Top Chef Las Vegas: Michael Voltaggio's Top Chef

I didn't get around to watching the finale of Top Chef til today. I was fairly certain the younger Voltaggio brother won because I saw "Michael Voltaggio" as a top Google search string this morning, with no mention of brother Bryan or Kevin.

All in all, it was a satisfying conclusion, unlike the last season of Top Chef with the bizarre end having Hosea being named Top Chef.

There was no Quickfire Challenge. Early on we saw all the chefs who had been set packing their knives, arrive. Then one by one the three remaining picked a knife. The knife had the name of one of the chefs. Kevin had the bad luck to get Preeti Mistry and slightly better luck getting Ash. Bryan had the good luck to draw Jennifer and Ashley. Michael got Eli and a chef I've already forgotten, I think it may have been Jesse, who is now a blonde.

Kevin was a bit unsettled by how little use Preeti was to him. He was way off his usual game. In the end he got sent packing first.

I forgot to mention, Kevin and Bryan and Michael's moms showed up. Seeing them with their mom made Bryan and Michael seem more human. When the chefs arrived at the kitchen, Tom Colicchio informed then they had to prepare a 4th course, one inspired by their moms.

The moms got to sit in with the judges for the first course, that being the ones they inspired. That was all sort of charming. Particularly when the boys walked out to see their moms sitting there.

In the end, at Judges' Table, each of the 3 drew some criticism and some praise. Kevin seemed to take the worst beating, so it was not too big a shock when he was told he was not Top Chef. I sort of thought he was doomed when he added bacon to his dessert. That did not sound good to me.

As they waited their fate the brothers stood as if they were waiting for a firing squad to pull the trigger. Eventually Padma told Michael he was Top Chef. The brothers hugged for a long time. Then mom came out, hugged Michael for a long time. Michael was in tears. This made Michael the most likable he's been. Michael then said something like "See Padma, you got what you wanted from me. Emotion." Michael actually displayed a pretty funny sense of humor on many occasions. In the end, when each was asked why they should be Top Chef, Michael said, "Because I don't want Bryan to win." Everyone cracked up. Including Bryan.

Anyway, this was the best Reality TV conclusion that I've seen in quite some time.

Top Chef Season 6 Finale Part 1: Jennifer Packs Her Knives & Goes

So, it'll be the Voltaggio brothers, Bryan and Michael and Kevin Gillespie cooking in the Top Chef finale. One of Jennifer Carroll's Elimination Challenge dishes was too salty for the judges' taste and thus the pack your knives order.

Micheal won a latest edition Toyota Prius by winning the Quickfire Challenge of cooking some grape concoction in the onboard kitchen on the Napa Valley Train.

Kevin gets motion sickness, so the cooking on a train was not good for him.

Before the chefs got on the train, it had to arrive, while they sat waiting at the station. When the train choo-chooed in, off came Napa Valley Top Chef Masters finalist, Michael Chiarello and a pregnant Padma.

Jennifer remarked something like Padma is one hot pregnant lady, while Kevin commented on Padma's baby bump.

I am a little confused about the amount of time that lapsed between when we were in Las Vegas and now in the Napa Valley. Some reference was made to it being 6 weeks. Kevin made a comment about his beard now having its own Facebook page. So, does this mean the chefs went home and were able to watch themselves on Top Chef? It seemed like they were in Vegas in summer. The Napa Valley episodes take place during a fall Napa Valley festival called "The Crush."

Anyway, for the Elimination Challenge the chefs had to each cook a protein and a vegetarian dish for the aforementioned Crush Festival. In the end, Bryan won. He didn't get anything though, like a car, like his brother did.

Next week I'm guessing Kevin wins Top Chef. Or maybe Bryan. I suppose it could be Michael.

Top Chef Las Vegas: Kevin Wins Culinary Olympics

Kevin Gillespie won the final Elimination Challenge and $30K on this week's Top Chef. I think he won more challenges than any other chef. I like Kevin. Seems like a real nice guy who can cook well. But, please, lose that awful beard. Or wear a beard net.

Jennifer got her confidence back by winning the Quickfire. A chef I'd never heard of had them making a dish I'd never heard of, something to do with a protein in a protein in a protein.

Then for the Elimination Challenge the 5 remaining chefs had to cook in a competition modeled after another thing I'd never heard of, the Bocuse d'Or. Apparently the Olympics of the culinary world.

The chefs were very exciting and knew all about the Food Olympics and the chefs who would be judging them. All apparently very famous. I am apparently very ignorant about the culinary world.

Jennifer got an extra half hour to cook due to winning the Quickfire. She helped Bryan out when he got a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of what he was putting on his platter. Bryan came off more likable this episode. Laughing, acting funny and wearing a baseball cap backwards. And answering Kevin's questions about how to cook lamb.

The judges had problems with everyone's food platter. But the least problems with Kevin's, even though they seemed to think what he cooked was too easy and safe. The other chefs had issues like lamb being undercooked, or, in Michael Voltaggio's case, a fish bone left in his salmon, which apparently would get you the instant boot at the Food Olympics.

It seemed like they were disliking what Michael did the most, but it was Eli who was sent home for badly cooked fatty lamb.

But, even though the judges and famous chefs were highly critical, they also heaped praise on the 5 for managing to do what they did in such a short time. It was all very positive and Eli took it real well. In the end, even Eli turned likable.

Michael V., not so much. It keeps burning Michael that Kevin keeps winning for cooking simple things that Michael says he cooks on his day off.

The previews for the finale on a train going through the California wine country looked interesting. It appears everyone had some time off, because everyone has different hair. Tom is still bald, but Padma's has long bangs, Jennifer all curly, the Voltaggio's appeared to be a new color and Kevin looked less shaggy, but still with that awful beard. I want to get a look at his wife.