Top Chef FINALE - 2/25/09

[Paperboy2003]

I feel bad for Carla, but I'm happy that Stefan didn't win. It seemed very out of character for him to console Carla, but perhaps the producers went out of their way to make him look like an a-- and that was his true behavior.

Good for Hosea...he coasted throughout, but I guess was considered strong through the whole competition. I'm sure Leah help him celebrate....

[NatasNJ]

Stefan impressed me more with his type of dishes throughout the season that he should have won.

Hosea is a one trick pony and each time he tried to branch out of that he failed.

[Paperboy2003]

As a follow up, it's too bad Carla wasn't more of a leader. In that situation, with that much on the line, there is no way she should be listening to her sous chef as much as she did. It's her chance to shine and she was too deferential.

[gossamer88]

The judges blew it IMO. You make Hosea Top Chef for what he does in the finale?! Stefan was the best chef throughout the season. He was robbed.

I actually found Stefan to be pretty funny and likable.

[verdugan]

The judges blew it IMO. You make Hosea Top Chef for what he does in the finale?! Stefan was the best chef throughout the season. He was robbed.

I actually found Stefan to be pretty funny and likable.

Unfortunately, Stefan has really sucked the last 3 weeks, while Hosea has been improving.

It was Stefan's season to lose, and he choked.

I felt bad for Carla too, but she should've had the backbone to say no to her sous chef. Or at least remember to turn off the oven :-)

[TAsunder]

I guess Hosea just knows how to produce when it counts. I really felt like he was the weakest of the three, but he performed quite well the past two episodes. Stefan could have served anything and yet he chose frozen fish sliced thin that turned watery... hmmm...

As much as they make Stefan out to be the bad guy, he showed me again this episode that he is more likable than they portrayed him to be in much of the season.

Good to see Richard back... he's one of my favorite top chef contestants. Like Stefan, he underperformed in the finale when I was expected him to win rather easily.

[7thton]

Stefan's desserts were weak and I'm glad the judges busted him for it. Carla really made some bad decisions and I think that was what she was crying about....she knew she could have done much better.

[jsmeeker]

It's too bad Carla sort of lost her way and didn't cook like she normally would have. Shame, really, that it involved Casey, too.

The dessert debate is always an interesting. Personally, I feel that a meal isn't truly complete without a dessert course (or two ;) ) That said, I think I might prefer a really nice savory course as the last course as opposed to a weak dessert.


Gotta go read the blogs to get the true scoop on why they voted the way they did.

[lambertman]

Haven't watched yet, but I was spoiled on it over on twitter - by the previous winner, no less! :mad:

[mrmike]

It's too bad Carla sort of lost her way and didn't cook like she normally would have. Shame, really, that it involved Casey, too.


Especially since all her progress has been because she started listening to herself and making her food with her attitude.

[Fleegle]

Like you guys have said, if Carla had listened to herself and told Casey, "No, that's not the kind of food I cook", she would have probably won. Sadly, part of being Top Chef is leadership, and she let Casey completely control her in that kitchen. Casey has a pretty strong personality and need to have limits placed on her.

[Ruth]

To me this outcome highlights the issue of whether the title of Top Chef should involve some consideration of the contestant's performance over the whole show, not just the last challenge.

Stefan was more consistent and showed more excellence throughout the course of the season, though his final meal was not his best work. Hosea was an overall weaker candidate, but he cooked a better meal at the end. I think you can make a strong argument that the whole season is relevant when you are determining the overall winner -- and if so Stefan should have won, I think. (Not that I liked him personally or anything, but if they had considered everything I think he deserved to win.)

Carla I think showed some significant errors in judgment and leadership that I think rightly eliminated her. Not just b/c the one meal fell flat, but b/c she was not able to take a leadership role and deferred to Casey when she should not have. Using two major cooking techniques in the finale that you are not comfortable with, on your sous chef's suggestion?! Terrible lapse in judgment. I think she showed she's not yet ready to open her own restaurant, not based on her food, but her leadership. Which is a shame since I was really rooting for her. I do think though that she can really learn from this experience and she will be successful.

