Top Chef Recap 5.12: The Last Supper

February 12, 2009

We were down to the wire on last night's episode of Top Chef. With only 5 cheftestants left, they were truly put to the test in the final New York City elimination. Each had to make a special dish for a world-renowned culinary figure. Want to discuss the details? Well please (warning: spoilers ahead) read more.

Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge?
Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs!
What would be your last supper?
Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? I was!
Is Stefan overly confident?
Whose last supper dish was the weakest? Whose was the strongest?
Was Fabio the unfair winner? After all, his dish — roast chicken, potatoes, and salad — was an easy, home-style dinner.
Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table?
Are you surprised Carla made it this far?
Who are your picks for the final three? I'll start: Stefan, Hosea, and Carla.
Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? I can't wait!

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27 Comments

Pallas Athena 4 years 13 weeks

1. Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge? I can't say. I don't work on Top Chef. 2. Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs! Did they? I'm sure there have been longer quick fires in different seasons. 3. What would be your last supper? Pernil or spareribs. 4. Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? I was! I didn't watch Season 1. 5. Is Stefan overly confident? Sometimes....most times. 6. Whose last supper dish was the weakest? Whose was the strongest? Leah's was the weakest. So was Sefan's. I agreed with Fabio winning, although it didn't look too appetizing to me. 7. Was Fabio the unfair winner? After all, his dish — roast chicken, potatoes, and salad — was an easy, home-style dinner. Nope. The challenge was to make what the person wanted and not to stray too far from that. She just wanted a simple chicken and potatoes with salad. Everyone liked it. Go nine-fingered Fabio!! 8. Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table? No way. 9. Are you surprised Carla made it this far? Yes. I'm surprised that Leah made it this far! 10. Who are your picks for the final three? I'll start: Stefan, Hosea, and Carla. Carla, Stefan, Fabio. 11. Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? I can't wait! Yes! I wish they would do the final in NY.

wdeanne 4 years 14 weeks

1 Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge? Not sure about this one. 2 Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs! Yeah, I thought that was a bit much. 3 What would be your last supper? Something with thick savory bacon, butter and cheese. 4 Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? Yeah, I like him 5 Is Stefan overly confident? Yes, I thought he was going to get booted off yesterday. 6 Whose last supper dish was the weakest? IMO - Leah's Whose was the strongest? Fabio - all the dishes were simple comfort food, but they spoke as if his food was nice and savory. 7 Was Fabio the unfair winner? After all, his dish — roast chicken, potatoes, and salad — was an easy, home-style dinner. (See 6) 8 Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table? I don't think so; he actually seemed like a protective poppa. 9 Are you surprised Carla made it this far? Yes, but over the last few weeks she has really been doing her thing. 10 Who are your picks for the final three? Fabio, Stefan, and Carla. 11 Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? Oh yeah.

Ultress 4 years 14 weeks

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/top-chef/top-chef-5-conference-call-wit-26334.aspx ok..i might respect leah a smidge more after the reading the above. but not much.

Ultress 4 years 14 weeks

ditto on wanting hosea to be next to pack his knives--i'll be surprised if he makes it to the final 3.

Michelann 4 years 14 weeks

I'm hoping for Hosea to go home next. I cheered when Leah went home, too!

Read2me 4 years 14 weeks

Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge? I'm surprised he hasn't Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs! I think so. I was a little surprised too because it doesn't take long to cook eggs. What would be your last supper? a big porterhouse steak, broccoli, scalloped potatoes and key lime pie Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? I was! That was cool- they mentioned his restaurant too- can't beat free advertising Is Stefan overly confident? yup- he's starting to bug me- I'm glad he got knocked down a peg or two at judge's table Whose last supper dish was the weakest? Whose was the strongest? I thought Carla's was the strongest and Leah's was the weakest (it seems like such an easy dish too compared to the others) Was Fabio the unfair winner? After all, his dish — roast chicken, potatoes, and salad — was an easy, home-style dinner. I don't think it was unfair but I would have liked to have seen Carla win Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table? it's close to the end, he needs to be Are you surprised Carla made it this far? if you had told me in the beginning she would make it this far I would have been shocked but I think she is amazing and has really grown during the competition Who are your picks for the final three? Carla, Stephan and Fabio Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? YESYESYES!!!!

