'Top Chef' Finale Predictions
The season finale of Top Chef: Chicago is tonight of course. If you'd like to catch up on what's gone down in previous episodes, check out Serious Eats' Top Chef coverage here, including Lisa's infamous denunciation of food bloggers "who can't even afford to eat in my restaurant, let alone know how to cook." After the jump, our predictions on who will win.
Ed Says ...
I'm going to go with Stephanie. I just read an interview with her in which she claims her favorite Chicago restaurant is Schwa, this amazing little restaurant at which Michael Carlson and two colleagues wait on customers, cook the oft-unusual food, and wash the dishes. Anyone who likes Schwa a lot is OK in my book.
Emily Says ...
I haven't been following this season diligently, but I have managed to catch it during a marathon session. Honestly, as long as Lisa doesn't pull through to a (miraculous?) upset victory, I'll be pretty satisfied with any of the others. That said, I've got a feeling that if Richard plays his cards right, he could come away as the winner, as he's been pretty solid throughout the season.
Erin Says ...
Admittedly, I am only a fair-weather watcher, but my gut says Stephanie. I remember watching the Chicago police academy episode and thinking, Shoot, if I had just spent 15 hours fighting crime, I would want a big, fat bowl of her meatball soup before anything else.
Harold Says ...
Having watched the entire season, I know for certain that both Richard and Stephanie are capable of producing meals that will get them crowned Top Chef. And there's the rub: If you take the judges at their word, each competition is largely separate from the rest of the challenges. There's no "season average" in Top Chef. Not that it would make the finals easier to handicap, since Richard and Stephanie have both won four Elimination challenges. Of course, going by this logic—that each challenge is self-contained—the door is obviously still open to an apocalyptic upset by Lisa, which is why I've started stocking a survival bunker with canned goods and small arms. In any case, all this is to say: I have no clue who's going to win. My gut tells me Richard will pull out the stops for the final challenge and if he nails his dishes, he'll be nearly impossible to beat. And so I'm rooting, as always, for the underdog. Go, Stephanie!
Raphael Says ...
I think that Antonia losing last week was entirely unexpected—Top Chef really shows that any of the contestants can have an off day. Stephanie's been the most consistent throughout the season, so I think she'll win. But don't underestimate the dark horse that is Lisa!
Adam Says ...
I've been watching off and on and keeping up with episodes I've missed via Harold's coverage here on the site. As a lot of people do, I think Lisa has gotten this far not so much through skill but because other people have bricked it at key moments. This is a lot like Project Runway's third season, when Alison Kelly, an otherwise strong contestant, was eliminated because of one unfortunate twist while that doofus Vincent Libretti was allowed to continue. Anyway, I think the judging is fairly unpredictable so I will just say here that I hope Richard wins. He seems likable, despite the fauxhawk.
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16 Comments:
I'm with you, Adam. Go Richard! (And do something with that hair!)
elizabethw at 3:03PM on 06/11/08
Did I miss something? Don't they usually do a reunion show of sorts before the finale? I seem to remember other contestants predicting who would win, but maybe I'm thinking of Project Runway. When do we get to find out who the fan favorite is?! I can certainly think of a few contestants who will NOT be in the running...
Anyway, I'd be happy with Richard or Stephanie winning tonight. Both have played a good, fair game and have remained professional throughout the competition (which is more than I can say for Lisa). Stephanie is always so cool under pressure that it would be great to see her win...
jenberger at 3:28PM on 06/11/08
Richard's my boy. Stephanie cooks reliably good food, but at his best, Richard's food is superior.
capndesign at 3:46PM on 06/11/08
Stephanie has surprised me this season, and I agree she's remained very cool and professional under pressure, but being from Atlanta, I have to say, "GO BLAIS!!!!"
suthungirl at 4:00PM on 06/11/08
I have to admit I'm a Richard fan. If Lisa wins I might have to stop watching reality television
jramsey at 4:13PM on 06/11/08
Go Stephanie! She's my fav.
masha339 at 4:38PM on 06/11/08
Stephanie is good but I think that if Richard actually goes for it he can easily win it....but that's always a big if in Top Chef.
zekks at 4:44PM on 06/11/08
Does ANYONE out there want Lisa to win? I, too, will stop watching reality television if she wins tonight. I like both Stephanie and Richard, so either one of them winning would be great.
kmnola at 7:11PM on 06/11/08
Stephanie or Richard. Both are excellent, reliable chefs who can pull "The Meal of a Lifetime" out of their bag of tricks in the blink of an eye, and both seem like nice people as well. In the spirit of sisterhood, I am on Team Stephanie, but truly would not be shocked or very disappointed if Richard wins.
That having been said -- If Lisa wins this, I swear on a stack of cookbooks I am DONE with Top Chef forever.
Brownie at 7:53PM on 06/11/08
If Lisa wins, I am going to kick Tom Colicchio in the nads next time I see him in New York. ;)
CarlaBowers at 7:53PM on 06/11/08
My vote is for Richard, but I'll definitely take Stephanie too--any chef who shares my name and can make amazing food is already Top Chef in my book!
Antonia, and even Dale, should've been in the final 3 instead of that petulant toddler Lisa, so if by some off chance she wins, I'm done with my crush on Tom Colicchio!
bobcatsteph3 at 9:24PM on 06/11/08
YAY STEPHANIE WON!
anado at 10:58PM on 06/11/08
omg...for one horrific moment I thought the unbelievable happened and Lisa won. Thank god that didn't happen!!!
snailsped at 11:08PM on 06/11/08
I thought it was very telling when they ran that call-in poll during the finale tonight. Lisa brought some very strong dishes to the table for that final meal and she got only 4% of the fan vote.
That's what you get when you act like a b*tch all season. Don't be surprised that no one wants to see you succeed.
philn at 12:07AM on 06/12/08
Oh, hooray! I LOVE Stephanie!
I adore Richard too, and my heart broke that, as he admitted, he choked. But he is amazing and he will go far.
That said - woo hoo Stephanie!
Even if they edited Lisa to be more awful than she was, her food just wasn't as consistent and creative as Richard, Stephanie, Antonia and yes, even poor Dale.
Now I just need to get my hands on some braised pistachios...
ohiogal at 1:16AM on 06/12/08
@snailsped....I felt the same way. I was yelling at my TV until she didn't win. Did you notice what a poor loser she was, too? Richard was def disappointed but he at least congratulated Stephanie. I was still pulling for Richard, but he definitely choked...poor guy, I think overall he's more innovative than Stephanie, but she is consistently solid, so I'm glad she won!
I don't know, I don't think you can edit anyone to be that big a b*tch. Regardless of how the show was edited, those words still came out of her mouth.
embolini9 at 9:40AM on 06/12/08