[Bananfish]

There's little doubt in my mind that Stefan was the best chef this season, but come on, people, this is a competition - that's the way it works. You gotta bring your A game when the pressure's on.

E.g., the 12-6 Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl last year. There's little doubt that the Patriots were a better team, but when it came time to put up or shut up, the Giants beat them. Hence, they get to wear the fancy rings.

As far as Carla goes, if the judges had loved the wrinkles that Casey added and Carla had won, then we'd all be talking about "how smart Carla was not to be so obstinate, and listen to good ideas from her sous chef." She wasn't dumb for listening to Casey - Casey's a better chef than Carla, IMO, so it was smart to listen to her. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and Carla will have to live with knowing that the trust she put in Casey didn't pay off.

One final note about Hosea as the new Top Chef: Weakest. Top Chef. Ever.

[Ruth]

As far as Carla goes, if the judges had loved the wrinkles that Casey added and Carla had won, then we'd all be talking about "how smart Carla was not to be so obstinate, and listen to good ideas from her sous chef." She wasn't dumb for listening to Casey - Casey's a better chef than Carla, IMO, so it was smart to listen to her. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and Carla will have to live with knowing that the trust she put in Casey didn't pay off.


The thing is, it's not like it was just ideas she borrowed from Casey. I would 100% agree with you if it had been "maybe we could pair x with y" or "let's add some z flavor." Or even if it had been an experimentation with a new technique on a garnish or minor element of a dish.

But she decided to base two entire courses on cooking techniques that Casey suggested and Carla decided to implement, even though she knew she didn't really know how to do them properly. (As soon as she said "I've never sous-vide anthing before" I knew she was in trouble.) She wasn't super excited about the ideas, and she wasn't confident she could do them well. As a result, not only did she fail on a technical level, but her personal style as a chef was lost. That's not borrowing a wrinkle from another chef. It's lacking confidence in your own vision.

[logic88]

Using two major cooking techniques in the finale that you are not comfortable with, on your sous chef's suggestion?! Terrible lapse in judgment..

Wasn't a big fan of this season so I wasn't paying close attention to the finale. I was aware of the sous vide suggestion but what was the other Casey suggestion? Was that the cause of the dessert course failure?

[jsmeeker]

Wasn't a big fan of this season so I wasn't paying close attention to the finale. I was aware of the sous vide suggestion but what was the other Casey suggestion? Was that the cause of the dessert course failure?

She suggested a cheese soufle as part of the final course. Carla had initially wanted to do some sort of cheese tart.

[Fleegle]

She suggested that Carla make a Souffle as her cheese course, but Carla put the mini souffles into the oven and forgot to turn down teh heat. That ruined them. She wisely chose not to serve ruined souffles.

[Paperboy2003]

From Carla's perspective, being insecure, I'd assume she thought 'well, I've done EVERYTHING I know how to do well and I have no more tricks in the bag, I'll wow them with something totally new and make them think I have an even deeper skill set than they think!'

[Fleegle]

From Carla's perspective, being insecure, I'd assume she thought 'well, I've done EVERYTHING I know how to do well and I have no more tricks in the bag, I'll wow them with something totally new and make them think I have an even deeper skill set than they think!'

It's exactly that kind of self doubt that showed she's not really the Top Chef. Yes, she can cook some great things, but a Top Chef needs to be more than Top Cook.

This is Top Chef, not Top Scallop! ;)

[Paperboy2003]

This is Top Chef, not Top Scallop! ;)

Favorite line of the season right there!

Speaking of Fabio, I was very surprised when HE even threw Stefan under the bus at the dinner table. I thought he'd be saying that everything Stefan did was great!

[TAsunder]

E.g., the 12-6 Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl last year. There's little doubt that the Patriots were a better team, but when it came time to put up or shut up, the Giants beat them.

But in top chef, the "giants" play the "patriots" every single week, and the vast majority were either a draw or won by the "patriots".

But she decided to base two entire courses on cooking techniques that Casey suggested and Carla decided to implement, even though she knew she didn't really know how to do them properly.

I'm pretty sure she knew/knows how to do a souffle. She knew what she did wrong (forgot to turn down the oven). It wasn't a new technique, just a botched one.