lindaloo 4 years 14 weeks

I SO wanted Stefan to go home. It would have been great to have him get this far and win so many challenges only to choke right before the final. I think the final 3 will be Fabio, Stefan and Carla. I am a little surprised she is still there but she has been the dark horse and picking up speed. She knows her stuff and has done well lately. I pulling for her.

chiefdishwasher 4 years 14 weeks

About time Leah went home....Stephan almost should have gone and I am tired of his overconfidence...Carla is a stealth tortoise and may end up winning....hog island oysters, lamb shanks, saffron rice, buttered carrots.

aimeeb 4 years 14 weeks

Fabio!! :love:

ilanac13 4 years 14 weeks

1. i don't know - it kind of sucks, but he does play it safe with his italian food a lot 2. well - they always talk about how it takes a long time to make the PERFECT egg - right? 3. a caprese salad w/ aged balsamic, and maybe vegetarian matzoh ball soup 4. i was - i knew that he had his place here, but it's nice to see that TC is really doing something to promote it even just a little 5. UM YES!!! 6. i think that Stephan really was the worst there - i thought that cooking salmon is something that i can do and was really unimpressed with his poor execution 7. his was easy, but so was carlas. i think that either would have been a good choice for a winner 8. no - i mean he has high expectations especially at this point in the competition. i was shocked though about how he was criticizing Stephan's dish, and yet later he sort of praised it 9. had you asked me during the 1st half of the season, then i would have said yes, but now i'm really gunning for her to win. i think that she can do it 10. Carla, Hosea and Fabio 11. i am - especially knowing that emerill loves his food to have spice and kick, and most of these chefs play it somewhat safe it seems

Leila07 4 years 14 weeks

Hmm. Last meal for me would have to be fried chicken, red beans and rice, and some sweet corn on the cob. Round out that meal with cole slaw and garlic bread and I could die fat and happy. :)

Leila07 4 years 14 weeks

I can't wait for New Orleans! I am glad Leah was out and I see Stephan, Carla, and Fabio as the final 3. I hope Carla wins, she makes simple and good food, and I love her philosophy and her attitude! Plus shes from DC.

tlsgirl 4 years 14 weeks

Now that I've had some time to think about it, I realized that no last supper of mine would be complete without a bucketful of crawfish and the smoked duck quesadilla from Coop's Place in New Orleans

verily 4 years 14 weeks

1. Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge? He totally overthinks things and screws himself up. 2. Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs! It seemed like it to me. An hour is plenty of time to overcook eggs too. 3. What would be your last supper? I discussed this while watching the episode. I decided my last meal would be chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a biscuit, and maybe some creamed spinach on the side. It's very simple and comforting, but can be hard to do right. 4. Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? I was! I love Harold; he's still my all-time favorite Top Chef winner and I'd love to visit Perilla. 5. Is Stefan overly confident? Yes and it showed in this episode. He's still the man to beat though. 6. Whose last supper dish was the weakest? Whose was the strongest? I was undecided between Stefan and Leah, but of course I was rooting for Leah to go. Fabio's and Carla's were the strongest. 7. Was Fabio the unfair winner? Nope, they were all relatively simple dishes. He won by doing it very well. 8. Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table? Didn't seem any worse than usual. 9. Are you surprised Carla made it this far? She's the underdog. 10. Who are your picks for the final three? I see it being: Stefan, Carla, and a toss-up between Fabio and Hosea. 11. Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? I love Emeril, so I can't wait!

