Merlin, Max, and Alex conclude their run of Top Scallops by eating some gross food and breaking down why reality TV often does not meet our expectations.

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Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes

• 'Top Chef' secrets revealed: From the judges' mouths to your ears
• The Top Chef: Seattle Finale Was Ruined by Meddlesome Magical Elves
• Pulling Back the Curtain on Top Chef
• The lowdown on the making of 'Top Chef' Reality Bites: How Top Chef Contestants Stay Undercover
• chef-taping-texas-san-antonio-texas-healthy-food-challenge.html">Top Chef: What It's Like to Be a Diner at the Taping
• you-learn-attending-the-top-chef-finale.html">18 Things You Learn While Attending the ‘Top Chef’ Finale How 'Top Chef' Cooks Up Fresh Integrations
• Bravo's 'Top Chef Masters' Sprinkled With More Upscale Sponsors
• chef-seattle-season-10-finale-recap.html">Top Chef Seattle Finale Recap: David Rees on Chicken Butts and Washed Scallops
• 'Top Chef: New Orleans:' A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the season premiere
• Reality TV Contract
• How Reality TV Works 5 Horrible Provisions You Might Find In A Reality Show Contract
• La Mancha Screw Job
• Don Quixote
• Salesman
• In Pod-Based Community Living, Rent Is Cheap, But Sex Is Banned
• Adventure Cats
• As You Know, Bob
• Citizens of Pawnee Montage
• Friendshipping
• Vinyl
• Battleship Trailer

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Merlin, Max, and Alex respond to some constructive listener feedback before recapping the finale of Top Chef.

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Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes

• Watch Ep 15: Finale | Top Chef
• Behind the Scenes of the Top Chef Finale | Top Chef Photos
• Ep 37 – “Stay True to Your Art”: How Max Temkin Raised $10 Million on Kickstarter with NO Paid Advertising, Rejecting “Marketing Tricks”, and Ignoring “Guru Advice” (Like Mine!) | Entrepreneur: Uncut
• Top Chef season 13 finale recap: The winner is... | EW.com
• ‘Top Chef’ Season 13 Finale: And the Winner Is... - Eater
• ‘Top Chef’ Finale Controversy: Did The Wrong Guy Win? Conversation Parade: An Adventure Time Podcast | Podcast | Infinite Guest Podcast Network
• George Takei Impersonates Donald Trump '2+2' Answer
• Trump Solo - The New Yorker
• Top Chef Season 13 Cheftestants: Where Are They Now? | Top Chef Blog
• Entrepreneur Uncut Ep 37 – “Stay True to Your Art”: How Max Temkin Raised $10 Million on Kickstarter with NO Paid Advertising, Rejecting “Marketing Tricks”, and Ignoring “Guru Advice”
• John Gruber & Merlin Mann at SxSW 2009

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Max visits Merlin in his office to talk about structure and change, the downfall of TV, and "magic" shows.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes

• Watch Ep 14: Magic Hour | Top Chef
• Episode 14: Magic Hour | Top Chef Photos
• Top Chef recap: Magic Hour | EW.com
• chef-season-13-episode-14-recap.html">Top Chef Pre-Finale Recap: It’s Magic! -- Grub Street
• 15 Delicious Facts About ‘Top Chef’ | Mental Floss
• David Copperfield (illusionist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• booking.html#/step1&programId=10513856-38b5-4b32-82c5-bdd878b7537a&arrive=2016-03-14">DAVID COPPERFIELD 2016 MEET & GREET
• Duck's Quacks Don't Echo? : snopes.com att-voice-mail-google-voice-20534.html">How to Replace AT&T; Voice Mail With Google Voice | The Classroom | Synonym
• Bill Hader Reveals All the Things Seth Taught Him at SNL - Late Night with Seth Meyers - YouTube
• Watch Episode 12: Give Me Your Huddled Masses | Top Chef
• Watch Top Chef Online - Give Me Your Huddled Masses | Hulu
• Henry Birdseye (@tehawesome) | Twitter
• Dan Harmon, Community
• 'West Wing' Uncensored: Aaron Sorkin, Rob Lowe, More Look Back on Early Fears, Long Hours, Contract Battles and the Real Reason for Those Departures
• The Great British Baking Show
• Master Chef Junior
• The Leftovers
• The 100

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Max and Merlin talk about politics and do some soul searching. And then what happens?

