08x04 - Advantage Chef

[bunniefuu]

After a double elimination

it's pretty heavy.

So we head to the bar.

He did not expect
to go home.

If somebody says
they hate your dish,

like, you're going home.

I didn't see that coming.

Dale and Stephen,
please pack your knives and go.

Dale is a great friend

and really good support
for me.

To have him not here,

it really stinks.

This show's crazy, right?
Two people.

Yeah.
No more.

No more. No more bottom.
No more curses.

Can't handle it.

I was in the bottom twice.

I don't think
that the judges got it right.

I can't allow that
to happen again.

I'm gonna make a t-shirt.

"I survived
the elimination challenge."

[Laughter]

We think that the Chef
who just did

a marvelous job

is Dale.

Thank you.

It's on to the next one, man.

Cannot sit and think
about the victory.

You got to move on
to the next,

because tomorrow
you can go home.

I don't know

whose days are numbered here.

But I really don't mind
how many people they eliminate

as long as it's not me.

Right now my biggest competition
is probably Angelo,

so I'll be keeping an eye
on him from here on out.


to fight it out for $1/2 million

in cash and prizes,
the most in Top Chef history,

and the grand prize--

a feature
in Food & Wine magazine,

a showcase at the annual
Food & Wine classic in Aspen,

$200,000

to pursue
their culinary dreams,

furnished by Buitoni,

and the title
that's eluded them all--

Top Chef.

[Rock music]

I walk
into the Top Chef kitchen,

and I see Tony Mantuano,
who's awesome.

He has the top Italian
restaurants in the country.

Hello, Chefs.
Meet award-winning Chef

and Top Chef Master
Tony Mantuano.

He's the Chef/owner of
four-star restaurant

Spiaggia in Chicago.

Hi, Chefs.

All: Hello.

[Sizzling]

This quickfire tests
your ability

to make one of America's
classic seasonal dishes.

Stuffing.

Stuffing might be actually
more regionally specific

than any other food.

Stuffing is house-specific.

Stuffing is mother-specific.

Every holiday
at my house,

there's always
a great stuffing debate.

I always like
a few Italian ingredients--

prosciutto and sage.

My mom always says, well,
it has to be traditional.

So there's always a debate.

Your Swanson broth
quickfire challenge

is to convince us

that your stuffing
is the best.

You'll settle the debate.

So the challenge
is to make stuffing,

but this is All-Stars,

so there's no way
this is gonna be that easy.

For you,
we're gonna make it even harder.

We're taking away your knives
and all of your kitchen tools.

- Really?
- This will be

a test of your resourcefulness

and your imagination.

Really?
No utensils.

How we gonna do this?

I'm gonna crush potato
with my head?

How am I gonna do that?

But it does come
with a great bonus.

Immunity and $20,000.

Shut up.
Whoo-hoo!

Whoo!


Having two girls,
and everyone knows who has 'em--

girls are expensive.

Your time starts now.

Jesus! Come one!

Oh, my God!

That is insane!

Oh, my God.

All mayhem breaks loose.

Whatever is meant to be
will be.

And what's left
is quinoa.

I'm going down
the thai quinoa salad road.

Where's...Oh.

I'm going
for the very non-traditional.

An Asian stuffing.

I have never cooked this dish
in my life.

I did wash my hands.

But if you are on this show
to just cook

a bunch of stuff
that you already know

how to cook,

then you are in the wrong place,
my friend.

This is the lid of a jar,
so it's my spoon for today.

[Laughs]

Ask a Chef
to cook

without the tools

is like to ask
to a surgeon

to do
an open-heart surgery

with only his finger.

I see rack
where all the pots and pans are,

and I grate the cheese
on the rack.

That is genius.

Grated parmesan.

Oh, my God.

Absolutely insane.

It's just a cluster[Bleep].

I mean, like,
Carla's next to me

trying to open something,

banging it like a cavewoman.

- Oops!
- [Laughs]

Feel like Tom Hanks
in castaway right now.

[Laughs]

- What is that?
- Bird.

I think I'm making stuffing.
I'm not sure.

My mother makes

the world's best stuffing.

In my house
for Thanksgiving, my mother

is like,
"get the hell out of the house,"

and then we come back,

and it's jedi [Bleep] Stuffing.

At one point, I am literally
butchering a quail

with a pepper grinder.

I can't believe
I just [Bleep] Did that.

Anybody got
the cayenne pepper?

This last year,
I took on Thanksgiving.

There's a lot ofhings
I decided to bust out

wasn't accepted so well
with my family.

I have nothing
against my family,

but I'm cooking for a little bit
more refined palates,

so I'm going
for a little cheddar

and jalapeno bread pudding.

Not a single utensil
in the kitchen.

I'm going in the fryer.

I'm all for liquid nitrogen.
[Laughs]

In my mind,

if it's frozen,
then it can be smashed.

[Laughter]

This is my spoon.

I'm using the big piece
of bacon to stir my chicken.

Hell, yeah.

In order to get my stuffing
inside of my bird,

I'm, like, putting the stuffing
inside of the plastic wrap

and then just squeezing the
stuffing inside of the cavity.

