Chicago Rules

Well, I can't say I wanted to see it end like this. Stephanie or Richard winning, absolutely. Or Dale (though that wasn't an option). But I think this finale illustrated that you don't need the drama, you don't need the back and forth, and you don't need the BS. When you have great artists doing what they do, all you need is for them to do their best and let the chips fall where they may. You like to know that whoever comes out on top, it was a true measure of their skill. Sadly, we didn't get their best.

In some ways, I blame what I consider an unfortunate choice on the part of the show. This is it. This is the big one. I understand wanting to have them them do all of their own work on the last day... but don't spring it on them. Yes, this sort of thing happens in restaurants all the time, and yes, a great chef should be able to work around it. But what we love about the finals (what I love about the finals, anyway) is that there are no more surprises, no more excuses, and no more advantages. It's skill against skill alone, as Fezzik once said. I don't mean to suggest it was unfair -- everybody was in the same boat -- I just think it was unfortunate.

Not as unfortunate, however, as Richard choking. Actually, I think choking is a rather harsh way of putting it. He's a better chef than what he showed tonight, to be sure, but he didn't exactly embarrass himself either. And one gets the sense from Ted Allen's blog that we're not the only ones who felt it was his to lose. But as hard as I'm sure this was for him, in the end, I don't think it makes much of a difference. He made some stunning dishes, he was a class act from wire to wire (right up to his remarkable candor at the final judges' table), and he comes out of this smelling like a rose, regardless of the results.

But none of this is to take anything away from Stephanie. I'm convinced that even if they're both on, this is still a slugfest, and she couldn't be more worthy. I'd feel better if she achieved the same result while everybody was at their best, but that says less about her worthiness and more about my overdeveloped sense of competition. And it isn't like she snuck in there -- she earned this every step of the way, and I'm thrilled for her.

As for the season on the whole, I loved it. I think I enjoyed this season more than any other. Better chefs, more great food, more great challenges, less BS. I could pick nits, but I see no need. If they do the exact same thing for season five, I'll be a happy camper. And in the end, I think the success of this season for me, on a personal level, can be summed up in one simple fact. At the conclusion of a season, I've never been in a big hurry to try out the winner's restaurant. But this season has left me with not one but two I can't wait to try whenever I have the opportunity.

This has been a lot of fun, folks. I was a little shocked last night to discover that I've posted over 40,000 words on Top Chef this season. I'll take a few days to decompress, and then it's back to business as usual (if you've only stopped by recently, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a Top Chef blog :-). I've always enjoyed posting, even when nobody was reading this thing, for the same reasons that journaling can be satisfying. It feels good to get your thoughts out there. But the fact that the blog has taken on such an interactive tone over the past couple of months has been a real treat for me. I love that we got some good conversations going in the second half of the season, and I hope you guys will stick around, because I love hearing what you have to say. If not, though, I think it's a pretty safe bet I'll be doing this again for Top Chef Season Five :-)

Comments

[Andy]

I'm sad for Richard. I think his nerves got to him somewhat. However I'm very pleased that Stephanie won. Lisa...nice cooking but I don't think she belonged in the final.

[Rosedel]

I would have rather Richard won, but Stephanie is deserving as well. I'm still irate that Lisa even made it as far as she did, but on a good note, at least she didn't win. I think it would be an uproar if she did.

[linuxgrl]

Boy, for a second there I thought Lisa would take it! I was stunned when Ted said that Lisa's prawn dish was his favorite appetizer! And then with her dessert and soup dumplings being such a hit I started to get really worried. Definitely glad that Stephanie pulled it off but I was so sad for Richard. He seems like such a nice guy and on a good day, nobody can touch him.

But in the end, I think the right woman took home the prize. Hooray for the first female Top Chef. She kicks ass!!!

[Jim D.]

The finale was hit and miss. Kudos to Stephanie for pulling it out, but she didn't exactly hit a home run. Meanwhile, just as we all feared, Richard fell in love with his techniques and missed the mark - had he nailed that pork belly entrée, I think he wins this.

I'm really disappointed that the judges acted (if not believed) that it all came down to this one meal. So, a mediocre contestant can skate by week after week, then do just good enough in the final challenge and that makes them 'Top Chef'? Really?

Try as I might, I just could not enjoy this episode. Yeah, I know - all reality shows are edited in such a way to keep you guessing, but somebody at Bravo seemed to take sadistic glee in making it look like Lisa might actually win this thing. The ending offered only relief. Thanks a lot, guys.

[Joanna]

I am sooooo happy that Stephanie won. She absolutely deserved it! (I mean, really -- olives and blackberries and pistachios together? And it worked??) During that very last commercial break, I thought that Lisa had a chance, and it worried me a lot. Even if she had made the better meal tonight, I just think she's had so many misses throughout the season that she couldn't hold the title in the same way. Take the last episode, for example, when the previous winners were the guest judges. If Harold or Hung (and I guess Ilan, though to a much lesser extent) said something about the food, I trusted them. If Lisa had won and judged a similar challenge, I wouldn't listen to a thing she said. She has no credibility at this point.

But enough rambling. Yay Steph!!!