[Dignan]

I'll bet Richard from last season was pretty pleased that he helped Hosea win. Richard was clearly the chef to beat last season, and should have won, but he choked the last competition. I liked his advice to Hosea before the finale, "Don't drink tonight".

I think Stefan deserved to win overall, but like others have said that isn't how this works. I liked Carla as a person, clearly not Top Chef material. I think Stefan had it right on Hosea, lucky bastard.

[Bananfish]

It's exactly that kind of self doubt that showed she's not really the Top Chef. Yes, she can cook some great things, but a Top Chef needs to be more than Top Cook.

This is Top Chef, not Top Pussy! ;)

There, fixed it. Bless you, Fabio, for probably the 10 best lines of the season.

[Bananfish]

Richard was clearly the chef to beat last season, and should have won, but he choked the last competition. I liked his advice to Hosea before the finale, "Don't drink tonight".

That made me wonder if possibly Richard had a wee too much the night before his own finale, and blames his loss on a hangover.

[gossamer88]

BTW, can chefs stop using foam. It's gross and looks like somebody spat on your food!

[Fleegle]

BTW, can chefs stop using foam. It's gross and looks like somebody spat on your food!

Agreed.

[mrpantstm]

Carla had a lot going for her but unfortunately her last meal turned into a disaster. According to Casey, Carla wasn't as organized, Casey did a lot of work and the TC editors did a number on what really went down. But that not withstanding, Carla deserves to lose simply for not standing up as the chef. They send people home all the time for this and it's a fair reason to go home. Never done sous vide? F that, cook what you know. Cheese tart more your speed? Do that. Casey would have gone along with whatever Carla wanted to do.

So it came down to Stefan and Hosea. In terms of the meal they made, yeah I agree Hosea made the better one. Cook off wise, Hosea won this round.

Personally, I think the chefs need to do a dessert. I realize they didn't have to but this is getting ridiculous. I'm not saying they need to be pastry chefs but ffs, make a chocolate molten cake at least. If a chef can't or instead wimps out of doing a dessert, that to me is not a Top Chef.

Which is what I feel about Hosea. I don't know Hosea from Adam but I don't like Hosea. Yeah, Stefan's arrogant and callous at times. Sure. But he takes the loss standing and tall, he consoles Carla and he knows his ****. Hosea in the meantime has middle of the road it through out, complained constantly that Stefan won or got the easy dish, didn't mind so much when Stefan and others pitched in to help him fix his Super Bowl disaster, hog the ingredients during the elimination (probably more crafty TC editing there) and I just don't care for him.

Stefan's choices though for his final meal were lousy. The appetizer should have been better and he could have made a more interesting dessert. To me the judges seemed overly harsh on his dessert which looked tasty if a little "pedestrian".

It seems always one clear winner stumbles after the break and that was Stefan in this season (Richard last, Casey before that). Why they have the break boggles my mind.

While I liked seeing Richard, Casey and even Marcel, come on. This is Top Chef not Top Runner Up.

[ToddAtl]

I wonder if Top Chef will rethink the large break in time between filming the main series episodes and the finale. Richard last year and Stefan this year both lost their "mojo" with all the time off and crashed and burned in the finales. Had the whole series been shot straight through, I can't believe that would have happened for either of them.

Stefan definitely seemed to have a personality improvement during the finale episodes. I wonder if that was just creative editing all along or the result of Stefan having the chance to see himself in the episodes that aired and trying to rehab his image.

The best part of the finale for me? That Toby Young was pretty much an afterthought and given very little screen time. I hope we never see him again! His style just does not fit into the rest of the show.

[Mr. Soze]

The dessert debate is always an interesting. Personally, I feel that a meal isn't truly complete without a dessert course (or two ;) ) That said, I think I might prefer a really nice savory course as the last course as opposed to a weak dessert.I don't think you should win Top Chef without doing a dessert course. If you make the finals, there's a time break. Use it and master a few desserts!!!!

[Mr. Soze]

There, fixed it. Bless you, Fabio, for probably the 10 best lines of the season.My car is a piece of ... (long pause) ... poop.

[MikeMar]

There was a fun little interview thing w/ people asking Carla questions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/02/24/DI2009022402758.html?hpid=topnews

A few times she says how Stephan isn't an ass, just very confident and all that, and just creative editing.

