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Step its Jonathan! We worked together on the tour in Louisville Kentucky during the derby (you know the bush man). Just wanted to let you know that you were a joy to work with and when I come to Chicago I got to hit you up! If you ever need any help just let me know! They have my email....

Steph, Gosh by far my fav top chef from all seasons!

I really wish Carla had won insted of Hosea :(
If she had only gone by instinct!!!!

Stephanie, you said, "Guess the best team always pulls it out in the end." How then do you explain that since Lisa's final meal was clearly the favorite at the judge's table, they still chose you as Top Chef? I agree that you were Top Chef that season because of your consistency and professionalism! The judges made the correct choice by rewarding the best overall, most consistent chef!

That said, Stefan (NOT Hosea) should have been named Top Chef this season. He was easily the most talented and most consistent.

Stephanie, stop being so politically correct; you're free to disagree with King Tom and Padma who pretends to know something about being a chef (please)!

To find the real Top Chef there should be no curve balls in the finale and no external help! Hosea won partly because he got the easy ingredient for the appetizer and got to pick the difficult alligator for Stefan. And the judges didn't even take that into account... Appetizers were equally impressive according to them. Bollocks!
Steph, you were consistently good during season 4, Hosea was so-so. Not a worthy successor for your truly great talent!

Stephanie I can't wait to go to the Drunken Goat in Chicago.. Waiting patiently!!!!!!

I was happy to see you mention Jeff in this post. I think he was the most under-rated chef all season. He consistently put out great dishes and often seemed to come in a too-close second. He also seemed gracious about all these losses -- at least that's how it looked to the viewers. I wish he'd made it to the final.

I am not attacking Stephanie, I am voicing my opinion like everyone else on this site including her. I am tired of Top Boring/Mediocore chefs winning, which is all based only on being the lucky dog who eluded elimination all season. Stephanie, good cook yes, but not the best of Season 4. Consistency has to count for something and it's time TC revamped how they do finale's and make some kind of point system over the season. Richard should have won Season 4, how Casey ever made it to the finale of Season 3 is beyond me--watch the season over again at what she made and how she should have been gone but the producers felt she has some kind of sex appeal, Hung was an excellant chef, Ilan winning Season 2 was a fluke of his not being eliminated as well, Harold definitely could cook in Season 1. If Trey had not been elimiated how different would his outcome of TC have been? Personally invested? No, just seeing the flaws that have long existed with this show. Those chefs who do not win TC seem to do much better in the world of endorsements so in the end they are the true winners.

If it really does "come down to the end," Lisa would have won last season. This show is really Top Hypocricy.

Hosea was one of the most annoying contestants. While he is certainly a talented chef but all he did was complain about Stefan which made him seem like a sore loser. And the hook-up between him and Leah (who seemed to only talk in a breathy baby-doll voice) made me almost want to switch away for good from Top Chef. So the best chef did not win -- I really don't understand the "dated" criticism for Stefan's dessert -- but at least all four of the final chefs seemed to achieve fame and exposure for their work.

way to go KC...not only did you choke on your chance to win top chef...you blew carla's chance! Carla was amazing-- yes she should have stuck to her guns, but she def. had a terrible influence from a lady who should have kept her mouth in check!

Sharon @ 02/28/2009 - 5:30pm
re: Carla
"all during the show she has been consistent in producing the best dishes" ....WHAT??? lol, what show were you watching?

Stephanie writes the most boring blog. Just a lame recap from the producers' point of view, with no substance or personal opinion or even sarcasm. Bring back Lee Ann's blog. Now that was a blog worth anticipating and then reading!

Stefan should have been named the winner. Cheers to Carla who almost came back from behind, was a shame to see her direction get lost with Casey's opinion. As for Hosea... really???

This certainly is Top Chef, not Top Dish!!
Check who won what and you do the math!!
Even Leah did better on the challenges than HOSEA..

Also, regarding Casey. No she didn't do herself any favors by saying what she did, but to her defense she thought she was talking to a friend not a publication. If I were her I would stick up for myself too and I don't blame her a bit! People are too blinded by their Karla love to see that someone elses' reputation is also on the line. (I do like Karla quite a bit too one does not have to choose sides)

However what Casey said was not much considering the constant horse's a*s*s Stefan was all season, please.

STEPHANIE me and all my friends LOVED you as top chef and were so happy when you won!

