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Top Chef Season 3 Episode 8

Restaurant Wars

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8.5

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 8/15/07

The chefs are told that they must create the perfect burger. Then, they must create a new restaurant concept, including a great menu. Chef Daniel Boulud is the guest judge.

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

A burger quickfire where a seafood burger wins and only Howie makes it into the final four with a real burger.

8.0

By QuakertownBob, Aug 18, 2007

This was sort of who was the worst in the setting up the new place and the execution. There was one or two good things but each place had major flaws. It was disaster 101 and to be honest with only 1 day to get things done, not all that bad, but the cooking should have been much better.

The scented candles at the table were disgusting, Trey bombed on his dish and knew it, Howies risotto was just not good, what more can happen. Oh yeah, it was so bad they could not pick a loser so we can see this again.moreless
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Unexpected Endings!!

10

By namibia574, Aug 16, 2007

Well this was a great show. I love the challenge. Originally they had to create a burger. I believe CJ won this challenge and got to pick his team for the elimination challenge. Elimination challenge was the restaurant wars where two teams of people have to create their own restaurant. Howie, Hung, Sara M., and Dale create "The Garage" and CJ, Brain, Tre, and Casey create "April". Both teams have their share of problems. "The Garage" crew first of all has Howie. Dale designs the restaurant like its a massage parlor and other stuff. "April" crew I don't think delegated their activities well. Tre ended up with too much on his shoulders. Brian was flustered about being in the front house and sweating in the process. Just a lot of similar things out of place in both restaurants so for the elimination challenge the judges made them do a do-over! Very surprising. I really couldn't pick who I wanted to go home since there was so many mistakes everywhere. Everyone stayed. Great Show!moreless
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Gourmet burger quickfire, and the classic 'open a restaraunt' for the "elimination" challenge.

8.5

By edtajchman, Aug 16, 2007

(spoilers) So the quickfire challenge is to make burgers and two-thirds of the chefs make seafood burgers? Well I guess a seafood burger did win. I am blaming this on Brian though, who, big surprise went the seafood route again. C.J. finally wins one, but no immunity this time. Like it matters though, because no one was sent home! I did think the restaraunt challenge was a bit unfair because they honestly did not give enough time for the first team to prepare. This probably influenced their decision not to send anyone home. Me? I would have had no trouble sending one of these three chefs home, Sara, Howie, or Brian. Brian completely lost it, it was obvious he was out of it and unable to finish his assignment in the front of the house. You match that with the consideration that they had previously asked him to branch away from the seafood thing, and he still did a (lousy) seafood burger,... he should of been sent home. Sara again amazingly escapes the chopping block even though her dish was again unmemorable and her menu was completely too rich. I was amazed though that her and Howie weren't at each other's throats this time. Howie completely failed with his risotto, and the fact that he didn't know that, should of sent him home as well. P.S. There was a table that Dale was serving, I believe where the "blogger" was, with a man sitting across from her that really came out looking like a pompous jacka*s. He said "if that's a vegtable medley then I'm a monkey?" more like an orangutan. The woman was clearly embarassed to be with him.moreless
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"Restaurant Wars" is a challenge one has seen in prior seasons, but ends in a twist this season.

7.3

By jrgreenmd, Aug 16, 2007

"Restaurant Wars" is a challenge one has seen in prior seasons, but ends in a twist this season.

Without spoilers, the show starts with an unusual quickfire with an unexpected prize. The burger challenge recipes are among the best of the episode and the season.

The elimination is a bit anti-climatic, and will turn off some. It is however, gives a bit of character development, a lead in to the next episode, and a series of errors.

For those who like "Top Chef," the episode will serve as a bridge. For new viewers, it will be a bit of a let down.moreless
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Restaurant wars begins but finishes not quite as expected.

10

By Starghella, Aug 16, 2007

This episode was great! The two teams both were pretty bad because they didnt think about the overall restaurant quality or cohesiveness. I am really excited that they decided to give the teams a do over because I think that a second day will be more indicative of what they can actually do. However, I do want to point out that season 1 had this very same challenge and they were able to pull it off beautifully to the point that it was hard to choose the winner in a good way as opposed to this season where it was hard to choose the winner in a bad way. i think they need to start stepping up their quality a bit. The chefs really need to pull it together.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Padma Lakshmi	Host/Judge
Ted Allen	Judge
Tom Colicchio	Head Judge/Co-Host
Brian Malarkey	Season 3 Contestant
C.J. Jacobson	Season 3 Contestant
Casey Thompson	Season 3 Contestant

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Daniel Boulud

Guest Judge

Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- Because the Judges had some many problems with both teams' restaurants, no one was sent home. Instead, they are told that they have just had their "soft opening", and they will be doing it all over again for the next Challenge!
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- Each team got two servers to help, rather than one, which is what the previous two seasons got during their "Restaurant Wars" Challenge.
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QUOTES (0)
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NOTES (6)
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- International Air Dates:
  Australia July 16, 2008 on Arena
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- At the Judges' Table, Ted Allen read one of Andrea Strong's comments that Brian should "Get thee some Right Guard". The manufacturers were apparently so stoked by the mention that they sent a case of the stuff each to Ted and Brian, but Ted wants to send his to Andrea, since they were her words he was reading. He also mentions that in fairness to Brian, he may have been sweaty but he smelled just fine!
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- This is the second time in the run of Top Chef that no one is sent home after an Elimination Challenge. The first time was in the second season episode "Less Is More".
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- Christopher Ciccone, the brother of Madonna, had an uncredited cameo in this episode as one of the diners. He is the one who said, "And if that's a vegetable medley, I'm a monkey". Christopher would appear as Design Consultant in the next episode "Second Helping".
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- Lee Anne got a call during the middle of the cheftestants' dinner service saying that she and her team needed to get over to the server station and bus the dirty dishes piled up from both restaurants. She was angry about it, because she had been a server herself, and knew that one of the cardinal rules of serving is never have empty hands- take plates of food from the kitchen, bring back an armful of dirty ones to the dishtank! She knew it was an immediate safety hazard, so she did what needed to be done, but had some choice words for both Brian and Dale about it!
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- The Judges strongly criticize Howie for using cream in his risotto, among other things. But Tre used cream in the risotto he made for the first Challenge which he won, and the Judges raved about his dish!
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