“Top Chef”: Going Down in a Blais of Glory
There was a poll on Bravo several weeks ago in which viewers decided that there would be a female Top Chef before there was a female president. This was near the beginning of the season, before Stephanie (or even Lisa) had really showcased herself, but look how things have turned out. Are Bravo texting polls a window into the future?
Stephanie Izard won “Top Chef” last night, to no one’s surprise. There was, according to the judges, a long debate about the winner, and the television editors made it look like the contest was between Stephanie and Lisa. I have a theory, however, that the judges were trying to decide between Stephanie and Richard, despite his self-proclaimed choke.
In fact, the judges may have walked into the final meal expecting to hand the prize directly to Richard, and I think we all expected him to pull out all the stops. Instead he over-thought his meal and ended up with disappointing results. The question before the judges, then, was whether to judge solely on this meal. Stephanie was the clear winner of the meal, despite Lisa’s soup. Stephanie’s lamb dish, with green olives and braised pistachios, put her over the top with its “surprising” harmony of flavors. Lisa’s narrow focus on Asian food was a liability the judges couldn’t overlook, since on the occasions in the past when she was forced to cook something non-Asian she ended up in the bottom of the challenge (and even a few times she did cook Asian this happened, so there you go). Ilan (of season 2) was often criticized for his reliance on Spanish food, but during the season he demonstrated great skill at other techniques as well. Lisa — not so much.
And so Richard, who cooked what was undeniably a sub-par meal, was found wanting. Sure, he cooked some great food, but he couldn’t perform when it counted, and so he rightfully (if unfortunately) lost. Stephanie proved time and again that she could cook great food even under pressure, and she certainly deserved the win. Still, one can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Richard had completed his frozen hot sauce-oyster concoction, and whatever else he had kicking around in his head. I knew he was doomed when he announced that the banana scallops were on his menu. This was the third — the third! — time he served these on the show, and reflected his lack of confidence. When Tom interviewed Richard in the kitchen, he seemed lost, unsure of what to do, and it was reflected in his food. Despite the whimsical names of the dishes, Richard also lost because of a lack of imagination.
So full credit to Stephanie for delivering on the imaginative side as well as the technical side — red snapper in a truffled clam and asparagus broth, quail with lobster ravioli, the aforementioned lamb, and a ricotta pound cake? Much more inspiring than Lisa’s spicy Asian food, despite the yummy sounding black rice pudding. There was really no question about it — Stephanie was the Top Chef.
Overall it was an uneven season — some boring bits, a little less focus on the food, but real interpersonal drama — and yet the best chef still managed to prevail. Kudos to the producers and the judges for getting that right.
Posted by Howard
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