Top Chef - S4E12 Power Rankings

Man, you guys are killing me here!

What a great episode! We get a quickfire that's a stripped-down two-stage technical challenge with absolutely stunning product, followed by an elimination that simultaneously tests the chefs' creativity, technical skill and real-world performance all in one. In a stunning restaurant with a magnificent kitchen, we see dishes both good and bad, expected and surprising, that beautifully illustrate the differences between the final five. One of the universally accepted bottom two is eliminated, we get to see Stephanie's beaming "Omigod, I won!" face again, three women make the final four, and we have what I think is the most exciting finals setup yet. And what is everybody obsessing about?

Whether or not Rick Tramonto serves frozen scallops.

And I'M the one who obsesses about the minutiae! Okay, okay -- we'll get to scallopgate in a moment. But let's take a look at the challenges first.

Yet another great elimination challenge. They did, indeed, save the really good stuff for late in the season. Once you get over the awesomeness of a hunk of beef that could upend Fred Flintstone's car, this was a beautiful test of technical skill. I love that we got to see the inside of some of the hallowed halls of restaurant supply. I love that they followed their product from start to finish. And I love that they gave them massive chops to keep it challenging. A great challenge for chefs who have proven they can handle the good stuff, a perfect segue into a freeform real-world elimination -- what could be better?

An elimination where the chefs create two dishes and man their station for the night, that's what. Waaaaaaay better than what I erroneously predicted last week. That's two weeks in a row that I've feared gimmicks, and been pleasantly surprised by straightforward but interesting challenges that let the chefs spread their wings. Plus, the added interest of watching Tom expedite and the previous winners critique (mostly intelligently) was icing on the cake for me. This was the perfect episode for people who love the food and want to see what the chefs can do.

Then, of course, there's the whole scallop thing. Honestly, I don't get what all of the hubbub is about. If people weren't reading the blogs, I'd understand it. But that cat's been out of the bag for a while now. As Lee Anne explains in very straightforward and credible fashion, to really let the chefs fly, they needed more variety in the cooler than would be there on a typical night at Tramonto's Steak & Seafood. So they brought in extra product, much of it donated by Allen Brothers and Whole Foods. Since scallops weren't to be found on Tramonto's menu, Allen Brothers provided them. And, lo and behold, here they are on the Allen Brothers website (looking a lot nicer than Spike's, but that doesn't take much). Rick hears about frozen scallops at judges' table and -- on the spot and unsure of how they got there -- chooses not to defensively and speculatively point the finger at the folks who have graciously asked him to host their highly-rated show, and instead takes the heat for allowing, even unknowingly, substandard sea critters to inhabit his walk-in. A classy response from someone who is, by most accounts (except, perhaps, Charlie Trotter's, but that's another story), a classy guy.

So where's the controversy? Were they really Tramonto's scallops and was this all an elaborate cover-up to help him save face? Was this a devious trap laid out by Lee Anne? Did Spike choose the scallops because he couldn't bear to serve Polish sausage?

Sometimes a cigar's just a cigar, folks. Yeah, it sucks that the editors left the audience with the impression that Tramonto uses frozen seafood. And who knows... maybe he does. But in case the first eleven episodes didn't tip you off, the editors aren't generally too concerned with giving the complete picture and ensuring that we don't have any misconceptions when the credits roll.

Anyway, let's get to the rankings, here. Consider this a special edition of the rankings that doesn't completely throw out past performance, but focuses more than I normally would on future potential. If I'm running the illegal Top Chef gambling ring, this is the order I give them on the big board.

