Top Chef - S5E13 Postmortem

Best. Twist. Ever.

I love it. Not just a fun idea, not just applied in a way that makes it hard to call it unfair, but busted out for just the right season. Great call on the part of the producers.

And another great episode all around. Anybody who was beating up on Emeril last week want to eat their words? :-)

What I liked the most, though? Nobody fell down. Seriously... in this season more than any other, how refreshing was it to see great comments across the board for all five chefs? Yeah, people had their issues, but you get the sense that the judges genuinely liked everything that was out there. Nice to see the season five cast bringing it when it counts.

Lots more, of course, but not tonight. I'm a little sleep-deprived at the moment. Three hours ago, I just couldn't get excited about this season's finals. Now I'm totally jazzed. Bravo, everybody.

Discuss!

Comments

[babyarm]

BLAIS IS BACK!!!!!!111!!eleventyone!!!!

That's all I have. Look forward to seeing him redeem himself next week. Also good to have Casey back she's easily top 10 all time in my eyes. The left one is too hard to call. It might be Tiffany actually. Not sure. The other two are obvious.

Great how Jeff made an encore. He got tre-ed no doubt and I wish he had an honest shot. No question had he had the skills to pull this off.

[SteveFromNJ]

Awesome episode tonight. Really wish Jamie had made it in rather than Jeff, but that is the way it goes. Can't wait to see the Finale now. Carla continues to step things up and I am really interested to see if she can do it one more time.

[KinderJ]

I refuse to comment on the grounds of insufficient material to comment on. The show it's self just does not cut it. Way to ruin it for EVERYONE! Friends, pah, why in my day (last Wednesday) we would walk five miles, in the snow, barefoot, uphill both ways, to post after an episode of Top Chef! We would feed coal into our computers, hoping a little of the radiant heat would warm our remaining fingers, knowing that true warmth came from endless discussion and analysis of the amazing sights we saw, and the flavors we wish we had tasted. Now, now all that is gone. Gone forever. Sniff.

[Lon]

Wow. That's all I can say. Like the chef's dishes, my complaints are very minor. I especially liked Bravo's ability to get Gail's and Tom's blogs up right away. I would recommend people read them both before making comments because there is some excellent background materials there.

[Allison]

Nothing short of a great episode - been a long day, so I'm off to sleep.

[Jon Olsen]

Wow. I think they preserved the show's integrity—and risked it big time. I thought "what a true SHIT STICK that would be!" I mean, if you lost to a previously-eliminated chef in a resurrection challenge?

And they clearly did NOT want to send Jeff home compared to Team Euro's missteps. Except Jeff didn't win; Carla did. Carla clearly did. Two home runs. So they did the internally-consistent thing and sent Jeff packing even though he was more on his game than either Stefan or Fabio.

What a RISK they took, though they balanced it. I think I'd flip my lid if they just let somebody back in after I'd already put them behind me. I'd be screaming about unfair, manipulative, interference, fake. But they put in such a high barrier: can't win on points, you gotta knock 'em out. That made the risk of fakery much lower—IF they could retain the discipline to declare a winner and send second place home, even if it meant letting in a fourth place finisher at the bottom.

You watch though, it's going to be controversial. I'm fine with it, but some people are gonna freak out.

Now? Now we hope the last two episodes were a wake up for Stefan. But like last season, I am going to be satisfied if either of 2/3 of the finalists win. I will not be so much if it's Hosea, unless he cooks his holy living ASS off next week.

What a solid season this has turned out to be. I hope no one chokes next week so they have to debate for twelve hours at JT.

Hoo. Tie.

[Anne]

Honestly, I'm not sure if there's a contestant in Top Chef history I've liked as much as Carla. That's all.

[Scott]

honestly, if you're going to eliminate somebody, please at least edit the episode to appear that there is something to complain about. as much as it would be bad for top chef to see stefan go, i was just so underwhelmed by what he put out that I am in total disbelief Fabio was the one to go.

[KinderJ]

Yes, my last post was all lies. Very interesting episode, and I have to agree with Lon, you really need to read those blogs to fully understand what you saw and why it went the way it did. I am very curious to find out what Tom was hinting about Fabio. I was really rooting for him, and am sorry to see him go. I am glad to hear there are good things in his future and that we will be seeing more of him. Putting that to one side, my only real complaint about this episode was the cocktail thing. A small complaint, but I am sticking with this one. Mixology is different from cooking, despite having similarities. The chefs were asked to craft an original cocktail (or at least an interesting one, did it have to be original?)and make sure it paired well with their foods. I am having a hard time articulating what bugs me about this, but I sort of feel like this is why restaurants have bartenders and bar tending schools exist in the first place.

That being said, I thought bringing back the prior contestants was an interesting twist, and while I was rooting for Jamie, Jeff was not a bad second option. The producers were quite right to place a tougher burden on the returning chefs. In essence, Jeff was given a pass on the last two rounds and automatically advanced to the finals. This despite the fact his own skills could not carry him there. Sounds harsh, and clearly he was mad about being sent home for the dish he cooked, but...

A thought just occurred to me. Weird piece of synchronicity. That superbowl episode, same bottom three, no? Odd. Interesting, but odd.

[donnie]

I'm loving the revisionist history going on in this episode. No longer will it take a decade for Jeff to get over his earlier elimination in Top Chef. Also, Toby goes totally missing without any explanation!

[zsparks]

Lordy, son - laptops cost $300 now. Let me know if we should take up a collection.

[b t]

The single/double elimination inconsistency makes more sense now....

It didn't make the edit, but for the record, this clip shows that Stefan DID help Carla with her oysters. I think Lee Anne had it right when she described him as a big softie in the lost restaurant war blog.

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/videos/broken-promises-from-men

I loved this episode from the sheer entertainment aspect of it.

Anne, I agree completely. It's hard not to root for Carla. She just has an infectious positive attitude.

Toby gone missing....

Did i mention I loved this episode?

[Scott]

According to Tom's Blog:

"We have not seen the last of Fabio" = Got a job from BravoTV. i hope it's to build a working website for them, but i'm not crossing my fingers.

[KinderJ]

Toby never bothered me the way he seems to have bothered everyone else. I lived in England for quite a while and he is not a particularly uncommon breed there. I guess I just adapted. I never felt he added much to the show, but I did not hate him. It's worth remembering that Bourdain, of beloved memory, was not without the savage quip himself. I remember he once called the execution of a chef's dish as 'Flinstonian'(think it was Mike in season 2?), a comment I have always treasured. I just think that with Bourdain, you got more of a sense of compassion and caring with the brutal honesty. Toby just comes across as cold and catty. Like I said, it never bothered me that much, but for the finals? Welcome back Gail.

[Jon Olsen]

Well, I went to "bartending school" (MN School of Bartending Class of 96!) and honestly they didn't teach "mixology" as it's come to be practiced lately. They taught a set of basic recipes and approaches. But the next level of mixology is being practiced in bars and in the home (and in citizen journalism, jeez there's a lot of cocktail bloggers out there). There's some schools for it I suppose, but it's still coalescing, I'd say. Around some "schools of thought" more than anything. So I'd argue that it's just coming into a renaissance of chef-like professionalism. Soon enough. I'd love to see Top Bartender some day (soon!) where flair juggling joker boys line up against tough as nails beerslingers and studious focused mixologists. It would easily be as controversial as Top Chef in terms of what qualities are considered to be essential for a great bartender.

THAT SAID, I still think a well rounded chef needs to know how to make drinks that go with their food. Not to run a bar or take mixology to a new realm, but they should know how to make cocktails and, knowing that, should be able to apply a chef's mindset to the practice. That whole "think like a chef" thing Colicchio wrote about? That. It also seems clear—blogs included—that the cocktails counted, but the winners were ultimately determined by the dishes. Didn't it?

