Latest news with #Tristen
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A teary Top Chef finds our final four in Milan
[Editor's note: The A.V. Club will be back to recap next week's season finale.] Top Chef has always had a big ol' heart beating beneath those panic-inducing Quickfires and high-stakes Elimination Challenges. But Bravo's culinary reality competition has seemingly cranked up the burners on its own emotionality in recent seasons, maybe a byproduct of the addition of Kristen Kish (a show host who acutely knows the passion, pressure, and privilege of being a Top Chef champion), or the producers simply savvily clocking that we're all desperate for compassion and community in this garbage-fire of a society. Hell, maybe it's just the Canada of it all. But in a season that's served not only great cooking and kitchen drama but also bone-deep loss, heartfelt support, and true camaraderie between the competitors, Top Chef has become less about stewing rivalries and more comfort-food viewing—i.e. just the kind of dish we need these days. As competitor Tristan Epps noted in this week's episode: 'We looked at past seasons, and everyone is always at each other's throat—we're nothing but hugs and tears.' And there were bittersweet tears and cozy feelings aplenty in the penultimate episode of Top Chef season 22, which saw our four semi-finalists—Epps, Bailey Sullivan, César Murillo, and Shuai Wang—departing the warm, welcoming arms of Canada for the grand-finale backdrop of Milan, Italy. The giddiness of the scenery change was infectious: It was Shuai's first time going to Italy ('I'd move to Europe just for the butter') and César's first time hitting the European continent full-stop. That excitement continued, for us viewers at least, when Kish announced that the final QuickFire challenge of the season would focus on that famously finicky Italian specialty: risotto. We're in Milan, where rice is king, so the inclusion of the notoriously difficult dish was fair, but that doesn't mean our cheftestants were happy to see it. ('Not risotto! I thought I could manifest it out of this competition,' Tristen lamented.) They got a little leg up with a staggered cooking schedule, so no one chef's dish turned gloopy while it waited to meet Tom Colicchio's taste buds. And the largest QuickFire prize yet ($15,000) certainly didn't hurt. With thirty-five minutes on the clock, the competitors turned out two traditional-ish bowls of rice (Tristen's West African-inspired risotto with dressed heirloom tomatoes and charred butter greens, and Bailey's red wine-stained version with Parmigiano, pear and hazelnut gremolata) and two, uh, not. Both César and Shuai ran the risk of poking the bear (a.k.a. Tom) by subbing out rice grains entirely in favor of root vegetables: The former served celery-root risotto with chicken jus and white truffle, and the latter, squash risotto with chanterelles and saffron. 'The word riso means rice!' Colicchio griped during judging, and it goes without saying that neither non-rice bowl won. Instead, it was Tristen's jollof-inspired interpretation that added $15,000 to his season's winnings. ('I made Black people risotto and won!') And now for the biggie: the Elimination Challenge that would secure their spot in the final three. For the occasion, producers tapped into the buzz around the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics by having four medal-winning American athletes—bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, snowboarder Red Gerard, ice-sled hockey player Declan Farmer, and multi-sport Paralympic star Oksana Masters—pair up with the chefs to help them grocery shop. No, it didn't totally make sense, but I did appreciate the sporty supermarket hijinks, from Masters good-naturedly trying to sabotage César's rivals by asking them about their pets to Shuai and Declan struggling to find puffed pastry with their Duolingo-level Italian. The chefs would be using those wares in a three-part head-to-head tournament, each round focused on a different ingredient from Milan or Cortina: the first on polenta, the second on beetroot, and the third on Gorgonzola cheese. After two hours of prep and an additional 30 minutes of cook time in an outdoor courtyard, the Fab Four would serve their penultimate plates to a panel including the Team USA athletes, Top Chef Middle East winner Ali Ghzawi, and two-star Michelin chef Andrea Aprea. If you win the polenta round, good news: You're automatically in the final three. A second finalist will then be added after the beetroot smackdown, with the two last players desperately battling it out over stinky Gorgonzola. Bailey, out for redemption, planned to double down on polenta for both rounds one and three, the latter of which would also include a redo of that bad brûléed Gorgonzola idea from week 11. The ever-creative César coolly decided to do dessert first, with a polenta cake with black-walnut ice cream, though he was stressed that he didn't have enough prep time to turn out the fresh tortillas for his beet tostada second course. Shuai nodded to Chinatown with a barbecue duck-inspired polenta dish and beet dumplings filled with smoked fish. Meanwhile, Tristen toured Caribbean tradition with his cou-cou porridge with spicy Haitian sos and glazed beets with pork belly and beet pikliz, though he felt his Gorgonzola sherbet was far from good enough. ('I'm fucked if I get to the Gorgonzola.') Shuai's nostalgic polenta number won over the paddles of Kristen, Tom, and Gail Simmons, as well as the other judging panelists, immediately entering him into the season's final three. And thankfully for Tristen, he didn't have to get to the Gorgonzola after all, with his smoked beets plate taking it in round two. That left César and Bailey in a head-to-head Gorgonzola duel, an interesting match-up given that I always believed César would make it to the finals and was pleasantly surprised how far Bailey has come. And, seemingly more surprises were in store: Bailey's brûléed Gorgonzola redemption panned out, with her polenta gratinata successfully clinching the third-round win over César's cheese-laced butternut squash casserole. Unsurprisingly, however, was the level of emotion from all involved at seeing César go. 