I'd been waiting for last night's Top Chef all season long. Restaurant wars is definitely one of my favorite challenges, and the latest incarnation didn't disappoint. There was drama, cheesy decor, botched meals, and chefs all dressed up. Were you watching? What did you think of the outcome? To find out what I thought, read more.
- What did you think of the quickfire challenge? I liked having to see them do a kitchen staple.
- Bourdain quotes aside, my favorite quote of the night came from Dale. Did you laugh when he said, "Not to say that Nikki's personality was horrible, but it's one less to deal with."?
- I know Lisa comes across as a bit whiny, but seriously, did they really think they could find all their ethnic food needs at Whole Foods?
- When Chef Tom said he wouldn't be there, I was trying to figure out what they would do instead. I was surprised and then kicked myself for not guessing the Bourdain fill-in. How about you?
- Speaking of Bourdain, what was your favorite Bourdain quote of the night? I think mine was, "Silver and purple? I don't know, I feel like I'm in the back of Prince's van."
- Spike in a suit: Love it or Hate it? And don't tell me you missed the hat.
- Which of the former contestants would you have chosen as your sous chef?
- Were you glad Stephanie won?
- Discuss Dale and Lisa's fighting. Do you think their relationship ruined the challenge from the start?
- Do you think Dale should have gone home? Wasn't his teary-eyed goodbye sweet?
Photos courtesy of Bravo

I was so glad she won, but her dress was so unflattering, couild you smoosh her boobs more?
Poor Dale! He was top chef material!

1. It's about darn time they were back in a restaurant kitchen! No more catering, no more boxed lunches, no wedding. This - the challenge of inserting yourself into a preexisting team and getting stuff done right - is what this show ought to be about.
2. I did laugh when Dale said that. He's got a really quick wit and a sharp mind. I'm absolutely pissed off he's gone.
3. Sticky rice isn't so exotic! I've found it on the shelves of Kroger for goodness sake. I'm willing to bet that the purchasers for Whole Foods are, as we speak, procuring sticky rice. They're not letting this slip through their fingers.
4. I knew it was going to be someone big. Bourdain wasn't on my list, but Eric Ripert and his perma-sneer was.
5. Of all the guest judges, Bourdain is probably the most likely to have been in the back of Prince's van. A lot of his witticisms come across either as rehearsed or just not very good. I was muy enamored of them a few years ago when he burst onto the cable TV scene with No Reservations, but now they seem tired. He needs new writers, a vacation from TV, anything.
6. Spike in a suit - he cleaned up OK, though I'm not a fan of the stubble look. Thank God he wasn't wearing that idiotic hat. Stephanie, on the other hand, cleaned up brilliantly and looked really cute last night.
7. For the Asian kitchen, I would have chosen Mark. But I have to say, this whole 'pan-Asian' thing is absurd and has been for ages. Japanese miso, Filipino dessert, Chinese pot stickers, Malaysian soup, soy and mango? Bourdain's right - Asia is big. There's no way you can do all of it well. Might as well throw in a satay, a dhosa, borscht, and some falafel. That's Asian too! lame. The so-called gastropub chose well. Nice work.
8. I was SO glad that Stephanie won. I have a lot of respect for her and Richard. Probably the only two I'm actually pulling for still. I dislike all of the other chefs. Spike probably the most, then Lisa, then Antonia. They ought to be replaced by Jen, Andrew, and Manuel.
9. Dale and Lisa's prior fight did really doom their restaurant from the beginning. Antonia couldn't have picked a more dysfunctional team to oppose - she chose amazingly well, but I think that the producers need to scale back that advantage for next season, since she by definition gets to choose *both* teams and can both play to win by picking the best people and play the game by shoving the conflicting personalities onto one team.
10. NO. Absolutely not. I think that Restaurant Wars has again eliminated a fine competitor before his time: remember Tre? I think the judges place too much emphasis on falling short in the leadership spot and not enough about whether someone cooked the food properly. His teary goodbye was really touching, and I'm not happy he's gone. Especially when Lisa, the other proprietor of the perma-sneer, is still in it.
I stopped myself before from saying that this was 'back to Top Chef's roots' because I've managed to find some videos online of seasons 1 and 2, and it's refreshed my memory as to how BAD the former seasons were. Good lord - some of them are painful!
1