And Stephan had a 2/3rds chance of getting the alligator :D Carla would have given it to him as well

[logic88]

She suggested a cheese soufle as part of the final course. Carla had initially wanted to do some sort of cheese tart.

She suggested that Carla make a Souffle as her cheese course, but Carla put the mini souffles into the oven and forgot to turn down teh heat. That ruined them. She wisely chose not to serve ruined souffles.

Ah, thanks for the info. I should probably track down a copy and rewatch it as I wasn't paying much attention when they focused on Carla. At least making a souffle is pretty common knowledge as opposed to the sous vide technique.

I don't think you should win Top Chef without doing a dessert course. If you make the finals, there's a time break. Use it and master a few desserts!!!!

A dessert would be nice but most restaurants that I've gone to has featured a dessert/pastry chef so it's not like a "Top Chef" would be making their own desserts in their restaurant anyway.

[TAsunder]

There was a fun little interview thing w/ people asking Carla questions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/02/24/DI2009022402758.html?hpid=topnews

A few times she says how Stephan isn't an ass, just very confident and all that, and just creative editing.

And Stephan had a 2/3rds chance of getting the alligator :D Carla would have given it to him as well

Hosea said the same thing in the top chef blogs on bravo's site (that it was edited to make it look like they hated each other).

[murgatroyd]

As far as Carla goes, if the judges had loved the wrinkles that Casey added and Carla had won, then we'd all be talking about "how smart Carla was not to be so obstinate, and listen to good ideas from her sous chef." She wasn't dumb for listening to Casey - Casey's a better chef than Carla, IMO, so it was smart to listen to her. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and Carla will have to live with knowing that the trust she put in Casey didn't pay off.

I've never been impressed with Casey. Like Carla, she has had lots of ups and downs, and I can think of any number of people on that show whose food I would rather eat than hers.

To me, the 'better chef' does not say "let's use this technique, it's really easy" and then execute poorly so that her head chef gets slammed for the bad course.

If someone like Tiffany had been there, she also might have leaned on Carla to do this or do that, but Tiff would have actually delivered on what she said she could do.

I agree that Carla should have had the gumption to tell Casey 'no', but if I were hiring people for my kitchen, I wouldn't want someone who says "I can do this, it's easy" and then turns out bad product.

Carla was also screwed because she won the last challenge. WTF was up with that? 'You won the last challenge, so your reward is that you get to be the first one to draw knives to determine the order to your sous-chef?' So for winning last time out, Carla gets no choice about whom she was working with?

How about "you won the last challenge so your reward is that you get to go first picking your sous-chef and the other two chumps draw knives to see who goes next?"

Very unsatisfactory ending for the season, I must say.

I wish the producers would not be so heavy-handed, and just let things play out.

Jan

[laststarfighter]

This final left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I feel like Richard was the one who really won Top Chef this season with the help of his sous chef Hosea.

And Stefan wasn't given any favors by teaming up with someone like Marcel. Marcel commented to the camera that freezing the fish is probably a mistake but I wonder if he actually mentioned it to Stefan. Would not surprise me if he did not.

[bareyb]

I haven't kept up with the thread this season and was going strictly off what I saw. As I understand it, the judges are told to only judge the LAST challenge not the cumulative challenges throughout the whole season. If they had then Stafan should probably have won. He dominated. His problem is, he dropped the ball two feet from the finish line. I wonder if he is "self destructive". It sure seems like it cuz he really just blew it the last couple weeks. Once I saw how cocky he was getting, I had a bad feeling he was "goin' down!" and sure enough... He did.

As to Carla? Why oh why do people cook something they've never cooked before in the finale? Aren't they supposed to cook "their most bestest meal ever" in the finale? To me that would imply cooking something you know you are good at. This kind of thing seems to happen every season! Never ceases to boggle... :D

[Bananfish]

But in top chef, the "giants" play the "patriots" every single week, and the vast majority were either a draw or won by the "patriots".

Except for the "super bowl."

[Bananfish]

Stefan's choices though for his final meal were lousy. The appetizer should have been better and he could have made a more interesting dessert. To me the judges seemed overly harsh on his dessert which looked tasty if a little "pedestrian".

