1. Yes: by me. Carla is also disliked. Also by me.
2. I have - it wasn't pretty.
3. Sometimes there are situations in which "giving up" is the bigger thing to do. Recall when Howie left the frogs legs off the plate in the first challenge of season 3. Get them perfect or don't serve them (Said the Bourdain, "What is your major malfunction?" before being served up a quotation from his book). Indeed, sometimes giving up is in your best interests. This was not one of those times, and I'm sure it'll cost them on the blogs that they eliminated Jaime, who fought to the end, instead of Leah, who gave up. Ripert was asked "When Leah gave up ... what were you thinking?" His response: "Gone baby gone..." (Ripert's Q&A on Bravo's website).
4. Surprisingly human.
5. I have to imagine they were told to bring their knives, which might have been a clue. But then again, maybe they just have their knives surgically attached and think nothing of bringing knives through downtown Manhattan. Note to self: stay away from the filming of Top Chef.
6. Maybe, but she also put herself at that disadvantage because she was the one who didn't make time for the tasting. What was a bigger disadvantage was her attitude from the start that she didn't particularly like her dish. Tough.
7. Looked like it. Lobster, once you have it down, is easy to cook well, and from that point, it's all about the sauces and flavors (which we know Stefan can nail).
8. A dish is about the entire plate of food and not just cooking your proteins correctly. Unfortunately, the judges didn't seem to notice that when Ariane kept racking up wins early on with dull, uninspired food built around perfectly cooked protein. Tom's blog at Bravo notes that only Jaime was up for serious elimination - Leah and Hosea were basically safe.
9. I am both convinced that Leah and Hosea aren't going to be that stupid again and also that you really can't rig voting like this. You can try, but speculation gets us nowhere.
10. Stefan. Second will be Hosea.

Thoughts of my own: Carla really wants to *be* one of Eric Ripert's dishes? I've said it before, I'll say it again: Chef Ripert is sneering at you. Even when he's smiling, he's sneering. I'm a total Carla hater. I know she's grown on a lot of people, but I'm not one of them. Hosea has proven himself strong but motivated by jealousy more than his own drive, and that's going to get him. Stefan has gotten a lot of recent breaks (eel, dairy in the oats challenge) but I think he's on a roll. And darnit, I really liked Jaime. She'd been in my top three for a LONG time now.

Ugh. I didn't get to watch this episode yet, but I can't BELIEVE they eliminated Jamie! Especially over Leah (why is she still there?!). Jamie was definitely one of the best ones there.

I am still very sad jamie is gone! i don't know who my favorite is anymore! i am allergic to all fish so I can't really comment on the food at all. I love Eric Ripert. He can be a guest judge anytime and I will be happy. I don't feel a sneer at all! I really feel that Leah should have gone, giving up in a quickfire! Get rid of her. I am also a total Leah hater. I am going to have to go with the Euro's and Carla from now on. I will go read Tom's blog now to see what he had to say. So sad. team Jamie!!!!

Jamie just didn't seem like her heart was in it anymore, did anyone else kinda feel that? She was my fave, and I'm sad to see her go.
I am LOVING Carla... (I disliked her immensely at the beginning of the season, btw.)
I thought Eric was awesome, so gracious, so humble...
I still don't get how Leah stays on episode after episode... she GAVE UP? Jebus! You don't GIVE UP. EVER.
And now my boyfriend and I count how many times she touches her hair or her face while cooking. She's gross. She had better not make top 3. She's uninspired and whiny. (can you tell how I feel about Leah? lol)
Stefan is going to take the show, he's just too consistently good. I think it might come down to Stefan, Hosea and Carla.

1. No, but she would like you to think so. I think it's silly, she constantly feels lack of confidence in her abilities and the dishes she prepares, unless it's puff pastry of course.
2. Yes, filled a Herring, I am Russian, we catch our own fish in the old country.
3. She needs to go home, she caught a lucky break when Arianne was sent home for after Leah sabotaged her, and she should have been sent home last night.
4. That was their finest? I couldn't tell, Jaimie had hoop earrings on... >.

1. Is Carla underestimated?
Yes, I think she is. I didn't like her at first but now I'm rooting for her. She's one of the only "real" people there, she's not pretentious. Based on the last couple of challenges I think she has a lot more talent than we all thought.

2. Have you ever filleted a fish?
Nope, but I wouldn't mind learning.

3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge?
I am so sick of her and her immature, piss poor attitude. The fact that she is still there amazes me. She doesn't know what she's doing, she needs a few more years under her belt before attempting to compete in a competition such as Top Chef.

