On book tour and a bit squishy here in Seattle so will try to be concise. As Andrew Knowlton comments on his post, we all tasted the food. I pretty much agree with his assessment. Donatella I’m sure would too. Where I differed with my fellow judges was the degree by which Besh bettered Symon. I would say Besh edged Symon whereas Donatella and Andrew felt he beat Symon by a wide margin.
We were taking into account the entire course of the competition with our decision. We offered our overview of the competition to the iron chefs Had you been able to see the entire discussion, you’d have heard, after our overview, Alton’s asking me if I had decided. I told him no, because I hadn’t. It was too close. I wanted to hear what the judges said. Had they overwhelmingly praised Besh and said his dishes were definitively better than Symon’s, I was prepared to give my vote to Besh. What’s fair is fair. I certainly couldn’t simply give it to Symon because he’s from Cleveland—I know it’s only a TV show, but I just couldn’t do it. Again, I was prepared to vote for Besh if the iron chefs persuaded me that Besh far outshined Symon (as Donatella and Andrew believed, and frankly, as I thought they might, given that they seemed to clearly favor Besh in their comments on the food as we heard them during the tasting). But they did not. And so I voted for Symon.
While I think that my being from Cleveland and knowing Symon well was, if anything, a detriment during the competition, can I say that it was a detriment here? No, clearly it was not. In an even contest—and I can’t imagine two chefs who are more evenly matched in technical skill and culinary imagination—if they had been even in every single respect, I’d then have given my vote to Symon. I would have no other choice. As it happened, I chose the person I thought would make the best iron chef given what I saw and tasted throughout the entire competition.
What was interesting to me was how pissed Donatella was. Andrew was as well, but he didn’t seem to take it personally. Donatella accused me off camera of knowing Besh beat Symon and casting my vote for Symon anyway. I think she’s a woman who’s used to getting her way. That’s just a guess. She furthermore accused me of being the swing vote, which I wasn’t (had it been 3-3, nto 4-2, it would have gone to the Chairman/FN execs to make the call). Then she had it out with Flay and Cora, both of whom defended their vote.
So there it is. Know what you should do now? Next time you’re in Cleveland or Louisiana you need to go to their restaurants and taste the real work of these excellent chef-restaurateurs.
search_for_the_holy_gruel
Personally, I'm happy w/the outcome. And I, too, felt Chefs Besh and Symon were even in their skills and imagination. But, ultimately, it's still just a TV show. Doesn't necessarily mean one is better than the other.
Shelley
Wow, thanks for the scoop, Ruhlman. Surprised they didn't show Donatella nagging, but there you go! It's on the cutting room floor, for whatever reasons we can all guess.
LauraTheRed
I find that appalling. I think you were just as fair as anyone could be in that competition. It's not like Symon's married to you or something. You're from the same city, and you happen to know each other. I don't thank this tainted your judging at all (and myself judging from the food at Lola's, I do believe the best man won).
Let Donatella and that snippy assface Knowlton have their opinion. They're just control freaks who wanted to have more power than they did in steering the competition to their tastes.
Michael Symon totally earns the title of Iron Chef.
kevin
Michael,
I hadn' seen any of the episodes until last night when I watched the last three. Apparently I didn't miss anything, the shows were just silly. I can see that participating in the competition might be fun, and even judging it would be, but watching it was a bore.
jsmeeker
Thanks for this feedback, Michael.
I was just in Celevland the other week. And I went to Lola. Fantastic. I think Michael will be a great addition to the Iron Chef America show. But I will say that I am really impressed by Besh. If I ever make it to the Big Easy, I will have even more places to seek out a great meal.
Ava
I actually thought this episode revealed a nicer side to Andrew. I don't understand why he's called names like "assface" when(I think) he was probably the hottest guy in that building. So what that he has an opinion. He is a judge.
Shelley
Duh, I just read that all over again. No cutting room floor, because D's comments were all off-camera. Still, it woulda been nice to see more of the judging AND cooking.
Was there a "wrap" party? Catered by... oh, never mind.
Ed
Does anyone else find it odd that the few Knowlton supporters are women who think he is "hot?" What the hell does that have to do with anything? I have to admit, Kat Cora is far more attractive to me than the guys, but she is clearly the weakest.
Beatrice
It seems kind of bizarre that all three of the season-long judges (you, Donatella, and Knowlton) thought that Besh, at least to some degree, won the evening's battle, but (as I understand it...) all three of the Iron Chefs thought that Symon did. Do you have any explanation/thoughts on why the split fell that way?
Amye from
Personally now that I know Donatella behaved like a clique-ish high-school girl who got left off the cheer-leading team, I think I might think twice before watching any future IC's with her in it.
Taken overall then, yes Symon beat Besh hands down. He did win four of the challenges.
If there were a tie, I think the FN exec's would've gone with Symon, only because of the chef's demeanor during the last challenge. MS was relaxed, chatting. JB was tense and quiet. It IS a tv show and personality matters.
And that laugh is to-die-for....
The Dude
Great Show - Great Competition! Thanks for the insight, Michael. Your critique throughout the series was spot on and the only one of the 3 judges that was worth listening to.
I might be wrong, but I don't believe Andrew or Donatella have ever actually worked in a kitchen. Kinda funny that the four judges last night who have actually cooked in a kitchen, all picked Symon. Truly A Chef's Chef!
BTW... Just saw a charity auction on E-Bay for a private cooking class with Symon... packing my bags for Cleveland!
FoodPuta
Michael, did you personally know any of the other contestants? I ask the same question about Donatella and Knowlton? I would imagine that at some degree everyone knew a lot of the players. I just don't see how this can be construed as you playing favorites just by acquaintance with one of the contestants.
I thought Symon won, and I don't know him or Besh.
rockandroller
Thanks for the insight and comments, that it was this close is really interesting, and telling in that they are both very, very talented.
Karen
I would have preferred Besh. I thought he was consistently good throughout the competition. Additionally, he's more likely to prepare food I would like to eat...but that wasn't what the competition was about. Frankly, I would be incapable of eating some of the stuff that gets put before the judges.
I do think that Symon has more of "ze wow factor", as Chef Schmidt called it. He seems more likely to push the envelope than Besh. So it wouldn't surprise me if Symon was pre-ordained as the Next Iron Chef by F.N. execs. He's flashy and fun (his "who's your daddy" comment as he was muscling the swordfish back to his station was a hoot!). Besh is certainly more sedate.
I lived in Cleveland for many years (pre-Symon) and it's a great place, both in terms of food and living. Is Johnny's on Fulton still around?
I'll continue watching, it's good fun. I can't wait to see Paula Dean and Cat Cora throwing back Ouzo shots during their upcoming tag team battle.
"Ooopa, Kitty Cat! Fill 'er up again for me, then we'll really be cookin'"
Jennie/Tikka
What I hear in all this is a search for some kind of "definitive proof" that qualifies someone as a "better cook" than someone else. There is no such proof - its all based on personal opinion. There are very few facts that qualify someone's food as "better" than another's.
Shows like this are trying to make cooking a sport - like football of hockey. While its obvious when somebody scores in sports, its not so obvious how you score in cooking. The whole idea of cooking as "sport" is where the wheels come off the wagon, imo. All I hear in shows like this is "Yeah-huh," "Nuh-uh," "Yeah-huh," "Nuh-uh" and there's no way to clear it up.
Can't find the answer because there is no answer.
Aspasia
I see Chef Besh as class, and Mr. Symon as brass.
I disagree with the outcome (revenge of Bobby Flay, who was beaten by Chef Besh?) but in reality, the title IC means little except to the producers of the show.
ICA is repetitive and boring once one has seen it a few times, so it's off my radar for now.
Aspasia
I see Chef Besh as class, and Mr. Symon as brass.
I disagree with the outcome (revenge of Bobby Flay, who was beaten by Chef Besh?) but in reality, the title IC means little except to the producers of the show.
ICA is repetitive and boring once one has seen it a few times, so it's off my radar for now.
Claudia
Knowlton has supporters, Ed? (!)
Michael, quite clearly, the ICs themselves favored Symon, and you really do not have to defend your vote. As I've said repeatedly, I think you knowing Symon was a DISadvantage to Symon, since you know his food and knew he borrowed the bacon ice cream dessert from his pastry chef, and you know better than anyone what Symon is capable of - what might have been a great dish for Donatella and Knowlton might only have been good to you, since you know Symon's repetoire. Plus, the simple fact is that Symon won more challenges than anyone. It's true that Besh is highly skilled and technically terrific and it's also true that while his "greats" weren't as "great" as Symon's, his failures weren't as profound as Symon's either - he was more consistent. But Symon still WON more challenges. He still proved he could think outside of the box more than anyone (very Morimoto-like), cope with more obstructions, problems, challenges and weirdness, and do it all while making people want to watch him.
So, even though Besh was just as deserving, Symon certainly deserves to be the next IC. And, yeah, there were THREE judges on the panel, not just you. And, yeah, all of them know Symon, not just you. And, yeah, you could make a case that Besh has been on FN as much (if not more) than Symon and has won a fair amount of FN challenges - which, you'd think - would've made HIM the FN darling. But no. Three chefs, independently of you three judges, tasted Symon's food for the first time and called him the winner. (And even Cat Cora did not show complete love to her fellow Greek, Symon, over his Greek dish.)
I'm surprised Donatella and Knowlton took time out of their Burton/Taylor brawling/trysting to get pissy, in tandem, with YOU. I hope Dona has taken Knowlton home by now and introduced him to a good stylist.
PS: There is nothing wrong, BTW, about giving your vote to the chef who is more camera-ready than another, if that was the last deciding criteria. The Iron Chef has to be a Ready For Prime Time Player, not just a chef. It's TV. Thee guys have to not only produce, but perform. It's TV, folks, not a competition for a Michelin star. It's JUST TV.
BKbella
"I know it’s only a TV show"
I think there at least 7 chefs that may disagree with that statement.
As for Donatella's belief that you voted for Symon while believing that Besh should have won (and your reaction to her comment as well as those that appear on this blog) -- my suggestion would be that if you can't stand that heat, recuse yourself from the kitchen.
From a consumer standpoint, the show bored me. I would turn in only to watch the final 8 minutes or so just to see who was eliminated. And what were the guidelines for voting in the final competition? You had the Iron Chefs voting based on what they had before them and 3 judges who weren't exactly voting in a vaccuum. Were you, Andrew and Donatella supposed to take into account what occurred throughout the competition or only what appeared before you?
I wish all the best to Iron Chef Symon and the other contestants. My questions and criticisms are not aimed at the talented Chef Symon but to the FN execs and producers of the NIC.
BKbella
"I know it’s only a TV show"
I think there at least 7 chefs that may disagree with that statement.
As for Donatella's belief that you voted for Symon while believing that Besh should have won (and your reaction to her comment as well as those that appear on this blog) -- my suggestion would be that if you can't stand that heat, recuse yourself from the kitchen.
From a consumer standpoint, the show bored me. I would turn in only to watch the final 8 minutes or so just to see who was eliminated. And what were the guidelines for voting in the final competition? You had the Iron Chefs voting based on what they had before them and 3 judges who weren't exactly voting in a vaccuum. Were you, Andrew and Donatella supposed to take into account what occurred throughout the competition or only what appeared before you?
I wish all the best to Iron Chef Symon and the other contestants. My questions and criticisms are not aimed at the talented Chef Symon but to the FN execs and producers of the NIC.
JoP in Omaha
Michael, thanks for continuing to blog about NIC despite the blows you took in comments from blog-readers. I thoroughly enjoyed your insights about the week-to-week competitions.
I'm glad to see the Symon auction back up on eBay, but, sigh, even at the reduced price it's outta my reach. Ten lucky people will have a great time, I'm sure.
liz
Who peed on Donatella's post toasties? I mean, really, if all three of the Iron Chefs voted for Symon, and Symon won more previous episodes than Besh, it hardly speaks that the competition is somehow fixed because Symon won. Knowlton's post episode reviews of the show indicate that he has a sense of humor and realizes that he looks like a bit of an ass in some of the judging. Besh would have been great as well, but Symon was chosen. I'm just thankful that, for once, there was a competition where one of the final two wasn't someone I loathed!
Kali
Really appreciate the behind-the-scenes insights. Also glad to know Besh had such fervent support from 2 of the 3 NIC judges.
Was the final voting method planned all along or changed at the end? Because I see Donatella's point about Michael as the swing judge. Even he says it should have been based on cumulative performance. Andrew and Donatella voted that way--but the ICs didn't (couldn't).
So, ruhlman was on the fence and essentially swung the vote for the group who HADN'T tasted ALL the food.
Sounds like NIC didn't have a clear plan in case of a tie, which is odd. I felt bad for Besh. He looked so disappointed. (I feel a little better knowing that Donatella didn't just let it go!)
Comfort point: If Ruhlman had recused himself (as, imo, he should have) Symon would still have won, based on the changed voting method.
stephanie
Thanks for the insight, Michael. I was quite pleased with the outcome myself. The more engaging, and humble, for that matter, chef won - and that's good enough for me!
(Besides the fact that I think Chef Symon is hawt! 🙂
Annie
Michael, thanks for letting us know that you and Donatella and Knowlton all got fed. As you can see on my blog, Annie's New York Eats (http://www.annienewman.typepad.com), I was worried about that.
Can't wait to see you and Bourdain in New York in December!
szg
I have to admit I am a little surprised by the judges responses to the decision last night. Maybe it was the editing, but it was pretty obvious to me that Symon had won before they announced him. Through the on-air comments, I counted at least 4 (and I thought 5) votes for him.
What really matters is to did you get to hang with Morimoto? I got to watch him prepare Omakase for a "special" customer at his Phila restaurant about a year ago. I was just happy to be sitting nearby watching him. Good stuff.
Lester Hunt
I really don't think that Ruhlman should have recused himself. That he knows one of the contenders was known by the FN people from the beginning. Heck, it was even known by me! They would have rightly been very upset with him if he had stepped down.
BKbella
I agree that Symon probably would have won anyway, but my issue here is the "air of impropriety."
The show itself seemed to be thrown together without much thought. The judging and competition in no way reflected how the actual "game" is played. The final judging was questionable, and perhaps FN recognized that issue. Maybe there is a reason the tally was never aired on the FN. Also, why not vote for originality, taste and plating?
While Ruhlman's vote wasn't a "swing vote" per se (which I believe entails a tie that is broken by the final vote -- think Supreme Ct Justice O'Connor), I do understand why Donatella felt that way.
The votint seems to be a sore point for all three judges -- an indication that perhaps this type of reality show format shoulnd't be repeated until FN works out the kinks.
lux
I'm with Claudia on this.
Kali
Just to add, re: bias...
"I was prepared to vote for Besh if the iron chefs persuaded me that Besh FAR OUTSHINED Symon (as Donatella and Andrew believed)..."
Actually, only one or two ICs giving Symon "an edge" should have been enough at that point for you to vote for him, based on what you've written. To have to be convinced he "far outshines" Symon (when you came in feeling they were even), shows....sorry....
...bias.
SalNichols
I found this program to be nearly unwatchable, ruined by what had to be the worst editing and production in television history. Eight minutes into the program we found ourselves 15 minutes into the competition. IOW, last night the earth was spinning twice as fast on it's axis just for the convenience of the producers lack of vision. At some point, I became so aggravated that it didn't even matter who had won. They compressed the cooking segment to accomodate a virtually useless judging segment. Donatella: Go back to the plunging necklines please. Last but not lease, will someone please dress Kevin Brausch next time? He looked like Michael Moore or Peter Jackson in that tux.
dwirth
As a Clevelander - I was partial to Symon --- but I'd love to know WHY the Iron Chefs all voted for Symon and how Cat and Bobby defended their Symon vote to Donatella, per Ruhlman's comments. Was it because he would make a better Iron Chef (the intangible, the personality, the flair, etc...)?
dwirth
As a Clevelander - I was partial to Symon --- but I'd love to know WHY the Iron Chefs all voted for Symon and how Cat and Bobby defended their Symon vote to Donatella, per Ruhlman's comments. Was it because he would make a better Iron Chef (the intangible, the personality, the flair, etc...)?
Mike
I wished Chef Besh had won for selfish reasons. I'm planning a pilgrimage to Lola. I'd love to meet Chef Symon, even if our fine host says the well trained staff make up for his absence.
Michael, I served my wife your Lardon Salad yesterday, & was her hero for the day. I also prepared your Chicken Stock for tonight's Blanquette de Poulet. The Brisket went into the brine this morning, so we'll have Pastrami later this week.
Everyone get out to MR's classes for a great time with an engaging & knowledgeable speaker.
LauraTheRed
Oh Ava, I can name dozens of "hot" guys who are quite the assfaces, even borderlining the professional capacity.
And Karen, it looks like Johnny's is still open - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g50207-d396503-Reviews-Johnny_s_on_Fulton-Cleveland_Ohio.html
I forgot all about that place!
MDAccount
What I want to know is whether Alton had the chance to taste the food and for whom he would have voted.
DannyM
Ruhlman comes through. Thank you for showing us what the editing didn't/couldn't. Regardless of how I feel about the result, the thoughtful commentary on has helped a great deal with what the editing left out. So I still call BS, but only on the FN, and now I've got a new blog to read too. Ruhlman's candor and analysis of the show was enjoyable, but now I'm looking forward to all of the other topics on the blog, too.
Uncle hulka
Senor Ruhlman,
a question: Will this victory, aside from the obvious distractions/taping trips to NYC, affect Symon's role at Lola? Will he move to LA or NYC or is he staying in the Land of Cleve?
a comment: to anyone who thinks Ruhlman's connection with Symon unfairly influenced the outcome I would ask, how many judges were there? The answer is, of course, three.
Therefore, either Ruhlman has amazing mental powers, capable of penetrating Alpish cleavage and Silky Pony hairdo's and convincing them to vote for an inferior chef, or - gasp - maybe Symon was simply the best chef in the competition.
sailorgrrl07
Thanks very much Michael for taking time on this book tour to give us your thoughts and backstage info. I swear to be a continuing participant here even now that the show is over.
sailorgrrl07
PPS, I now feel less bad about snarking about The Divine Miss D ... 😉
Karen
Laura: Thanks for the link to Johnny's. I remember the first time I ate there, I was a little hesitant to get out of the car. It was a small, shabby, dimly lit building on the corner of a declining neighborhood. I would have bet it was more the local tavern with guys named Merv and Lou watching a hockey game at the bar than a great restaurant.
I remember the veal was great there. It was also the first time I had bananas foster .
As for the judging, c'mon people. It's opinion. It wasn't set up to be objective. Personal preference has to enter into it. Not only the taste of the food, but the type of cuisine, the presentation, the personality of the chef (and who will be more entertaining), etc.