Personally, I thought that dessert looked 100% yummy, and 0% pedestrian. If that's pedestrian, then I'll walk every day.

[Fleegle]

Personally, I thought that dessert looked 100% yummy, and 0% pedestrian. If that's pedestrian, then I'll walk every day.

Pedestrian is all relative. It wasn't up to par to what they expected in the Finale...

[TAsunder]

Pedestrian is all relative. It wasn't up to par to what they expected in the Finale...

Nor was it even up to par with the desserts he created during restaurant week.

[anom]

Personally, I thought that dessert looked 100% yummy, and 0% pedestrian. If that's pedestrian, then I'll walk every day.

Wasn't it something like a scoop of ice cream, a blackberry and a chunk of banana on a stick? I'm sure it was fine, but I think at this level the judges are looking for something a little more adventurous.

[Aniketos]

As to Carla? Why oh why do people cook something they've never cooked before in the finale? Aren't they supposed to cook "their most bestest meal ever" in the finale? To me that would imply cooking something you know you are good at. This kind of thing seems to happen every season! Never ceases to boggle... :D

And it shows why Carla shouldn't have been Top Chef. She wasn't confident enough to win. She had that issue in the beginning, when she finally started cooking her way she dominated everyone else and then she choked in the finale cause she lost her confidence. Although I would have loved to see her win it because she really grew on me in the season (And had you told me in the beginning that id be rooting for her I'd have thought you were crazy.) she dropped the ball.

So did Stefan.

I'm ok with Hosea winning, he wasn't as bad as some people think he was he was decently solid throughout the season, especially at the end. Quite frankly I think someone like Richard (or Stephanie, or Hung, etc. etc. etc.) would have crushed anyone from this season.

[Mr. Soze]

Wasn't it something like a scoop of ice cream, a blackberry and a chunk of banana on a stick? I'm sure it was fine, but I think at this level the judges are looking for something a little more adventurous.Especially when Stefan's dessert saved his team's ass in Restaurant Wars.

[TonyTheTiger]

Nothing gave me greater pleasure than seeing Stefan's face when Hosea was announced as the winner.

"I should be Top Chef because I deserve it" is NOT a reason to win. The guy is SO arrogant and big-headed, he deserved what he got, even if he did technically have the better skills!

I felt bad for Carla, whi, IMO, would have won if she had just trusted herself more. She gave in to Casey's suggestions which ultimately were the difference between winning and losing (or at least being in with a chance!). Casey totally cost her the win or, to be more precise, Carla's lack of confidence in herself.

[zordude]

"I should be Top Chef because I deserve it" is NOT a reason to win. The guy is SO arrogant and big-headed, he deserved what he got, even if he did technically have the better skills!


Stefan did well through most of the season, but lets not forget that he barely made it TO the finale, so its not like it was an inconceivable upset.

Z

[betts4]

I'm ok with Hosea winning, he wasn't as bad as some people think he was he was decently solid throughout the season, especially at the end.

I am more okay with Hosea winning then I thought I would be. I was rooting for Stefan and Carla, but it seems like both of them dropped the ball. Carla by following Casey when she should have stuck to her game plan. Though I think she gets points for not serving a wreck and may have done better with the judges if she hadn't lost it when talkign to them about it. And Stefan for a meal that just didn't mirror the successes in the past.


Quite frankly I think someone like Richard (or Stephanie, or Hung, etc. etc. etc.) would have crushed anyone from this season.

This.

I did chuckle when there was that trademark foam on the dish.

[Bananfish]

... I think [Carla] gets points for not serving a wreck and may have done better with the judges if she hadn't lost it when talkign to them about it.

I cringed when she came right out and admitted that she screwed up the dessert - her defeatist "my meal sucked' attitude really disaqualified her more than her meal.

For all she knew hers was their favorite last course even with the screw-up --it could have been a "so simple, yet so tasty" deal -- and her admission just gave them all a chance to jump on it as a failed effort. Of course if they say during judges table "we all thought it just seemed like an incomplete dessert," she has to tell them what happened, but you never admit a mistake that might possibly go unnoticed.