This challenge
is kind of [Bleep] Ridiculous.

But there's $20,000
on the line.

I definitely want
to k*ll this [Bleep].

- Is it sweet?
- It's really sweet.

I think I veered off
a little bit

into, like, a world
of soy maple stuffing.

There may be just
a little bit

too much maple in my dish.

You have five minutes.

Lord, it be.
Lord, it be.

I am nailing this sauce.

It's beautiful.

But my quinoa's undercooked

because black quinoa takes
a longer time

to cook
than the regular quinoa.

This is so sad.

Time's up.
Utensils down.

Why did I choose a quinoa
that I can't cook in 45...

Horrible.

- Hi, Casey.
- Hi.

What did you make for us?

I wanted to do an Asian dish.

So I took
some wood ear mushrooms

with just
a crispy chicken liver.

It's all the components
that I like in stuffing.

Okay, great.

I did
a little stuffing crepinette.

It's sort of a take
on a matzo ball soup as well.

So I have a little bit of, like,
a fortified broth here.

Very nice.

- I'd like to call it
"undone-te" quinoa.

It is a thai-inspired
vegetable stuffing with quinoa.

And why al dente?

- I said undone-te.

[Laughter]

This is not a $20,000 dish.
This isn't even a 20-cent dish.

You need some floss?

[Laughter]

Thanks, Carla.

All right,
well, I have a stuffed quail.

The stuffing has some raisins,
lots of herbs.

Port and apricot glaze.

And what did you use

to plate up?

- Some lemongrass spears.
- Ingenious.

Here we have a whole squab,
raisin brioche,

come cherries,
currants.

This is kind of like
ras el hanout.

Kind of like gravy.

- Really nice.
- Thanks, Chef.

- Hello.
- So it's an onion

that I pressure-cooked
in some chicken broth,

finished with
a little nitro-fried fennel,

then cooked down
with some raisins and pine nut.

Great.

I'm from Texas,
so I did

a southwestern-inspired
bread pudding.

It's got apple-smoked bacon,

cheddar cheese,
bell peppers, cilantro.

It's got a nice kick to it.

In my stuffing, I tried to
channel a little bit of Spain

and then used the bread

as I would a rice

and then folded in crab meat.

Finished it
with a chili-lemon aioli.

Thank you very much.

- Hi.
- Hi, Tiffani.

I wanted a really nice,
sort of silky texture,

like a really silky
bread pudding.

So this is a soy maple stuffing

with a little bit of quail
and some grilled mushrooms.

I've never fabricated a bird
with a pepper mill before.

Make sure we don't use that
pepper mill anymore, right?

Got it.
[Laughter]

I used to do
this polenta bread.

I pressure-cooker
all the vegetables

with the herbs,
smoked bacon.

So I took a piece of cheese,

and I use the top shelving

as a grater, collecting
the cheese underneath.

Thank you, Fabio.
[Laughter]

So, Tony, let's tell them
how they did.

Overall, you did
a great job.

And you showed
a lot of inventiveness.

Who were some
of your least favorites?

Carla.
The quinoa was undercooked.

It really wasn't a stuffing.

If I poured milk over it
in a cereal bowl,

it might be delicious.

Tiffani f.,

your stuffing
was a little overly sweet.

- My mom is gonna k*ll me.
- Casey...

It didn't come off
as a stuffing.

It came off more
as a plated appetizer.

Oh.

Now let's hear some good news.

Tre's southwest dressing.

It was spicy,

but it was well-balanced spicy.

Thank you, Chef.

Another dish
that I was impressed with

was Marcel's dish.

The stuffing tasted great.

And the bird tasted great.

Marcel, Tre,
one of you

will not only receive immunity,

but $20,000,
furnished by Swanson broth.

The stuffing that showed
the most resourcefulness,

the best flavor, was...

Tre.
Oh, my God!

[Laughs]

Thank you, Chef.
Thank you, Chef.

Getting me 20 grand
and immunity,

it's pretty freakin' awesome.

Thank you.
Swanson, call me up.

[Laughs]

What do you need?
A massive, massive,

massive curve ball here.

What happened?
What happened?

Time's up.

Oh!

For your
elimination challenge,

you'll be cooking
at the home

of the U.S. open.

The open is one of the most
prestigious tennis championships

in the world.

The players
are on a strict diet,

which means healthy,
high-energy food.

Chefs, come up
and get a tennis ball can.

Please pull a tennis ball
out of the can.

- Orange.
- Team orange.

Team yellow.

- Team Mikey.
- Team yellow.

- Yellow.
- Orange.

- Yellow.
- Orange.

- Team orange.
- Team yellow.

- Team orange.
- Team orange.

Please move
into your respective teams.

I'm on the orange team.

I think we have
a really strong team.

But I'm a little concerned
about Fabio

because he may overthink
this challenge.

Not particularly on the team
that I probably want to be on.

I have no allies on this team.
So I'm a little worried.

You'll face off in a game
of culinary tennis.

You'll serve your dishes

one at a time,
head to head.

If your dish wins
that head-to-head battle,

your team gets a point.

First team to four points

wins the match.