I liked Michael Ruhlman and I liked Andrew Knowlton. I liked Donatella Arpaia. They seemed to create a nice balance. Getting a wee bit snarky: I want to think that Donatella didn't know that she'd be sitting on a bar stool or else she wouldn't have worn such a short skirt. Michael should complain about the producers over-use of his wise, old sage nod and raised eyebrow. And Andrew needs a hair cut.
D Capers
Anyone have thoughts about those who say that Michael Ruhlman had a vested financial interest in having Symon win because it would sell more copies of "Soul Of A Chef"?
More power to him if it does (I thought it was a great book) but I can see how those who take reality TV seriously might be pissed. I don't, but I am entertained by the "controversy".
dana
After reading about Donatella's reaction, I've got an even bigger crush on her. She is hot!
This decision to award Symon is pretty ridiculous when you consider that all the judges thought Besh won this challenge.
If you're going to factor in the entire competition, then how can you bring in three new judges when they haven't been eating all the competitors' dishes throught all the challenges?
Out of the three judges who were there throughout the competition, the majority thought that Besh should have become the next iron chef.
Lisa
Thanks for the behind-the-scenes take, Michael. I'm about to take a work break and treat myself to a rewatch, but already I'm realizing how many ways the FN dropped the ball with the finale. Why just 60 minutes? We saw so little cooking. It was an absolute TRAVESTY to hype the finale all day with a countdown clock (not to mention all week, with promo ads), rush it with an hour's show, and then show a 90-minute IC rerun featuring--gulp--Rachel Ray!
And why bring in all 6 eliminated chefs and not hear a peep out of them? What a missed opportunity for some great play-by-play color commentary, spiced with a soupcon of regret or bitterness, perhaps! The sideline commentary from the current IC's was fun--we could have used a little more.
And where was Mario? God forbid the 3-3 tie Michael talked about had actually happened. NO ONE would be happy with "The Chairman" (actually the FN execs) making the final call, least of all Symon or Besh. Having Mario there would have guaranteed odd numbers and no possibility of a tie.
I'm also just a tad uneasy about an IC judging someone who once beat him (Flay judging Besh), as Aspasia points out. Just a tad. Don't know how it would color my objectivity. What is the saying about revenge, as a dish?
Speaking of which, I hope the FN doesn't wait too long before giving Besh his chance for a rematch. He looked so sad!
tim
I'll say it - Andrew is the cutest one in the room but he is an arrogant ass. The final episode is what the entire season should of been. And I really wish they get rid of the actor...uh ... chairman. The figure works on Japanese tv but not here. But they have porn stars ... err... actresses as judges.
As for the last show - per its editing its quite clear that Symon beat Besh. And quite frankly - Symon fits the IC model better then Besh does. What makes an Iron Chef an Iron Chef? are they really the best Chefs in America? No. They can cook better than most and put on a good show and Symon does that.
@salnichols
"ruined by what had to be the worst editing and production in television history"
Does the word "perspective" mean anything to you?
KevinB
How is there even a debate that Besh should have won? Is he deserving? Hell yes but Symon crushed him in the final. They were the 2 best, they both deserved to be there and it came down to winner take all.
How can anyone legimately take Knowlton and Tits McGee's culinary expertise over Flay/Cora/Morimoto? The folks that actually play the game judged Symon to be the best and it was well deserved.
Claudia
BKbella:
I think the seven chefs who did not win did take the competition seriously, but do YOU seriously think they've gone home crying into their (now not-so-clear) consommes? Strip any one of them of a hard-earned and well-deserved Michelin star and then, I think, they might be devastated, upset, and concerned - but losing TNIC? Aaron Sanchez was just all over the Daily News as one of the city's sexiest chefs (hey, he agreed to be interviewed for the article) and got a lot of ink about being an IC competitor, and Besh has been all over the media, coast-to-coast; Kaysen is cooking at Boulud, Traci des Jardins is still highly regarded, and the bookings have probably shot up at Josie's (Jill Davie) AND Momou's restaurant in DC just on the strength of her sunny personality (and his beautiful plating!) Believe me, there were NO losers in this competition. And any chef who's more concerned with his future Q rating and how his demographics skew in, say, Valley Stream, Long Island than his food, his restaurant (or even getting a Mich star) deserves to go home.
Lisa
Oops! Besh beat Batali, not Flay, in Battle Andouille Sausage, so Flay's vote for Symon could not have been revenge for a prior culinary smackdown. My bad!
BKbella
Claudia:
All I said was that the competitors would likely not agree that it was just a TV show. Symon would likely disagree with Ruhlman's statement as well.
Never said anything about how the show did "make or break" anybody. I know as well as you and anybody else that for most, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
Why try to put words in my mouth? That often seems to be a problem on this blog. Why is it wrong for some to state a preference/opinion on this site, particularly if it goes against what Ruhlman says? Having a diversity of views is not a bad thing.
K.Leszke
"I certainly couldn’t simply give it to Symon because he’s from Cleveland—I know it’s only a TV show, but I just couldn’t do it."
Am I the only one who doesn't believe that this sounds like the words of a judge? ONLY A TV SHOW? Yes - it MAY only be a TV show, but in that case I am left wondering - given your attitude - just why Food Network recruited you to judge their "only a TV show" show in the first place?? Do you even LIKE or WATCH Iron Chef?
Your final words on The Next Iron Chef sound dismissive and disdainful. If you cared about the outcome of the whole series, you would have tasted the dishes, judged which was the best, and voted true to your heart - NOT waited to see what the rest would do so you could vote with a strategic bias.
What a shame.
frances
Michael, thank you again for your behind-the-scenes take on TNIC. It added much more perspective to the edited show for me.
It's so difficult to tell from the edited show who would make the best Iron Chef, but it seemed to me that Besh and Symon were sufficiently close in quality of dishes and presentation. That was exciting to watch -- so much so that we watched it at its airtime in our house rather than waiting to see the DVR version (the advertisers have to love that).
I'm not sure this hasn't been mentioned here before, but does anyone remember Symon from the Sissy Biggars show "Ready, Set, Cook"? I think he was a regular on that one, way back when (Sanchez, too?) Anyway, the guy has certainly paid his dues on TFN and he's entertaining to watch in the kitchen. Congrats, Iron Chef Symon!
juliette
Interesting post about how the increased interest in Symon could increase sales of Ruhlman's book (since its the only book that provides a Symon biography--and a very laudatory one at that.)
I'm sorry, but there's no way that isn't a SERIOUS conflict of (financial) interest, as well as the personal friendship conflict. I'm glad Donatella let it all out after the finale, because it was a very bad decision. (I hope she also gave the FN execs an earful. What were they thinking?)
Alton hosting the finale seemed relegated to supermodel status (or less). So wrong....
sheila
Michael, if you felt that Besh was the better man then that's the way you SHOULD have voted, never mind what the other chefs thought! If you had voted for Besh like you wanted, it would have been a tie and therefore out of your hands. I don't understand, were you pressured? I think not.
I myself thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and thought either of them would make a good Iron Chef.
keith
At the same time, Claudia, the 8 who agreed to take part did so because they presumably did want to be an Iron Chef, and appear semi-regularly on FN. As Batali once said of ICA episodes, "In the long run does it matter? No, but you still want to win."
BKbella
Haha -- I had no idea they were on Ready, Set, Cook! How funny!
janet
Uncle hulka: So, you think it would have been fine to have Michael Ruhlman replaced on the jury by John Besh's mother (assuming for the sake of argument that she's qualified to judge such a competition)? After all, she doesn't have mind-control powers, so she couldn't have influenced the outcome.
And no, I'm not accusing anybody of deliberate favoritism or any other skullduggery. Just pointing out what I consider to be a fatal flaw in the "he only has one vote" argument.
Joisey
I thought that Batali's absence from the judging panel was more intriguing than anything else.
md
Those of us here in Toronto, Canada have known for weeks the outcome of Next Iron Chef. I know it's been mentioned here before but a revealing - and puzzling - article appeared in the Toronto Star that more than hinted at the outcome. Michael, that must have put you in an awkward position given that you were obligated to keep the secret. How odd for FN executives - either in the US or here at FN Canada - to allow that to happen. Can you comment on this now that it's finished? I've been to Lola and Symon seems to deserve the title, for both his food and TV personality, which is where he really bested Besh.
ava
Andrew does not need a haircut! I think people keep saying that because they are jealous of his hair! He looks hot as he is...no changes needed!
7cats
Mario's absence isn't surprising. FN dropped Molto Mario and he told them he'd no longer do IC.
Grubbjunkie
Michael, I applaud you for stating that it's only a TV show. I find it perplexing that so many think you should be held to the ethical standards of a judge in a real competition. It's a show, designed for over-the-top entertainment, and it delivered. My only gripe is that I wanted to see more cooking and less of the judges (no offense). Knowlton is a priss and Donna came across as a vindictive know-it-all.
Jeanne
I started out being a Besh fan but later changed to favor Symon. I'd love to see both of them as Iron Chefs, though.
I don't understand the people here questioning why Symon won even if Besh was slightly better in the final show. It's been said from the start that the winners from all the shows would be taken into account, and Symon won 4, Besh only 1.
And with all the Knowlton bashing going on - I'm surprised no one has question Donatella's attitude toward Besh's loss - and that no one even noticed her lustful looks at John Besh when he was presenting his food. Talk about bias.
Frances
The way I interpret what Michael has stated about his decision is that he felt that for the final round, Besh's food was only slightly better - he edged Symon out. But he didn't feel it was by a wide enough margin to overcome Symon's overall lead throughout the competition. I believe he waited for the IC's opinions to make sure that he wasn't being biased toward Symon.
As for his statement about it being only a TV show, that was meant as a perspective for the importance of the decision - in that there were no lives at stake and nobody was going to jail. Despite that, he took his judging very seriously.
Chad Edward
I didn't taste any of the food and editing is powerful enough to create any reality an editor likes. (For instance, I thought Donatella seemed very classy on the series. Guess reality is much different...) It was entertaining to watch. It framed the competition in a story, which was something lost in translation from the original "Iron Chef". As I posted elsewhere, I consider Iron Chef Symon to be the first Iron Chef America, having endured such seemingly irrelevant trials. I can't wait to watch his first battle next Sunday.
Clare K.
I agree - Symon is the ideal Iron Chef. While Besh is a consistently good chef, I think Symon brings more "wow" factor to the table. He seems to take more chances, and he's just got that edgier personality (read: better for television). Batali is out, from what I hear...something about how he wouldn't agree to be on Iron Chef if Food Network didn't renew his other show (they didn't).
Claudia
BK:
I don't agree with Ruhlman all the time - and I've certainly said when I don't. No one is trying to put words in your mouth. I'm just saying that not only did FN know that Symon and Ruhlman were friends, but so did all the chefs - and NONE of them have griped about any ethics issues in the judging. The only comment any chef made about the judging (after the fact, and as an aside) was Kaysen, who pointed out the cooler leeked water all over his food, affecting the seasoning. So all I'm saying is, if all the chefs were OK with Ruhlman judging (and they have all obviously gone home and gone on with their careers and lives), why should anyone else have an issue? AND that this is, yes, just a TV show. Not Nuremburg.
7cats
I think NIC was a step up for FN. Aside from MasterChef on BBC America, I can't remember a cooking show (or reality show period) that didn't involve contestants constantly bickering, whining, and bursting into tears. It was really nice to see the NIC participants good-natured approach to each challenge. I attribute that to the professionalism of the chefs and judges, not FN. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure NIC would have been a freak show like Next Food Network Star.
Robert Schoenfeld
This whole thing was rigged from the beginning.. Why didn't they just call it 'The Next Iron Chef: Symon and the other losers'. This thing was scripted with biased judges and hookie reality show bullshit. I cant believe the Food Network can trash chefs of this caliber and expect any of them to ever want to work with them again.
Why fire Batali and hire Symon there personalties are almost carbon copy. And what the hell is with Flay the worst of all food network chefs? Chef Besh has more talent in one of his pinkies then Flay has in his entire blue corn meal cooking ass. Oh and Chef Cora's remarks are priceless, this coming from someone who only cooks things her Momma (Near and dear to her heart) used to cook her when she was kid. Give me a break.
Just another example of why the food network has gone down in quality. Lets hope they have enough common sense to keep Chef Robert Irvine at all costs. Their last real Chef.
janet
Claudia, I think the other judges couldn't complain, even if they thought the judging was unfair -- the only result of complaining would be to make them look like bad sports. Nobody wants to look like a bad sport, which I think is why Kaysen didn't say anything about the salt issue when it might have made a difference to the judges.
Just to be clear (because I, too, have had words put in my mouth by other commenters), I have no reason to believe that there was any deliberate favoritism. I have no reason to believe any of the other contestants thought the judging was unfair (except the "brown people" comment of Sanchez's, that Ruhlman reported). I don't have anything personal against Ruhlman, Symon, the Food Network, or representatives of the Breck brand. Side effects of reading this comment may include raised blood pressure, tense shoulders, and inadvertant damage to your computer keyboard. This comment is not for everyone -- ask your doctor about this comment!
BKbella
No this is not Nuremberg, but we are consumers. We are subjected to commercials and promotions. Heck, perhaps the reason why Ruhlman decided to judge this show was so the finale would coincide with the release of his book (Elements of..., where have I heard this before?).
We should expect professionalism from the folks on FN just as we should expect our politicians to act ethically (Haliburton in Iraq anyone?).
These discussions are taking place, because many of us our acting as infromed consumers. This thread represents the idea of media literacy, where we are discussing why we are presented with a particular idea and what the possible consequences of those ideas are. Surely this discussion is taking place elsewhere.
As for the other chefs -- there are many reasons why they may not be complaining. 1. They are prevented from commenting under contract 2. They are being professional, and are hoping for another bite of the FN apple, or 3. They have nothing to say. Nevertheless, I question the FN's decision to use Mr. Ruhlman as a judge, and I believe that I have a right to do so as a consumer.
French Laundry at Home
I find it interesting that the two restaurant-related judges (Donatella and Andrew) backed Besh, and the trained chefs (including you, Ruhlman) backed Symon. Is there a chance that Andrew and Donatella were judging the dishes and experiences with a restaurant framework/lens, while everyone else was judging fundamentals, technical skill, and the other elements an Iron Chef must possess? There's a certain TV-readiness (as well as a willingness to be available to do advertiser/affiliate-related things) needed for this show, and if the 3 current ICs believed Symon had the chops, then I think the judging was fair.
Having had the pleasure of dining at both Lola and August, it is fair to say that these two deserved to be in the finale based on their skill, experience, and deliverables in each challenge. But ultimately, who is going to drive ratings and advertiser support? Symon, without question. It's a business, and Symon can better deliver the goods that support Scripps' business goals.
BKbella
Janet:
Well said. Another side effect of reading your comment was nearly spitting my coffee onto my laptop.
I too have nothing against Symon, etc. I do believe that he fits the mold of an Iron Chef better than Besh. However, I also agree with Robert that it seems like the outcome was determined from the beginning.
BKbella
Janet:
Well said. Another side effect of reading your comment was nearly spitting my coffee onto my laptop.
I too have nothing against Symon, etc. I do believe that he fits the mold of an Iron Chef better than Besh. However, I also agree with Robert that it seems like the outcome was determined from the beginning.
Tags
I think the opponents Symon and Besh chose in their original battles speaks volumes.
Symon clearly wanted the most accomplished and most experienced opponent, taking on Morimoto. That showed he has an iron set of cojones, and predestined him to be the next Iron Chef.
Kali
It's been pretty well established that FN usually pairs up the IC chef and challenger.
On another note: can it really be true that Symon never tried sous vide until this show? That seems odd--especially since he seems pretty interested in expanding his repertoire (and sous vide is hardly new and cutting edge)
I'm glad he's blogging (hope he'll get a proofreader). It'll be fun to read his cooking experiences on iC and, hopefully, elsewhere.
Kay
Yes, everyone on The Food Network is a stupid, talentless whore EXCEPT Robert Irvine.
BEST NIGHT EVER, GUYS!
(to be read while bending over and spreading one's tuckus for Tuschman's ease of entry).
laura
Michael, I just discovered you are the author of walk on water. I had an open heart surgery 9 years ago in Cleveland Clinic performed by Dr. Mee. Since we found out about your book some years ago, my husband wanted to buy it, but I read a little bit in Amazon.com and it was to much for me. I mean the surgery you discribed could have been mine (altough I wasn`t a newborn). A long time has passed, and now that I know you thanks to NIC I will buy the book and read it as an homenage to you, to Dr. Mee and to all the staff at CCF. I rooted all the time for Symon since he represents the city where I was born again. Next time I go to Cleveland for a check up I will make reservations either for Lola and Lolita. Last time (4 years ago) we could make it to Lola, but now that is downtown it will be much easier.
Rachael
I admit it- I watched the whole thing blithely assuming that Besh was the winner no matter what. I was shocked to see that Symon won, but not in a bad way. I liked both guys equally and would have been fine with either choice.
But it seemed clear to me that, based on the judging that day, Symon would win. The Iron Chefs even said that they had to judge only by what they had that day and I really thought that Symon came out looking like a champ.
Honestly, I don't see how you can accuse the show creators of "rigging" it. Like I said, I thought Besh would be the clear winner and I think he was most certainly the FN favorite going in. Besh has gotten lots of bones thrown his way from FN (with good reason!), as I've seen his face both as a judge and as a contestant for Food Network Challenges. He's a great guy, a big personality, and certainly a formidable chef. I doubt he's walking away from this experience with less than he had to begin with. Ask him how business is these days and I bet you get a positive answer.
I don't really question Ruhlman's judgment on this deal and frankly, I don't even care that much. It's a TV show and since these guys are already seasoned, I don't think many are crushed that they lost.
Finally: I bought my boyfriend a Ruhlman book (we're behind the times, I know, I know) JUST so he had a good reason to go to the Ferry Building in SF yesterday. We plum forgot about it on Sunday until it was too late! I feel guilty now, but frankly it was probably a good deal for all involved. Had I come along, I would have been drooling the whole time. Mmm, Ruhlman. Hot.
Shelley
BK, we've all heard that whiny argument about Ruhlman's "bias" here from you and two of your friends. Give it up, please. It's such a tired, tired issue.
Robert, you think Irvine is the last real chef on FN? I hope you're joking. I do get how pitiful it is to see the Deen boys, Sandra La-La, the history of M&Ms, and Diner Guy getting so much airtime, but... Irvine??? Hi-volume institutional cooking in bad weather? I don't find that chef-spirational to watch.
Frances, I agree that Ruhlman seemed to want to defer (at least somewhat) to what the existing Iron Chefs believed. To me, that was a smart strategy. Many of the earlier tests had little to do with what goes on in a real competition, so even without the "standard" scoring method, I think it's smart of him to listen to how they would vote.
