What's up with the judges? They keep a chef who hasn't won even 1 challenge and is ALWAYS in the bottom and continue to send off true Top Chefs. Maybe there needs to be a "judge off" - let those of us with normal taste buds decide which judge makes the correct decision and they get to judge for another week.

What's up with the judges? They keep a Chef who hasn't won a single challenge and is always in the bottom and continue to send home true Top Chefs. How about a "judge off" which allows a panel of viewers to decide which judges get stay from week to week - don't believe their taste buds are all that.

Oh no, not Dale! He has been the funniest person this season. I am going to miss his hilarious comments.

I was hoping to see Dale in the finale (along with Richard).

And I really, really loathe Mike now. He's a conniver, that one.

NO NO NO!!! Not Dale! His attitude and the way he has so improved his conduct since his original season has so enhanced his appeal. He is a great chef in my opinion, and I absolutely hate seeing him go. I think (and won't name) someone else should have gone. Look at all the quick fire and elimination challenges he has won. Again, NO NO NO!

Sorry, but yes Dale! I even felt sad when I saw him crying and, after having him realizing that he came out of the show a better chef and person, I wish him the best of luck, but I AM JUST SO GLAD THAT IT WASN'T CARLA! Phew, that one was close. Anyway, I still hope she's gonna make it to the finale, as well as Antonia.

I wasn't throwing myself on the floor, but WOW. I was preparing to say "good-bye" to Carla, until I heard the words: "raw/under-cooked 'taters." I have yet to see a chef survive that error unscathed in some way when they've admitted they KNEW the food wasn't cooked properly.

I'm sorry to see Dale go, I applaud his growth and change between his previous season and tonight.

Glad to see karma at work tonight and making it right for Blais to win the EC!

never commented in all these seasons. Dale is not even my favorite,,, but something is really screwy. He's been on top several times. baloney you only look at that one meal. And even if you do, Tiffany has done absolutely NOTHING the entire competition and still hanging in there. the top three are Dale, Richard and Carla. What games do you play? For ratings? For what? When your viewers have their hearts in the competition and try to be fair and then you truly are not fair. shame on you. takes away from watching the show

I agree with Mr. Bourdain, Not Dale, seriously? he won 7 out of 19 challenges...hmmm love Richard and Antonia thought those 3 would be the final. I'm dying to try to grill some cheese with an Iron for dinner. Ok, now I'm torn, Antonia or Richard

I sincerely think that this episode needs to be redone and that Dale should NOT HAVE GONE HOME! He obviously is one of the best chefs left on the show and I don't think that one dish should have sent him home! Everyone makes mistakes and clearly Tiffany has made many in the past challenges and I think the judges need to re-evaluate how the judging goes. A chef should not be sent home for one dish that may have gone wrong due to a bad performance. Just because Dale made one mistake with the dish does not make him a bad chef or not worthy enough to still stay in the game!

Snap out of it, man! We need to hear your take on Richard vs. Mike!

To be honest, I have been rooting for Richard, but I was also upset that Dale went home too. I had thought he would make it to the final three, along with Richard and Antonia. I know he had the worst dish that night, but I feel that he still has so much to offer. Oh well...he has done very well in the previous challenges, not to mention his 25K win. Dale, you still have your whole career ahead of you, and I wish you luck with whatever you do!

I enjoy reading Your posts Mr. Bourdain always concise in a enjoyably warped way.

Unbelievable. Next to Richard, possibly the strongest chef in the competition. I'm really beginning to lose faith in the whole judging process.

Aw, c'mon Tony. I need your blog to complete my TC experience...

It's a cooking contest! Are the best chefs left?

This show shouldn't be called "Top Chef." A more accurate name would be "Survivor Chef." (And I don't mean that as a compliment.)

DALE is asked to pack his knives and no blog entry from an elimination judge who was there?!?! Those gulf shrimp may be spineless but at least they have guts. Defend yourselves, you gutless invertebrates!

I'm so sad about Dale as well! I really thought he should be one of the final three. It seemed like they had more comments about Carla and Tiffany. Tiffany didn't even cook her own shrimp.

