Commercial Interruption: "Top Chef"

Sometimes there's just too much television for one Channel Surfing blogger to handle.

That's when we need a break to sit back, relax and indulge in some friendly back-and-forth (via email of course, we don't actually like to speak to one another in person). Today we debut a hopefully ongoing feature called "Commercial Interruption" where two or more bloggers get the opportunity to dissect an ongoing show. Our first subject is Bravo's "Top Chef." We have the viewpoint of a tried and true fan - Malavika Jagannathan - and a newer inductee to the "Top Chef" world - Thomas Rozwadowski - to chew on the season thus far.

Don't worry, this won't replace our earlier, feistier Idiot Boxing feature and we will throw the occasional jab or insult to spice things up.

Malavika: So I'm just thrilled to have someone - anyone - with whom I can discuss the shenanigans of "Top Chef." Having watched for three seasons by myself, I'm bursting with all sorts of wisdom I've gleaned from watching them several times over. (Listen, it's not my fault Bravo runs marathons of all its shows practically every week).

No two seasons are alike, of course, but season four is shaping up much more like season one with a few hopeful glimmerings of personality clashes, but a healthy focus on the food.

Critics slammed season two - perhaps the most raucous season of all so far - because some felt it came down to a personality contest between eventual winner and Spanish food enthusiast Ilan and arrogant, foam-obsessed Marcel. Season three took it down a notch, although the winner Hung was no one's favorite.

As a new watcher, are you looking forward to more personal conflict or are you satisfied with a clean and by-the-rules competition as it's been so far?

Thomas: Having become addicted to the Food Network, I was hoping to see plates I'd actually want to eat before personalities I'd want to meet. (Did you like my clever rhyme?) I enjoyed "The Next Iron Chef," and that was almost all food-oriented since it appeared that all the contestants already knew each other and weren't interested in stabbing someone in the back for a chance to work with Bobby Flay or Cat Cora.

"Top Chef" feels a little more like amateur hour, so these people have a lot to prove, and therefore will stop at nothing to reach that next rung. Take Dale, who is so egocentric, but actually produces some delectable dishes. Clearly, he has no interest in making friends. Dude just wants to win. I respect that, even if I'm probably rooting against him the most right now because he isn't humble enough.

I love that it's in Chicago. I like the fact that there isn't a clear cut favorite right now. Stephanie has won two challenges. Richard thinks outside the pan (?) and seemed to be a cut above until last week's paella debacle. To be honest, I'm still getting to know these people's names. I'm just glad Erik got the axe. Based on his plate presentation, I think I'd prefer eating at Arby's than the restaurant he's executive chef at. Yikes.

Malavika: For the record, I hate Bobby Flay.

The great thing about "Top Chef" is that it's really difficult to predict the winner based on the first few challenges. Virtually impossible. One of last season's two finalists didn't win a challenge until well into the last rounds of competition and one bad dish can send an otherwise good contender home.

I see some promise in both Richard and the New Zealand dude (yeah, I'm with you on the names - I thought Eric or Erik was actually the hot-but-slightly-dense guy whose name turns out to be Ryan), both of whom have experimented a bit with their dishes successfully. Other than that, though, it could be anyone's game.

Like you, I love the fact that this season is in Chicago, but I'm hoping they do a bit more with the local cuisine - and not just hot dogs and deep dish pizza.

My one beef (get it? beef?) with the show is often the judging seems random. Like why wouldn't you send blue-tinted-glasses-chick who made the turd-like mushroom dish home? What's the logical explanation for that? But I love Tom Collichio. He's a meaner Tim Gunn and one look at his face usually tells you exactly what he thinks about a dish.

Thomas: You hate Bobby Flay? He could add Chipotle to a piece of turd and I'd ask for seconds.

Yeah, I'm definitely liking the open-endedness of it. I mean, that New Zealand guy was left for dead early on, then proceeded to forget an ingredient at the Farmers Market before winning that day's challenge.

I'm wondering what your take on the block party judging was. I get the whole "good food is good food" argument, but it did seem like the losing Red Team added a festive dimension to the proceedings and approached it with a sense of commonality. I mean, the corn dogs bombed and all, but the dip bar seemed pretty cool, same with the S'mores. I don't know. I'm not a food expert by any means, nor do I eat daring fare just to get points from culinary snobs. But sometimes basic dishes can be pretty awesome. If it was as close as the panel made it out to be -- and they were hard on the Blue Team - I think you should give points to the people who put on a show, connected better, and had some fun doing it.

Blue-tinted-glasses chick also couldn't make Mac and Cheese. MAC AND CHEESE! She's either going home tonight or winning the Elimination. I don't think there's a gray area with her.

Malavika: You clearly are no connoisseur. Come on! You gotta take Molto Mario over Bobby Flay.

If blue-tinted-glasses chick doesn't go home tonight, I'll eat a piece of raw meat. Speaking of that, I've been disappointed that they've never done a challenge on cooking a purely vegetarian meal - something I think that baffles most chefs and most people in general.

I thought the block party judging was pretty weak, but it brings up a perennial dilemma that contestants face on some of these challenges - do you cook for the audience or do you cook for the judges? According to the judges "good food is universal," but the success of a sophisticated dish among the common folk and experienced chefs is very different. More often than not, the team or chefs who choose to cater to the audience lose out because what they make turns out to not be sophisticated enough for the judges.

Who gets your vote to be axed tonight (other than blue-tinted glasses chick)?

Thomas: Yeah, kudos to Spike for calling out the judges and their sophisticated palates. I mean, the food may have been horrible, and Erik certainly deserved the axe - if only because he can't follow rules and refused to whip up anything but a "street" taco in the Quickfire. But the block party folks should have been given part of the vote, and the show didn't really indicate whether they were consulted or not.

Who should go home? As I'm looking at cast pictures on the Top Chef Web site, I couldn't even tell you what Lisa has done on the show. "Mimbo" Ryan, who you'd keep safe just because he's "hot," is a walking disaster. So unless he seduces Ted Allen, I don't think he has much of a shelf life on the show. Antonia hasn't impressed me, either, and c'mon, Manuel couldn't even win the taco challenge! Way to make your ancestors proud, dude! I also kinda want Zoi gone because the way she spells her name is annoying. And she kinda looks like Liz Phair, which I also find annoying, but purely for the abomination that is "Why Can't I?"

But blue-tinted-glasses chick - can we shorten that to BTGC or just call her Nikki? - so clearly doesn't belong, she's either going to luck out with a convenient challenge (though she was really bragging up her Mac and Cheese last week before it transformed into a cold yellow paste) or flame out in monumental turd-mushroom fashion ... again. I called Erik's departure before the show even started last week, so I'll stick with my gut ... which is really hungry, by the way.

And if BTGC doesn't go home, you're not eating raw meat. I'll stick a pack of hot dogs or the Baconator on your desk tomorrow. THAT's a vegetarian's worst nightmare, is it not?

Malavika: OK, so Ryan's kind of a dim bulb. I mean, even I knew what chicken piccata was. But he's pretty, and, let's be honest, pretty people rule the world.

My vote is definitely for BTGC (yay for abbrevs!) and Zoi for no other reason than the fact that her name is just made up. All this talk about food is making me hungry. I refuse to eat a Baconator. I think I'd eat actual bacon before I'd eat that.

Thomas: But the Baconator has actual bacon AND two grease laden slabs of meat! Still hungry?

"Top Chef" airs on Bravo at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays.

-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette and Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com