Why are some of them attacking you now (mel) just because you have an opinion? Don't listen to these bitter posters who just have to have someone to yell at because they are too personally invested in a cooking competition. Like I said in Brian's post they are acting like soccer hooligans while we in the US appreciate good sportsmanship.

As far as the people attacking Casey - Carla was head chef and could have said yes or NO to any suggestion. Carla messed up the souffle. Maybe the way to cook beef wasn't the best idea but I don't think that one decision cost her the competition - her lack fo leadership did.

Sorry Stephanie, you are a nice person but you too are someone who shouldn't have won the title of Top Chef. You and Hosea are OK but not great. Then again perhaps not winning is the best thing to happen to some former TC contestants so I hope Stefan receives some of that success because he certainly deserves it.

Sorry to disagree, but no Stephanie, the best team does not always win...

I just feel like I could have cooked scallops and foie gras and it would have tasted really, really, good. It doesn't show talent or innovation as a chef- it shows that some foods are just delicious.

I was highly disappointed with this season finale, especially because in previous years (like Season 4) the judges HAVE considered how the contestant performed throughout the season, not just at the final meal challenge. Tom Colicchio has stated otherwise, but I would ask him to go back to last year and watch the finale again.

This is Top Chef, not Top Meal - yes, the challenge is important, but considering tha Stefan far outshone many others throughout the competition should have been a factor. Also, Stefan's dessert did not seem so bad...and we never got a sense of how it tasted. Was it dated in America or dated in Europe as well? Perhaps cultural differences were a factor here.

As a huge fan of the show, and someone who has always agreed with the judges decisions even if I have not liked the chefs they have chosen, I am very, very disappointed in this result. Hosea seemed mediocre to good, but not exceptional.

Carla has shown nothing but dignity, grace and respect, and has produced exceptional food. Stefan could come across as arrogant but did show a caring side that was nice to see, and consistently produced exceptional food. Hosea? Unmemorable and undeserving of this title.

To "Beth".. Yes, I agree and if you read the awful article Casey wrote, she was very mean and threw Carla under the bus by stating that she (Casey) did all of the work and says she never influenced her decisions. I do feel that Carla was just too nice/influenced and should have stood up to her own heart and decisions on the menu, but, for Casey to be so outwardly mean and defensive was just very hard to read. I am no longer a fan of Casey. Well, they are all winners. Carla did get the car and has won the hearts and souls of America and her wonderful attitude/personality will always fare well for her success and future... You can't take that away from her..She has been a pleasure to watch and get to know on Top Chef and she did it with grace/class... Shes' a winner in our book!!

In this case I wasn't certain that the best chef won. Stefan was so clearly the most accomplished chef technically. However, if you look at it from the perspective of "best team" it's probably true.

I've read the article at the sidedishmagazine link and the following one. Not to mention all the comments. I don't know which was worse: reading Casey's nasty and self-exculpatory outburst against Carla and Top Chef, or reading the run of often sexist and abusive comments that followed.

However, a few things have been made clear from the year's Top Chef season and especially finale:

1. foam should be used sparingly (Marcel foamed once too often, and someone this season got eliminated for making something that looked like "spit")

2. no sous-vide in the finale (Richard didn't have success with his pork-belly sous-vide)

3. no souffles in the finale (why do so many TC chefs fail at these?)

4. after the season is over, do not *ever* trash someone the way Casey just trashed Carla and Top Chef. Even if you apologize or say you were tricked into talking about the season, no one will care because you shouldn't have been trash-talking in the first place.

While Stefan was consistently the stronger chef, because of the "rules", Hosea won. Casey really isn't to blame for Carla's loss. That falls on Carla because she didn't insist on doing cooking her vision from the get-go. However, it seems that there really were no losers there. Hosea wins Top Chef, Carla wins a new car and Super Bowl tix, and Stefan gets an opportunity to work with Eric Ripert, attend the F&W Festival in Aspen, and get mondo exposure. I think all 3 got a great deal out of it in the long-run!

