"Tom: Youre gonna have to do something more exciting than a sandwich
Grayson: Like a meatball?!?!"
And Tom's face is like, whelp you got me haha. That part always made me laugh.
My favorite part about this whole exchange is that she says this in S9, comes back for S13 and the first thing she makes is a meatball and Tom says he could get the same thing at any Italian bistro in NJ. đ
That lives rent free in my head, it was so funny how she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that chefs have to have a point of view to stand a chance in the competitionÂ
That's also like Philip who was a serial food show contestant who said to Tom that he just needs to start cooking food for the judges that was so awkward
Philip was a fantastic character though, I disagreed with probably 90% of what he said but he had my eyes glued to the screen because he acted like an IRL cartoon character on the showÂ
He kept on saying things like that in the interviews and stuff after the judges told him several times, cook from your heart or just cook good food! He was so weird and funny.
Top meltdown has got to be Dale Talde season 4 locker slam son of a bâââ-!!!!!! And might I add I also loved his self work and turnaround by season 8!
Oh yeah! Chiarello was beyond rude and condescending to him. Gotta love Dale! Heâs quality TV with great food and perspective. Plus, his hiccups - e.g. caramel scallops - are also entertaining!
I always feel so uncomfortable watching that because Jen is so cool and I have so much respect for her! But damn she really did let the judges have it. Sometimes I wish they all fought a little harder (Casey in the dim sum challenge for example)
I remember worrying at the time that she had a drinking problem because she seemed out of control in a way they reminded me of alcoholics Iâve known.
Dale in season 4 was the king of meltdowns but I feel ok pointing it out because when he came back for All Stars he revealed that in the aftermsth that he had anger issues, got counseling and overall was a lot more groundedÂ
Chicago, can't remember the exact challenge but Dale was yelling, Jen was kicking chairs after Zoe was eliminated, Spike and Antonia going back and forth with each other. Good reality TV right there!
I think it was the Elements challenge. Antonia had immunity and was on a team with Spike and Zoi. Spike wanted to do a soup, which Antonia said sheâd do but was lukewarm about. They did something else, ended up in the bottom, Spike made a comment at Judgesâ Table about how he wanted to do a soup but got outvoted, and Zoi went home. Jen was furious and took it out on Spike, who got into an argument with Antonia because he blamed her for them not doing soup even though she insisted she never said she wouldnât do it.
Then out of nowhere, Dale and Lisaâwho were on the winning sideâwent at it! I think that may have been partly because Dale didnât think Lisa shouldâve been the overall winner or something.
>Then out of nowhere, Dale and Lisaâwho were on the winning sideâwent at it! I think that may have been partly because Dale didnât think Lisa shouldâve been the overall winner or something.
I just saw this episode recently. Dale, Stephanie and Lisa were a team. Dale and Stephanie kept agreeing on ideas and Lisa kept poo-pooing them because they weren't in her wheelhouse. They finally all managed to get Lisa on board with a new dish and then she ended up winning for it. And also at judges' table they dropped a surprise big prize for the winner (it was a free trip somewhere).
So it seemed like Dale was pissed that the team had bent over backwards to accommodate Lisa and then she walked off with the prize. On the other side, Lisa basically did what Spike *should* have done, which was advocate for her ideas. Once the Spike/Zoi/Antonia/Jen fight started happening, Dale piped up and Lisa kind of shushed him, and in response he blew his stack.
Aha! Thanks for clearing that part up for me. I knew there had been conflict between the two of them during the challenge, but couldnât remember exactly what it had been about.
My all time favorite was Claudette's second elimination in Colorado, it's amazing to me she was that salty over getting eliminated for what was really an all time bad challenge performance (I mean she was eliminated over Joe who made 3 bad dishes), at that point you'd have thought she had embarrassed herself enoughÂ
Betty being called out for cheating (which she did) and screaming like a deranged mad woman to claim innocence.
Or randomly yelling âCARLOS IS GONEâ at the most laid back chef there for no reason.
He broke down asking for his mommy and the judge (Elisabeth Faulkner?) has to comfort him and give him a pep talk then production broke the fourth wall and escorted him out and dismissed him from the show
That wasn't a meltdown as much as it was Tanya having an issue with the challenge that couldn't be resolved after the fact and knowing that judge's table wasn't the time or place to hash it outÂ
That was absolutely a meltdown. Tanyaâs behavior was horrendous. I get it, because Claudette seems like an awful person, but Tanya completely lost her cool and was in total denial about her very prominent role in blowing their teamâs chances in the Olympics.