Totally agree!!maybe bourdain was gonna be judge..dale would know to make crip stoney food: )

I totally agree!... maybe if bourdain was one of the chefs ..dale would make some stony food!

not dale!

im just as sad as your are. i was a real fan of dale. his cooking style was so innovative and yea maybe he was a jerk here and there but he got the job done. after how many episodes he was the leader in quick fire and elimination score card. i mean was his food seriously the worst tonight? i guess im a bit compelled to think it wasnt because there wasnt as much footage of him as compared to tiffany and carla. or maybe that was just the producers way to throw us off and think he made it through the next round. he deserved to be in the finale..right there with blais. which i guess is the next contestant to even compare to dale. maybe something crazy will happen in the finale and theyll bring him back. yea right..tonight sucked big time...you rock dale :)

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Not Dale :(

I'm really going to miss Dale :/ I thought he will be one of the top three...:(

Agreed. That sucked.

With the elimination of Dale and Angelo, and the survival of Mike and Tiffany, the show's formula just got exposed, and the rest of the season just got boring.

Hahahahahahah!

Isabella to hell-a. Thief. Coward. Wuss. Mike’s branded himself a low-life, no talent joke -- Forever. Mike should have been eliminated for blatant hangri-ism. What a poop. Someone do him a Betty Crocker, like qwuick.

What Dale lacked in the challenge, he made up for in his farewell mantra; he is a changed man. For one I loathed the first time around, he quickly became one of my favorites this season. He is one of the strongest competitors, so it is disappointing that it was his time to go. Anybody else ready for a Richard V. Mike throw down?

C'mon, people, think about it...raw potatoes! Yes, Dale is talented and had performed incredibly well in some challenges, but he served raw potatoes! I don't see how you can criticize the judges for deeming that the worst dish.

not watching the rest of the show. totally turned off by last nights decision. the person up top said it perfectly - this is top chef, NOT survivor chef. the best, most consistently daring and talented people should be there (dale and angelo), not people who win by default (mike isabella).

Hi Tony, I was wondering how you would feel if you had an idea for a dish and even made notes and pictures about it? Then after seeing it, another chef made the dish and presented it as his own and they were highly praised for being original.

I totally agree! What an f***** competition! Tiffany managed to survive this far without a single win. Since she reached this far, might as well just give her the crown! And what is the purpose of the score boards if it goes back to zero anyways on each episode?! I know chefs have their bad days but Dale has totally proven how great a chef he is. 4 quickfire wins and 3 elimination wins. Hello?! They should have patterned this competition to the way Top Chef Masters chose their winning chef. It was just totally unfair! Would love to see Dale, Richard and Carla compete in the end...

Please address the theft of dish. Love your blog!

The judges have always said that they send people home based on the dish prepared for that specific elimination challenge. They thought Dale's was the worst last night, obviously. I don't like it, but that's the way it goes. It's like a team having the best record in baseball, by far, all season long, and then losing to an inferior team in the playoffs. It sucks, but their record for the entire season doesn't count.

Goodbye, Angry Dale.

The rest of this season needs to have challenges that allow the cheftestants to show their skill and see who really is Top Chef, not Top Cook. Grilled Cheese? Crab Cakes? Chicken Pot Pie? C'mon! Those dishes, however wonderful they may be, should not be winning elimination challenges. And, AB, come on, man! We need your twisted take on the show, hope all is well. Still, hands down, the best reality show on TV.

I too am writing to this blog for the first time. It was hard to see Angelo go. Now Dale. What's next? Richard? If that happens, please cancel the rest of the season. Yes, I understand we don't taste the food. But come on, Tiffany said Marcel cooked the shrimp. So she didn't really do much, did she? I always expected Richard, Dale and Angelo to go to to final. It's really hard to see these guys going home. Hang in there, Richard!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARE YOU ALL FIRST TIME VIEWERS??!!