Frenchie, I also wondered about the restaurant perspective of Donatella and Knowlton when I finally read about who voted for Besh vs. Symon at the end. Still pondering that.
This has been (mostly) fun here, and I'm glad Ruhlman leaves his blog open to the public as a forum to talk about the show. It's affecting my day job, though. :}
BKBella
Shelley-- just because you don't agree with what I have to say doesn't mean my arguments are whiny. In fact, I haven't resorted to ad hominem arguments like the one you used above.
I think there have been more than two that have discussed this as well. Why should I stop responding to the discussion just because you don't like what I have to say?
And really now -- the word "bias" has not appeared in any of my posts in this thread.
SalNichols
"Perspective"? How about the missed opportunities that would have made this show one hell of a lot more entertaining?
We sit through 8 weeks of build up for an episode that had less than 18 minutes of cooking. This could have been resolved by pumping the show to 90 minutes and dumping that idiotic Rachel Ray/Giada cookoff that followed.
FN had 6 former contestants with nothing to offer but their presence. I'll bet they had something to contribute had someone taken the time to ask.
Swapping the judges at the last moment was a REALLY CHEAP bit of theatrics for no real purpose, considering that the "original" judges did get to taste and rate the food.
The producers of this show lacked any real vision for the climatic episode, that was obvioius. It almost felt like the contest itself was an afterthought.
Alisa
Tony has been so silent! Where are his snarky comments? Surely he must think SOMETHING about the lack of hair that won the competition!
catherine
Frances: Thank you. That was the exact interpretation of Michael's post that I had and I was getting quite frustrated that people didn't see it thay way.
On another note, I'm very excited to watch Symon's first battle although I think he looks a little odd in the blue chef's garb than in his usual black.
kanani
Well, you could have said, "Oh, Donatella. It was the way he cooked those hanging chads."
Or, "Wasn't the mystery ingredient CHAD roe?"
Oh dear, I'm being irreverent toward Donatella, aren't I?
Sorry, but I find any nagging from her or anyone having to defend their votes to be VERY offensive, petty, and akin to a hissy fit.
WhatisCanadianCuisine?
Robert Schoenfeld is the same guy who called Ruhlman an asshole on previous blogs. He's obviously not interested in proper discussions. I personally, am ignoring anything he has to say.
Joel
Wow. I think some of you folks take this way too seriously. In spite of everyone at the Food Network calling this the most important night of the chef's careers, it wasn't. It really is just a television show and there probably are hundreds of much better places for a professional chef to end up other than the Food Network.
I enjoy watching Iron Chef, I miss the Japanese episodes, the ingredients and dishes seemed much more exotic, and I was hoping Besh would win, I just like him more, but to get bent out of shape over this? Nope.
I hope Donnatella kicked your ass Micheal, good for her. 🙂
resolvablenebulae
Well, I have to vent my peculiarly strong reaction and say that I am feeling, for some odd reason, genuinely BETRAYED that Besh didn't win - it seemed to me that he was clearly the superior chef, and suddenly when he lost the competition the whole Food Network Iron Chef wink-wink chairman's uncle nonsense just seemed really horrible - even Alton Brown, who I otherwise adore, took on a certain sinister conspiratorial air... Yeah yeah, Symon's a TV friendly guy and Besh did come off as a bit smug at times, but the whole thing seemed fishy to me.
it was like when I saw that subliminal Iron Chef McDonalds
ad revealed on YouTube...I'm sure I'll get over it but it'll take a while.
Dale Cruse
@7cats You are incorrect, according to ABC News. The report from them said Food Network will no longer air "Molto Mario" but that he would still be a part of "Iron Chef America." But that brings up another question: Do we now have five Iron Chefs? This was never acknowledged or address during the run of "Next Iron Chef."
I believe Food Network has lost its way. It's not about cooking anymore. It's reality TV and people taking shortcuts with food. This very much reminds me of when MTV started airing more reality shows and fewer videos.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@ Michael Ruhlman:
Again, I was prepared to vote for Besh if the iron chefs persuaded me that Besh far outshined Symon (as Donatella and Andrew believed, and frankly, as I thought they might, given that they seemed to clearly favor Besh in their comments on the food as we heard them during the tasting). But they did not. And so I voted for Symon.
M.R. Thanks for taking the time out from the schedule to post your thoughts and experiences. I thought you did a splendid job throughout the series (which, in general, I did not care for much, and thought would improved and gain steam over the course of 7 broadcasts – but, that is not your responsibility.) Having said that much, I really enjoyed your guest appearance on Ming Tsai’s show, which aired about two weeks ago – not sure if it was a repeat or not, but maybe it was.
On to my thoughts on your above comment… I do not understand how your final decision was rooted in a IC Board of Directors collaborative, when the triumvirate was only on board for one of the seven shows: IMO, that deference should have been reserved for your fellow judges, Donatella and Andrew.
In other words, if they felt Besh was the best, and since they’d gone to battle with you from Shows 1 thru 7, then they would have served the same purpose as that which you instead reserved for the sitting IC trio. However, since your immediate colleagues were both pro-Besh, and the IC committee (using this catch all phrase loosely, but they are a or were a Gang of Three) was pro-Symon, by saying you deferred to the ICs based on the fact that they are skilled, professionals – and, with all due respect, you, Donatella and Andrew are either not as skilled or not at all, at least in the case of Donatella and Andrew – guaranteed that Symon would win: since all three ICs voted for Symon, and your vote, while not the “swing” vote in the classic sense of the term, if you had voted for Besh, then, the vote count would have been tied at 3-3 (if I’ve done my math correctly: if not, my bad.) So, in the end, your voting method and your rationalization served the same purpose as a swing vote, since, as you noted, if the end result was a tie, it would’ve been left to The Chairman and FN to break that tie and arrive at a conclusion.
In essence, while I think you are honestly expressing your point of view, I also think it’s a great or convenient rationalization.
@ Michael Ruhlman:
While I think that my being from Cleveland and knowing Symon well was, if anything, a detriment during the competition, can I say that it was a detriment here? No, clearly it was not. In an even contest—and I can’t imagine two chefs who are more evenly matched in technical skill and culinary imagination—if they had been even in every single respect, I’d then have given my vote to Symon. I would have no other choice. As it happened, I chose the person I thought would make the best iron chef given what I saw and tasted throughout the entire competition.
If I’ve read correctly, your friendship with Symon was detrimental for Shows 1 thru 6 but not Show 7? That’s interesting.
@Michael Ruhlman:
What was interesting to me was how pissed Donatella was. Andrew was as well, but he didn’t seem to take it personally. Donatella accused me off camera of knowing Besh beat Symon and casting my vote for Symon anyway. I think she’s a woman who’s used to getting her way. That’s just a guess.
Well, I would say that, your remark about Donatella didn’t require a gender assignation: everyone knows she’s a woman. I will say, however, that your comment is borderline sexist (and I’m a man, so it’s not as if I’m a female blog reader who’s used to getting her way.) Especially when one considers that women have not always (and must still fight harder) to reap the benefits of the so-called “last great meritocracy.”
A simple, “I think she’s spoiled” would have sufficed, IMO. In fairness, there’s always the possibility that Donatella had visions of developing and financing a new restaurant with Besh at its helm (since she obviously loved his cooking.) But she’s no more or no less spoiled (or used to getting her way) than Keith McNally, Rande Gerber or Danny Meyer.
@Michael Ruhlman:
She furthermore accused me of being the swing vote, which I wasn’t (had it been 3-3, nto 4-2, it would have gone to the Chairman/FN execs to make the call). Then she had it out with Flay and Cora, both of whom defended their vote.
Again, IMO, your explanation of your voting process, while logically sound, is also a rationalization. I think you should have reserved that consideration for your immediate colleagues (Donatella and Andrew) instead of for the presiding ICs: who, I believe, were somewhat threatened by Besh. Just because they heaped more praise for his dishes, doesn’t mean it couldn’t have served as a ruse or device to distract from their already made-up minds. And, yes, in the end, it’s just television, and as before, Besh has a great career and the sky is the limit for him and his talents. Although Symon is no slouch, in the end, I think Besh was the best candidate for the job (I treated the show as if it was one long, or overly long, interview process for a t.v. cooking gig). However, if it is “just television,” then the show, and the end judgement, was never about cooking, and never about food to begin with..
janet
Um, Shelley, this time it was Ruhlman who brought up the issue of bias, or favoritism, or whatever you want to call it. That's what a good bit of the post is about.
BK -- I think that would qualify as "inadvertant damage to your keybord." I think we can settle this out of court, don't you?
Shelley
MTV airs videos???
Sakurako
I think the phrase "woman who's used to getting her way" was just a figure of speech. Or, at least, that's the impression I had.
Oh well. It's over now, anyway.
Frances
From the looks of the comments on Adam's blog, viewers are leaving FN in droves - at least the shallow, insensitive ones anyway. There's hope for the FN yet...
BKbella
Chance:
Thank you for your comment re: "I think she’s a woman who’s used to getting her way. That’s just a guess." His statement perhaps sheds some light on why the first chefs to go were women. Or it just shows a lack of respect toward women that have nerve to be skeptical of his decisions. Or.... maybe it's a Cleveland thing...
Freke
I'm just going to spit it out: I wouldn't want to eat anything Besh made, for fear that he would have sweat all over it. Gross dude.
By the way Ruhlman, I have an issue with a little part about Fischetti's class in "Reach of a Chef". You happened to sit in on my class for that part of the book...and what ended up in the book wasn't quite right...
BKbella
I don't know Janet... I just passed the bar exam. I might be looking to test out my litigation skills 😉
Dale
Let me see here. Throughout the competition, "Good Chefs have bad days" and if your dishes were lacking, you got booted. For the finale, Besh's dished were superior to Symon's but somehow Symon wins the competition? I heard Symon's dishes described as mealy, poorly seasoned, etc. Besh, meanwhile, was spot on with his seasoning, presentation, etc. The only complaint was the Swordfish wrapped Lobster Roll showcased the Lobster instead of the Swordfish (no one said it was a bad dish) and his LAST MINUTE/TAKE A CHANCE/PUSHING THE ENVELOPE SWORDFISH DESSERT didnt taste a lot like swordfish. Again, no complaint that it was a bad dish.
It seems that the rules were changed to stack the deck in Symon's favor. Throughout the competition, food is tasted and the maker of the worst dish goes home. Same three judges throughout the competition. What the chef did yesterday was no protection for what would happen today. For the fianle, we are led to believe it would be just like a Iron Chef competition. But then we bring in different judges (so why didnt we have different judges each episode). Then instead of the score card we see at the end of an IC episode, it's lets all sit a circle and decide who derserves to be the Next Iron Chef. HUH? By all accounts, Besh won this competition but because Symon won 4 previous episodes Symon deserves to win the whole competition? When was it established that winning an episode would be taken into consideration in the final tally? If Besh's dishes were superior that day, he should have won the competition.
Breaking the cardianl rule of never asking a question you dont already know the answer to, in the next to last episode in Paris, Alton leaned over to Donatella and said "Everyone seems to think the clear choice for the next Iron Chef is a slam dunk (or something to that effect) and Donatella agreed with him. SO who were they talking about at that time? Besh or Symon?
Frankly, I think FN erred in choosing Ruhlman as a judge from the beginning if they knew Symon was going to be a contestant. Intentional or not, home town officiating always creeps into the process. It's one thing to choose a judge from NY when a competitor is from NY as well, but in a city as small as Cleveland it hard to get around the fact that few top quality chefs are going to be working in a critic's backyard so a familiarity is going to exist if not a quite championing of that chef's skills.
To be fair, I am not advocating that Symon wont make a good Iron Chef. Besh simply won the evening and deserved to be named Iron Chef based on how the competition had unfolded to that point. When Symon hits on a dish it is out of the ballpark. But when he misses, he misses badly. However, they all agreed that Besh was consistanly in the top two every week. Cora complained that Symon's dishes werent properly seasoned. Didnt this get one chef kicked out (even though the seasoning being washed off wasnt his fault?). If the network wanted a TV friendly personality all along, then this whole show should have scrapped and they should have just announced Iron Chef X is retiring and Chef Symon will take his place. Wasnt Morimoto the third Iron Chef Japanese on the original and there was no competition? Have a legitimate competition or just announce your own choice.
Debbie
I followed the competition from the beginning and will say I am somewhat disappointed with the outcome. Personally I feel John Besh was the best Chef for the position and I see problems with how the final judging was done. I feel the original judges should have been the ones voting with comments from the Iron Chefs taken into account, but they should not have voted.
Symon is more flashy and perhaps that is what they wanted. His laugh annoys me to no end though (just a personal note). I also find your reasons for voting for Symon a little lacking but in the end, none of that matters. Symon is the next Iron Chef and Besh's future is bright and I am sure he will go on to have bigger and better opportunities placed before him.
The finale was a disappointment, no matter the outcome. I have to agree with many in that regard.
allie
first of all, I'm female, and I don't see how saying "she's a woman who's used to getting her way" is sexist at all. if I said, "he's a man who's used to being in charge", that wouldn't be sexist either. why does even referring to the race or gender of someone these days automatically make us racist or sexist? btw, I agree that donatella seems like a woman who's used to getting her way, and that's not a compliment.
second, chance, I think you're taking this whole thing waaay too seriously. ruhlman doesn't owe you, or any of us, an explanation for why he voted how he did. I was glad he offered one, as it was interesting and shed a lot of light on what happened behind the scenes. however, I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish with a comment that took three scroll-downs to get through, accusing him over and over again of "rationalizing".
third, to those of you who think the ICs voted for symon because they felt "threatened" by besh... umm, they don't battle each other. doesn't it make more sense that they'd want to maintain the high standard of their relatively elite group?
IGIF
Frances: Again, I must say how much I enjoy and agree with your thoughtful comments on this blog. Wish all the bloggers would have your common sense and lack of vindictiveness. I think Mr. Rulman did a great job judging, as well as providing this blog for exchange of ideas and opinions, pro or con. I couldn't help rooting for Chef Besh, but Chef Symon was such a close second, that I'm not disappointed really, and agree that his TV "personna" will well suit him in his new role. Go Michael Ruhlman, Go Chef Symon! (Can't wait to hear AB's take on this...)
Kay
Anybody who didn't taste the food should pretty much shut up and get on with their lives. Jesus.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@Allie:
first of all, I'm female, and I don't see how saying "she's a woman who's used to getting her way" is sexist at all. if I said, "he's a man who's used to being in charge", that wouldn't be sexist either. why does even referring to the race or gender of someone these days automatically make us racist or sexist?
~~~~~~~~
Because, in most instances where and when it is about a man, the gender is never specifically pointed out. i.e. it is a given he gets his way, because he's a man.
As for Ruhlman "owing explanations," readers are allowed to post their opinions, as long as they are phrased in a respectful tone. If they ask for Ruhlman to elaborate, that's their right and it's his decision to explain or refrain.
On the other hand, I do not think it is up to you to think for Ruhlman, which is what it appears you are doing.
As for "three scrolls down," why did it take you three paragraphs to get your point across?
Talk about taking it so seriously.
Again, it is not up to you to decide what and how something and someone should take seriously or not.
Last but not least, if you don't think the Iron Chefs do not have ego battles, you may wish to think again, and Besh is worthy of their so-called standard.
Next time, I'll post 10 scrolls worth, in memory of you 🙂
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@Allie:
however, I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish with a comment that took three scroll-downs to get through, accusing him over and over again of "rationalizing".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's Ruhlman's blog, but keeping with your line of questioning, it took Ruhlman a heck of a whole lot more space for him to explain why he would have or would not have, voted for Symon.
If you ask one, ask all, whether or not you agree.
So, ask Ruhlman, "why so many down-scrolls to get to your point, Michael, as to why scenarios by both judging panels played into how you would vote for either Besh or Symon?"
BKbella
When I first read the comment at issue, I was taken back by the statement. He has often defended Knowlton on this site, yet when Donatella calls him out on something, he belittles her. That graf cut right through me. He was attacking her instead of attacking what she said. At the very least, it was a very unprofessional response to her criticism, but I personally saw it as a sexist remark -- something that would not have been said if Andrew made the comment. Others may see it differently -- that' ok. To me, it's not just that he referred Donatella as a woman, but that he made a personal dig that had a sexist overtones.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@BKbella:
What BKbella said.
Nice and concise (no downscrolls at all! ;-)) in a most lawyerly and litigious fashion, at that!
Mazeltov on the bar!
Chad Edward
No one can doubt Michael Ruhlman, the foremost culinary writer in America, has the credentials to judge the next Iron Chef. I find comments ridiculous that suggest Ruhlman was selected to "rig" the competition in Symon's favor. Ruhlman deserved his post as judge as much, if not more, than the other two judges. Besides that, Symon was a favorite from the beginning because he's a GREAT chef. Had a woman won 4-2 with Donatella casting the winning vote, would there be the same accusations of favoritism because a woman won? Sounds ridiculous? That's how you sound if you think Symon won because Ruhlman lives in the same city.
Shelley
Bye, everyone! This was fun for a while, but... never mind. I'm keeping my Final Comment to myself. Thanks again for the forum, Mr. Ruhlman.
Kali
BKBella--well put. And that's how sexism (like bias) gets expressed, with the user blissfully unaware that it's even happened.
re: "Ruhlman's biased because he lives in Cleveland, too"--I suggest reading "The Soul of a Chef", Ruhlman's book that includes his laudatory bio of his GOOD FRIEND...Michael Symon.It's that--not Cleveland--that's the most telling connection.
As for not feeling bad about criticizing Ruhlman on his own blog--well, I don't. I applaud his honesty here, but...well, he should have known the APPEARANCE of inpropriety, in itself, is reason enough not to do something.
This response is one reason why--and surely was 100% predictable.
Sandy
Dear Michael,
I have heard some of the snark throughout the competition and, for what its worth, feel you did yourself justice by staying above the fray most of the time.
As I said last night, I think both Besh and Symon deserve to be seen, their food experienced. I feel that making it all about who you knew or didnt know before the competition cheapens everything these chefs actually accomplished.
It is as if people who believe the conspiracy theories really don't believe their favorite has the goods where food is concerned. Food is the only thing that counts at the end of the day.
Skawt
OK, I've read all the comments, and I really only have one comment to make: I still like Donatella's tits even if she is a bitch.
Time to get beaten by my wife now.
LosGatosGirl
I have to laugh at most of these comments.
Michael, thanks for such wonderful blogs. Your candor is refreshing and delightful. I've actually bought some of your books and am finding a nice style that's fun to read.