[Bart]

Before I saw this episode, I was really happy with the thought of either Stephanie or Richard winning, although I would have preferred Richard.

However, as the episode went on, I really wanted Richard to win, quite badly. And when Stephanie's name was called, I was massively disappointed - not because Stephanie won, but because Richard's own disappointment was so, so palpable.

Let me be clear here: Stephanie absolutely deserved to win. She proved her worth consistently (well, relatively speaking) throughout the whole season. We knew it'd come down to those two.

Also - I have to give credit where credit is due - Lisa cooked some amazing looking dishes.

Still, I feel very badly for Richard. He wanted it. He should have gotten it. But he lost it, and he'll be kicking himself for it for the rest of his life. But hopefully he'll find consolation when he's driving his newborn daughter in his new car.

[Gilby]

Again, I see no way to have things judged on some sort of running total. Way too much just wouldn't work. It all has to come down to this one final meal--that's how you actually have a show. That said, I could see some changes to the formula being in order. Not to keep a runny tally, or even to have some sort of cumulative score counting with the final meal, but instead to tweak who might make the final.

[Dan_Boston]

Overall, a disappointing finale. Not because Stephanie won, but rather because neither chef really was performing at their best. That being said, Stephanie still performed very well, and took home a well deserved victory. Lisa too seemed to cook well above her normal level, though I found it interesting that two of her dishes (an asian soup and a rice-desert with mango) were so similar to dishes she screwed up so badly while cooking on Dale's team.

My biggest question mark of the show had to be in the credits: the very first 'credit', in the bottom left of the screen says that the judges consult the producers (and Bravo) on all judging decisions - I can't recall the exact wording, but it was very leading, and very counter to what the judges themselves have insisted.

My partner, viewing the show for the first time insisted that this was evidence that everything was fixed and artificially manipulated. I held out that the statement was ambiguous and that I believed the judges when they said this wasn't the case. Nevertheless, it was a very leading statement, and I'm very curious as to how it has actually applied.

[Kate]

I was happy to see Stephanie win; she truly deserved it, not just for her performance in the finale (although I agree with Dan that no one really nailed it) but for many great dishes throughout the season. I was rooting for Richard, but I felt that the finale really came down to which of them conquered their nerves and delivered the better food, and that was clearly Stephanie. But despite his lack of the title of "Top Chef," I really feel that the show launched Richard's career in a way that we may not have ever seen before with Top Chef. He showed himself to be a thoughtful and innovative chef, a man of integrity, and someone who truly loves food, and I'm sure that I am not alone in adding him to my list of chefs whose restaurants I will make a point to visit someday.

[Vega]

YEAH STEPHANIE

I'm actually watching it for the first time now. That's all I care about.

[Gilby]

Dom has commented about that disclaimer before. One major example where it definitely can be seen was in the aftermath of the head shaving incident during Season 2.

[Travis]

I was glad to see Steph win, although i was pulling for Richard as he just seems to cook on a totally different level. He was right though, he totally choked. Even if he pulls of the pork belly, i don't think he wins.

It was disappointing that none of the chefs really killed it. Lisa cooked out of her mind, which means that her food is just approaching Steph and Richard. I really thought Lisa was going to win for a second there.

As much as it hurts me to say this, i think if the decision was made purely on this meal that Lisa probably should have won, but luckily the judges are smarter than that and HAD to take past performances into account. Although i'd be curious to try Steph's lamb dish. Lisa winning would have been a truly awful moment for the show. We almost had a perfect storm, glad that didn't happen.

My favorite moment of this episode though was when Ripert quit doing prep work for Steph to check out what Richard was doing. The Richard starts showing him the tabasco ice cream (what happened to that dish?). Then, "I just showed Eric Ripert something he's never seen before. How f'ing cool is that!?!" That was classic, easily one of my favorite moments of the season.

Even though Steph wasn't the most talented chef this season, im glad she won. I'm glad we can stop all this talk about a woman not winning Top Chef. But lets be honest here. In 5 years who do you think will be more sucessful? Who comes out of this season with the most foodie street cred? Its got to be Richard by a mile. I'd love to check out Steph's restaurant, but i can almost promise you that i'm going to Richard's place (Home in ATL) first.

Good season. Lisa definitely establishes the Mendoza Line of Top Chef though. People will talk of it for years.

[Tom]

I am happy for Stephanie and believe she did merit the victory tonight. Even so, I am disappointed for Richard. He really was light-years ahead of the rest of the pack, and that was his downfall. It seemed to me that he used a lot of his prep time the first day to experiment and play around with ideas, while the other two chefs hashed out their menus. When the "twist" of not giving them sous chefs for the second day fell, Richard was done. I'm certain that he was absolutely counting on having a second set of hands during the actual cooking. Oh well. I will definitely eat at one of his restaurants if I'm ever given the opportunity. Congratulations to Stephanie on a well-deserved win!

[Charles]

Dominic, after a well deserved rest, will you give us your final ranking of all the chefs? I'd be interested to see how you'd rank some of them, taking out when they were cut.

Really enjoy the blog.

[Tim]

I am glad Stephanie won, and I agree that Richard proved himself to be both an amazing chef and person. I even feel happy for Lisa. It's kind of nice that she was able to prove herself capable of serving up some nice food that pleased her guests. That is, after all, what Top Chef is all about. So congratulations to all of them.