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Richard Quickfires 4 7 3 Last Week: 1 Eliminations 3 6 1 Some people aren't going to like this one, but let me state my case. If this wasn't the finals preview and I wasn't looking forward a little more than I normally do, I probably would've bumped him down. But while it's not nearly the strong bet it seemed a few weeks ago, I still think Richard is the favorite -- albeit a narrow one -- going into the finals. He was weak in the quickfire, which I find a little disappointing. Still, that's a pretty narrow challenge. If you don't have a lot of practice with brontosaurus chops, you're going to have a hard time no matter how good you may be otherwise. His elimination offering runs hot and cold. What's hot is that he turns out the best dish of the evening. What he's playing on, for those who aren't aware, is an Italian dish called Vitello Tonnato, which I absolutely adore. It's very thin pieces of poached veal that are chilled and topped with a cold sauce made with tuna, mayonnaise and usually capers, among other seasonings. Now, Richard's dish was a VERY loose interpretation, such that despite its theoretical origins, it would have been absolutely ridiculous to call it such. Instead, we get Vitello Tramonto. The guy's corny, but he has fun. Anyway, he starts by flipping the proteins, putting the fish on the bottom and the veal on top. He substitutes pristine, raw hamachi belly (from the guy who also uses frozen scallops? C'mooooon) for the tuna, crispy fried veal sweetbreads for the poached veal, smears it with mayonnaise, to pull everything together, and dresses it with explosive flavors like lime, ginger, apple, avocado, yuzu, jalapeno, bacon and truffle oil. It has everything -- hot, cold, crunch, smoosh, spicy, salty, sweet, sour -- and everybody adores it, across the board. This is the kind of dish that wins Top Chef -- wildly creative, brilliantly conceived, perfectly executed, and something the judges have never seen before. That's why Richard is my favorite going into the finals. What's cold about his elimination is that he takes on the most pedestrian of beef cuts, treats it in a very traditional manner (though pickling the Brussels sprouts was a nice touch) and deconstructs the thing into oblivion. It was a perfect example of Richard's Achilles' heel -- getting a little too cute for his own good. And that's why he's barely my favorite going into the finals. But with a few months off to collect himself, reflect on his failures and refine a few signature dishes, I think he's going to explode on the finals with the same burst you saw at the start of the season. That said, this is going to be a battle.

2 Stephanie Quickfires 1 2 5 Last Week: 2 Eliminations 4 9 3 I was thisclose to giving Stephanie the top spot going into the finals. If I'd been a little more excited by the recipes, I probably would have. But none of this is to discount the fact that she continues to come back strong from her midseason lull, and I consider her and Richard an incredibly tight 1-2. Ironically, the other half of that pair also underperformed on the quickfire, but she clearly made up for it on the elimination. Her dishes in the elimination aren't whiz-bang concoctions, but they have their little twists, they're her personality on the plate, and the judges love them. She also starts by riffing on an Italian classic by hitting her crispy sweetbreads with a saor that's punctuated with pine nuts and raisins, paired with fennel and haricot vert for vegetal crisp, and finished with bacon for... well... bacon. Like Richard's dish, it has everything, both in terms of flavor and texture. And while Stephanie's is a little more comforting, that shouldn't be mistaken for simpler or less challenging to prepare. She also, in puzzling fashion, chooses beef tenderloin (the boneless, skinless chicken breast of the bovine world), but unlike Richard, she keeps her dish tight, adding salsify puree, apples, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and an essence of apple sauce that sweetly ties it all together. If Richard is all about surprising and amazing, Stephanie exemplifies the judges' other weakness -- dishes that just satisfy. Dave did this, to a certain degree, waaaaay back in season one, but he didn't have the sophistication to go all the way. Stephanie does. And I don't mean to compare their food. The two are totally different and I don't think Dave holds a candle to Stephanie as a chef. But they both appeal to that same "man, this is just good" part of the brain, albeit on drastically different levels. She's also going to bring it. If they both execute at their peak, I think it'll be Richard, but Stephanie is breathing right down his neck and I expect that to continue through the finals.

