Top Chef 2, episode 10 recap

After the high level of drama last week on Bravo's Top Chef, it was a relief to see the chefs acting a bit less aggressively, though the tension was clearly still present. Marcel is a bit of an outcast from the men's apartment because the other guys, with the possible exception of Michael who is so laid back that he is probably just going with the crowd because it is the easiest thing to do, dislike him so much. He spent a bit of time on the roof of the building at the beginning of the episode composing a little rap/poem to try and clear his mind and enable himself to focus. He wasn't the only one trying to buckle down at this point. Elia is the only woman still cooking in this competition and she clearly wants to win it.

The competition kicked off with the quickfire challenge. This week, the chefs had to come up with a Kraft Gourmet Snack, a snack/small plate that used either mayonnaise, Italian dressing or BBQ sauce in some way. There was a bit of grumbling, primarily about the prospect of using mayo in a dish, but the chefs put out some impressive combinations in just 30 minutes.

The guest judge was Mike Yakura, chef at La Coloniale in San Francisco and former judge from one of the episodes last season. He liked most of the dishes that the chefs prepared. The two that did not impress him were the brie and crab quesadilla that Michael made and Ilan's tomato and salmon Napoleon. Both lacked texture, flavor and did not use the Kraft ingredients effectively. Elia's fruit salad on raisin toast with figs, honey, almonds and BBQ sauce was a hit, as was Cliff's steak tartar (Ilan made steak tartar in last week's quickfire), but Sam's sandwich and Marcel's lam kebabs with curry mayo were the two winners. They were both promised a special prize - which turned out to be the honor of choosing teams for the elimination challenge.

Using a challenge that faced chefs last season, as well, this week's elimination challenge asked the teams to plan and open a restaurant capable of serving 24 people in 24 hours. They were given a totally raw space (the site of uWink), a designer with $700 to decorate it for them and $500 each for supplies and food. The teams were Marcel, Cliff and Elia and Sam, Ilan and Michael.

Sam's team decided to name their "sort of rustic Italian" restaurant Lalalina, a combination of portions of their girlfriends' names. They considered going family style with the food, but seemed to change their mind when they decided on a menu that featured:

• Fried Meatball on Crostini with Parsley Pesto
• Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Walnut-Parsley Pesto
• Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pork Tenderloin and a side of polenta
• Watermelon "gnocci" with bruleed cheese

They served no wine with dinner because they ran out of money in the food budget. They seemed to have no napkins, bread plates or any other "extras" because Michael stuck with the list of things they had made in the apartment and didn't deviate to find any other items, despite having money left in his budget. Ilan worked the front of the house, offering service that was not particularly welcoming to guests.

The judges were less-than-thrilled with the food and the fact that they found an olive pit on their table when they sat down. With the exception of the meatball, they clearly thought that everything was either unimpressive or poorly done. Gail Simmons said that the dessert made her want to vomit (hence, the lack of a recipe). The diners wondered whether the "chef was on crack." They also commented several times that the would have liked wine and pointed out that it is such an integral part of Italian food that they should have planned their budget better to include it.b

Marcel's team started off with a Mediterranean concept, but switched to an upscale diner idea after seeing the tables in the restaurant space and recalling some fantastic burgers that Elia made for them. Naming their restaurant M.E.C., their menu featured twists on some classic diner dishes:

• Beer or root beer floats
• Barbeque Coffee Chicken Wing
• Tempura Vegetables & Mozzarella with Cornichon Aioli
• The M.E.C. Burger with Prosciutto and potato chips
• Oreo Lemon Pie

Cliff took it upon himself to be at the front of the house, though Elia wanted to do it, to give himself a challenge. He was clearly a fish out of water and seemed disinterested in serving and expediting to/from the kitchen. His slow service causes some complaints from the diners and caused Elia to overcook a few burgers, but his role was not the only reason the judges were unhappy (although the waiting really seemed to irritate them).

The judges hated the chicken wing, which seemed silly, messy and was undercooked. The tempura veggies, on the other hand, were the best dish of the night. Both were prepared by Marcel. The diners commented that Elia's burgers were "more like meatloaf" than hamburgers and while the judges were not impressed by them, judge Mike Yakura did comment that they had a nice crispness to their exterior and the chefs, from both teams, loved them. The Oreo dessert was not a hit, ether.

When it came time to decide who the winner would be, the judges decided that both teams performed so poorly that there would be no winner in this round. Marcel, Elia and Ilan, who seemed to do the lion's share of the work for their teams, were told that they were safe from elimination. Cliff as criticized for his service, which didn't do the kitchen any favors or make the dining experience enjoyable. Sam was told that his ability to put together appealing, cohesive dishes needed work (the watermelon disaster was his idea). Michael was told that he was being carried by his teammates and was the one asked to pack his knives and go.

Next week, we'll find out which chefs are going to the finals in Hawaii, which means that either one or two chefs will be eliminated.

Relive the rest of the season. Check out the recaps here:

• Season Premier
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7
• Episode 8
• Episode 9