I'm not surprised by Donatella, nor I as a woman, am insulted, but agree with you. That's why there's the acronym SWMBO.
I'm really happy that the 3 Iron Chefs were the primary judges. Think about it. This is TV, not life or death. However, it was also a job interview of a really strange kind. I would never take a job if I couldn't interview with my peers. Nor would I want to work with someone that I didn't have input into hiring.
The IC's should have had more weight. At the end of the day, they're going to have to work with TNIC. They also know the job better than any restaurant owner or writers. They spoke. And I agree. Chef Symon is far more interesting to watch, and was the entire season.
And for the record, if anyone cares, I really enjoyed TNIC. And I watch the FOOD network for food, not cooking. I'm glad you were a part of this show.
And I'm still pissed off beyond all belief that you didn't come down to Los Gatos for a book signing at Borders or Sur La Table. We have MANRESSA for pitypat's sake. We're on the map.
Warm regards.
catherine
Personally, I think it makes perfect sense for the Iron Chefs to be at the judging table. Michael, Donatella and Andrew know how well Symon and Besh did during the tests. Flay, Cora and Morimoto have more insight into whether the final performance was of IC caliber.
Also, for those saying that Besh had been the clear winner and Symon was set up to win.. the show went through a brutal editing process. Ruhlman has pointed out that an hour of discussion was cut down to a few minutes. FN could have edited the show to portray anything they wanted. I'm sure there were enough postive comments about Symon's food to make him appear to be the "clear winner" for all 8 episodes, but that would not have been as interesting.
BKbella, congrats on the bar! I hope to pass in the near future.
jeana
There must have been pretty good reasons that all three of the IC judges voted for Symon. They're the ones that are in the trenches of the show and are absolutely qualified to judge who can hack it on their team. I actually appreciated the blend of judges; while the NIC judges had seen a progression over the course of the competition, the three ICs balanced it out by judging simply on the final battle (which is the ONLY one that truly resembled actual ICA battles). Their impressions on both the food and the chefs added to the mix, being from the only ones who truly know what it's like to be an Iron Chef.
The Ruhlman/Symon bias argument is getting really old. Whether some of you think some favoritism came into play or not, his vote mirrored ALL the Iron Chefs' conclusions. I personally believe in Ruhlman's integrity and professionalism. And I, for one, am glad that there was not a tie and the decision was not left up to the FN execs. What a disappointment that would have been for the competitors and fans.
allie
"As for "three scrolls down," why did it take you three paragraphs to get your point across?"
maybe because there were three separate points?
if donatella did, in fact, have the audacity to berate any of the iron chefs for voting the way they did, then she more than deserves a "personal dig". sorry, I just don't get the whole "all us women have to band together against the big bad patriarchal male-dominated society". if a woman behaves badly, she deserves to be called on it.
also, I never said besh wasn't "worthy of their standard", I simply pointed out why they wouldn't pick an inferior chef simply to assuage their own delicate egos.
Carmen Hudson
I just wish Besh would have won. I don't like Symon's personality very much. Besh was consistently good, calm, professional, polished. Besh has actually /WON/ the Iron Chef when he was a guest on the show, which very few people do. Symon was just this dude with a really, really annoying laugh. I didn't see what was so great about his dishes either. I did see that Besh pulled out 7 offerings, as well as Morimoto's dessert request. It is what it is, but for my part, I'm a John Besh supporter till the end.
chicoca
This whole thing stinks worse than that swordfish would after a week or two. My take is that the Iron Chefs knew who they were voting for before they sat down to eat...Food Network told them who they were voting for. As stated above, a tie (Ruhlman, Knowlton and Donatella v. Flay, Cora and Morimoto) would have left the decision up to the FN execs, so there was no way for Symon to lose. Lets see, this started at the CIA, the CIA is apparently a major sponsor, FN wants ties with the CIA and by this morning the home page for the CIA has a big picture of alumni Symon with a blurb about his winning. Symon was the winner from the begining...
sorchar
Good Lord. All this vitriol and anger. I think I'm going to skip reading it all because my head hurts enough already. Personally, I think either chef would have made a great addition to the show and I'm just surprised that Michael proved me wrong and was generous enough to let Symon leave Cleveland. I was afraid he might go all Misery or something.
Warren Hampton
Enough Already,
M.R. gave it to you straight. Suck it up! Mike a crazy, but seriously fun Chef will be the next ICA. Truly, does it matter all that much. He brings a new way to cook to ICA and he does more for greek cooking than spin pans and drink Ouzo.
M.B. is a fine chef. I have had his food and no shame is his departure.
I am a bit pissed how Mirimoto was treated. He has language issues, always has, any reason to treat him like an idiot? No.
Mike will be fun to watch, that laugh demonic in a angelic sort of way, will be fresh and fun.
No cranberries is his future makes life watching FN a good thing.
Just curious what does Tony B have to say about this?
Having eaten at Besh's flagship, I would Love to see what Mike could do. Besh had simply the best dinner I have ever have had. If Mike S. could better I would lover to try it.
Steph
"I find it interesting that the two restaurant-related judges (Donatella and Andrew) backed Besh, and the trained chefs (including you, Ruhlman) backed Symon."
Me too!
I, for one, couldn't be happier with the results of the show.. Symon's skill and dynamic personality makes him a perfect candidate to be the next "Iron Chef." While Chef Besh's food always looked pretty during the series, I never felt any sort of desire to eat anything that he had cooked.
Just one girl's opinion.
- S
theFrog
What is wrong with several of you people? No matter what you believe, it's just a show... one that several of the most critical people in this forum have already said they are completely uninterested in. If you don't like the show THAT MUCH, why are you even posting anything at all, or giving any credence to something that bores you?
"A woman who's used to getting her way" is sexist? I see it more as you are being reactionary and hypercritical because you don't like the way Ruhlman voted. Yes, it was a personal dig at Donatella, but we don't know what she said to him exactly - maybe she deserved a personal dig. Maybe she deserves to be called a lot worse than "a woman who's used to getting her way," and Ruhlman's being a gentleman for NOT saying it. And before anyone chimes in about treating people with respect and dignity at all times, NO ONE who's likely to be critical of this particular comment has a right to call anyone out for being rude based on what I've read so far.
In the end, Ruhlman was a judge on a reality TV show. He wasn't sworn in, nor was he contractually obligated to vote in any way other than the way he felt. This isn't the Supreme Court, people - it's food TV. Get over it and yourselves.
Iris
What a sad day for Iron Chef America and for the Food Network. It has sunk to the level of all of the other "reality" shows which I despise, by choosing the chef with the most flash and "bad boy" attitude over the far more accomplished, humorous "gentleman" chef. I will no longer be watching that show, although it has been my favorite over the last several years.
JoP in Omaha
Bottom line: none of us can have an informed opinion because we didn't taste ANY of the food.
As for me:
1. I enjoyed NIC -- all of it. I learned stuff and enjoyed watching highly skills chefs cooking week after week.
2. I enjoyed watching Michael as a judge. Having read the books, it was great to see him on screen, to get an ideal of the persona behind the name "Ruhlman."
3. Symon's food must be good. He won more of the week-to-week tasks than anyone else did. Cora said of it dish "It ROCKS!!" Morimotot said "punch, Punch, PUNCH!" We heard that Symon's dishes had higher highs than Besh's, and yes, perhaps, lower lows. We can't judge that; we didn't taste. The decision is the decision. I'm happy to accept it.
4, For those who think ICA has lost its integrity, don't watch it. For those who think FN is way off track, don't watch it. For those who think Ruhlman is (pick your failing....biased, unethical, sexist....), then why are you reading this blog? Go read the blog of someone you like.
5. I liked NIC. There are some shows on FN that I like 'cause I learn stuff. I like Michael's blogs, and I like Ruhlman. I'm happy for the opportunity to read his thoughts about food and the industry.
Todd
"Lets see, this started at the CIA, the CIA is apparently a major sponsor, FN wants ties with the CIA and by this morning the home page for the CIA has a big picture of alumni Symon with a blurb about his winning. Symon was the winner from the begining..."
Besh graduated from the CIA in 1992, Symon in 1990.
And to head off the next conspiracy theory... both were named to the Top Ten New Best Chefs list in Food and Wine magazine, 1999 and 1998 respectively.
Sandy
Oy, people. Do you really think you're helping Besh somehow by doing this?
Besh was great. So was Symon. Why not lobby FN for a joint show or a Besh show. Be creative with it and not just ranting in a judge's public blog.
Oh... whoever was saying the Chairman needs to go? I would have agreed last year. He's gotten a bit better this year.
PS. Michael, I wish you and AB would come to Denver.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
"I am a bit pissed how Mirimoto was treated. He has language issues, always has, any reason to treat him like an idiot? No."
Fwiw, I'm with you there, but has the FN ever been any other way, really, when it comes to their "what-are-we-gonna-do-with-them?" approach to so-called minorities? (Include anyone you please, in this grouping; women, ethnic minorities etc. but especially ethnic minorities on both sides of the gender aisle.)
The women were eliminated before the disembodied Chairman appeared on one of those porto-screens Alton was carrying around like an appendage, and after that, you just knew it was a matter of time before Morou and El Guapo were relegated to status in the FN's dustbin.
Thankfully, all of the chefs eliminated were already a success, well before this competition, and I enjoyed watching those who were previous combatants on ICA.
(Speaking of that acronym, shall we dial-in another conspiracy theory, by rearranging the consonant, to obviously spell out CIA? I doubt it, but why not.)
As for those who are slamming other people whom they claim are slamming Ruhlman and Symon -- and accuse said-alleged slammers of investing too much -- I don't see that anyone is behaving unusually, except those defending the honor of Ruhlman and Symon. You folks condemning those of us expressing contra-opinions and obseravtion should get over yourselves, and, stat. We're allowed that right, and if everyone here agreed, it would be really boring.
Then again, if those of you who think along such lines (that is, that no one who thinks against the grain, and in an informed manner, should be banished or silenced) support the team mentality of "you're either with us or against us," it should not come as any surprise that, you support only the point of view that jibes with your thinking; that which you find to be agreeable. Since, after all, such narrowmindedness is consistent with FN's handbook and policy when it comes to keeping the quo.
What -- it's only "negative" and "vitriolic," when, someone does not share the same thoughts and feelings? Well, these same people are pointing out the positives of both sides of the coin, while trying to find the middle ground on a toss that, by all means, feels as rigged as the last two presidential elections.
On that note, there is something odd about Ohio, or Ohioans, and elections: whether regarding the White House, or mindless, inane broadcasting fare, such as FN.
It's little wonder folks like Bourdain and Batali have left: at least they tried their best, but left with their self-respect intact.
Would FN have improved if Besh had won?
No.
Not anymore than when Symon was hailed as victor.
It's up to the producers, the FN TV personalities (whether Alton, Kevin, The Chairman, the ICs and rotating judging panelists) but most of all, its demographic: which, by all means, screams out "I want Patsy's from East Harlem!" but is too effing scared to travel in the hood, and phones in Domino's, instead.
Very few walk the talk, and how many here ate anything other than Chick-Fil-A before the arrival of FN?
I was born, raised and educated in NYC, which automatically gave me a passport and visa to visit and indulge in every imaginable culinary adventure -- from the high to the low and in-between -- and I've never needed any network to tell me what to eat, or what to be unafraid of, or to be polite to my hosts, no matter what they serve.
That's for out-of-town philistines.
And that's the bulk of the FN viewership.
I think Ruhlman did a good, credible job, but, to think he did not have a bias in the least, re: Symon? That's absurd, IMO. Again, keywords to recall, reactionary "foodies," would be, "to think": not, to state as indisputable fact.
To think that "no one complained" (about any such bias), well, how the f*uck do you think anyone gets on -- much less to stay -- on FN?
Yes, that is right: by NOT complaining.
In a righteous world, Lydia Shire, Sara Moulton (yes, she's there, but barely), Ming Tsai, David Chang et. al. -- and similarly talented chefs -- would be all over FN like white-on-rice.
But, that's the issue: FN likes everyone to be like, and everything served on, white rice.
Look how colorful your ICs are now, how varied, how representative not only of the world's cuisine, but of the most diverse city on the planet, New York?
You're going to tell me that, women and minorites are not capable of cooking alongside -- as good as or better -- than the ICs, when the ICs (save for Morimoto, but as dispicably shown last week, FN gets a kick out of his castrated tongue - at least when it comes to the English language)? When almost everything they cook is based on or borrowed from indigenous or minority cultures?
That's what is meant, by, like white-on-rice (mentality): Emeril, George Duran, Tyler, Bobby, Paula, Giada, Ina, Nigella, Alton, Guy Fieri, Amy Finley, Chiarello, Al Roker, Sandra Lee, Rachael Ray, Robin Miller and so on and so forth.
That's what it means to be the FN, and, in the end, to be a regular viewer -- a snowblind devotee -- of FN: no different from those Golden arches, since it's about billions served.
Allie, this post is dedicated to you, since, like Symon's almost going down on a tomato, you have been known to go down-scrolling 🙂
Frances
Having good humor, frankness, and a sense of fair play counts as being a gentleman too. I think Chef Symon has that in spades. I liked all the competitors, and I liked Chef Besh a lot. But I could point out some awkward moments where he didn't necessarily shine as a gentleman.
Actually, in a previous thread, I did make a small reference to some unbecoming comments Chef Besh made about his competitors. I don't recall FN getting a single sound bite of Chef Symon trashing his opponents. He mentioned that he thrives under pressure and that he wanted to win. Displaying bravado is waaayyy different from displaying an air of superiority.
Winning often involves playing above your game - or that the competition brought your game to a higher level. To say "I want to win" does not mean "I'm better than you."
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
PS: Meant to include that, this was fun, but I'm outta here like a fat kid playin' dodgeball (even though I am not fat, but no matter, it's just an urban thang.) And so, if there any replies to any of my posts and there is no reply, please do not confuse my silence for being in either agreement or disagreement: but, most of all, not for being silenced. Cheers to Ruhlman, Shelley and BKbella!
Sandy
I thought it only counted if you were born in Paris anyway.
*waving a sarcasm flag for all to see*
Frances
To no one in particular, if I invited someone into my home and they started making attacks on my character, or that of my friends or family, I would show them the door. If they wanted to debate in favor of capitol punishment, I'd be happy to oblige, but they'd probably end up pissed off and leave on their own.
When in doubt, respect your host. When you feel the need to insult him or her, remember that it is often better to be kind than to be right.
ICA Fan
To JoP in Omaha - Nail on the head.
Thanks, Michael, for the insight. It really helped to get a better understanding of what happened in the judging. I agree with a few people above that the show should have been longer, simply because I really enjoyed it. I normally can't stand reality shows. For all the Symon bashers above: You did not taste the food - you only heard the EDITED comments that the FN wanted you to hear. Props to both Chefs and to the FN for a great show!
wehotom
Good show, but not long enough.
Thought Besh would win, surprised Symon did.
...and, Geez people, chill out.
Neworleans
This had way more to do than just chefs. This was a chance New Orleans could really get a break. If Besh were the Iron Chef that would bring loads of new tourist in to try his food. This could have helped a city that has been on the fall, a new exciting chef, to take the reigns Lagasse left behind could really bring in tourists to help the city. In a couple years no one nationally is going to really remember John Besh and that is the sad thing. This was a great opportunity to show southern cajun cuisine which has never been shown on iron chef and you decided to go with another mediterrean style chef along with Cora? Give me a break, the execs have no idea how much this meant to new orleans and how many people in the city were upset by this. The bigger picture here is far more important.
ModernMaven
OK, Neworleans, your comments have propelled this into the outer limits. NO needed this competition? Please. You are still one of the top tourist destinations in the country. And to decided the Iron Chef based on this? Ridiculous. Cleveland could use some tourism money and some good press as well... NO doesnt have the market cornered on that.
Claudia
BKBella:
"Nevertheless, I question the FN's decision to use Mr. Ruhlman as a judge, and I believe I have a right to do so as a consumer."
As a consumer of - what, exactly? Do you feel because Besh lost to Symon (unfairly, apparently), that, ipso facto, you've been "lied" to by TNIC and FN, and therefore cannot patronise any of Besh's restaurants? Does the judging of TNIC represent an ethical issue so volatile for you that now you cannot "trust" the entire network and feel you cannot, say, buy the Rachel Ray chef knives from the FN store, or go out and buy that sporty new KIA they've been touting?
Our "rights as consumers" are pretty much limited to being told about any harmful ingredients/chemicals in a product, any dangers inherent in its design or manufacture, etc. - not a "right" to have a judge on a reality TV cooking show recused because he knows a contestant (as did both of the other judges.)
"We are subject to commercials and promotions. Heck, perhaps the reason why Ruhlman decided to jusge the show was so that the finale would coincide with the release of his book . . ."
Well, we're subject to commercials and promotions only insofar as we sit through them - I personally think they are the perfect time to go scoop kitty litter or clean out a drain. And even if we are all subjected to ads and promos, etc., does sitting through them, in thrall, still give us an inherent "right" as a consumer to expect a network to recuse a judge on an ENTERTAINMENT program because of his familiarity with a chef's bacon ice cream dessert? No. We DO have the right, however, to change channels. Or go scoop kitty litter.
As for Ruhlman's book coinciding with the finale of the show - publishers set their book releases a good six months ahead of time, so the decision to carry it on the fall schedule was made most likely back in April. And the publisher makes the decision - not Ruhlman. (Who was probably busy writing it back in early- to mid-2006, anyway.) While you could argue that Ruhlman might very well have known that the finale of IC would coincide with his book release when he accepted the position of judge, you will notice that at NO time did the FN ever mention Ruhlman's book or the fact it was being released imminently. Andrew Knowlton was introduced every time as the restaurant editor for Bon Appetit and Donatella as a restauranteur (Anthos, David Burke & Donatella), and quite correctly, but Michael was only ever introduced as a food writer, author and trained chef. While WE all might know the full range of Michael's work and know he had a book about to come out, I guarantee - a lot of the rest of the country hasn't a clue. Even if they watch FN. (My own sister, a bigger FN watcher than I AND Ruhlman fan, hadn't a clue.) So just how did Michael benefit from "engineering" the timing of the TNIC finale with the release of his book? (The dude can't even get his publisher to line up some book signings in LA (!))
"We should expect professionalism from the folks at FN just as we should expect our politicians to act ethically (Halliburton in Iraq, anyone?)"
I would be thrilled if our politicians acted half as ethically as the TNIC panel did, en masse (yes, even Knowlton). But to suggest the ethics of judging a TV show is even comparable with the ethics (or lack thereof) inherent in the Halliburton situation is not only not fair, but ludicrous.
