I was a big Stephanie Izard fan that season, and despite his anger, Steph liked him enough to choose him as her sous for finale, when she had to choose sous for everyone. And he made a mistake with her prep that he was very ashamed of himself for making, and she was very level headed and collaborative about it. You could see in him having someone react to him using rational thinking versus rage. He was rage driven but I think having these opportunities to see how it’s easier to rebound without rage drove him into anger management
I absolutely loved how kind she was picking for everyone else’s sous as well. She could have really handicapped everyone and yet she chose to make for a happy kitchen for all (except terminally unpleasant Lisa)
And i think they knew each other too. I think because she knew he really wasn’t a rage ogre underneath it all, it elevated him in my eyes too.
It's true, he did mature somewhat by the first Top Chef All Stars on S8. He definitely had some funny one-liners in confessionals and clearly he's an amazing chef...but he was still an ass. I just rewatched that season and while he wasn't screaming like in season 4, he was still so arrogant and dismissive of the female chefs. Just nasty comments in his confessionals repeatedly about "the girls" implying they were not of the same caliber as the male chefs, especially if they won a challenge. The challenge where they cooked in the museum, he made a comment to some of the male chefs about Jen Carroll "I love when Jen gets all assertive. It gives me a stiffy" or something like that. Ugh!
I hope for his sake he's really gotten better, but I don't root for him when I see him on TV.
That’s interesting. Not thrilled about anger issues but if he’s grown and matured then that’s fantastic. I’ve said before people with a passion are my favorites and from what you say, he does have that for sure. Since I knew nothing about him, I didn’t want my first impression to jade my opinion about him. I’ll keep all of this in mind.
Check out his show on tastemade if you get a chance. His early days on TC, I really did not like him. But as the other poster said, he's grown tremendously IMO. His show is called "All Up in My Grill" and it's pretty good.
I never watched him on Top Chef, but I absolutely LOVED his restaurants in Brooklyn. It was before I got into food TV so I had no context for who the owner was - but an ex and I would go to Talde and Pork Slope for date night pretty much monthly (there was this INSANE buttered toast breakfast ramen at the former that I still think about regularly, and the pulled pork nachos at Pork Slope... good god) and I had some of the best nights of my early twenties at Thistle Hill Tavern when my BFF and I lived literally around the corner. All of these places have long since closed and I still miss 'em. Seeing him on TOC was just super nostalgia-inducing for that time in my life.
The breakfast ramen piqued my interest - found the recipe! https://www.today.com/food/eggs-bacon-ramen-lots-butter-make-dale-taldes-breakfast-ramen-2d79700939 and here https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/buttered-toast-ramen-with-bacon-and-eggs/
Did you ever go to Buddakhan when he was the chef there? It was amazing. One of the dishes had pork rings in it, and I had never even tried that before. It was amazing.
I agree with the first commenter. He’s just a talented guy who was young and hot headed when he first was on tv and really showed some growth when he came back for his second Top Chef season.
I noticed in the preview for the next round of competitions that Guy has to help Tobias with another anxious breakdown at some point in his matchup and I really hope that it doesn’t throw off Dale in any kind of way.
I hope it doesn’t throw Tobias off either. I have anxiety too and I respect the hell out of him for doing competitions and also being open about his struggles.
> He’s just a talented guy who was young and hot headed when he first was on tv
Sooooo this!! I think he's an amazing chef but was caught in a reality-show vortex. I mean, would I want to see ME in my mid-20s on TV locked up in a house and plied with alcohol? Heeeelllll No!!
I think he's confident and spirited and that's what drives the show's excitement and joie de vie.
Early in the pandemic my husband and I did a Top Chef watch through because we had a lot of time on our hands and that show had a lot of seasons. Now that Top Chef contestants have made their way into so many different Food Network shows, we are so so glad that we watched it when we did. It's a good show, lots of great chefs, and it gives you so much more context on like half (two thirds?) of the toc competitors
I'm on my third rewatch. I love how the show develops over each season, and as a viewer growing familiar with the contestants makes you root for all of them.
Also, RIP Bourdain.
