78 replies to this topic

[TWoP Nikita]

From Zap2it:

Three chefs face off for the title of Top Chef Master.

[swankie]

Yay Marcus!!! I'm really shocked that Susur came in third. My fingers are speechless.

[Battleaxe]

Well, technically Susur tied for second right? He and Rick both had 17 stars.

[nannerbadnanner]

First things first...Hubert Keller was looking might fine tonight.

I was nice seeing the insight into the chefs. As soon as Rick Moonen said he thought his main competitor was Susur, I figured Marcus was winning. Bad edit, Bravo, bad edit!

I have the feeling that James Oseland was only half kidding when he proposed to Rick...lol! That really cracked me up.

All in all a good finale. I went in not caring who won because I think they are all amazing.

[iwannaiguana]

So happy for Marcus! I would have been fine with either him or Susur, but not Rick. I don't know why, but he just grates on my last nerve...which usually means he's an incredibly nice person. When James started with the love-fest, I was panicked for a moment that Rick was taking it, so I was quite happy with the final outcome. And even though he's not my favorite, I was really glad to see Rick not do fish and kick ass. It is so great to see chefs of this caliber have an opportunity to break out of their usual mold and do whatever moves them. The entire meal looked and sounded fabulous.

[attilathebun]

I understand the judging revolved around tonight's menu only - in that case I congratulate Marcus. However, cumulatively there is no way either Marcus or Rick are in the same league as Susur. It was a pleasure watching the three sprint for the finish and then enjoy each other's company when the results were out of their hands. Masters and gentlemen all. It has been a pure pleasure watching TCM this season!

[marmar39]

After hearing their stories and looking at that food, I wanted a 3-way tie. I have been rooting for Suser for a long time but congratulations to Marcus for the win. Now when am I going to be able to buy a Top Chef Masters cookbook to add to my collection.

[rose711]

Did Susur just lose this because his portion of tuna was too large..the one with the things sticking out of it? I'm sure he was evoking something with that dish, it just seems the judges were turned off by the way it looked. They're idiots sometimes. Susur is a champion in my book. I can't wait to go to his restaurant.

Am I right, did Marcus win by 1/2 a star and Rick and Susur each had 17 stars? So very very close - it really could have been a three-way tie and split the proceeds. But that would seem like taking the easy way out for the judges, maybe.

I'm glad Marcus won because I completely support his charity of bringing drinking water to Ethiopia. I hope the 100,000 is well used and I'm sure he was right when he said people would be celebrating all over the world.

It would be nice if the bravo website had links for viewers to donate to the charities represented, a quick look and I didn't see them on the site.

All in all, I really enjoyed this season. I wish they made it a little easier for the chiefs to understand the challenges by giving them a bit more information; I hope they give up the improv challenge because I think Jonathan was so hindered by his words to use; I can do without the stupid wedding challenge. Why make this masters level show into such a physical challenge? I can see doing that to the untested kids - but not to the experts.
I dunno I would be happier just to see the people cook without too many gimmicks. What I enjoyed most was the camaraderie and the sheer excellence of these chefs. Well done.

Edited by rose711, Jun 9, 2010 @ 10:37 PM.

[Fukui San]

Color me surprised, I thought Susur had this in the bag. Ah well, it's not as if I can taste any of the food. (Or that any of the nine plates would be anything less than very good.)

I'm glad that the challenges were a near carbon copy of last season's finale. It feels right that these master chefs have the right to put together the meal that they want in such a personal way.

[butterycroc]

Yay for Marcus! The dark horse took it. What a great charity as well.
I loved his defense of the texture of the third dish. Critics put way too much stock in the trends - not every culture likes rare beef, and so on.

Susur's plate was exuberant and gorgeous. I just wanted to try everything. It saddened me hearing about his first wife. I knew she had passed away but hearing him describe it in his bare English, talking about being left alone in a foreign country and the dream being gone, just struck a chord in me.

