Top Chef All Stars Episode 12 Review and Rankings

They Liked Everything!

Spoiler Alert!

The final New York episode of Top Chef All Stars began with the remaining five chefs lamenting the loss of Dale, especially Richard Blais.  Dale and Richard have always been friends, excellent teammates and great competitors, so it is easy to understand why Richard would have wished Dale to continue to the end.

Tiffany remarked that it was at this point where she went home during her season and at this point she sort of acknowledges that she is fifth in this group of five.  In the bar afterwards, Antonia calls her daughter and remarks in the interview how much she misses her family (which turns out to be a bit of Elfin foreshadowing).

When the episode actually begins, it is morning at the chef house and they are all wondering what the last two challenges will be.  Antonia remarks that she thinks Padma is coming to the house to see them there and, of course, Padma immediately walks in on them.  Everyone is struck by Antonia’s prescience.

So the chefs join Padma on the roof and she tells them that they are going to go to Ellis Island.  When the chefs get aboard their ferry, a note from Padma informs them that their QF challenge will be to make a dish using only the ingredients that they find on the boat.  That means the snack bar and moans and groans from legions of fans lamenting yet another dumbed down QF challenge.  This season has certainly been full of them and it is quite frankly ridiculous to have another at this point in the season.  Almost as if the Elves recognized that this was a real dog of a challenge, they did not even offer any prizes for the winner, no advantage, nothing, nadda, zip.  That’s how important this multi-colored turkey was to them.

The guest judge, Dan Barber, was introduced and Carla had a good snicker about how a chef that was all about local, sustainable, fresh foods was judging a junk challenge.  Dan has a great reputation in the culinary world, well deserved, and we were all fortunate that he was a good sport about this part of the contest.

I won’t distinguish the QF any more other than to remark that all of the chefs thought that the other chefs were not making a good dish.  Richard criticized Carla for “slicing oranges” and Carla criticized Richard for making “a hot dog”.  Mike criticized Tiffany for making nachos, but his soup was so horrible that he admitted he wouldn’t serve it to his cat.  That part was a hoot.  The food – not as funny.  The highlight was Antonia’s humorous remarks about how they were all trying to inflate the value of their dishes (hers included).  I thought that was really amusing.  As if it mattered, Carla won, with Richard and Antonia in the top, so Mike, with his soup that would “sink the boat” (Dan’s words) and Tiffany were in the bottom.

Two quick notes before moving on: when Tiffany’s dish was on the bottom, she uttered a phrase that has not become a part of her tenure on TCAS.  “Pretty embarrassing.”  I hope we don’t have to hear it again.  On the other hand, when Carla won, she was her usual ecstatic self and in the interview she declared fervently, “TC Title!”  I’m sorry, but based on that QF, I would not arrive at the same conclusion.  Sorry.  (More with the editing, drat!)

Afterward, Padma and Dan introduced the EC by talking about Ellis Island and how important it was for a chef to know where they had come from.  They had hired a genealogist to trace the heritage of each of the five chefs and they had a notebook for each chef full of pictures and genealogical information.  The EC then was to cook a meal expressing each chef’s unique heritage.  To help the chefs plan their menus, they brought in family members of each chef.

This was the point at which the episode started to get good.

We begin with Carla’s husband, Matthew Lyons, a tall, good-looking man with a gentle spirit (I’ve had a little experience with Matthew, so I can vouch for what a terrific and balanced person he is.)  Then, Tiffany’s mother, Louisa Austin, appeared with a big fur coat and mother and daughter exchanged a tearful reunion.  I think the presence of her mother truly inspired Tiffany during this episode.  Mike’s mom, Joanne Isabella, also had a tearful reunion with her son.  For the first time, we begin to see a soft side to Mikey.  Antonia’s mother, Josette Lofaso, also appeared and melted Antonia’s heart (Antonia remarked that it made her want to curl up in a fetal position).  You can’t help but like Antonia and I personally hope that she wins fan favorite for this season.  Last of all, Richard’s wife Jazmin Blais showed up at five months pregnant and they certainly had a tender reunion.

