Top Chef 2

Top Chef puts Dallas' John Tesar on the backburner — for now

Rookies lost, veterans won.

Photo courtesy of Bravo

If you were looking for John Tesar drama on the second episode of Top Chef, which aired on December 8, you went home empty-handed. After a debut that focused on Dallas' favorite chef, the Bravo channel chef competition reality show kept Tesar in the background, instead going to its fallback plot device for this season: rookies versus veterans.

This episode was a place setter, with exposition about the history and culinary traditions of Charleston, South Carolina. You learn that South Carolina played a pivotal role in the Revolution, and that it has seafood. You see a massive seafood boil get poured out onto a table. You watch the contestants nibble on shrimp.

The episode splits the chefs into two groups, veterans versus novices duh, who eat a family-style meal at the home of a prominent local. The chefs must watch, they must observe these cooks in their home settings. They must eat, digest, then return with their chef spin on what they ate.

Some of the novices are still irked about being on the novice team, and this is where the episode sets up the plot. Portland chef B.J. Smith complains that he deserves to be on the veteran team, because he owns his own restaurant — missing the definition of "veteran" here, i.e., you have been on the show before.

B.J. strikes again when the teams go food shopping. The novices are bonkers out of control. Who's buying the butter? Are you buying the butter, or am I? Oops, everyone buys butter. B.J. selfishly buys a pork tenderloin, which eats up $125 of their $500 budget, leaving other chefs with just a few basil leaves and birdseed for their dishes.

But B.J. has to have that pork loin, because he's the meat guy. He's all about meat. Meat is his thing. He's known for his meat. Imagine our surprise when he undercooks the meat. He pulls it out of the oven and it's trichinosis-red. He tries to quickly sauté it but #fail.

The meals are served. For the veteran team, things run as smooth as butter. Every course, better than the last. Winning dish goes to former Dallasite Casey Thompson, for her shredded collards.

The rookies lose. Chef Annie Pettry gets the boot for her unforgivably soggy crust on her tomato tart. Judge Gail Simmons hates that pork loin, but no way are they going to bump B.J. They need his arrogance for another episode.

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Top Chef airs Thursdays at 9 pm CST on Bravo.

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All you can fly

Frontier Airlines clears cheap, unlimited travel pass for takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth this summer

Frontier Airlines Facebook

If blackout dates and traveling light sound doable, these Frontier travel passes could pay for themselves.

Cheap flights are at North Texas travelers' fingertips as Frontier Airlines offers its all-you-can-fly summer and annual passes. The “Go Wild” passes really do offer unlimited flights to unbounded destinations — both international and domestic — starting May 2.

Both passes are currently deeply discounted. The summer pass, which runs from May 2 to September 30, is available for $399 (compared with $999), and the year-round pass starting on the same day is going for $1,299 (formerly $1,999).

This deal is best for people who travel light and plan fast. Booking options allow domestic flights to be purchased one day in advance, while international gives a little more leeway, with 10 days, and neither include luggage allowances. Still, bags can be purchased as usual, and since the passes cost about as much as an average or slightly higher flight in their respective farthest reaches, it would only take a few uses to practically pay for itself.

Another consideration is blackout dates; not an insignificant number. There is at least one every month, with other, more restrictive months like March, 2024, blacked out on about a third of dates. The pass also auto-renews, so buyers will need to pay attention or be prepared to extend their travel marathon.

Frontier flies out of Terminal E at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In November 2022, the airlines introduced new service from DFW to Baltimore (BWI), Orange County, Calif. (SNA), New York City (LGA), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), and Montego Bay (MBJ). With the new routes, Frontier now serves 19 destinations from DFW.

“Frontier’s consistent growth at DFW is a tremendous success story,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president, commercial, Frontier Airlines, said in a statement at the time of the announcement. “It’s clear DFW will serve a central role in the expansion of our network for years to come."

The straightforward all-you-can-fly deal prioritizes flexible travelers, but offers extensive usefulness to someone willing to work around common travel dates and spend a few extra dollars to pack comfortably. More information about the “Go Wild” passes is available at flyfrontier.com.

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