4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch?
They looked like nice, I guess. I wasn't really paying attention to their attire, I was more excited about the food at Le Bernardin.

5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin?
If they had any common sense they would have figured it out, at least when they went there for lunch and were trying SIX dishes and there is SIX of them left. Duh.

6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste?
I think Jaime's disadvantages were all self inflicted. She didn't like her dish, she continuously noted that she hadn't prepared those ingredients in those ways, she probably didn't make herself very personable or available when Eric was in the kitchen. I think in a lot of ways she had already given up mentally before the challenge actually started.

7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate?
Well, it's easy to over cook lobster... BUT I agree that his dish was pretty simple, especially the hollandaise sauce... I mean come on, that's cooking school 101.

8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not?
A little, I thought Leah should have gone. Though I was getting tired of Jaime too, so I was glad to see one of them get the boot.

9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple?
I don't think so, then again I wouldn't put it past them... it's IS a reality show first and foremost!

10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win?
Stefan or Carla

Hey Spiderlove, I noticed the same thing about Leah, how she's constantly touching her hair while cooking, I pointed it out to my husband... it's soooooooo gross! She needs to be gone!

I can't believe they sent Jaime home.
And over LEAH. Blech.
I'm not sure I want to see who wins. I guess I'll route for Fabio. :/

1. I'm sure that she is, and until the last two episodes I would've said with good reason.
2. Nope. It seems like such a daunting task.
3. She's so lame. Why would you give up? Just keep going, even if it's turning out badly. You'll at least get some respect that way.
4. Not bad for the most part, although with some of them you can sort of tell that they're usually behind the scenes.
5. I don't know how you could not know that the lunch would turn into a challenge if you've ever watched the show. If they weren't prepared for that I'd be shocked.
6. I don't think so, because what mattered was the celery, and it didn't seem like she'd have time to re-braise it.
7. I've never made lobster myself, so I don't know about that, but it did seem like the least complicated of the sauce combinations.
8. Yes! I thought it was a seafood challenge, and the problem with her dish centered around the celery. I honestly thought that Hosea might go because the spice, the sear, and the resting was off on his fish. Maybe I'm just projecting my desire for him to go.
9. Ugh, maybe, although mostly what they're getting from the two at this point are the douchey remarks from Hosea about Leah's cooking and Stefan's ego, which actually seems to be diminishing with further wins.
10. I'm thinking Stefan. I thought Jamie had a good chance too, but clearly not. I will literally stop watching if Hosea wins though. That dude belongs on Tool Academy, not Top Chef. Every time he opens his mouth now I cringe.

Just as an aside, I may never eat eel again after the nailing/ripping scene.

1. Yes! I think she's very talented but is not all about shoving it in people's faces
2. no! it looks hard!
3. she should not have given up but then again she doesn't seem to be as determined as the rest of the contestants
4. great!
5. they probably had a feeling, why else would they get a free lunch?!
6. nah, she just messed that up
7. probably, but it's still hard to make it exactly like the original
8. yes it was kind of a let down because jamie is significantly better than leah
9. of course
10. I can only hope that stefan will get cut soon and carla will end up suprising everyone!!!

I love Carla. I've always liked her and I'm glad that she is showing her skills now. I'm not really a fish eater so I wouldn't have eaten anything except for the lobster, lol. I was sad to see Jamie go, but I didn't like her. When she used to complain about how she wasn't winning that turned me off to her. But I do dislike Leah more than Jamie, so I wanted Leah to be kicked off first. Hopefully she will be next. I really am a Leah hater. She's so whiny and who just gives up on a challenge. To me that was unacceptable and should have sent her home in addition to the fact that she didn't do her dish right.

1. Is Carla underestimated?
-I think she's better than I originally gave her credit for. However I don't think she's going to win Top Chef.

2. Have you ever filleted a fish?
-No.

3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge?
-Why is she still there?

4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch?
-Honestly I didn't even notice.

5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin?
- They probably had an inkling when they were eating lunch there. They don't do things for no reason - you know what I mean?

6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste?
-I think so. He could have given her some useful tips for a more successful dish.

7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate?
-Maybe. I think that's irrelevant though. A lot of times the easiest dishes are the hardest to recreate because there's a certain expectation of that dish, so in order for it to be successful you really need to nail it.

8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not?
- Yes.

9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple?
- For all the recent mess-up's that Leah has been featured making, it seems to be the case. However, I'm not tasting her food first hand, and have to take the judges decision for it.

10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win?
-I'm rooting hard for Stefan & Fabio.