[Solange]

I agree with Tom that losing that second set of hands may have been the sinker for Richard. I know things like that happen in restaurants all the time, but this isn't a restaurant. The show told the contestants they were getting sous chefs. Work is divided, plans are made and the machine is put into motion based on the promises. What silly gimmick will they try to use as a "twist" next year? An all electric kitchen and then cut the power? Blindfolded chefs cooking at the finale? Chefs being smothered with a bag from the Glad family of products for a timed Quickfire, the first one to complete will be allowed oxygen.....

When the deal was reneged on the look on Richard's face said it all in terms of how exposed he was due to the change and I'm not sure he ever really got back on track. Tom said their intent was to put them out there alone. Then why the farce with a sous chef? Just leave them alone, as they thought they would be. I'm betting Richard had to rethink his menu on Day Two and that's not right. As far as I'm concerned that was undue interference in the process.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I believe Richard will go on to be the greatest losing chef in TC history. Stephanie is an amazing chef and a terrific opponent and she does us proud but it's clear that Richard truly is on a very different plane. Just not last night....

Of note is that Lisa surprised TC fandom with a, for her, stunning display of ability. I wondered what the season might have been like if she had showed that skill coming out of the gate. I love the commenter who mentioned she screwed Dale with a lousy effort making a rice dessert and then yanks one out of her snide butt last night as well as blowing a soup then putting out a great one.

For Lisa, last night was her TC tour de force. She had her greatest triumphs last night and even though Richard and Stephanie clearly were off their feed she still could not win.

Do you get it now Lisa? Your greatest work was still not able to get you the win, even when neither of them turned in their best work....

[Jon]

Granted I was 1 sheet into the wind watching last night, but I thought Lisa had the best overall result, but the judges refused to give her the crown and they didn't even mention who placed and showed, just saying that Stephanie had won. Did TC mention places in the past when there were more than 2 finalists? I remember last year they made it obvious that Casey was 3rd.

I too liked the Richard's idea of freezing w/liquid nitrogen and I bet it makes a killer ice cream.

[alamos road]

I found this Season 4 less enjoyable and less satisfying than Season 3, and I'm trying to figure out why. With all due apologies to Chicago, it may in part have been the settings and seasons (Miami in the spring versus Chicago in the late fall) which also influenced the nature of some of the challenges. Too many chefs: I realize that the more contestants, the more episodes Bravo can spin out, but it resulted in far too many catering challenges and "crowd scenes." Too many "team" challenges that left you wondering who made what and who was "carrying" whom to victory or elimination. Far too little shown of the questions and deliberations at Judges Table; if you have to resort to looking up the recipes to figure out why some dishes succeeded and others did not, the editors need to rethink their approach. It may have been some of the personalities, although again the editors may well be at fault there. It may have been the disparity in talent, with Richard and Stephanie leading from wire to wire and Dale failing to make the finals, that resulted in a somewhat anticlimactic outcome.

[Liz]

Dominic, I second Charles's request for a final ranking without regard to the real-life constraints of eliminations. Oh, how I love this blog!

[Jason]

First of all, Dom, I have to thank you for writing this blog. It became a part of my Top Chef ritual, and I looked forward to reading your interpretations (as well as those of all who comment here) as much as the actual show itself.

The finale left me feeling...underwhelmed. It could have been that I was watching late last night, but I don't think so. To echo others here, I thought that it was disappointing that no one seemed to cook "the meal of their life" except for Lisa. I agree that based on performance in the finale, the editing made it appear that Lisa should have won the night, but I think the judges must have taken Stephanie's overall track record into consideration.

Jon, last year it was obvious from the performances in the finale that Casey was not on the level of Dale or Hung (in that particular challenge), so that's why there was a clear distinction made. They also did that thing where the winner was announced live in a separate episode, so it was strung out more, leaving Casey in an obviously uncomfortable position on live television.

I think Dom's comments about Richard were correct all along, and that he had carte blanche and just blew it. Although I agree that taking away the sous chefs impacted Richard more than the other two, it appeared that he hadn't really set his menu in stone at the end of the first night. I just think he failed to clearly conceptualize what he wanted to do.

It's been a great season (except for the early dismissal of Dale. BTW, I think he would have had an excellent shot at the crown had he made it to the finale given the other performances), and I get a ton of enjoyment from the show. I hope to read more from you soon, Dom, and will definitely be back for commentary for the next season of TC.

For those who may travel here to the ATL to visit Home and Richard, word is that he may not be at Home all that long, but he's working on an upscale burger joint called Twist to be opened soon. It will feature "molecular milkshakes", so keep that in mind when planning a trip.

Thanks again!

[DaveP]

Dom,

Thanks for a great season's worth of comments and analysis, not to mention providing a space for the rest of us to voice our thoughts on TC. I don't live in the Baltimore area, but the next time I'm in the area, I know a few restaurants I have to hit (starting with Grace Garden). I also would love to see a final ranking independent of the actual finish order, and I'll certainly be back for TC season 5.

