So while Tiffani didn't win any of the challenges, she came in a solid second on all three. Harold won two. Dave won one and lost two. Frankly, his win at the snack challenge wasn't dazzling enough to make us overlook his mistake in the final challenge. I saw this blunder as the equivalent of only feeding two out of three guests at a table. Even if the other two get great food, the mistake would leave the entire party with a bad impression, and there's a good chance none of them would be coming back to the restaurant. And I'm not sure Dave's explanation, "I made a mistake," would hold water.

I know I've been critical of Dave in my past blogs, so I think it's important that I visit the flip side of the coin. Dave came to cooking late, as a second career, and he's been at it for less time than many of his competitors. Going for it, despite this, was Dave's way of honoring his passion, and I respect that wholeheartedly. Dave has a big heart to match his big flavors, and it has won him friends and fans. If his success in Top Chef is any indication, Dave will continue to go far. So now we're down to our final two. I'm looking forward to the upcoming test because it's the scenario everyone's been pining for since the day we began: no holds-barred, no stunts, no obstacles, no kids. Just cooking with optimal ingredients in a well-equipped setting for people who know and love good food. In other words, the ideal challenge. It remains up to Harold and Tiffani to run with it.