Top Chef Recap - And Then There Were Three!

This week Jen, Michael, Bryan and Kevin returned to the competition to decide which three would continue on to the final. Napa was the venue.

Of course, when you are in Napa, you must include "Mr. NapaStyle", Michael Chiarello. Chef Chiarello, also a Top Chef Master, was the guest judge.

The QuickFire Challenge was to make a dish that incorporated and celebrated the Napa wine grape. The cheftestants had several varieties to choose from, including concord grapes. The prize, a brand new Toyota Prius. The catch, the chefs had to cook on a moving train, The Napa Wine Train. It took each chef just a few moments to get back into the competitive groove. Michael took the challenge and the Prius.

The Elimination Challenge was they had to cater a party for 150 people at one of the Napa Valley vineyards and each had to make two dishes which had to include a vegetarian dish.

Everyone made some mistake in the elimination challenge. Bryan definitely was the best. The only thing they said about his two dishes was that they needed a little more seasoning (salt and pepper).

Kevin made brisket as one dish and he didn't have enough time to braise it and it was "toothsome" as he called it. It wasn't tender and needed a little more time.

Jen's dishes were good. She wanted to grill duck, but the wood grill went out so she couldn't do that and wound up doing duck confit. It was good, but I think they held against her that she let the grill go out and couldn't do the dish she originally planned on.

Michael served a dish with an egg in it and the egg was undercooked. Yucky. I thought that was going to send him home especially since pregnant Padma got the most "raw" egg.

Jen went home. I don't understand why, but they sent her home, so it's the three amigos.

I think it's going to be Kevin or Bryan.