As a Michigan man, I couldn't be happier for Stephanie (Go Blue!), but was equally disappointed for Richard. It really seemed destined when he got that car--it just screamed consolation prize. I hate, HATE, the editing monkeys that made it seem like Lisa & Steph both took two of the courses easily, but then at JT, Richard seemed like he could almost pull something out. I really would love to see a lightly edited (don't need to see a full 6-hr discourse) Judges' discussion provided by Bravo, esp. since it didn't seem like they took the guests' opinions much into account (though, I'm sure they did).

Anyway, thanks again and I'll be talking to you soon enough, I'm sure.

--
Dave

[Joanna]

Anyone else remember that one of Casey's most notable problems in the finale last year was her pork belly dish? Then this year, Stephanie lost her pork belly when it was left out overnight, and Richard's use of it seemed to underwhelm the judges... I think pork belly just brings bad luck on Top Chef. Only possible explanation!

Heh... anyway. There seems to be some disagreement on whether Stephanie won because she truly produced the better meal, or because she underperformed a bit in the finale (compared to Lisa) but was so dominant throughout the season that the judges gave her the win. I think Gail's comment at the judges' table was very telling, when she said that they chose the winner based on which meal they'd like to have again. Lisa's food might have impressed the judges more the first time, but that's partly because of the bold, interesting flavors she used. Bold and interesting can make for an excellent meal, but unless the food is truly satisfying and tasty underneath the strong flavors, you might not want the same meal again. Lisa's soup seemed to be very well-received but most of her other praise had to do with the surprise factor, and I think that's why Steph's food would stand up to a repeat a little better.

[Skillet Doux]

"I think pork belly just brings bad luck on Top Chef."

How DARE you say such a thing about pork belly!

:-)

[Ted Allen]

Dominic, your analysis across the season has always been dead-on; thanks! If you devote this kind of rigor and labor to your food, I would love to taste it. Are you cooking professionally? I'm gonna be in Baltimore in July--albeit very briefly.

By the way, I *hated* the edit of the finale, and while I can't deny that I said Lisa's app was my favorite, I can't remember why on earth I would have said that, or what the context was. It was a nice version of a very common Vietnamese treat. Steph's was better. Note that of the other 13 seconds of screen time they gave me, 3 of them were spent quoting me about Lisa's potato chip garnish. That's the editors groping for something--anything--positive to say about a chef who otherwise doesn't appear to have much of a chance, in order to try to preserve suspense--and the sucker who gives them that moment (me) looks like an ass as a result. Similar motivations doubtless drove them to quote Gail saying Steph's cake "sucked," which it didn't. (See Andy Cohen's blog--moments after Gail made that loopy remark, she was asleep with her head on Judges Table). I'm sure Gail was thrilled with the edit, too...

I will say, however, that she and I *looked* fantastic. :)

[Jon]

I think Stephanie was very deserving. I also was definitely pulling for Richard, but felt like as soon as Ripert AND Tom complained about underseasoning? Nail. To. Coffin.

Coming as I do from The Land of Ice Cream, I have to say it still kind of boggles my mind that people are as excited/in the dark about liquid nitrogen ice cream. Haven't people been talking about this stuff for years? Hasn't liquid nitrogen been part of the whole molecular gastronomy deal for a while now? Eric Ripert(!) has never heard of it/is all impressed by it? Man, what? Sure tabasco is an intriguing variant.

Hell here in Minnesota, we get liquid nitrogen ice cream in the grocery store! I'm serious. It's called Blue Sky Creamery and they even have retails stores in malls n' stuff.
http://www.blueskycreamery.com/ (no affiliation, just satisfied)

That was the thing that really gobsmacked me about last night. Not Lisa "punching above her weight." Not Richard choking (that happens a lot in competitions, cooking is no exception). It was the amazement at using nitro. Huh. One man's shock is another man's blasé. Didn't Patton Oswalt have a routine about a guy really bored and shaving his nether regions...?

Now as for Lisa, I gotta say this: I know we're all jaded to the idea that editing plays a huge role. And there's NO way to use editing to create the sheer absurdity of a statement like "A congratulations would have been nice" I mean seriously!

But think about this. They make the show in what? 20 days? There's cameras on those guys almost 24/7. There's literally thousands of hours of footage from all kinds of angles. That means they have so much source material to stitch together to make a story. At the end before the trip to Puerto Rico, they had this wonderful opportunity to say "okay we have these four chefs. we can spin this any way we like. based on the footage we have, Lisa is pretty objectionable. If we cut in these moments, out of the hours and hours, we will keep audiences TENSE and ENGAGED the whole time. I know this is very much a "DUH. EDITING." comment, but I gotta say it. She displayed objectionable behavior and apparently less skill.

But Lisa was not The Villain until AFTER the bulk of actual action of the season had happened. Her behavior was negative and made people feel bad sometimes, but her *villainy* was a product of amplification through editing. That's not a complaint, I'm fine with Top Chef producers casting someone in a negative light to make better TV. But there's no way she's like that wall to wall for twenty+ days in a communal living and working environment. No one could maintain that pace of ugliness. So our belief in her as undeserving is justified only inasmuch as we are continually fed the worst snippets of her time on the show.