[kit]

For those of you who aren't also Project Runway fans - this twist of bringing back eliminated contestants, who could only stay if they won the challenge, was used on project runway, though during the "regular season", instead of during the finale.

I am terribly obsessive about this show, and really enjoyed this episode. Then I learned from Tom's blog that Jeff's oysters apparently tasted like sterno, and he was therefore never in the running to win. (I guess the only hint of this in the episode itself was Stefan's comment about a burning smell.) I can see how you edit this comment out if you're trying to build suspense. But if you care about building viewer trust, it seems like judges' comments on the level of glaring error that essentially eliminates a contestant should stay in. I should get over it, it is after all a reality show, not a documentary!

[KinderJ]

I think the cocktail counted, but I am sure the dishes were weighted more heavily. Like I said, minor issue, but it's like the proverbial bit of corn stuck in your teeth. You loved eating that cob but now there's that one detracting detail demanding all your attention. Other then Padma.

Food. This is a food blog! Focus man, the food!

Ahem.

By the by, I don't have my cook book handy, but my recollection is that the type of pasta Fabio made is actually hollow tubes, not solid pasta. Does anyone know if that's right? I feel like I have seen that type of hand made pasta in a book, but I don't know if it's the same thing at all.

Scott, I hope your right about him landing a show on Bravo, but what the Helsinki would it be about? Food, sure, but more specifically? Thoughts?

[Dave_P]

Great, great episode. It's late and I'll post more tomorrow, but for now...

Great to see Jeff back. Would've been happy to see Jamie or even Leah win the QF, but I'd been a Jeff supporter for most of the season, so I was very happy to see him get his chance at redemption. I hope they continue this new "tradition"--it would've been great to let Dale T. (and Spike & Nikki, I guess) try to get back in it last season too.

All the chefs did a great job, but Stefan better be thanking Carla mightily, cuz (at least from the edits we're seeing), if she hadn't hit those home runs, both of the Euro duo would've been gone packing.

Kinda sad that there's only one more episode (and the reunion?). This really has turned out to be a great season, definitely my favorite after S3.

--
Dave

[aaalex]

A lovely episode from what has become my favourite season.
One of the most interesting things about this season: each of the best chefs has a flaw: jeff's hyper creativity, jamie's unwillingness to go outside her range, and then stefan's over-confidence. for the last three weeks now, it's become clear (in the editing anyway) that it's precisely his confidence (an otherwise good characteristic) that has let him down: he should have checked the salmon, he should have made his own sausage, he should not have relaxed against andrea ... these all add up to the kind of hubris aristotle could have written about. and, though i'm a fan and like him best of all the entertaining personalities this year, i think stefan's in for a fall. after all, the other consistent thing this year (there was also eugene's refusal to listen to what the judges said about his food) is that NO ONE seems to learn from their defeats.

i think stefan gave a better account of himself than fabio did, but ... he kind of deserved to go home tonight. hope stefan pulls it together for the final, hope he beats hosea (who is the only chef this year who consistently annoys me), but i'm not putting money on any of them.

[Gilby]

I think it's clear that there is exactly one reason why they added a "second chance" round this season.

Lisa.

One continual complaint in blogs, here and elsewhere, is that it isn't about winning (during the season), just about not losing. Being impressive doesn't matter, just make sure that you never screw up worst on any one elimination challenge. Lisa was the poster child, and made the final three on a string of not-as-bad-as-the-loser performances.

So I'd guess that the idea for this challenge, including previously-eliminated chefs, was born from season four. And I'll guess that we see something similar in future seasons. Maybe even a wild-card episode where a select few eliminees, maybe chosen by wins during the season, maybe chosen by guest judges, maybe chosen by Tom, maybe just the last few eliminated, get a chance to fully earn their way into the final four (or five) with a double elimination in the penultimate episode. It just makes sense and allows the show to reward winning and being amazing.

I like it. A lot.

[KinderJ]

Mmmm... Yeah, I am pulling for Stefan, but he needs to wake up. He acts like he has nothing to prove, and maybe that right. He certainly was dominant during the regular season. Despite all that, right now I would tip Carla for the win. I just feel like she is really giving it her all now, and for all the teasing about love and spirit guides, she is turning out elegant, delicious dishes. We cannot 'lick the TV' but, you know, I kinda do see the love there.

Hosea. Sigh. Man. I am just never going to eat at his restaurant. Not because I think he is a bad cook, far from it. I am sure he is very good. It's just that none of his food has interested me. If I can't get excited about it, why would I pay top dollar for it?

[aaalex]

KinderJ: hosea does bug me but, unlike with ilan in season two, i don't think i'd avoid his restaurant. hosea' more annoying (as he's edited with the stefan, stefan, stefan) than really off-putting. also, hosea's gumbo looked very very good. i'd have loved to try some. if he wins i'll be disappointed, but not as i was in season 2.

[aaalex]

A word to any other Canadians out there: anybody know how to get around Bravo's country of origin restrictions? Right now, Canadians can't see any of the videos on the Bravo site. I'd be really grateful if anyone has a work-around.

[Skillet Doux]

"Honestly, I'm not sure if there's a contestant in Top Chef history I've liked as much as Carla. That's all."

I'm thinking long and hard and I just might agree.

"Bourdain, you got more of a sense of compassion and caring with the brutal honesty. Toby just comes across as cold and catty."

Bourdain is no less nasty... far more, in fact... but I think it's more that Bourdain comes across as genuine while Toby, to me at least, comes across as very rehearsed and forced. Toby wants to play the snarky asshole, but Bourdain IS a snarky asshole. It's like all of Toby's lines are followed by "pause for laughter" whereas Bourdain is just funny. But humor's very personal like that. YMMV.

"By the by, I don't have my cook book handy, but my recollection is that the type of pasta Fabio made is actually hollow tubes, not solid pasta. Does anyone know if that's right? I feel like I have seen that type of hand made pasta in a book, but I don't know if it's the same thing at all."

It's called casarecci, and you're right on, they're longish hand-rolled tubes.

" And I'll guess that we see something similar in future seasons. Maybe even a wild-card episode where a select few eliminees, maybe chosen by wins during the season, maybe chosen by guest judges, maybe chosen by Tom, maybe just the last few eliminated, get a chance to fully earn their way into the final four (or five) with a double elimination in the penultimate episode. It just makes sense and allows the show to reward winning and being amazing."

Personally, gotta disagree. They did the right thing at the right time, and I don't see any need to force it in the future. In fact, it was so appropriate for this season that I wonder if it was an audible. If so, it was a great one.

[KinderJ]

Well, the other thing that sort of dooms Hosea for me is that I am one of those odd people who cannot stand seafood. Really. I don't even like going near the fish counter in supermarkets. I tried to punch a fish once, while snorkeling. I was defeated by water drag, but one day, little fishy, one day...

More seriously, the odds of just stumbling into any of the restaurants these chefs work in or own is pretty low. You would have to be looking to go there. Blais is the sort of chef who makes me want to find an excuse to spend a night in Atlanta, just so I can eat his food. Ditto Hung, Chef Tom and a handful of others. Fabio too, if I was to find my self in L.A. I just feel like if I was in Boulder, or wherever Hosea hangs his hat, I would make an effort not to eat at his place.

[Shelly]

"the other consistent thing this year (there was also eugene's refusal to listen to what the judges said about his food) is that NO ONE seems to learn from their defeats."

Carla learned. That's why she was in the finals. But you're quite right about the others.

[aaalex]

Shelly: you're quite right. Carla is the exception and a great exception she is, too: she learned from her mistakes.

So many very very intriguing personalities this year. (i love that stefan helped her shuck oysters. wish bravo had shown it.)

