Top Chef Power Rankings (06/23/10)

Welcome to the return of the Top Chef Power Rankings. I am not a week late, as I’ve stated before, I do not like doing the Power Rankings after just one show. Last night’s episode was entertaining, even though it seemed like a repeat of a challenge from season two. There was lots of drama, lots of stress with some teams rising to the occasion, and others not so much. Jacqueline was sent home. I felt bad for her because she had so few ingredients while Amanda got to spend way too much money on wine. Jacqueline should have spoken up more and fought for her dish earlier in the competition, but because she didn’t, she is being sent packing.


Top Shelf


Angelo Sosa



Started off the show going 3-0 in competitions. He has clearly asserted himself as the chef to beat. He has already created a rivalry with Kenny and has clearly showed that he is in the business of beating Kenny and playing mind games with him. In the first elimination challenge, he was allowed to choose which group of 4 chefs would have an additional chef competing against them. Naturally he sent Ed to Kenny’s team. Then this week, if picked Kenny to join his team, knowing that if their team failed, Kenny had a higher percent chance of being sent home. I believe Tom described it best with the word “Gamesmanship.” I see this playing out a lot like Hosea and Stefan. I think Angelo needs to focus more on making good dishes then worry about Kenny, that could be his down fall.


Kenny Gilbert



Kenny asserted himself right out of the gate, dominating the slicing and dicing portion of the very first quickfire. After that, he had three straight second place finishes before finishing in the bottom last night. The reason I am ranking him so high despite the bottom finish is because of his strong start. I also think he was thrown a little off by Angelo’s gamesmanship. If he can ignore Angelo, I feel he can go far in this competition. Saying that, Top Chef loves rivalries (Voltaggio Brothers, Hosea and Stefan) so if these two maintain their rivalries, they will stay around awhile regardless how they cook.


Best of the Rest


Kelly Liken



Kelly was the elimination challenge winner, so she will claim the third spot this week. Her team did not like her at all this week, and it appeared she didn’t even care. It’s one thing to be competitive, it’s another to just not get along with your team. This could create problems for her in future team challenges.


Kevin Sbraga



also started off strong in the slicing and dicing quickfire. Kevin followed up that performance by landing as one of the top finishers in week 1. Kevin’s group got second in this week’s episode continueing his strong start.


Alex Reznik



Alex was the only Chef to win his group in week 1 who did not pick his competitors. After finishing in the top in Week 1, his team finished 1st in week two. Two top finishes lands him in this spot.


Timothy Dean



Another strong starter in the slicing and dicing quickfire. However, he was the only Top 4 quickfire chef to not win his group, and was actually in the bottom in week 1. He was part of the second place team on the last episode, which I thought was going to be the winning team. He has showed he is one of the better chefs, despite his one bad dish.


Middle of the Pack


Arnold Myint



Last night’s episode I couldn’t decide if he really did help out the other chef’s, like he claimed, or just talked a lot. I have a tendency to believe him, and his salsa was a hit with the judges. He has the potential to do well, but I’m still wait and see at this point.


Tracey Bloom



I’m putting Tracey a head of a few middle of the pack cheftestants based solely on the fact she won a quickfire, even if she was just riding Angelo’s coattails. She was on the bottom team as well last night. So this ranking might be a little high for her. We shall see.


Tiffany Derry



She was on the winning team last night, she also cruised through the first elimination challenge.


Lynne Gigiotti



Just like Tiffany, she was on the winning team last night, and had little problems with the first elimination challenge.


Tamesha Warren




I think Tamesha is a potential sleeper this season. She seems a little quiet right now, and will need to fight for her dishes in team events going forward.


Andrea Curto – Randazzo



Andrea has had no problems making it through the elimination challenges yet and was on the team that I thought was going to win last night.


Sleeper Pick

Ed Cotton



I have to put Ed this low because of his bottom performance this week. Yes he finished second in the quickfire (lucky being a lefty for that challenge), but I thought they were going to send him home based on the fact that the judges said his team had the worse dish, two of the chefs had immunity, and Kenny has been way to good to send home. Saying all that, I think Ed got caught in the wash of the Angelo and Kenny Fued (two episodes in a row actually). I think once Ed is allowed to cook on his own, he will thrive and be a tough out.


Chopping Block

Stephen Hopcraft



Stephen has not started off the competition strong. In week one he was on the chopping block. This past week he was on one of the two worst teams. He was quick to throw other competitors under the bus at judges table. That is not always the best way to defend his dish, and could lead to problems for him down the line.


Amanda Baumgarten



In my opinion, she was the chef who should have been sent packing this week. She had the highest budget on her team, and created what appeared to be an awful dish. She has not shown much promise, and is scared of doing desserts. That is not a recipe for success on Top Chef.