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Home » Blogs » Dorothy Snarker's blog » TV alert: "Top Chef" finale begins tonight

TV alert: "Top Chef" finale begins tonight

by
Dorothy Snarker

Foodies and Padmaites rejoice! The Top Chef: Chicago two-part finale begins tonight and among the final four is chefbian Lisa Fernandes. (The second half of the finale will air next week and conclude with the naming of the new Top Chef). Out New Yorker Lisa outlasted 12 other contestants to make it to the finale, which was filmed in Puerto Rico. Joining her are Chicago chef Stephanie Izard, Los Angeles chef Antonia Lofaso and Atlanta chef Richard Blais.

Stephanie, Lisa, Antonia and Richard

It’s been a long, sometimes infuriating, sometimes exhilarating season on the Bravo reality series. (To see exactly how long and how exhilarating, check out my Top Chef recaps.) The culinary challenge pits up-and-coming chefs from around the country against one another in a series of challenges with one chef being told to pack his/her knives and leave each episode by the show’s delectable host Padma Lakshmi (AfterEllen.com Hottie No. 85).

For the first time in the show’s four seasons, three women have made it to the finals. If one of the trio goes on to win, she will also become the first female Top Chef ever. As much as I like Richard and his faux lesbian haircut, I am totally rooting for one of the ladies to prevail.

This season also featured the most-ever out lesbian cheftestants: Fernandes and San Francisco couple Zoi Antonitsas and Jennifer Biesty. Antonitsas and Biesty were sent packing in the fifth and seventh episodes respectively.

Top Chef airs at 10 PM tonight on Bravo. And, heck, even if you aren’t into cooking, there is always Padma. Mmm, Padma, mmm.

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    • Submitted by
    Dorothy Snarker
    on June 4, 2008 - 11:00am.
    TAGS :: 
    pecola's picture

    The Finale

    Submitted by
    pecola (1490 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 11:06am.

    I'm looking forward to tonight, but am I the only person that thinks there's going to be an elimination before the real final challenge? It happened in the first season when they eliminated Dave. It happened in the second season when they eliminated Sam and Elia. It happened in the third season when they eliminated Brian.

    They've never had this many people in the finale and it's hard for me to believe that there will be four chefs remaining going into the final judges' table.

    -----

    Geoffrey: You fool! As if it matters how a man falls down.
    Richard: When the fall is all that is left, it matters a great deal.

    - The Lion in Winter

    Dorothy Snarker's picture

    das boot

    Submitted by
    Dorothy Snarker (1739 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 11:23am.
    Oh, I definitely think someone is getting the boot tonight. (But no comment on who that someone will be...ahem.) They should head into the second part of the finale next week with three, as usual. This is further supported by the fact that none of Bravo's promo shots go beyond tonight's episode.



    ---------------------------------------------------
    Why I Don't Sleep Much: Dorothy Surrenders

    jennifer from pittsburgh's picture

    TC

    Submitted by
    jennifer from p... (1431 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 11:31pm.
    Yes, and now we know how terribly everything went wrong and some horrible, "Why didn't you congratulate me" contestant (I'm kind, I wanted to type; hack hanger on from hell) who has almost inexplicably hung on to die another day. Honestly, I fear for the world. It's like having Cheney in the finals.
    battlingbard's picture

    *discretely wipes up drool*

    Submitted by
    battlingbard (27 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 11:07am.

    Mmmmm....Padma. That picture is amazing. She's so hot she needs to fan herself off.

    I'm not too keen on Lisa's new 'do. It looks a little unkempt, in the not sexy way.

     

    Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.

    Fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words; they are perspectives.

    hiding's picture

    Go Stephanie! I wish

    Submitted by
    hiding (65 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 11:08am.
    Go Stephanie! I wish Jennifer was still in the running though, she definitely deserved to be in the top four. I am however still dancing in the streets that Spike the douche i loved to hate is gone! ohh schadenfreude!
    amberb's picture

    Team Stephanie!

    Submitted by
    amberb (64 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 12:32pm.
    She's adorable, humble and a really talented chef. She's proven herself as very well-rounded during all these weeks of competition. I hope she can pull it off!
    K's picture

    Team Stephanie As Well!

    Submitted by
    K (171 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 12:38pm.
    shes been really consistant now that shes hit her groove. richard would be my other pick to win, however hes not really as consistant....BUT that having been said...richard if he really applies his tools and what hes learned over the years with molecular gastronomy is going to be TOUGH to beat
    pecola's picture

    Hmmm

    Submitted by
    pecola (1490 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 2:42pm.