[buttersister]

Well done, you three. I was going to be ok with any of them winning, and in a way, they all did. Susur gained a whole lot of new fans (I totally want to eat his food), Rick got redemption and Marcus, among other things, got African food the attention it deserves.

I don't now if I've ever envied those judges more. Even you, Oseland.

[meanteeth]

I was rooting for Susur... I'm headed to Zentan!

[Renard]

So happy for Marcus! I would have been fine with either him or Susur, but not Rick. I don't know why, but he just grates on my last nerve...which usually means he's an incredibly nice person.

I like Rick as a chef but in this competition, he was all about winning and most particularly about THE MONEY. I had immense respect and admiration for Susur and he was very dedicated toward his charity and winning money for them and their cause; Marcuss seemed put most of that behind him and focus on the cooking.

[MyEyesSee]

I didn't think this second season would be as good as the last (especially starting off with team challenges), but for me it was even better. What a wonderful group of finalists. I wanted Susur or Marcus to win so I wasn't disappointed. I will definitely check out their restaurants.

I agree that Bravo should provide links to the finalists' charities so that donations could be made in the name of the respective chef.

And I must say, it's always good to see Hubert.

[Mooncake76]

Everything looked amazingly delicious tonight, and I was extremely jealous of all the judges/chefs who got to experience such a delectable meal.

I would have preferred a Susur win, but the final three were all amazing chefs, so congrats to Marcus! It was extremely close though and I can't help but feel bad for Susur and Rick. I will be more than happy to visit any of their restaurants, and I'm sure anyone who has watched the show feels the same, so I'm with Rick in feeling that they're all winners.

[Paramitch]

Great season--and nice misdirection, Bravo, since it seemed from the comments that Marcus didn't have a chance in hell. I was surprised to find that I was actually rooting just a little more for Rick, but was happy at his score, and his venison looked and sounded amazing. I should have known Marcus had it though, as that flan literally had everyone sputtering and speechless (and then begging to know how he did it).

I always envy the diners at the final dinner, and this one was no exception. I did wonder if there was any awkwardness between Oseland and Chiarello, since his vastly lower star rating at last season's finale was what kept Michael from the win. And hey, meanwhile, where was Gael? Seemed a shame she missed out on the finale.

I agree that it was touching to see Susur talk about his first wife--I didn't know the story and was very sorry to hear about his loss. She was beautiful, too. So happy he found his spunky second wife, who seems like a blast (and my lord, could those children be any more gorgeous?). Oh, and I will totally miss Susur saying "I was feeling really pissed off!" which in the end stopped annoying me and totally cracked me up every single time.

My favorite moment was when Marcus was so uncharacteristically nervous, and essentially sputtered out his dish insights really fast ("well-what-I-did-here-is-I-wanted-to-frantic-blather-etc.), it was so cute, and made me realize how young he really is. He's so poised I forget that a lot of the time.

Great second season. I still love this show, and it's a kinder, gentler, reprieve from more cutthroat world of traditional "Top Chef." Every time these master chefs pitched in to help one another (just as with last season), or to help Marcus buy all his ingredients, I smiled. Great job to all (and Waxman I hope you're getting some well-deserved rest, dude).

ETA one thing I forgot!

Edited by Paramitch, Jun 10, 2010 @ 1:18 AM.

[Harry24]

My favorite moment was when Marcus was so uncharacteristically nervous, and essentially sputtered out his dish insights really fast ("well-what-I-did-here-is-I-wanted-to-frantic-blather-etc.), it was so cute, and made me realize how young he really is. He's so poised I forget that a lot of the time.

At one point it looked as though Marcus was mouthing something to himself, and I remembered he said he says the names of his loved ones at the nervous points standing at judges' table. Cute.

I'll miss these guys/gals on my TV.

[CourtneyLove]

I'm surprised at how warm and fuzzy I feel after that show, I thought that RM struggled alot this season, so it's surprising to find out that he tied with Susur, who was all ten shades of awesome.

I really want Susur to have his own show, he should just walk around tasting other chef's food and talk shit to everyone, I would watch everyday.