'I was just one away from the final cook. I just wanted that one more,' he sadly declared before making his exit. That weepiness segued into happy tears, though, with the realization that we officially have our final three for Top Chef season 22, with Shuai especially going into the finals strong with the challenge win and an added $15,000 Delta gift card in his pocket. 'It's a wild ride and a very exciting feeling to be standing where you are,' Kristen told him through tears, to which Shuai excellently responded: 'Stop crying, Kristen!' • So what do you think of our top three? Shuai and Tristen have been pretty dominant all season, while Bailey seemed to get a dark-horse edit by producers going into the finale. Does the quirky chef stand a chance? • Did anyone else get a little teary when a ladybug—thought to be a symbol of protection and positive energy from a deceased loved one—landed on Tristen's station during the Elimination cook, or should I set up a call with my therapist? • Given that Milan is one of the premier fashion capitals of the world, our trusty judges trio really stepped up their sartorial game this ep. That leather midi skirt on Gail? That striped overcoat on Kristen? Fantastica! More from A.V. Club 3 new songs and 3 new albums to check out this weekend A teary Top Chef finds our final four in Milan First look at Andy Serkis' animated Animal Farm goes light on Orwellian satire, heavy on Seth Rogen
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Top Chef' tearful elimination in Milan determines the chefs moving on to the Season 22 finale
We reached a big location change for Top Chef, with the remaining four competitors landing in Milan, Italy. They met host Kristen Kish near the famous Duomo di Milano, where this week's competition started with a Quickfire Challenge. The chefs had to present their own version of a risotto dish in 35 minutes and there was $15,000 up for grabs for the winner. But the challenge was not being taken into account to determine who moves through to the finale. Tristen won the challenge making a West African risotto with heirloom tomatoes and charred buttered greens. Moving on to the elimination challenge, Kirsh introduced the three-part heat-to-head tournament, with the chefs tasked with featuring ingredients from Milan, Cortina and places in between. Round 1 was centred around polenta and the winner of that round automatically secures their spot in the finale. The three remaining chefs compete in the next round, focused on beet dishes, and the winner of that round moves on to the finale. Finally, the remaining two chefs move on to the third round of cooking, presenting a dish with gorgonzola cheese. Four Olympians and Paralympians joined Top Chef in Milan. Elana Meyers Taylor, five-time U.S. Olympic medalist in bobsled, Red Gerard, U.S. Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding, Declan Farmer, three-time Paralympic gold medalist in sled hockey, and Oksana Masters, 19-time U.S. Paralympic medalist in para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para cycling and para rowing. Joining the judges panel was Ali Ghzawi from Top Chef World All Stars, and chef and owner of Alee, and Andrea Aprea, chef and owner of Andrea Aprea Ristorante Milano. Round 1 dishes were as follows: Tristen — Cou cou with pwason nan sos and epis-marinated mackerel César — Polenta cake with black walnut ice cream and candied prosciutto Shuai — Five-spice roast duck on creamy polenta Bailey — Creamy polenta with roaster mushrooms, hazelnuts and herbs Each judge held a paddle for the polenta dish they liked the best. Tristen and César each got one vote, Bailey got two votes and Shuai won with three votes, securing his spot in the finale. Ali said it was brilliant and the polenta really stood out. Tom Colicchio said the duck was beautifully cooked. Moving on to the second round, the chef had to complete their beet dishes in 30 minutes, while Shuai got to watch his competitors cook. Tristen — Glazed beets, smoked beet purée, beet pikliz and pork belly César — Beet tostada with chipotle mayo and salsa verde Bailey — Grilled beets with brown butter caper vinaigrette and whipped ricotta At the end of that round, Tristen got a whopping six votes, with César getting three votes for the best dish, and Bailey couldn't get any votes. Kristen said Tristen's dish was "technically flawless," while Tom said Bailey's big flaw was the dish was more cheese forward than beet forward. In the final round to get a spot in the finale, Bailey and César had 30 minutes to make a gorgonzola dish. César — Butternut squash casserole with gorgonzola sauce and sage pesto Bailey — Polenta gratinata with brûléed gorgonzola And in the final deliberation, César was eliminated from the competition. Tom said Bailey's dish was more "focused" on the gorgonzola, which pushed her ahead. And that takes us to the final cook of Top Chef Season 22.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'No accommodation booked or even needed... we'll be celebrating!'
