http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2008/Nov/20/Jills_losing_quiche.pngFirst of all, I must say that this episode of Top Chef did one of the smartest things I’ve ever seen on a reality show: It allowed audition rejects to have a hand in grading the contestants’ food.Yes, so, imagine it: A room with 50 ticked-off New Yorkers eager to make the most of their camera time to convince Top Chef and its viewers that it should be them in the kitchen not those other schmos. Not exactly your most forgiving of lunch guests, these folks. And they played their roles perfectly — they filleted anything sub-par that came across their plates and weren’t even kind to the dishes that were actually good.The challenge? Do “New American” cuisine from the kitchen of a restaurant owned by judge Tom Colicchio, Craft. But apparently, by the sounds of it, the contestants didn’t fulfill the “new” part of the challenge and instead took the cuisine back 20 years. The judges thought most of the bad and OK food was dated in such a way that they felt like they were caught in the 1980s (ugh, not pretty, even if you couldn’t taste it).The highlights were prepared courtesy of Jamie and her corn soup, Fabio and his beef dish and Miss Big Bird Carla and her apple tartlett. Fabio made the Europeans two-for-two by taking the top prize just one episode after Stefan did the same.The lowlights so bitter you could taste them from your seat at home? Jill’s “it tasted like glue” ostrich egg quiche, Hosea’s “too sweet” crab and Ariane’s lemon meringue martini that was sooooooo sweet that Padma actually SPIT IT OUT into her napkin.Now, I know what you’re thinking — which is exactly what I was thinking last night on my couch. And that is, “If there is justice in this world, Ariane has to go home. There is no way a judge/host/supermodel could spit your dessert out on national television and not succeed in sending you home!”Well, I was wrong. Ariane is truly Wendy Pepper/Lisa from Season 4 reincarnated without all the craftiness. For the second week in a row, she was in the bottom and not sent packing despite lacking basic cooking/taste skills. Instead, Ariane gave a big, fat hug to Jill on her way out the door. Jill’s ostrich egg quiche was a bomb, but what was worse was her defense of the dish, which inexplicably included sports cliches and made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Apparently, serving up nonsense as a side dish to something described as tasting like “glue” and you’re going home, no matter if the judges managed to swallow it all or not.Stray observations:– Those ostrich eggs looked like something out of “The Land Before Time.”– Why did Ariane join the dessert team if she doesn’t like making dessert? Stop complaining, lady, and go home already!– Bravo keeps promoing Martha Stewart’s visit. Do you think the chefs will have to make perfectly iced cookies in muted colors for that challenge?– What kind of foods do you think the chefs actually get to eat off camera? Does the show cater the set or do the chefs just eat their own leftovers?