I fully celebrate cynicism and the right to question that which we are told by those who lead, govern or influence; I sincerely hope the same squinty-eyed level of examination is applied to, say, the 2008 elections rather than whether Chef Symon is ready for his close-up . . . or deserves one.
Phil
Thanks for confirming what I could only presume all along, Michael - that Donatella was an uptight princess who was used to getting what she wants.
I'm glad you voted for Symon. The guy's electric. But it really was a no-lose situation for ICA. Both of those chefs deserved to be on that podium. I think it would be interesting to see Besh return and challenge him.
Who does Donatella think she is? She actually took Cora and Flay to task after that? That'll be the last time she's invited out to play with that group. Way to go, girl.
And I must have been living under a rock for the last month, because it wasn't until I saw that episode that I realized that Mario was no longer involved. And that bummed me out. At least they're still showing his Molto Mario re-runs on Fine Living. I really must keep up. Next thing I know, Rachael Ray will be doing commercials for Ritz crackers.
Toocherie
Ok, so here's what I don't understand: FN touted the final as "winner take all." So shouldn't that have meant that if Besh won the final challenge--even ever so slightly--he should have been named the overall winner? I will also admit that I thought I was prepared for either Symon or Besh to be named winner, but in the end believe that Besh is the more mature and "fun" chef--Symon's laugh is not endearing--to me it smacks of nervousness. Besh is in another class both culinary and personality-wise.
Db Sweeney
After reading a lot of these comments, I also surmise the following:
1. A lot of you can't believe that the contestants on the Bacherlor and other reality Romance shows don't actually stay together and find "true love."
2. A lot of you think "reality TV" is actually real. They shoot hundreds of hours of tape and then edit it to make it interesting. Sorry to burst your bubble, but reality TV isn't real at all.
3. You claim to hate FN because it isn't about food and chefs. In the same posts, you rip Bobby Flay. Umm, he's one of the more accomplished chefs on the network. Like his food or not, he's far above Bad "Off the Hook" Haircut, Corn Nuts Lee, and Yummo Ray. We want more chefs + food shows. We hate Bobby Flay. Look up hypocrisy in the dictionary is my advice.
4. Go and look at the rules for judging Top Chef. The judges opinions, with the advice of the producers. Top Chef was as fixed as this ever was. Take a valium, it will be Ok.
5. You actually believe Ruhlman was sitting in the back room with a white cat pulling the strings a la Vito Corleone to allow Symon to win. It's so laughable it's not even worth discussing. He was told to judge the food and that's what he did.
6. One person claims this has contribued to the ruin of New Orleans and destroyed that cities comeback from Katrina. If victory over Katrina is going to be measured by making John Besh Iron Chef, we need to shut down the goverment right now and ask England to take us back.
It's reality TV folks which means it isn't actually real. It's a TV show and it's meant to be entertainment. That's how thousands of hours of footage becomes six hours of TV. It's edited in order to keep you interested. Seeing how easily they were able to suck a majority of this blog's fans in, I am sure we'll have more reality FN shows now to serve as "sous cooks" with Rachel, Guy, and Sandra.
It's just a TV show. It's entertainment, not real. The sun will still rise in the East tomorrow and set in the West. And if this TV show's results ruined your Monday, find a hobby and get a life.
jsmeeker
Michael's first battle is Sunday. It's "Thanksgiving" themed. Who is the challenger? Anyone know?
The Food Yenta
I have been traveling for business for nearly 20 years and I have NEVER been to Cleveland (for pleasure, either--do people go there for pleasure?). This is not a slam on Cleveland, but perhaps that's why this decision in favor of Symon isn't such a bad one. Is Cleveland a food mecca I have missed?
I HAVE been to New Orleans (pre and post Katrina) several tims and was just there less than a month ago. Ate at Besh's Restaurant August, and it was one of the finest meals I have ever had (ate there before watching any episodes of NICA) I thought the guy would win. Try his pork belly and lobster dish if you go. He is very charming and down to earth in person too. I'm confident New Orleans still gets much higher marks than Cleveland as a foodie city. Even the food in the convention center was awesome!
The Food Yenta
I have been traveling for business for nearly 20 years and I have NEVER been to Cleveland (for pleasure, either--do people go there for pleasure?). This is not a slam on Cleveland, but perhaps that's why this decision in favor of Symon isn't such a bad one. Is Cleveland a food mecca I have missed?
I HAVE been to New Orleans (pre and post Katrina) several tims and was just there less than a month ago. Ate at Besh's Restaurant August, and it was one of the finest meals I have ever had (ate there before watching any episodes of NICA) I thought the guy would win. Try his pork belly and lobster dish if you go. He is very charming and down to earth in person too. I'm confident New Orleans still gets much higher marks than Cleveland as a foodie city. Even the food in the convention center was awesome!
The Food Yenta
I have been traveling for business for nearly 20 years and I have NEVER been to Cleveland (for pleasure, either--do people go there for pleasure?). This is not a slam on Cleveland, but perhaps that's why this decision in favor of Symon isn't such a bad one. Is Cleveland a food mecca I have missed?
I HAVE been to New Orleans (pre and post Katrina) several tims and was just there less than a month ago. Ate at Besh's Restaurant August, and it was one of the finest meals I have ever had (ate there before watching any episodes of NICA) I thought the guy would win. Try his pork belly and lobster dish if you go. He is very charming and down to earth in person too. I'm confident New Orleans still gets much higher marks than Cleveland as a foodie city. Even the food in the convention center was awesome!
ImusLover
What a joke the finale was - I was so disappointed! The Food Network had decided Symon was their next Iron Chef whether or not he deserved it or not, in my humble opinion. John Besh was the clear stand out from the get go.
You were such a pouty, whiny judge, not as bad as Andrew, but close behind.
janet
I just wanted to point out that opinion of the judging process and opinion of the outcome aren't necessarily the same. As I've said in another comment, of the two finalists, I preferred Symon. But that doesn't stop me from believing that the process AS DESCRIBED BY MR RUHLMAN was deeply flawed.
Andy
If none of the other weeks were taken into consideration and the vote was simply based on the last week, that would have been a real shame. All of the challenges demonstrated abilities an Iron Chef should have, and Michael Symon won three challenges (four including the last week), while no other contestant won more than one. Iron Chef doesn't award someone who is in the "top two" every week, it awards a winner. Symon showed he had the ability to win consistently. Besh showed he had the ability to finish in the "top two" consistently. The problem with that is, one finishes in the "top two" in every episode of Iron Chef.
janet
One other thing I forgot to say: It seems to me that a lot of you want it both ways. It's just a game, get a life, it's not Nuremberg, etc., so it doesn't matter whether the judging was fair. But at the same time, you're convinced that the judging was done seriously and was absolutely fair, and anybody who questions that (including Donatella) is vindictive, snarky, bitchy, or deranged.
Mels
Well, Besh is probably too good for Iron Chef anyway. I mean, why is Cat Cora there? She's style over substance and Flay is only fixated on the same flavors each week. Flay turns me off with his massive ego. Batali was my favorite and he was fired by FN, what a mistake.
I hope Besh will get a show somewhere, preferably not on the same network as Sandra Lee and Robin Miller - I'm a better chef than those two! Does anyone watch them? Ugh.
ktdid747
TheFoodYenta, I'm from Cleveland (have been here my entire life) and have traveled A LOT and I was a bit offended by your post (not a slam?....it kinda was..but I guess we're used to it even though it gets pretty ridiculous at times).. New Orleans may be "better known" as a "foodie city" and more of a tourist destination but it is also very beautiful here and a very wide array of excellent food choices here!--it's just different and that's not a bad thing (the jokes and the bad things that are constantly portrayed are NOT what this city is though people who have never been here seem to think so)..
Before making your "confident comments", you need to come here and have a local show you around and you WILL see that what is said (or should I say "assumed") is NOT what it is. I think Besh and Symon are both very talented chefs and I think either would have made a great Iron Chef (we were ready for either one to win), I don't think ANYTHING was "fixed" and I think Michael Symon will make a great addition to Iron Chef America..he'll be entertaining that's for sure!...and, if anything, it will help open people's eyes to what Cleveland REALLY is. (we have great food in our convention center also--I just went to the Fabulous Food Show which is a yearly event, rubbed elbows with great chefs and sampled all kinds of food, and was not disappointed).
The P/A
Nothing I could say right now would likely move the ball forward in this commentary thread.
Notwithstanding, now that all is said and done on NICA, I'm curious to see what Symon can do. No doubt, he'll be amusing!
I'll watch on Sunday for sure.
ImusLover
Top Chef is the far superior food reality program. The Next Food Network Star is lame and this series was uninspired and unoriginal - many challenges were borrowed from knockoff of Top Chef.
The P/A
Janet: Agreed about some people wanting it both ways! Apologies for aping your comment, though.
Db Sweeney's amusing commentary above was rife with witty euphemisms and hipster snark, but sure did confuse the hell outta' me.
How can this TV show be "not real," yet Ruhlman's judging on the TV show be "real"? Der.
The show was real. Ruhlman's judging was real. The results just shouldn't be really upsetting to anyone. It was fun to watch! Crisis.
OK. I'm done. Now I'm going out to a real lunch.
mirinblue
"Sigh"
Well, after all of the slinging going on here, this is just one girl's opinion. Thank you MR for giving us this venue so all of our (self) important views could be aired. I am thrilled MS won, I hoped from day one that he would. And I am not even from Cleveland!
Aside from talent which all of the Chefs possessed to some degree, MS was just plain the sexiest of the bunch. And if you don't think sex sells, my friends, think again!
MR, AB (Anthony Bourdain...NOT Alton Brown) and new ICA MS...love you all! ~~Rock on brothers!~~
Brad @ www.IBDoF.com
DB Sweeny - well said, regarding the differences betweeen 'reality tv' vs 'reality'.
Besh appears to be a fine chef and an even better gentleman and philantropist, and he's already successful by every measure of the word ... Symon just happened to win this particular gig, and i'm sure he'll be entertaining to watch. Other than that, i'm not losing sleep over this, and anyone who is needs to get a life.
I'll just say one thing ... you can bet we'll be seeing a lot more of Besh in the near future, because this was good exposure for him, and because of that, he didn't really lose anything.
Say, remember how in the original IC (Japan) they had the otah faction (sp?) always going after morimoto ? In the same vein, I wouldnt put a Besh/Symon rematch (on ICA) past FN. I think that'd be fun.
BKbella
Janet -- re: your comment "I just wanted to point out that opinion of the judging process and opinion of the outcome aren't necessarily the same. As I've said in another comment, of the two finalists, I preferred Symon. But that doesn't stop me from believing that the process AS DESCRIBED BY MR RUHLMAN was deeply flawed."
Agreed! Unfortunately each time I attempt to make this argument, my comments are dissected and skewed. Which brings me to Claudia -- I am not going to respond to your "interpretation" of my post for the reasons just stated except to say that we are consumers of a television show and you need to learn to recognize sarcasm.
And to adopt Chance's last comment -- I am out as well, for now. Any failure by me to respond to a post is not to be interpreted as agreeing or disagreing with any response to my posts.
It's been fun, folks. Take care.
Db Sweeney
The simple point of my snarkiness is this: Reality TV takes thousands of hours of footage and mixes it into eight hours of television. Each episode is a mash of "things" that happened. Comments are placed in without the benefit of any context.
Yes, what you saw was real. Yes, the judging was real. The food was real. Yes, the characters were real. However, the context of what you viewed the commentary and actions of contestants and judges in regards to the show was not real. Ask Chris Costentino about his run-in with the overly aggressive cameraman if that was really what happened. Ask Gavin if his lack of seasonings in his dishes were real and really what happened. You are only seeing a carefully edited version of reality.
Ruhlman stated that there was an hour of discussion in the finale. You saw five-minutes edited to make you wonder who was going to win and the editors, as they always do, made it seem that the judges seemed to favor Besh. Heck, I even made a snide remark to a friend wondering if Cat Cora had a date with John afterwards the way she was talking about him. Yet, Cora actually chose the other way and picked Symon. Now, was what the edited version of what I saw "real" or clever editing? You tell me.
My points still stand:
1. It's reality TV where you have no context to place commentary and actions due to editing. It's designed to create confusion and debate. Triage was successful in this case.
2. None of us who weren't there can draw a firm conclusion because we weren't there for all it. We don't know how judges were instructed to judge the finale. We have what Ruhlman gave us. And even that's his opinion. A Snip from a Mullet and Her Royal Cleavage Highness might have had a different interpretation of how to judge it. Unless you were there, you just don't know. It's on the other thousands of hours of footage we'll never get to see.
3. If it ruined your Monday, you need to get a life.
4. The reason that Besh didn't win IS NOT because FN executives don't like New Orleans. My point about begging the Queen for forgiveness and to take us back stands.
5. At the end of Top Chef, it says that judges decisions are made while in consultation with producers of the show. If TNIC made you upset with the judging, that show should make your head explode. You trust Padma to judge food based on what? I'd trust her in a book-judging contest because she could ask Salman, that's about it.
6. Ruhlman (as much as his Bourdain-influenced, miserable power-hungry little mind) would have probably loved to be able to do this, but I am pretty sure he wasn't walking around the back telling people how to judge. I don't think he made anyone offers they couldn't refuse. I'm sure he'd love to make that claim to ensure Elements overtakes any Buford/De Laurentis/Ray/Barefooted Eater/Bourdain scribes, but I just don't think he was the puppet master that some of you make him out to be in this "competition.
7. People who go on reality TV looking for the love of their lives are the reason our enemies hate us.
8. If they do this again to find co-hosts for Guy, Sandra, and Rachel, I'm excited to read how some posters on this blog will react. I'm predicting results on par with disgruntled postal workers.
Hunter Rose
I offer a thought to those unhappy with the results:
Did the FN at any time say that the final battle would be a "winner take all" competition?
No?
Then I suggest that Symon is easily deserving of the win based on his past challenge victories REGARDLESS of whether you believe Besh won the IC face-off by whatever margin.
mrw
I watched the entire season and thought the outcome was a foregone conclusion far too early. Just watching the show's editing told me that Symon was going to win -- he got the lion share of time on screen. And he fits the FN profile -- biker chic. Another New Orleans chef probably wasn't the network choice, either. After all, they already have Emeril.
Having had a great birthday dinner at Restaurant August, I wanted John Besh to win. But I could see the writing on the kitchen stadium walls pretty early on.
(Besh isn't the best chef in New Orleans -- Susan Spicer (Bayona's) wins that one every year.)
Joel
@BKbell 11/12 9:25PM
I agree. It would have been better if the "Donnatella incident" weren't mentioned at all.
Nobody who has a firm grasp on reality
I could tell whose food was better without tasting it.
Besh should have won!
Corey Haim & Cheese
@Db Sweeney
"8. If they do this again to find co-hosts for Guy, Sandra, and Rachel, I'm excited to read how some posters on this blog will react. I'm predicting results on par with disgruntled postal workers."
Your reaction isn't unlike your last sentence above. Hopefully, you work the graveyard shift as a mail handler-processor, and not as a window clerk or letter carrier.
And, reading your critique (of other critiques) is like really bad EW-wuss, Dalton Ross; and that's not only bad, that's the worst ever.
The P/A
@ Db Sweeney: I understand and agree with your point that Reality TV editing misrepresents people and outcomes. And, yes, the lack of context during the Cosentino vs. Camera duel is the perfect example of this kind of misrepresentation.
I just could not grasp what you meant by "[i]t's entertainment, it's not real." Entertainment is real, yes? Yes.
FYI. I'm not looking to get into some ontological discussion here, so if there is a person who wants to go there. Please. Spare us.
Frances
Looking up ontological...
Db Sweeney
@ The P/A
You make a fair point. Yes, you are correct. Entertainment is "real." All I was trying to make was the point about context. I could have chose a better way to say it. I hope you got where I was going and how arguing an outcome without any context is an exercise in futility.
@ Corey Haim and Cheese
Love the name. Did you ever catch the Corey Haim True Hollywood Story on E? Watershed television. One of my all-time favorite actors for reason solely un-related to his actual ability.
I take no offense to your post, I actually rather enjoyed it and chuckled too. That's the first rule of these blogs as I see them, to be able to chuckle and laugh at oneself and never take anything too seriously....Like a TV show.
Ok, back to work. The automatic stamp machine is broken. It's going to be a long afternoon...going to need some Evian.
ashley
Nice picture of Symon on Ruhlman's "about" page. https://ruhlmancom.bigscoots-staging.com/about.html
That lends ever so much credence to Ruhlman's whines about objectivity.
Corey Haim & Cheese
@Db Sweeney
Great post, Db S. I was just testing out my snark, and anticipate your eventual retort!
But, thanks for playing fair.
Also, was that Evian comment a reference to Top Chef? It was one of their sponsors.
Trying to make lemonade out of a lemony topic, but, one has to try.
Well, I lurked for the longest time, and this subject did bring me out from the woodwork, so, why not have fun?
What one dish that each finalist (Symon And Besh) prepared in the grand finale, would you have wanted most to dine on?
I'm directing this Db S's way, but I hope other readers will join in.
My choices as follows:
Besh - Swordfish Brandade Agnolotti
Symon - Clam w/Swordfish Collar in Broth
As for "who deserved to win the most," while I was not there to taste the food, I'd just have to say that both were more than Iron Chef material.
Excellent choices, two diverse chefs representing different parts of the country, one with a penchant for fish, the other for meat, yadda, yadda, yadda.
It was fun!
And, you just have to love this photo:
http://www.superchefblog.com/images/nextironchef_cast_100dpi360x150pxl.png
harlock_JDs
NO needed this win? what NO needs is for people to stop being idiots and MOVE OUT before it gets smacked with a cane again.
it's like people who continue to rebuild houses in flood plains... move the heck out and stop jacking up my insurance.
Claudia
BKBella, I can recognize sarcasm when I see it. I can also recognize perspective when I see THAT. I did not see either in your arguments, which is all I'M saying.
Darcie
Damn. I just wasted my lunch hour reading these posts. Although I must admit that it's entertaining to read the back and forth, kind of like watching my dad and my husband argue about politics and religion. In the end, the results are the same. No one's opinion changes and sometimes feelings are hurt. I just hate it when people get their knickers in a know. Sigh.
Now on to my own comments since I just can't help but beat a dead horse (which I hear is tasty).
One must remember that FN is a profit-based entity, and that profit is based on advertising revenues, which are based on viewership. I'm sure the choice of NICA judges was based on the number of people they could draw in and maybe also the choice of contestants (did they apply? I have no idea how they were selected). Conflict of interest didn't weigh in much, especially when one considers that probably 99.9% of viewers had no idea of the relationships between any of the contestants/judges. Also, FN, an entertainment channel, has absolutely no responsibility to be fair or impartial. It is not a court of law. About the only things FN needs to worry about are slander, libel and maybe personal injury. I'm sure the contracts are ironclad and their disclaimers as well.