I don't consider myself a picky eater or particularly squeamish, but the eel scene about did me in!!!

I'm very sad about Jamie - I can't believe they eliminated her based on the underpinning of her dish instead of Leah who has a poor attitude all around. I know they often say in the blogs that the judges aren't aware of the attitude and they judge based on the food, but they ALL knew about Leah, who then stood in front of judge's table and acted like she really didn't know what she did wrong. So I don't get it. When Tom asked whether you want a chef who knows what they did wrong and can correct it vs a chef who's not sure what she's doing, I thought Jamie might still have a shot of staying...but no. Very sad.

I also thought it was pretty lame that Stefan won by doing the easiest dish. I'd have preferred that one of the people who got a more complex dish and still did it very well should've won.

3. I really don't like Leah. She just acts like a quitter and doesn't take responsibility. I wish they'd kick her off already!

7. I don't know if Stefan's was easiest to recreate, but he's incredibly talented as a chef. He's cocky, but he can back it up.

8. Leah needs to go home. Hosea needs to go home. Jamie should've been in the top four.

10. I really want Stefan and Fabio in the top two. I think Stefan should win, with Fabio in a close second.

1. Is Carla underestimated?
2. Haha no I have never filleted a fish. I wouldn't even know where to start.
3. Even though I'm not a big Leah fan, I was so disappointed in her for giving up on the quickfire. Top chefs do not quit!
4. I don't really remember how the chefs looked at lunch, but didn't Jamie wear a t-shirt? Or was that just when she was giving commentary?
5. Even if they weren't told by the producers, they had to have known if they've ever watched an episode of Top Chef. Contestants don't just get time to play without any work (except for the team that won the Thanksgiving elimination challenge and got to go to the Foo Fighters concert, but that was AFTER they had done all of the work).
6. I don't have anything to say about Eric not tasting Jamie's dish. I think I missed that part.
7. I wasn't paying enough attention to tell how hard Stefan's dish was.
10. I think Fabio or Stefan will win. Probably Stefan because although he can be kind of a prick, he kicks butt in the kitchen.

omg they sent jamie home?!?!? noo.. and to reiterate everyone here, seriously her over leah?!??!?!

Gosh, I hate Leah so much... the only ones who impress me now are Stefan and Carla (for some crazy reason). I can't see her winning top chef, but whatever. I never seem to see much skill out of the others, only drama and whining (leah, I am looking at you! )

1. Carla was able to pull out some o fher classic training last night and leave the "love" aside. if she continues to do that then yes she might have been underestimated in the beginning.
2. i don't eat fish so i never have!
3. I don't like Leah so I definitely didn't like her giving up. Especially later on when she got to stay.
4. that was their finest?
5. haven't they had similar challenges in past seasons? they definitely should have had an idea
6. probably- he seemed to try and give contructive tips to everyone else
7. well he won the quick fire so he had the right to pick the easiest.
8. well Hosea got his sauce close to perfect so i wasn't surprised to see him stay- however Leah completely misinterpreted the sauce in her dish. i really wanted her to leave
9.i would hope not but it is reality tv so anything for ratings
10. i was rooting for stefan, fabio, and jamie but now i think it'd have to be stefan, fabio, and carla. keep a woman in there and i don't want it to be leah!

I need to catch up on this one!

I really wanted Jamie to win. I cannot stand Leah and she seemed so apathetic this week. I really loved this challenge though. I think it was one of the best they've ever done.

Leah frustrates me terribly, I hate when she screws up and does that immature pouty face and talks like the neural synapses in her brain started failing. Jamie was a much better chef and did not deserve to get sent home. I think that this was a Bravo influenced decision in order to stretch out the so-called "sexual tension" between Hosea and Leah. Grrrrr. I really want to believe that Tom Colicchio wouldn't allow this, but the heavy handed product placement reminding me that the Chef'testants cook on GE Monogram appliances and eat Quaker Oats while on their T-Mobile sidekicks are convincing me otherwise.

My boy and I have a longstanding joke (that's also kinda true) about Eric Ripert always picking the hot girl to win, so I guess with that said, I'm not surprised Leah stayed. But I am disappointed — and I really did think that properly cooking the fish should have been enough to save Jamie. I think all the chefs could have properly done their sauces with a recipe or more guidance, but cooking the actual fish is fundamental. I was really shocked when they called her name — I thought Ripert would save Leah and Hosea would go home.

I get a kick out of Carla, honestly, and she's my favorite of those remaining — not the best chef, necessarily, but the one I enjoy watching most. I honestly never would have guessed that her training was in classical French cuisine . . .