[Ames]

Kinder J, I must admit, I am also one of those odd people. I do, however, make exceptions for seafood dishes that just look (and generally do taste) absolutely delicious.

For example, I've never tried scallops before because honestly the idea of eating one kind of freaks me out...but good god, some of the scallop dishes made (I'm thinking Jamie, Jeff) really made me want to reach inside the tv and eat the whole darn thing. Which is a HUGE thing for someone that doesn't particularly enjoy seafood.

Sadly, Hosea's seafood dishes just don't inspire the same "gotta have that right now" feeling in me. I feel that in the dishes he has done this season, while maybe executed well, somehow don't have any/enough of that inexplicable oomph that makes me want to hunt high and low for it.

p.s. Dom, a million thanks for having this blog. I think we all appreciate it tremendously.

[Vega]

I am so in love with Carla. That's really all I can say. This whole season, all I've cared about is how Carla's been doing. Shameless? Yes. But dammit, if she doesn't win Fan Favorite, I'm going to choke Toby Young. Just cause.

[Shelly]

@Ames, scallops are one of the least fish-like of all seafood. My husband loves them and he dislikes most fish. Their texture is akin to, IMO, a properly cooked piece of filet mignon, a soft, slightly meaty feel. They have a very light sweet flavor. Do try them, if you find a place that looks like they'd cook them correctly (overcooked ones are terrible).

There are a lot of video extras this time. Fabio confirms the TV show offer. I wonder which network, and if it's local to him or national. I think it would be fun to watch him because he's enthusiastic about food, and he has a unique way of putting things. What was that comment about being overconfident means your ass is being kicked by your own shoe? LOL.

[Ames]

Shelly: Thanks for that push of encouragement!

And like everyone else here has been saying, Carla is completely wonderful. So mature, takes criticism well and also knows how to apply it to make her dishes better? Wow.

And did I hear Stefan correctly when he made some comment about Hosea? Something about "this is a competition, not a buttrubbing contest"? Because if that's what he really said...then that's my new line. Awesome.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Need to watch the first half hour to fully comment. Mrs. Gilmore said "what's up with Emril?".
Caterers here (Mississippi) have served grits in the bottom of a champagne glass, topped with gumbo for years.
Looked like excellent food all around and the chefs all proved worthy.

[Bart]

What a fantastic episode. This season just keeps getting better and better.

Carla didn't just hit a home run; she hit a grand slam. The looks of bliss on all the chef's faces when they ate her food was really contagious. And the way she worked that crowd - wow!

Dom, I think you might have to seriously consider ranking Carla #1 for the last week before the finals. She's on FIRE and Stefan has stumbled as of late.

If Carla wins, it won't be so unbelievable.

Pause. Think about that statement. "If Carla wins, it won't be so unbelievable." - Was that sentence even possible two, three weeks ago? No. Just goes to show what a game changer she's become.

[JW]

I thought it was fantastic that everyone seemed to do a good job and give the judges a hard time deciding who to send home. That's the best kind of competition.

And, I have to also agree with all the Carla-love, too! She's my new all-time fave.

I found myself jumping up and doing a little Hootie dance when Tom C said to Emeril "If you loved the beignet, just wait until you try the oysters" (or similar).

[JW]

One more thing - interesting comparison between Toby Young and Anthony Bourdain. I agree that Bourdain seems more like a genuine smart-ass and Toby just seems to be looking for a place to insert his latest sound bite.

But...also...Bourdain seems to genuinely care about the food and his snarky comments seem to come from disappointment - or maybe crabbiness that he's had to waste his time eating some crappy food.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

How about the crowd shouting Hootie and Carla responding Hoo!!!!!!

[redpoint]

**Tooting my own horn**

I do believe -- and I may be wrong but -- I was the first one, long ago (maybe third challenge?), who said I thought Carla was a contender. Everybody poo-pooed me then . . . I should have placed my bet then.

[Jon Olsen]

UG: That "hootie" shouting gal ticked me off. One of our little quartet of viewing party friends said it best after the same woman made another comment: "I really wanna get on tv!" Something just rubbed me wrong. That's probably not generous of me. For all I know that woman reads this blog and comments and she was just a foodie fan caught up in the moment. If that's true, then perhaps I can blame Bravo. What the hell, I'll just blame Toby. (I still maintain that I love Toby's blogging and reviews. He is a solid writer with an astute point of view. Something just went wrong with his appearance on this show. I'm no less angry about it-—and hungry!--but I'm also wishing there was a way to redeem his appearances.)

I was twittering the show last night (fwiw my name links to my profile. Hey Dom--it'd be easier for you to do than live blogging, hint hint!) and I had three thoughts during the show I thought were worth repeating here. Stefan's "lick and spank," right into the camera? Best top chef move evar! But it also looked premature. He's really getting the overconfident edit, and hard.

I also thought that I was sorry Jeff lost after sounding like he was so close to staying (and this was obviously due to the lie of omission about the sterno--Bravo editing LIES. IT LIES!). But showing class and skills like that, rather than the bitter "I did more stuff" exit interview, he might have earned a chicken after all.

And Carla, of course, has a new trunk FULL of chickens.

[Jon Olsen]

Also: CANNOT FIND preview video. I have finally joined the ranks of HATERS of Bravo's new site. My friends in the usability/user experience industry would crawl out of their skins (and go eat Toby's brains) if they saw that brutal piece of crap.

BTW, I love love loved both Blais and Stephanie last year. I thought Steph's storyline from shaky hands to Top Chef was really well done and she always had dignity and class for me. Her flabbergasted reaction to victory? Blais' "what?!?" look when they brought out that car in the semis? And looking straight into the judges' eyes and saying "I choked"? Those were such humanizing moments for these tv personalities. So I love me my Carla, but I put those two way up there also.

[Independent George]

I thought it was a great call giving Jamie/Jeff/Leah a chance, but I hope they don't do it ever again. The chefs already seem like they're already trying to coast through the early rounds; no need to add another incentive.

I adore Carla, but Blais/Steph are still my favorites. The fact that they were from the same season, dominated throughout, and kept it not only professional, but downright friendly (remember Richard giving up his prize to Stephanie in Wedding Wars? Who does that?!!).

And as long as I'm talking about everything but the food... I must say, Leah and Jamie looked really good last night. I mean, damn.

[Independent George]

Huh. The end of my middle paragraph above isn't actually a sentence. It's just a dangling participle.

[JW]

Jon, I'm with you on Stephanie and Blais from last year. I thought they always showed a lot of class and was happy to see them 1-2 at the end.

The other person I thought of when ranking my top cheftestants was Casey from Season 3. She got off to a slightly shaky/cry-happy start, but she ended up showing a solid work ethic and a great personality by the end. I think that Tom C even mentioned (was it in the finale?) that the positive atmosphere in the kitchen that season was directly attributable to her. Quite the change from Season 2.

Didn't start watching until Season 2, so I can't comment on the Season 1 folks.

[Dom's cousin]

Hootie hoo! I said it in the last thread and I'll say it again - I'm a total Carla convert. I also cheered for her at Tom's 'wait until you try the stew' comment. Stefan is great (overconfidence aside...hope he has that in check for part II) but I'm kinda hoping she takes the whole thing now.

Does anyone know exactly when they filmed the finale and how much time has elapsed between NY and NOLA? Since Gail said people had started to see the show, and Mardi Gras is just about to happen...I'm not too clear on the timing.

[Anne]

As far Carla learning from her mistakes, did anyone take her seriously when she said she was going to start busting out her classical training? Anyone?