It would be difficult not to react emotionally to these reunions – although there are certainly some cynics out there who felt that it was mainly manipulation of the viewers.  I am very attached to my family and I don’t really care if they were manipulating me or not, I was touched.  From this point on, you can also feel how close these five chefs have grown over the course of the season.  This isn’t at all like past seasons where the competition level was very intense and chefs were sniping at each other.  I believe that these chefs have grown close to and really care about each other.  (Okay, maybe not so much Mikey.)

The big reveal of this episode is that Antonia and Mike are distantly related through one line of their family trees.  They made a big deal about it throughout the rest of the episode, but it didn’t really resonate with me.  There were bigger things that hit me in this episode.

Before the EC was really started, there was another reveal: the winner will receive a 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.  Here is yet another product placement, but just a little clumsy (as opposed to the Target placement) and of a much greater value than most prizes.  Apparently, there were no real obstacles in their shopping (money or time) and they were given a generous three hours to prepare.  Those kinds of rule relaxations allow the chefs to really sparkle and I’m very glad that there were no gimmicks or impediments introduced.

The EC was conducted at Giando on the Water, with a beautiful view of Manhattan.  The Chefs were convivial in the kitchen and the diners were convivial seated outside near the water.  Yes, New York can be very beautiful at night.

The first dish served was Mike Isabella’s Potato Gnocchi with Braised Pork, Shank Ragout and Whipped Burrata Cheese.  By this point, we have learned that Mike’s father left when he was very small, so he grew up without a strong male influence.  This might help to explain his tendency to be brash and gross – a way to cover up insecurities?  He learned to cook from his grandmother, who passed away some years ago, but he has avoided cooking Italian food ever since because it reminded him of his loss.  To his credit, he faces this issue and cooks a dish reminiscent of his grandmother’s recipe and knocks it out of the park.  Mike was very emotional in presenting the dish and everyone at the table was very impressed with the tenderness of the gnocchi and the all-round awesomeness of the dish.

Antonia was next with her Braised Veal with Rapini Leaf and Fava Bean Risotto.  She took a chance with the risotto as it has been a stumbling block for many past chefs, but she did a great job with everything and really wowed the diners with both the risotto and the veal, which virtually fell apart on top of the plate.

It was probably good that the types of cuisines were presented together.  There were two Italian dishes, Richard’s Irish/English food, followed by the two Southern dishes.

Richard presented Braised Short Ribs with Fried Bone Marrow, Potatoes, Corn Puree and Picked Glasswort.   After the two amazing dishes that came before it, people were quite surprised to hear Tom say that it was “alright”.  Jazmin Blais looked slightly alarmed to hear that, but Tom corrected himself by adding, “I mean its ALL RIGHT.” (as in ‘everything was good’).  It’s hard to tell from watching it if Tom meant the first or the second interpretation.  At the time, I was wondering just how restrained the judges were going to be with all of the family members present, but Tom did not make any further objections to the dish throughout the judging and Dan Barber and the other judges really seemed to like the dish, remarking especially how good the bone marrow was.  Tom even remarked at Judge’s Table that he would steal the glasswort recipe.

The fourth dish to be presented was Tiffany’s Braised Short Rib with Mustard Greens, Oxtail Marmalade and Okra in Rice.  She had been hesitant about cooking okra, because Tom has had a long-standing dislike of the “slime” in okra cooking.  It was another triumph that she worked the okra by frying it before plating to remove the slime.  Once again the food was excellent and it looked like a four-way tie.  Josette Lofaso actually asked if they had ever sent all five to the finals.  Tom and Padma shook their heads.

Carla presented the last dish, Braised Pork Shoulder, with Corn, Fried Grits, Pork Broth and Cheddar Biscuits.  Through talk at the table, it was revealed that Matthew met Carla on Match.com so that was a nice little freebie ad for that service.  They do make a nice couple.  So, everyone loved Carla’s food as much as the other four chefs.  Really, at this point, it seems to be a five-way tie and the judges admitted their consternation at making a decision whom to send home.

In an aside interview, Antonia reveals how good all of the dishes were and that she and Richard were really worried.  “Carla and Tiffany always have this, like ‘whatever happens, happens’ and Richard and I are like, “No!  That’s not true!”  I think that was part of the attitude among the most serious competitors of S4.  With Stephanie, Richard, Dale, Antonia, and Lisa, the competition was very fierce.  Of course, Antonia laughed while saying this, so it took the bite out of the statement.  But it’s true.

