Jamie Hertz’s quest for a Top Chef Canada title is over.
Nelson’s most famous chef received orders to pack his knives and go in episode five of the series, after making two appetizers described by judges as “like cat food” and “not bad, but not great” — possibly the nicest thing they’ve said to him all season.
Clearly, it wasn’t the end Hertz was expecting. A good portion of episode five, is devoted to the local restaurateur saying things like “I’ve got this” and “I should nail this.”
When judges Mark McEwan, Shereen Arazm and Thea Andrews sent him packing, Hertz used a private interview to vent his frustrations, telling the camera, “there’s no way my dish was the worst today.”
Hertz — who’s been watching his television debut from his North Shore home with some interest — told the Star he really didn’t see his elimination coming.
“It came as a shock to me, that’s why I was so frustrated,” he says.
Hertz’s final Top Chef appearance didn’t do him any characterization favours either.
Because the show can’t get through an episode without making its chefs team up with someone, competitors picked up students from a Toronto culinary school to help them with this week’s challenge.
When judges asked how the chefs enjoyed their mentorship opportunity, Hertz piped up to say working with his student “took my focus off” the food. It’s the second time this season Hertz put some of the blame for landing in the bottom four on his partner — and while no one said outright that it got him canned, it was sure implied.
“The character is definitely not one that I thought I was going to be edited out to be. It’s funny, or interesting, rather, to see how I’m portrayed,” Hertz says.
But he says at least one of his complaints that made it into the series was accurate.
None of the judges said anything nice about his food at any point in the competition, though Arazam and Andrews apparently offered a few compliments after they’d sent him packing.
“Of course it’s upsetting because I was pretty sure I was a lot better than they’d made me out to be, or at least Mark McEwan had anyway,” he says.
“Judging from the experiences I’ve had with my restaurant for six years, I knew I was better than at least half of the cooks in that competition.”
Though his stint on Top Chef Canada was anything but smooth, Hertz says being portrayed as the combative cook hasn’t come back to bite him locally.
“There’s nothing but really good support in Nelson. Lots and lots of love,” he says.
And for Nelsonites still looking for someone to root for, Hertz does have a fellow competitor to endorse.
“I had known Dale MacKay before being in the competition... I knew his pedigree and his experience, so I figured he was my biggest threat. I would still stick to the same thought,” he says.
“I was rooting for him, I suppose, if that’s the proper way to put it.”
