Bobby's record against pastry chefs is the worst-kept secret in this book. He is a savory chef. He has been a savory chef for thirty-five years. Every time a pastry chef walks into his kitchen, the round is decided before the chiffonade.
Lasheeda Perry runs Queen of Flavor — pastry catering, no brick-and-mortar yet — and is exactly the kind of dessert specialist who would pick lemon meringue pie. The pie is a control test: the curd has to set without rubber, the meringue has to torch without weeping, the crust has to stay crisp under both. Three problems on one plate. Most home cooks botch one of them. Most television chefs botch two.
Perry botched none. Bobby brought a dessert that was, per the broadcast, technically fine and emotionally absent. Pies are emotional.