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The top tier in the first challenge includes future Top Chef champion Beverly, Dakota, and Sarah. But in a tough competition, the secret ingredient is always beer. This is why Dakota wins the first Top Chef: Texas Quickfire challenge and establishes herself as a top flight contender this season.

As is ordinarily the case in the initial Top Chef elimination challenge, the contestants are divided into two teams, Pink and Green. Their first competition is the Quinceanera for Blanca Flores, a San Antonio resident. The players have a half hour to grill the birthday girl on the type of foods she likes. They find out she is not a fan of spicy foods, but she does like Tres Leche cake and this is fortuitous for the Green team as Heather is the rare competitor with pastry experience. She has confidence about her cake making skill.

The Green group is also lucky to have Chuy on the team as he was raised near the Mexican border and has a lot of life experience with such family events and the expected foods presented at them. They rely upon him early and often in this challenge. The rest of Team Green is Beverly, Chris Jones, Edward, Grayson, Paul and Richie. Team Pink is comprised of Nyesha, Sarah, Ty-Lör, Whitney, Keith, Lindsay, Dakota and Chris Crary. Based upon early impressions, Team Pink is the clear favorite while Team Green includes two players who had to earn their way into the competition in the second round. Right now, Grayson and Edward have the most to prove out of all the contestants.

The seminal moment in the episode occurs at the 20 minute mark. The Pink Team has a conference call conversation between members located at two different grocery stores. Lindsay speaks for one group, relaying the information that the cheapest shrimp at her store is $9.99 a pound, a dollar more than at the other location. Her wording is important. “So you probably want to get it there. Just make sure it’s really nice.” Chris and Ty-Lör quickly consent on the other end, at which points Keith interjects with the following: “”The shrimp are gonna be cooked.” When asked for clarification by Chris, Keith repeats himself. “They’re gonna be cooked shrimp.” Chris dismisses this statement with “Whatever. Get it.” He even waves his hand to express the irrelevance of this choice. Long time viewers of Top Chef know exactly where this is going.

When the Pink Team reassembles and compares notes, Sarah and Lindsay assume command of the entire operation. Sarah is concerned that the shrimp need to be fried; the two women walk over to inspect them. At this point, they are crestfallen to realize that the shrimp are frozen, cooked shrimp. Heather immediately interrogates Chris about the course of action that led to this result. He cavalierly throws a fellow team member under the bus. “That was all Keith.” Yes, it was all Keith if we don’t count the fact that there were four chefs standing by the phone when the discussion ensued and that Keith said they would have to purchase cooked shrimp. Twice. The problem is that pre-cooked food is the biggest no-no on Top Chef. While Lindsay decries Keith for “slight sabotage”, he maintains a level of composure that speaks well of him as a human being. As the situation stands right now, Keith appears likely to go home if the team loses.

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