3 Antonia Quickfires 4 7 1 Last Week: 3 Eliminations 1 7 3 Antonia gives us more of exactly what we've come to expect from her. She does a good job butchering and cooking her steak, displaying her technical skill, and she gets a callout on the top. But her lack of creativity colors her elimination challenge, even if her style was very well-suited to a steakhouse entree. Her salad was -- I'm sorry, I'm going to use the word again -- boring. Poached egg, Boston lettuce, bacon, artichokes, mushrooms and an unseasoned Dijon vinaigrette, thereby continuing the puzzling trend of reprised dishes that are dumbed-down versions of those made earlier in the competition. I'll defend her a bit on the texture. When a poached egg is the centerpiece of your dish, that's kind of tough to bring down to a tasting portion without completely throwing off the balance. But even if she made a full-sized version, would it have been that much better? Her steak, though praised for its execution, is very, very basic -- a bone-in ribeye, roasted fennel and onions and a textbook potato gratin. It plays well because it's a steakhouse, but this isn't the kind of thing that's going to win it for her. Now, I've taken some heat for criticizing Antonia as I have, but let me clarify. I don't think she's a weak chef. I think she's an extremely talented chef, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to eat at her restaurant, and I expect I'd have a fantastic meal. But allow me to demonstrate, in the judges' own words this week, why I don't believe she can bring the title home unless both Richard and Stephanie trip. First, Gail said, at judges' table: "Stephanie showed me something new. And that's what I get really excited about -- when I sit down at a restaurant and I try something that I will remember." And then, Tom wrote, in his blog: "Spike's main course -- a beef chop which, though nicely cooked, was served with Brussels sprouts, cipollini onions and a cloying sweet potato puree -- failed to redeem his appetizer. The dish was reminiscent of an old-world steakhouse meal, but it wasn't memorable and it lacked the inventiveness and flair his fellow chefs brought to the challenge." The common thread? As I've said before, when you're somebody who has dined as widely and as well as the Top Chef judges have, you will always appreciate a great dish, no matter how simple or traditional. But what you drool over, what you dream about, what really and truly impresses you is that memorable dish that caught you completely off-guard and knocked your socks off. No, you didn't necessarily enjoy it more than the perfect piece of simply roasted fresh fish you ate on the shores of the Mediterranean, but you probably don't remember the name of that chef, either. Antonia cooks great food. She doesn't cook memorable food. The judges know, when they're tasting, if it's something they're going to think about five years from now. And while her food is crisp and delicious, it isn't inspiring. And that's the difference between first and second or third place.

4 Lisa Quickfires 0 2 5 Last Week: 5 Eliminations 1 3 6 While she's not embarrassing herself like she has at times, Lisa is clearly the odd woman out when it comes to the top four. In the quickfire where right is wrong, she's also singled out for praise. But she's back to her old ways in the elimination, if not as blatantly as usual. The chilled shrimp really was an odd choice, especially given the amount of butter she used. It's almost as though she wanted to play on shrimp cocktail, but didn't stop to consider whether cold was really the way to go given her accompanying flavors. Her N.Y. strip with spicy apple sauce and peanut butter mashed potatoes was actually one of her greater successes, but again, it was held back by sloppy execution. It's worth noting that not only have we seen this caramel sauce before, atop the steak she prepared with Stephanie for the movie themed party, but it's also inspired by the same Vietnamese sauce that Dale was unsuccessfully trying to riff on with his butterscotch scallops. So give her points for getting right what Dale got wrong, but this is still a rare victory, and a rehashed one at that. She's not without talent. We've seen her turn out good dishes, even if they're very few and very far between. But even if she performs at her absolute best in the finals, she just doesn't possess the kind of refinement necessary to stand out in this crowd. Her food just looks sloppy in comparison to the other finalists, even on the rare occasions when it tastes good, and I think that's only going to be highlighted when everybody brings their A game. If somebody has a fluky performance, she could potentially survive the first cut. But she doesn't have a snowball's chance at going any further.