Also, the types of shows FN is now airing are there because *people watch them.* FN has no responsibility to deliver any particular type or level of show. I am hoping there is a FN spinoff ala MTV and VH1 for a sister channel geared toward a different audience. If the numbers support that I'm sure it would happen. So instead of complaining about the (quite obvious) deteriorating quality of the FN, start a lobbying campaign to get better shows!
Do I care if NICA was rigged? Not really. Do I care that the last two Presidential elections appear to be? You betcha. I'm saving my vitriol and indignation for different venues.
I watch TV to be entertained, maybe educated and, very occasionally, inspired (which is why I watch ICA). NICA didn't really deliver as much as I had hoped due to poor editing (I want to see the food dammit), but I won't lose any sleep over it.
Oh, and as for New Orleans needing this - Cleveland, bless its heart, has the one of the highest rates of unemployment in the U.S., and in 2004 was ranked as the nation's poorest big city. Cleveland is just as deserving as NO.
Lastly, I am quite happy that Michael Symon won. I liked his character, his dishes looked good, and I think he has the competitive spirit needed by an ICA. Besh has the skill and spirit, but his persona really grated on my nerves.
The Postman just arrived with my Elements of Cooking, so please excuse me whilst I do something productive (it's too gray and dreary here today to get much work done).
Darcie
Knot! Knickers in a knot! Darn speel check...
Db Sweeny
@ Corey Haim and Cheese,
I sat here for 20 minutes trying to find a way to work the Glad family of storage products + the post office into a retort, but couldn't do it. That's why Bourdain and Ruhlman do book tours and I write posts on blogs on my lunch breaks (and other times) I guess. I had to go with Evian instead. I'm looking forward to a TNIC vs. Top Chef debate. You know the opinions are out there and are two favorite posters should be on opposite sides of the "discussion." It should get personal and I ,for one, cannot wait.
I'm glad you finally decided to come out from the rock you've been hiding under. We were all under the assumption that you were trying to fulfill your father's prediction of an Oscar and doing your best to find a way to have the academy finally recognize the genius that was your documentary. We knew we could get you back, whether it was a debate over TNIC or the direction of Lost Boys II.
The bigger question is where is Ruhlman? Over 160 posts with several questioning his objectivity (and even his manhood as I read it) and no defense? Perhaps Elements is taking on Vince Flynn's new book and he's becoming too big to bother with such common-man such as blogging. Perhaps he found Andrew Knowlton's hair salon? Did he decide to forego the writing career for a spot as the new member of Pearl Jam while in Seattle? Did somebody drown him in a vat of coffee? Or did he try to emulate his idol Bourdain and still hasn't come to after a night of self-abuse via the bottle? Inquiring minds want to know....
In regards to the dishes, I'm not going to pretend to be smarter than Bobby, Cat, and (oh, I'm afraid I'm going to kill the spelling on this, my apologies and I mean no disrespect) Morimoto or the 3 musketeers. My thoughts were the pretty much the exact same as you. When all three Iron Chefs went nuts over Symon's Clam and Collar, I wanted to try it that second.
But in regards to Besh, I wanted to try the Swordfish dessert. I live in the Twin Cities, hometown of Bizarre Foods Andrew Zimern (another spelling disaster I fear). Maybe his zany brand of eating is wearing off on me. But if somebody has the guts to try something like that, I really wanted to see how it tasted, how Besh did it. I'll admit that freely. I know that the IC judges were lukewarm on it. However, I could somewhat picture the tastes in my mind with the other dishes through different dining experiences. But not on that one and that's why I wanted to try it.
Both were Iron Chef material. And if the rumors about the possible departures of Mario and Morimoto prove true, I don't think they need to look any further as both demostrated the ability to get it done.
ImusLover
From NY Magazine:
Say it ain't so, Molto Mario! (Oh God, sorry.) The only New Yorker we've ever forgiven for wearing Crocs has been fired from the Food Network. Mario Batali, star of the shows Molto Mario and Iron Chef America, has been dropped from the popular channel's lineup. He'll still have his upcoming PBS show about Spanish cooking with Gwyneth Paltrow, but let's be honest, watching that is going to be like spying on the princess and Rumpelstiltskin on a road trip together. Nobody wants to see that. We're hoping with more time on his hands, he'll be able to open more fabulous restaurants in the city — maybe even ones at which we can get reservations.
Mario was the only decent Iron Chef but he's gone.
John Besh is my winner.
dagoo7
"Posted by: theFrog | November 13, 2007 at 04:04 AM
What a sad day for Iron Chef America and for the Food Network. It has sunk to the level of all of the other "reality" shows which I despise, by choosing the chef with the most flash and "bad boy" attitude over the far more accomplished, humorous "gentleman" chef."
Is this really what people think is at the root of this purported grand conspiracy to get Michael Symon as the TNIC at all costs? Because he is the "bad boy" with the "most flash"? That would be somewhat laughable even if the attributions were true. Unfortunately, simply shaving your head and growing a soul patch doesn't make one a "bad boy."
Symon is hardly a "bad boy" and like most Clevelanders (my hometown) he has a decidedly noticeable absence of flash. He is simply a good ole' dorky hometown guy that can cook like hell. He and Besh were both extremely professional and mature about the challenges and exhibited great respect for each other. I just hope that the tempest in a teapot being generated here doesn't have a negative impact on either of them.
If Besh's food was better, even by a slight margin, I don't know maybe he should have one based on that one performance. However, as said before, three iron chefs voted for Symon. And I'll take Morimoto's opinion over Donatella and Knowlton any day.
Symon is a great chef and from earlier challenges clearly deserved to win the challenge. Besh will do just fine and maybe be better not having to pimp in anyway for FN. My only concern is that when I go back to Cleveland to visit my folks that I can still get some roast suckling pig and and a cheese plate on a Tuesday evening.
Sue
Donatella Arpala's behavior as described here was childish, insulting and showed an extraordinary lack of grace and courtesy (not to mention just plain old manners). And, Michael, telling everyone that she did it, isn't much better. The only people who can feel bad about what was done and said (and the public repeating of same) are John Besh and Michael Symon and why would you or Arpala want that? I know that neither Besh nor Symon are children who need to be protected from bad behavior by other people, but there is something really unseemly about the kind of foot-stamping by Arpala that you described and by your resuscitation of it.
I vote for having grown-ups judge the next contest. And don't get me started on Andrew "do-you-even-know-what-you're-talking-about??!!" Knowlton....
Claudia
Darcie - aptly put. And I hope your knickers are now unknotted . . . and Donatella's, too (!)
Shelley
I don't expect Ruhlman to respond to this huge thread. Didn't he title this "Final Conmment" in the first place? I think he's addressed many people's concerns already (ad nauseum) in other blog postings, and if I were him, I'd be ready to move on and leave the NIC arguments behind me. Show's over. I'm still glad he was willing to share info about what we didn't see on the screen -- yes, Sue, especially about Donatella. Not childish, just stating facts.
Now I really AM going to depart this conversation. Love the dialogue, but at this point it's giving me a migraine!
Anglophile
Iron Chef America aside, Food Network has basically gone to the dogs, in my opinion. I just took a look a the home page at Foodnetwork, and was greeted by Rachel Ray's smiling face enticing me to try her "Orange You Glad It's Thanksgiving Soup". Food Network has become the quintessential Food-for-Dummies via bullshit offerings from Jamie and Bobby Deen, Paula's Party, Have Fork will Travel *whatever it's called* and Iron Chef America is the last bastion of real cooking on FoodTV.
What happened on TNIC, while it was pure entertainment and not a legit contest of chef skills and ability, nonetheless lacked cohesion and that was nowhere more apparent than in the final twist with the judging.
I'd personally like to see a competitor network up the ante. For now, I'll find solace with Rick Stein's Food Heroes reruns on BBCA and pray that Symon restores some dignity to an otherwise faltering series.
Ruhlman did what he was probably invited to do by the Food Network, and probably believed that he could separate himself from his personal relationship with Symon and put forth his objective opinions. Whether or not he achieved this is hard to say. Does it matter? Maybe. Maybe not. Was there an agenda on part of Food Network. Most certainly. I've worked in television and I can attest that nothing is done without an agenda. That doesn't mean the execution of a project is worth a damn, however.
As for Bordain's pov, if he decides it is worth his time and energy to put one forth, I imagine he'll back Ruhlman, and if I were put in that sort of position, I'd probably back my friend, too.
After all the dust settles, we'll still be left with a network chock full of crap programming that furthers the idea that Americans will swallow most anything dished out to them.
Uncle hulka
Man,
Some of you people seem to think that the Food Network is some kumbaya, non-for-profit, altruistic community center.
Grow up.
It's a free-market, for-profit, business, responsible for making a profit for the shareholders of its parent comapny.
If Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and Emeril sell more advertising, guess what?, that's all that matters. If they help educate some people on food, then that's fine, too. But it's a BUSINESS and making a profit is why it exists.
TV shows do not exist to please elitist foodies, unless, of course, pleasing elitist foodies means big money, then it will...with gusto.
Until that day comes, the Sandra Lees and Giada's will keep on keepin' on, because they sell ad space.
If you don't like it, don't watch. It's that simple.
dagoo7
Umm. As a side note ... It would appear that user names are being mistakenly attributed to posts. My previous post was attributed to "Imuslover" (and I am most decidedly ImusAmbivalent) and the poster following mine got my "dagoo7".
dagoo7
Ignore that previous post. I am apparently none too bright about this technology business.
Lucy Christensen
I think that John Besh got ripped off. He performed much better through the entire competition and certainly deserved the title.
JULIE
What a joke this show was!! John Besh was SO MUCH BETTER than Symon-People said he was arrogant- there is no way!! The judges were arrogant!! Especially the blonde guy!! They probably can't boil water. What a big loss to the Food Network. They keep making wrong choices. Besh should start his own Food Show. Uggg
WhatisCanadianCuisine?
Holy crap! DB Sweeney needs his own blog/book. I'm LMAO at his witty posts. Thanks for making my day.
PS. Loved you in The Cutting Edge.
Stillpissedoff
I think the whole thing was an insult to John Besh--the superior chef
Ruhlman you know it! To prostitute your vote. If was iffy when you started
since you were a Symon shill. I have no respect for your opinions anymore.
Why did Bobby Flay vote against Besh?? Pure jealousy of Besh, I have eaten at
2 of Bobby's restaurants and 3 of Besh's. The meals at Besh's were superior.
I think you people insulted a great American chef
Elizabeth
Stillpissedoff--have you tasted Symon's food? It was a competition between Symon and Besh, not Flay and Besh. Not like Flay had the deciding vote, anyway.
keith
hulka-
I'd kind of liken Food Network to a local band that "sells out" and becomes glossier once they get a major-label record deal.
Intially, FN WAS about pleasing foodies, because it knew that the number of foodies was growing, and thus, it saw a sustainable target market. Hence, Mario, Emeril, Sarah Moulton, Ina Garten, Bobby Flay and the rest of the first wave of FN chefs. When the ratings for FN far outshone the initial tally they took of that market, they saw the opportunity to broaden their appeal. Hence the current wave- RR, Giada, Tablescapes, Dinner REALLY DIFFICULT(c)Bourdain et al.
Some of the stuff is still about the food- and when they hit the mark, it reminds people of what FN used to be; for instance, Giada would fit in on the original FN. She can cook, and the recipes are simple without being pap.
But when the net falls short- such as with NIC, it's really disappointing, like with that band- because we know that the songs that closed their set when they were still local would have been just as successful if they had major-label style support back then. If NIC had spent NEARLY as much time on the actual COOKING as it did trying to create drama by recapping, explaining rules and showing the judges bickering, it would have pulled the same, if not higher ratings.
Uncle hulka
Keith,
I agree with what you're saying...I too lament the shift over the years.
My favorite show ever was Taste with David Rosengarten, and that was all about food, kind of like Alton without the sets, props, and budget.
One guy. One set. One specific food/genre per episode. Simple.
I find most of the stuff on there pap now, too. My point was simply that it's a money-making enterprise and that the hosts and shows that are on air will stay there as long as they continue to make a profit for the network, even if (or maybe because?) they pander to a wider, less-Foody-ish, demographic.
It is what it is.
Iris
Two guest chefs impressed me this year--Chef John Besh and Chef Mark Tarbell. They were classy, skilled, and both exhibited charm and intelligence way above the norm.
I, for one, interpreted Chef Besh's "arrogance" as confidence. Perhaps I just appreciated his sense of humor and his ability to stay cool in the kitchen.
Yes, it's just a TV show, but now Chef Symon will be on just about EVERY Sunday night, way too much for my liking. Wish it could have been a tie.
And, please, the last thing I want in a chef is someone who is "biker chic" as someone referenced in an earlier post. I hope some smart network executive makes John Besh a great offer to have his own show. Now, THAT would be something to look forward to every week.
Kalyne
re: Janet's point about people criticizing the PROCESS is not the same as criticizing the OUTCOME. That seems so obvious and yet...apparently it isn't to those who take critical comments about FN and NIC personally. Really, criticizing the process isn't the same as saying, "Symon should have lost! Besh should have won!" Clearly, either was deserving.
re: "Being a polite guest on someone's message board". If Ruhlman only wanted posts saying how great he and everything he does is, he would (1) post that as policy and (2) delete any criticism. He doesn't do that so...don't worry about it. He apparently doesn't mind.
Besides, every blogger knows you often get more web hits for controversy than for agreement. We "dissenters" may actually be....helping!
Last, I'm amazed at how the people who are critical of FN/NIC/judging are being attacked personally, over and over. On the other hand, I haven't seen any of the critics making directing personal insults and rebukes to the legion of NIC defenders here. Interesting!
Either man deserved to win, but (as usual with the "new and improved FN", imo) the competition was sloppily conceived and, as a result, seemed unfair (to SOME!) Personally, I think ALL of these talented chefs deserved better (and AB should have been more in the Colicchio mode. He wasn't even Padma here).
Point is, if they do it again, hopefully they'll do it better....
Anglophile
Kalyne, you're right. Alton wasn't in Colicchio mode and he wasn't even Padma here.
It appears to me that Alton Brown has become the Food Network's bitch, for lack of a better term.
And yes, I fully expect the daggers to fly my way now.
Skawt
Ashley pouts:
"Nice picture of Symon on Ruhlman's "about" page. https://ruhlmancom.bigscoots-staging.com/about.html
"That lends ever so much credence to Ruhlman's whines about objectivity."
And so are Thomas Keller, Brian Polcyn and Eric Ripert. None of whom were Iron Chef contestants. So is Dr. Roger Mee, an open heart surgeon. Should he have voted for Dr. Mee instead? You know, spread the vote out to all his friends?
This is ridiculous. Folks, let me point something out, because many of you seem incapable of BASIC MATH. If Ruhlman had not voted at all, the vote was still 3-2 in Symon's favor. If he had voted for John Besh, it would have been a 3-3 tie, in which case the decision would have been out of his hands and in the hands of the FN execs. You also apparently didn't watch the rest of the entire competition where Symon pretty much wiped the walls with everyone after his slow start.
It other words, blow it out your ass.
Sandy
Kalyne said:
Last, I'm amazed at how the people who are critical of FN/NIC/judging are being attacked personally, over and over. On the other hand, I haven't seen any of the critics making directing personal insults and rebukes to the legion of NIC defenders here. Interesting!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You probably missed the post where everyone from Cleveland (quite a few here) were slammed and since the poster came from NYC they were their own sole arbiter of... food, tv and whatever the hell else. I couldnt tell if it was everywhere except Cleveland that sucked -- which would have included Besh's town and a few other decent food places (including grandma's house) -- or if it was just our beloved mistake by the lake that was so maligned. You knew the discussion had sunk into a new, Cuyahoga-River-on-fire kinda place when that happened.
It's been both ways, believe that.
And oh yeah, before good Clevelanders jump on me -- born in Bay Village before coming out here to Elway country. We represent out here for the Browns.
Sandy
Bah, make that "everywhere except NYC that sucked". Its time for happy hour.
doodad
Anglophile,
No need for asbestos. The rumor I always heard was that Alton signed a long term deal for moderate $ and now, as it is coming to an end, the FN wants and wants. That would make me bitter as well and those of us in Atlanta hope he finds a well deserved niche. He is too talented IMHO.
Full disclosure, my wife to be was in his REM video.
doodad
OOps.
So I like him. (got left out even if understood)
Brian
Michael:
I have yet to watch the episode that i TiVO'd Sunday and made the mistake of reading your blog. Damn! However, I have eaten at 2 of John Besh's restaurants a couple of years ago (August is truly amazing!) and plan to dine at Lola on my way to the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont next March ("The Making of a Chef" was my inspiration}. Care to join me for dinner - my treat? All best. Brian
Brian O
First, thanks to Mr. Ruhlman for providing some insight into his NICA experience. (I also find your books and blog immensely enjoyable.)
I found the overall series OK but I had much higher expectations. Unfortunately, we’ve already seen three seasons of Top Chef, so FN had an uphill battle.
Why was it disappointing? Personally, I felt that each episode fell short in the representation of almost every dish (until the last battle). I also felt like I wasn’t getting enough of the judges’ discussions near the end of each round. This seems to clearly be in the editing that FN was doing. Both NICA and TC are an hour long, yet I feel there is so much more conveyed about the judges’ decision process and the nature of each plate being judged. How Bravo manages to get all that into an episode and still include the mellow-drama and the long-pause-over-hyped decisions is beyond me. That being said, (most of) these chefs were clearly superior to the TC chefs. And I also liked that there was no judge in the Colicchio as mentor/boss/angry parent role.
Onto the finale –-- I was completely shocked that Chef Besh did not win the finale (at first). Overall, Besh did seem to outclass Symon and his food appeared to be much more refined. I thought after the very first episode that Chef Besh would be the one to beat. He is clearly a very talented and skilled chef. A thought that WAS well conveyed in the finale was that Besh is very steady whereas Symon is more of a roller coaster ride. OK, good setup, lots of contrast beteen the two.
Both of these chefs were talented enough to win, but beyond that I really thought the decision was going to come down to FN’s preference for which chef would be better for TV. From a quick glance that would appear to be Besh. But then, less than 5 minutes after I saw Symon win, I realized why he won.
Who is Symon replacing? I saw one blog state that it would be Morimoto, but it was the Batali who wasn’t there at the finale. Bourdain has stated that Batali and FN have parted ways and this would seem to confirm that. Batali leaves some might big clogs to fill. His are usually the only battles that I don’t keep hitting the “30sec skip” on my Tivo for. Batali is as talented as it gets and he has a BIG personality.