In my utmost fantasy world, Top Chef dares to go web 2.0 on this thing and release unedited footage for people to play around with and see for themselves. We could get mashups repositioning people as good guys or bad guys, however we liked. Like that recut of the trailer for The Shining to make it the story of a boy and his step dad finding a wonderful magical connection. THere's probably enough footage of Lisa being nice to completely change the tone of this season. I'm FINE with the choices they make, but they make them After everything is in the can. There's no way the judges know how bad Lisa was, or certainly don't know how badly she appeared on the basis of the minute focus of the editing process.

The beauty of it is, they decided on that storyline before the finals, then had 2 months to sell it to us. During which time of course they Didn't know how it would turn out. They could have inadvertently shot themselves in the foot by having set her up like that and then having her win--because it was ultimately about the food! The revolt in the fan base would have been their own doing.

[Lon]

During season II, there was a lot of discussion on the Bravo Top Chef blogs about the judging disclaimer at the show's end. Every Magical Elves, Bravo and Top Chef blogger said the same thing: The disclaimer is added for legal reasons only and none of them really want it there because there is no direction by the show's producers toward the judge as to who should win any particular challenge.

If they have the opportunity, people should read the chapter in Michael Ruhlman's book "The Reach of a Chef" in which he describes the interaction between Rachel Ray and the production staff as her show is taped for the Food Network. What we see on the air is the tip of the iceberg that is a TV show.

The legal disclaimer is to cover the normal everyday "directions" any production staff has to direct toward participants, like where to stand, what the last discussion was, etc.

We see the show as a whole. Even the judges don't see the taped comments by participants until the show airs, so they don't have all the personality background we do.

Even with all that said, if we want to see conspiracy, we will see conspiracy, I guess. I really don't see it. I don't see Tom Coliccho or Tony Bourdain selling their reputations so a woman chef or any other specific person can win or lose.

Look at the reputation Rocco DeSpiritu picked up from his exploits on NBC's restaurant show. I don't think he's still lived that down in the chef community.

I was among those not surprised by Richard's meltdown. Marcel did the same thing in season II. Good first half of the finals, then used too much finesse in the last half and got lost in his cleaverness. Richard is a much better cook than Marcel was at that time.

Contestants seem to forget that Tom Coliccho is not a Grant Achatz. He seems to value good basic food cooked and presented well without a lot of "extras."

[Rachael G]

I, too, was a bit miffed that they didn't get a chance to "just cook" without a gimmick but I will say this: having their food stand alone at the end of the day was the right move. I was rooting for Richard but we've said all along that his whiz-bang approach will either put him head and shoulders above the rest or it will sink him quickly. Unfortunately, his seemingly poor use of prep time on day one really sunk him. Whether he had a sous chef to rely upon on that second day or not, he needed to be in planning mode rather than conceptualizing mode.

But I won't shed too many tears over it. He's got a great future ahead of him and while 2nd place won't be great for him, but this will still help him. I'm really glad to see Stephanie win this.

And I echo Jon's comments about editing. I was not incredibly upset about Dale losing out, but Lisa seemingly just couldn't cook as well. But while some things can't be covered up (the "congratulations" remark is going to echo for a while), I also think that they picked a villain and did all they could to edit it that way. Notice that, when Richard returned, they immediately get him commenting on Lisa's behavior. Do you guys really think that's the first time he said he wasn't big on her cooking? Maybe, but I'm not so sure. I think that the producers realized what they had on their hands and edited accordingly. There's simply no other explanation for last night. I suspect that Lisa was still in 3rd place at the end of the night despite "successful" dishes, but they did all they could to edit so it appeared otherwise. All to make us so anxious that we were biting our nails up to the last minute!

[Michael]

Dominic,
Not only has your commentary been insightful, it's been very readable. I appreciate your efforts and have not only made it a habit to visit your site, especially in regards to TC, but I realized that skilletdoux has become my first stop after an episode, detouring right around Bravotv blogs, and not just because I've come to expect them not to be there.

As far as the finale, I got the sense that richard was going to lose from the breakfast shot. He seemed unfocused or distracted, like he was more concerned with it just being over instead of cooking. Perhaps that's totally unfair, and I'm willing to grant that it is, it's just the sense I had.

I think Lisa was probably at the top of her game, executing dishes we've all seen before in a capable to excellent manner. But while she's probably very good at what she does, there's a huge boundary between excellent and sublime, and you're either born to cross it or you're not. Stephanie did, for at least one dish, and Richard didn't seem to able to this time, though he's certainly capable.

In parting I'd like to say, Keep cooking for your kid. I'll warn you now, it becomes significantly harder between three and four years, when they start socializing in more significant ways and begin to pull away from you a bit. Just this morning my son looked at my oatmeal with blueberries and said, "That looks yucky." So there you go. Years and years of introducing him to as wide a variety of food as I could (to avoid the chicken fingers problem mentioned earlier) boils down to oatmeal and berries looks yucky. C'est la vie.

[Maxx A]

I'm so relieved Stephanie won. The rest of my family was convonced Lisa was going to win since her Coconut Soup was so well recieved by the judges. I thought a coconut soup would have tasted bad, but they thought it was the best dish. But I guess Stephanie just managed to pull through and win in the end, thank god.

