So, what was it? Starbucks has just launched Via, an instant coffee. Yea, I know. You are probably smacking your lips in disgust and shaking your head. I have some wonderful memories of traveling in Europe that are dotted with drinking way too much horrific NesCafe instant coffee … blech. It had this burnt, dirty taste that still makes me cringe.

The strange thing was that when I tried the Via, I actually liked it. It won’t replace the brewed coffee that my husband makes me every morning (thanks, honey!) and it won’t stop me from occasionally feeding my nonfat Caramel Macchiato habit. But it’s good and I wouldn’t hesitate to make it when Shawn forgets to brew me coffee once in a while.

Back to the event. It was held at Craftbar – one of Tom Colicchio’s New York spots. Sadly, I didn’t see Tom, but believe me, I looked. I have a huge chef-crush on that man. Seriously. That smile …

I digress.

The food, which came straight from the Craftbar menu, was out of this world. The mixed greens salad might have looked simple, but the shallot vinaigrette was extraordinary. I want that recipe (Tom, dear, would you send it over? If only it were that simple). I don’t even know that I can adequately describe the flavor — it was slightly sweet, full and salty, in a very good way. I could have stopped eating there and been a very happy woman … but I am glad I didn’t.

For my entree, I had Fried Organic Chicken, Collard Greens, Watermelon and Picholine Olive. If you read New York Magazine with any bit of regularity, you probably know that fried chicken is the “it” food of the moment in New York. Well, I can tell you that this chicken was to die for … Every crunch just screamed with flavor. If I was at home, I would have happily picked up the bones and sucked every bit of breading off. It was just so good.

And dessert … oh, dessert. Olive Oil Cake, Black Mission Fig, Rosemary Ice Cream, Pine Nuts … Swoon. First off, I have never had figs before. Heck, I have avoided them. When I think fig, I think Newton’s and they aren’t my fav. So, I just don’t do it … except today. When it arrived, I nervously took a bite. Then another. Then another. Turns out I happen to love figs. Who knew? As if that’s not enough, the rosemary ice cream tasted of fresh rosemary just plucked from the home garden — and I love that flavor. And the pine nuts? Salted and lovely. The cake was lovely too.

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If last season was the season of gratuitous cursing, this season is the season of bad attitudes. Case in point: Eugene saying Team Cougar’s food was obviously better than Team Sexy Pants. Pathetic. Obviously, that wasn’t the case for the Foo Fighters. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you think about your food. What matters is what the client thinks aboutIf it was the case, then it would have been Team Cougar rockin’ out at the Foo Fighters concert.

Hollywood Jeff, he who thinks hair checks have a place in the kitchen, needs to worry less about his locks and more about his crocks … bad pun, but you know what I mean. Perhaps he’s good in the kitchen … but his vanity is wearing on me.

Where did the eyeliner on Gail Simmons come from? Might she be smitten with the Foo Fighters enough to break out of her usual makeup routine? I sure would be.

Those s’mores looked delish . . . to bad they weren’t. I think that is a dish with promise though…Might have to do a little experimentation in my own kitchen.

Back to the Ariane, she made a mean turkey. That’s very fortunate for a contestant who had such a poor showing in previous weeks. Step up or get out, woman.

So, what’s your take on the episode? I was slightly sad to see Richard go … he was amusing. But at least talent is king. That’s all we can ask for really.

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A lot of the dishes served this episode seemed to fail. And in some of the cases, the chefs knew the dishes weren’t that good before they served them. Why send a not-so-good dish out? And what’s with all the dated plating and presentation? I would think that as Top Chef competitors, you would know enough to strive for innovation every single time.

Furthermore, if this batch of chefs could have learned anything from last week’s elimination, it’s that you do not make something you’ve never used/made before when your spot in the competition as at stake. Jill, are you listening? You don’t use an egg you’ve never used before, in a dish that won’t be enhanced by it … And worse, you can’t give a convincing, sensible reason why you should be given another chance. It’s no wonder that she was the one to go.

And Jill’s regret is not being able to show off a dish she does well? Um, that is exactly what she should have been doing all along.