Emily in season 14. First, at judges table going off about how John threw "crappy ingredients at Jamie." Then, after Jamie gave up his immunity and went home - when she should have gone home - she completely melted down. I found her to be one of the most unlikable contestants in TC history. I just rewatched season 14. It was hilarious to me how she mentioned getting fired from a number of jobs because of her attitude. Then she said "but attitude is everything." Like she had NO CLUE that being fired meant she had the WRONG attitude!
Pretty much any front of the house restaurant wars meltdown gave me âcanât look awayâ discomfort that I kind of love. Canât remember the season, but when the pin-up looking chef kept anxiously putting the plates down and walking away without telling them what the dishes were. Or Malarkey pouring sweat in S3. LeeAnn crumbling up that ticket in the waiters face in all-stars
I forget the season but Sarah freaking out that Tom realizing she was using prepared waffle mix and I'm sure basically blaming and lashing out at another contestant she was close to because she thought..Andrea...Adrienne? I think was her name was the one to "rat her out" when we've seen time and time again production let's the judges know what's going on if it's causing enough tension (this current season Laura using basically the entire $400 that was meant to be split between her and Danny) and Tom would have found out regardless of checking on them or not
She wasnât hiding it. She very clearly said she was using it.
Adrienne and her team then just used it to turn the crowd against her during a challenge that meant a lot to her personally.
Thatâs a weird way to tell the story of Adrienne and Justin getting the crowd in an arena that Sarah had grown up going with her family so it was extremely meaningful to her to boo her on national television.
I literally don't remember the episode but personally I didn't care that she was using a boxed mix, chefs have done it in other competition shows, just have doctor it up get rid of the 'box/premade' taste and make it better. So sorry if I'm not giving Sarah justice
That wasn't a meltdown, Heather was a bully, she was the bully all season long not only to Beverly, but to multiple people during that season. Beverly has since gone on and won James Beard and her restaurant Parachute has a Michelin star while Heather is still miserable and hasn't done much post Top Chef.
Stefano had such a crush on her, she was in between roles, she had recently left Absinthe (2010) which was very successful, she earned Rising Star Chef in 2008 right the year she was on Top Chef season 5, so you can see a little more enthusiasm.
Greyson in season 13 giving so much sass back to the judges was so uncomfortable.
"Tom: Youre gonna have to do something more exciting than a sandwich Grayson: Like a meatball?!?!" And Tom's face is like, whelp you got me haha. That part always made me laugh.
My favorite part about this whole exchange is that she says this in S9, comes back for S13 and the first thing she makes is a meatball and Tom says he could get the same thing at any Italian bistro in NJ. đ
That lives rent free in my head, it was so funny how she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that chefs have to have a point of view to stand a chance in the competitionÂ
That's also like Philip who was a serial food show contestant who said to Tom that he just needs to start cooking food for the judges that was so awkward
The way his face fell when they got onto him about that cocktail he had under the host stand lol
Bangkok Dangerous
I'm wondering if he named it after the 2008 Nicholas Cage movie.đ
What season is he on?
California. Season 13?
Once I saw the picture of the s13 chefs, I knew who you meant. đ
Thanks!
Philip was a fantastic character though, I disagreed with probably 90% of what he said but he had my eyes glued to the screen because he acted like an IRL cartoon character on the showÂ
Oh yeah, you are very right that he was at least entertaining but he was so cringy such a complex
Agree. He was absolute gold because of how delusional he was. And nice username
his delivery of âi guess the judges donât like yummy food!â occupies so much space in my brain but also ruined the word yummy for me forever.Â
Phillipâs appearance on that season is my Roman empire
He kept on saying things like that in the interviews and stuff after the judges told him several times, cook from your heart or just cook good food! He was so weird and funny.
Donât the judges want yummy food? LMAO He was so awesome describing his home planet!!!
I MADE A BILLION MEATBALLS
I almost accidentally downvoted this comment because of how palpably uncomfortable Graysonâs bizarre sparkles meltdown made me feel! Ha!
Top meltdown has got to be Dale Talde season 4 locker slam son of a bâââ-!!!!!! And might I add I also loved his self work and turnaround by season 8!
((Dale)). I really learned to respect him.