I do think Stefan had the easiest dish of the challenge, because the only element he really had to observe and redo himself was the hollandaise (and that wasn't perfect!). But he's shown himself to be a savvy game-player, so I wasn't surprised he picked it.

It's starting to look more and more inevitable to me that Stefan is going to win. The only person who I think could really outcook him head-to-head is Jamie, mostly because their styles are so different, and with her gone, I don't know who can really compete with him — the others are so inconsistent.

I think Leah should've been gone since her sauce was so off the mark, and she gave up the quickfire. Seems like she's staying b/c it would be a good dramatic plot for the show.

I am really bummed that Jamie left. She is clearly the better chef than Leah. I think they should have stuck with their original argument that at least she knew how to fix her mistake and Leah did not. I think it was a bad decision that makes me really dislike this season.

Ugh! Leah should have been cut like three weeks ago.

Top Chef FAIL!

First, those eels were terrifying....

Second, JAMIE OVER LEAH WTH?
I yelled at the TV... it is pure insanity that Leah is still there at all and then they had a chance to send her whine-y butt home and they sent Jamie home instead! Booooooo....hisssss

1. I think she is underestimated because she comes off a little crazy at times. I still remember the "GAAAAAAAAAAAAIL! Where are you GAAAAAAAAIL!"
2. Nope, I wouldn't stand a chance.
3. I'm surprised she didn't go because she gave up and it doesn't seem like she cares anymore.
4. That was their best?
5. If they were smart, they would know.
6. Maybe, but I think she was doomed when she said "I wasn't inspired by any of this."
7. Yes, but he won the quickfire so he was smart.
8. YES!!! The dish was about the seafood...she got it right.
9. Haha, the boyfriend and I suspect that's why they kept them there.
10. Stefan

Carla is a bit underestimated. She's a good chef but I don't think she's necessarily worthy of the Top Chef title.

1. Is Carla underestimated?
Sometimes, yes.

2. Have you ever filleted a fish?
I have never cooked or filleted anything.

3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge?
I'm still surprise that Leah is here. She is a whiny wh*re.

4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch?
I think Jamie could have looked nicer, but they all looked beautiful.

5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin?
I hope they did. I think that a few of them did.

6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste?
He didn't?

7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate?
Yes. Apparently lobster is easy and him and Hosea knew the ingredients already.

8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not?
HELL YEAH! I'm soooooo upset about that!!!

9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple?
Probably!

10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win?
Beats me. I hope it isn't Hosea or Leah. I don't care if it is Fabio, Stefan, or Carla.

I'm so glad that Jamie is gone. She seemed so cocky and sure that she was going to win everything.

1. Is Carla underestimated? She's inconsistent -- either brilliant or a total disaster -- so I can't really say.
2. Have you ever filleted a fish? No. That's why God gave us supermarkets with seafood departments.
3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? Typical whiny Leah.
4 How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? Meh.
5 Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? They didn't appear to but they sure should have. There ARE no "just a relaxing lunches/dinners/nights on the town" at Top Chef!
6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? I don't think it would have made a difference.
7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? Yes, he was smart to choose it.
8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? True, but if your dish makes the judges gag, it doesn't matter what you did right.
9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? I'd say yes if either of them had a speck of personality. Yawn.
10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win? Stefan's been on a roll since Week 1; it's his to lose.

1. Is Carla underestimated? I think so. She's so warm and goofy that I think people forget that she's a serious chef.
2. Have you ever filleted a fish? No, and I'm sure that the world thanks me for it.
3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? I think she should have at least tried. She got one done, didn't she?
4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? Eh, they looked alright. I wasn't really focused on how they dressed.
5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? Of course. Surely they realize that everything they do has a catch at this point. Or they've watched the previous seasons of Top Chef. This challenge was done before (but with only one dish to recreate).
6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? Slightly. She should have gotten some feedback like everyone else. But in the end, she screwed up several components of her dish that Eric could not have commented on.
7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? Absofreakinlutely. Carla should have gotten that win because she nailed it and hers was much harder.
8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? Leah should have gone because she screwed up the sauce and the fish.
9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? I think the relationship is over now. They could have concentrated more on the fact that Stefan kept kissing Jamie in this ep.
10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win? Stefan, easily. I think it will be a battle of the baldies in the end with Carla as the third person. Things don't look so good for Fabio based on the preview for next week.

The eels freaked me out. And I cracked up when Carla said she wanted to be Eric's dish when she grew up.

