Week #9 of Top Chef: Not Tre!!!!! .....

The ninth episode of Top Chef was a real downer for me, as one of my favorite contestants, someone I've enjoyed watching from the start of the third season, was eliminated. The series airs Wednesday nights at nine o'clock (central) on Bravo TV.

Tre is a native of Duncanville, Texas, who currently resides in Cedar Hill. Self-taught, he is Chef de Cuisine at Abacus Restaurant in Dallas. In the first weeks of the season, out of fifteen contestants, Tre had won three - more than a third - of the weekly elimination challenges. And through most of it, he had done it with style and grace, with good manners that were sadly lacking in some of the other contestants. I liked his character a lot, and I enjoyed watching him work ..... you bet, I was rooting for him! ..... the show just isn't as interesting for me, now ..... though there's still Howie - not as charming as Tre, but a strong competitor. Tre's departure also increases the chances for Hung - again, not as charming as Tre, but a strong competitor.

Another interesting point about Top Chef is the media confluence that has come up in the course of this season ..... something that came to my mind in the discussion that followed this post by Eric at Fire Ant Gazette ..... more on Top Chef's confluence, later.