1. Love Sam! It was great to see him on TC again.
2. I did like the salad challenge. Salads are so often just boring.
3. At least it wasn't a buffet line. But yeah, I think we're going to have to wait till the last few episodes to see really amazing plates.
4. It's pretty obvious that Spike spent more time thinking of how he could make things harder for the others. The bread, tomatoes, and lettuce were not well-integrated into his dish.
6. Lisa has been so full of excuses thus far, it's like the girl who cried wolf. Maybe someone did turn up the heat on her rice, but I didn't really believe her.
7. It was interesting that the locals did the best on this one. Hmmmm.
8. Dale's dish looked really tasty. I wanted to see more of Antonia's dish. I was sort of surprised that Stephanie was right there, with a soup of all things.
9. I think she was within rights to call him out. He did not follow the rules and she was on the block. Did it help her, I don't know. I think he was going home anyway. Thank goodness and about time. And she is probably next.
10. I still think this season is Richard Blaise's to lose. Stephanie, Dale, and Antonia after that, in that order.

1. I love Chef Sam!!! Delicious! How better for a sexy salad quickfire? Also, I think his diabetes and the obesity crisis in America is a wonderful issue to address. I also loved Antonia's reaction to Sam, I am liking her more and more.
2. I love salad so I was excited for this challenge and Antonia's salad looked like heaven on a plate, if she had won this would have been a cleaner elimination challenge for sure.
3. I actually really liked the challenge. They are really using Chicago and making the show relate to the city, may be giving a slight advantage to the contestants from Chitown.
4. Spike is an idiot. I think that is all I have to say about that.
5. I don't think Ryan could have made it this far his food wasn't adaptable to the challenges.
6. I think she gets flustered in the kitchen and probably accidentally turned her rice up, I don't think anyone is sabotaging her , but she would be the one to put the blame on anyone but herself.
7. and 8. Not only are Dale and Stephanie the locals, but they are extremely talented chefs. I think that Stephanie's soup sounding delicious and perfect for a cold Chicago day. I really wanted some of her dish. Dale's looked good too, should eat more bison.
9. I think Lisa was worried and did what ever she could to keep herself in there, but the judges aren't stupid. they know that Andrew lost his rule book somewhere along the way. I think it made her look like an idiot, hopefully she will go next, her or Spike.
10. My favorites have always been Stephanie and Richard. I am really like Antonia now and want to see her in the final four with Dale, even though he got a little bratty there, he is very talented. I really like this season of top chef especially when Sam makes appearances!

Oh Sam...

I know I wrote a lot in my first comment, but I wanted to say one more thing. I am sad Andrew left. I really didn't like him at first and I had seen him around New York before, worked in the same huge building, But I just started to like him and his zaininess. tear.

I decided I need to make Sam Talbot my boyfriend. He looked so HOT last night.

I did not like this challenge (though I loved seeing Sam)! Boxed lunch, catering...this season's challenges are pretty blah for the most part. I am looking forward to restaurant wars next week though!

I am so sick of the defensiveness at panel, especially from Lisa! she is awful! I did like Andrew, though it seemed that his dish really was the worst, oh well.

My top 4 is Richard, Dale, Stephanie and Antonia (I really really hope Lisa does not make top 4)!!

1. yeah. when sam comes out i usually start growling and talking to the screen. my boyfriend doesn't appreciate it.
2. good challenge. everyone always thinks you can just throw together a salad...
3. agreed!!!!
4. oh definitely...his dish was poorly conceptualized.
5. too bad... so sad.
6. ughhhh!! i've been rooting for this one to go home from well... the beginning!!! who cares if they were?! does it excuse the other elements of her dish being under cooked / under seasoned.. AS USUAL! over it. please send her home!!!!
7. i was suprised... i thought antonia was going to up there.
8. sure why not... it looked good. and it was well thought out... heck yeah bison!
9. she sucks. period. and i think its crap of her to call him out... yeah she was in the bottom for not sticking to the rules about the polish sausage... but hey SHE DIDN'T GET SENT HOME FOR IT!!! so neither should have he... SEND HER HOOOOMMEEEEEEE!!! PLEEEEAAASSSEEEEE!!!!
10. i don't have a clear favorite... but i really like richard, dale, stephanie and antonia.

