'Top Chef': Down to the final four

As much as I'd hoped to see Lisa go last night, the Final Four has been chosen and she's one of them. And when it came down to her performance last night versus Spike's, I suppose she was the lesser of two evils.

Frozen. Scallops. Not much left to say after that. Actually, there is. Forget that they were frozen, they looked torn-up and horrible! No amount of technical prowess in the kitchen could have saved them. I did, however, enjoy him nailing Rick Tramonto for even having frozen scallops at his restaurants -- for shame, Rick! (Ted Allen blogs most eloquently on the cons of using frozen seafood, while Tom Colicchio explains why it was in Rick's kitchen in the first place.)

I do give Spike total props for the way he butchered that massive rib roast. Wow.

To be fair, it didn't really matter whether it was Spike or Lisa who'd fill the last spot anyway; it should have gone to Dale. Neither have proven themselves to be real contenders for the title. Lisa is a poor technician, period. She may do some interesting things with her flavor profiles -- I would have tried that peanut butter mashed potato concoction -- but if she can't produce (or reproduce) her dishes with competent and consistent execution, her ideas matter little.

And that brings us to the Final Three, each of whom proved themselves in last night's stripped down challenge. Let's talk who should win...

My top two have been and still are Richard and Stephanie. Richard, because the guy makes interesting food and not just for the sake of being interesting. He seems to have a sense of humor that works on the plate and always highlights flavor before humor. Recall the film food episode and his ode to Willy Wonka; it floored Daniel Boulud. Now go check his record and compare it with the others in the final four. He's clearly the most outside-the-box thinker in the group.

Then there's Stephanie, who as Ted might say cooks the food I want to eat. There's something comforting and soulful about everything she's made for the show. She reminds me of a sweeter version of Tiffany from Season 1. These gals know how to cook filling yet creative meals. They're also consistent -- Stephanie has been called out for a bad gamble on tomato, lemon, peanut butter couscous, but has yet to be nailed for poor technique.

I'll admit Antonia is clearly proficient in the kitchen. My only problem with her is that her food doesn't excite me. Mushroom salad versus Richard's hamachi and Stephanie's sweetbreads? I'd go with theirs in a heartbeat. I think Antonia plays it safe, which makes sense now that she said in last night's episode that she's a "picky eater." My own palate prefers more exotic flavors, which is probably why she's a distant third in my rankings.

That's where you come in Antonia fans. Remind me of the times she shined. Tell me why you're rooting for her over the other two.

And if Lisa has any fans, let's go head-to-head in the comments section below.

--Denise Martin

(Photo courtesy NBC Universal)

Comments

[Rachel in Portland]

I agree. Stephanie and Richard are the two contenders, and neither Lisa or Spike deserved to compete for a spot. Dale was clearly ousted unfairly. My presumption is that it has to do with the odds of a female winner being increased if a competitive male contestant was eliminated. Check out the rumors on the internet about a Producer led insistence for a female winner after 3 male winners. Cheers!

[Greg]

Spike had to go last night, even tho he makes for much better tv than Lisa. Plus he was up for elimination 7 times vs Lisa's 5, which is fair. But there were definitely more qualified chefs to be in the finals than Lisa, such as Dale. Anyway, Stephanie is my favorite to win. She stepped up and made that wedding cake, when Richard admitted he couldn't do it. She also seems like she can cook anything. Richard is so creative and the judges generally love his food, but his style isn't for everybody. Antonia has never blown me away, but if she steps up in this last challenge, I could see her winning. Lisa is not as good as the other chefs. The only way I could see her winning is if they all mess up pretty bad, and she makes her best meal ever. I think this is really a 2 horse race though between Richard and Stephanie. I don't think they would rig the competition for a female chef to win. The food will speak for itself.

[na]

I think the whole Antonia vs. Richard/Stephanie thing is very interesting, because it highlights for me the two types of chefs that one might encounter. Both Richard and Stephanie have incredible technique and can really come up with amazing creations-- but there's something about their styles that have 'fine dining' written all over them, and a little standoffish at that. They don't translate well into food that I can imagine myself eating in my kitchen. Antonia, to me, is really approachable in her style, yet she can make really amazing food that stands alongside her competitors. I like her simple touches on dishes that make me think that she knows how most people eat, and wants to make her food accessible to them. That DOESN'T mean that she dumbs down her food or ignores good technique-- she does the opposite. The fact that she can mix fine dining with a down to earth approach to food speaks to her abilities as a versatile chef. I look forward to seeing what she's got in the finale.