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Work site #1 is serviced by the Red team and the Yellow team. Poor Bene is being treated like a sous chef and he knows it. If he wants to be competitive on Top Chef, he will have to learn to speak up for himself. Otherwise, some manipulative opponent will use him to do all the heavy lifting then leave Bene stuck with the blame when the dish implodes. Angelo Sosa was really good at using weaker willed contestants in this fashion.

Now is the moment on Top Chef when a player makes an obviously critical error. Jason Luvs Jason prioritizes his front of the house working by pre-wrapping his salmon ahead of time. The editors wouldn’t be showing this unless Jason is either going to win or lose because of this decision, more likely the latter. I’m not saying he will be voted out but his appearance in the bottom group seems certain. That’s bad news for the entirety of the Blue team, especially Patty. Since she has finished on the bottom twice already, a third appearance means likely elimination. This is a Jason-intensive segment, though, which is also a bad sign.

The next segment of the show focuses on interactions with the workers themselves. Frankly, I would have enjoyed an additional hour of the show predicated upon their stories. This is a great documentary waiting to happen. Thankfully, all of the food is very well received. The volunteers are gratified by the attention. High quality restaurant fare out of a food truck also kicks the ass of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that a couple of them say they ordinarily eat for lunch.

The lavish praise is exhausted at the start of judging. Everyone loves the Mexican taco truck. Padma demands to know who created the empanada. Carrie, the reigning Quickfire champion, is identified. She may win both of tonight’s challenges. Carlos cleverly plays to the crowd by begging for audience participation about the quality of the cuisine. I don’t think they need the help, though. Padma smiles the entire segment. The Yellow team will be tough to beat tonight.

As expected, the judges hate the Blue team. Jason knows that the rolls are too soft to serve. He has made a critical mistake. The judges also do not enjoy Bret’s decision to serve cold ceviche with “piping hot” plantains; he also hasn’t seasoned his food well, one of Tom’s pet peeves. They do like Nicholas’ dish, so he is winning the personal battle with his buddy Jason. For her part, Patty has bombed yet again as the judges struggle to say something positive about her dish.

The Red team, the one that is 40% New Orleans, does fairly well. There are the quibbles here and there about specific flavors and, oddly, ginger volume. The only dish that merits any true praise is Nina’s jerk chicken sandwich, on which she politely gives Bene credit for being a glorified go-fer. Judging from the faces of Tom and Gail, this is probably the best meal they have tasted thus far. Nina seems to be the best chef in the early going.

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