Let’s face it BF may be talented, but he comes off like a stiff p%@#k on ICA (and most of his other shows). Morimoto is very interesting to watch but can’t seem to buy a win on this series. Cat Cora is only on because she’s a female and everyone knows it. So if you have to replace your biggest star on a particular show, you replace him/her with another star or someone that has the potential to be a star. Michael Symon has personality in spades and it shows up on camera easily. Besh could be seen as bland in comparison. Bottom line - there was a lot at stake here and FN WILL/DID take all things into consideration.
So will I watch Iron Chef Symon? Sure, why not! I am much more looking forward to driving to Cleveland and eating his food though. (Almost got there this summer, but I couldn’t make it past the Melon Festival in Milan. [That's MY-len, not mil-LAN.])
bonnibella
BK: "I don't know Janet... I just passed the bar exam. I might be looking to test out my litigation skills ;-)"
Oy vey. How...predictable. Good luck with your impending legal career (you'll need it). And don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Nancy Misra
What experience do the iron chefs have in judging others? It appears to me that there is an independence impairment here. Forget about you and your ties to Cleveland and Mike Symon. If TV Foodnetwork had not allowed the Iron Chefs to vote, who would be the next iron chef? Why can't you make a decision on your own? Did it ever occur to you that the Iron Chefs are threatened by Besh? Who wouldn't be? He is the most charismatic chef I have ever seen on Foodnetwork. He is so interesting and different than anyone else...He hunts and fishes...he wears a blue blazer... he is a Marine...maybe not liberal enough for the network, maybe not liberal enough for you..I wish Jeffery Steingarten would have been a judge...he would have voted based on his own opinion, not on consensus.
So tell me Mr. Rulhman, were you the network plant? Who really could not take Besh being the next Iron Chef? I was there when Emeril's first show aired on the network...I watched East Meets West with Ming and Bobby Flay when Jackie was his sidekick. But no more...I am done with all of it...I feel so cheated...I was really looking forward to Sunday nights...watching Besh compete on ICA...but since he will not be there we will not watch anymore...You should not have been given the privilage to judge someone far greater than you. It's a damn shame.......
Kal
Wow. Lotta thoughts, people!
I mostly wanted Besh and Symon to go head to head because I knew the competition would be fierce and funny, and I wouldn't be disappointed if either won because they're both so damn good.
Personally, I think it's really hard to armchair-judge food competitions; unlike sporting events where you can check out instant replays and alternate camera angles, you really truly can't be sure what's going on in those dishes unless you were there and got to taste 'em.
I have to admit that I did root for Symon all the way, as a matter of my personal opinion of who I'd rather watch on TV. I liked him in Ruhlman's book, have never laughed so hard just because someone else was laughing when he showed up in No Res, and enjoyed watching his spunky self all NIC long. His personality seemed the most dynamic of all the contestants, and on TV, that matters. I also just genuinely like him, based on what little I know.
I wouldn't have been disappointed if Besh won, though. Clearly the man has the chops and the charm as well. I trusted the judges. They're educated in this field and got to actually taste the food. I figure that gives them an edge over me sitting on my couch at home when it comes to making the right decision.
BKbella
Bonnibella:
Believe in Karma?
Stephen
Jeez, Bourdain gets mentioned so much in this blog you'd think he was apart of it.
keith
Bonni- BK has presented a well thought-out, informed argument. So yes, it's completely predicatble that she would have something to do with the legal profession.
Erek
I just thought I should point out that if you believed Besh "edged" Symon out in the finale then you should have voted for Besh, not Symon. It should have gone to the chairman or Food Network executives to make the decision, because you should have voted for who you thought won. The fact that you didn't vote for Besh, and yet mentioned you believed he won, shows favoritism. Bias. Whatever you would like to call it. It means you swung the competition in favor of some guy you knew, wrote a book on, and live in the same city as. Congratulations, you have lost a heaping portion of my respect.
The last episode was billed as a "winner takes all". That means the previous episodes hold no weight. You can't have a winner takes all if the previous tests were taken into account. Maybe it was just Food Network using a little false advertising in some vain attempt to get people interested in their televised mockery of two incredible chefs. I am not the least bit surprised that Batali is leaving after viewing this trash.
Mal
I wonder if only Besh would have been named the winner in Paris, what difference would that had made? Ruhlman stated on his blog he thought Besh won that challenge, and it seemed as though Donatella thought so too. Most postings indicate that Symon won 4 challenges before going into kitchen stadium but I only count 3 (simplicity, resourcefullness, and pressure). And "simplicity" was judged by fellow contestants, not the judges. Lastly, being able to make a delicious dessert using catfish, no butter or sugar sounds very impressive to me...
basab
I thought Ruhlman was a judge himself. If it was necessary to rely on what the ICs had to say in order to make a decision then he should NOT be a judge in the first place. I thought Besh was far superior. Also I think Morimoto thought it was close and would have almost voted for Besh. What made him change his mind was the other 2 ICs voting for Symon and also he didnt want to get blamed at later for being biased due to the fact that Besh made him a sword fish dessert. Such a shame. Bunch of stupid judges and such a pathetic coverage.
Iris
To Nancy Misra---
Well said! I could not agree with you more!
I have shared those sentiments with the Food Network, but I'm sure it really doesn't matter in the long run.
Bye, Food Network and Iron Chef America. The honeymoon is over.
Thank goodness for Bourdain on the Travel Channel.
pappy
Wow. Judging from the amount of posts generated here, and the level of emotion put into them, I would say that FN knew just what they were doing when they put together this series.
My response to some of the posts/accusations I've read here:
1) The Food Network fixed the contest because Michael Symon is a CIA graduate and FN has advertising and marketing deals with CIA -- Besh and Symon are BOTH graduates of CIA, so CIA had no skin in this game. In fact the school has been doing PR for a week stating that the next IC would be a CIA grad regardless.
2) Ruhlman threw the game for his homeboy -- Ruhlman likes and respects Symon, and has made no secret about that. All things being equal I personally think Ruhlman would give it to Symon. But there is a HUGE difference being that and the accusations made by some here that Ruhlman knowingly screwed Besh and torched his own reputation on national TV just to help out a buddy. Ruhlman has a growing literary career, not to mention a family. I don't see him putting both at risk for a TV show on the Food Network. Setting aside the insult to his integrity, does anyone here really think the man is that dim? Quite frankly, considering the performance of the chefs on this show and throughout the series, what I found odd was that Donatella, and to a lesser degree Andrew, were so intent on Besh winning.
3) Food Network put the fix in for Symon because they prefer his "bad boy" persona -- I don't really know Symon, I've only met him once or twice and he could probably hit me with his car and wouldn't know who I was. BUT, something I've heard for years is that anyone who knows Mike knows that he is not a "bad boy". On the contrary, he is consistently regarded as one of the nicest guys you'll meet. The shaved head and black outfit gives him that "look", I know, but in this case you can't judge the book by its cover.
As for FN thinking Symon would be better on TV, well Symon probably WILL be better on TV. I think even the people who preferred Besh would admit to that. Well maybe not the person who posted that Besh was "the most charismatic chef I have every seen on the Food Network", which I'm sorry, is just weird. But again, this insinuates that Flay, Cora and Morimoto are all FN stooges who threw Besh under the bus because FN executives preferred Symon. Personally I find that ridiculous.
4) This is just another indication that Food Network has gone downhill -- Well in my own opinion the Food Network is going somewhat downhill these days, but certainly not because of this show. Do I personally think that Molto Mario is a better food show that anything Rachel Ray will do? Duh - that goes without saying doesn't it? But the bottom line is that Rachel Ray is BY FAR the more popular personality of the two. These are TV shows, and what works on TV is fundamentally different than what works in a restaurant. Doesn't that go without saying?
Success on TV is about popularity, and TV executives forget that at their own peril. The Food Network is striving to be popular, because that is how money is made. If Rachel Ray's frozen TV dinners and Paula Dean's pretend talk shows draw more viewers than Batali and Bourdain then guess what we're going to get more of?
You've heard the expression "in a democracy the people get the government they deserve"? Well, the same goes for TV.
Iris
In response to a previous post stating that Symon is more "interesting" on TV than Besh....not as "bland"......
John Besh prepared a SWORDFISH DESSERT on the spur of the moment.
It doesn't get much more "interesting" than that.
mitch
Maybe Donatella should worry more about why her pricey DB & D restaurant is just so freakin' average! Though not with the blue-haired set, I guess.
dagoo7
So ... How 'bout them Browns?
Karen
Re: The discussion (or, you know, carping) about the Food Network appealing to the great unwashed...
I would imagine that Food Network has determined that their viewership is comprised of many more working moms & dads who need to get a meal on the table after a full day on the job, shuffling the kids to lessons and practice and taking the dog for a walk. In that instance, a 30 Minute Meal or Semi Homemade wins out over the swordfish collar and lamb's tongue.
It also occurs to me that F.N. may be shifting their focus as the Fine Living Channel pops up on more cable systems. Molto Mario is a new series there, Mark McEwan and Jill Davie have shows there and even Kevin Brauch. Perhaps F.N. has decided go after the (just plain) cooks marketshare and let Fine Living feature haute cuisine. Frankly, I can't recall the last time I put tripe on my shopping list.
Gotta go feed the dog....
The Food Yenta
ktdid747--
I do hope my travels take me to Cleveland. There's nothing I hate more than going to a new city and ordering lousy room service in my hotel. I simply won't do it. I will gladly check out the best it has to offer!
Hey, I live in New Jersey (home of refineries, NYC's trash, and other things with skunky reputations), so I am not in a position to criticize. I think Cleveland definitely benefits by this win--whether the competition was fixed or not.
ashley
Un-bee-leevable.
I bring up Ruhlman's obvious bias with the pic Ruhlman has on his about page with his buddy Symon.
Lo and behold, yesterday Ruhlman changes the pix, so his partner in crime Symon is no longer there!
New "about" page without Symon: https://ruhlmancom.bigscoots-staging.com/about.html
Old "about" page with Symon: http://web.archive.org/web/20070827210006/https://ruhlmancom.bigscoots-staging.com/about.html
It's not the rigging, it's the amateurish cover-up.
ktdid747
THANKS FoodYenta... guess I get a little bit defensive of my beloved hometown.. ;)--I shouldn't have taken it so darn seriously, it was just one of those days..LOL.. (and, sure, it has both it's good and bad)...we're so used to hearing all the jokes and the bad it's VERY nice to hear something positive coming out of here for a change!
in any case, I thought they were both good and either I would have been happy with (it was just nice to see a homeboy win)
By all means, make a visit sometime!.. LOTS to see and do here! 🙂
ktdid747
>>It's not the rigging, it's the amateurish cover-up.<< oh puhleeeeeease!... (it just goes on and on and on..).. it's a new site redesign (the other chef's pictures that were on the About page are not on there either!...but, honestly, with all the flack, I would've removed the picture on there also..sheeeesh already!...it's Ruhlman's website, he can do what he wants with it). Lordy, it's just entertainment and TV, people, it's not the end of the world, move on with it!..it's not some big conspiracy-how ridiculous. if Besh would have won and our boy Symon didn't, I sure wouldn't have been bit##in' up a storm for days afterwards on this blog about the "unfairness of it all" or whatever...either deserved to win. Some people lose (and, really, Besh didn't lose, he's going to get great exposure from the show), some people win.. that's life...ya gotta learn to go with the flow and not get so freakin' angry over every little thing that, really, in the big picture of things, are not important!!! (:P ---if you don't like it, don't watch it! (but don't ruin it for everyone else who wants to watch it!)
Brad
I'm disappointed to see how discussion here has devolved into rude, whiny, entrenched conspiracy-theory slinging ... mostly (but not entirely) by people with little in the way of their own accomplishments.
It's a sad reality that so many people feel obliged to denigrate their betters in order to make themselves feel a little less inconsequential in their daily lives.
My advice is to spend less time idly sucking at the glass teat (TV) as life passes you buy, and go do something worthwhile and creative and benefical to your fellow man.
Go do what MR does, and challenge yourself to learn/explore new skills, write a book, make a difference ... that way you dont have to be one of the faceless pack of nobodies who nip at the ankles and blogs of their betters.
Go forth and excel, and stop whining. If you're lucky, and talented, perhaps someday you'll be worthy of mention in the same sentence as the people and trendsetters you're carping about.
I'm done with this already overwhipped dead horse. No need to reply.
pappy
Although I'm one of the people who are more interested in the "lamb's tongue" approach to the Food Network, I think Karen's comments are all spot on. I don't think that there's any question that Rachel Ray's food is much closer to what most people might attempt to put on the family dinner table. Same goes for Sandra. It's not where my interest lies, but it's pretty clear that I am no longer the typical FN viewer.
I also think your comment about Fine Living was very insightful. I think that niche channels like FN often start out catering to specialists, but if they get popular they then need to change direction somewhat to keep the current viewership happy. That change then opens up more niche possibilities, and I think we are seeing that with past chefs/shows from the FN moving to the Travel Channel, Fine Living and PBS.
It would have been nice if FN tried to keep some of these shows/chefs as well. I like to think that there was room in the kitchens of FN for everyone. But, apparently not.
As for Rachel Ray it's easy to make fun of her, but it needs to be remembered that the FN didn't pick Rachel as their star, the viewers did. Those of us who don't dig the Ray have this thing called a remote control.
I will say that when it comes to FN I find myself using that remote more and more often, which is sad. But - that's why I pay all that money to Comcast every month: lots of channels!
thefrog
"Posted by: dagoo7 | November 13, 2007 at 03:14 PM"
Uhmmm... you posted a response stating a response to me, however nothing you said seemed like you were responding to a word I said. Just wanted to point that out because I really don't want to be confused with who I think you may be confusing me with.
You do realize that the "Posted by/Date" stamp comes AFTER the comment, right?
Frances Davey
LMAO Ashley. It can't be all about you, if it's all about me.
thefrog
To dagoo7
Sorry, just scrolled down a bit more and see that you may have figured it out now. But I still want to go on record as NOT being the person attributed to that comment.
Karen
I think the 'lamb's tongue' programs (geez, what a visual that is!) are great. I've learned a great deal from them and modified some of the ideas to fit our lifestyle. Love Alton Brown -- he's the science teacher I wish I had -- and I've tidied up some sloppy procedures and shortcuts due to his how-to and here's why approach.
I've only tried one F.N. recipe (tart tatin), but have been inspired by others. We have consciously tried to get out of some dining ruts we had fallen into. That's a good thing!
Rachael, Giada, Emeril, Ina, Sandra, Paula, etc. provide value to some percentage of F.N.'s viewership or they wouldn't be on the air. While I don't personally find Ace of Cakes or 2 Dudes interesting, someone else may. For me, Iron Chef America and other competition shows on F.N. are fascinating to watch. To others? Not so much.
My suggestion to F.N. would be to stop playing repeats through the night and offer fresh programming. There are more people who have recording ability out there than not. If I want to record Wolfgang Puck at 4:00 a.m., I'll do that. I have no idea if ad revenue is still determined during set/peak hours, that might be a determining factor for the endless reruns and infomercials. The current line-up might be too expensive for F.N. to expand their programming.
Regardless of what road F.N. decides to take, there are about 9 million channels out there. Something for everyone.
Christie
Well now that I've had a chance to re-watch the show and digest everything...
I'm not sure what to think. I thought the FN wanted Besh to win, but apparently I was wrong.
I wanted Symon and I'm glad he won, but something doesn't sit right about that whole last episode. I have several issues with it, but so much has already been said that I don't feel the need to go into everything *again*.
I will say, however, that I've had it with The Food Network. I'm tired of their questionable practices on competition shows like The Next Food Network Star and now The Next Iron Chef. I'm also tired of their promoting "celebrities" like Rachael, Guy, etc. Why can't they do shows more like the PBS show, America's Test Kitchen? My guess is that they're more interested in appealing to the average viewer sitting on the couch munching on fast food than the actual home cook who's interested in learning something. I find I can watch an episode of America's Test Kitchen over and over again and pick up something new each time, but I can't do that with ANY Food Network show.
That said, I'll continue to tune into Iron Chef to cheer on Symon, Morimoto and Batali (if he's still on). Otherwise, you can find me in the kitchen practicing the new techniques I've learned on America's Test Kitchen and in Ruhlman's (and other chefs') books.
james morris
I am not going to watch Iron Chef anymore-the fun is gone- now that I believe it is rigged.
james morris
I am not going to watch Iron Chef anymore-the fun is gone- now that I believe it is rigged.
james morris
I am not going to watch Iron Chef anymore-the fun is gone- now that I believe it is rigged.
james morris
I am not going to watch Iron Chef anymore-the fun is gone- now that I believe it is rigged.
DJK
If the final competition was rigged, shouldn't we have seen a Battle Walleye?
Or was the swordfish merely The Nefarious Food Network's attempt--futile, of course--at distraction? Oh, if it wasn't for you meddling kids...
Frances Davey
I love Ace of Cakes because of the people. There is something about Baltimore - that entire crew is like an Anne Tyler novel come to life.
Ms.Anthrope
Actually, after reading some of the comments, I am more convinced than ever that Oliver Stone has something to do with this whole thing.
marc
warrior,battle,sword...fish...come on it's supposed to be fun.
AC
Thanks, Michael, for your candor. The Donatella comment probably could have been softened, but I can't very well praise your candor then dis your delivery, can I?
Anyway, even though it was "just a TV show," your comments show that you took your judging position seriously. I generally don't like reality programming, but I was sufficiently impressed with the professionalism of the contestants in the first show to continue watching. I distinctly remember Symons saying (ironically, during the episode in which the contestants were admonished by Alton about being too nice to each other) that he wanted to win on the merits of his cooking, not by sabotage or wishing the downfall of his competitors. Despite (or maybe because of) the quality of the contestants and the seriousness of the judging, Food Network got what they wanted - a very good chef with a great TV personality. It seemed that with the two finalists, they really couldn't lose that one.
I was sorry to see the melee that your comments section turned into, but this is the usual consequence of the intersection of reality TV and the internet. I'm sure it will settle back down once the subjects return to your more typical literary/food intersection.
Have a great time on your book tour and I look forward to reading more!
Skawt
I know Ruhlman asked people to at least try to be civil to each other, but when there are accusations of a "cover-up" because the site redesign no longer has Symon on the about page, I'm beginning to think that PEOPLE SHOULD STOP HAVING SEX WITH THEIR COUSINS.
Some people seriously need to put the crack pipe down, drill a hole in their heads and let the stupid out.
Rachael
Christie-
"I thought the FN wanted Besh to win, but apparently I was wrong."
I don't think you're wrong in the slightest. I think FN definitely really, really wanted Besh to win.
