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Gail Simmons
Closer Than Ever: Gail Simmons spills the spicy New Orleans scoop.

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The finalists come down to New Orleans. Tell us a little bit about the city.

New Orleans totally exceeded my expectations. The city looks great and there's still clearly devestation that I was prepared for, but it was beautiful and the people were so incredibly gracious. It was so fun to be there because the food is so unlike any place I've ever been. It's so unique to the little corner of the world and different from anywhere at all. It made it the perfect place for the finale, especially this finale because the cast is so diverse. I think that really added it's own element. For me, the best part was getting to do some exploring, eat at some really great restaurants, and get to understand the flavor and food from the source and then eat the chefs' versions. It was a great comparison. So beautiful and so much fun. We had a blast.

For the quickfire an eliminated chef had the opportunity to come back. What did you think about that twist?

I think that Jeff did the best and he got it. I think all 3 of them were excellent. I've also said any of them could have been in the final four. These were the top contestants across the board. They were all consistant, they were all talented, and they will all have successful careers. They all bring something different. At the end of the day it became who was the most focused because it was thrown at them at the last minute. They had no idea what they were in for. I'm sure they didn't even do that much studying up on New Orleans cuisine because they might have thought they would be following someone else's directions. I think that Jeff obviously knew the most, he spent time in the South and he understood the food. Leah and Jamie didn't. He wanted to redeem himself so badly and I think he carried some resentment because of the way he left the show. He took a chance and he went for it. It was great to see.

Comments

26 Comments

: 02/26/2009 - 12:28am; Viewer; ....so glad its over..boring excess drama season

: 02/26/2009 - 12:19am; lisa; I think the choice for top chef (Hosea) is a disgrace to top chef. Stefan not only proved himself as TOP CHEF but delivered and executed all of his dishes. He won the most quick fire challenges and elimination challenges.To say that Stefan is not consistent with his dishes is a hypocrisy. I believe truly that Stefan should be rewarded for his excellence as a chef and the loss of title TOP CHEF.

: 02/25/2009 - 4:33pm; Birkie; Whenever I watch Top Chef, I consider two things: which chef's food would I like to try, and which chef would I hire to be the top chef in my restaurant. Throughout this season, for me the answer to both questions has been Stefan, Jamie, and Fabio. Although some of the others have produced several fine dishes, they have not exhibited the skills to lead a kitchen. Also, a top chef must not only please a parochial palate with one or two dishes, but produce a consistently high quality of dishes over the season.

: 02/24/2009 - 6:13pm; pattyh; I know it's kinda of late to comment since the finale will air tomorrow, but I hope Hosea did not win. He is just as arrogant as Stefan but in more self-righteous way. He got more one-on-camera time than anyone and was always telling us ... something for our edification or whatever. I think he's a turkey.

: 02/23/2009 - 9:30pm; Mark; Welcome back, Gail! I missed you on the show very much. Toby was fine but I felt he put more effort into coming up with colorful expressions than on communicating to us viewers what the food was like. With you, I always get a real sense of what the food tasted like, and I feel like I can trust your comments. Welcome home.

: 02/23/2009 - 5:18pm; Rick.; Welcome back, Gail. That other guy stunk the place up with his dumb, pre-written quips.

02/22/2009 - 5:48pm

r. imray

Welcome back, Gail. Always good to hear your measured judgment.

I figure you gave away a little bit with this comment at the end:

"This was torturous for us. It's a really close race. I'm really content with how it turned out and I know in my heart of hearts we made the right choice. It was closer than ever before. It could have gone so many ways."

Guess that means Carla won't win and Tom as usual will talk everyone into picking Stefan.

: 02/20/2009 - 5:58pm; Viewer; Gail! So glad you are back and wish ya the best on your marriage. Please stay. Your comments are insightful, constructive, and help us, the viewers, have an idea of what the chef's food tastes like. I think Toby's comments are idiotic (he's trying *unsuccessfully* to be funny) and do not help us understand the dishes.
I think Carla deserved to win. Her dishes looked amazing and she seems very talented and passionate. Go team Carla! I think Stefan should've been eliminated because he was not putting in as much effort into his dishes as were the other chefs.

02/20/2009 - 5:50pm

Welcome back! You were missed.

From the start of the season I thought Jamie and Jeff would be in the Finale as I thought they seemed to be the most creative and talented. Carla grew on me as the season progressed and then to find out she is classically trained just adds to my impression of her.

While I'm glad that Carla won this challenge, I was disappointed that Jeff didn't win as I wanted him in the Final challenge. I thought his dishes displayed the most creativity. In my opinion, it is the fault of the production team that he had a sterno problem.

As for Stephan... he has skated through the last few challenges (even I don't overcook salmon!). To keep taking smoking breaks and not even make his own sausage is not Top Chef material. I recall a chef from a few seasons ago that got the boot for not making their own sausage early in that season.

Fabio has run hot and cold all season. He is fun to watch and his incredible charm probably carried him farther than he should have gone this season. However, I suspect we will see him on a TV show soon.

Glad to see New Orleans showcased for the Finale! A great city with a great culinary history.

: 02/20/2009 - 1:17pm; Karl and Max; Like a good meal, this was one of the most satisfying episodes of the series for us. We've been full-on Carla fans for weeks now, and every time we see her rise to the top in an episode, there's a palpable sense of pride that sweeps over the house. She's a Top Human Being in our book, and to see her become Top Chef would prove that "goodness" isn't just a matter of taste; it's a way of being in the world that inspires the preparation of great food.