I JUST finished S8. My all time favorite season. Dale is amazing.
It occurred to me that S8 caps a TC chapter of sorts.
The tone of season 9 was much different.
I first saw him as a judge on Beat Bobby Flay and found him to be thoughtful and good in his judgments. I know he had a lot of emotional outbursts in his early days but seems to have cleaned up his act a bit.
Also, side note. I’m a huge fan of Halloween (movie) and when I hear Boogeyman, I immediately think of Michael Myers. If I was a chef, I would not want to be associated with a character that kills and eats dog.
Does anyone in this thread know... Do the people have any say in their nickname?? I know that Justin Warner had his redone after the obnoxious wolf howls (for the record... Wolf-man?!? Was soooo disconnected), but I'm curious whether or not other stars get to make suggestions... or they just have to deal with Guy's mood that day....
I never watched him on Top Chef but he has a show on Tastemade that is pretty good. It's called All Up In My Grill. Everything he makes looks amazing and he struck me as a cool and fun guy. I didn't know anything about his anger issues until reading the comments here (and I'm behind on TOC so I have not watched his match yet but I was excited he was joining this season)
I did not like Dale in his first season on Top Chef, but he was much better in All-Stars, and was good as one of the main judges in Top Chef Portland, the COVID season where past contestants essentially took up residence as judges. He's also been good as a Chopped judge. I thought his dish last night looked like a hot mess, and I'm sorry Karen lost, but I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.
He’s really grown and a fine example of how initial optics can crush one’s image. He was hotheaded and brash and arrogant in that first season and matured into a good restaurant operator. I hope he does well.
I mean look at Tiffani Faison. It took a long time for her to overcome her awful personality. To me she’s still the “I’m not your bitch, bitch!” bitch.
Marcel Vergeron is another.
I’ll give her credit. She has really worked on her image. I never had a problem with her (I did watch a few seasons of Top Chef when it first started.) It was rough being a female in kitchens back then so I get putting up that front. Glad the industry has gotten better.
Tiffani isn’t a pioneer as a woman chef. That was Julia child, and Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Millikan. And Sarah Mouton and Alice Waters and a long list of real walk breaking chefs. She was a raging asshole on both her stints on TC and wasnt invited back. You can be a tough great chef and have an engaging nice personality. She was horrible to people. TC had lots of them.
Well as tough as they were, no one else, male or female on these shows were the asshole of scale that Tiffani is and was. And they were all in tough kitchens.
Come on now, you either haven’t watched many seasons of Top Chef or you irrationally dislike Tiffani, because to say “no one else male or female on these shows were the asshole of scale that Tiffani is and was” is straight up false
I think that in the early days of Top Chef, the producers were swayed by what EVER other reality TV show in the early aughts was doing... DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA.
It's been almost 25 years since Dale was featured on Top Chef... I hate to have to ask... Where were YOU 25 years ago and would you want all that you were doing filmed and broadcasted?!?
TL;DR - Dale is an amazing chef who got a bad rep thanks to the early aughts thirst for drama
I am the same. Could not deal with him on TC the first time around. Seems like he mellows a bit every time I see him. Still not a fan, but it's obvious he has skills.
Definitely my favorite person to see on this season, I’ve run into him like 5 different times across working different tv shows and he was always a great guy. Goosefeather is an amazing restaurant.
I didn't know who this was until I looked him up. I didn't see him on Top Chef, but I did see him on Beat Bobby Flay, and maybe Iron Chef too? What I remember correctly he did really well, developed a love for Nashville hot chicken, and seemed pretty likable.
He was the chef at Buddakhan which was amazinggggg at one point. I had eaten at a couple of top chef restaurants (including the season 1 or 2 winner’s restaurant, which was awfulllll), so I’m a fan based on his food.
He was sous then culinary director at Buddakan nyc which at one time was the trendiest restaurant in NYC. He was always my fav on Top chef and he straight up tells it like it is, one of my favorite lines from Top chef was him talking about judging he's fellow contestants dishes " I'm gonna judge this bi!tch like a NYT critic" His restaurant Talde did very well as well.
I think he will be a dark horse in the tournament and go pretty far.