5 Spike Quickfires 2 4 4 Last Week: 4 Eliminations 0 1 6 He wasn't at the top of my elimination wish list, but I'm glad to see at least one half of the dysfunctional duo depart on the way into the finals. In some ways, it was nice to see him rock the quickfire, as though it was a parting reminder that his success wasn't a total fluke, even if he made it much further than he should have. But even with pristine scallops, my hunch is that he still would have been packing his knives. The scallops with mushrooms and hearts of palm were just poorly conceived, and weren't helped by the fact that he overcooked his hearts of palm, making the dish a combination of mushy, mushy and mushy. And though his entree was competent, I've been saying for a while that competent doesn't cut it in the later stages, and it earns him the boot. Incidentally, using the scallops was a shockingly bad call, but it wasn't an unprecedented move. Anybody remember the five ingredient farmers market quickfire from waaaaaaaay back in episode two? He was tripped up by frozen protein there as well, when his tenderloin turned out to be bits and tips. He learns from that mistake and maybe he's still around. But even so, he didn't deserve to be. Much like Lisa with the cold shrimp, it's as though he had a preconceived notion of what he was going to do and simply charged ahead without stopping to think. It's unclear whether or not he had the option of switching proteins after he got started, but even if he was stuck with wet, mangled scallops, there's a lot you can do with them that doesn't involve searing. Make a mousse, think of a creative preparation that involves dicing them somehow and doesn't involve the need to caramelize them. But don't just charge ahead, knowing full well that they're going to be lousy. He knew he wasn't making a grade A dish from the start. In his exit interview, he sidesteps taking responsibility and rails against the substandard product that, to paraphrase, never should have been in the cooler in the first place. But when he follows that scathing criticism by defensively claiming that "frozen scallops sometimes aren't terrible," he's exposing the fact that he knew perfectly well from the start that he was sacrificing quality because he was hung up on doing scallops. It may have gotten him through episode two, but that doesn't fly in episode twelve, and he blows it at the last minute.

I've already sort of made my predictions, as it were, so let me just say that I'm totally jazzed. We were a Dale short of a stunning finals, but even with Lisa occupying that last spot, I don't think I've ever been more excited going into the final four. Not only do we have three great chefs, but the race even did us the honor of tightening up just in time for maximum excitement. Yes, I think this is really a battle between Richard and Stephanie, but Antonia is going to keep them honest. And hey, you never know -- she could sneak in there. And not only is the talent of the top three remarkable, but their professionalism is refreshing as well. While I'm pulling for either Richard or Stephanie, the truth is that despite my critiques, I wouldn't be upset if Antonia won either -- surprised, but not upset. Then, of course, there's Lisa. The judges have been hinting lately that she's gotten a raw deal from the editors. It's a suggestion to which I'd be a lot more receptive if she weren't turning out so many awful dishes. So I'm just going to stick my head in the sand and pretend this is a three chef finals. It will be soon enough, anyway.

Discuss!

Comments

[Chuck]

I just love this post-episode site. Too bad it took so long to get up.

I TyVoed the hour and just saw it for the first time a few minutes ago. I have some major issues with it, but I have to say it appeared that Stephanie totally rocked it. Richard's sweetbreads made my mouth water, and Antonia's comfortable entree looked amazing [especially that steak and potato gratin], but only Stephanie seems to have made both a beautiful and delicious app and entree. Too bad we can't all taste them. As an Oprah audience we would have... Thank God we didn't have to endure her on TC.

Spike made another horrible, vicious decision designed to screw the other contestants -- and he got caught, finally! He is a dastardly character and deserved to go home. The same thing happened to him earlier and he survived it -- barely. But when, exactly, is the sickening, revolting Lisa going to suffer from the awful karma she has built up? If she goes to the finals, I am revoking Buddha. [well, not really]

Just to stick the knife in further, tonight I ate at Shinsei in Dallas where Casey Thompson, from the infinitely better Season 3, is the Executive Chef. She is not only gorgeous but a very talented presence in the kitchen and in front of house too. I hope for more like her when 'Top Chef' continues next season. No more Lisa's, Jen's, Spike's, or Zoe's please. I know the producers no doubt think they make for better television, but most TC fans transcend typical reality TV. We are all about the food, not the drama.