I'm skipping the first 2 and going right to

3. Yeah, the caterings getting a little old. Catered food sucks.
4. No, I dont think it took any time to pick up those four items, but I do think that he sucks.
6. No, either she did it by accident or someone else did by accident like Dale said. Come on, there's camera's on them everywhere; all they have to do is roll back the tape and see.
7. Uh, no. Havent you noticed these are 2 of the ones that keep coming out on top? They're pretty much just talented. It will come down to them and Richard for the bottom three.
8. f*ck yeah! He knows his sh*t.
9. No I dont think it was bad. She didnt know he lost his rules sheet or whatever. And its true. And if the judges werent going to take the rules into account for who got kicked off, then they shouldnt have put those rules out there in the first place. Duh!
10. Dale as always. Top four would probably be Antonia, Dale, Richard and Steph. Top two will probably be Dale and Richard. No clue who will win in the end.

BTW - anyone else notice how Richard didnt get very much air time this show? I thought that was kinda interesting.

2. salad challenge was just ok...didn't really melt my butter
3. agreed
4. yes, and it showed...spike should have gone home why is he still there? and take off those stoooopid hats already...they're cheesy!
6. lisa's a nasty cry baby hag, no one sabotaged her stinky rice
8. i thought stephanies lunch was much more accessible and real....lettuce cups for lunch? in my opinion the hearty meatball soup is more realistic
9. see comments from question 6. and yes it was ridiculously wrong. lisa's not a judge, she should let the judges do their job and keep her nasty mouth shut! i am a bit infuriated with the way that went down...it was pretty disgusting of her.
10. richard, dale, stephanie, antonia

**andrew clearly is talented, but possibly a little out of his league here and a bit inexperienced as some of these folks i think. However, I thought he held his own, had a good humor and brought some fun to the show. sad to see him go.

I love Sam!!!!! I was so excited!!!!!!

1. No.
2. No.
OK then...
3. Dammit! Another top caterer assignment! BLAHHHHH.
4. Yes. And he's an idiot for having done so.
5. I'm sorry, you didn't phrase in the form of a question. I really didn't like Ryan - I found him arrogant and clueless.
6. If given the opportunity, *I* would have sabotaged her rice.
7. Again, ask a question! I don't think it was the Chicago thing that helped them - I think it was that they're both good chefs.
8. Yes. He thought about the dish conceptually, he chose his protein well, and his meal looked on point.
9. Yes. And I will repeat from previous weeks that I think Lisa has to go.
10. I'm rooting for Dale and Richard. I think Stephanie will do well too. As for the 4th, I dislike all of the other chefs intensely.

I'm kind of bummed about the whole Andrew thing. He was original and fun and high-intensity, and yet he was a hard worker and a good competitor. Very sorry to see him go. He's also the first elimination challenge winner to be booted off the show. Something else - Bravo's got to re-cut their soundtracks. Having the same music week after week is getting really old. Finally, I think that the talent level just isn't that high this season. TC3 was a rare beast - amazing talent and sincere decorum. These 4th season competitors have all of the attitude and what seems to be significantly less imagination and skill. Disappointing season overall, though I like Dale and Richard.

Sam is a hottie... Lisa scares me, and I want Stephanie to win!

1. Haven't watched Top Chef in the past, but man, he's HOT.
2. Agreed. Antonia's salad looked so freaking delicious.
3. I think I need to watch the previous seasons, I like these challenges. But I have nothing to compare them to in the past.
4. Definitely. I was hoping he'd be kicked off on the basis that he's such a little twerpy tool!
6. I don't think anyone sabotaged Lisa's rice. I think Dale's right. Mistakes happen. If someone did turn up the heat, it was by accident.
7. Woot! Go Stephanie and Dale! Even though I dont' think there's enough show for Dale's ego sometimes.
8. I thought Stephanie should've won. Dale definitely needs to THINK outside his safe zone. Even he said it in the prior challenge, he doesn't want to be a one trick pony.
9. I think she shouldn't have called out Andrew. They already knew, she's SO not a team player.
10. I'm still rooting for Stephanie. But I hope the Final Four are Stephanie, Antonia, Richard and Dale. I can't WAIT for Spike and Lisa to be kicked off. I'm surprised she didn't get kicked off this time. Undercooked shrimp and rice? Blegh.

Completely agree with #3. I am sick of the catering challenges. I thought the point was to find a great chef that could set up a great restaurant, not someone who knows how to transport food.

Why did Andrew have to go? Just because his dish wasn't filling enought?! That's silly. I really hope Lisa is gone soon. I can't take much more of her.

Oh I forgot to mention, I've decided I totally hate Lisa.