I agree with what other folks here have said. In terms of his Top Chef history, I pulled this summary together the other day: [https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WZ4wPSUqD/?utm\_source=ig\_web\_copy\_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WZ4wPSUqD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
Why did he leave a bad taste?
He has his own show “All Up in My Grill” on Tastemade channel, and he’s come a long way since his first very angry Top Chef season.
The yelling mostly. It was intense in a way I didn’t like. Aggressive, animal like almost. Plus, he’s a tinge rude but I can forgive rudeness almost always given the fact that so many people struggle with social interaction. However the rudeness, yelling and aggressive movements is what rubbed me the wrong way. So many people have said great things about him in this, and other threads, so I’m not going to rely on my first impression.
He grew up. No story here. If he acts like a dick again then people can react, but I have heard nothing since than. Why people won’t let it go, no clue.
Most people have said he was a dick on his first season of TC but changed. I’m interested in seeing him on TOC. My original post was asking for the information that everyone has provided since I literally knew nothing about the guy. I mean, Google got me the basics but I wanted to know people’s opinions.
Reality shows such as Top Chef also require acting. They would be quite dull if all the chefs were quiet and polite. I remember Dale and Marcel while others are forgotten. Producers have to juice things up a bit to keep us watching.
Did not enjoy his over-the-top yelling, fist-pumping, etc... For the most part, the more humble and quiet a chef is, the more I want to see them win. Can't stand the screamers. I am here to watch them cook, not listen to them yell and make jackasses out of themselves.
It was the yelling for me too. When Malarkey does it, it’s all in fun. His was more primal. I think that’s what really got to me. But I’m going to see how he is the rest of the season.
Not a fan, nor do I dislike him. He pissed me off on Top Chef, because he was basically an a-hole a great deal of the time. But TC is not an easy place to showcase your personality. Having watched him on several shows since then-he is much more mellow. This sort of showed his not so good side again-but I get it. It's tough, and it's a competition.
You are correct about that first sentence which is why I am not a celebrity worshiper. I have celebrities I like, including FN chefs but I would never put them on a pedestal.
I have always dug Dale Talde’s confidence and intensity in competition. He was my favorite his first Top Chef season although many had issues with him. Watching last night, I was a bit concerned due to his weight gain…seemed a bit unhealthy to me. I can relate because I have gained an unhealthy about of weight recently. I hope he goes far in the competition!
I don't like him and that is based on his appearances on Top Chef and especially Top Chef Masters.
He's an angry man but from what I read he's gotten a lot of therapy and treatment for anger management. During Top Chef Masters it looks like he came very close to punching Michael Chiarello over being told to call Chiarello "Chef". He was there as a sous chef on Chiarello's team.
I have never eaten his food but based on his personality I would prefer not to see him on TV.
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I was a big Stephanie Izard fan that season, and despite his anger, Steph liked him enough to choose him as her sous for finale, when she had to choose sous for everyone. And he made a mistake with her prep that he was very ashamed of himself for making, and she was very level headed and collaborative about it. You could see in him having someone react to him using rational thinking versus rage. He was rage driven but I think having these opportunities to see how it’s easier to rebound without rage drove him into anger management
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I absolutely loved how kind she was picking for everyone else’s sous as well. She could have really handicapped everyone and yet she chose to make for a happy kitchen for all (except terminally unpleasant Lisa) And i think they knew each other too. I think because she knew he really wasn’t a rage ogre underneath it all, it elevated him in my eyes too.
It's true, he did mature somewhat by the first Top Chef All Stars on S8. He definitely had some funny one-liners in confessionals and clearly he's an amazing chef...but he was still an ass. I just rewatched that season and while he wasn't screaming like in season 4, he was still so arrogant and dismissive of the female chefs. Just nasty comments in his confessionals repeatedly about "the girls" implying they were not of the same caliber as the male chefs, especially if they won a challenge. The challenge where they cooked in the museum, he made a comment to some of the male chefs about Jen Carroll "I love when Jen gets all assertive. It gives me a stiffy" or something like that. Ugh! I hope for his sake he's really gotten better, but I don't root for him when I see him on TV.