And seasoning. Every single season a new batch of chefs show up with a new batch of seasoning issues. This episode was wrought with seasoning issues — too sweet desserts, unseasoned dinners … When will these chefs learn? They should have prepared for the show by watching the old episodes. Seriously.

On a lighter note, I laughed when Fabio jumped into his defense of his dish. It couldn’t have been a better defense. And then for him to win the Elimination Challenge made it all the better. It seems like Fabio and Stefan are pretty strong this season.

This season is still in its infancy. I am looking forward to getting to the point where favorites become clear and personalities start to shine. Right now, everyone seems very … bland. But, at least this season is free from the gratuitous use of the F-bomb.

Till next week …

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It’s baaaacccckkkkkkk!

Top Chef returned on Wednesday night, with a whole new cast of characters. This time the chefs are tackling New York, the city that never sleeps.

Did you watch the episode? If so, read on after the jump.

It’s hard to get a grasp on the personalities and talents of the chefs after only one episode. Just think about last season – Richard Blais seemed quite irritating at first blush, but he became a fan favorite by the end.

So, here’s my few thoughts after this premiere:

• Carla really threw me off when she talked about her “spirit gods.” I just wasn’t sure what to make of that. At all.
• I would have liked to see Lauren stay, but was happy to see Patrick go. Nice guy, but I think he needs to stay in school and learn more first.
• Fabio and Stefan add an interesting dynamic to the show with their accents and sometimes hard to understand language.
• Someone needs to tell Jeff that hair and food don’t mix. Forget the comb in the kitchen.
• My early favorites are Radhika, Gene and Jamie. I think Alex won’t last long.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Once thing I did find with live blogging was that there wasn’t a whole lot of time to insert opinion and reflection. No matter, I am here to give you my final thoughts now.

Lisa. For all her attitude, rudeness, and disrespect, she did come through tonight. The cutting of the show as undeniably positive towards her, showing that she does indeed have an iota of kitchen proficiency after all. It does make you wonder if we were duped into thinking otherwise all season.

Richard. He brought his A-game throughout the season. But, in all fairness, he’s seemed almost preoccupied over the last two weeks. My guess? The last two episodes were taped more recently –close to when his wife was due to give birth. Having a baby can really take over your mind, so he may indeed have had other things on his mind — like worrying he’d miss the birth while competing. And that humanistic element just made me like him even more . . . I hope someday to eat in one of his restaurants, or perhaps even learn an unusual technique or two from him.

Stephanie. Alright. I will admit it. I was in denial all season about how good she was. She knows front of house, back of house, the whole shebang. And despite faltering in confidence here and there, I think she does have a silent strength that makes her one of those women you want to know — because her drive is just that strong. Go Stephanie, and congrats on the win.

Well, everyone, it’s been a great Top Chef season. I’ve loved all the conversations and debates that have sprung up in the comments and really hope you will all keep reading now that the show is over. I will be blogging about The Next Food Network Star on Sundays/Mondays for the foreseeable future, as well as food, life and family. Thank you all so much for reading these past few months!

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Richard is so right about Lisa having a bad attitude, but it is really refreshing to hear Lisa ADMIT that she’s in the finale “by the skin of my teeth.” Still, it’s disturbing that she thinks she’ll beat everyone else . . . as if.

This is a very cool challenge . . . love the idea of these fantastic chefs being the finalists’ sous chefs.

I would have taken Chef Barber like Richard, no doubt. He had the proteins I would be most comfortable with . . . Well, maybe not. Foie gras freaks me out a little. Honest. Can’t say why.

Liquid nitrogen?!? Richard really does use some unusual techniques.

Stephanie hovering over her chef . . . I would have done the same thing.

Here comes the curve ball — no sous chefs after all.

Yes, Lisa, it is completely on you if you can make that meal. My bet is . . . no. What a boring menu.

Richard has me on that Banana Scallop with Bacon Ice Cream. YUM. But Stephanie’s menu sounds the tastiest. That’s interesting that she has only tested the ricotta pound cake once before. I would think she would have tried it more than that to bring it to the finale.

Richard really seems hyper. Or nervous. Or something like that.

That exchange between Stephanie and Lisa made me uncomfortable. How about you? Hearing Lisa tell Stephanie to have some confidence just didn’t sit well with me.

