i love top chef made in USA cause i see babies cookers who were trying to cook.

On a cooking scale from 0 to 10, i'd say that the Us "chief cookers" gained  a note of 3 on the scale.

nevertheless, i love how candidates give their guts in there but, don't forget that a dish is three colors and three flavors.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... On the one hand it was a good / maybe great episode for the chefs, especially the Roy and Emeril segment. I'm happy for Sheldon and Brooke, sad for Josh. On the other hand watching and listening to Padma diss the First Lady of Alaska TWICE - now that was a new low for her. Padma - please pack your angst and go.

PPS If Kristen has stuck up for herself and blamed Josie for failing to execute the sauce, she wouldn't have been eliminated.

also, the season 9 chefs in general were awesome

***SPOILER***

Sheldon makes mushy tempura again and becomes Top Chef 10

Best comment for this season was made by another astute fan, and I among others loved it:

"Padma, please pack your knives and GO!"

Love the 3 remaining chefs - all very respectful of each other's talents! Felt bad Josh went home & thought he was very professional in commending his 2 competitors after he lost! Nice to have the back-biting, etc., no longer there wherein they can concentrate on what they are there for - their cooking abilities - not who did what, said what, etc.

after last years stupid stunts such chopping ice, skiing and shooting and mean spirited bullying chefs i thought it would be the end of the top chef i have loved. thank goodness this season has returned to be the quality show it has been in the past. i wish bravo would begin showing past seasons. so many people i know did not get hooked on the show in the earlier shows and i'm sure would love to watch top chef from the beginning.

tom, thank you for the integrety you have shown through the years..

Adventurous Alaskan events in shows on air to be some kind of 'Trip-Flip' and attitudes were all really into episodes, yet cooks aren't all into being so wilderness on exit to 'Survivor Cooks' show which was okay onto it theme ! 

I agree with Tom - the backbiting, etc. really detracts from the show for me. Watching the drama of three chefs who have gotten to know and respect each other compete to their best ability is more dramatic and enticing than any amount of personality-based histrionics.  WHAT an episode... mahalo. (yeah, I have a 'home state 'favorite' lol)

Thank you @ Elizabeth3871...Kristen should never have had to leave when she did but I always find myself rooting for the underdog

This use to be my favorite show...now I am not so sure. I think this season it has all been decided beforehand. I think Kristen was voted out early, told what the final challenge would be and in the meantime she has been honing her knives and her skills. Last chance kitchen proved that Tom favors her and the rest of the finalists may as well leave now because he has already decided that she is the winner.

How can you tell one person..."if you had cooked this dish you would not be standing here now"...and then allow Kristen to win that cook off?

Then tell Stephan..."this is the best I have ever tasted"...and then send him home too?

Josh chose the foie gras then concocted a story behind it.  It seemed like he was changing his story all the time.  Brooke and Sheldon's stories seemed more genuine.  Brooke has been a strong competitor all season.  Sheldon has been the most creative.  Kristen has been creative but was told to go home too early.  Although, LIzzie seemed to produce unique flavors with the vinegar and pepper seasoning.  The camaraderie of the chefs this year aside from John and Josie was quite refreshing. 

Tom has a crush on Brooke that is the ONLY reason she is still in, I think she a fake snob. Can't stand her and can't wait to see Kristin beat her.  Brooke should have spoken up for Kristin , but she WANTED her to leave because she knows Kristin is better then her.

I used to watch every episode of this show - until Kristen was booted off.  Yes, this is a dog-eat-dog world, but what's wrong with rooting for someone with integrity?  Don't you want to instill integrity into your own kids?  This show lost itself a viewer.

For me, the Mentors episode (season 9) and the Ellis Island episode, were better. And Roy Choi is 41. 

Tom. I loved this episode as well, for the same reasons as you did, including Josh's which included you in an off-beat way!! OK so besides all that, I loved where the chef contestants stayed! Was that a hotel, a rented home? What? The architeture, renovations, colors were amazing!

Good grief you people!  Is Josie an inept jerk? Obviously.  But when push comes to shove Kristen shot herself in the foot.  As far as the taste of the sauce, all the judges agreed it was good and Josie did make it.  The complaint was that there wasn't enough of it and that was Kristens decision.  On top of that both Lizzie  and Brookes dishes were judged better then the ones Kristen prepared on her own...Frankly, if Kristen does win the whole thing, I and I'm sure a whole lot of other people will be wondering if she truely won on merit or if it was given to her because of all the complaining.  After all, where were all of you when Josie kept "beating" all the other chefs who went home before Kristen.

If Brooke doesn't win I'll be stunned. Sometimes this show is so obvious. Like Padma crying when Richard Blais was booted then an All Star show so she could give him the win. When Stephanie was guest judge and introduced as the only female Top Chef, Brooke hurriedly said 'so far'. I consider that a tell. If its a female, I hope it's Kristen.

I'm curious.... is there a way to fix over-reduced broth?

Like Tom, I too multitask when catching an episode of TC, and I too was riveted upon hearing Roy's aha moment story.  However, the way the sloppy rapid fire editing was handled, it seemed that nobody in the room except Emeril even heard it nor had any meaningful reaction to something that was a touching human interest moment.  

On the plus side, I now have the recipe for foie gras torchon added to my little repertoire...

Anyone know what brand and style of sunglasses Tom was wearing at the glacier in this episode?

If anyone would like to know who the winner is, leave a reply saying so and I'll leave a spoiler alert as to whom the winner of LCK is. There is a very small editing mistake that they missed that shows who the winner is.

If Kristen gets back in the finale that will make it 2 female chefs and 1 male chef. Congratulations Sheldon on being chosen Top Chef. Unless he chokes like Richard did, then they'll HAVE to pick one of the girls. But I don't see that ever happening again.

Will there be a reunion show, and if so, how can we submit questions for it?  I amy dying to ask Brooke and Lizzie why they stood silently and watched Josie lie after Restaurant Wars.  Was it that Kristin is such a big threat, they were okay with allowing her to be thrown under the bus?  I was more angry at the two of them than I was at Josie, and since Kristin is the only chef with any integrity from that team, I hope she wins it all.  Can't root for Brooke after seeing her not do the right thing when her character was challenged like that.

Looking foward to another Top Chef Finale. I think it will be between Brooke and Kristan(probably won LCK). Sheldon will find it hard to beat these two woman. My money would be on Kristen. She is on a slightly different level then Brooke.

Were there no prizes? I'm watching the episode for the 2nd time and there doesn't seem to be a prize for either the quick fire win or elimination.