Top Chef: Hey everyone has their opinions.

My winter indulgence. I loved Top Chef from the very first episode and I haven't missed one in the ensuing five seasons. Suffice it to say, I am hooked and I find it a great, frame of reference widening, part of my life that gets me away from cars, racetracks and driving really fast.

The culinary arts fascinate me and I like that I am like many others and consider myself a foodie or junkie for food related television. I rarely get on bandwagons, but I will admit to this one.

I wrote down some thoughts on the finale'. Actually, these comments were sent in almost this exact format to a friend who asked my opinions on the end of the show. They're all in good fun, but it's how I saw it.


They really need to bring in a new editing crew for the next season.

It's become just like a bunch of other reality shows (American Chopper, for example). The first couple of seasons were interesting and "new", but then they fell into a rut and every episode is the same with the exact same story set ups and same scenarios all set up through the editing process.

I LOVE the show, but this season really disappointed me because almost without fail there would be the short clip in the beginning of the episode where a comment by a Chef would let you know immediately they were the one that was eliminated.

They need shake up the show for next season, have a new director and editing crew and only hire those production people that have never seen the show before.

Actually, I thought it was sad how the Chefs became storylines this year instead of the competitions. Focusing on the kiss and relationship between those two was very "MTVish". It was like a Hills episode (I would imagine, having never seen one). They should have pulled those two aside, told them to quit with each other and get back to the show at hand, but no, it was good TV so they left it in and probably told them to do it more.

I think it's too good of a show to continue down this path of making reality stars, but starting mid-season last year and all of this season, it sure seems like that's where it's going.

With that said, Carla was clearly over her head. Having a lot of natural skill and some talent is one thing, but she was always in the deep end of the pool and the fact she always survived is very admirable, but come on, she doesn't have the skills of the others. She was, however, a captivating character and made for great television. Perhaps a JV player on a Varsity team, but I bet thousands upon thousands followed the show solely because of her.

Hosea never shined until that last meal. I don't defend him, but he picked it up when necessary and made a great meal. Good for him. One must remember what the principals always discuss on their blogs. Judging Table is often hours of discussion all edited down to a few seconds for television. The full range of good and bad is never known by the viewers. We must trust that our Judges made the right decision and I have no problem with this one.

Stephan was reality villain like Omarosa and he paid for it. Fabio, too much emotion and too much reliance on Italian food. That pasta he made in New Orleans, even though Padma loved it, looked like Chef-Boy-Ardee. Fabio is the one who will see the most celebrity from this season though. No doubt about it.

I liked the lesbian celery girl. I thought she was kind of hot and probably had the most technical skill even if she was devoid of most personality. The Wonder Woman/Queen Isis headgear was a bit much for me, but her skills and commmitment to what she wanted to do made her definitely stand out. Maybe she's not compelling television, but she will make it as a Chef if not a celebrity.

Love the show. I just hope they shuffle things and don't go with the same formula next season. It's like Behind the Music. That show was magic for the first 10-15 episodes then it became a joke because you could insert any band and you always knew that at the 3rd commercial break the music would get ominous and that was when it all fell apart. 4th commercial break, bright music and redemption. Regardless of the band, it was a formula that worked. I just don't want to see that happen to Top Chef.

8 weeks in, so much for my promise.

During those heady days in San Diego over Christmas break, I had grand ideas of writing more this year, getting some serious writing projects finished (in hopes of making some money in this field) and generally not being such a hermit.

Well, it's the end of February and while I have written quite a bit of disjointed thoughts I haven't seen fit to share any with the rest of the world. The other projects need some attention too. Oh well, as I always say; "I'm getting to it".

Regardless, I have been longing for my days as a restaurant reviewer and have been keeping some notes. These are silly thoughts about Fast Food, but I thought I would put this up for someone who asked my opinion on a couple of items.

More writing to come. As the days get longer, my mood elevates and writing becomes less of a chore.

And now, some stupid thoughts on Fast Food:

Best Quality Boutique Fast Food is: 5 Guys Burgers & Fries
It's simply always fresh and cooked to order. You can configure the burger to please any personal tastes you have. Opinions can vary on the fries, but if you don't like them, the burger should more than make up for it.
**I call it boutique because they aren't everywhere and it is a level more expensive than regular fast food places

Best Regular Fast Food: Wendy's
Reliable, freshly cooked (unless it's within an hour of closing) and no more expensive than other crap out there.
Wendy's always seems to have a slightly better class of employees and cleaner restaurants than many other fast food establishments

Worst Regular Fast Food: Burger King Breakfasts
Burger King is all microwaved food and for breakfast, it simply ruins the damn food. The croissant/bun/biscuit, whatever always gets soggy and almost 90% of the time, regardless of the BK I have gone to, the damn center of the sandwich is still cold. Learn how to microwave you damn monkeys...
I have gotten frozen Jimmy Dean sandwiches at the grocery that I microwave and they come out a hundred percent better than everything at BK.

Best drive through when drinking: Taco Bell
The employees just seem to know you have regrets for being there and they take on a Psychologist role and help you through the ordering process. Somehow they are able to convince you to buy a 1/2 pound beef burrito for a dollar fifty nine when in the back of your head you know that you can't buy a half pound of any type of beef in the grocery for that amount.
The sauces, cheeses and alcohol make their "beef" palatable and if you get rid of the wrappers, bag and receipt before you get home it will be a little secret between only you, your colon and your toilet.

Best tasting ripoff: Regular Subway Sandwiches
With Subway, everything is the "upsell". If you dress your sandwich in the restaurant equivalent of leather interior, blue tooth, navigation and HID lights then the sub will be great. Yes, if you get extra meat, bacon and make it a foot long, then you will probably enjoy your subway experience, but if you get the sandwich as it appears on the menu, you're screwed.
For your money you get about 75 cents worth of cold cuts, wilted veggies and a jaw straining about of bread that's only there to make you think you are getting something of value.
They taste pretty good, but Subway isn't a value.

Best Classic: Quarter Pounder with Cheese
What American kid didn't grow up aspiring to the days when he could graduate from the shitty toy sized burger in the Happy Meal to the glorious Quarter Pounder with Cheese that their father ate?
It's an unpretentious sandwich. No frilly additions, it's just an honest burger.
If you are lucky, it will come out fresh from the grill (and not from the brown plastic condensation drawer that McD uses) and it will be greasy.
Regardless of the fact that it's been 20 years since McD meat actually tasted like, or had the consistency of, beef that regular persons can buy, it's the neat combination of chemicals and "stuff" that McDonalds uses to train our brain to believe it's the real thing.
The elemental mood spike and surge of endorphins I can get from a greasy Quarter Pounder with Cheese is amazing. It will kill me, but what is there that's worth it, that won't.

Best thing I have tried this month: BK Burger Shots
Yes, they are fucking microwaved, and yes they come in a 6 pack box and they are oddly connected to each other and it makes it look like you are eating an entire meatloaf by yourself, but there is something good about them.
Since I don't have a White Castle or Krystal in my area where I can soak all of my food shame, these BK Burger Shots will have to suffice. In reality, it's just regular small burgers cut differently and put on cute little buns, but the marketing make it so much more.
The squirt of ketchup and mustard that was certainly metered for the big burgers is KIND OF OVERWHELMING on the tiny treats, but the strong mustard taste fills in for BK's usual wet, microwaved beef taste that they have been going with for the last 20 years.
Get 'em while they are hot (actually, tepid from the microwave) because this marketing genius will certainly be replaced by some other innovation soon.