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Michael, aka the douchey, backwards behatted bro, just doesn't get it. He's got a lot of chops but his ideas are masturbatory in their complexity. Simpler, well-executed & flavorful food always wins over a plate full of 40 different flavors of nouvelle late 80's 'America-in-its-fine-food-infancy' style cooking. He's like a kid with his or her first giant box of crayons - bizarre rainbows everywhere, well-drawn rainbows perhaps, but those colors don't work together. His ego is the one who does the cooking, not him.

@Big Guy : gotta love The Gilded Truffle.

Haven't seen the episode yet (we seem to be a week behind in Canada), but I'm rooting for Kevin. Michael can complain all he wants about Kevin's dishes, but the guy is consistently in the top, or winning. It's that simple. He can cook very, very well, and can create dishes that fit the challenge. The fact that he has such a great attitude just makes him look better, and will serve to bolster what will undoubtedly be a long and stellar career.

Michael V is arrogant; criticizing Kevin's food is classless and also shows he's a sore loser and most likely jealous of Kevin's success on the show. As long as the judges like it, who gives a s**t what he or anyone else on the show for that matter, thinks?

I already knew Eli was going home before the judgine even began because the final four are the strongest chefs left and he was the weakest one left. Jen has improved, but her ability to work under pressure is seriously questionable.

I really like Kevin; not only is he kicking ass, his personality is GREAT! Humbleness is ALWAYS a good trait! He is polite and gracious after every win and often encourages his competition. Kevin is full of class something Michael V. lacks in the worst way.

@smackrabbit: Robin would've said, "I had breast cancer so my dish is pretty lame but simple, and I think I deserve to be here."

Translated: Glad she's gone.

Wow, that was hard to watch (at least until the right person got the boot). The next two weeks will be brutal.

Went to a top chef event tonight and Kevin was gracious (Padma as well.)

It was funny to watch Kevin laugh when Michael made his conceited, overblown comments. Completely gracious.

Gavin was there and when Kevin disagreed with his comments they both looked at each other and laughed...adorable. Even before I had met him, I had hoped Kevin would win it all!

I felt like Jen and Bryan did admirable enough jobs to be safe, so it was between Eli and Michael for elimination. I kind of thought it might have been Michael, which would have ruined my guess for who the final four would be.

Given that they had nowhere close to enough time to make something that would really meet Bocuse D'or standards, I think Kevin's strategy of doing something a little simpler and doing it all right was the right one. Also, it wasn't that much playing it safe...as he used a technique he'd never done before in making it. Not that the judges really knew that or not.

This years contestants have been amazingly talented. And such a wide range of cooking styles...

YEAHHH KEVIN!!

Thomas Keller is ruthless... but I love it.

@Adam--for a good essay on ballotine, check out Jeffery Steingarten's "It must have been something I ate" I read the piece last night and it really put me in the Thanksgiving spirit!

ditto to Kevin. so freaking adorable. I just want to hug him.