We asked you to tell us how you're travelling to Bilbao for Wednesday's Europa League final against Manchester head of UK football policing, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, told BBC Sport that between 50,000 to 80,000 could be travelling to the Spanish city for the are some of your replies:Nathan: We're flying out tomorrow morning from Bournemouth to Carcassonne, then driving to Irun, where our hotel is. Then we move on to Bilbao from there. Hoping to be in Bilbao by 15:00-16:00. Tristen: 07:15 flight tomorrow morning, then a 16:00 flight back on Thursday. No accommodation booked or I guess even needed - bars and clubs after the game till the early hours celebrating our win, then a coffee shop to wake myself up and sit in the sun till our flight home. With my daughter, Darcey.
Hamilton Spectator
17-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Tristen's story time inspires students in Dwight and offers a real-life lesson in understanding the autism spectrum
What does inclusion look like in action? For Tristen Metcalf, a 28-year-old on the autism spectrum, it's using his lifelong love of books to connect with his community. 'I've read books in the library since I was in school,' Tristen said. His elementary school teacher Miss Cook, he said, had impacted his love for reading and storytelling. As someone who sets personal goals each year through Karis Disability Services , Tristen chose to focus this year on reading aloud to others. On May 9, he brought that mission to life by sharing stories with a Grade 4 and 5 class from Irwin Memorial Public School at the Dwight branch of the Lake of Bays Public Library . 'I have never seen a class of Grade 4/5 (students) that engaged before,' said Carey Rhiness, Tristen's caregiver. 'Tristen is so unique, so interesting and he has so many stories to share.' Rhiness said his animated delivery and personal reflections drew students in. Their teacher, Leslie Hall, said she wasn't surprised by the success of story time with Tristen. 'My students recognize we are all different and we are special,' Hall said. 'We all process the world in different ways and autism is one of those unique, amazing ways that people process it.' After the reading, Hall's students peppered Tristen with questions about his childhood at Irwin and were curious to hear more about his interests and life experiences. While this reading event was a one-time occasion, Tristen, Rhiness, Hall and others voiced a strong interest in making it a more regular activity. 'I know there are kids in the community — especially kids who are neurodivergent — who would really benefit from Tristen reading with them,' said Rebecca Birnie, a librarian assistant at the Dwight branch. She said Tristen seemed to inspire the students, showing them they can pursue their passions and succeed by building on their strengths — just as Tristen continues to do with his love for reading. Tristen has been a regular at the library since he was a kid, always drawn to stories — especially ones about animals and Disney characters. Today, he keeps that love alive with weekly visits to the Dwight branch. 'We've sort of seen him grow up, through those years at public school and then through high school, and now he's a grown man who's working,' Birnie said. 'He's a very valued member of our community and it's been great seeing him grow up at the library.' His mother, Lisa Metcalf, said the library has always been a safe, welcoming space for Tristen, who was diagnosed with autism at a very young age. Early intervention and strong support helped shape his development, though she recalls years of advocacy for inclusion in the classroom. When he was younger, many teachers and educational assistants were 'wonderful,' she said, but there were some who lacked patience, knowledge and understanding. For Lisa, it was often difficult to help people understand that what might look like defiance in autistic behaviour is actually just different ways brains process and respond to the world. But now, she said, 'society is coming a long way in acceptance and accessibility,' which gives her hope for future generations. According to all accounts, Tristen's reading session not only marked a milestone in his ongoing community involvement and commitment to his personal goals, but also demonstrated to young people that individuals with autism can live, thrive and make meaningful connections. 'I couldn't be more proud of him,' Lisa said. Megan Hederson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Huntsville and Lake of Bays for . The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Top Chef' stars face 'make or break moment' with Restaurant Wars, but personal loss left judges in tears