[anon man]

Ted, h/t to you for pointing me in the direction of the blog. The fact that its currently based in Baltimore and I'm in Washington is even better.

I found the editing of show really frustrating. (And I don't get to complain about my screen time!) I couldn't really tell what they were cooking until late, and the judges table was kind of all over the place. I got the sense that Stephanie's lamb and Lisa's soup were clear winners of those courses (and battling for overall #1), but other than that, the first course was unclear, and dessert left the impression that Richard's was better, with Lisa a close second.

More general food topic for everyone: who likes naming dishes? Thomas Keller does that all the time, its kind of his thing. Some people do it sporadically. Here in DC, Cathal Armonstrong at Eve occasionally has a dish called "bacon, egg and cheese". Its pork belly and cheese foam. Tells you what it is, but not really. Keller does the same thing, "Oysters and Pearls" as an example. Richard's "which came first, is sort of like that, but the rest of the names are kind of arbitrary or merely identify the course in the position of the menu, which is kind of obvious. That's my position. Give it a playful name, but base it on something in the dish. Otherwise my next course will be a meaningless symbol.

[meg]

~ sorry. i just HAD to watch.

~ the shadow of dale still somehow makes it to the finals. steph mentions him yet again, and i do love that he still gets screen time... though the sight of the untucked shirt underneath his vest had me shaking my head in amusement (almost polished, dale. almost).

~ lisa. wow. it pains me to say this, but i really wanted to try her dishes. somehow, it seems that giving her free rein on what to cook allowed her to come up with good dishes. perhaps this is why she hasn't fared well with challenges; their parameters restricted her way/style of cooking. this also makes me wonder -- had she been the executive chef in restaurant wars, had she been allowed to make her own dishes, maybe their group could've had a chance to win. when you have her completely on board (and not by force, as seen with the bacon win), she can excel. (i'm a dale fan, btw. and while i still don't like lisa, she does deserve some respect after what she pulled in this episode)

~ on the other hand, we have richard who does extraordinarily well with (most) challenges. when you tell him the audience he's serving to, or what the concept of the meal should be, he is able to deliver. i sincerely believe the parameters actually give him direction on what/how to cook, resulting into surprisingly creative dishes. unfortunately for this episode, richard was not able to deliver as we expected. "cook for 9 people" was his only clue. plus, he's not your typical avid top chef watcher (as dale implied in his past interviews -- dale told richard that the executive chef usually takes the heat in restaurant wars -- an advice dale himself didn't even follow). hence, the final episode was a little anticlimactic because you felt that he didn't have a chance at winning the title (yes, i echo the commenter who said that lisa's not winning was a relief). that said, richard was a joy to watch. i could say he can have his own reality show, where he's constantly asked to come up with creative dishes per episode, depending on who he has to cater/serve to.

~ overall, it felt satisfying to have steph win top chef. she showed she can deliver on challenges with parameters (richard) or not (lisa). she's shown class all throughout this season, and has evolved into a better chef who fully embraces her strengths and recognized her mistakes.

~ as a last shout-out, thanks to SD for this blog! looking forward to more entries (top chef or not)

[Jon Olsen]

One correction to my math: if they really did film in 20 days (didn't Tom say that once?) then even if they had cameras on 24/7, that means only 480 hours. They MIGHT have thousands of hours of footage if you count multiple cameras, but that'd require 3 cameras, 24 hours a day for 20 days, just to break a thousand. My exaggeration got the best of my math skills.

PS, Can I just say I love this blog? I know Dom doesn't want to be thought of as just a Top Chef blog, but this is the best one. I love amuse-biatch well enough, but this one is better. It feels a little like projectrungay is going to phone them up one of these days and demand their schtick back. There I said it. Thanks Dominic!

[Skillet Doux]

Hey, Ted... good of you to stop by!

Thanks again for the kind words. Coming from somebody who's actually been tasting the dishes, it's gratifying to hear that my instincts have been on target. I'm no Salieri, but it's nice to know I possess some ability to look at the score and hear the symphony in my head :-)

To answer your question, no, I've not currently nor have I ever cooked in any professional capacity (been meaning to put a bio up for quite some time... I should probably get around to that, huh?). I'm merely an enthusiastic amateur. I almost pulled the trigger a few times, but I couldn't bring myself to make the kind of life sacrifices that chefs do (and I admire them for it). Of course you're welcome at my table anytime, but when visiting Baltimore I imagine there are more exciting dining spots than my kitchen and more exciting company than my one year old (even if he HAS already eaten a wider variety of foods than most of his extended family and can handle the spicy stuff better than his mother).

I had noticed that you'll be in town for the Chefs & Wine Experience! I was planning on checking it out, so hopefully I'll have a chance to say hey then.

Congrats on another great season, even if the final edit didn't do you justice. And you are, indeed, correct. The two things I learned from last night's episode were that you and Gail hold up remarkably well deep into the night, and Tom's facial hair grows reallyreally fast :-)

P.S. As somebody who went to nerd school and seriously considered a career in physics, your new show is tugging at my heartstrings. Looking forward to it!

[Elise]

Hi Dom,

So the show is over, except for the reunion, which I'll tune in to see. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write this up, and keep all of us so happily entertained between shows.