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Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes

• Watch Ep 13: Where it all Started | Top Chef
• Episode 13: Where It All Started | Top Chef Photos
• Bravo Top Chefs Held Final Dinner at Fleur de Lys, Made 'Artisanal Toast' - Eater SF
• ‘Top Chef’ Season 13 Episode 13: Quickfire, Sudden Death, and the Final Three - Eater
• chef-season-13-episode-13-recap.html">Top Chef Recap: It’s Not Long; It’s ‘Supersized’ -- Grub Street
• Top Chef recap: Back Where It All Started | EW.com
• Mana Goy
• Vox on Trump and the rise of American Authoritarianism
• Toasties Recipes and Ideas for New Zealanders | Kiwi Faves
• Padma on Weekend Edition

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Merlin, Max, and Alex argue about the Oscars and eventually get around to Top Chef.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes

• Watch Ep 12: Wok This Way | Top Chef
• Episode 12: Wok This Way | Top Chef Photos
• Richard: The Classiest Moment in Top Chef History | Top Chef Blog
• chef-season-13-episode-12-recap.html">Top Chef Recap: Frozen Waffles and Lobster Chop Suey -- Grub Street
• Top Chef recap: Wok This Way | EW.com
• Top Chef Recap: Wok This Way | The Braiser
• Amar Santana Keeps Bringing It Top Chef: California | OC Weekly
• San Francisco | M.Y.China
• List of fictional bears - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Giant Pool of Money | This American Life
• Alex Gibney - IMDb
• Pio of Pietrelcina - Wikipedia, the free tencyclopedia -Double-elimination tournament - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! For Feb. 27, 2016 : Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! : NPR
• 86-the-junius-issue.html">Roderick on the Line: The Pan Man
• Bane Outtakes
• Tina Belcher Groan
• Oscars : Behind the Scenes in the TV truck
• Flip camera founder's next act: cheeseburgers?
• Lin-Manuel Miranda on 60 Minutes

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Merlin and Max bravely take on the tough issues, and Alex doesn't cut anything out.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes:

• Watch Ep 11: Hammer Time | Top Chef
• Episode 11: Hammer Time | Top Chef Photos
• Gail Simmons: I'm Re-in Love with MC Hammer | Top Chef Blog
• Jonathan Waxman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Chez Panisse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• ‘Top Chef’ Season 13 Episode 11: Hammer Time - Eater
• Top Chef recap: Hammer Time | EW.com
• MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This - YouTube
• MC Hammer - 2 Legit 2 Quit - YouTube
• Main Library :: San Francisco Public Library
• San Francisco Public Library - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar | Home
• Jobbo | You Look Nice Today
• Five hip-hop pseudonyms I’ve considered for myself | 5ives
• Ender's Game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• robot.com/">Poo Sphere 2000
• Fear No Fruit
• Road Work 3
• Hamilton Performance at the Grammy's
• Merlin Mann - “Sick of You” (ca. 1992)

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Merlin and Alex discuss Top Chef's mythic qualities, secrecy around rules of the show, and their cats. Max is away at Hot Dog University.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes:

• Watch Ep 10: Restaurant Wars, Part 2 | Top Chef
• Top Chef Recap: Champagne Salads and Strawberry Dreams -- Grub Street
• Top Chef recap: Restaurant Wars, Part 2 | EW.com
• ‘Top Chef’ Season 13 Episode 10: Restaurant Wars, Dinner Is Served - Eater
• Hot Dog University, Learning the Art of the Cart | Vienna Beef
• Feline immunodeficiency virus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Canary: A complete security system in a single device
• The Great British Baking Show
• The 10 Commandments Of Top Chef: How to Get Kicked Off Early
• Sweetbread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Parks and Recreation's Amazing Craig Middlebrooks (All Scenes, Season 6) - YouTube