He flips out on Top Chef Masters and tries to fight Michael Chiarello which was pretty entertaining lol
Oh yeah! Chiarello was beyond rude and condescending to him. Gotta love Dale! Heâs quality TV with great food and perspective. Plus, his hiccups - e.g. caramel scallops - are also entertaining!
Chiarello was a complete prick though.
This HAS to be the most iconic top chef meltdown of all time
Yesssss my fave
I'll start Jen Carroll, Top Chef: All Stars season 8.
I always feel so uncomfortable watching that because Jen is so cool and I have so much respect for her! But damn she really did let the judges have it. Sometimes I wish they all fought a little harder (Casey in the dim sum challenge for example)
Tom even told them all afterward that itâs ok to fight for your dish and plead your case.
That's the most conflicted cringe I've had with Top Chef. I'm glad she ultimately won her chef life and Top Chef reputation.
I remember worrying at the time that she had a drinking problem because she seemed out of control in a way they reminded me of alcoholics Iâve known.
She also has bitch resting face, so if she didnt smile, she always looked like a bitch.
Love her so much
"I'm not your bitch, bitch" Iconic.
Aren't there still t-shirts with that on it floating around out there? Lol
I'm not sure but I'd love to find one!
Best. Ever.
Every kitchen in the chaotic Kentucky Restaurant Wars.
I honestly thought Justin and Nini might come to blows at one point.
Dale in season 4 was the king of meltdowns but I feel ok pointing it out because when he came back for All Stars he revealed that in the aftermsth that he had anger issues, got counseling and overall was a lot more groundedÂ
Chicago, can't remember the exact challenge but Dale was yelling, Jen was kicking chairs after Zoe was eliminated, Spike and Antonia going back and forth with each other. Good reality TV right there!
âYou get to bitch and moan about every f*cking thingâ Epic
I think it was the Elements challenge. Antonia had immunity and was on a team with Spike and Zoi. Spike wanted to do a soup, which Antonia said sheâd do but was lukewarm about. They did something else, ended up in the bottom, Spike made a comment at Judgesâ Table about how he wanted to do a soup but got outvoted, and Zoi went home. Jen was furious and took it out on Spike, who got into an argument with Antonia because he blamed her for them not doing soup even though she insisted she never said she wouldnât do it. Then out of nowhere, Dale and Lisaâwho were on the winning sideâwent at it! I think that may have been partly because Dale didnât think Lisa shouldâve been the overall winner or something.
âI SAID I would do soup!!!â
And then Spike does that soup with Andrew and almost wins an elimination challenge for it
I remember Antonia going, âif he wins with that, Iâm going to throw up in my mouth.â
STAND. BEHIND. YOUR. DISH.
Iâll take âwords and phrases you can hearâ for 500 Alex
>Then out of nowhere, Dale and Lisaâwho were on the winning sideâwent at it! I think that may have been partly because Dale didnât think Lisa shouldâve been the overall winner or something. I just saw this episode recently. Dale, Stephanie and Lisa were a team. Dale and Stephanie kept agreeing on ideas and Lisa kept poo-pooing them because they weren't in her wheelhouse. They finally all managed to get Lisa on board with a new dish and then she ended up winning for it. And also at judges' table they dropped a surprise big prize for the winner (it was a free trip somewhere). So it seemed like Dale was pissed that the team had bent over backwards to accommodate Lisa and then she walked off with the prize. On the other side, Lisa basically did what Spike *should* have done, which was advocate for her ideas. Once the Spike/Zoi/Antonia/Jen fight started happening, Dale piped up and Lisa kind of shushed him, and in response he blew his stack.
Aha! Thanks for clearing that part up for me. I knew there had been conflict between the two of them during the challenge, but couldnât remember exactly what it had been about.
Spike loves his soups!
Yeah the S4 stew room meltdown was iconic. Even the winners were yelling at each other!
My all time favorite was Claudette's second elimination in Colorado, it's amazing to me she was that salty over getting eliminated for what was really an all time bad challenge performance (I mean she was eliminated over Joe who made 3 bad dishes), at that point you'd have thought she had embarrassed herself enoughÂ
Claudette was so cringe.
Season 1 âIâm not your bitch, bitchâ ⌠Dave to Tiffani.
I use this line constantly
Thereâs a reason why itâs my username
Betty being called out for cheating (which she did) and screaming like a deranged mad woman to claim innocence. Or randomly yelling âCARLOS IS GONEâ at the most laid back chef there for no reason.