Wondering about those menus? Here they are:

Lisa – grilled pawns, tom kha gai soup and dumplings, wagyu beef, thai rice pudding

Rich – scallops, guinea hen, foie gras and eggs, pork belly, banana “scallop” and bacon ice cream

Stephanie – seared red snapper, quail with lobster ravioli and quail egg, lamb medallions, ricotta poundcake

It’s the “simple, clean flavors” of Stephanie’s menu that appealed to me . . . But that teacup dish is a little funny looking. Believe it or not, Lisa’s prawns look delish . . . course, that means nothing for the taste.

Richard isn’t off to a good start, it seems. Geez, what was with his face when he was plating? That’s like the push sneer . . .

OMG – They are praising Lisa’s soup . . . and Richard seems to have missed a bit again.

Stephanie is 2/3, Lisa 1/3, Richard 0/3 . . . seeing a problem here. This is so not how we expected this to go, right?!?

Dessert is too close to call. Looks like she should have tested the recipe more than once.

Off to the judges table.

Lisa: “Clearly I am a spicy kind of person.” Complete with air quotes. ‘Nuff said.

Richard and Stephanie have both had looks of shock . . . scary. It was only during the third course that it felt like typical Lisa.

Richard: “I think I choked a little bit.” He looks like he’s already lost . . . total meltdown. Where’s my favorite chef all season gone to?

Oh my. Is Lisa going to win? Is Lisa going to be Top Chef? I might never watch Top Chef again if she does . . .

Y’all ready for this? Here comes the winner . . . I hate suspense.

STEPHANIE! Yay! The first female winner of Top Chef . . . Wonder what Richard is thinking? “I’m glad it’s not Lisa,” perhaps.

This was Richard’s game to lose. But Stephanie was a constant high point during the episodes.

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This elimination was a nail biter. Antonia undercooked those beans (couldn’t you just read the subtext of “how long did you soak these beans for?”). Lisa has been a bottom two dweller since . . . well for the whole run. Could Lisa actually make it through another week?

Yes. Yes, she could. I am aghast. I am shocked. Lisa is going to the finale. Antonia is not.

Seriously. How could Lisa make it through? Why don’t the judges notice — or acknowledge — that she’s at the judge’s table week after week. Problem? Definitely. Something is just not right here. And her little gripe-session about Richard and Stephanie not congratulating her? Pathetic. Why hadn’t she just gone home?

Meanwhile, one of my favs, Antonia, packs her knives. The injustice.

Regarding the episode: I loved how Stephanie thought on her feet after the pork belly problem. She really pulled out three good looking plates. And Richard (who’s a new dad!) brought his best game too.

Lisa’s reaction when Padma announced that Stephanie would be choosing the sous chefs (prize for winning the Quickfire) was absolutely priceless. We were laughing out loud . . .

Butchering the pig . . . ehh. That would be the breaking point for me. Not sure I could hack it (no pun intended) in the competition with that challenge.

Onto the finale.

EDITED TO ADD: Check out pics of Richard’s adorable baby girl here. No wonder he’s been waxing poetic about “little Blais” babies this season . . . Her name is Riley.

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So, Spike and Lisa can do something right: butcher and cook a steak.

Lisa wouldn’t want the responsibility of choosing a protein? I would! Fortunately, that was the reward for Quick Fire winner Spike, who once again squandered it. Frozen scallops? That’s the special protein you choose? Seriously.

Stephanie clinched the win, showing that she is indeed a contender. I am worried about Richard though – he hasn’t been doing as well lately. I think it’s high time to step it up again.

My husband brought up an interesting point: Lisa has been in the bottom three for countless weeks. How has she managed to survive? And all the time at the Judges’ Table she wears such a puss . . . I think she will be next to go.

Final two: Richard and Antonia. What do you think?

EDITED TO NOTE: I originally said that Antonia had won — fortunately Virtual Frolic caught my gaffe and corrected me. My sincere apologies for the error.