As to this season, I loved the fact that most of the challenges were fairly gimmick free. No vending machine food, no airplanes, no make us a meal to freeze and reheat. Top Caterer may not have been winning too many fans, but it still seems more in line with traditional cooking skills than cook us breakfast on the beach over a fire pit.

What bugged me most about this season was the way it skewed. Fourteen challenges, twelve of which were won by one of three chefs, nine of which were won by one of two. Whatever else was true about this group of chefs, they were not a balanced lot. Even Hung, who I think most of us agree was one of the finest technical chefs of the previous three seasons, didn't dominate his contest the way Richard or Stephanie did. I think that might be part of the reason for so much creative editing this season, the producers have to feel like they've got to do something to keep it looking like a real competition.

I'd also like to say thanks for the non-top chef bits on your blog as well. I'm in the morning sickness stage of pregnancy, so I can't really eat anything, but I still love to read about food, and your blog has been a tasty refuge (if only in my mind) for the queasy of stomach.

Elise

[=R=]

Thanks, Dom, for providing the icing on the Top Chef cake this season. Watching just wouldn't have been the same -- or as enjoyable -- without your efforts.

=R=

[mar]

I, too, found this blog from Ted Allen's Bravo blog and have really enjoyed reading it. As for the final episode, I would have been happy with either Richard or Stephanie winning, though being a woman I was rooting a bit more for Steph. I think Steph winning will help her more than Richard losing will hurt him.

Choosing a final winner based solely on the one meal bothers me. I understand the logic through the earlier challenges, but in the end you want a "Top Chef", not just the best chef of the evening. Why *shouldn't* previous performance be taken into consideration? And if it is (which many seem to believe is more the reality), why is there such a stress that it isn't? I may not be remembering correctly, but at the end of season 2 (Ilan's win), I thought the judges based their decision partly on who they felt was most ready to move on with his restaurant career. Doesn't that sound like taking past performance into consideration? Not like you can base that readiness on one meal. (And not sure the decision proved true anyway, but neither contestant that season was as strong as Richard or Stephanie.) Given the strength of R. and S. throughout the season it may not have changed much in the end anyway.

This was a very enjoyable season, and I look forward to the next. I agree too, don't screw with the chefs when they are cooking their "meal of a lifetime". No more last minute dishes that have to be cooked, no more pulling the sous chef. If you want a great meal, give them the opportunity to provide it!

[Hillary]

I agree that it sucked they weren't told until the last minute that they wouldn't have extra help, but I don't know that that's why Stephanie didn't give her best performance. Despite her short comings this episode (and this episode ONLY)...I am SO glad she won!

[Tom]

As others have already done, I would also like to thank Dom for his really great blog - on TC stuff and beyond. This has been a fantastic forum, and I believe the commentary here has truly been intelligent and interesting. Great stuff!

Just to throw my two cents on Jon's comment re: Lisa's villain edit. Personally, I don't think Lisa's edit was so terrible. Sure, she was a jerk a lot, but so was Dale (one of my favorites). My hatred (I'll use the word) really came from something that was completely outside of Lisa's control - judging table. That Lisa was able to escape elimination time and time again was not her fault (her delusions of grandeur were another thing), but the mounting frustration of seeing an undeserving "talent" progress beyond those of much greater skill (see Dale and Jen) eventually grew into rage - like a bull seeing a red flag. For those of you who watched the last season of Project Runway, Ricky was that show's Lisa. Although Ricky was perfectly pleasant and not really delusional about his skill set, viewers came to despise him for surviving so long, while many talented designers were bid adieu. On any show that is ostensibly a competition based on talent/skill, it is natural to be angry when an obviously less competent contestant progresses beyond obviously more competent contestants. For me, that was the Lisa phenomenon.

And to delve back into the final Judging Table, based on Ted's comments in his blog, I would say the rankings (per course) were as follows: Stephanie - 1,2,1,3; Richard - 2,3,2,1; and Lisa - 3,1,3,2. Lisa, despite the editing, came in third, and I think it's clear she bombed the third course.

Again, many thanks, Dom, for the great blog. I will be visiting during the off season.

[your cousin]

"even if he HAS already eaten a wider variety of foods than most of his extended family"

As a member of your extended family, maybe if you had invited us over for dinner occasionally when you were still in Chicago we'd have more educated palates. :P

[Eric W]

You know I totally agree about being disappointed with the format of the finals this year. I did not care at all for the 'Live' finale last year, but I would take that hands down over the more structured style of this year's. It felt just like any other episode rather than the 'special' feeling the first three finales had. Shame. But, as long as Lisa did not win... I am happy. Great blog dude.

[kay]

I'm sooooo glad Stephanie won, that Richard still showed what a classy guy he is. They're both winners in my book.

Dude, thanks for blogging Top Chef! There are days when I was just as eager to watch the show as I was to read your post-mortem. Great job.

[Solange]

I would like to say something, at the risk of being a chronic poster....

I've attacked Lisa, here and on other forums, more than most.

I actually think she gave a finals worthy stand last night. I truly wished that she had brought those kind of quality level dishes each week all season long.