[paula]

I posted a couple of weeks ago that "would anyone on this board be satisfied if anyone but Stefan wins?" Wow, I have my answer. And I feel the same way. This episode kicked ass. (Looooooved the QF twist, and yay! Pretty, pretty Jeff!) To see how all the chefs--especially Carla, though not, tellingly, Stefan--raised their game was thrilling. The time between the regular season and the filming of the finale clearly helped these guys get focused again. I was floored when Tom made that comment to Emeril about Hootie's stew. The look on his face, and his obvious joy over that food, was priceless.

I do think Stefan will bring it in the finals, but I will be perfectly content if Hootie walks away with it all.

[Charles]

Couples of questions:

Why was Fabio shaking the food processor?

The judges talked about the need to let the food cook together for a long period of time, but didn't it seem like Carla chucked those oysters in there at the last minute?

How could Stefan not make his own sausage? What was the thought process on that one? Is there any viable justification for that?

[SorchaRei]

Carla had infused her stew with oysters, and she served it with a poached oyster (that Tom says she was cooking to order at the table, along with cooking the beignets to order, too -- color me impressed that she could do all that at the table, to that high standard, and have a great time with the guests, too). So oyster in the stew and also a freshly poached one on top: two layers of oyster taste in that dish.

As for Stefan and not making his own sausage, there was not time to smoke sausages, so if he was using one of the smoked NOLA-style sausages, he kind of had to use someone else's sausage.

[Shelly]

Anne, I thought Carla would try, but I didn't think it would be enough. When she failed at her frozen dessert during the same contest where Stefan overcame the same problems and succeeded, I thought that she couldn't work through difficulties. However, she really does seem to have overcome some of her problems.

Dom's cousin: The finale was filmed mid-January, so they were able to see at least half the season.

[Jake]

I don't really get the furor over Stefan not making his own sausage. It seems like a lot of them used andouille sausage ... did they really all make their own? I kind of doubt it. Can you even make andouille sausage in five hours?

I loved the twist -- it made that single/double elimination confusion make more sense (and how did none of us guess the twist, given that confusion?). It was perfect for this year, but given how far in advance a lot of this is planned, I wouldn't be surprised if that decision was made before they knew who would get the second chance. Regardless, I loved it.

I'm a little sad that Jamie didn't win the quickfire, but Jeff absolutely embraced his second chance and approached it the right way. Watching Tom struggle to keep a grin off of his face when talking about Carla's food, though ... it was clear she ran away with it.

Man, I hope Stefan didn't screw this one up. Carla has emerged as a completely worthy opponent for the finals, and I hope that inspired him to pull out the stops for the finale. If he loses, he loses, but if he loses because he wasn't going full out, I'll be a little sad.

I thought it was sort of funny that it was as if the whole Toby thing was a bad dream -- no mention of it, just people happy to see Gail. I'd be curious to hear what happened, but it sure seemed like he just didn't fit in with the rest of the judges. Takes nothing away from his main career.

[TomClevo]

When I went to bed last night after watching this episode, I thought "One of the best episodes ever. A season saver!". I woke up thinking, "Are we really that excited about the same Stefan, Carla and Hosea final we were expecting anyway? It was a long path back to the status quo...". I think my first impression was the correct one though. A masterful job by the Top Chef crew in making the final credible, exciting and relevant. A few thoughts:

This episode really enhanced the credibility of the finalists by showing them beat another capable opponent in Jeff, and set the bar high enough for him that he would have been accepted as a finalist if he won. There was really no risk involved, other than Leah winning (yeah, right...). Don't make a habit of it though.

Regarding "Sterno Gate": I think you could make the case that Jeff should have lost outright. What would have happened then? Was that even a possibility? Has there ever been another show where you have to read the blogs to understand the show at all?

This week was practically a handicap match for Stefan: Required to cook an unfamiliar cuisine against two chefs with southern roots. I think he's still the prohibitive favorite. Carla's home field advantage is over now.

[babyarm]

I think fabio shook the FP because he was processing something hot. I've seen people do that before when running hot food in one of those things (cooked salsa comes to mind). Why? I don't know.

Hootie needs to learn the .69 can opener oyster shucker trick. Knives to shuck those things are just dangerous and slow until you've done a billion of them.

I wish they would have shown her doing her food to order and how she managed it. That was a lot of moving parts. I wonder if she did all oyster stew first then switched over.

Do agree that for the gumbo stefan should have used the pre-made sausage. Fresh would have just disintegrated in his stewing.

I'm not a big fan of emeril, but whatever. I thought he was really good in that context. He certainly had the same demeanor as he did on AB:NR the time he was on that show.

I wonder how they will pair the chefs off. I don't think Hootie will work well with Blais. Hosea and him would work well together. Casey and Hootie would work I would think and that would be probably ideal. I couldn't see the last one even on my 92" screen. Anyone figure it out yet?

[KinderJ]

I am a big believer in professionalism. I don't really worry about the positive vibes in the kitchen or whatever. I am not reconsidering that blanket position. I think I must have assumed that, due to her space cadet-ishness, Carla would be flaky, disorganized and generally all over the place. In the last few episodes, and especially this last one, she has demonstrated that's flat wrong. You just cannot cook all that food to order perfectly and chat at the same time if you are not absolutely organized and discipline. Hell, I wish I had that kind of focus and discipline.

It's what always seemed to set Stefan apart. While everyone else was flipping out, he always had his stuff locked down. Now, it looks like he is taking it easy, and Carla has assumed the 'Ruthless Efficiency' crown. I am not writing Stefan off, I still think he has a good chance to win this, but I am now starting to wonder if Carla's sheer caring about her food might be the deciding factor. If she keeps that laser like focus and that devotion to cooking a delicious meal, the best three course meal she can make should be fantastic. I am really excited about this final, and that's not something I thought I would say mid season.

[KinderJ]

Sorry, that second sentence should not read 'Not' but 'now'

[KinderJ]

Oh, goodie, I have managed to lose an entire comment in an effort to correct a typo in that comment. I'm a genius, yes I am...

[jse91]

I am impressed that some folks recognized Blais and Casey. I couldn't tell at all. But now I am really excited. Blais and Carla have to be the two classiest cheftestants ever - so the idea of them working together is amazing. Oh I so hope that those two are paired off.

I think Stephan really misunderstood New Orleans food.That roux was ridiculous, embarrassing really. And his continued defense of made no sense. I am no fan of Hosea, but at least he studied up.

As for the sausage question - I can't remember if Jeff called his sausage andouille or not, but if he did, it wasn't. There is a reason that Emril has andouille is his kitchen is that there are really good producers in Louisiana, who do it right and have done it for generations. You go to them.

And ditto to those who mentioned the moment Tom said "Just wait till you taste the oyster" as one of my favorite moments, along with the one at JT when he told there was nothing wrong with that oyster stew.

[DaveP]

So now that I struggled mightily though Bravo's PoS website to read Tom's and Gail's blogs...

Wow, I guess Jeff really wasn't in the running after all. Can't ever trust the edits. Ever. Still, even with the steno problems, they said he was clearly in the top 3 which speaks volumes about his skills. I was very happy to see him back and satisfied with his performance.

Stefan's still a bit lucky to still be in it. He better pick up his game, because his two remaining rivals aren't pushovers any more. Hell, I'm hard pressed to even call him a favorite right now, though I still do by a slim margin (more on this later). *If* Stefan brings his A game, it's his title to win, but that was also said of Blaise last season. At least Blaise got his car.

Hosea's really bringing it, and he showed he "gets" each challenge. His roux was spot on, his gumbo was the favorite, he has the refinement and creativity that, if he executes flawlessly, he can win it all. I still think he requires a bit of a stumble from Stefan, but if he and Carla both execute to their potential, I give the nod to Hosea.

Which brings me to Carla. Wow, she's been feeding many of us a steady diet of crow for weeks! Of course most of us became converts last week, and as Dom pointed out, this last challenge was just the fat hanging curve for her to knock out of the park... which she did in style. And absolutely she seems like a wonderful person, maybe the best personality ever on TC.

