Lady Finger Rates Top Chef’s 4 Stars All Stars

I am Ms. Place’s friend, Lady Finger. Each week I will rate my favorite and least favorite chefs from the previous week’s Top Chef show.

My middle finger award for least favorite Chef this week goes to … Ilan
Any one object?

Stephen Asprinio earns all my fingers as outstanding and most entertaining Chef. He not only won the quickfire challenge with his perfect omelet, but he led his team to victory with his usual brand of humility. In fact, I decided to ask him a few questions, which I borrowed from James Lipton. I'm sure Mr. Lipton won't mind.
Lady Finger: Hi Stephen, It was nice to watch you in action again.
Stephen: Thank you.
Lady Finger: You seemed less full of yourself. More grown up! In fact you were a team player. I was a bit surprised.
Stephen: Thank you for noticing. I’ve been working on my hubris, trying to tamp it down a bit. I don’t want to turn people off as I follow my bliss as the world’s foremost chef.
Lady Finger: Coughs. Well, do you mind answering just a few questions?
Stephen: No, not at all.

1. "What is your favorite word?” Stephen
2. "What is your least favorite word?"Thunderbird. As in wine.
3. "What turns you on?" My face in the mirror.
4. "What turns you off?" Not being recognized as the greatest chef walking on the face of this earth.
5. "What sound do you love?" My own voice.
6. "What sound or noise do you hate?" The sound of picking up my knives to go.
7. "What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?" Top Chef judge. I know flavor profiles. I know ingredients. I know wine. I know plating. I know cooking. I know about running a restaurant. I simply … know.

Click here to continue

Top Chef Makeover

The idea of a makeover is to look better. Lee Anne Wong from Top Chef Season One got it right. She was always pretty, but these days she looks hot!

Enter our Season 2 chefs for the All Stars Smack Down. Two other chefs attempted a make over and got it all wrong. So, discerning readers, you decide. Whose makeover is worse?

Ilan's white boy ghetto cut?

Or Elia's tousled platinum blond look?

Whose Makeover is Worse?
	Ilan
	Elia
Free polls from Pollhost.com

In choosing Kathy’s most D-Listable moments I used the following criteria: they had to be delicious, delightful, outrageous, and unforgettable ... not necessarily in that order. Ms. Place

1. Mom and Dad at Rage

Kathy’s mother and father are the true stars of this show. Not only are they funny as hell; they openly love to drink. When Dad revealed that the wine at Rage cost only four bucks, Kathy’s ears pricked up. "Rage? "she asks. "The gay bar?" "Well, yes," Mom answers matter of factly. "Their hors d’oeuvres are only 3 bucks." God bless these people for being so spontaneously funny. Sadly we learn that Dad has not been feeling well and that he’s been in and out of the hospital. We already know that he died and this knowledge makes these scenes all the more precious.


2. Outing Trent, the Hetero Hair Hunk

Trent is good looking in a Johnny Carson sort of way and so unflappable that he became Kathy’s perfect foil. When Kathy announced, “Trent, you should know, I’m your Bitch,” he barely flinched. Then she followed up with, “94% of guys are secretly gay. How many guys have you blown?” Trent simply sat upright. He did not react when she demanded “F-ck me right now!” which confirmed her suspicions. But when he admitted he didn’t know who Fergie and Jennifer Hudson were, Kathy reluctantly concluded, "He's straight!"

Click here to continue.

Tabatha - Tyson Battle of the Tresses

Get ready!

Set!

Win!

Only at the Stylists Choice Awards on June 10th! Click here to read more

Food Show Score Card: Week One

And the winner is!

Bravo's Top Chef 4 Star All Stars Smack Down.
Watch the entire episode here if you've missed it.