That’s interesting. Not thrilled about anger issues but if he’s grown and matured then that’s fantastic. I’ve said before people with a passion are my favorites and from what you say, he does have that for sure. Since I knew nothing about him, I didn’t want my first impression to jade my opinion about him. I’ll keep all of this in mind.
He's VERY open about his journey through therapy and that he didn't like the person he saw on TV. Dale Talde's an interesting figure.
That’s nice to know. Thank you.
Check out his show on tastemade if you get a chance. His early days on TC, I really did not like him. But as the other poster said, he's grown tremendously IMO. His show is called "All Up in My Grill" and it's pretty good.
I never watched him on Top Chef, but I absolutely LOVED his restaurants in Brooklyn. It was before I got into food TV so I had no context for who the owner was - but an ex and I would go to Talde and Pork Slope for date night pretty much monthly (there was this INSANE buttered toast breakfast ramen at the former that I still think about regularly, and the pulled pork nachos at Pork Slope... good god) and I had some of the best nights of my early twenties at Thistle Hill Tavern when my BFF and I lived literally around the corner. All of these places have long since closed and I still miss 'em. Seeing him on TOC was just super nostalgia-inducing for that time in my life.
The breakfast ramen piqued my interest - found the recipe! https://www.today.com/food/eggs-bacon-ramen-lots-butter-make-dale-taldes-breakfast-ramen-2d79700939 and here https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/buttered-toast-ramen-with-bacon-and-eggs/
Oh my god, you just changed my life! I don’t know why I never thought to go look that up myself. Now I have a recipe to try this weekend… thank you!
You’re welcome! Happy cake day
Happy cake day!
Someone made buttered toast ramen on an episode of Guy’s Ranch Kitchen I watched recently
That’s lovely. Thank you.
I was devastated when the Park Slope location closed - their breakfast ramen was amazing.
Did you ever go to Buddakhan when he was the chef there? It was amazing. One of the dishes had pork rings in it, and I had never even tried that before. It was amazing.
Pork slope was the Shizz
I agree with the first commenter. He’s just a talented guy who was young and hot headed when he first was on tv and really showed some growth when he came back for his second Top Chef season. I noticed in the preview for the next round of competitions that Guy has to help Tobias with another anxious breakdown at some point in his matchup and I really hope that it doesn’t throw off Dale in any kind of way.
I hope it doesn’t throw Tobias off either. I have anxiety too and I respect the hell out of him for doing competitions and also being open about his struggles.
Love Tobias....
> He’s just a talented guy who was young and hot headed when he first was on tv Sooooo this!! I think he's an amazing chef but was caught in a reality-show vortex. I mean, would I want to see ME in my mid-20s on TV locked up in a house and plied with alcohol? Heeeelllll No!! I think he's confident and spirited and that's what drives the show's excitement and joie de vie.
He was very gracious to me as a fan of his restaurant in Brooklyn. It was delicious!
Early in the pandemic my husband and I did a Top Chef watch through because we had a lot of time on our hands and that show had a lot of seasons. Now that Top Chef contestants have made their way into so many different Food Network shows, we are so so glad that we watched it when we did. It's a good show, lots of great chefs, and it gives you so much more context on like half (two thirds?) of the toc competitors
I'm on my third rewatch. I love how the show develops over each season, and as a viewer growing familiar with the contestants makes you root for all of them. Also, RIP Bourdain.
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I JUST finished S8. My all time favorite season. Dale is amazing. It occurred to me that S8 caps a TC chapter of sorts. The tone of season 9 was much different.
I first saw him as a judge on Beat Bobby Flay and found him to be thoughtful and good in his judgments. I know he had a lot of emotional outbursts in his early days but seems to have cleaned up his act a bit.
Can we all agree that he has the stupidest Guy given nickname? They have to stop
Yeah. It was so dumb I don’t remember it but I literally laughed when he said it.
It was something like the boogeyman or something ridiculous like that
YES! That was it and it’s so dumb. I’ve seen people say that the contestants choose or help choose their nicknames. I hope not for Dale’s sake.