Having said all this, given the nature of the ultimate challenge, I have to say she's the dark horse. If everyone is firing on all cylinders, I have to say it's Stefan -> Hosea -> Carla. There may not be a lot of separation between them, but it's there. Of course, Carla's been far more consistent of late, but then Stefan was the ultra consistent one for the majority of the season, so even though momentum counts for a lot, I still have to say the crown is Stefan's to lose.

Fabio, you had fantastic charisma and you cooked some great food. You'll be missed, but according to Tom, you're already doing some wonderful things. All the best, amico.

--
Dave

[Jon Olsen]

I finally figured out the mystique of this place! With such analysis and photography...

Dom, you're the Nate Silver of food bloggers.

[Lon]

This show finally revealed the potential that showed in the first episode and that was missing for so long. It seemed like everyone was playing safe, cooking not to make a mistake.

As to Carla's stronger performances, I think you can trace those to her "concentration" session several episodes ago. As I said before, I think she began to understand that she could cook with the best of them and started to quit "hooting" around as the group clown and started focusing on using her real skills. I would guess one never knows as a chef contestant whether they can cook with the best until they've been competing for a while, especially if you are a "caterer" cooking against restaurant chefs. And especially if you are not a lifelone chef like Stefan and Fabio obviously are.

One thing Carla has, and that makes her easy to root for, is passion. Stefan may have better daily technical skills, but his passion is missing.

Of course, (and I hate having to add this all the time), my comments are based on the edits. And this season, I think the edits are worse than they've ever been. Bravo's addition of all the video and blogs are making that obvious as we learn a lot more about the judge's decision making from those souces than from the show.

In addition to the top quality performances by the chefs, the return of Gail Simmons really helps make the Finale Part I a better show. While sometimes she gets over-ridden because she is not a chef, her overall positive tone and command of language improves the show's quality. As JW pinted out in an earlier post, a strong positive participant improves the entire process.

On the issue of Bourdain vs Toby Young, I got back to the chef issue. Bourdain is a chef, so his comments are more personally oriented and backgrounded than Mr. Young's who is a writer and critic.

[rab01]

I couldn't make out the three helpers on my TV despite pausing and rewinding a couple of times. Am I understanding correctly that it's Richard, Casey and an unknown?

If so, I'm stoked because I love those two but I hope that no one asks Richard to prep seafood and that Casey sharpened her knives ...

[KinderJ]

Dude is creepily accurate on baseball and politics. Called the Oscars last night, curious to see how that works out. That being said, I don't know how well statistical analysis works when applied to Top Chef. Who knows, maybe it's ninja. I am prepared to be amazed.

[Biebs]

Interesting. When we were watching last night, I had thought Hosea and Carla were way ahead of the pack. I even turned to my fiancee and said, "I wonder if they are just going to send Jeff right home before the discussion". I was surprised to read that so many people thought that Jeff was really in the running.

I think Hosea has gotten a particularly strange edit throughout the season. Half of it was the Leah thing, which I understand, even if I don't like it. But the Stephan thing baffles me a bit. It seems like they get along pretty well (from what I've read from Stephan's blog on Braco and side shots on the show) but it seems like the producers took every single comment Hosea ever makes about Stephan and makes sure it's on there.

It seems to me like Hosea, Fabio, and Stephan all get along well, but Top Chef editors wanted to really play up the Hosea's inferiority complex to Stephan at every turn. Maybe I'm wrong, but the way Hosea talks about Stephan in the interviews, it's more like a friend who loses a lot at 1 on 1 basketball with a competitive friend rather than any sort of douchery.

[babyarm]

Hold a gun to my head and I'm going to say Chef #3 is Sam. It's really hard to call.

[Vin]

I am not so sure people should be dumping on stefan so much for his efforts on last nights show. If you read Gail's blog, she had him in second place. Also Tom said he was not crazy about the catfish from Hosea. Seems to me we were/are led to believe that Stefan was in danger when in reality he was not. I think the only thing we know for sure is that Carla nailed it last night. One other thing about the "effort" or lack there of by Stefan, come on people seriously, of course he tried. If he takes one smoke break in 5 hours who cares. I guess they didn't show anyone taking a bathroom break, but same freakin thing. I think he will be fine in the finals but as others have said, it is not a slam dunk

[Anne]

I didn't get a good look at the outlines, but what Blais and Casey have in common is being in the finals but not winning. In fact, both of them choked. So perhaps Marcel or Tiffani?

[babyarm]

From elsewhere:

Tom had all the chefs and judges to CraftSteak last night to watch the show in the bar. Of course Carla was there and she brought her husband. Well, when they announced she won the challenge the whole bar went nuts screaming and cheering. Carla had to stand and wave. Everyone was yelling Hootie. It was hilarious. The best part was that because of confidentiality she hadn't told her husband. He started crying and hugging her. It was adorable.

[Shelly]

I think it's Blais, Casey, and Marcel. The runners up from seasons 2, 3, and 4.

[babyarm]

I think he's much too tall for marcel, but that would certainly fit the pattern. And the "open coat black shirt thing" doesn't scream marcel too much to me, but it's been a real long time since I've seen that season. (Yes, I need to get a life)

[Anne]

Where are you guys seeing this?

Too tall--Dale maybe? (My second favorite TC contestant of all time.)

[Rabrab]

There is no reason on God's green earth to try to make your own andouille in five hours in Louisiana. Even half-decent andouille requires the spices and meat to marry for a day or two before grinding; then drying the stuffed casings overnight; then several (as in at least 5) hours of smoking, preferably over pecanwood chips or corn stalks and sugarcane stalks; then cooling and another day in the fridge to allow the flavors to marry again.
Trying to make andouille in five hours is like trying to make sourdough bread in ten minutes.

[Bart]

babyarm: Where did you see that from? I'd like to read more about it!

[zsparks]

In response to: "A word to any other Canadians out there: anybody know how to get around Bravo's country of origin restrictions? Right now, Canadians can't see any of the videos on the Bravo site. I'd be really grateful if anyone has a work-around."

I live in Kansas City and the only way I could watch Bravo's videos would be to drive over to Craft and ask Tom if he has copies. You can see stuff on their site?!?

Seriously, on my laptop I don't even get the site's full graphics, though Skillet Doux looks fantastic no matter what you open it with.

[Shelly]

I just read last month in the NO Times-Picayune that Marcel was in town for the finale, and figured it was him. Maybe he's wearing heels. ;D

Dale would fit the bill too though, and be a better match for the contestants. I hope it's him instead.

[Danika]

Who was happy to have gail back! woo hoo! Not only was she back, but Toby was absent! Double woo hoo!

[paula]

I can take or leave Gail. But I still miss Ted Allen.

[Joanna]

Random thought: remember the palate "test" challenge way back towards the beginning? The challenge was admittedly set up in a strange manner - since you could be eliminated without ever naming an ingredient, if you lacked confidence - but the final three there were Carla, Stefan, and Hosea. Coincidence?!?!?

(Probably.)

[Shelly]

Bart, there are interesting blurbs about the showing at the restaurant at eater.com and amuse-biatch.com. Nymag daily food section (http://nymag.com/daily/food/) had more interesting gossip about the after party action.

There aren't any spoilers in any of those places, except for last night's episode of course, and Amuse-biatch does mention some marketing Fabio is doing.

[FeeFee]

It looks like over at Amuse-Biatch they think they've cracked the identity of the third helper. They're betting on Marcel.

http://amuse-biatch.blogspot.com/2009/02/third-mystery-helper-elf-revealed-we.html

[Jon Olsen]

I ask again, Where are you all seeing the dang previews? Was it just the one at the end of the show? I didn't see it for more than but a second, but I'd put good money on the person being Marcel. It was the haircut. I don't know about height--but honestly nobody on TV is all that tall. Carla is like a GIANTESS with these liliputian people. Perhaps that explains it...? ANyway, that sure looked like Marcel's hair in the shadows. And I've not seen any more than 1 episode of season two.

