Top Chef Finale

I have to warn you, this was the most boring finale Top Chef has had to date! No real excitement. With two really good chefs and one sour puss, the only thing to hope for is that Lisa doesn't win. With that said, the chefs have to make a four course tasting menu. They get help from some famous chefs that I don't know. Actually, I did recognise the one with the accent since he has been a guest judge. Our top chefs aren't too sure how to go about working with the pros and Stephanie ends up hovering over her chef and she thinks she is offending him. Richard pulls out some of his gadgets which impresses all of the chefs & Lisa is getting along with her chef which surprises everyone, maybe because her chef is a woman.

Day two and chefs find out they are on their own with no pro-chef help. Lisa says she wants her menu to reflect her personality, big, bold, spicy and sweet. What part of Lisa is sweet?! Big and bold, yes, sweet, NOT! Chef Tom comes in to check on the chefs who don't seem to want to talk to him. All Richard would say is that his menu is abstract. Does that mean we won't be able to tell what it is on the plate? Lisa says she is on track and Stephanie is nervous about her dessert.

The setting for the final meal/judging is beautiful. Crystal chandeliers, fine china, fresh flowers all in a mansion in Puerto Rico. The only thing that would have made it better is if it were all open air. That would make any meal taste better. As the chefs present their courses, Stephanie seems to have won the first course with seared snapper in fois gras topped with salad greens. Lisa takes the second course with her coconut soup with lemon grass. I thought sure (hoping really) that Stephanie would beat Lisa with her lobster ravioli and quail egg but chef Tom had to jump in and ask the judges what they thought about the leeks which did her in.

Third course and Stephanie shines again serving lamb with mushrooms, blackberries, pistachios and olives. That sounds just awful but the judges loved it. Richard, who hasn't even shown up on the radar, comes through with dessert. He made a repeat of his banana scallop with bacon ice cream. Bacon ice cream?! Again, sounds terrible but the judges loved it.

At judges table, Richard tells the judges he choked while Stephanie says her dessert could have been better and, of course, Lisa thinks she did no wrong. The judges tell Stephanie just when they think they have her figured out she surprises them. At this point, I'm on the edge of my sofa thinking that comment could go either way and talking to the TV saying don't pick Lisa, PLEASE don't pick Lisa! The judges crown Stephanie Top Chef and I jumped up cheering like I was at a football game! Thank goodness! I was so afraid that Lisa was going to somehow pull it off again. Apparently Lisa thought so to because the look on her face would turn the judges hair white. Get over your bad attitude self Lisa! Congrats, snaps and kudos to Stephanie! Double D