Bivalve release: 'Top Chef' scallop sound off
We've been wondering about what really happened with those frozen scallops on Wednesday's episode of "Top Chef," so we were thankful to see yesterday that BRAVOtv.com set the record straight.
First, there's this Q&A with Rick Tramonto, where he points out that there are times when unwanted product makes its way into a restaurant (click to read), and it's a good chef's job to make sure it doesn't make its way onto a diner’s plate.
And then, on his BRAVOtv.com blog, Tom explains that along with the steaks they provided for the challenge, Allen Brothers sent other products to round out Tramonto Steak & Seafood's stock. And that's how those scallops came to be in the walk-in.
It doesn't sound as if they were "planted," per se, but rather that they made their way into the cooler just as they might have at any busy restaurant during a big delivery.
Tramonto's take on it provides some insight into the kinds of operations he runs. He knew the scallops weren't his, but he didn't try to defend himself on that point. Instead, he came at it from the perspective of a confident chef/restaurateur who has complete control over his kitchen -- a true, "buck stops here" leader. S**t happens behind the scenes, but if you're a pro, you make the right judgement calls under pressure and your customers never know. Got that, Spike?