting bored with the auditions. Or maybe it's because of all the loopy moments tonight. I think it's both.

Louisville, the home of legendary baseball bats and thoroughbreds, was the "Idol" stop on Wednesday. True, some skilled singers did gallop to Hollywood, but the show had a lot of awkward moments. Let's count them, shall we?

Awkward Moment No. 1 falls to new judge Kara when she interrupted contestant Rebecca Garcia and remarked that Rebecca was voted "most humorous" in high school. Kara then implied that her tryout was a joke. Granted, Rebecca didn't have the best voice but you could tell she was serious about her singing. I mean, if the girl had come to the audition in a clown costume then I'd consider it a joke. But she seemed legitimate. Ultimately, Kara apologized but the moment left me sad for Rebecca. Kara, here's something to note, even if someone is humorous they can still be serious at times.

Awkward Moment No. 2 goes to the judges' reaction to Mark Mudd. The country crooner offered up a George Jones song but got no love from the judges. Mark was silent after the critique and then headed out, but not before telling the judges to "be careful in whatever you do." I truly believe Mark meant no harm but was just trying to be nice and save face. Not the judges. They took it as some kind of threat. I get why Paula was worried. She was in the news recently after her longtime stalker was found dead of an apparent suicide near Paula's home. As for the rest of them, I think they were mistaken about Mr. Mudd's remark.  

Awkward Moment No. 3 was offered by Ross Plavsic. OK, though, this one actually made me laugh. The super smart dude with the less than stellar singing voice blamed his poor performance on a scratchy throat. Paula offered him something to drink, and he unknowingly picked up her cup and started slurping. The expression on her face was priceless. At least we have someone who can now tell us exactly what the judges are drinking in those Coke cups.

All the awkwardness aside, I did enjoy a couple of singers. Joanna Pacitti from Philly has promise. I like her rocker chick vibe. Leneshe Young from Cincinnati also was terrific. She performed an original song and the judges loved her work and vibrant personality.

That's about all I can say for the Louisville auditions. Tonight's show had too much weird and not enough wow.

Peace, love, plaid and spats.

That's what the city by the bay gave us Tuesday night when "Idol" stopped in San Francisco. The show offered some touching moments and one truly tacky coat of many colors. It also gave us Round 1 of the Simon-Kara fight.

But let's talk about peace right now, not war. The peace and love I mentioned earlier is the peace and love I feel toward the judges when they like who I like. And I like Kai Kalama. In fact, I even like saying his name. This charming fellow, who earns feel-good points for taking care of his sick mother, sang the classic "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and proved he has got some powerful pipes. He also got a golden ticket but was told to work on his stage presence. I hope that improves for him in Hollywood.

 Jesus Valenzula got a sought-after ticket with some help from his sons. The cute little guys won the judges over with their signs of support for their daddy. I think Jesus has a nice voice and a sweet personality but I don't know how long he will last in Hollywood. Perhaps he should bring the kids along for good measure.

Tonight's show also gave us Adam Lambert, who performed "Bohemian Rhapsody" and did a great job. The judges gave him a golden ticket but also said he was theatrical. And that's a bad thing? I mean, the guy has been performing in the musical "Wicked." It takes talent to be a cast member in a terrific show like that. So, Adam, I hope your "Idol" journey is wicked awesome.

Now about the plaid, or "the jacket of life" as contestant Dean-Anthony Bradford called his coat. Dearest Dean-Anthony, I think the plaid is making you mad.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a plaid hater but his coat looked like my grandma's old sofa. The only thing louder than his coat was his voice. Randy described his performance as "over the top torture." But, I have to give the lad in plaid this, he was a good sport through it all. 

Now, we come to the spats portion. New judge Kara DioGuardi got peeved with Simon in tonight's show. It's only the second week and he's already pushing her to the brink. Well, not all the way. Give him some time, though. You know Paula has to be happy that there's someone else to spar with him. The best moment tonight was when Simon interrupted Kara and she later responded with "I will say what I want to say and I will say it now." Oh snap, Simon. Looks like the Brit may battle it out this year with the newbie. 

Forget a summer of love. This may be a season of sass for "Idol."

Bye bye, Ariane

The latest episode of Top Chef reminds me of why I am simultaneously intoxicated and embarassed by the show. Watching the contestants work with all that beautiful local food at Stone Barns = intoxicating. Hearing this new judge, Toby Young, actually use the phrase, "The pesto is the Big Bad Wolf that blows this house down" = embarassing.

But the show started far from the shining gold tomatoes and fresh pork belly of the farm -- in fact, on the opposite side of the spectrum. The Quickfire Challenge gave the contestants a pile of canned and processed foods from which to prepare a dandy dish in just 15 minutes. Why the need for speed? The guest judge on the challenge was Season 3 winner Hung, the inhuman speed machine.

It was during this challenge when Ken Doll Jeff stopped being so attractive to me: "Padma reveals a pile of garbage... Jesus Christ, what a mess," he says when the canned and processed products are unveiled. I wouldn't exactly call artichokes and garbanzo beans "garbage," Ken Doll. Lots of people would be happy to have those things in their cupboard. The housewife remark right after that only made matters worse, but he did redeem himself some with those golden-fried conch nuggets with a pina colada side. If I could try any of the Quickfire dishes right now, it would be Fabio's artichoke and chili pepper macaroni and cheese. Yum.

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