Loved Marcus winning, especially his charity was really compelling, and I loved the family story about his grandmother, and how she's still always with him. I also loved Gail defending his choice, pointing out that he refused to 'americanize' his food to get a better score. This is why i was sure that RM wouldn't win. Rick has spent the entire season killing himself to do fish dishes since that was his strength, and then when he's told to do a dish that defines him, he does foreign lamb. He did it well, to be sure, but Sustainable Fish guy doesn't = lamb.

Awesome season. And I think Tom C. was giving me the eye ::purr::

[Darian]

That was a satisfying hour of TV. It's odd--I didn't care who won, but was on the edge of my seat for judging. I'm glad that it was close. Seems they all did a wonderful job.

I loved Marcus teasing Rick about his venison, asking him what kind of fish it was and calling it something like the holy fish of the forest. Ha.

My crush on Hubert Keller, born during the first episode of Top Chef season one, only gets stronger. What a lovely man!

So glad the camaraderie that was sometimes missing was there in full force last night.

[JodithGrace]

I, too, called out Marcus' win as soon as Susar and/or Rick started claiming that the contest would be between the two of them. Kiss of death, there, because the editing monkeys love that sort of thing.

I thought that there was such an interesting contrast between the three finalists. Marcus and Susar have such exotic and even tragic histories, and Rick..grew up in Queens! He's kind of like the boy next door, for me.

I think that Marcus won because he really put himself out there in his last dish. It's funny that the comments really weren't that good, even Rick Bayliss didn't seem to like it. But everybody respected the hell out of Marcus for making it, and that's what put him over the top. He also restrained himself, which is what kept screwing him up during the competition..putting too much stuff on the plate, going overboard with garnishes, etc.

I grew to love Susar being pissed off about everything, and Rick's ADD..they were like the Two Stooges in the kitchen, with Marcus just staying out of the way and quietly cooking. And winning.

[jen222]

This is why i was sure that RM wouldn't win. Rick has spent the entire season killing himself to do fish dishes since that was his strength, and then when he's told to do a dish that defines him, he does foreign lamb. He did it well, to be sure, but Sustainable Fish guy doesn't = lamb.

This IS why he didn't win (or at least one reason) - if you look at Jay Rayner's blog on Bravo, he rips Rick a new one (and talks about how he was edited quite kindly on the show) for choosing something so unsustainable as the centerpiece for his last dish. And Rayner has a point - this dish was supposed to represent them as a chef and while Rick made something great, it was different from how he presented himself all season (as sustainable fish guy) and how he presents himself in his professional career. So it didn't encapsulate him as a chef and I thought his argument at critics table (saying I'm not an environmentalist, I'm a chef) was a huge mistake - he was arguing against his own professional persona, which asserts that it is a chef's responsibility to be aware of the environmental impact of his cooking. So big tactical error by Rick and I was actually glad to see him get called out on it.

I didn't know who I was rooting for, but in the end I was glad that Marcus won. He seemed attached to his charity in a way that the others weren't and I thought did a great job encompassing his personal history in his dishes. Overall, a good finale - I was so glad they kept basically the same challenge from the first season--I think it's the best challenge on both of the Top Chefs--and I loved hearing all the chef's stories. And as someone who thought Susur and Marcus were both jerks on their first eps, I came to really like both of them in the end (As for Rick, I was meh on him all the way through).

Bring on Top Chef! And Eric Ripert!

[TheLady2]

In typical Bravo fashion, the person I didn't want to win did. I should know better that they always put the one you figure least deserves to win will win. Pffft to another Bravo fake show.

[sloopster]

I'm happy with how it ended, though I was pulling for Susur. I have to agree that Rick made a huge mistake in saying "I'm not a tree hugger, I'm a chef" and it really made me sad. I read his book about sustainable fish, and I'm sorry to discover it, and all his rhetoric, is a marketing gimmick, not a true calling or at least an honest bent.