I am really worried that Antonia, Stephanie, Dale and Richard all get along too well for them to be the top four. I hope to be proven wrong, but I think Top Chef relies on drama too much to not leave Spike or Lisa in the game. This is quite unfortunate as they seem to have the weakest and least creative culinary chops. What do you guys think?

1. I love Sam, too! That man is just so damn sexy.
2. I loved the salad challenge. Antonia and Spike's both looked super delicious!
3. I think my first thought was that it didn't seem hard enough for this late in the game, but I changed my mind when I heard the rules, Spike's special advantages, and when I thought about how damn hard last week was!
4. I think Spike was just being Spike. Hijinks and accidents are going to happen in kitchens, and it doesn't hold water for me for anyone to whine about it (looking at you, Lisa).
5. I totally forgot that Ryan was known for that! I still think he was sent home way too early.
6. NO! I agree with Dale -- these things happen. Rolling with the punches is a huge part of this competition, and Lisa has proven AGAIN that she can't do that.
7. I don't think so -- Steph and Dale are consistently great.
8. I think Stephanie should have won -- her meal was different, hearty, and special.
9. I think Lisa needs to stop whining! The judges obviously knew that Andrew didn't follow all the rules (hell, they even said it!). It was rude for Lisa to sell out Andrew AND to question the judges ability to, you know, JUDGE.
10. I love Spike, I don't care what anyone says! I think he's awesome, fun, and inventive. That said, I think Blais is quite obviously going to win this thing (though, interesting to note -- he didn't shine a lot in this ep, which seemed really strange). I think the final four is Blais, Dale, Stephanie, and Antonia, though I don't put it past Spike to nail something big next week and change up the whole thing.

Oh, yeah, and Lisa has got to go!!

1. Sam's great. But he didn't look all that happy to be there, I thought. (And in terms of irrelevant hotness, I like Old Sam better.)
2. 45 minutes for a salad and that's all we got? Antonia's poached egg salad looked tasty but was boring. I thought Spike's was a mess on the plate but when Sam called out the mint, beef and pineapple it sounded yummy.
3. Catering may be better TV than single dishes but yes, boring. NPR did a really interesting piece on reality shows using sleep dep to heighten the drama and called out Top Chef as the worst offender.
4. Yes. At first I thought it was smart but then when all he did with the tomatoes was slice them I was way disappointed. Garnish made us miss seeing Stephanie's original plan for smoked tomatoes?! The back and forth with Spike and Colicchio at the judges' table was by far the funniest thing in the series to date.
5. Ryan Scott - meh.
6. Nobody sabotaged Lisa's rice.
7. Those two lunches were clearly the best, though.
8. I thought Stephanie should have won. She made me want to eat her hearty fall soup even on the hottest night of the year in SF, and the GLADWARE packaging was clever. (Why the box lunch challenge if not for the product placement?)
9. She has always had problems in the personality and character departments and this time she really showed her colors. Totally right on about breaking the rules herself before then calling Andrew out on it. What a whiner. I really wanted her to go.
10. The Blais should take it handily, though he did kind of get lost this episode. Perhaps the producers are trying to downplay the favorite for a while? Cop food and whiny dramas are not his forte, either.

I have a question about Dale's meal.
It was Bison lettuce wraps, right?
But I thought Spike took lettuce out of play.
I don't understand why this wasn't mentioned--either as a problem or why it was allowed.
Why was Dale allowed to use lettuce in his dish?
I'd definitely appreciate some feedback here. I must have missed something.

anniekim,

Dale used Napa Cabbage, not lettuce. Apparently there is a difference

Love Sam! Hate Lisa and can't wait for her to be kicked off. Each week I sit there hoping it'll be her week to go. Did anyone notice that they are bringing restaurant wars back? I assumed that they had replaced it with wedding wars for this season. I'm excited to see what goes down, especially after last season.

I am SOOO excited for restaurant wars. I can't wait to see who is on which team and what type of food they choose to make. Restaurant wars always changes up the game!

Thank you dmtroyer--they even called them lettuce wraps on the show! Now it all makes sense.

Sam is a doll and I want him to sweep Antonia off her feet. Her and her healthy eating daughter.
Antonia's salad should have won, although I didn't taste it. It was the sexiest.
Totally over catering.
Spike had all the ingredients for something phenomenal. A roasted tomato chicken sandwich would have better if done right. Even a panzanella salad.
Ryan Scott was kind of a dork but I'd like to eat one of his box lunches.
Sabotage smabotage. She probably hit the knob with her hip.
I'm sure paying attn. to their audience helped them whether they know Chicago or no. Some of the others didn't do that so much.
I wanted Stephanie's to win because of its approchability. Most people just aren't having bison on a regular basis, even if it is healthy.
I think Lisa is sour grapes and she should have left well enough alone and let the food be the deciding factor.
I'm rooting for Antonia to hook up with Sam and may the best chef win.

