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As if talent were not an issue with the Gray Team, there is a secondary problem with them. Nicholas has to communicate regarding ingredients. So Travis calls him on the phone, and they discuss menu options. When the players return home, a disheveled Nick is happy to have some company. One minute later (because of the editing), they leave him alone again to go clubbing. On the plus side – and really all that matters from his perspective – is that Nick receives a clean bill of health the following morning. If he is eliminated tonight, the causality will not be strep throat.

As the chefs prepare the food, the judges arrive at Kermit’s restaurant. Sue Zemanick of Gautreau’s will be the guest judge for the evening. You may remember her as being the woman who didn’t understand what children may like to eat in the most recent season of Top Chef Masters. A five-year-old taunted her and her cohorts. That really happened.

The real star of the evening is Kermit, though. He relishes holding court, and he relays a story about how his friends were asked by the city to stop holding potlucks because “they were too much fun.” I am reminded of the Simpsons New Orleans episode where Principal Skinner exclaims that New Orleans is not really a party town. What do you have to do in the town that hosts Mardi Gras to be asked to pipe down the noise?

The Blue Team kicks off the festivities. Their dishes are not exactly the potluck fare I had expected. Justin starts with hominy grits with brown shrimp, roasted okra, fava beans & smoked bacon. Louis contributes grilled & pickled vegetables with crispy sunflower seeds & mustard vinaigrette. Shirley & Sara have jointly delivered glazed beef with charred onions, melon pickles & pickled ginger vinaigrette. The grits are the primary source of conversation as everyone agrees that Justin loves butter.

The Gray Team is next to present. In case you were wondering, none of them notifies the patrons that a member of the kitchen has an infectious disease. I’m pretty sure that is how World War Z started. Their biggest concern in plating is that Patty forgets the chili at the last second, a mistake Brian worries could be fatal. Otherwise, this has been a very calm cooking process for all three teams.

Brian & Travis present togarashi fried chicken with bee pollen & ponzu. Togarashi? Bee pollen? Nonsense like this is why I eat cheeseburgers and fries 14 times a week. Patty provides a beautiful plate of tomato watermelon salad, Szechuan pepper & goat cheese espuma. The judges mention how unattractive it is. I doubt Food & Wine Magazine ever asks me to be a contributor. I am always wrong about this stuff.

Sick Nick also plates barramundi & red drum fricassee with zucchini, truffle & yuzu kosho. Clearly, I have been going to the wrong potluck dinners. Where are the meatloaf, baked beans and chicken casserole? Travis & Brian get a little closer with caramel glazed BBQ ribs, dehydrated potatoes & peanut gremolata. At least two of these are real potluck dishes. Alas, the judges don’t like the dry rub on the ribs and they believe the fish is overcooked. Also, everyone – guests and judges alike – hates the watermelon. Patty is in trouble.

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