Richard pretty much did the same thing in last season's finale.

[bareyb]

I cringed when she came right out and admitted that she screwed up the dessert - her defeatist "my meal sucked' attitude really disaqualified her more than her meal.


Agreed. As soon as she said that my wife and I looked at each other and my wife said "well, Carla's out" and I had to agree. I think she was out anyway, but she sure didn't help herself.

Even so, she has such a marketable image and is so memorable, I have a feeling she's gonna be pretty successful even without the win. She got some great publicity and I don't think people will soon forget her. ;)

[pdhenry]

Usually the judges (Colicchio, at least) have an idea about what the chefs are doing so the omission of the souffles would have been noticed had she not 'fessed up. But I still thought she shouldn't have admitted that anything was other than completely according to plan.

[jtlytle]

I feel that Carla came out first runner up, not 2nd runner up because carla won a car last week so she have bigger prize that Stefan!

[TAsunder]

Did anyone catch Arianne on Iron Chef last week serving as a sous chef under Amanda Freitag? She messed up one thing but overall seemed to do pretty well.

[justen_m]

Did anyone catch Arianne on Iron Chef last week serving as a sous chef under Amanda Freitag? She messed up one thing but overall seemed to do pretty well.

Totally missed it. Maybe I'll try and record a repeat if its already gone from recently deleted. That was a pretty close competition, decided by just 1 point. Freitag almost beat Flay. I was disappointed they didn't have any live king crab... but based on the Deadliest Catch, it looks like all of 'em are processed almost immediately upon returning to port. I don't remember too many other eps of Iron Chef where they had an animal ingredient that was already cooked like the crab was.

[Jesda]

Casey Thompson Speaks Out About Top Chef

Posted on February 26th, 2009 12:19pm by Sarah Eveans

Casey speaks! And she doesn’t sound happy, folks. I asked her to comment on last night’s episode, and here’s what she had to say:

Carla was not prepared and in over her head. The show did not talk about how the first course (crab) took her half of the friggin’ cooking time that day, I was left to work the rest of HER dishes.

She also did not have a plan. The ONLY thing she had in mind was a cheese course! I would NEVER do a cheese course. And where in the hell did french come from!? She is not even classically trained! It (the show) didn’t talk about how I worked on a sauce for 2 days and Carla forgot to put it on the plate… It didn’t show how the 2nd course (fish) was MINE. It didn’t show how she took the sous vide idea and decided to GRILL it last minute causing it to be tough… And it didn’t show how she WANTED to do the souffles which she does not even know how to make! That was HER food, because it certainly was me asking her how she wanted to do this and that while she was busy picking crab the entire time and making a souffle that didn’t rise!

I am done with TC. I did not influence her. She has NO ideas of her own, oh, except a cheese course.



http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/casey-thompson_sm_0.jpg

[Paperboy2003]

Yikes!

[Ruth]

Yikes is right. I don't know what happened in that kitchen, but I do know that Casey's pretty darn bitter!

(If any of that actually came from Casey, that is. Where's the quote from? Who's Sarah Eveans?)

[kaszeta]

Yikes is right. I don't know what happened in that kitchen, but I do know that Casey's pretty darn bitter!

(If any of that actually came from Casey, that is. Where's the quote from? Who's Sarah Eveans?)

http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2009/02/26/casey-thompson-speaks-out-about-top-chef/

[SoBelle0]

Wow! Just, wow!!! Surely to goodness Casey didn't really say all that...

[jsmeeker]

yikes is right. I felt bad that Casey might have been partially blamed for Carla's issues. And I was hoping to get some clarifcation from her. But is this the way it really was?

[sushikitten]

Did anyone catch Arianne on Iron Chef last week serving as a sous chef under Amanda Freitag? She messed up one thing but overall seemed to do pretty well.
I caught it! Glad to see her!

[Ruth]

Wow! Just, wow!!! Surely to goodness Casey didn't really say all that...

I skimmed the comments on the page that kaszeta linked to, and it sounds like she may have said it in e-mails with a friend that she thought were going to stay private, and the context was defending herself against Bravo's editing.

Still kind of gives you an unpleasant window into her personality, though.