Things took a dramatic turn this week in Top Chef Season 22. Both in the competition and an unexpected update from home for one chef. The guest judges this week were Top Chef Season 11 finalist Nina Compton, chef and owner of Compère Lapin in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Top Chef Canada judge, and CEO and founder of Gusto 54 restaurant group, Janet Zuccarini. They were there to reveal the Restaurant Wars Elimination Challenge, the "make or break moment" for a lot of Top Chef contestants, as host and former contestant Kristen Kish highlighted. In teams, the chefs had to create their own restaurant concept in just 24 hours, a three-course menu with two options per course. Team 1 was Shuai, César, Bailey and Paula, and Team 2 was Lana, Vinny, Massimo and Tristen. The winning team received $40,000. For Team 1, there was consensus to do family style Latin-Italian "grandma" restaurant called Nonna Pipón. And the team seemed to all be on the same page when setting up the restaurant and developing the menu. Tristen, who had immunity from the previous challenge, took the role of executive chef for Team 2, coming up with the idea to a vegetable-forward menu, even though Massimo didn't seem to be on board. Generally speaking, it was clear that there were more tensions in Team 2, from the menu creation to choosing the decor and tableware for their restaurant, which they called Phlora + Phauna. But a sad turn in the competition came when Tristen was told from production that he got a call from home that there was a family emergency. Tristen's step-father had a stroke and was put in an induced coma, but his mom said he wouldn't want Tristen to leave, so he returned to the competition. Then Tristen shared that his step-father died that night. "When somebody believes in you that much, you don't want to let them down," Tristen said. "And so I did not want to disrespect my family by giving up." The dishes each chef created, and judges feedback, were as follows: Nonna Pipón Bailey — Chipotle chorizo arancini with tonnato aioli — Nina highlighted that the breading wasn't too heavy, Gail Simmons said the chorizo was a really powerful flavour Shuai — Frutti di mare with aguachile and chicharrón — Tom Colicchio identified that the seafood was bland César — Ancho braised short rib with polenta, ricotta salata and roasted apples — Nina said the short rib had a lot of flavour, but the consistency of the polenta was "off-putting" Bailey — Cannelloni al forno with toasted pepitas and almond romesco — Tom wanted the sauce to be smoother and Gail added that she had full almonds in her dish Paula — Torta di noci with tres leches — Nina said it was too dense César — Churros with pistachio crème anglaise — Nina said it was dry, Kristen added it was the consistency of a biscuit For Nonna Pipón, the judges wanted Shuai to do more to greet them and explain the food, taking on the role as front of house. And Janet noted that the table was missing sharing utensils to serve the family style food. Phlora + Phauna Lana — Cured and smoked trout with potlikker consommé — Nina enjoyed the broth but didn't like raw greens, Kristen added that the consommé was "beautiful" Tristen — Grilled mushroom escovitch with Canadian bay scallop, ajo blanco and dawadawa — Janet highlighted that it was subtle and light, but also rich and savoury, and Tom said he saw Tristen's "finesse" Lana — Potato celery root and truffle pithivier with lamb jus — Kristen commended the chef's technical work, but Tom said the dough could have been cooked more Vinny — Butternut squash confit with grilled pork and XO sauce — Nina said the pork was perfectly cooked and the squash was excellent Massimo — Corn crémeux with corn ice cream, grilled blueberry condiment and blueberry crisp — Kristen stressed that it was "stunning" and Janet said the corn was "perfectly made" Tristen — Milk chocolate custard with "dirt" chocolate and caramelized parsnip — Nina said it was very decadent, Gail said it was very balanced For Phlora + Phauna, Janet wanted to see Massimo's service more "refined," instead of kneeling and leaning on the table of the guests. The judges also criticized him hovering around their table. But they enjoyed that each chef introduced their dish. Phlora + Phauna was the favourite restaurant, leaving Nonna Pipón up for elimination, and Paula was eliminated.