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Regardless, here’s what I thought. As always, I cannot wait to hear what you all thought too. We are coming down to the wire on the competition. Looks like my prediction of a Dale, Richard, Antonia finale missed the mark . . . I still think Richard and Antonia will be in the finale, but who else? Stephanie perhaps? She excelled this week, but hasn’t been memorable in past weeks. She’s probably the strongest of the other remaining chefs.

Anyway, onto the episode. The Quick Fire was really interesting, albeit unusual. To see these Top Chef contenders stumble through eggs over easy and fret about egg white filled pots of poaching eggs was a trip . . . There is nothing highbrow about that. It was no surprise — to me at least — that Antonia did well at the challenge. She has proved throughout the series that she is not only a great chef, but a regular home cook too. Good to know that she can handle both sides of the cooking equation.

I was really excited to see Tom so early in the show . . . but to have him absent for the rest of it was disappointing. And putting Anthony Bourdain to fill in for him was a shame. Bourdain’s usual arrogance and frankness was really restrained when he took the slot of main judge. He is far better when he’s the witty guy on the end, offset by the other judges and particularly Tom. Top Chef should never do that again.

For the elimination challenge, it was restaurant wars this week. Funny, since last week Padma said there wouldn’t be any restaurant wars this season . . . apparently she meant just for that one week. Because blanket statements like that belong in the final cut. Right? Right? Don’t think about it too much — it will make your head hurt.

The group divided into teams — Dale, Lisa and Spike against Richard, Antonia and Stephanie. Can you guess who won?

On Dale’s team, they chose an Asian theme since they all have backgrounds in Asian cooking . . . or so they say. It’s a wonder that Miss Sunshine herself, Lisa, lived to fight another week. Her dishes were disasters this week and didn’t exhibit any sort of mastery of Asian cooking. Hey hun, choose dishes you know how to make instead of letting others choose for you and complaining . . . seriously. I particularly loved the description of her sticky rice, “Baby vomit with wood chips.” So appetizing.

I have to hand it to Spike. Like the judges said — it was an ingenious move to take the front of the house duties and leave Lisa and Dale to battle it out in the kitchen.

I didn’t want to jump to the conclusion, but the signs were there throughout the show that Dale was going to be told to pack his knives. Did anyone else notice his red-rimmed eyes throughout in the confessionals? It was obvious that he’d been teary-eyed. He behaved awfully in this episode, but I am still sorry to see him go.

And Lordy, Richard was sporting the headband again. In public this time. Dude. Not a flattering look . . .

Next week: Guest judge is Rick Tramonto. The challenge will involve butchering a slab of meat. Let’s see who really knows their stuff (Richard) and who doesn’t (Lisa).

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If you didn’t watch the show, back away from the computer quickly. Come back when you have.

**End**

Just when I decided that maybe Andrew wasn’t that bad . . . just when I decided that maybe I could tolerate him, this happens. The guy did bring a healthy dose of comic relief to the show with his great one-liners. And the how-many-cuss-words-can-I-say-in-one-episode died away too . . . But alas, his bizarre interpretation of sushi got him sent home. Should have used used brown rice inside . . .

The heavy tension with the contestants and the judges at judges table was almost uncomfortable to watch. Even Shawn said, “I can’t believe they (the contestants) are talking to them (the judges) like that.” It seemed like Andrew, Spike and Lisa were incredibly hostile. Now granted, that could have been just how the scene was cut . . .

But it wasn’t just how the scene was cut when Lisa accused her fellow contestants of sabotage (because apparently, she’s infallible-silly me for not realizing). Or how about when she tossed Andrew in front of the giant, speeding bus? I know it’s a competition but that was incredibly unnecessary. The judges are smart enough to figure out — without her prodding — that Andrew didn’t include grains. Where’s the integrity?

Now, speaking of integrity, I almost choked on my chocolate pudding when Spike won the Quick Fire. Then, when he planned his menu around making life difficult for the other contestants, it was just pathetic. No wonder he was in the bottom three, that is just not how you cook. And he really didn’t “cook” with the ingredients he chose anyway.

Richard had a surprisingly bad night . . . but I guess the kitchen prodigy can’t win them all, right. (Hey, what was with the headband he was wearing during the confessional?)

I am thinking Dale (yay! he won!), Richard, and Antonia for the final three. And if I could guess, Lisa will go home next week.

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