doogirl 4 years 14 weeks

1. Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge? I don't know. Fabio is awesome, but I guess Stefan is a better chef! 2. Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs! Honestly I didn't notice the time they had. 3. What would be your last supper? A really greasy bacon cheeseburger with really crispy fries! Or my Grandma's vegetable beef soup! 4. Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? It was nice, I'm glad he's doing well. 5. Is Stefan overly confident? Not at all! He keeps winning the challenges, which means he's got the skills. Confidence is sexy! 6. Whose last supper dish was the weakest? Whose was the strongest? I'm going to go with Leah for the weakest, it was eggs benedict, not rocket science making it! And Fabio and Carla's were the strongest, they perfectly cooked the food they were requested to make, it was smart of them! 7. Was Fabio the unfair winner? After all, his dish — roast chicken, potatoes, and salad — was an easy, home-style dinner. No, it's not always easy to perfectly execute an "easy" dinner. And he did it with a broken finger! And he's awesome! 8. Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table? No! They need to be hollered at a little bit! There were cooking for top rank Chefs and they served what they served? C'mon, they were the top 5, Top Chef will elevate their careers, they need to act like they want to be there! 9. Are you surprised Carla made it this far? I'm proud of Carla! I think once she found her groove she figured it out! And she's bringing the love! 10. Who are your picks for the final three? Stefan, Fabio, and Carla! I think Hosea is a whiny wimp and can't wait to see him sent home next week! 11. Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? I am excited! I've really enjoyed this season of Top Chef!

partysugar 4 years 14 weeks

Well someone changes there hair every season. After they've seen themselves on TV. Remember Lisa?

tlsgirl 4 years 14 weeks

shoneyjoe - I think I actually gasped out loud at his hair! It's some weird mohawk thing.

megln1022 4 years 14 weeks

1. not sure! 2. was it longer- i didn't notice! i did like stefan's panna cotta with the yolk like center- that was very creative. carla's green eggs and ham i thought was actually less creative but pretty looking. 3. um spaghetti and meatballs with a side of french fries and homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert! 4. what was the name of harold's restaurant again? i want to go! 5. stefan is very confident- most of the time though be does back it up with skills- even other chef's say he's their main competition. last night though he didn't back it up. 6. i think leah's was the weakest because it should have been the easiest to make and she still blew it. and i thought fabio's was the strongest too. 7. all the meals were pretty simple requests so i don't think it was unfair fabio won on his- if anything he mananged to do it with a broken finger! but in the end its all about flavor and if his was best then he should win! 8. tom seemed a bit harder because of all the super fancy chef's to impress 9. yes and no. in the beginning i was surprised she was still around but lately she's been legitimately beating others out so i'm not as suprised anymore 10. i wan fabio, stefan, and carla 11. SO excited for new orleans!

shoneyjoe 4 years 14 weeks

One more thing I just remembered. Did anyone gasp when they saw Fabio's new hair on the "next time..." teaser? What did he *do* to himself?!?

tlsgirl 4 years 14 weeks

1. I don't much remember his earlier quickfire dishes, so I can't really say. 2. How could you take an hour to make eggs? They cook in two seconds! 3. Something with bacon - maybe I would just eat a whole bunch of BLT's (with cheese since I love them that way) since I usually only let myself eat one. 4. I fast-forwarded through the commercials. Or do you mean that they ate at his restaurant? 5. No - he's earned the right to be very confident, although he was clearly mistaken about being unable to mess up his piece of salmon. 6. Well, Fabio's was strongest since it won, and I agree with the judging, although I wish they'd sent Hosea home too. 7. Most of those were easy, home-style dinners though, so I don't think he had much of an advantage. Besides, it's sometimes difficult to impress with something simple. 8. No more than usual really, and they are getting to the end so the stakes are higher. 9. Not as surprised as I am about Leah. Yeesh. 10. Stefan, Hosea, and Carla, although I would love to replace Hosea with Fabio. Hosea is a tool. He ticks me off every time that he opens his mouth now. Douchenozzle. 11. So excited, especially since I've been missing it so much lately!