I thought they sent someone home last season for a huge mistake they made in the Quickfire, but I can't remember who. I really think Leah should have gone home, but if Jamie's celery was as inedible as all of the judges said on their blogs, then I understand why she's gone.

I bet Leah will go next week, and Stefan, Fabio and Hosea will be in the finals. Stefan is probably going to win, which will only inflate his gigantic ego.

I have to say it, I was rooting for Jamie to go home after what she said about the food at lunch. It was just so cocky and ungrateful. That challenge was a wonderful learning experience and an opportunity to be around great food that many chefs would die for and she said she was bored with the food. Most people don't even get the chance to eat at Le Bernardin let alone cook there. It also didn't make any sense. What does inspire her? She's claimed that it's cooking beautiful ,simple food with fresh, seasonal ingredients, which is precisely what they do at Le Bernardin, but somehow that food bored her. Searing scallops over and over again seems to be her culinary point of view.

Also if I go to a restaurant and something on one of the dishes is inedible, that's the dish I'm sending back, not the dish with a strange sauce. After all, Top Chef is about being a viable chef, and chefs that send out food that simply can't be eaten don't become top chefs or Top Chefs.

*Full disclosure, I did ask to go to Le Bernardin for my Birthday this year and it is still four months away, so yeah, I resent people being "bored and uninspired" by the food there.

1.YES YES YES. for the first few shows, i had no faith in her, but learning now that she's a french trained chef - that makes it more interesting to me. i can't wait to see what she does - and i have a feeling that she may surprise us in the finale...when she gets there
2. GOODNESS NO and i hope i never will.
3. i feel like she does that a lot - and hopefully she'll realize that it really does make her look like she's not worthy of being on the show and in the competition
4. to be honest, i didn't even pay attention to that - i knew what the challenge was going to be and that's what i paid attention to
5. after watching the show for the previous seasons, i don't know how they couldn't figure that one out.
6. maybe...although she knew what she did wrong and that wouldn't have changed even if Eric did taste it.
7. yes - it had the fewest components
8. yes and no. i thought she'd last at least another episode, but i guess the judges were just tired of her.
9. no - i think that they figure hosea will be fan favorite or something...
10. i kind of feel like carla might..i don't know why - and i CERTAINLY wouldn't have said that a few weeks ago, but she's surprising me.

Is Carla underestimated? yes, I think so but I don't think she's among the strongest.

Have you ever filleted a fish? no!

How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge? i thought for sure her goose was cooked - oh how wrong i was.

How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch? just like any other average person.

Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin? no. could it be that the Bravo crew collected their knives and brought them along?

Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste? yes.

Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate? yes - it had the fewest ingredients.

Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not? yes, i wish leah was the one to go. hopefully next week...fingers crossed.

Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple? yes

With only five cheftestants left, who will win? would love to see fabio but suspect it will be stefan. so much for the american chefs!

1. Is Carla underestimated?
incredibly, YES!! like many of the above, i disliked her from the onset but over the weeks, she's been able to show off her skills and i'm going to take a wild guess that impressing eric ripert ain't an easy thing to do. i was actually surprised she lost the elim challenge to stefan who had the easiest dish of the night.

2. Have you ever filleted a fish?
yes, once, and never again. first of all, i hate the taste of fish, secondly, what a pain.

3. How did you feel about Leah giving up on the quickfire challenge?
unrespectable. you just do. not. give. up. lame--which pretty much sums her up.

4. How did the chefs look dressed in their finest at lunch?
not bad! as much as i think hosea's a loser for hooking up with leah, the dude looks good. and ditto for stefan and fabio.

5. Do you think the chefs knew they would be cooking at Le Bernardin?
if they were thinking on their feet and able to recall past seasons, YES.

6. Did Jamie have a disadvantage because her dish was the only one that Eric did not taste?
she had the disadvantage probably because she put herself there. from the onset she allowed herself to be uninspired by that dish and it obviously affected her performance to the point where she was so behind she didn't have anything ready for him to give feedback on.

7. Was Stefan's dish the easiest to recreate?
YES.

8. Were you surprised to see Jamie go when she cooked her fish correctly and Hosea and Leah did not?
obviously. other agendas resulted in the ridiculous decision to send her home. there's no defense for this...the producers should just fess up to their BS.
9. Did Bravo keep around Leah and Hosea because they hoped more romantic sparks would fly between the couple?
obviously.

10. With only five cheftestants left, who will win?
as obnoxious as stefan is....i hope he wins. he's clearly the most gifted. if not stefan, then Carla. she's a little kooky, but she can delivery the goods.

down with leah! and her whining incompetence.

oh...and i might be in love with fabio. a little bit.