See, it's the same as the Tiffani-back-for-the-special edit: two runners up who got a pretty strong villain edit who might have been way better than we were led to believe coming back about three seasons after their first appearance.

OH! It's the second chances theme! It's the redemption/resurrection theme. Jeff almost wins back in. Runners up have a chance to sous chef with a solid competitor from this season. And all takes place in NOLA, rebuilding from Katrina. Land of second chances. Etc etc. Yes. very wise. Very sage.

[Naomi]

>>For those who might have missed it at the end of the last thread, I think I figured out who gets eliminated tonight. I will post my explanation and the evidence after tonight's show (if I'm correct). And boo to the folks who spilled the spoiler. :)

Posted by: Steve | February 18, 2009 at 10:26 AM <<

So Steve, were you right? And if so, what was the spoiler?

[Danny]

My hotel had Bravo!!!!! Still have to wait two weeks to see the finale but what a glorious, wonderful episode. I, like so many, hope that Carla wins it all. Win or lose, she's is going to have a big future - who wouldn't want to use her for catering? - and I suspect that we will see her on TV quite a lot.

One question, does anyone know if this episode was filmed after Jeff did his unfortunate People magazine Q & A? If it was filmed afterwards it shows that Tom C. has an enormous amount of class and restraint and he judged Jeff fairly. I can't figure out why they edited out the whole sterno issue. Carla had so clearly won so I didn't question it while I watched it but it was important info that they should have imparted.

[babyarm]

If there was a MArcel sighting then I'd guess it is/was him in the opening. Not sure he'd pair best with exactly.

[Independent George]

Interesting... It seems Stephanie missed it by just a few days:
http://www.stephanieizard.com/?q=node/231

[bfish]

Danny, I had the same thought as you re: timing of Jeff's People magazine interview dissing Tom's restaurant vs. the TC finale part 1. The Super Bowl episode aired on January 28; the People interview showed up shortly thereafter, so if the finale part 1 was filmed in mid January (which I believe is what I've read) Jeff had already been eliminated twice when he talked with the press post-knifing. Given that most viewers see him going out on a high note after his second chance, there are several possibilities: (1) he thought his second loss was orchestrated by Tom (reading blogs saying Tom clearly didn't like him throughout the season could have contributed to that) and it reawakened the bitterness from his first cut or (2) he felt okay about his second chance and the results -- though he would have liked to win -- but wanted to send out some misdirection about coming episodes (he knew during the interview that he'd been given a second chance). I don't know if the latter option makes much sense. Either way, that interview didn't do him any favors though perhaps the appearance in the semi-finals will smooth some of that over.

[JW]

bfish, here's another option....he could have done the interview before he went to New Orleans, even though the episode had not yet aired. Even if he knew he was going to appear on the finale, he did not know he was going to get a second chance, nor that he would do so well.

It's an interesting question. Anybody know the timing of the interview for sure?

[wolfefan]

Re: Carla's height - according to in interview in the Washington Post prior to the season, she's 5'11. The producers exaggerated her hair to exaggerate her height and affect.

[Hillary]

I liked this episode a lot too. While it sucked that Jeff had to win to make it, it was definitely fair practice and a great twist! His food did look the best in my opinion - especially his cocktail, but Carla's was up there too. Emeril was such a nice judge too!

[Jake]

"I finally figured out the mystique of this place! With such analysis and photography...

Dom, you're the Nate Silver of food bloggers." (Jon Olsen)

That's funny -- two of the very few sites I visit every day are Skillet Doux and fivethirtyeight. This comparison appears even more apt if you've ever experienced Dom's obsession with spreadsheets, charts, and graphs.

[DanC]

If Marcel is indeed the third, I 've got an interesting scenario that may lead to Hosea pulling out a win. Marcel gets paired with Carla - not sure if even Carla's sweetness can mesh with Marcel's "unsweetness." Casey gets paired with Stefan. Stefan gets so pre-occupied with lovely Casey (ala Andrea) that he doesn't focus on his food.

Blais gets paired with Hosea - both of whom have similar cooking styles, with Blais as the sage mentor, and both of them have something to prove. Hosea is stil the long-shot in my book, but the intermixing of Marcel, Casey, and Blais could really throw a wrench into the whole finale - a wonderful wrench if I may add.

[ally]

Is it wrong to speculate based on Gail's final comments in her interview/blog?

She indicated that she was at peace with the decision, she thought they'd made the right one. Seemed resigned. IMHO she would not put it like that if Carla had won :(

[Linda]

I think Amuse-Biatch is right about Marcel being the third judge. Richard Blais' blog has a picture of Marcel posing on January 20th. That's pretty close to when the finale was filmed, no?

[Angie]

It was great seeing Jeff back in the kitchen again, and both his QF and EC offerings looked like he certainly deserved his second chance.

Isn't it trange that his was the only food tainted by the sterno taste? Did the other chefs have different equipment ? If the taste was that pervasive, wouldn't you expect the guests to comment during service? Jeff certainly seemed unaware of any taste issues while t Judges Table.

Definitely hoping for a Carla win, though ally makes a good point about Gail's comments. Hopefully, that's just a little misdirection.

[canasian]

Angie, I've heard from people at the event that Jeff was the guest's least favorite dinner, just because of the Sterno. The editors cut that criticism out to increase suspense.

[Tim]

Has anyone else noticed a subtle similarity to the 1938 Munich Olympics, the rivalry between the ubermenschen and the underdog, Jesse Owens? Eh. It's probably a stretch - but an amusing parallel.

[Danny]

Canasian, I've been thinking about this and there may be another reason for not mentioning the sterno issue. It may be that they didn't want to appear to kick someone when they're down, or because of the People thing, that they were being unduly harsh, so they left it out. It was pretty clear before they announced it that Jeff's wasn't their favorite. So it might have been an act of kindness.....wait, this is TV. What was I thinking?

[KinderJ]

Tim- No. Not just no, but super no. Really. There is a specific internet rule that will kill the entire thread if you take this any further. Please. Please. Just... Let it go.

In other news, some of the readers of this blog have super powers. Seriously. I saw the same preview as everyone else (I think) and I have no freaking idea who the surprise sous chefs are going to be. Amuse Biach has a picture up that, according to them, show's two out of three clearly, and the third a bit of a guess. Maybe I am showing a lack of dedication to Top Chef or something, but I could not identify the chefs based on the picture. I think it would be awesome if Blais and Casey showed up again. Hell, I even dug Marcel, a bit. If I had to chose between former runner's up and underused celebrity chefs, bring on the runnner's up! But really, and no sarcasm intended, how are people making the ID? Is there something I am missing?

Good to see that there is more meat on the whole 'Fabio TV' story. He is someone I rooted for the entire season, and for the entire season I underrated him. Frankly, I never thought he would get as far as he did, and every episode I braced for disappointment. How often can you say you were glad someone did not deliver? Dom was kind enough to ID the type of pasta he made in the finals for me, and I went and checked out the recipe in the cookbook I use for most of my pasta recipes (Jamies's Italy, by Jamie Oliver. Yes, I am a sad, lonely little man...)and it's a pig to make. Really, an absolute bastard of a rolled pasta dish. You have to roll it out thin, then roll it around a long wooden skewer, and if you screw up any small portion of the process, the pasta either disintegrates, does not form properly at all, or is inedible. The fact that he made it well, just not quite good enough, that just blows me away.

Last but not least- does anyone have any thoughts about the kind of dishes the chefs are going to bust out for the finals?

