Last week: I found Jonathan Waxman delightful. So much so that I’ve made a note to visit his restaurant ASAP. Art Smith’s food looked delicious, but safe. That’s good gamesmanship: always make something delicious and safe in preference to something adventuresome and potentially disgusting.
This week: The Champions’ Round commences and, with it, perhaps my luck will change. My money is on Suzanne Tracht to take the whole enchilada (even though I think I’ve seen some spoiler-ish insinuations that Hubert Keller is a lock). I think Michael Chiarello and Art Smith are the weakest of the lot, though Rick Bayless seems apt to lose his head in the heat of the competition. I’m going to wear my prejudices on my sleeve and vote against the Lifestyle Celebrity. I’m guessing they ask Chiarello to do something that doesn’t involve Faking Happy for the camera and he chokes.
Now: In honor of Restaurant Week, I’m off to get treated shabbily while eating indifferently-prepared food at a bad table in a slightly better-than-average restaurant.
[UPDATE] And then: It should be noted that the aforementioned restaurant turned out not to be participating in Restaurant Week at dinner time, although the initial announcement included them and they have done so in the past. They did not see fit to inform us of this before we were sitting at our table and handed our menus (unlike Gramercy Tavern, which reminded me on at least two separate occassions before I arrived that they had opted out this summer.) The meal was nearly three times more expensive than the Restaurant Week price and was, really, quite mediocre.
Procrastiblog 
I think its between Anita Lo and Keller
Comment by Meg — July 30, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
I agree. Which is why you’re probably wrong.
Comment by Chris — July 30, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
do you really have money on this?
Comment by anne — July 31, 2009 @ 7:13 am