When all five competitors were called to Judge’s Table, there was nothing but praise from the judges, except for Tom’s mention that Carla’s corn was “on the tough side”.  Mike Isabella became very emotional in revealing why he did not cook Italian after his grandmother died.  It really touched both Carla and Tiffany.

Once the chefs were dismissed, there was a bit more criticism discussed by the judges.  Besides Carla’s corn being a little tough, Tom thought that her garnish got “lost in the broth”.  Gail thought that Antonia’s meat was just a tad salty, Dan remarked that he thought Mike could have plated just a slightly smaller portion of meat.  While Richard was generally praised, Padma complained that there weren’t enough greens on the plate.  Tiffany was the only one who didn’t get any criticism at all (at least that we were shown – we never know what ends up on the cutting room floor).

When the chefs were called back out, Antonia got the win, the car, and advancement to the Finale to be held in the Bahamas (Richard got a bitter beer face on that announcement – that was where he lost in the Finale of S4).  Mike was also declared safe, so the two “cousins” went to the stew room with great happiness and at the top of the pack.  Richard looked ill.

At this point, I felt like the producing got a little out of hand.  In order to create some drama, Tom addressed the three remaining chefs, praising their dishes and explaining how hard their decision was.  This made it seem like they were going to announce the elimination.  Making it even worse, Padma took a long look at Blais and said, “Richard, please pack your knives…”  You could see the anguish and frustration on Richard’s face and my heart stopped.  Padma concluded her phrase with, “…because you’re going to the finals.”  For just a moment, shock registered on Richard’s face and he uttered, “Why did…” then he stopped, said thanks and left.  In the aside interview, Richard asked, “Why would you do that to me – you know I’m crazy already?”

Why?  To create drama.  But it was clearly the cruelest thing that I’ve ever seen on Top Chef.  It offended me and still does.  Much as I love the show, sometimes I can’t help but hate the Magical Elves production team.  In this case, classless.

To add more drama, Padma faced off Carla and Tiffany, who were selected as the bottom two chefs.  Bleakly, she addressed each by name before saying, “You’re both going to the finals!”  Haha.  Yes.  Very Funny.  Thanks.

I’ve heard some people object to sending all five of them onward and in the Bravo blogs, Gail says that the judges had to fight with the producers to get them to agree to send all five.  I thought it was a good idea, especially given how good all of the meals apparently were.  Matthew has stated that everything was completely delicious and that he would not have been able to decide.  I’m good with it.

This was a feel-good episode that largely worked.  I’m always in favor of celebrating family and heritage, so, in general, I loved it.

Now, we move on the finals in the Bahamas.  It appears that there will be some sort of diving game where the chefs have to search under water for something (ingredients?  a protein?) and then the main challenge will be for each chef to cook against the winner of his or her season.  So that means we’ll be looking at Richard and Antonia against Stephanie, Mike against Michael Voltaggio, Tiffany against Kevin Sbarro and Carla against Hosea.  Let’s hope it’s good!

Top Chef Rankings Week 12

1.    Richard Blais.

Richard presented a very creative approach to a traditional dish.  The flavors were all there, the glasswort was fantastic and the nibble of fried bone marrow was, in the words of Matthew, “a little bit of love.”   Richard remains the odds on favorite to win it all.

2.   Antonia Lofaso.

Winning this challenge moves her ever so much closer to Richard.  She has performed so well throughout All Stars (with the exception of a few group challenges) that she flat out deserves to go all the way to the end.  The risotto was a major victory.  The preview for the Finale showed her crying, but everyone knows how the Elves love to manipulate their audience.

3.   Carla Hall.

Though she finished in the bottom this time, the bottom was so close to the top that she could have won if only one or two small things had been done differently.  She still could win it all, but not based on her orange QF win.

4.   Mike Isabella.

Mike appears to be gaining steam, but he is an inconsistent chef and one little slip could send him home at any time.  I was happy that he finally showed an emotional side and it explained a lot.  Good on Mikey.

5.   Tiffany Derry.

Finally, the girl cooked a great meal.  Granted, she was on the bottom, but she gets props for the same reason Carla did.  The fact that she got Tom to like okra is a major coup.  Let’s hope that she keeps performing well rather than falling back into the Tiffany who was just barely better than the worst.