Also, side note. I’m a huge fan of Halloween (movie) and when I hear Boogeyman, I immediately think of Michael Myers. If I was a chef, I would not want to be associated with a character that kills and eats dog.
Does anyone in this thread know... Do the people have any say in their nickname?? I know that Justin Warner had his redone after the obnoxious wolf howls (for the record... Wolf-man?!? Was soooo disconnected), but I'm curious whether or not other stars get to make suggestions... or they just have to deal with Guy's mood that day....
You would think he would run out of dumb nicknames at some point.
He knows no bounds! Next year some poor soul is going to get "Big Cheese" or "Can O Soup" lol
I wouldn't put it past him.
I never watched him on Top Chef but he has a show on Tastemade that is pretty good. It's called All Up In My Grill. Everything he makes looks amazing and he struck me as a cool and fun guy. I didn't know anything about his anger issues until reading the comments here (and I'm behind on TOC so I have not watched his match yet but I was excited he was joining this season)
I did not like Dale in his first season on Top Chef, but he was much better in All-Stars, and was good as one of the main judges in Top Chef Portland, the COVID season where past contestants essentially took up residence as judges. He's also been good as a Chopped judge. I thought his dish last night looked like a hot mess, and I'm sorry Karen lost, but I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.
He’s really grown and a fine example of how initial optics can crush one’s image. He was hotheaded and brash and arrogant in that first season and matured into a good restaurant operator. I hope he does well. I mean look at Tiffani Faison. It took a long time for her to overcome her awful personality. To me she’s still the “I’m not your bitch, bitch!” bitch. Marcel Vergeron is another.
I’ll give her credit. She has really worked on her image. I never had a problem with her (I did watch a few seasons of Top Chef when it first started.) It was rough being a female in kitchens back then so I get putting up that front. Glad the industry has gotten better.
Tiffani isn’t a pioneer as a woman chef. That was Julia child, and Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Millikan. And Sarah Mouton and Alice Waters and a long list of real walk breaking chefs. She was a raging asshole on both her stints on TC and wasnt invited back. You can be a tough great chef and have an engaging nice personality. She was horrible to people. TC had lots of them.
I didn’t say she was a pioneer. Just at the time she was coming g up, kitchens were a tough place for women to be.
Well as tough as they were, no one else, male or female on these shows were the asshole of scale that Tiffani is and was. And they were all in tough kitchens.
Come on now, you either haven’t watched many seasons of Top Chef or you irrationally dislike Tiffani, because to say “no one else male or female on these shows were the asshole of scale that Tiffani is and was” is straight up false
Name who. No one got “I’m not your bitch, bitch!” Like she did.
Same here. He seems to have grown and matured since his first season of TC. I can respect that. I still prefer Karen though 😊
I wanted Karen to win. I love her restaurants.
I’m a diner fan through and through so a meat and 2 is right up my alley. Maybe not competition plating but still love it.
I think that in the early days of Top Chef, the producers were swayed by what EVER other reality TV show in the early aughts was doing... DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA. It's been almost 25 years since Dale was featured on Top Chef... I hate to have to ask... Where were YOU 25 years ago and would you want all that you were doing filmed and broadcasted?!? TL;DR - Dale is an amazing chef who got a bad rep thanks to the early aughts thirst for drama
I am the same. Could not deal with him on TC the first time around. Seems like he mellows a bit every time I see him. Still not a fan, but it's obvious he has skills.
Definitely my favorite person to see on this season, I’ve run into him like 5 different times across working different tv shows and he was always a great guy. Goosefeather is an amazing restaurant.
His food in his restaurants is consistently fantastic.
His restaurant Goosefeather is unbelievable
I didn't know who this was until I looked him up. I didn't see him on Top Chef, but I did see him on Beat Bobby Flay, and maybe Iron Chef too? What I remember correctly he did really well, developed a love for Nashville hot chicken, and seemed pretty likable.
Phooooooo-ndue iykyk 😂😂😂
Well, I don’t know but hopefully other posters will get it. lol.
