Top Chef 2, episode 8 recap

Unlike most other episodes, this week's episode of Bravo's Top Chef got off to a quick start, spending less time than usual on the inter-chef drama in the apartments that they usually like to play up before any of the challenges take place. It was a busy episode and the chefs had enough to deal with during the challenges that we - the audience - didn't miss out on too much.

The theme of the episode was Holiday Spirit, and very appropriately, the quickfire challenge was a spirited one. Sponsored by Bailey's, the challenge gave the chefs 20 minutes to come up with an original Bailey's cocktail and a "bite" to accompany it. In the sense that the chefs were able to choose from Original, Chocolate Mint and Caramel flavors, it was actually quite similar to the drinkable desserts contest that the company is running now. The guest judge was mixologist Kristin Woodward.

Most of the chefs - with the exception of Michael, who seemed to have worked as a bartender - took a breath to say that they preferred their spirits straight and didn't like to waste time with cocktails. Considering that, just about everyone did an impressive job in the very small amount of time they had to work in with two exceptions: Elia Mia and Betty. Mia's presentation of her Beiley's and orange juice cocktail was completely uninspired. Betty made a rum and Bailey's float with lime juice, which curdled the cream-based liqueur in an extremely unappealing way. Neither drink tasted good and Kristin actually commented that she was afraid to taste Betty's because of its appearance. The lesson? Bailey's and citrus is not the very best idea.

It's really too bad that Bravo didn't post the recipes for the drinks, excluding the two losers of this challenge, because some of them sounded excellent, especially the drinks from the three top finishers. Michael's drink used caramel Bailey's, had a candy-coated glass rim and was served with a miniature ice cream sandwich. Sam made a Bailey's hot chocolate with eggnog french toast. Cliff, the overall winner, made a drink that used original Bailey's, rum, vodka and vanilla, paired with a tiny open-faced roast beef sandwich. He was rewarded with immunity.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs were told that they would be catering a cocktail party for 200, which would take place during LA Magazine's Holiday Party at the Warner Bros. studio lot. They were divided into two teams and told that they would be judged on taste, originality, leadership and "wow"-factor.

The Orange Team consisted of Marcel, Betty, Ilan and Sam, who was chosen to be the leader. Even though Betty and Marcel have a bitter history, the entire team worked very well together and put out a total of 12 or 13 dishes. Strangely, they never seemed to quite name all the dishes, but here are 11 of them: Confit of Pork Shoulder with Tomato Marmalade, Crab Cakes with Corn Salsa, Sesame Shrimp Skewers, Patatas Bravas, Ham & Cheese Croquetas, Mushroom Tarts, Vegetable Terrine with Red Pepper Coulis, Chorizo & Eggs Tostada, Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese, Pickled Mussels and a Croissant Bread Pudding with Chocolate Sauces. The judges weren't completely bowled over by anything, but they felt that the leadership was strong, the team did a good job keeping the table full and the guests happy and that, overall, they did a good job.

The Black Team consisted of Michael, Mia, Clif and Elia, who was chosen as the leader even though it seemed Cliff was doing a lot of the decision-making. This team had significantly more problems than the Orange team. Mia didn't like the seafood-only focus of the menu, nor did she like the fact that Elia and Cliff only wanted to have 4 dishes total. Mia was repeatedly silenced by Cliff and eventually went along with the program. Michael did what he was asked, but primarily seemed to be along for the ride. Their dishes were: Beef and Lobster Surf n' Turf, Seared Scallops with Belgian Endive & Ginger-Grapefruit Marmalade, Smoked Salmon with Avocado Mousse and Strawberries with Rosemary Mascarpone and Pancetta. The strawberries were the biggest hit, followed by the Lobster dish, which Cliff and Elia cut from the menu but decided to put back on when Michael and Mia protested. During the event, the team could not keep their table full of food in spite of the fact that they had far less to prepare than the Orange team.

The judges included Ted Allen, who filled in for Gail Simmons, and Lee Heffer, from Spago. The Orange team won and Sam, chosen as the overall winner, received a complete set of Global chefs' knives as a prize. The fact that the Black seemed to have done so much less than the Orange team and didn't work together well got them called to the judges table as the losing team. After Cliff and Mia had a big blowup in front of the judges and everyone seemed to decide that Elia was going to be the one to leave, Mia decided to sacrifice herself and go home before the judges made their final decision. She said that she was tired, homesick and that she did not want Elia to have to go under any circumstances.

Strangely, the judges tried to convince Mia to stay on and gave off the impression that Elia would not necessarily have been the one to go home, but in the end they accepted Mia's decision and she left.

Miss an episode? See what you missed:

• Season Premier
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7