I have to agree with you Ame. I eat sushi for lunch sometimes and it is very filling. I guess they just needed to vote someone off.

Lisa is a moron. I cannot stand the dazed, evil looks she gives when in front of the judges. She of all people needs to stop talking about other peoples attitudes.

And I cannot tell you how many times I have been cooking in my own kitchen, relaxed as ever, and I have leaned against the knobs and changed the temps. She needs to get over herself with this sabotaging crap.

Maybe I misunderstood the rules of the elimination challenge, but I thought that the contestants could not use the ingredients that Spike chose in the grocery store -- chicken, tomatoes, bread, and most importantly lettuce. One of the main ingredients in Dale's dish was lettuce, yet he still made the dish and ended up winning the challenge! Did I understand wrong or did this just happen to slip by the other contestants and judges??

oops! dmtroyer already answered that question! but still, it seems a little odd that no one complained about the ingredients in Dale's dish and the similarity to what Spike had chosen and taken out of contention for the other chefs. so, in that case, why did Andrew get thrown under the bus for not following the rules and not Dale?

go antonia!!! she's my favorite left.

benn09,

While cabbage and lettuce look similar, they really are completely different species.

That said, they have been selective about enforcing rules... it has definitely become more strict and more literal. As a previous commenter noted, Antonia and Lisa totally disregarded the rules when they made Sea Bass and Purple Potato (which included Chorizo) when they were given the word Polish Sausage in episode 7.

1. Duh, sam looked especially hot last night. glad 2 see him.
2. I liked the salad, not my favorite. but they made some good stuff. I TOTALLY thought antonia should have won.
3. I know what is up with this season? like im not realyl being wowed by any of these challenges.
4. YES! hes a total airhead. Like really worry about screwing your competitors, cause you were STILL IN THE BOTTOM! like focus, honestly.
5. I agree. I loved ryan. So much more than spike, lisa, or andrew, and 2 of them are still her. booo.
6. Not at all. It could of happened, but shes just a cranky person. She always looks so messy, and her dishes lack. Does anyone notice that it looks like she hasnt showered? haha. did i say that.
7. I think that might be a useful advantage, but has there been a chicago inspired season thus far?
8. In all honesty, he may of deserved to win, but i still can't come to like him. I think hes like an a**hole. Stephanie had my vote. She just needs a little momentum to push out some wins.
9. I'm really not sure, like whats really fair anymore. I think she just called him out to distract from her HORRIBLE plate.
10. My favorites are Antonia, Richard, and Stephanie, Hope those three make it to the top. And i really think richard will take it..

1. i can agree that he's good looking but one of the guys that i work with is good friends with him and says that Sam knows he's hot so i can't be on the same 'boat' as everyone else.
2. I DID like the salad challenge. there's really more to making a salad that's good and it's interesting to see what the chef's are able to do.
3. there's only so many different/unique things they can have the chefs do ...so i wasn't overly surprised.
4. i do think that he did. there's always someone who thinks that they can stretegize more than cook. he has the talk but not the chops i don't think.
5. you know, i didn't even think about that - he would have been GREAT for this challenge.
6. i don't think that there was sabotage. the chefs are really too busy working on their dishes to focus on other people..and when you're rushing around, sometimes you make mistakes.
7. i don't think that geography played a role in this at all. they have different styles of cooking that appeal to different people, so it's not like there was a leg up. in NYC there are a ton of cops etc...so shouldn't someone from there have an opportunity to be good at providing healthy food for them?
8. i don't care for dale so i don't think that he should have won. i don't really want to see him get much further cause like lisa said (i think that it was lisa) all he does is cook asian food...it's enough already. it's remeniscent of the marcel and foam thing.
9. i think that at this stage in the competition, people are getting tense and burnt out and they are going to throw anyone under the bus that they can so they can save their own ass. i don't know if it was right, but you knew that it was going to happen.
10. i still feel like antonia is going to go really far - she's coasting right now being in the middle of the pack this last challenge, but she usually does a great job. she just needs to stop referencing how she cooks for her family. that one's getting old.