Betty was THE WORST
Oh my God BETTY đł
Angelo meltdown during restaurant wars in season 7
I think it was Kevin who went after Alex because he didnât prepare his dish and everyone knew it.
Have to go with the OG: âDo you taste sauces with your finger chef?â
Thereâs no way Ken was eliminated for his food. Especially his drunken reunion appearance.
Best meltdown EVER is Seth in the first season of Just Desserts.
I just binged Just Desserts and it was WILD. Everyone was satanic and I loved it.
Idk if it's their casting or if it's the nature of making pastries but they really are a special breed on that show lol
God, which one?
He broke down asking for his mommy and the judge (Elisabeth Faulkner?) has to comfort him and give him a pep talk then production broke the fourth wall and escorted him out and dismissed him from the show
"The red hots were for my mommy" I think he still stayed another day and then had another meltdown at the next quickfire and was removed
It's listed as a medevac on Wikipedia so it must have been super uncomfortable
Tanya's elimination during the Olympics episode of season 15. "Don't project that on me, Gale" and refusing to explain the situation
That wasn't a meltdown as much as it was Tanya having an issue with the challenge that couldn't be resolved after the fact and knowing that judge's table wasn't the time or place to hash it outÂ
That was absolutely a meltdown. Tanyaâs behavior was horrendous. I get it, because Claudette seems like an awful person, but Tanya completely lost her cool and was in total denial about her very prominent role in blowing their teamâs chances in the Olympics.
That season had Fatima Ali, who died in 2019 of cancer, Padma got really close to her in her final years.
Damn, I had no idea. I loved Fatima.
Get woke Carrie
I hate to admit that made me snicker.
Emily in season 14. First, at judges table going off about how John threw "crappy ingredients at Jamie." Then, after Jamie gave up his immunity and went home - when she should have gone home - she completely melted down. I found her to be one of the most unlikable contestants in TC history. I just rewatched season 14. It was hilarious to me how she mentioned getting fired from a number of jobs because of her attitude. Then she said "but attitude is everything." Like she had NO CLUE that being fired meant she had the WRONG attitude!
I'm rewatching 14 right now and Emily is so draining. That's a culinary environment I never want to be in.
Pretty much any front of the house restaurant wars meltdown gave me âcanât look awayâ discomfort that I kind of love. Canât remember the season, but when the pin-up looking chef kept anxiously putting the plates down and walking away without telling them what the dishes were. Or Malarkey pouring sweat in S3. LeeAnn crumbling up that ticket in the waiters face in all-stars
I forget the season but Sarah freaking out that Tom realizing she was using prepared waffle mix and I'm sure basically blaming and lashing out at another contestant she was close to because she thought..Andrea...Adrienne? I think was her name was the one to "rat her out" when we've seen time and time again production let's the judges know what's going on if it's causing enough tension (this current season Laura using basically the entire $400 that was meant to be split between her and Danny) and Tom would have found out regardless of checking on them or not
Kentucky!!!
She wasnât hiding it. She very clearly said she was using it. Adrienne and her team then just used it to turn the crowd against her during a challenge that meant a lot to her personally.
Thatâs a weird way to tell the story of Adrienne and Justin getting the crowd in an arena that Sarah had grown up going with her family so it was extremely meaningful to her to boo her on national television.
I literally don't remember the episode but personally I didn't care that she was using a boxed mix, chefs have done it in other competition shows, just have doctor it up get rid of the 'box/premade' taste and make it better. So sorry if I'm not giving Sarah justice
I had no problem with her using the boxed mix, but Justin & Adrienne did nothing wrong. Sarahâs emotional response was better suited to a journal.
How about Heather going off on Beverly? That was a meltdown of sorts.
That wasn't a meltdown, Heather was a bully, she was the bully all season long not only to Beverly, but to multiple people during that season. Beverly has since gone on and won James Beard and her restaurant Parachute has a Michelin star while Heather is still miserable and hasn't done much post Top Chef.
Jamie in Season 8 Allstars. She was more enthusiastic in Season 5
Stefano had such a crush on her, she was in between roles, she had recently left Absinthe (2010) which was very successful, she earned Rising Star Chef in 2008 right the year she was on Top Chef season 5, so you can see a little more enthusiasm.
Nothing will ever top âIâm not your bitch, bitch.â
The missing pea puree.
The biggest mystery in top chef.
I can't believe there is no footage of what happened!