In “Top Chef recap: Boston’s Bravestes and Finest,” John Vilanova recaps the problems that led to Joy’s elimination:
“Joy’s veal chops are a disturbing shade of pink, and the vanilla-on-vanilla (Ron’s idea, though he avoids taking blame for it) has the judges rightly thinking “sweet” at the wrong time. All three of these chefs seem like nice people, but their teamwork doesn’t work here, as everyone’s desire to be amenable creates a dish that needed someone to say “no” at various stages throughout its conception.”
When the chef’s gather around the table at the end of the episode, “it was poor, well-meaning Joy who goes home for two unforgivable mistakes: undercooking veal and lacking the confidence she needed to compete,” Vilanova said.
Crump commented on Facebook: “here’s the reality: top chef is a competition, first and foremost. you might compete on a team, but you’re judged as an individual. on the flip side at foode, every single plate we produce, every single guest we serve…we do it as a team. clearly it took too long for me to switch gears but that’s my fault. the judges judged the food and on that night, mine fell short. top chef is the top – and being on the bottom of the top isn’t the worst thing in the world. it stings right now, but by tomorrow morning, when i get to see the folks who support the whole foode team, i promise … i’ll be back to feeling great. but, you know, i’ll probably still cry.”
She doesn’t need to cry for long. There’s always a line of people waiting for a table at FoodE. In the end, your customers are your most important judges.
Crump is a graduate of the nationally accredited Art Institute of Atlanta in the field of Culinary Arts, and has worked with including Bradley Rouse, head chef for the Atlanta Hawks, and Virginia Willis, author of the nationally-acclaimed cookbook, “Bon Appetit, Y’all.” She’s long been a farm-to-table proponent who specializes in researching and preparing locally grown, sustainable foods. She moved from Atlanta to open FoodE, 1006 Caroline St., with business partner Beth Black.
