Top Chef Postmortem - Episode 13

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.