[Scott]

Wow Chuck, I'd like to eat at Shinsei too. I always felt terrible that Casey tripped so bad in the Finale, but it kind of brought to the spotlight how great of a cook Dale is. I must say that the final four of last season was somewhat less stunning than this season because Casey and Dale were both late bloomers while Brian Malarky was always within the "why are you still not eliminated"-realm. This season is definitely much more exciting as I just can't imagine what kind of dishes they can think up. Ultimately, I think Richard has an upper hand if he gets to choose Dale as his sous chef for the finale (I say this because no other chef that got eliminated in the past three episodes are even remotely useful.) Actually, come to think of it, the finale would be grand to watch if only to see if Jen would also make it to help them out because other than Dale, Jen's the only other talent that can help out a team in my opinion.

[Gilby]

Actually, Spike would be quite useful. When given a task, he seems to execute quite well. His errors come when he has to make decisions.

[Bart]

Glad to see the list up.

I'll be the first person to comment and say that I think Stephanie should have taken the top spot. I'm a clear Richard fan, like you. I don't care too much for Stephanie (nothing personal, but she doesn't make me laugh like Richard or Antonia does) - yet still I thought she was the clear winner of this week.

I'm pretty excited about the finals. I have to say, I think this has been the best season of Top Chef so far. Except for Lisa, I'll be happy with whomever wins the title of Top Chef. Like you said, had Dale been in the final four instead of Lisa, I would have been happy no matter who won it.

And yet - go Richard!

[Cheryl]

This is my first season watching Top Chef..just stumbled upon it one day and then became obsessed! What I think it cool is that there is that break between the final four and the finals so the chefs who make it get to have a break, regroup and bring their best game to the competition. So excited to watch tonight. I'd be happy for anyone except Lisa..she's just obnoxious and from the opinions of the people tasting her food, it's really not that good.
Interesting notes about both Stephanie and Richard choosing the tenderloin...notice they were the bottom two in the quick fire challenge so they basically took the cut of meat that, if you know what your are doing, it the easiest to cook. because you can sear it and then roast it..ensuring even cooking all the way through..unlike working with a cut of steak like a ribeye or porterhouse, etc. Smart choise on their part because it's also extremely tender, regarding less of how thick or thin the cut. I'm sure the quality of the product all the chefs had to work with was excellent but for ease of cooking and tenderness, tenderloin is pretty full proof.

[Skillet Doux]

Bart...

Oh, I agree, Stephanie had a stronger week, no question. But like most Power Rankings, these aren't a strict reflection of the week's performances. They're my gut feeling about who's looking the strongest right now, based on past performance, this week, future potential and countless other factors. And that's why I left Richard at number one. Even though Stephanie's been stronger the past few weeks, when I look at the whole season and consider their styles going into the finals, my gut tells me he's just a little bit stronger.

[John Coctostan]

Just to add to Gilby's response to Scott's comment: If you needed lots and lots of prep work, you could do worse than choose Andrew to help you out. Granted, you're usually looking for more from a sous-chef, but (like Gilby said) if you've already made all the decisions...

[bill]

First season watching -- do they always bring bacl eliminated chefs to sous? And if so, is it random selection or do the finalists get to choose?

If they choose, I could see Stephanie picking Dale because she's worked with him before and it would deny Richard probably his strongest assistant.

If it's random, as much as I'd feel bad for Dale, there's a whole of comedy potential in another Lisa/Dale pairing.

[Lon]

Last year they also had superstar chefs like Todd English, Rocco DiSpirito and Michelle Bernstein as sous chefs.

But yes, they always bring some of the other chefs back and they've used different means for current competitors to chose them, such as drawing knives, winners of challenges, etc. Always a different means.

[anon man]

A few things.

