Shot Down in a Blais of Glory

Ok, ok, I couldn't resist on that title. Well, I have to say that I was disappointed in last night's Top Chef results. However, seeing as the judges based their final decision on the meal they had versus the entire competition, I can see why my fave Richard Blais lost the competition. Having admittedly choked, his meal definitely failed to impress the judges -- and yours truly as well. The pork belly in mirin with pickled radish definitely looked lacking at best, and his banana scallops (although the judges were complimentary) were a dish he has won with in the past. I was hoping for a bit more ingenuity in his final challenge. Stephanie's strengths shined through in her final meal; combine that with her superior attitude and democracy in the kitchen, and I think we have an answer as to why the Chicagoan was named this year's Top Chef. Best of luck to her. On the bright side, Blais' new Home in Atlanta is noted as one of the most popular restaurants in town according to the number of reservations made on OpenTable.com. It's obviously not the last we'll be seeing of him; I'm sure Atlantans will be nutty over him as ever with the culmination of the show.