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Special guest Nick Kokonas of three Michelin star restaurant Alinea discusses running a kitchen, the production problems behind Top Chef, and being broth blocked.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes:

• Watch Ep 9: Restaurant Wars, Part 1 | Top Chef
• Episode 9: Restaurant Wars Part 1 | Top Chef Photos
• Nick Kokonas
• Tock
• Alinea
• The Aviary
• Top Chef recap: Restaurant Wars, Part 1 | EW.com
• chef-season-13-episode-9-recap.html">Top Chef Recap: It’s Time for Restaurant Wars -- Grub Street
• Top Chef Season 13 Episode 9: The Return of Restaurant Wars - Eater
• Grant Achatz | Top Chef Blog
• Grant Achatz Discusses His Top Chef Stint: Gothamist
• Crucial Detail
• Martin Kastner – Crucial Detail
• Garde manger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Kaiseki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Nick's Japanese Restaurant Reccomendations
• Hot Dog University, Learning the Art of the Cart | Vienna Beef

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Thanks again to Nick for stopping by the studio!

Merlin and Max discuss misperceptions of our own creative work, and Alex is still mad at Phillip.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes:

• Watch Ep 8: Where's the Beef? | Top Chef
• Watch LCK Ep 7: Beef! | Last Chance Kitchen Videos
• soigné - Wiktionary
• Beefsteak
• Top Chef recap: Where's the Beef? | EW.com
• Top Chef Season 13 Episode 8: Big Reveals and Beefsteaks - Eater
• Top Chef Recap: Eating with Eyes and Hands - Young & Hungry
• Top Chef's Instagram Episode Makes It Clearer Than Ever: 'Camera Cuisine' Is Here to Stay - The Atlantic
• 'Top Chef' competitor Isaac Toups' on Ep. 8: 'I absolutely disagreed with the judges' | NOLA.com
• Simulacra and Simulation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• wrestling.htm">"The World of Wrestling" by Roland Barthes
• Honing vs. Sharpening a Knife
• How to Sharpen a Knife with a Whetstone
• Craig on Parks and Recreation

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork, and Seth Boyer for our music!

Max and Merlin discuss what people mean when they think about inspiration, the finer side of fast food, and mandolin catastrophes.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show notes:

• Episode 7: 10th Anniversary | Top Chef Photos - Watch LCK Ep 6: Boring Ingredients, Awesome Dish | Last Chance Kitchen Videos
• Mr. Show: The Dewey Awards (full) including Bob Lamonta Story - YouTube
• Supertaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Padma’s a Super Taster
• Interview: Nick Offerman, Author Of 'Gumption' : NPR
• Not My Job: We Quiz Nick Offerman On The Finer Points Of Manhood : NPR
• Home - Woodworkers Collective - Los Angeles - Offerman Woodshop
• Hamburger University - McDonald's :: AboutMcDonalds.com
• Culver's
• New Wearable Feed Bags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less
• Morton Salt Building Collapse
• The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life: Twyla Tharp, Lauren Fortgang: 0889290308436: Amazon.com: Books
• Back to Work 251: Mana Goy
• Soy Vay

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!

Max and Merlin discuss focus in the kitchen and workplace, Cajun Sparkle Recipes, and why you might need a tin foil hat.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show notes:

• Episode 6: Banannaise | Top Chef Photos
• Ras el hanout - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Ra's al Ghul - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Amazon.com: Cambro 12189CW135 4.75 Gallon Polycarbonate Food Storage Camwear Box: Lidded Home Storage Bins: Kitchen & Dining
• Amazon Echo
• Bandwidth Test
• MacGuffin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Lifehacks
• Cajun-Sparkle-Copycat-Recipe.html">Top Secret Recipes | Popeye's Cajun Sparkle Copycat Recipe
• app.com/">Purify, iOS Tracking and Ad Blocker
• How Target Knew a High School Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Parents Did
• OPM Now Admits 5.6m Feds’ Fingerprints Were Stolen By Hackers

Thanks to our producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!

