Top Chef D.C.: Kevin Wins Top Chef

That is the look on Kevin's face when Padma told him he was Top Chef.

There have been spoilers on the Internet for some time now that Kevin was the winner. And a lot of people grousing about it not being right that Kevin should win, as in another bad winner, like Hosea, a few seasons back.

I don't see it that way. I do remember being appalled when Hosea was named Top Chef.

I sort of thought Angelo was going to win, after recovering, miraculously from his near death experience with some vile virus that an anti-biotic shot seemed to abate.

Kevin's sous chef was last season's Top Chef, Michael Voltaggio. Angelo's sous chef was the amazing past Top Chef, Hung. Ed got Ilan. I think that is how you spell his name. Ilan is not one of the more popular past Top Chefs. Illan turned out a lame dessert, compared to Angelo's and Kevin's. That may have been his downfall.

While Kevin's dessert was all sorts of brilliant. They are in Singapore, so Kevin invents The Singapore Sling 2010. Non-alcoholic.

I was okay with any of the 3 winning. They were all likable in their own way. Kevin has a nice back story. Has worked hard, married, kids to support. I did not realize until he said so, at the end, that he is African-American, as in the first African-American to win Top Chef. I somehow assumed Kevin was Hispanic.

Angelo and Ed were very congratulatory towards Kevin, both completely gracious.

Great season of Top Chef.

Top Chef D.C.: Kelly Packs Her Knives & Goes From Singapore

Ed may a self-described douchebag, at least regarding how he treats Angelo, but he is one big douchebag on a roll, winning both the Quickfire and Elimination Challenges. Again.

After their arrival in Singapore, Kelly, Ed, Angelo and Kevin eventually met up with Tom Colicchio and some famous Singapore foodie who's name I could not possibly be expected to remember. The Singaporean took the chefs on a tour of Singapore street food.

And then they came to Padma, at the end of a long day of flying and eating. Padma gave the four 30 minutes to cook their version of Singapore street food. This was a super high states Quickfire. No money, but for the first time in Top Chef Final Four history, the Quickfire winner got immunity from elimination.

Everyone assumed Asian oriented Angelo would have this nailed. But, Ed beat Angelo. Again.

For the Elimination Challenge the 4 had to work as a team to feed 80 people at some event held by some well-know lady in the food business. Again, I don't remember the name. But, I'm sure she is famous.

The dinner was to be done restaurant style, as in waiters took orders and the chefs cooked the orders as they came in.

The night before the four decided to each do one dish. The next day Ed told the camera that he was making a 2nd dish. Then Colicchio arrived, all appalled the chefs were only doing one dish each, with Ed chiming in that he was already doing 2. So, now the other 3 had to whip out a 2nd dish.

There was an awful lot of unseemly sweating going on with all that pressure, particularly from Ed, who really had now pressure, because he had immunity.

The chefs worked real well together in the kitchen, there were some communication problems with the order takers and food deliverers. But other than that it was a way smoother dinner service than you ever see on Hell's Kitchen.

In the end Ed came out the winner, again, at Judges' Table.

Back in the stew room Angelo was sure he was out, due to comments made about his soup. Then the 3 were back at the firing line. Angelo lost his composure, so sad, due to being so sure, he was out. Then Kelly got the boot which really got Angelo sobbing. Angelo did not, til then, seem like a sobbing type of guy to me. Just like his food, he has layers of complexity that make him interesting. And just a tad weird.

Then the 3 finalists, Kevin, Ed and Angelo relaxed for a second before Padma shows up to tell them there is one more thing, and they need to see them back at Judges' Table.

From the previews I'm guessing what Padma has to tell them is that they have a group of former Top Chef chefs to choose from as helpers, like a heavily tattooed Voltaggio brother.

Top Chef D.C.: Tiffany Leaves While Angelo, Kevin, Ed & Kelly Go To Singapore

I was disappointed to see Tiffany go down in flames last night on Top Chef.

This week's Elimination Challenge was to prepare a freeze driable dish for the International Space Station.

The Chefs were introduced to the challenge by two astronauts on the Space Station. And one of those, for whom they were cooking, was Apollo 11 moon walker, Buzz Aldrin.

Tiffany ran into some woes with the mussels part of her dish. That may have been her downfall. But in the end, the judges had high praise for all 5, but, with at least one judge having some issue with at least one aspect of each dish. Particularly that very picky Frenchman, Eric Rippert, who was nicely counter-balanced, this episode, by the always amusing Anthony Bourdain.