I know many pundits are giving her the silver for last night, but I just can't give her even the bronze for last night

The dishes she did last night were her flagships really. She held them back, and that's fine, but she could have elevated teams she was on and a refusal to go for a team win is a very clear character flaw.

I don't think she was misunderstood as a person. Sure, editing can shade things but every ugly thing out of her trap came from her. She is misunderstood though as a chef. She's got game.

She just should have showed it more...and earlier.

The more I think of her work last night the more I like her as a chef.

The more I think of her actions this season the more I dislike her as a person...

[Rachel]

So glad Richard and his Bill Nye approach to food didn't win. Gimmicks are fine but nothing tops real technique coupled with great tastes.

And Dom needs to replace Ted Allen, who brings nothing to the table.

[Skillet Doux]

Rachel... while I'm flattered by the vote of confidence, I feel compelled to fight you on both counts :-)

Bear in mind that most of what you consider "real" techniques were gimmicks a couple of centuries ago. Heck, the electric blender isn't even 90 years old, and that's hardly a gimmick. A lot of these new techniques and tools are of questionable value, absolutely, but that isn't because they're new. Some are just wacky for wacky's sake, but some have real value -- and the only way to separate the former from the latter is to let chefs like Richard play with them and figure out what works and what doesn't. I think you have to give chefs like him credit for their willingness to fail sometimes in the pursuit of new ideas, and for understanding that at the end of the day, if it doesn't make the dish better, it's pointless.

And I'm surprised by your feelings about Ted Allen. I always thought he was a great addition to the crew.

[Ted Allen]

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.

Rachel: We're in agreement about Dom; I've already publicly proposed him for judges' table. But you're totally clueless about Richard. Drop the Chalupa, power down your Dell, and take a trip to Atlanta, sweetie.

--T

[Independent George]

Dom, my biggest regret is only finding this blog now that the season is over. I'm currently paging through your archives, and am thoroughly impressed with your knowledge and insight.

Ted, thanks for clarifying the judging, but I have to say that this is thoroughly irritating for us mere viewers. Since none of us can actually taste the food, we are entirely dependent on the judges comments at tasting and JT (and good analysis from knowledgeable people like Dom). I understand the need to make it dramatic, but it seems somewhat dishonest (as well as unfair to people like Richard or Lisa, who seem to have been truly victimized by the edits).

[chuck]

I am so over this show. I will never watch again. Why don't they just put it on MTV and let that nightmare called Tila Tequila vote off the loser? This show and Bravo have lost all credibility for me.

I'll tell you, Ted, that the editing in this show easily made it seem like Lisa came in first. If you and Bravo can live with that deception, fine. I cannot. I have blocked Bravo on my cable box so am happy that you are going to Food Network. After tonight's A-List awards, easily the worst head-on train wreck off a bridge in television history, I am totally off that network. Richard deserved to win and remains the classiest cheftestant in TC history. I can't wait to go to Atlanta next week and taste his food first hand.

And what was that hack Tim Zagat doing on TC anyway? My heart sank when I saw that disgusting creature there. Fortunately, Nina didn't join him. I truly hope you never have to sit down for dinner with him/them again. They are among the nastiest people ever who have done absolutely abominable atrocities to their employees, for which they have no remorse. In Food Court, they would be sentenced to death.

Fortunately, Richard Blais is going to foodie heaven. I hope you do too.

[Dan_Boston]

I realize I'm being snarky, but this whole 'cheftestant' thing drives me up the wall. It's twee and cutesy and unecessary. When I read the word 'cheftestant' I immediately expect the user to start waxing about her 'hubby,' and the new 'wellness' program they are on. I'm aware that the coining of this term originated with Bravo itself, but that's really no excuse unless you too are a cutesy, twee, and bouncy marketing intern.

Thanks for clarifying the judging, Ted. You paint a very different picture than what the show editing portrayed, and it is nice to have the record set straight.

Editing, especially creative editing, is a huge part of reality shows. Without strong and themed edits, the viewer would be barraged with hours and hours of footage, most of which would be of limited interest and relevance. Editing takes this barrage of data, and culls from it stories and arcs that keep viewers engaged. Obviously those stories won't please every one, and in a like vein, those stories won't necessarily be hugely accurate in their portrayal of reality. Editing that results in unappealing or misleading stories and arcs doesn't necessarily mean that the editing was poor.

That being said, I was a little disapointed in the editing of the finale. It ended up seeming really disjointed, both in the kitchen and especially at judges table. I understand that the editing of the judge's table dialogue needs to be especially lavish in order to maintain the suspense of the elimination, but I think they went overboard here. Especially in the finale, I was really looking forward to more detailed reactions from the judges, and what we mostly got were disjointed statements. Perhaps next season, you could encourage the editors to be a little more permissive when it comes to judge's table?

[Gilby]

Wow, Chuck. So much criticism, so little credibility.

[Charles]

When they announced they were going to use elimination wins to decide who picked first, was it just me, or did anyone else think Richard had more wins that Steph? His facial expression certainly indicated HE thought he had more wins than her. Was the win he gave her really counted as her win?

It's easy to say after seeing the results, but on rewatch, it felt to me like that was the first leak in Richard's ship.