Merlin and Max discuss Apple Music, their sous vide methods, a new business venture, and possibly Star Wars.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show Notes

• Episode 5: A Top Chef Wedding | Top Chef Photos
• Gail: This Was a Very Controversial Judges Table | Top Chef Blog
• Gaslight (1944 film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System
• I Can Tolerate Anything Except The Outgroup | Slate Star Codex
• Chef Art Smith (@ChefArtSmith) | Twitter
• Kristen Kish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• How MSG Got a Bad Rap: Flawed Science and Xenophobia
• Harrison Ford was Paid Over 50x More Than His Star Wars Co-Stars
• How Spielberg Got 2.5% of Star Wars

Thanks to out producer Alex Cox for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!

This week Merlin and Max discuss how to handle the stressors of being in the kitchen as well as the poor gaming of some of the show's challenges.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show notes:

• GoSun Stove: Fast, Portable and Practical Solar Cooker
• Five unusual Top Chef production crew titles | 5ives
• skyscraper-melts-cars-20-fenchurch.html">London's Burning: How a Skyscraper Melts Cars | 20 Fenchurch Walkie-Talkie
• MUNCHIES: The Podcast: #7 Gail Simmons - How Top Chef Changed Food
• MasterChef Junior

Thanks to producer Alex for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!

This week Max and Merlin discuss time management and Hidden Valley Ranch's Food Waste Reduction program.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show notes:

• Watch Top Chef California: West Coast Here We Come! | Top Chef Videos
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs: Karen Akunowicz, Angelina Bastidas, Carl Dooley, Garret Fleming | Top Chef Blog
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs: Jeremy Ford, Renee Kelly, Phillip Frankland Lee, Marjorie Meek-Bradley | Top Chef Blog
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs: Kwame Onwuachi, Amar Santana, Grayson Schmitz, Jason Stratton | Top Chef Blog
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs: Giselle Wellman, Frances Tariga-Weshnak, Isaac Toups, Wesley True, Chad White | Top Chef Blog
• Sea urchin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Hub @ Sibley
• Kobayashi Maru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• 14-big-city-apology.html">Ep. 14: "Big City Apology" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
• Hofstadter's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Mythical Man-Month - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Portlandia | 911 Beets Emergency - YouTube

Thanks to producer Alex for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!

This week Max and Merlin check in on Tom and speculate about this season of Top Chef.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show notes:

• Top Chef California: West Coast
• Top Chef season 6
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs, part 1
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs, part 2
• Top Chef Season 13 Chefs, part 3
• Top Chef Season 13 Chef, part 4
• Top Chef 13 Kitchen Tour
• Ruhlman's Twenty
• Colette from Ratatouille
• John Cleese on Creativity
• Dunning–Kruger effect
• Lumpy Space Princess

Thanks to producer Alex for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!

This week Merlin and Max introduce Top Chef and talk about staring into the creative abyss.

Subscribe to Top Scallops on iTunes or via RSS.

Thank you to our friends at Backblaze for sponsoring the Top Scallops podcast.

Show notes:

• Merlin's podcasts: Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, Reconcilable Differences, The Dalrymple Report
• The origin of the title Top Scallops
• Preview Season 13 of Top Chef on Bravo
• Previous seasons of Top Chef on Hulu (Max's favorite is Season 4, Merlin's is Season 6)
• Radio Lab: La Mancha Screw Job
• Project Runway, aka Top Dress
• Junkyard Wars
• The Colony
• Kevin Pang’s Farewell Letter from the Chicago Tribune

Thanks to producer Alex for editing, Kevin Budnik for our show artwork and Seth Boyer for our music!