Top Chef: Season 3

[TAPrice]

Is the finale tonight live or was it taped a while ago? How long ago?

[zeffer81]

Is the finale tonight live or was it taped a while ago? How long ago?

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The guide says it's live from Chicago. 1 hour long.

[Curlz]

My cable system says it's 1hr 15 mins...

[oneidaone]

Ohhhhhhhhh, we've got to wait so long to know the winner! I'll have to keep myself occupied not to check this thread later as most of you will know way before we do!

I met and interviewed Dale and even if I hadn't I'd be all for him. I think he's going to pull it out and win. He's defintely my pick of the night!

[pax]

Oh, hey, that was a fun surprise when the sous chefs came out.

[butterscotch]

.... so Hung's menu is focused on being as Asian as he can make it....

This is why he seems to have no soul- he is formulaic and reactive- stressing technique like a robot. He lacks a point of view, No one know's what his food is except for "well excecuted". He's too young to realize method isn't everything -you have to be focused on something other than winning.

He'd be cooking Chimp Buttocks if Tom told him to. Seriously.

[butterscotch]

Is the finale tonight live or was it taped a while ago? How long ago?

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I cannot figure this out... Padma is live in Chicago- but the cooks are in Aspen- in DAYLIGHT?

It's not still bright out in Colorado is it?

*confused*

Until a few minuyes ago, I thought they were flyng to Chicago to feed Marcel....?

[Curlz]

I think cooking was done in the last few days in Aspen, but the judge's table and announcement of the winner is what will take place live in Chicago tonight.

[Curlz]

I'm officially gunning for DALE.

[butterscotch]

I think cooking was done in the last few days in Aspen, but the judge's table and announcement of the winner is what will take place live in Chicago tonight.

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Doh! So they are judging live in front of an audience filled with their friends and family!

I think they tried very hard to edit the comments so they sound equally likely to win.

thay all had some good and bad comments. I have no clue who's going to win.

[KristiB50]

The contestants said they watched the show so I think it ended some time ago and they had to wait to see who won?

Rocco to Hung: "we should open a restaurant together. Then Tony won't know who's the better chef."

Dale called Todd English his "Prep Bitch"

Casey fell apart. I think, based on those dishes the right chef won.

[Mayhaw Man]

If they opened restaurants next door to each other, I would eat in Dale's first. I would order that duck fat poached chop while I was sitting at the bar waiting on a table.

I want food, not foam (This would be a fine bumper sticker, I think )

[BigboyDan]

Hung's a sous for Guy Savoy for Heaven's Sake, he should have won, and did... reminder: technique counts in the restaurant kitchen biz, especially when judged by other kitchen chefs...

[matthewj]

I believe that they picked the correct "top chef" . If the voting was up to the "American Idol" voting crowd the wrong chef would have won.

It was summed up when all agreed that his dish was 3 star quality.

Because Hung was proficient he was wrongly saddled with a no-soul quality, which was I think was error. He was focused on winning, is that not the point?

[Pierogi]

Much as I hate to admit it, because I was not a Hung fan throughout the course of this season, he totally deserved to win based on the dishes presented in the finale.

Casey imploded, which was unfortunate. After so many stellar presentations, she just broke under the pressure, I guess. Her dishes didn't sound at all appetizing to me.

Dale did very well, but showed his inconsistency yet again, unfortunately. I was pulling for him when it became clear that Casey was sinking. I think if his lobster dish hadn't tanked SO badly, he might have pulled it out.

Hung did it. His dishes looked good, sounded good and were well received. Maybe we did see the "real" Hung as well, because he could work without artificial constraints. That may very well be what gave him the win.

But I agree with Mayhaw Man totally that Dale's restaurant would be my first choice (great quote too !), with Casey's a close second. Overall, their food spoke to me more.

All in all, a great finish. LOVED the twist on the sous chefs. Really good comments too, by Rocco on the blogs on the Bravo site.

edit because last time I checked there is only ONE "h" in with......

Edited October 4, 2007 by Pierogi (log)

[oneidaone]

Yes, it was. What an interesting twist. I still stand behind Dale no matter the outcome.

He'll go on to great things on his own as his plans dictate and has made a lot of friends and contacts along the way. He's a gracious guy and Casey is all class too! IMUA!!!!

Whoops! Spelled a word wrong!

Edited October 4, 2007 by oneidaone (log)

[Doodad]

I really enjoyed the sous chef bit of using noted chefs. Much fairer than potential sabotage that we have seen in the past. I understood the bit about them not being able to help conceptually, but that is not really a sous chef is it? Had to be done I guess. Rocco, could you shell those 200 shrimp once the grease trap is cleared? Thanks.

I hated, no loathed, the phony ending. It reeked of ham handedness. Did they take a cue from Food Network Star for that hokum? It was so obvious and painful to watch. Oh the suspense, oh the drama! Spare me.

Other than that, I thought the best chef won and I really enjoyed the finale. That lamb confit that Dale cooked made me hungry and I had just eaten.