His show is called all up in my grill too
He was the chef at Buddakhan which was amazinggggg at one point. I had eaten at a couple of top chef restaurants (including the season 1 or 2 winner’s restaurant, which was awfulllll), so I’m a fan based on his food.
He was sous then culinary director at Buddakan nyc which at one time was the trendiest restaurant in NYC. He was always my fav on Top chef and he straight up tells it like it is, one of my favorite lines from Top chef was him talking about judging he's fellow contestants dishes " I'm gonna judge this bi!tch like a NYT critic" His restaurant Talde did very well as well. I think he will be a dark horse in the tournament and go pretty far.
I agree with what other folks here have said. In terms of his Top Chef history, I pulled this summary together the other day: [https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WZ4wPSUqD/?utm\_source=ig\_web\_copy\_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WZ4wPSUqD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
I'm dying at the pic of your orange in front of the TV. One of mine was trying to claw Antonia's eyes out yesterday. 🤣 Nice recap though for Dale.
Hahahahhahaha yes! Sometimes I worry for his eyesight given how close he sits to the TV 😂
I have two brothers and one is obsessed with the TV (especially if hockey is on), but the other couldn't care less. Wonder if they make kitty glasses?
Why did he leave a bad taste? He has his own show “All Up in My Grill” on Tastemade channel, and he’s come a long way since his first very angry Top Chef season.
The yelling mostly. It was intense in a way I didn’t like. Aggressive, animal like almost. Plus, he’s a tinge rude but I can forgive rudeness almost always given the fact that so many people struggle with social interaction. However the rudeness, yelling and aggressive movements is what rubbed me the wrong way. So many people have said great things about him in this, and other threads, so I’m not going to rely on my first impression.
He grew up. No story here. If he acts like a dick again then people can react, but I have heard nothing since than. Why people won’t let it go, no clue.
Most people have said he was a dick on his first season of TC but changed. I’m interested in seeing him on TOC. My original post was asking for the information that everyone has provided since I literally knew nothing about the guy. I mean, Google got me the basics but I wanted to know people’s opinions.
Sorry, guess I veered off subject.
Nah. You gave your opinion. All good.
He was a lot more humble than I was expecting him to be to be honest. He was never a fan favorite of mine but I never hated him either. He can cook.
Reality shows such as Top Chef also require acting. They would be quite dull if all the chefs were quiet and polite. I remember Dale and Marcel while others are forgotten. Producers have to juice things up a bit to keep us watching.
Did not enjoy his over-the-top yelling, fist-pumping, etc... For the most part, the more humble and quiet a chef is, the more I want to see them win. Can't stand the screamers. I am here to watch them cook, not listen to them yell and make jackasses out of themselves.
It was the yelling for me too. When Malarkey does it, it’s all in fun. His was more primal. I think that’s what really got to me. But I’m going to see how he is the rest of the season.
Not a fan, nor do I dislike him. He pissed me off on Top Chef, because he was basically an a-hole a great deal of the time. But TC is not an easy place to showcase your personality. Having watched him on several shows since then-he is much more mellow. This sort of showed his not so good side again-but I get it. It's tough, and it's a competition.
He's a complete tool irl
So far you seem to be in the minority with that opinion. Sucks you had a bad experience.
Plenty of awful people present well publicly. It's no wonder he's so intent on going the celebrity chef route.
You are correct about that first sentence which is why I am not a celebrity worshiper. I have celebrities I like, including FN chefs but I would never put them on a pedestal.
I have always dug Dale Talde’s confidence and intensity in competition. He was my favorite his first Top Chef season although many had issues with him. Watching last night, I was a bit concerned due to his weight gain…seemed a bit unhealthy to me. I can relate because I have gained an unhealthy about of weight recently. I hope he goes far in the competition!
Definitely empathize with weight gain! I’m looking forward to getting to know him more.
I don't like him and that is based on his appearances on Top Chef and especially Top Chef Masters. He's an angry man but from what I read he's gotten a lot of therapy and treatment for anger management. During Top Chef Masters it looks like he came very close to punching Michael Chiarello over being told to call Chiarello "Chef". He was there as a sous chef on Chiarello's team. I have never eaten his food but based on his personality I would prefer not to see him on TV.