1. Regarding last season not being as good, I actually think that this season is slightly better, but only slightly. Malarkey is better technicallly than Lisa, if somewhat less imaginative. The other 6 are all pretty solid and comparing them all is somewhat a matter of taste. As an aside, I think we all would agree that Season 2 had the worst finalists of the lot. I think I would rather eat food from Dave or Tiffani in Season 1 before Ilan or Marcel.

2. Remember, please that however traditional or boring or whatever that Antonia's dish was, it was in fact the best main course.

3. I think Richard deserves the top spot pretty easily. The biggest knock on his main course dish seems to be that it was deconstructed. When put together, it was loved. (Yes, they hate deconstructed, Dale's Ratatouille notwithstanding.) I guess there's another possible knock that he isn't the best grill guy, prefering lower heat, moist cooking (sous vide, poaching, braising, etc.)

4. I'm actually not really looking forward to tonight's episode. Does anyone actually think that Lisa won't be sent packing? Sort of a waste of an hour.

5. Thinking forward, if we assume the final three are who we think they wil be, I think it could be wide open. The finale challenge is usually something like "wow us." Everything I've read about Richard is that he's great with boundries, but can go off the deep end if not given parameters. That could be his undoing. (Also, exepct to see his famous "foie gras" milkshake in the final.) Stephanie's food will be solid but if she panics she'll be toast. If given lots of fish options, I think she'll do pretty well given her rep for being good with fish. We'll see how that goes. Antonia will put out a solid meal that will have some pretty straight-forward Italian flavors, but I predict that she alone will attempt to incorporate some of the Latin flavors of Puerto Rico. (Remember, she lives in L.A.) If that succeeds, she could be the winner. If it doesn't, it will be, as Dom predicts a solid, unremarkable meal that they'll forget two minutes later.

[Elise]

Please bill, don't even say it! Not another Dale/Lisa! I'd have to poke my eyes out with bread sticks. If those two end up together again you've got to wonder what kind of stuff they're working off from their past lives. (Also, I'd think Dale would be totally justified in sitting down and going on strike.)

As to Dale ending up back for the last episode, I'd think whoever got to choose first would pick him. (With the exception of Lisa, unless she's looking for something to be pissed off about.)

I'd love to see Andrew again, not only is he fun to watch but he was getting pretty good until he killed himself with bad sushi. And as we saw in Wedding Wars, you might not want him at the front of the house, but he can just keep on going when the pressure is on.

[bill]

"Also, exepct to see his famous "foie gras" milkshake in the final.) "

Which fucking rocks. Most definitely in the list of top 5 things I've ever eaten and in the running for #1. He has mentioned that it will be on the menu at Flip -- gourmet burger joint he's consulting on and the opening of which I think has been pushed back to the fall. Howell Mill area for any other Atlantans reading this.

...for selecting chefs, even though the show did a poor job of showing it, Jen seems to be one of the more respected chefs from the show and she'd probably be picked.

[madge]

I disagree with you, anon man, about Antonia being the only one to who will potentially incorporate the flavors of Puerto Rico -- I think there's a good chance Stephanie will as well. Chicago has a large Puerto Rican community, and Stephanie would be extremely foolish not to have spent some of the time off exploring its cuisine.

[DaveP]

Another great update, Dom. And again, I agree 100% with not just the rankings, but the reasons. I also put Richard & Steph as 1 & 1a (or a super close 1 & 2) with Richard with a slim lead mostly because of his potential at the final JT. Antonia again shined because it was a steakhouse challenge. Given the freeform nature of the finale, I doubt she'll have much of a chance to win, but she'll be solid, no question. Lisa? Finally, we'll bid goodbye to you tonight.

I think what's more intriguing will be the returning sous chefs and their pairings. Assuming S3's format, Lisa will be the guest diner for the finale (here's your 100K meal) and the last 3 eliminated in order will be the sous chefs, so Spike, Dale & Andrew. It'll be a random draw, I'm sure, but if they had their picks...

Richard: Dale, Andrew & Spike in that order.
Steph: Dale, Spike & Andrew.
Antonia: Spike, Dale & Andrew.

