Tailgating!! This episode was right up my alley. Tailgate food from people who can really cook. I love food too much to be happy with hamburgers and hot dogs for tailgating. I am also not a fan of the fru fru french cuisine that often gets so much attention from top chefs. This episode was right in the middle where I like to be. Real food cooked well.

If I were picking the top 3 I would have gone with Dale, Spike, and Richard. Ribs, wings, and burgers cooked to perfection. I actually thought that Dale went to upscale with his ribs preperation, but the judges and the fans gave it an A+ so I assume he pulled it off well.

I was really hoping that Mark (the New Zealander) would not get sent home. Surely he deserved his place in the bottom three for his sloppy station and disappointing chowder. I wish he had gone ahead and done shrimp on the barbie like he wanted. I think his shrimp would have beat Nikki's shrimp pretty easily. I wish the chefs wouldn't get turned off by making the same dish as someone else. Especially at a tailgate. Whenever they have to settle for their second choice, they always seem to end up in the bottom three.

Mike grew on me just as he grew on Spike. I think it's cool that two guys in the house are becoming friends. I think it says a lot about someone, to be able to befriend somebody in such a competitive environment. I'd like to see how their friendship develops inside and out of the bathtub.

I like Spike's attitude. I thought it was cool when he chilled out at the farmers market a few episodes ago instead of rushing in. I like his style, I like his cooking, and I'm unsure about his personality. He seems like he has a shady side, but at the same time he seems like good people. I am going to keep my eye on him. Great job on the wings this week. Mad props for knowing what he wanted from the start and going after it with everything.

I give it up to Dale for cooking ribs. They are my favorite food. I am rooting for Dale to win. I'm so glad he finally got a win.

I got to give it to Richard too, that burger looked like the bomb! I don't like Richard though. I always root for the underdog, and I think I don't like him because the judges seem to like him too much. I also did not like his comment this episode about the fact that he likes to cook fancy restaurant food and he was not looking forward to the tailgate. That does not fit with my personal taste for cooking. But the burger that he cooked sure did. Richard, I don't like you, but I sure do respect you.

I love the idea behind the quick fire of pairing beer with a dish. That was fun.

I'm loving this season and I hope to continue posting. These were my opinions on the show. I thought my opinion would be more interesting to TC fans then a boring recap of a show that is available all over U tube and played frequently on Bravo. I hope you enjoyed it. Please post responses. I'd love to hear what you have to say.