My score card for week one is:

Bravo's All Stars Smack Down (Prelude to Top Chef 3): A
Fox's Hell's Kitchen: B
Food Network's Next Food Network Star: C

So why is Bravo the winner? While Hell's Kitchen offers the best prize for the winning chef (as head of their own restaurant, no waiting as Harold Dieterle has had to do), there was very little emphasis placed on the food that was being cooked. The viewer spent the majority of time watching the chefs quake under Gordon Ramsey's verbal abuse.

As for the Next Food Network Star, it was clear that the judges were looking for on-air personalities, not necessarily the best chefs. In fact, some of these chefs are barely qualified to work in my home kitchen!

Bravo, on the other hand, places the emphasis where it belongs: on the heat of the competition and the personalities of the chefs. The Smack Down was sheer fun, even though 90% of us had already guessed the ending. Plus Bravo knows how to support its fans, placing meaty material on their website almost as soon as the show has aired.

D-List: Did Anyone Else Notice...

Last night as I was watching Kathy, I noticed something funny. Not funny haha...Funny weird or even coincidental. In the comments of our previous post Madam Ovary said...

"Is it me or does Elizabeth already hate Kathy? I think I saw cold hatred whenever she looked at her."

Now if you were watching last night you got a chance to see Kathy backstage during one of her visits to the show. I couldn't get the picture so I had to recreate the situation...

Just before Rosie enters, Kathy is in the make-up room asking to use a chair. There is someone in the background being worked on with a blurred out face. Then the camera turns and you see Joy sitting on the other side of the room getting her make-up done. Well, at first I thought it might have been a guest but...no...the "burry" person is wearing a very distinct black and white striped shirt and when they show actual footage of that episode of The View whose wearing the shirt?... Elisabeth H! So, what does that mean:

-Elisabeth didn't want to be on Kathy's show more than necessary.
or
-Kathy didn't want to give Elisabeth any more air time.

Hmmmmmm.......?

Stop the Presses: Kathy's on the View this week!

With Rosie gone, the View is down two women. Kathy Griffin to the rescue!

Our brassy comedienne will host three times this week! So set your tivos, dahlings, and take a view at The View. Our Kathy is in danger of moving up to the C-world. Hope she's ready for all that fame.

Click here to read more.

Battle of the Tresses: Tabatha and Tyson Showdown!

Since time immemorial gladiators have donned their war gear and battled to please the masses. Our fabulous Tabatha contacted the Bravissimo team to announce that she and her nemesis Tyson will enter the hairdressing ring at the Stylist Choice Award on June 10th to answer our question once and for all:

Who the heck is the better stylist? (As if we didn't know.)


Click here and enter Behind the Chair to learn more.


Tyson and Tabatha separated by Mary Rector Gable. Fasten your seatbelts, dahlings, we're in for a fab night!

Conversation With a D-Lister

(Brriiinnngggg!)

Kathy G: Hallo?

Ms. Place: Hey, Kathy. Ms. Place, here. You don’t know me from atom, but the Bravo Brass asked me to ring you up and have a frank discussion before your third season airs. I’m an image consultant.

Kathy G: Say what, BITCH?

Ms. Place: I’ve been brought in to help tamp down your brash mouth. You have a huge audience, but Bravo thinks they can up the numbers.

Kathy G: Ouch!

Ms. Place: Don't get me wrong, dahling. Bravo loves your honesty. The brass ROFL whenever you dis the famous, but they’ve got their own future to consider. Lots of mouths to feed, and all.

Kathy G: I AM their future, you cow pucky! They think Paula will draw bigger numbers? Hah! What a joke.

Click here to read more.

Posted by Ms. Place

Disclaimer: This conversation came purely from Ms. Place's fertile imagination. Although she is convinced that she and Kathy are soulmates, they have never spoken. In other words, don't get your knickers in a twist, dahlings. This post is all about fun and sport.

Love her? Hate her? Who cares? She's entertaining

My Life on The D-List, Season 3 with Kathy Griffin Begins Tuesday, June 5th at 10/9 c. Don't miss this cheeky show, dahlings. Click on the following links for!