Richard has worked with Andrew before with varying degrees of success (great Willy Wonka, bad scaly fish, but that was all on Richard), so is probably comfortable working with him. Steph probably think Spike's a bit more stable than Andrew. Both recognize Dale's talents and would pick him first. Antonia seems to have that "Dale only cooks Asian" thing going, but she also had it out w/Spike over the butternut squash, so would prolly go w/Andrew first.

So going w/preference, lets say we get (Richard gets the tie-breaker, cuz him & Dale makes my dream team):

Richard & Dale. They make some crazy, off the wall dishes. Chance of at least one dish crashing & burning, but will most likely wow the judges (minus Lisa, but who cares). Could be a repetition of S3's Dale w/2 great, 1 okay and 1 horrible dishes, but with a 3/1 great/horrible split instead, which would most likely win the night.

Steph & Spike. Steph hands Spike a pan full of butternut squash which Spike turns into a damn good soup for the surprise course.

Antonia & Andrew. Antonia uses Andrew for 100 prep work while she produces some solid, predictable (but *quality*) dishes w/no input from Andrew.

Should be a great finale in one week. Tonight... no real contest, but it'll be satisfying to see Lisa get the boot.

--
Dave

[slightlycynical]

Re: some of the above comments about Antonia being likely to use Puerto Rican flavors b/c she's from L.A.: Yeah, you might think so, but then again you'd expect someone from L.A. not to lump all Asian cuisine together as "Chinese food". From what I've seen of her (don't forget: she also said that there's absolutely nothing one could do to redeem Polish sausage as an ingredient), I'd more expect her to say something like, "We're supposed to incorporate Puerto Rican flavors, but I don't like that Tex-Mex crap. Italian it is!"

I'm also looking forward to the turkey club sandwich and bowl of reheated Campbell's soup she's bound to make in the finals. "I make this all the time for my kid! Did I mention I'm a single mother? Did I?! I am!"

BTW, I went to the Bravo site to check out her gratin recipe, thinking it must have a little twist to it for everyone to praise it so incessantly. Um, no. Standard recipe. Served with a steak. And roasted veggies.

On the other hand, she is a single mother.

[anon man]

She's a single mother? Then she should win, hands down!

bill, SUPER jealous that you've had the milkshake. If I have ever casue do be in Atlanta (and not sure why I would), a pit stop is now required.

DaveP, No chance Antonia takes Spike unless he's the only one left. They pretty much hate each other.

[DaveP]

Ack, that's a typo. It should read:

Antonia: Andrew, Dale & Spike

I get it right in the following paragraph, but I goofed on the listing itself.

BTW, I'm *far* from an Antonia supporter, but I think she's a damn good cook, maybe even chef. Just not very creative. Also, she's a horrible food snob, which would be fine (well, no, but at least understandable) if you were more like Richard or Marcel, but from her cooking style, you'd think she'd be a lot more accepting of a simple butternut squash soup or polish sausage.

Having said that, her main dish "won" (to the extent that Tom called it the best entree), because they were serving in a steakhouse. Richard's deconstruction, judges' bias or no (Dale's steak au poivre deconstruction went over well in ep. 1), would have gone over far better in a more haute setting. This was likely the last challenge where her style of cooking has the advantage over someone more "out there" like Richard.

[Bill]

I'm kind of pulling for Antonia but I don't think being a chef in L.A. will help her in terms of Puerto Rican-style cooking. Mexicans and Central Americans are not Puerto Ricans and their cuisines vary widely. I've been living in the L.A. area for almost 30 years and have never seen a Puerto Rican restaurant or even met a Puerto Rican that I can recall. Whereas growing up on the east coast; lots of Puerto Ricans. So I would think the eastern seaboard crowd might have a slight advantage when it comes to Puerto Rican flavors.
Also, as I recall from the Foxtail menu, there isn't anything Caribbean about it. But I'd think all of the remaining chefs have been studying what's available in Puerto Rico because it's pretty much guaranteed they will be using local ingredients.

