Goodbye neon lights, hello wine country! Top Chef moved to Napa for the first of two finale episodes, just in time for harvest season. And a crush party!
Note: We reveal the winner and losers below.
The cheftestants rolled into Napa refreshed, ready to cook and sporting new hairdos. They boarded the Napa Valley Wine Train with Michael Chiarello and Padma (She's pregnant! And has bangs!) and got to work on their Quickfire dishes highlighting grapes. The Elimination Challenge had them catering an end-of-season crush party for 300 guests using only local ingredients. Here are a few of our thoughts on the episode:
- My local is better than your local. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs were asked to make two dishes – one vegetarian and one with a meat protein – using only locally grown and raised ingredients, with the exception of salt and pepper. Kevin was feeling confident because his restaurant in Atlanta is "100 percent local." Bryan said he cares more about local food than Michael does. Michael, however, said he is like rubber and Bryan is like glue which totally makes him more local. OK, we made that last part up.
- Ropey vs. toothsome. The judges weren't fans of Kevin's "ropey" brisket, which he preferred to describe as "toothsome," saying he wanted to avoid using meat that was too tender on top of polenta and turning the whole dish into mush. During the deliberation, the other chef's applauded his spin job. Tom, however, said it was nice to hear Kevin "wax poetic," but he wasn't buying it. We've heard the word toothsome used a lot lately too – when it comes to meat, is it just code for overdone?
- Pasta that sweeps you away. Bryan's goat cheese ravioli with mushrooms may have needed a bit of salt and the fig-glazed shortribs could have used a bit more fig flavor, but his dishes were still strong enough to give him the win. Gail said she was "swept away" by his pasta. Who hasn't been there?
- A foot in every season, and both of them out the door. We should have known when Jennifer started talking about how proud her mentor Eric Ripert was of her and how she had to win because "second place is still a loser" that she wasn't long for the competition. We were really hoping that she'd make a triumphant return. The judging in the elimination challenge kept us guessing until the end. Some of them seemed to like her goat cheese dish, but it was also deemed too salty. Michael Chiarello, after proclaiming that he'd never had basil and goat cheese together (for real?), said it “was a foot in each season, which is what harvest is all about." We couldn't help but love that. As for the duck dish, the judges seemed to enjoy it at first, praising the "local quacker" and the "duckiness" of Sonoma ducks, but at one point, Tom said it "never really came together." But small mistakes have big consequences at this stage in the game, so Jennifer was asked to pack her knives. Her face really says it all.
What did you think of the episode?
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Week 6: Angels and Devils
Week 5: Foam on the Range
Week 4: All Things French
Week 3: The Best of Plates, The Worst of Plates
Week 2: A Shot At Love With Tequila
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With the expression, on Colicchio's face, it looked like he was just looking for something he could hook into and unfortunately for Jennifer she handed him her ouster on a silver platter. However - that "faux model" pose in the picture above - seriously??? Jennifer!? There really must be a more flattering picture of her! I'm glad Bryan's still in and really do hope he places above his obnoxious brother. Of the three left I'd be happiest with the results if Bryan pulls through for the win but at the very least placing above his obnoxious brother! (Pssst to Michael, with that kind of rudeness, you can't count on me dining in your restaurant... professionalism counts!).
I am sad to see her go, but among the remaining contestants it made sense...though I am not at all a fan of Michael's! Mosly because he is just so arrogant.
I'm rooting for Kevin!
I'm rooting for Bryan, but I sort of think that Kevin is going to win! I knew from the start that these three would last 'til the end.
I'm just happy that Top Chef finally got it right. Remember the Lisa Incident?
Team Kevin!
I didn't expect to Jennifer to kicked off. I think this was another possible example of a producer conspiracy theory. After all, they've worked so hard to achieve the world's first brother vs. brother finale they weren't about to throw that away for something as simple as an undercooked egg served to a pregnant woman (unappetizing, health hazard, visually unappealing). Don't mean to beat a dead horse but slimy eggs vs. time-delayed sea saltiness? Which one is worse?
For not caring as much about local, Michael sure nailed the first elimination challenge. Showcasing the grape in all its forms was by far the best dish for such a challenge imo.
Should be a good finale!
Jennifer's exit (though still possibly a set-up by producers to have a bro on bro finale) coincides with the long tested and well proven hypothesis that properly seasoned food goes a long way with the judges. Time and time again over or under salted will go home well before under or overcooked provided there is nothing else wrong with the dish.
Also, seriously Michael?! You nave never had goat cheese and basil? SERIOUSLY! What hole have you been sleeping in?!
Go KEVIN!
I was sad to see Jennifer go, but I wasn't surprised. Her food was amazing, but there is really tough competition this season.
I will be happy if Kevin or Bryan wins. Michael's tiresome attitude makes me care less about his food than I might otherwise.
Neither Voltaggio has any business winning. Kevin has won more elimination challenges than both of them combined.
It's really a no-brainer as to who the next Top Chef is.
And, I mean, who doesn't like a guy who looks like a monk.
I was sad to see Jennifer go as well, it's always nice to see another girl in the finale. I do wish that it was Michael that was let go, he's been so irritating the entire season. I'm rooting for Kevin to go all the way, I love what he does with the food and what he stands for in the kitchen!
I always thought that it would come down to the brothers and Kevin, but the way that Jennifer was voted out seemed wrong to me. At first, they made it seem like Michael's dish seemed worst, but in the end, I agree with some of you: the producers wanted to see some brother on brother action.
I think a lot of it came down to past performance, and Jennifer kind of scraped through.
That said, I think any of these four would have mopped up no problem last season. Even Eli would have laid waste last season.
Michael is totally ungracious and therefore totally unappealing. Seriously, he's super talented and I guess he's kinda hot (though I'd prefer Kevin, Bryan or Jen any day. In that order.) , but wow, zip it. CRINGE. Gross.
Imma let you finish, but the food that Kevin makes is what I cook on my day off!!!
How long till a Kanye Michael D-Bag mashup?