Angelo won the high stakes Quickfire with his successful wine/food pairing. He won $10,000.

Each episode we seem to learn something new about Angelo. Weeks ago some were surprised to learn he had reproduced. Then there was the revelation of some of his rituals, like Angelo's shrine to chefs he worships. Last week we learned about Angelo's Russian mail order bride to be. And this week we learned that that child we learned about weeks ago was produced during Angelo's marriage to the kid's mother. They divorced because the wife's family had no respect for the chef profession, wanting Angelo to be a doctor or lawyer.

Angelo seems to be doing fairly well for himself. At least this week on Top Chef. He recovered from the fumbles of the past couple weeks and won the Elimination Challenge, which gave him a new Toyota Avalon, a trip to London, a trip to Cape Canaveral to watch a Space Shuttle launch. And a book by Anthony Bourdain.

For the finale Top Chef is leaving the United States for the first time, heading to one of my favorite places, Singapore. The previews showed Padma taking extreme umbrage against something Kevin said or did. That should be interesting.

So, it is a final four of Angelo, Kevin, Ed and Kelly. Why does Kelly smoke? Why would any chef smoke? I don't get it. Angelo or Ed for the win. I'd be saying Tiffany for the win. But she's gone.

Top Chef D.C.: Tiffany & Ed Dominating, Amanda Packs Her Knives and Goes

Last week on Top Chef it was Tiffany winning both the Quickfire and Elimination Challenges, making, I think, 2 in a row for Tiffany in the Elimination Challenge department. Tiffany won $10,000 and a trip to Paris. Tiffany was very happy to win a trip, due to getting married soon.

Last week Ed was hoping he'd win the trip because it would make his fiance happy.

This week Ed won the Quickfire, but it was not a High Stakes Quickfire, so no $10,000. But, Ed did win the Elimination Challenge and a trip to Australia.

Angelo has had a rough time of it the past 2 weeks. Early on Angelo seemed to be the chef to beat for Top Chef. Now, not so much.

I really like Tiffany. What an infectious laugh. She's funny and fair. Ed has also grown on me. Though I could have gone without seeing him walking around in Tiffany's dress.

Last week we learned, from Angelo, that he has a Russian mail order bride that had him hoping to win the $10,000 Quickfire so he could get her into the U.S.

This week we learned that Angelo has only met his mail order bride a couple times, but they talk for hours, almost every night. We got to listen to their lovey/dovey conversation. I won't say it was sickeningly sweet. However, at Judges' Table the Judges did say that the strange Asian themed hot dog, that Angelo made for the baseball stadium concession stand Elimination Challenge, was too sweet, And soggy.

Angelo started off, when we first met him, seeming to be a bit of an arrogant guy, but the way he owns it when the stuff he cooks is not good, makes him very likable. That and he is funny.

Last week we got rid of the annoying Alex, this week the annoying Amanda. I like all who remain. Except for Kevin.

Tiffany for the win. Or Ed. Or Angelo. Or Kelly.

Top Chef D.C.: Kenny Loses Restaurant Wars & Packs His Knives & Goes

This week's Top Chef was the Restaurant Wars episode. And once more Alex Reznik lucked out and did not get told to pack his knives and go. Even though he cooked nothing, with his dish cooked by Angelo and Ed, and with Alex botching being the restaurant's front man.

Alex was saved because his restaurant won the war.

Kenny Gilbert and Kevin Sbraga tried to throw Alex under the bus when they came before the Judges to answer for their cooking crimes.

Then back in the stew room, after being grilled by the judges, Kenny and Kevin ripped into Alex. This did not make Kenny and Kevin, especially Kevin, appear to be very good cooking sports.

Back at Judges' Table there was no consideration of taking Kenny's advice that it should be the non-cooking Alex who should be sent home because Alex did not conform to the rules of the competition, in that he did not cook a dish. Apparently, since Alex did have some role in it's preparation, that was good enough.

In the end it was Kenny who Padma told to pack his knives and go. Kenny seemed to constantly have a higher opinion of his cooking than anyone else did.

Alex and Amanda need to go next. I like Tiffany Derry or Angelo Soso for the win. I'd be okay with Ed Cotton winning. I don't want Kevin to be Top Chef after his childish ranting at Alex, even though Alex well-deserved it.

I also liked that this latest version of Restaurant Wars dropped the design the restaurant part, that was laborious to watch in past seasons. Hell's Kitchen also dropped the design your restaurant part if its finale, which also was an improvement.