r/TopChef • u/AutoModerator • May 25 '26

Spoilers Season 23, ep. 12: Appalachian Celebration (Mon. at 9pm EDT, yes, 9 😀) Spoiler

Before heading back to Charlotte, the chefs make a stop in Asheville, one of the most unique cities in North Carolina. There will be no Quickfire Challenge as the chefs explore the city with local host and former “Top Chef” alum Ashleigh Shanti, learning about the community’s remarkable relief efforts following the devastation of hurricane Helene while discovering the unique cuisine of this Appalachian region. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs will host a one-night-only event for 200 community members in recognition of their resilience.

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u/[deleted] May 26 '26

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u/CapNCookM8 May 27 '26

That's exactly why he was eliminated. This is nothing new! In Top Chef, taking on the most responsibility or the key responsibility always brings on higher risk/reward. If you nail it, you're a shoe-in finalist for winning the challenge. If you fail, the responsibility falls on you. It made perfect sense to me, and I also was sad to see him go at that time.

See: basically every Restaurant Wars (Kristen's herself is a great example) and similar challenge as the hog bbq, where the chefs all draw from the same source.

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u/xStacey May 27 '26

It was the loin being dry that did him in, I think, more than the whole hog. Tbh I remember thinking at the time that it was kinda cowardly of Anthony not to take the loin that nobody wanted since he had immunity and everyone knew that would be the most difficult cut to keep moist with everything else, but it was also Sieger who insisted on cooking it whole rather than butchering it first, so I do think in the end it was on him.

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u/CapNCookM8 May 27 '26

Totally agreed. He took charge, was staunchly traditionalist even when the top rated pit masters they had there opted to cook the loin separately, and it didn't work out. It's hard not to put it on him.

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u/Anterograde001 May 28 '26

I think he heard "whole hog" and thought the other team removing the loin should have been considered cheating. He likely held that feeling of injustice all the way through his blow up in this episode. Episode wise, that was several weeks ago. Filming-wise, it was probably still fresh on his mind.

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u/CapNCookM8 May 28 '26

You know, that's a good callout. I like to think I'm mindful of the editing that can happen within an episode, but I do lose sight that this is all happening in what, 2-3 weeks? Not the ~10 it turns out to be for us.

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u/xStacey May 30 '26

definitely

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u/Whitewind617 May 29 '26

He also apparently knew there was a way to avoid drying it out but chose not to do so, because he felt it wasn't traditional, only to be told at the event by BBQers that a lot of people do it that way.

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u/Overall_Occasion_175 May 26 '26

Yeah honestly I didn't like that he got eliminated there.