Top of the Morning to ya! Yep, I just woke up minutes ago after sleeping all day again barely in time for this two hour Top Chef recap. My mind is not awake yet and keeps telling me to go back to sleep. But, I really want to know who wins this fantastic season of Top Chef. I’ll be thrilled with whoever wins but I’d love it to be Sarah who fought her way back from LCK for weeks and weeks and weeks. What a victory! So let’s get this recap done as I try not to fall asleep or be to crabby. You don’t want to be around me when I first wake up.
Who’s Your Buddy?
The first order of business is choosing one player to come back and be their sous chef. Budda picks Jackson, Evelyn pick Jo, and Sarah picks Robert. Then, all three head off to the beautiful Pima County Courthouse, which oddly looks like a mosque to me. Eric Ripert will be a judge this week. I LOVE him. Sarah’s food waste theme has me a bit worried for her. While a noble concept, I think the finale should have more extravagance not less. Evelyn is sticking to her roots and that is smart. Budda is doing a tribute to his family. Also very smart. This is going to be a fight to the finish that’s for sure.
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I love the grocery shopping part of this show. Am I weird? Don’t answer that. 🙂 And just like that, the sous chefs say goodbye to sous chefs and go horseback riding. Sarah loves it. Evelyn hates it. Sarah seems to take subtle jabs at Evelyn. Psyching out her opponent? They ride up to a stunning outdoor kitchen where all the judges including Eric Ripert are cooking for them. Evelyn is so happy to be there. Budda’s dad passed away two days before he got the call for Top Chef. 🙁 The cake Tom made in a cast iron skillet reminds me when my mama would make pineapple upside down cake when we went camping when I was very young. That’s pretty much all I remember other than being terrified of the bears in the Smokeys.
Service!
The next day it’s on, and their sous chefs rejoin them. Once again Budda’s dishes look like works of art. The judges call Budda’s dish flawless and Michelin quality. The have minor complaints about the other two. For the second course, they are not thrilled with Sarah’s dish. They loved Evelyn’s dumplings. Once again they love Budda’s dish of course. Tom says maybe too much showing off. As Padma says this is the time to show off! For the third dish, Sarah is upset with the uneven cooks on her rabbit. Once again it looks like Budda is in the lead after the third service. We are not even halfway through the show and this is the last dish they will be serving? I don’t think so. That is what they think though. The final course, dessert, is up next. They loved Evelyn’s dessert, and of course Budda’s dessert. One of the judges likes Sarah’s dish the best. Then Tom says, “best on the table.”
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We are already at the judges table. AH! I just realized WWHL is tacking on. That is usually where they announce the fan favorite. It looks like Budda will win. Budda Evelyn has a chance. Budda wins and he cries. Aw.
Nope it is fucking Top Chef Family Style again.
What do you think about the winner?
I thought any of the three would be worthy but I’m really happy Buddha won. He has been amazing all season and since he picked Jackson as his sous chef they were a terrific duo. A great season but I have to admit I did not watch any of the Family or Kid Top Chef episodes they tacked onto the end. Bravo needs to stop being so cheesy about screwing up our DVR’s with episodes we don’t watch.
I knew Sarah was out so it would be between the two who have dominated much of the season. Happy with the winner and the emphasis on family and community. You all remember what went down last season, nice to see the redemption. The family show is still a no go for me.
I would have been happy with any of them winning, but could tell Buddha was going to take it. It was a great season!
Well deserved win for Buddha.
I’m so happy Buddha won. It made me cry. One thing that bothered me tonight was that the sous chefs worked with the chefs all day but they weren’t included in the horseback riding and dinner. Then they had to come back the next day and help cook the final meal. That just seemed so rude to me. It was a great season.
I felt the same way. That was a slam to them. However, it was a celebration of the top three. Still, I don’t understand why the sous chefs they chose could not have also been there to celebrate them.
Woohooo! I was rooting for Buddha from the get go. Aussie, aussie, aussie oi oi oi!!!
I thought Evelyn might pull it off but was happy for Buddha. When he was on the phone with his mom it made me cry! This was a good season.
I thought it was going to be Evelyn, too; the way they spoke about her during judging. But I always thought Buddha and DeMarr were the best chefs so I’m glad he won.
It was Buddha all the way. None of the other contestants stood a chance.
However, once I heard how he got his name, Buddha, I immediately fell in love with him. You go buddy, eat all that food!
This was one of the best seasons imo. So happy for Buddha!
I just finished binge-watching TC Houston this morning. Great season!!
My favorites from the get-go were Nick, Demarr, Evelyn and Jackson.
As the season progressed, I started warming up to Buddha. By the end I loved him and cried when he won.
Never could stand Sarah. Her personality just rubbed me the wrong way.
I teared up, too. I wasn’t a big Sarah fan, either, but a lot of people loved her. While I admired her narrative throughout the final meal, I thought it might have hurt her as the object was to cook the Best food.
Love that Buddha won! This was an excellent season!
I think the fan favorite is going to be announced on WWHL on Sunday, funny how they keep trying to come up with creative ways to get us to watch that damn show!
Ha Ha!!
I hate that show, and Andy Cohen.
Who will the fan favorite be I wonder. Evelyn?
I think the final 2 fan favorites were Damarr and Evelyn
This may be unpopular but I think Top Chef has run its course. We can analyze judge reactions and pretty much pick the winner. And the judges are just so full of themselves. And like all reality shows now contestants have to have an interesting or sob story to have a chance. What about a person who’s just really good? I’m also tired of Tom’s vagicide each season. We all know that will happen.
2 women in the final, a vagacide. it’s probably easier to not watch than hate watch
Two women in the final is not a vagacide. Tom’s vagacides used to be picking all the female chefs off one by one right at the beginning. He’s learn to at least let a few through. But, they rarely win.
Loved this season! All 3 finalists deserved to be there, Buddha really came through! So happy for him. Who won fan favorite?
“The cake Tom made in a cast iron skillet reminds me when my mama would make pineapple upside down cake” I loved that scene.
That’s what I thought it was when I first saw it.
I love the show but feel this year Padma showed too much favor for Budda. He was a master of the game and played it well. Not particularly inventive but provided the old school “artsy” plates that Padma LOVES. The handwriting was on the wall from the start of the season.
I like innovated risk takers who push themselves and don’t hesitate to try new interpretation. Loved season with VOTAGGIO.
So what were the whirly things on the table? Are they battery powered? Do they keep bugs away? I kept thinking people are going to get slapped by those every time someone reached for their drink.