As a fan of the show who has been faithfully watching EVERY week since season 2, it is unbelivable to me that so many STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF THE SHOW!!!!!! It is not a matter of who is the better chef overall, or how many times someone has won or NEVER won! It is about THAT ONE DISH that is before the judges at that moment!! Get it!!! The judges take into account nothing more than what is before them. THEY HAVE TOO!!!! That is the only way it WORKS!!! I personally was rooting for Casey. A better chef that many in the contest, but that is not the point, is it? NO!!! It is about who put out the best and the worst. One wins, one goes home. Winning a QF is not a hall pass from failure. Working under Eric Ripert is not a get out of jail free card! Having the biggest fan base is not worked into Chef Tom's decision. He does not lick his finger and put it into the air to see which way the wind is blowing, as many of you would prefer. The judging is brutal, it is honest, and that is not always easy to swallow!! That truth is made ever clear by many of your posts. To quote Jack from "A Few Good Men": YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!! Chef Tom, Padma, Gail, Chef Bourdaine, and whoever from the "processed food, celebrity driven, put me to sleep, screw over most of the real chefs we have ever had network" and the other guest judges keep doing what your doing!!! It is what makes TOP CHEF what it is!

I hate to say it and as much as I love Tiffany, she has become this season's Robin (from season 6). :-(

Carla is also my favorite and my prayers are with her. I was praying for Dale but I think the judges were being unfair just because of one bad dish, that should be taken into consideration, how many wins should help alone the way. Oh well! the judges are human and we know humans make mistakes

Gooooooo Carla

Have you noticed that at some time during every show, one of the judges says that in this competition, the chef who has the worst dish goes home? Dale had the worst dish. He went home. No second chances. Nuff said.

Sad to see Dale go - when he's on he's spot-on. When he makes a blunder, he blunders equally big- which is what got him sent home- although an argument could've been made for either Carla or Tiffany as well (Tiff started off badly just by picking Marcel when another option was available!)

Really confused how the process works. I mean there are some chefs that have never won a challenge or anything and are still there! Dale won how many challenges and he is going home? I know it is the dish that is in front of you but don't you think past dishes should have some kind of merit? You can say Dale made this dish bad but he hit it out of the park all the other times but Carla or whomever dish has been bad last three times and this is the final straw? Just not getting where the judges are coming from.

I am really sad to see you go, Dale.

If you are reading, please know that I could see the difference in you this season.

I will miss you.

Tiffany should have gone, she has not won a single thing and her dish had too much honey and overcooked shrimp. Both, simple mistakes that a chef shouldn't make.

It seems they are on the track to have an all female finale.

It's funny that when each of these people first appeared, I had a different view of them. I have no favorite any more.

Wake up, Bourdain! Can't wait to hear your jaundiced take on the Mike/Richard debacle and the horror that was Paula Deen. How the hell can a woman who cooks with lard and velveeta be qualified to judge real chefs who cook with real food? TC truly is circling the drain. We really felt sorry for Dale last night.

Too bad for Dale. I'm just glad it wasn't Carla. She rocks!

It is very odd that in pursuit of the top chef, previous challenge wins or losses are not considered. To eliminate one of the top two contenders, Carla or Dale (tied with three challenge wins and Dale with four quickfire wins) is quite demoralizing…not only for the viewers but for the other contestants as well. Dale’s self-awareness really made an impact on the show, his food and human capacity in general. Congratulations to Dale he is the real winner here!

I hated to see Dale leave too. He was one of the best chefs left in the contest. But, he was judged on the food he served. Raw potatoes. Fish not featured. Hideous mustard toast. He had a bad day. The judges hated his food. And yes. He was much nicer this season. As for Mike Isabella ? He has shown that he is not an upstanding guy all season. He has said that he will do whatever it takes to win. He may win the whole thing. Who knows ? But at what cost ? Unless he redeems himself in the coming episodes, his reputation is shot.

Top Chef All Stars? More like Top Chef Bizarro World. So many very fine chefs have been sent home (starting with Jen) while several rather average chefs remain. Tiffany, Mike, and Antonia didn't make it to the finals on their own seasons, yet now we are expected to believe that they are more worthy of the title than Jen, Marcel, Fabio, Angelo, and now Dale. I'm sure the producers know what they're doing. But they just lost me.