I was soooooo disappointed when Carla did not win! It was such a shame that she listen to Casey when it came to the meat dish and desert. Too bad a point system wasn't used to determine the winner, because all during the show she has been consistent in producing the best dishes, and gaining even more strength toward the end. I think in the long run, she was a much better cook then Hosea and Stefan put together. They could not hold a candle to her. For one thing, she had something they lacked . . . class. She would have won hands down if it hadn't been for Casey being too involved in the main dishes and desert. Further more, she behaved with grace, dignity, and class through the whole series. If I were Hosea, it would really bother me to know the only reason I won was because my competitor did not cook all her own dishes. Thanks, Sharon

Let's not forget that even if you don't win Top Chef, the fame will increase the traffic to your restaurant and allow for other opportunities. Carla will do great. $100,000 is not even that much money anymore.
Re: Casey's rant, if the core comments are true, then Carla relegated way too much to Casey and didn't do enough herself. Casey was bouncing ideas off Carla, with the sous vide as ONE suggested technique. It was Carla's decision to greenlight it, knowing her lack of familiarity with the technique.

To all those involved with the production, development, recruiting and judging of Top Chef---THANK YOU! Without you there would be no Top Chef...
To all competitors---It takes a lot of integrity to do what you've done.Being a foodie myself I know what it's like to put your soul into a dish and have it be critiqued...
Hosea- CONGRATULATIONS!!! Enjoy your title and all that comes with it. Praying for your parents...
Carla-You brought something to Top Chef that I have not seen in any previous seasons---compassion.You did demonstrate a new way to compete--with love(as you so wonderfully put it during the FINALE) Your energy is beautiful!

Carla lost the final for herself. It was not Casey's fault. All she had to do was listen to suggestions and politely say "that's great, but I planned to do this..." Carla got to the finale by cooking well, I'm surprised she didn't cook what she knows using the techniques she knows. Of course in her defense Casey should have kept her comments to herself rather than tell a reporter what she thought of Carla's planning.

In the beginning I did not think Carla was going to make it the finale. But in the last few episodes, I started to like her character and her cooking. I believe that if Carla had made the the meat dish and the dessert the way she wanted to, she would have won. I've always liked Hosea. He did have a good advantage with Richard and the fish. Like he said, the other two already have their own restaurants, so winning the title/money probably meant the most to him. A lot of people didn't like Stefan's personality, but I think he was just in high competitive mode since day one. He showed a lot of heart going over to Carla when Carla got emotional at the final judges' table. We will probably see them and Fabio in the upcoming seasons.

Sorry if the editing made you look bad, Casey, but to trash Carla the way you did at Side Dish -- you are truly classless.

Carla did what many women tend to do: they accommodate others; Carla reminds me of the woman mountain climber who stepped aside to allow another climber to pass and so she inadvertently stepped of the side of the mountain in order to make room for him. Carla my best wishes to you and I do think you are a top chef and human being!

I don't blame Casey a bit for Carla's loss--Carla should have been able to take charge and take ownership of her own ideas. I DO blame Casey for this completely classless rant:

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

Gross.

Here's the thing, even though Casey and Marcel made the finals from their seasons, I thought Richard was the STRONGEST of all 3 of the returning chefs, since he gave you a run for your money, last season, lol. This instantly gave Hosea the edge, definitely. Which is why by default, when I woke up this morning and looked to see who won, I knew it was going to be Hosea. Which sucks and I won't be watching it.

Wow.. What a surprise ending! I have to admit, as much as i loved Casey in her season, I was so upset when Carla listened to her about the "sous-vide" meat!! That is sooo NOT Carla..and, then, when she changed her tart (when Tom always loved her crust/pastries).. I was feeling her doom... Souffle is so delicate/flops for most contestants!! I wanted to cry for her... She was too nice and didn't listen to her "heart and soul" ..which is how she rose to the top all season!! Hosea had all of the luck.,,Karma last night from the knife pull to the protein choice and the decision not to do desert.. That card reader in the hotel must have been with him last night. Well, they are ALL winners. Hosea got the money to open a restaurant, Carla got the "car" and won the hearts of America (Like Richard), and Stefan has the skill and talent and will have continued success due to his exposure on the show..

We keep hearing great things about you and have jobs in Chicago we're looking at, not just so we can go to your restaurant. That would be the bonus. Dee

I realize Carla made the decisions to listen to Casey, but I have to wonder just what motivated Casey to step outside the supportive role of sous chef and inject herself into the menu design. Really, Casey! You lost - why would you think you should shape Carla's game plan? Thoughtless, or egotistical - either way, you lost a lot of respect tonight.