shoneyjoe 4 years 14 weeks

1. I think he overthinks. 2. As with the frozen foods challenge from season 3, the time allotted is a clue to what the judges are looking for (remember they had an hour the following morning to assemble their individually frozen foods, but most people had just slopped crap in a tupperware and that was it?). If Wylie wants to give me an hour to cook eggs, I'm going to damn well use the entire hour. 3. We discussed this last night among my friends. It's a tossup between what I really enjoy eating and what I remember from my childhood. But it comes down to my grandmother's tempura shrimp, my father's steamed mackerel with white rice and a side or two, and my girlfriend's linzer cookies. 4. Absolutely. It's so good to remember the good winners, like Harold and Stephanie. I respected Ilan and Hung for their food, but I really didn't like them as characters. 5. Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Don't forget though - in all 4 seasons, the first elimination winner has gone on to win. 6. I thought Fabio's looked fantastic. And I thought Leah's was the weakest. 7. All of the dishes were "easy, home-style dinners." Even squab. I think it's telling that the icons of the culinary world wanted a last meal that was easy and simple. I think it's food that fired them up to get into the kitchen, not food that they particularly *love* to eat now. 8. I thought Tom was bleeding uncharacteristically for Hosea. He's hard on them, but I think he knew Jacques Pepin was not going to be. Contrast that to the superbowl challenge when the judge was a total hardass - Tom was a lot nicer in that episode. 9. Yes. And I think she skated by a couple of times. 10. Stefan, Fabio, Hosea. 11. I am excited. Definitely looking forward to it. A few thoughts of my own. Fabio has only been called out for possible elimination only once (episode 10). Stefan has been considered twice now. Carla 3 times, and Hosea 4. Carla has been playing the game well - do dessert, do basic proteins, be simple. I respect the strategy, but I'm unimpressed by the chef. I was amazed at how perfect some of the chef pairings were: Fabio and Lydia? Stefan and Marcus Samuelsson? Amazing. Finally, I've never seen a slow-poached egg before. What's that all about?

amelioratelj 4 years 14 weeks

I am very glad Leah got the boot-should have happened ages ago- although I thought Stefan's dish was clearly the worst. Looking at it on the TV I could see his salmon was WAY overcooked- I was shocked he made such an obvious error and was surprised when they told him. I think Stefan is too cocky and rude- although he has proven to be an excellent chef-excluding last nights failure. My top three would be Fabio, Carla, and Stefan.

mswender 4 years 14 weeks

I actually cheered when they told Leah to pack her knives!!! about the quickfire, the last time Wylie Dufresne was there people tried to do molecular gastronomy and all he wanted was some good food. so I wasn't surprised that Fabio was in the bottom. I didn't realize how long then had. Go Carla!!! I was trying to think of what my last supper would be and my favorite meal is Thanksgiving, anything with stuffing!!! It was great to see harlod again, I really want to go to Perilla!! I really liked this challenge because the best food is your comfort food, roast chicken and roast potatoes may be simple but it is so wonderful and a lot of people seem to mess it up sometimes. It looked amazing. Though I thought Carla did an awesome job as well, I love peas!! My picks are Stefan, Carla and Fabio for the final three. there is something about Hosea that I don't like. I would really like to see Carla take it right now. I really didn't like her at the start, but now I love her! I am very excited for the finale, but after that there will be no more Top Chef and I will be sad!

Spiderlove 4 years 14 weeks

Yay! Leah is GONE! I'm happy for Fabio, I think he's a pretty good chef. He has a great attitude. (except when they were teasing him about his "airplane salad"! He was getting soooo annoyed! lol) I am just in love with Carla. I hope she sneaks in and takes it ALL. I think she has it in her. And I know most people were all annoyed by her "Putting the love in it" comments, but I wholeheartedly believe in that! I want someone with that philosophy to win! Top 3: Carla, Stefan, Fabio. I think Hosea's number will be up shortly.

Chaoticfury 4 years 14 weeks

I'm really glad Leah left! I would love the final three to be Fabio, Carla, and Hosea.

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