[lamelama22]

Though it seems there's a lot of evidence that the third helper/judge is Marcel, if just judging by the video (now that I downloaded a HD copy of the show - I only get it in SD thx to Comcrap), it really doesn't look like Marcel is the mystery guy. No way Marcel is taller than Blais/Casey - he was probably the shortest person in season 2, like 5'4" at best. If it was him he should've been the shortest of the 3. Also, him being there to watch the finale means nothing - he was there for the finale of season 3 but wasn't involved. If he decided to show up I doubt they would've turned him away.

I think it's either Sam Talbot or Elia Aboumrad. It also makes sense from the perspective that: Blais was 3rd place in season 4 (because of his choking in the finale), Casey was 3rd place in season 3 (ditto on the choke), and Sam/Elia were tied for 3rd place in season 2 (choke on Sam's part). If you don't think it's Sam b/c the shadowy figure isn't tall enough, then it's Elia, but it's definately not the super-short Marcel.

[Tim]

Sorry, I didn't mean my last comment to come across like that or offensive in anyway. I was commenting more on the super confidence versus the scrappy American underdog stereotype - nothing else. So Dom, please delete that comment to avoid any negativity. Thanks.

[SorchaRei]

Actually, if you read the blogs, it was not clear that Blais was third in Season 4, or at least not a clear third. The statements that he was were all, near as I could tell, made by Lisa or by people quoting Lisa. The only fact we have is that Stephanie won, and Lisa and Blais did not.

[Shelly]

I don't know, lamelama22. I downloaded the HD version (didn't know you could do that but whoohoo I do now!) and their identities seemed pretty clear. It seemed like the camera perspective was making the one on the left look a little taller. The hair on that person looked very much like Marcel's. The other two were clearly identifiable (on TV it was almost impossible to tell).

On another note, is there an HD Bravo channel? I have an HD TV and digital cable but am not aware of one being available or I'd watch it that way.

[lamelama22]

Shelly:
Yes there's a "Bravo HD" channel - that's how these HD videos are being recorded and put online for us to enjoy. I just recently moved from NJ to VA, and Comcrap here has a very limited # of HD channels (as well as terrible internet, terrible customer service, and violates net neutrality), but when I had Cablevision at home in NJ, we had just gotten Bravo HD in preparation for the new Top Chef season. It all depends on your cable provider - give them a call and ask them to get Bravo HD (and keep calling).

The version I have is actually like a DVD quality version taken from the HD signal, not the full 1280x720p... It's still a little hard to make out for me, I was just going by height - I will give you the hair. Oh well... it probably is Marcel, but I would rather see one of the other two.

SorchaRei:
Yea I was just going from the show edits about Blais coming in third place. He, by his own admission, pulled a Casey and choked, but more importantly - Stephanie won 2 of 4 dishes and Lisa won the other 2 of the 4 dishes in the finale. I don't know how that doesn't leave the guy who didn't win a dish not in 3rd. Of course I didn't read all of the blogs (or now remember the ones I did read).

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Lamelama22 - if Richard came in second in all four dishes, and was a close second, he could have finished second, if they had announced such a position. Two firsts and two thirds (not even close to second) could have put Lisa in third. Stephanies two firsts and two thirds (close to second) would leave her in first.

Left field.

[SorchaRei]

"Stephanie won 2 of 4 dishes and Lisa won the other 2 of the 4 dishes in the finale."

But this also is by Lisa's accounting. We never heard the judges say that.

[Skillet Doux]

Per Ted Allen's comments (it's him -- I confirmed it) in this thread...

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2008/06/chicago-rules.html

...Lisa was a distant third, and the impression that she was second was a construct of the editors.

[kit]

My recollection was that Richard came in second and Lisa came in third, and after some obsessive noodling around, I figured out why I thought that. Ted Allen posted a comment on last season's finale postmortem in which he said:

"Lisa did a great job at the finale, but she did not come in second place.

Unanimous: Steph, first. Richard, close second. Lisa, very much third.

I'l explain more on my TC blog about how judging and editing went ASAP, but I'm a little busy."

Here's a link to the post, it's from the second comment that he posted (though his first comment is also interesting - he discusses why he hated the editing of JT's):

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2008/06/chicago-rules.html

[Independent George]

As far as Richard coming in 2nd, I believe this is based on Ted Allen's comments in this blog from last season's finale:

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2008/06/chicago-rules.html#comment-118652414

"Lisa did a great job at the finale, but she did not come in second place. Unanimous: Steph, first. Richard, close second. Lisa, very much third. I'l explain more on my TC blog about how judging and editing went ASAP, but I'm a little busy."

Since we never did see a followup on the Bravo blog, I don't know that we've ever confirmed that this was really and truly him. (Given the subject matter, I can see Bravo prohibiting him from saying anything netagive about the producers). We do know for a fact that Ted is a reader (like many others, I discovered this place from a link in Ted's Bravo blog), so it seems reasonably likely.

[Independent George]

Damn. Double-Ninja'd.

[kit]

oh my gosh. great minds :)

[KinderJ]

Tim- I was not offended, I was referring to Godwin's law, a rule on internet discussions so old and firmly entrenched it pre-dates the era when most people first heard of the internet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_Law

Really, no offense was taken, its just that I like this thread...

[Ally]

I like the idea of speculating on the dishes. Hosea - I hope he does some interesting fish a-la his rare salmon wraps, which I think was his best/most interesting dish. Stefan - I imagine some refined fish (like early in the season) and some New German cuisine (which I've enjoyed seeing all season). I'd love to see a new spin on rouladen. And a pelmeny appetizer (lol? and yes i know pelmeny is russian). From Carla - will be interesting to see some French Soul food and I dont think she is a meat person so we'll see if she goes fish as well.

Will this be the first season in which we don't see beef as a main from any of them?

[Steve]

Agreed Dom. I've seen four seasons now, and this one is the only one where there has been more than one major contender eliminated before the semis. Jamie not making the semis is sad. But she proved again during the quickfire that she doesn't always work well outside her comfort level.

Single elimination is fine with me as long as during the earlier rounds the judges, at their discretion, are allowed to factor in previous performance.

" ' And I'll guess that we see something similar in future seasons. Maybe even a wild-card episode where a select few eliminees, maybe chosen by wins during the season, maybe chosen by guest judges, maybe chosen by Tom, maybe just the last few eliminated, get a chance to fully earn their way into the final four (or five) with a double elimination in the penultimate episode. It just makes sense and allows the show to reward winning and being amazing.'

Personally, gotta disagree. They did the right thing at the right time, and I don't see any need to force it in the future. In fact, it was so appropriate for this season that I wonder if it was an audible. If so, it was a great one."

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Still waiting on someone to break out the pork belly and sweetbreads.

Pork belly was been the undoing of Casey and maybe Richard. Judges seem to crave it and someone could win big with a great pork belly.

Stefan will blow them away with desert.

[jse91]

I am pretty sure I just saw Ariane as a sous chef on Iron Chef.

[Brent]

Yep, Ariane is one of the challenger's sous chefs. She's working on some veal chops. Hmmmm ... think I might want Ariana cooking my chops, not sure I'd want her doing any butchering or Frenching ...

[jse91]

yep! It is definitely her.

[jse91]

yep! It is definitely her.

[jse91]

wow, she is really working her but off. Sorry about the double post.

[KinderJ]

I doubt I could call a specific plate... I would love to see someone do an oversized presentation. What do I mean by that? I want to see someone playing with the scale of food. It seems pretty common for chefs to take something and make it in miniature. I want to see someone do that in reverse. I would love to see someone (shades of the last NYC episode) make an egg the size of a fist, and all of it edible. I have no idea how you would construct it or make it delicious, but I think that if you could pull it off you would win by a mile.

