Dale Takes it Like a Man
Top Chef’s Dale Levitsky Takes it Like a Man by Roxanne McDonald
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Congratulations to tendentious Hung Huynh, but condolences to Dale Levitski, who should have won…just because I said so. |
Okay, granted, concessions go out to such writers as Josh Wolk of EW.com, who reminds us you can’t taste
personalities. (And forgiveness to the same who said that it was a surprise twist to learn Hung was friends with Marcel, for maybe Josh didn’t watch the pre-season teaser episode.)
But we at home don’t have the privilege of tasting anything but. And if we had our bets counted, I would have bankrolled Dale. Yeah, I would have been broke this morning, but I would still have gotten the satisfaction of backing a true winner.
And no offense to the beautiful and poised Jennifer Aniston look-alike, Casey Thompson, but were personality and impressive changing for the better the criteria, I would go with the the sometimes underdog, ofttimes dark horse Dale.
So he wrecked the team tarts. He learned to stay clear of experimental desserts, so that by the finale, when the three finalist cheftestants were given the surprise added challenge to cook a fourth dish (without the assistance of their celebrity sous chefs and with no spare prep time, per se), Dale acknowledged he wasn’t going there with the puffed-out pastries.
So he was missing the goat cheese for the goat cheese tarts (trying for tart success for second time in the season) ; he used his finesse to pull off a back-up dish that blew the judges away.
Then, too bad Aspen altitude messed with his gnocchi, for the tied judgments had Dale neck-and-neck with Hung for the title.
Too bad the judges seriously considered consistency throughout the competition, though that wasn’t part of the requisites for the final cook-off.
And too bad humility and generosity of spirit wasn’t also factored into the final assessment: just rewind to the episodes where Hung hogged as much of the fish tank’s shellfish in episode 1; how Hung declined helping others in several episodes; or how when they were called upon to rationalize their sensibilities as chefs Hung (having been told his food was soulless) poached Dale’s philosophy
about food having to have love and made some postured remarks about how much soul he puts into his dishes. Notice how Dale just took that crap without making a big stink in response.
And recall if you will, or if you wish, how damned funny Dale has been. The only one this season with humor, really. Not irreverent, for he gave the requisite bows and nods to the famous chefs who appeared on the show and he always gently spoke when something was whack.
But Dale’s subtle, smirky, smartass humor made this season more engaging than it might have been without him. Hey, we had the whiners, the braggarts, and the Prima Donna bullies burning up the front-row footage. But then we had Dale, quietly stepping up from the backdrop area (though, yes, he has been a featured confessional speaker from day one), slipping in a swear word here, showing humility and contrition there, and tossing out such gut-busting comments as, when the chefs were first told to cook for cowboys, the tongue-in-cheek remark that he hadn’t cooked for any cowboys. Slept with a few…, but….
Just those moments and Dale’s sweet acceptance of Hung as winner made “Top Chef” for me.
And, hey, a second place spot out of hundreds (or is it thousands?) who auditioned aint nuthin to sneeze on.
Best of the best of continued success to Dale and Casey and, well, okay, Hung. Marcel is gonna be bummmmed….
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