Season 3 Preview! Click here to view the preview.

Kathy's dinner with Joan Rivers. Click here to see the video.

A chance to vote for who you think Kathy should date to get off the D-list, visit the official website here!

Shear Genius Finale: the three stylists you will meet in heaven!

Posted by Eric3000

Eight episodes? Really? That's it? I thought there would be at least one more. I thought this episode would narrow it down to the final two, who would compete in the finale next week. I should probably pay more attention.

We start the episode with the three final geniuses sitting with Rene. It looks like Rene should be interviewing them but he is really just telling them what has happened on the show:

Rene: "Hi hi! First you all came on the show and then you cut some hair and people got into arguments and you all cried like little girls and some people were sent home and a bunch of other stuff happened and now we are just left with the three of you!"

Geniuses: "We know all that, Rene. We were there."

Rene: "OK, Mr. and Mrs. Smartypantses, why don't you give us a sound bite."

Anthony: "I have 43 years of experience in the styling industry. And that's pretty impressive because I'm only 39."

Daisy: "At the beginning I was completely misunderestimated."

Ben: "Making it this far on the show is really an accomplishment. But I don't care about all that shit; I'm just in it for the money."

The geniuses learn that they will recreating a Vidal Sassoon style made famous by Olympic silver medalist and hair legend Michelle Kwan. Then they are introduced to the guest judge: God.

Click here to continue reading this post!

The End, Thud

Whaddayamean I didn't win? Whaddayamean the show is over? Ya mean, THAT'S IT? No champagne? No flowers? No ceremony? Just, Wham Bam,thank you ma'am?

Well! I never!


Posted by Ms. Place

Shear Genius: That Looks Familiar...

Here we are, all you hair fans...at the end. I cannot say that I'm surprised. Maybe what surprised me most about the final episode was how unsurprising it really was. This was definately a show that came in with a BANG! and left with a wimper...But to stay I was consistant here is my final "That Looks Familiar..." post of the season.

The stylists were suppose to create a story with their three models as well as working the Vidal "Kwan Cut" into one of their styles. They had their own ideas about their individual stories...here are mine:

Mod Movement or not I just like to call this series "Wilson Philips: Come back in progress"

While Ben saw these styles as Inner to Outer Beauty, I saw them as "The Evolution of Rene Zellweger". Maybe he was inspired by Rene Fris' presence.

Daisy was looking for the "S" curve as I was singing movie showtunes in my head. This is the The True Hollywood Story of the "Movie Musical".

Behind The Chair

This evening, Vidal Sassoon spoke to all of us regarding the rebuilding of New Orleans.

We here at Bravissimo have a very special reader and Bravo fan who lives in this beautiful city. He is doing his part to rebuild his city, now it is our turn to help as well.

Click HERE to learn more about " Hairdressers Unlocking Hope" at Behind The Chair. com and how you can donate.

Once you are on the site, click "The Dream" link to learn why a "Village Built By Hairdressers" is so important to Vidal.

If those who style our hair can help... so can we.

Posted by Calady

Anthony Wins!

Congratulations, Anthony! You did indeed deserve the honor of top stylist on Shear Genius tonight!
Fabulous, Ben! You won number two position! Dahling, I rather liked your hairdos most. Well, at least from the front. The embryo 'do' kind of fell flat from the back.

Daisy, you acquitted yourself well. We wish you luck, girlfriend. You were a capable, sometimes inspired performer all through the show, and we love your sparkling personality. But you did not finish your third look tonight.

Vidal Sassoon. OMG. You are the best, kindest, most insightful and distinguished judge ever. And your knowledge of and pioneering work with the hair bob is unsurpassed. Witness your fabulous do's from the 60's.

Rene Fris? Hubba, hubba, hubba, dahling. Finally we got to see enough of you. Please return for SG2 and grace us with your presence. We just loved your generous spirited blogs.