[Vinotas]

After watching the episode it became clear that Casey had over-reached, whereas Hung took all that technical proficiency and threw it into his favorite dishes. That duck made me drool, though Dale's lamb had me wondering if he might be a dark horse winner. In the end, though, I think they chose the right Chef.

However, I hated the Final Apprentice-like format, I didn't like it when Trump did it and I hated it now.

All in all, I thought this season was much better than TC2. There was more emphasis on cooking and less on the personal dynamics/drama between the chefs. And the cooking challenges were more realistic, less "make something edible from a vending machine".

And damn, but Padma looked better than ever last night.

Best line of the night, as someone mentioned above, was when Dale called Todd English his "prep bitch".

Cheers!

[The Blissful Glutton]

I was happy to see Hung win. I had him pegged for a jerk at the beginning of the season, but I think he demonstrated solid skills and he wasn't as much of a "villain" as I expected him to be. His speech about his family's devotion to food really won me over--yes, I am a cheeseball. I'll support anyone with such fire for food.

[Al Abonado]

I can understand the need for the Apprentice-like finale. After last season's debacle with Ilan, I bet the producers decided a live finale will prevent any leaks about the results.

I was sad to see Casey collapse the way she did. Dale surprised me, and I got nervous that he would sneak in the win. That said, I'm happy Hung won, especially since he was my pick from the start. I never quite got the Hung hate all over the interwebz or all this jibber jabber about his lack of soul. Making that sort of judgement is hard to do without tasting his food. I also never understood comments about Hung's ability to run a kitchen. Both Sara and Rocco appeared to have no problem working with Hung. Rocco was even very complimentary towards Hung in Part 1 of his blog on the finale.

All in all, I enjoyed the finale. I'm happy with the result, and am now hungrier just thinking about it.

[Kevin72]

Not much new to add here. It would've been nice to see Casey win, and it was sad to see her fall apart like that. Totally didn't see that coming.

It must've really been hard on her 'cause she clearly knew from the cooking competition that she didn't have it, and had to go through the motions the past month or so.

Hung did deserve to win. He was in control from the get go last night and actually seemed to take the feedback he was given to heart, which I thought he was too arrogant to do and then that would be his undoing.

So I guess having 3 chefs go on did, in the end, make for better viewing since if it had just been Hung and Casey it would've made for boring viewing.

Both Hung and Dale came around in the latter half of the season. Hung got a lot goofier and started having fun, and Dale started really distinguishing himself as well.

I'd say the only thing I didn't like last night was the last minute add on of a 4th dish (loved Dale's remark about having to stop in the middle of prep) and then pulling some, ah, less distinguished cast offs back into the fold for the final wrap up. How cool would it have been for Tre and Hung to team up instead? Casey and Lia? Though Dale and CJ were fun together.

Edited October 4, 2007 by Kevin72 (log)

[Claudia Greco]

I'd say the only thing I didn't like last night was the last minute add on of a 4th dish (loved Dale's remark about having to stop in the middle of prep) and then pulling some, ah, less distinguished cast offs back into the fold for the final wrap up.  How cool would it have been for Tre and Hung to team up instead?  Casey and Lia? Though Dale and CJ were fun together.

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What I hated most about The Next Food Network Food Star-like ending was (aside from the hokey, played-out element) was the supercrappy low rez it was telecast in. I have both regular rez and high def channels, but what I saw last night looked like it had been taped, not live, and on badly stepped-on VHS tape from 1981 - I kept cutting back to regular broadcast channels to see if I was hallucinating. Nope. The live segements looked out of focus/ lenses covered in vaseline. Hello? Was Ron Jeremy in the house?

[Kevin72]

What I hated most about The Next Food Network Food Star-like ending was (aside from the hokey, played-out element) was the supercrappy low rez it was telecast in.  I have both regular rez and high def channels, but what I saw last night looked like it had been taped, not live, and on badly stepped-on VHS tape from 1981 - I kept cutting back to regular broadcast channels to see if I was hallucinating.  Nope.  The live segements looked out of focus/ lenses covered in vaseline.  Hello?  Was Ron Jeremy in the house?

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Bwahaha! Yes, it did look a little BBC Playhouse, didn't it?

Entertainment Weekly's blog on the finale is solid and funny again, particularly about Brian as a judge. And I'm furiously refreshing Bourdain's blog page for his summary as well.

[Claudia Greco]

What I hated most about The Next Food Network Food Star-like ending was (aside from the hokey, played-out element) was the supercrappy low rez it was telecast in.  I have both regular rez and high def channels, but what I saw last night looked like it had been taped, not live, and on badly stepped-on VHS tape from 1981 - I kept cutting back to regular broadcast channels to see if I was hallucinating.  Nope.  The live segements looked out of focus/ lenses covered in vaseline.  Hello?  Was Ron Jeremy in the house?

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Bwahaha! Yes, it did look a little BBC Playhouse, didn't it?

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I expected "Leonard Pinth Garnell" or Gemma Jones or Jean Marsh at any moment!!!

[rconnelly]

I think it was a tough call. Hung probably did deserve the win last night but Dale was certainly deserving as well.

What is really cool about the show though is that good chefs are exposed to the world and even though they may not win, their careers are enhanced.

i love it!