[Travis]

Chuck - I've got to disagree with you that season 3 was better. You may have liked season 3's contestants better on a personal level, but you have to agree that this will be the best final yet. Can you imagine what it would be like if Dale were in Lisa's spot? I've got to go change pants. And whats up with hating on Jen and Zoi? I realize the whole 'lets have a lesbian couple on!' thing is kind of contrived but i didn't have a problem with either one. In fact, i really liked Jen a lot, thought she was pretty talented and expected her to go further than she did. I meant to make it up to San Francisco to eat at COCO500, but she just left. Damn. Maybe i'll go anyway hoping that they haven't changed much in the week since she left.

Anon Man - I've also got to disagree with you that Richard is better when he's constrained by a challenge. I think he's the one with the greatest potential to win the final which is usually "take whatever you want from this ridiculous selection of exotic and fresh ingredients and knock our socks off!" I think Richard would own everyone else in that situation. Though i will admit that there is a chance he gets carried away and screws something up. Not only that but i think he will benefit most from the long break as his confidence had obviously taken a few shots in the last few weeks.

Foie Gras milk shake? Where do i sign up for that one? Can i get it over-nighted to my house?

Can't wait for tonight's episode! I think we all agree that Lisa (and the new hilarious hair do) are going home, but i don't see it as a waste of an hour. Im usually not one for the high drama of reality TV, but in this case i feel like the people that watch auto racing for the crashes. Hopefully she goes down with a bang rather than a whimper. This is going to be awesome.

[Skillet Doux]

Let me just say that you all sound a lot more sure of Lisa's departure tonight than I am. I agree, she's the heavy favorite for the axe, but I don't think it's the slam dunk that some here seem to. It isn't like Nikki where she was just totally useless and surviving on dumb luck. Though Lisa's moments have been rare, she HAS had them -- and if she has a good night, a slip from somebody else could put her in the final three.

[=R=]

Hey D,

If you're running an illegal Top Chef gambling ring, that's a helluva lot more tawdry than Scallopgate. Can we speculate about that for the upcoming week? ;)

I appreciate you bringing up the buried point about watching Tom expedite. It really was fun to see him in action, working with the cheftestants.

Keep up the great work.

=R=

[brad]

While you're talking foie gras milkshakes, you may as well mention the buttermilk pancakes with foie gras butter and blueberries that Richards has been serving at Home in Atlanta for the past month. Way better than the milkshake!

[Polybus]

I believe the Power Rankings are just right. In other weeks, I might have quibbled with one or two placements, but this is the correct ranking going into the finals.

Richard has the creativity to wow everyone, as long as he doesn't step out on a limb and have it break off under him. He was really doing great until he found his head on the chopping block for the salmon scales ("The Elements"), but after that incident (remember, he was wiping away tears in the stew room after narrowly avoiding the axe) he played it quite a bit safer and wound up in the middle for most of the rest of the series.

I like Antonia and I would love to eat her cooking, but I think pretty much everyone is right that her food just doesn't have the "wow" factor.

I agree with the Skillet on Lisa. She HAS had her moments and I'm sure the break has done her good. For a while there, she was in some kind of psychological hell regarding the rules and I'm certain it affected her cooking, much in the same way that discovering her rice boiling ("Serve and Protect") put her off her game so that she undercooked the shrimp and veggies.

It's not that I really like Lisa or support her winning, but I think the editors have definitely given her a raw deal, manipulating the viewers into an active dislike, and, in some cases, outright hatred. If you don't believe me on that, just watch some of the shows and listen to the bizarre music they play behind what's going on with her.

This is a show that I just plain like and I will watch episodes that others describe as horrible with the same amount of zeal as the best episodes. I'm already looking forward to Season 5.

I do have one question. Dominic, have you ever applied to be a cheftestant on Top Chef - or would you do so in the future if enough of us nominated you?

:-)

P