I think all the remaining chefs are capable of really detailed, really skilled technical work so I don't think that will be the undoing of our finalists. I think it's going to come down to creativity and flavor.

And supersized dishes!

No. No it wont. But I can dream.

[babyarm]

Arianne burned about 100 bucks worth of crab, but her veal dish seemed to be executed well.

[bryanD]

Hearing Jamie declare salt as her super special taste secret (favorite ingredient?) on that Bravo blackout clip was funny and sad at the same time. TV CAN be deep.

And Lisa WAS in 2nd place. Blaise said he choked, his food critique was delivered with the union minimum of adjectives by the mournful judges. The flop sweat was so deep that Richard's food porn shots looked as if it was shot in an aquarium. Tom was wearing goggles. The pork belly was THE failure because it only required Time. And there was PLENTY of time. Lisa schooled Blaise.

Go Hootie, but Stefan deserves it more.

[Jon Olsen]

KinderJ, I was thinking about that this season! How I'd love to do a giant food item if i got on the show! The great Minneapolis food writer Will Jones had a recipe in Wild in the Kitchen for "Great Auk's Egg" (taken from Alan Ross MacDougall's Gourmets Almanac) in which you very carefully clean out a pig's bladder and put something like four dozen egg yolks in it. Then boil. Cut away the skin. Then in another bladder put all the whites. Then you put the big cooked yolk in there which will remain in the middle of the liquid. Suspend the second bladder in boiling water and cook the yolks. Serve on a bed of escarole.

[Jon Olsen]

Uh, I think I'll take the word from Ted Allen's mouth rather than the deceptions of editing, thank you very much bryanD.

[Darin]

BryanD, it is one thin to have an opinion but its completely something different when you ignore the judges clarifications. You are just coming off as ridiculous.

[KinderJ]

I actually have a little sympathy for BryanD, as I too believed Blais had utterly collapsed. Still, if one of the judges says that, no, the kind people in the editing studio were merely screwing with me, I take the judge. Sometimes you do need to take someone's word over your lying eyes. I suspect that, given Allen's comments, what happened was that Blais set himself a very, very ambitious menu and was not able to complete it to anything like what he felt the necessary standard was due to a sudden lack of sous chef. He was then so gutted by what he viewed as a failure in the final that, well, he acted and spoke the way he did. I am really happy to hear that his food was still good enough to keep him in contention for the win.

[KinderJ]

Jon- But is it delicious? Heh, actually it sounds kind of amazing in a 'cater the party in one dish' sort of way. The thing that inspired my thinking was an episode of 'No Reservations' they re-ran recently, the one set in Spain. The people in a lot of the restaurants visited were doing impossible things with food there, from making strawberry sorbet that was visually and texturally indistinguishable from an actual strawberry to making modern art sculptures out of chocolate. When Bourdain jokingly asked if Stalone would be going to the wrong place if he wanted a life sized replica of himself in a heroic pose, the chef was quick to say that, no, it was possible. Let us all take a moment to contemplate Stefan making a life sized sculpture depicting whatever God-King currently rules over Chefistan. I bet it would be tasty. And win.

[rabrab]

"Random thought: remember the palate "test" challenge way back towards the beginning? The challenge was admittedly set up in a strange manner - since you could be eliminated without ever naming an ingredient, if you lacked confidence - but the final three there were Carla, Stefan, and Hosea. Coincidence?!?!?"

I don't think so. If I'm remembering correctly, they were the three who looked like they were confident enough to go as high as they needed to. They all got off lucky because the others were too un-confident to push beyond three or four. If they had gone against each other we might well have seen 10, 12, or 14 ingredient face-offs.

[Nikki D]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I friended my favorite cheftestant on facebook. Hey now, I only did it because he told me to via his blog. Thanks to that wonderful network and my newsfeed, I have stumbled across some spoilers from another chef friend of his about the finale. It provides pretty concrete info about who the sous chefs are going to be - not like it will be much of a surprise if you've even tried googling about the finale. There are some personal behind-the-scenes photos and some fun party shots.

I hope I haven't given too much away, that wasn't my intention. It's just as a rabid fan, they make me really happy and I wanted to share the love. And if you don't want to see the photos, don't click the link (I don't know if you have to be someone's friend to see them...good luck).

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017104&id=1097825070

Can't wait for the rankings, though I don't think there will be too many surprises. I just like reading them anyway.

[Independent George]

Regarding the S4 finale: Since there are no official rankings, it's a little ridiculous to debate the point, but Lisa cooking a better menu and Richard placing second are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

It's very possible that the judges felt Richard needed some work to iron out the details on a menu that fell just short, while Lisa nailed her execution on what was, fundamentally, a pretty conventional menu, and then docked her based on originality. The editors then play fast & loose to provide suspense, and make Richard's dishes seem awful when they fell just short, then included the praise of Lisa's dishes while excluding the criticism of her lack of originality.

It's also entirely possible that the contestants were also left with the exact same impressions at JT, as they exclude those same points when discussing it with the chefs. Steph walks away happy, Lisa gets praise for execution, Richard gets criticism for missing the boat.

Of course, this is all wild speculation based on a single blog comment. I'll take Dom's word for it that Ted Allen's identity was confirmed. I'd have to assume that NBC has an agreement in place that prevents people associated with the show from saying anything too disparaging about them.

[paula]

As long as we're all just waiting for the rankings to post, can I get some restaurant recommendations for Las Vegas? I know there are a ton of great restaurants there, and I've been to Vegas already several times, but always for work and I pretty much have to go where I'm taken for dinner. This time I have one night to myself and I want to get a to-die-for meal. Thoughts?

[Unhappy Gilmore]

I would like to see all three chefs nail it. Not one dish wrong. Make it impossible for the judges to decide - to where even the editing can't bring more drama than we know exists.

The razor thin margin will cause massive discussion for the next eight months when Top Chef 6 starts.

I know this is not going to happen - one dish is trashed in the preview.

[Allison]

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I friended my favorite cheftestant on facebook. Hey now, I only did it because he told me to via his blog. Thanks to that wonderful network and my newsfeed, I have stumbled across some spoilers from another chef friend of his about the finale. It provides pretty concrete info about who the sous chefs are going to be - not like it will be much of a surprise if you've even tried googling about the finale. There are some personal behind-the-scenes photos and some fun party shots."

Nikki D ... me, too. And the original location of the photos (city of the finale) has been changed to "Somewhere in the USA." I do not think that you need to be a friend to follow that link. And thanks for striking just the right balance in your message. I really like *not* knowing what will happen (even though I've seen the pix & I think the general idea isn't too much of a surprise at this point).

Last week was a terrific example of a surprise I would not have wanted spoiled. I never saw the Jamie, Jeff & Leah twist coming ... my jaw dropped. I was not only a great twist, but very appropriate for this season, and it had the unusual effect of making me more "OK" with this set of chefs' eliminations. Of course, I was OK, but I felt better that these chefs had another shot at the finale, and I was happy to see Jeff do well. On the other hand, I'm not sure this is necessarily something I'd like to see every season.

I loved that everyone seemed to pull off some really good dishes. It was nice to see all of the chefs rise to the competition and succeed. I hope for more in the finale, but who knows what will happen tomorrow? After the way this season has gone, I'm not betting. And for all of my quibbling (that's really all it is) about some of the challenges, there have been 3 seriously excellent challenges in a row, and Season 5 appears to be hitting a high note at the right time.

[KimberH]

OMG

Hosea won!

[KimberH]

I am so depressed and must now go to bed.

What a mediocre season.

[KimberH]

Sigh. Guess who is not watching Bravo???!!

[KimberH]

You have got to be kidding???!!!

Dominic, you need to sign up. Seriously!?