...which is why I'm so darn sure Ruhlman wasn't up to no good or that the show was rigged. If you want to blame someone for getting Symon over a favored contestant then yeah, I think you can easily point the finger at FN- had they left it between the original judges, you would have gotten a verdict you felt more comfortable with. But they chose to include people who had not been around for prior challenges and had only the dishes at the last competition by which to judge. I think it was a fine decision to make but it certainly "cost" Besh the competition, though arguably Besh just didn't pull out all the stops anyway.
Wally
Hmm. Not surpising that Donatella got so pissy with the results. She seemed horny for Besh throughout the whole competition.
Corey Haim & Eggs
@skawt:
Great post!
I agree - no more Jerry Lee Lewis-ing around these or any other parts!
Great blog you have there, skawt.
Corey Haim & Eggs
@ skawt:
"I know Ruhlman asked people to at least try to be civil to each other, but when there are accusations of a "cover-up" because the site redesign no longer has Symon on the about page...."
Word.
If anything, perhaps it was taken down because, well, it's better for people to know that Symon earned his own stripes, and not vis-a-vis Ruhlman et. al.
A cool photo replacement, would be, Ripert eating off of a flat-knife: the dude is such a badass!
Christie
Rachael: I understand your point. 🙂 Just to be clear, I *did* want Symon to win, but after watching the final episode AND reading Ruhlman's and Knowlton's blogs, I was left scratching my head. I'm thrilled for Symon but sad for Besh. I do believe overall it was very, very close (the entire comptetition taken as a whole) and a case could be made for either Symon or Besh winning.
Karen & Pappy: Excellent insights/posts about the Food Network! You both hit the nail on the head. I agree, I don't like the direction they're going, but then I'm not their typical viewer. (At least not anymore.)
John Sinclair
Saw it again. Still annoying.
The usual scoring method was eliminated. Okay. But then nothing was put in its place? And we never heard any IC say, "Symon's food was better than Besh's." Not one.
Nor did we get to see that the regular judges tasted and evaluated the dishes, too, AND that they unanimously agreed that Besh won the day (even Ruhlman gave him the edge there--if not the huge margin Donatella and Andrew did).
No comments about Symon being best. No vote tally. Not letting the audience know that the regular judges DID taste the final meals.
So...No criteria from anyone to tell us clearly why Symon won and Besh lost.
FN Sucks.
Bwana
The thing that keeps coming back to me is:
1. How Ruhlman in his "reach" book described how Cat Cora was all about the "branding", and seemingly not so much about the cooking.
2. How in the finale as televised Cora kept praising Symon's food as "Iron Chef" type dish-with lots of adjectives like daring, aggressive, and not as much about the flavor...as if even on a show to select the next IC she was more interested in branding than in the food.
Frances Davey
Was Cat Cora even mentioned in The Reach of a Chef? I finished the book last week and don't recall. And I have to ask again, why would Dorothy Hamilton bother featuring her on Chef's Story (notable alumni including the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Daniel Boulud) if she was such a talentless hack?
Salvie
I'm pretty sure our friend Ashley has a chemical imbalance.
Auralais
I saw Anthony Bourdain at a booksigning tonight in Santa Cruz, and someone asked him what he thought about the NIC outcome. He said he's been travelling to tape upcoming episodes of No Rez, and hadn't seen any episodes after it got down to Symon/Besh/Cosentino/Sanchez. He asked who had won the competition and when the audience told him Symon, he did that "Yes!" move where you raise your fist and then pull it back towards your body. But then he said he thought all 4 of those guys were great chefs. Someone asked him about Ruhlman and Knowlton, and he riffed on the hair again: "It was like watching Charlie's Angels up there at the judging booth."
So I guess we'll have to wait for his guest blog commentary till he gets around to watching repeats.
;(
Oh, AND he was awesome. Hilarious, engaging, snarky and even sexier in person than on TV.
kina
Hey, Ruhlman. Maybe if you did something like this (Padma), you wouldn't be getting so much shit about your stint on NICA these days............
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/video/2007/padmalakshmi_video200712
OTownFoodie
Honestly, I believe Symon won because FN wanted him to win. If you've been keeping up with FN (like it or not), you know that FN's current target audience is college age males. To that end, putting Michael Symon on IC clearly achieves that goal. Of all the NIC competitors, he has the most appeal to young men.
Now ask yourself, isn't it odd that the majority of the season-long judges voted for John Besh yet the current ICs voted for Michael Symon? I don't think so. I think they all voted for Michael Symon because that's what FN told them to do.
Frances Davey
"Was Cat Cora even mentioned in The Reach of a Chef? I finished the book last week and don't recall."
I went back and found where she was highlighted. I've been reading so many different things lately that I forget where I've read what. I don't see where his description of her exploits disqualifies her as an authority on what makes a good Iron Chef though.
resolvablenebulae
Well, it's November 18th and I am commenting again about Next Iron Chef. Pathetic? Perhaps. Obsessive? Perhaps. Avoiding a great deal of other work that needs doing? Most definitely.
In any case, I watched the Besh vs Batali episode yesterday (see above) and heard Besh say, when asked with whom he wanted to compete, something like "I want to compete against the BEST chef in America and that means Mario Batali" (I'm paraphrasing). But if I were one of the other Iron Chefs I'd be vaguely offended, frankly. And Batali wasn't part of the judging - he's obviously leaving the Iron Chef team - so there must be some alienation happening there.
I wouldn't be surprised if the remaining Iron Chef gang, such as they are, just wanted to work with Symon because they got along better with him. I was really rooting for Besh but Symon obviously seems to have a lot of talent; I'd like to try his Greek restaurant in NY - etc etc.
There's my diplomatic resolution. I feel better now, and watching Alton's informative bird-brining episode isn't as plagued with cognitive dissonance. (That "Food Network's bitch" comment was pretty hilarious though.)
Well, Happy Thanksgiving, fellow psychos. (Particularly you folks who spent 6 paragraphs telling everyone else to "lighten up" and "get a life." You guys are funny.)
Perhaps I'll go ahead and purchase Ruhlman's book now...
Hmm, that WAS a clever marketing scheme!
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@resolvablenebulae:
Speaking firsthand (having eaten at all the NYC establishments of the ICAs - those who have them, that is) and IMNSHO, Batali was - and still is - the best chef on ICA, and one of the Top 5 in the US.
If Besh feels Batali is the best, he's likely better qualified to make such a call, even if it's subjective.
For the Flay-floggers, he may be as charming as a dull copper penny, but that man can cook, and I like how he subverts his FCI training with his SXSW approach and aesthetic: it's like telling the establishment of cuisine, "écheveau vous infiniment pour me permettre dedans à votre école à cuire," and, yeah, I can do that, but check this out."
I like that Flay has made cuisine accesible to all, and just another co-opted, exclusionary, elitist flagship in the Ivory Tower's Armada.
Some may wince at what he does, and I can empathize, but the best food is peasant food - elevated or otherwise - and since that is the case, it's important to rememeber that in general, as well as that, indigenous cultures could give a flying fuck about cuisine or cooking becoming an academic discipline.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@Chance:
"I like that Flay has made cuisine accesible to all, and just another co-opted, exclusionary, elitist flagship in the Ivory Tower's Armada."
Fuck, wish there was a way to edit a post without having to repost, but, above, I meant to write:
"I like that Flay has made cuisine accesible to all, and *NOT* just another...."
Keyword is NOT.
Thanks.
Frances Davey
Chance, I'll bet you a dollar that you CAN remember what you read last week, unlike some... :/
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@Frances:
I don't know what I can remember, really, Frances.
However, I will say... Susan Spicer would be very cool to have on ICA.
Sure, we all know that TV in general is ratings and advertisment driven, but the vehicle doesn't have to stall, so to speak.
There should be room for different personalities -- I consider that level of diversity to be as important as any other (gender, race etc.) provided it is based on ability and talent, and not on PC-concerns.
On that note, I watched what I believed was the first or inaugural episode, of ICA, and I'll cut Symon some slack regarding his so-called "personality made for TV" that he, and not Besh, supposedly has: at least, according to many here who believe Symon was more charismatic etc.
Sometimes it (charisma) is a given, sometimes it's all about context, often it's subjective, at best. And it wasn't evident last night.
If the selection of ICs is about ratings and selling advertising, then, ICA is not about food, but revenues and crass commercialism.
That does not piss me off - we live in a capitalist society, so we deal with it, no matter what. What pisses me off, is, how that is parsed according to one's personal preferences -- on one hand, there's the camp that will conveniently excuse the commercial greed, if it's the cook or chef they prefer.
On the other hand, others will condemn the commercialism, if, and only if, it's not the cook or chef they prefer.
Again, for me, I don't care about the commercialism - although, I do believe there is a tasteful and tasteless approach to ratings and revenue. Rather, I care about the type of cook or chef on such a show, and is said culinary ace can elevate the quality and language of food, while also making both accessible and inclusive: there's nothing worse than someone who is genuinely curious, shying away due to not knowing enough, or being self-conscious of such a lack of knowledge on a particular subject.
Because, each time such a person does shy away, that's one less person, who, not only wanted to take a chance to be involved in the process, but one less person who will now likely never partake, due to the exclusivity, and the boxing out that comes with such claiming of territory.
To me, finding that person who fits the above description, is infinitely more important than continuing to cater to the same pretentious, elitist "foodies," who stake their cool on having discovered sweetbreads and porkbellies -- and who think that being a part of a melting pot society is, visiting Chinatown and Koreatown - when countless, unheralded and unknown folks have been doing so as a WAY OF LIFE, well, there's just something really wrong in and of itself, right there and then.
To put this another way, I do not know how many people FN is truly educating about cuisine (high, low, middle brow, whatever) or about how Food Fast is nto synonymous w/ Fast Food.
I only know that, those -- chefs, tv personalities, and every day consumers of "other" food -- often do not attempt to teach others, but instead, belittle them for what they do not know: again, as if dining on offal is a guarantee of inclusion in some gold-gilded dome which houses a pantheon of nose-to-tail eaters.
Flay may be abrasive (he's great with kids), but he does teach as they televise. Ditto Batali. But I don't see folks like Cora, Morimoto et. al. having that same gift or reach. I hope that Symon, as he gets comfy, will also prove to be a natural when it comes to combining culinary wizardry with pedagogy.
PS: Is there a good Food-related board or list, where many here are found there, and one can post about different topics? Thanks in advance.
Anglophile
Chance,
Try eGullet dot org.
You'll find what you're looking for.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
Anglophile,
Thank you very much - appreciated, and hope to "see" you and other folks here, over there.
I just didn't want to be rude to Ruhlman and fellow readers here, but this blog is so good that, you want to get tangentially on topic, so to speak 😉 and thanks to all who patiently put up with and off topic diversion (of angels!)
Claudia
I wonder if Besh meant to say that the best chef in America COOKING ON IC is Batali? Wouldn't you kind of think that the best chef in America is Thomas Keller?
Oooh, BTW - did anyone notice that there were only 3 IC blown-up portraits up behind the chefs last night - Flay, Cora and Symon? Or were Batali's and Morimoto's off to the side somewhere?
mary-cry
this doesn't have to do with final - but you remember when aaron sanchez commented that someone took all the lemongrass ? well no one's dish seemed to have lemongrass as a component what-so-ever.
i really loved the series and the chefs (which made it all worthwhile). the producers, the editing, the whole not talking about the end result (.ie. food) so much - sucked. it could have made this way better. ( who the f is donatella anyway - )
btw, ruhlman i respect somewhat the whole clear soup thing but really i think it's too late and we have to accept coined fancy food terms that aren't really always accurate. thomas keller does it. everyone does it. it's just food. make it sound good or don't, but let it always taste good.
chef jw
Claudia, there is no way that you can just throw out any name for best chef in America. Personally, my opinion is that while what Thomas Keller does is very refined there are a lot more interesting chef's who put more personality into their food (some of which cooked under Keller for a long time).
There is strong evidence that Batali is making a clean break with FN period. He will be missed, but I can't blame him really.
Also, to comment on Chance's last post - I sympathize but also think that in whatever professional world you enter you always have to deal with pretentions and insecurity. Those that cannot overcome their insecurities will not have the strength to endure a lot of life's challenges. It's up to the individual to possess a confidence to embrace that which you do not know and be greatful for any opportunity to learn and to always really believe in yourself. There will always be challenges.... let's just have fun with it.
resolvablenebulae
@chance -
I agree wholeheartedly that it was Besh's prerogative to judge who he thought was the best chef on ICA, I merely suggested that such a declaration may have piqued the others ever-so-slightly...although this is sheer speculation.
The fact is, youre right, it's all smoke and mirrors! Who knows what's really going on behind the scenes! Perhaps someone can disabuse me of this but I'm beginning to think that the chairman is just - an actor! That he doesn't really have a rich uncle! That it wasn't really he who made up all those Herculean tests in the first place!
My theory is that it's all Alton Brown. He pretends just be just an outside observer, an innocent nerd just helping things run smoothly, but I'm convinced that he's behind every decision the Food Network makes.
In fact I think he may be getting advice from Dick Cheney. I thought I saw Cheney behind Jeffrey Steingarten during Battle Blue Foot Chicken. In fact I think Steingarten may BE Cheney in disguise! Think about it!
Don't get me wrong, I love Jeffrey Steingarten. But I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me.
And neither does Cheney. See?
Hmm...I think it may be time to take a break from this thread and get started on the thanksgiving prep.
Frances Davey
@ resolvablenebulae (before you take a break):
This bears repeating because it may be the funniest thing I've read in a long time:
Alton Brown (official title, but we know better) - An Innocent Nerd Just Helping Things Run Smoothly.
Claudia
Chef JW:
It has been my contention for a while that, despite his protests to the contrary, Batali WAS going to make a clean break with FN. I just wanted to see if anyone had noticed a Batali blow-up photo on the set that I might have missed. The fact that it is missing - as Batali himself was, from the final judging - lends some credence to the NY Post report that he was "outta there" November 18. (Yes, even though he taped 2 final battles yet to be aired.)
Ooooo, Cheney as Steingarten - now THERE'S a conspiracy theory for you, Nebulae! Had to laugh - time for both of us to get back to our TG prep (!)
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@chef jw:
"Also, to comment on Chance's last post - I sympathize but also think that in whatever professional world you enter you always have to deal with pretentions and insecurity. Those that cannot overcome their insecurities will not have the strength to endure a lot of life's challenges. It's up to the individual to possess a confidence to embrace that which you do not know and be greatful for any opportunity to learn and to always really believe in yourself. There will always be challenges.... let's just have fun with it."
WORD to the nth, chef jw: thank you for that, there above. I reckon your drift to be true --although, I simultaneously find, a continuous (or a continuum of the) oneway vanilla my-way- or-the-highway in culinary discourse.
However, as you stated in so many words, there is a lesson to be learned in every moment.
Regarding those who cannot overcome their insecurities, sometimes -- oftentimes -- it's not as simple as that. Particularly when it comes to marginalization and co-optation: for those who think neither/nor occurs in cuisine, think again, please.
Alas.
But we move on -- we have to -- or one remains mired in the bog of [name a] pathology.
Happy Thanksgiving (to all, and to all a good night.
Chance (Is I Am Or I Know Your Boss)
@resolvablenebulae
"My theory is that it's all Alton Brown. He pretends just be just an outside observer, an innocent nerd just helping things run smoothly, but I'm convinced that he's behind every decision the Food Network makes."
Hehe... interesting theory (and he's great at it, too.)
"In fact I think he may be getting advice from Dick Cheney. I thought I saw Cheney behind Jeffrey Steingarten during Battle Blue Foot Chicken. In fact I think Steingarten may BE Cheney in disguise! Think about it!
Don't get me wrong, I love Jeffrey Steingarten. But I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me."
Hahaha -- this is TOO funny -- love the comparison between the two. I dig JS, too (IMO, he should have been one of the judges on NICA). I think JS loves JS 😉
"And neither does Cheney. See? "
Oh, just cook with the flag waving, and it'll all be good again!
"Hmm...I think it may be time to take a break from this thread and get started on the thanksgiving prep."
Same here.
But, it's not turkey, but roast duck and roast pork (along with some trad. sides).
On the next NICA, how about Susan Spicer, John Besh, Marcus Sammuelson, David Cheng (I don't know if he'd buy in to it, though) and Ming Tsai, Lydia Shire, and Gabrielle Hamilton, going at it for the Top Prize?
tyronebcookin
I watched all the Next Iron Chef epsiodes back to back (my dad recorded them on DVD for me) and even if you want argue the skill or education level of these two, Besh and Symon...I would say that with the advantage of having watched them all in row, nonstop, like a marathon...even if everything came out even -
Michael still has the best charisma, character, and personality (for Iron Chef TV presence) to keep it interesting and 'festive' during that one hour crunch, while putting out quality food.
He WAS the entertaining factor 'cliche', quotes & comedy mouth throughout the episodes except for John's star moment/episode with "I got a bad feeling...".
*On a side note I have to wonder what would/could have been if Morou could get past his 'everything separate on one plate' fetish, or if Aaron could have got away from Latino flavors and 'puppy dog' faces (more smiles on camera unless they left them all on the cutting room floor)...but alas, we shall not know.
But interestingly enough none of my prior personal thoughts changed much at all even after watching them back to back.
tyrone
Tom
I love your books and find you to be a most articulate commentator and judge. Regardless, I have some dissatisfaction with the FN and yourself in how the NIC competition wrapped up.
Either Symon or Besh would have been excellent selections for the NIC. I still am displeased that the Finale show was advertised (extensively) as a "Winner-take-all". If so, the choice should have been made exclusively based upon the food prepared during the finale. Past records would not have counted. Counting the votes of judges who did not eat the food prepared during the finale was, in my oopinion, inappropriate.
As far as your impartiality regarding Symon, you may have been as fair as humanly possible. Regardless there is a appearance of conflict of interest as you have a financial stake in his success, i.e. how many copies of a "Soul of a Chef" have been sold so that IC fans can read about Symon. The historic reference of Caesar's wife comes to mind where (paraphrasing) it isn't good enough to be impartial but you also need to appear impartial. Frankly, the only way you could have accomplished that would have been to recuse yourself from voting in the final.
Rajesh
I felt throughout the competition that besh outshined everyone.Besh even had the personality for good television. As I recollect Besh had beaten Bobby Flay hands down in the Iron Chef battle. What I presume is that Cora and Flay cast their vote for Simon because he would not be that challenging to them in the food network organization whereas Besh has the right ingredients for becoming a food network star. Case in point, Symon never took off. He was dull in the season he was in charge of Dinner Impossible. The food network had to give the show back to chef Irvine.
In a nutshell, Flay and Cora voted for Symon as they felt that Besh would have overshadowed them in the Food network.