After weeks of challenges that forced chefs to do things like use microwaves and shop in convenience stores, the cooking got serious in the second half of the Top Chef finale and the two finalists, Harold and Tiffani, were finally asked to show the judges their full range of culinary abilities - sans gimmicks. Working separate kitchens at the MGM Grand, Harold and Tiffani had to create 5-course tasting menus to feed eight prestigious judges.
There was only one twist to the episode. Since both chefs needed help to prepare their meals, Dave, Stephen, LeeAnne and Miguel were brought back in to help out. Instead of assigning them to one of the chefs, they were asked to pick whose team they would prefer to be on. Dave, LeeAnne and Miguel all said they wanted to cook for Harold, while Stephen picked Tiffani. Judging from his comment of "Let's keep things interesting" when he said Tiffani's name, it was clear that he would rather have worked with Harold, but recognized that someone would have to be on Tiff's team. Harold, forced to choose between Dave and Miguel, had them draw knives to see what team they would join and Dave ended up with Stephen and Tiffani.
Harold planned his menu and wine pairings with the help and input of Miguel and LeeAnne. He knew that they wanted to help him, but would be more dedicated to the cooking process if they were cooking some of their own dishes. He ended up with a fairly "safe" menu that played to his strengths, as well as to Miguel and LeeAnne's. Harold cooked first and, to avoid having to stand in front of the judges for an extended period of time, wrote out a menu to place on the table. His menu included:
- Seared Scallops with Blood Oranges
- Olive Oil Poached Bass
- Pan Roasted Quail with Foie Gras and Cherries
- Duo of Kobe Beef and Beef Short Ribs
- Fig Tart with Three Cheeses
The judges included Lorraine Bracco, whose wines had to be paired with every course, Michael Mina, Hubert Keller, Drew Nienporent and Dona Cowan, in addition to Gail, Tom and Katie. They liked all the dishes, but found the bass to be underseasoned and Katie got a bad cut of the fish. Hands down, their favorite dish was the beef duo. The judges also thought that the three cheeses selected with the fig tart were outstanding. Overall, they thought the menu was fairly conservative, but well-executed, with a good progression from course to course, and that all the wine pairings were good. When the judges asked who he cooked for, he said that he tried to please both himself and the client.
Tiffani, on the other hand, went the "innovative" route, preparing 10 courses instead of 5. She told her team members what she wanted done. Stephen had to try to pair the wines with her pre-selected menu items and Dave volunteered to do the desserts using the recipes that he had prepared for himself to use in the finals. She instructed Dave and Stephen not "to talk at all in the kitchen" as they worked, though they did show up a bit hung over and continued to drink while cooking for her. This did not seem to have a negative impact on her dinner because she insisted on doing most of the work herself. Her menu included:
- Seared Scallops with Ramps and Squid Ink Reduction/Scallop Crudo with Citrus
- Artichoke "Risotto"/Crispy Fried Artichokes with Dip
- Steamed or Crispy Branzino
- Saltimbocca/ Veal with Minted Peas and Spinach
- Bread Pudding / Passion Fruit Panna Cotta each with a cocktail pairing
The judges said that they didn't get the "duality" theme that Tiff tried to explain to them. Unlike Harold, she went out with each course to explain its components, prompting all of the judges to complain that the food was getting cold while they waited for her to finish talking. There was one misstep with the wines on Tiffani's menu, but it seemed clear that she would have been in deeper trouble if Stephen hadn't been there, given that she has had problems with wine pairings in the past. The judges loved the faux "risotto, " declaring that it was the best dish of the night, and were very impressed that the wines paired so well with the artichokes. The branzino course was a "disaster" and both the scallop and veal courses were good but unimpressive. The desserts (prepared by Dave) and cocktails (prepared by Stephen), on the other hand, were raved about. When asked who she cooked for, Tiffani said that she cooks for herself.
At this point, I'll mention that the viewers were able to phone in their votes for who should win and 93% wanted Harold to win.
At the final judges' table, the sous chefs were called in to discuss the meal. Stephen commented that he was impressed by Tiffani's choice of such an ambitious menu and both he and Dave noted that Dave did all the desserts. LeeAnne and Miguel said that it was wonderful to work with Harold and they supported him as best they could. All four picked Harold as their choice to win.
At last, Harold and Tiffani were called in to the judging table. Tiffani tried to take all the credit for Dave's dessert, saying that he had executed her ideas perfectly. She declared that she should win because she is a risk taker. Harold said that he should win because he was a consistent performer and is a "top chef" because he can inspire people to want to work for him, since it is impossible to run a restaurant alone.
Harold won.
Though Tiffani's high points were higher than Harold's, her lows were lower. It looks as though she is very talented, but less focused on what her personal style is than Harold, who knows what he can do best and does it. Harold was the right pick, but we probably won't be seeing the end of Tiffani, whose ambition is sure to take her on to culinary success.
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