Did they say the venison was from Australia? Or the lamb? I thought it was venison, which would make no sense. The lamb doesn't make sense either, but at least it makes slightly more sense, because as I understand it, Australian lamb has a much more distinct flavor than Colorado lamb. But the tree hugger knock, that was unc

Anyway, for next time, Bravo - don't start off with teams, and don't go for the cheap drama edit (the warm fuzzies are so much better).

[jenrising]

The lamb was from Australia. I agree, the tree hugger comment was a mistake. Every time I've ever heard Rick mentioned before Top Chef it was about sustainability in fine dining. Throwing that out the window so casually makes him seem like a real jerk.

I was excited that Marcus won because he did something unexpected and risky, but to be true to himself, not as a stunt to prove he could cook something other than fish like Rick.

[freesia]

I was pulling for a Susur win, but in the end, I can't be mad. Only a 1/2 star separated the winner for the runners-up, so it was very, very close. And clearly, they are all really talented chefs.

I don't remember the star breakdowns, but didn't Susur win the diner's points? I think he got 4.5 stars, while the other two got 4 stars. I almost put more stock in that award because it encompasses the opinions of other well-renowned chefs. Or perhaps I'm just trying to make myself feel better about Susur's loss.

[TeresaDee]

...if you look at Jay Rayner's blog on Bravo, he rips Rick a new one (and talks about how he was edited quite kindly on the show) for choosing something so unsustainable as the centerpiece for his last dish. And Rayner has a point - this dish was supposed to represent them as a chef and while Rick made something great, it was different from how he presented himself all season (as sustainable fish guy) and how he presents himself in his professional career. So it didn't encapsulate him as a chef and I thought his argument at critics table (saying I'm not an environmentalist, I'm a chef) was a huge mistake - he was arguing against his own professional persona, which asserts that it is a chef's responsibility to be aware of the environmental impact of his cooking. So big tactical error by Rick and I was actually glad to see him get called out on it.

Thanks, I will check out the blog. The look on his (Rayner's) face said it all! Also, Rayner gave Marcus 5 stars. I recall that he was extremely impressed with his technique (and personally I'm thrilled that Marcus won it all), but I wonder if it was also a strategy to keep RM out of the running.

[FemaleViewer]

I should have known Marcus had it though, as that flan literally had everyone sputtering and speechless (and then begging to know how he did it).

Congrats, Marcus! I was happy to see that he gladly shared his flan technique with the panel (and the world for that matter). So many people can be so closed mouthed about their recipes like they are guarding state secrets or something.

[Fukui San]

There is an environmental argument for lamb from New Zealand being more environmentally responsible than using local lamb. That is, if the steps you have to take for raising lamb locally involves changing a lot of habitats and importing feed whereas if New Zealand raises lamb very efficiently, the imported lamb actually has a lower environmental impact despite the extra food miles. I've heard that argument against trying to raise lamb in a place like England.

However, Rick didn't make that argument, and Colorado lamb has been used before on Top Chef to great effect. Using that probably wouldn't have been a sticking point that NZ lamb was.

[Jaune Chat]

I was a little afraid that James was going to start having a fit at the table with his exuberant praise of Rick. Apparently when the Romanian judge goes off, he goes OFF!

It was a really satisfiying finale all around. Amazing-sounding food from all three, which amazingly strongly connected with all of their stories. I remember some of the Top Chef cheftestants BSing their way through their explainations for various challenges, but here there was no stretch. Loved that.

[Kathira]

I was pulling for Susur (sexy, sexy, man that he is) but I'm OK with Marcus winning, especially over Rick.

It was so great to see Hubert again. He is such a gentleman. One thing I thought was funny was the double take he did when Marcus started talking about growing up in Sweden. I'm assuming he didn't know Marcus's story about being adopted from Ethiopia and was naturally expecting a black chef to be talking either about Africa or America, rather than what is widely perceived as one of the whitest countries in the world. (Actually, that isn't true, Sweden has a substantial immigrant population, but I can see Hubert not knowing that.)