    I don't know...I think that if Richard goes all out with his molecular gastronomy skills, he's still going to have a difficult road.

    I mean, even at his best this season, I don't think Richard's come anywhere close to being as successful with that skill set as Marcel and Hung were during their respective seasons.

     

     

    -----

    Geoffrey: You fool! As if it matters how a man falls down.
    Richard: When the fall is all that is left, it matters a great deal.

    - The Lion in Winter

    Buckley's picture

    hmmm Padma...Lisa has to go

    Submitted by
    Buckley (7 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 12:50pm.

    hmmm Padma...

    Lisa has to go tonight. Antonia or Steph for the win! 

    Que9's picture

    Team Stephanie

    Submitted by
    Que9 (134 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 12:52pm.

    I am also for team stephanie. i think shes done really well this whole season. is constistant and frickin adorable. i hope she wins. *fingers crossed.

    and if its not stephanie..then it best be antonia..this is the season a woman wins! cause theyve been doing damn well all season. :)

    Harpy's picture

    Stephanie!

    Submitted by
    Harpy (9560 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 3:21pm.

    Go Stephanie!  She's been my favorite from the start.  She just seems so sweet and she's adorable.

    As far as Lisa is concerned, I could have done without her awhile ago.  She has a bad attitude that is so blatant when she is being criticized.  Sure, not everyone takes criticism well, but it's not that difficult to hide it.  She just stands there with her arms folded and looks as if she's not taking what the judges say seriously.  Irritates me.  You don't do that at your job in the real world, you sure as hell shouldn't do it in this case.

    Pyewacket's picture

    All I have to say is...

    Submitted by
    Pyewacket (1814 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 3:47pm.

    Mmm, Padma, mmm.

    Oh, yeah...and I am totally rooting for Stephanie or Antonia...I think they both have a real shot at being Top Chef and I have liked their attitude and skills throughout.

     

    bananaf's picture

    Oohh Padma...

    Submitted by
    bananaf (194 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 4:01pm.

    Mmmh...

    Where was I..oh yeah, I'd totally go for Stephanie! Not really rooting for Lisa cuz I couldn't stand working in the kitchen with someone like her...

    But kudos for the lesbian haircut, Lisa!

    dirtyredbandana's picture

    three in final

    Submitted by
    dirtyredbandana (6 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 5:30pm.
    On a commercial for Top Chef that I saw while watching Workout, they mentioned that one contestant will be kicked off leaving three at the final judges table.
    Pixiedyke's picture

    Producer's meddling

    Submitted by
    Pixiedyke (12 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 6:32pm.
    I think they kept the wrong lesbian. Biesty had 12 times Lisa's talent, plus she didn't have an assface. Also, Dale didn't deserve to go.
    Lowell's picture

    call me cynical

    Submitted by
    Lowell (193 posts)
    on June 4, 2008 - 7:40pm.
    but i do think that it may have been deliberate to keep more women. i don't think lisa should be there and i think that she should have gone before dale. i think richard will win; he has some skills. overall, i think richard and stephanie are the best. it also doesn't hurt that they're both nice people.
    Penny_Lane's picture

    guh.

    Submitted by
    Penny_Lane (180 posts)
    on June 5, 2008 - 2:07am.
    tonight they sent home the wrong person :/ 
    theman's picture

    stephanie is coming to chicago!

    Submitted by
    theman (1 post)
    on June 9, 2008 - 1:35pm.

    so i just heard about this awesome dinner and reception with stephanie in chicago! personally i think steph deserves to win based on not only her food, but also her overall persona. just thought i'd share the details with anyone who is interested in meeting a top chef!

    cheers.

    ___________________________________________

    The Drawing Room at Le Passage (937 N. Rush St.; 773-276-7582) engineered quite a coup by snagging Stephanie Izard of "Top Chef: Chicago" to conduct a plate-by-plate cook-off with Drawing Room chef Nick Lacasse on June 15.Izard has since reached the finals (and could win the whole thing on June 11), and the dinner sold out minutes after last Friday's announcement.

    Demand has been so high, in fact, that the Drawing Room has added a VIP reception following the dinner, in which Izard will mix, mingle and dish -- and present a couple of specially designed cocktails.

    The reception starts at 9 p.m., the cost is $40, and you probably shouldn't wait too long to pick up the phone. 

     


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