....so glad its over..boring excess drama season

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.

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.

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.

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.

Welcome back, Gail. That other guy stunk the place up with his dumb, pre-written quips.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hi Gail!
It was good to see you on the show again! I love your level-headed, thoughtful commentary and that you don't let anyone talk you out of your opinion.
That being said, I don't understand how people can say that Carla doesn't belong there or that she isn’t a “Top Chef”. She has only been in the bottom 3 times and only twice of her own accord. And she has won three challenges. Stefan has been in the bottom three times as well, completely of his own accord, and has won 4. Hosea has only won twice and has been in the bottom 4 times.
Each of them has gotten lucky that they didn't get kicked off at least once, so it seems like they're pretty evenly matched. AND in the last four episodes, she has consistently been in the top when she is allowed to create her own food without constraints and having to make dessert because nobody else could. And her figuring out Ripert's sauce was a stroke of genius (which is NOT southern food – she is classically French trained), so I believe that she belongs there and if she wins it’s because SHE EARNED IT!

To Fix Yer Typos ;) you missed two others *grin*

Ms Gail, wonderful to see you back. I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon and are settling in to a wonderful new life.

I'm glad you were able to return to TC. You were missed!

Might want to correct the spelling mistakes: minutia = minutae; outshown = outshone.

Hello Gail, GAIL -
'Glad you're back to the fold. Your replacement (the little annoying British Bourdain) did not do your position justice. He was more interested in getting his schtick shown than giving constructive criticism...
Now on to the finale. Carla has certainly displayed her pleasant personality throughout the season. She has also given many inedible dishes as well. Due to her lack of leadership (i.e. your bridal shower when Danny added the repulsive mushrooms - which she did not remove and restaurant wars when she waited for Radhika's comments that never came), I really don't see a Top Chef. Her few wins toward the end of the game remind me of fan fave Dave in S-1 who was really more lucky than smart. Carla has performed best by cooking her southern food (which may be problematic for her competitors). This isn't Top Nice Person, it's Top Chef. It's supposed to be about the food.

Gail you looked beautiful that night! I am so terribly glad you have returned to Top Chef, don't ever leave us again!! It wasn't the same without you. I was so happy and cheered when you came back. You looked absolutely gorgeous! I was like Carla, I was so relieved and shocked and glad you returned. It wasn't the same without you, girl! We love you! Don't leave us with Toby anymore!!

Aaah, I love the way you described the New Orleans experience. It was absolutely an amazing episode. The Masquerade ball was beautiful with delicious looking food to boot. I thought everyone did a fine job that night. Jeff did pretty well too. I was happy to see him back again. He deserved another chance and I am happy that he at least won the quickfire, he totally deserved it since he hadn't won anything throughout most of the season. It wasn't fair.

I am eagerly awaiting the finale. May the best chefs prevail!

So glad to see you back! Toby was getting to be a headache. The chefs are not the only ones who missed you, you had a lot of fans missing you as well!!

Gail...it was fantastic to see you back!

And, thank you for finally choosing the best city in America for the Top Chef Finale! Emeril was such a gracious host...his passion for people, food & New Orleans is heart warming!

My question is why not do Season 6 in New Orleans? What a PERFECT choice! You all seemed so relaxed and as though you were truly enjoying yourselves...that is what the city does to everyone and there is no better place to eat! Awesome choice!

Lastly, I'm so excited about Carla winning...she has such energy and passion for food...she will only get better with time...hopefully, she will win next week. And, hopefully, Tom, Padma and you will decide on New Orleans as the location of the next Top Chef!

Keep up the good work, Gail! :-)

Gail, OMIGAWD, so good to have you back! I am happier with this season than any other since the first, so far. I understand that people are PO'd at Stephan, but I like him. He wears his heart on his sleeve in a way that is not American, but is honest and real. And who among of us has not sounded arrogant when we felt ourselves up against a wall? We all need to remember how well these top contestants will do whether they win or not, and stop sweating the small stuff. It is Ariane I miss now, and Fabio, because the two of them had something to offer that we will not see again soon.

If Stefan wins, and it does seem likely, I hope Fabio not only gets his own tv show, but becomes a Superchef and Stefan is never heard of again. What a jerk.
But I still hope Carla wins. She understands being true to yourself and going with your gut. A lovely person!

Stefan is very talented!!! He is TOP CHEF!! Go Stefan!!!! But I'm thinking, because of people reaction...they make Carla win (I believe she is sweet personality, good chef, but not a TOP CHEF)

If Hosea and his boring food win, then I don't believe in this show anymore! It seems like he never did anything great, but that there was always someone worse allowing him to move on. Never due to his earning it with good food. Obviously I didn't taste it, but that's the impression. Seems to me like Stefan should be winning, and you're right about Carla. She seems thoughtful. But Stefan is very talented and knowledgeable. I don't think he was cocky...I love his personality and I hope to keep seeing him around after this season. I think he could be my favorite of all seasons. Well, Harold, Sam, Stefan. Love them!!!

Loved Fabio too. That accent...were you dying when he spoke?!

"it is also interesting to see that none of the chefs consider Carla to be a "threat" ...I wonder if Carla was a white and/or european man.." blah blah

Stefan has said even in his blog he thought Jamie was the biggest threat to him, and she was a woman. So there goes your theory.

Carla is not considered a threat for the same reason Tom wrote that at the beginning of the season he didn't think she'd make it. She was very inconsistent at the beginning, and has really gotten better as time goes on and allowed her skill to show through.

Also her attitude is silly and goofballish. Often people like that get underestimated since people think they don't take their work seriously.

All day I've been bummed out with Jeff's exit, figuring that if it was as close between he and Carla as it seemed on TV, then why didn't they let Jeff win so he could go to the finals? But, reading Tom's blog explains that there was a problem with sterno affecting his food, so I can accept it now. I love Carla and really wish it had been Carla, Jeff and Fabio! Go Carla! A great show.

Gail!!! i'm glad you are back!
i love your blog and love the way you describe the finale experience and the Nola experience! i was so happy to see that the finale was in New ORleans. I aboslutely love creole cajun food and the flavors of new orleans are absolutely unique... i love the city and its culture too so it was the perfect place for the finale i must say.
i hope that Carla wins... her food is not only coming strong in the past episodes but she has a contagious personality. i'll keep my fingers crossed until next week's finale..

Welcome back Gail - and may you have the happiest marriage ever.

We are all so glad you are back Gail. Thank you for your smart insightful comments about food. Please don't leave us with Toby again.