Players on the winning team
will be up for the win,

and players who lose a point
on the losing team

will face elimination.

So strategy is involved.

Do you play
your strongest dish first?

Or do you save it
to win a more crucial point

later in the game?

You'll have 15 minutes

to menu plan now,

and tomorrow you'll shop
at whole foods.

Put your game face on.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I got a cool dish.

I'm going with, like, a lot
of flavor right off the bat.

What I want to cook
is something brothy,

you know, something that
your body can easily break down.

We know they're gonna go
from a cerebral level.

I think if we just have
a balance

of just straight-up flavor,


nail 'em right there and then.

What are you thinking, Carla?

I'm thinking
an African peanut stew.

It's all vegetarian.

You've got the beans.
You've got interesting flavor.

Has anybody been to U.S. open?

- No.
- It's a very upscale event.

Carla wants to do
a vegetarian dish.

And that's not the kind of food
these people want to eat.

I think we need
a starchy dish.

It's not an individual dish.
It's a team thing.

We need to win.
That's how we won last time.

We need to go step by step,
every ingredient,

what we're gonna do.
One, two, three.

All: Yellow!
Nice.

All right.

We all get back to the house.

Instantly, both teams segregate
into different areas.

To keep
your master plan a secret.

I think what's really nice,
if you listen

to all of our dishes,

they're from all over the world.

Not that it has to be, like,
a progression or anything.

No, it doesn't have to be.
It just has to be good food.

We need to have
some type of strategy,

but if you have a good plate,
you're gonna win.

So we're gonna put
our best guys up,

and we're gonna go
head to head.

Have you ever done
your exact dish before?

[Laughs]
[Muttering]

So what is our strategy?

If we put our weakest dish
first against their best,

it's kind of like, okay,

we got that--

- it wastes their best.
- It wastes their best.

Yeah, that's great.

It's a good strategy,
I think.

It wasn't my strategy.
I was kind of like,

yeah, whatever.
Whatever you guys want to do.

For me, it's like,
if I can avoid fighting,

I'm gonna avoid fighting.

It's a game of strategy.
[Laughs]

We get into whole foods.

Tiffani and I just run up
to the fish counter.

Can I get 12 mackerel?

I'm calling my dish
smoked fish.

I'm confident that all
the flavors will come together.

Okay. I'm very aware
of what I put into my body.

Eight years ago,
I picked up a lot of weight.

So I took on a lot of running

and just changed my diet.

Five minutes left, guys.

I share the dish that I want
to do with my teammates.

They don't seem
to be thrilled.

But I really believe
in my dish,

and I'm doing it.

Let's go, guys.

We've got three hours to prep

inside the U.S. open kitchen,

and I feel
like we got a really good group.

I've got Dale, Antonia,

Blais, Fabio, Carla,

Mike Isabella.

Everybody on our team
is awesome.

Behind you.
The theme of this challenge

is cooking for athletes
and making sure

that you give them healthy food.

So the food
that I'm gonna prepare

I'm calling a thai-bouleh,

which is a play on tabbouleh.

I'm gonna do it
with a sous-vide lamb loin.

I feel pretty comfortable

with this challenge

because I'm also a runner,
so I understand

what we need
before a big race.

Does anybody want molding
for their station?

I never played sports
in high school.

I smoked a lot of pot
and did nothing else.




Fabio's making gnocchi,

and I get a little concerned,

because,
for this type of event,

they need something
that's gonna fill them up

but not weigh them down.

- ...I made are paper-thin,

but they're too strong still.

So I'm gonna add vinegar,
sugar.

Yeah, vinegar, sugar.

And let 'em sit
and see how they go.

This is my seventh time
making gnocchi,

and everything is in the mixer.

But there is
no paddle attachment.

Fabio's in the weeds.

So I pull everything out,

and I do the gnocchi
with my own little hands.

If I pull this off,

I'm the man.

Tiffani,
we're in the back, okay?

No.
Just some of us.

I'm on the yellow team,
and it is Tre,

Tiffany, Angelo, Jamie,

Casey, and spike.

I bought fish sauce,
but it's not in my bag.

There's a bunch in mine.
Just grab whatever you need.

Coming through, guys.
Hot.

M doing
a seared pork tenderloin

with fresh cherries and farro.

Look at this mess.

Things that are good for you
are not always great tasting.

But farro is a delicious grain.

Coming out.

That's what I'm talking about,
chickpeas.

All my prep is moving along
really well.

But I think the dried chickpeas

are gonna be a problem
in my dish.

I'm worried
about getting them cooked.

It's garbage.

A massive curve ball in here

is that, when I check
the mackerel that I got,

it looked like mucus.

It was, like,
slimy and gross inside.

- Where's the fish?
- It's just terrible.

I'm just like,
I'm not even compromising.

Tre.
What?

Do you have enough salmon
where I could spare one

and I could do a sashimi?
Oh, are you serious?

Though I have immunity,

giving Angelo my fish

is really kind of a easy way

of getting myself
thrown at the bottom.

See if she's got
some more tuna.

So I quickly suggest that
he uses some of Tiffany's tuna.

[Laughs]

Do you have any extra tuna?

The stakes are high,
and there's plenty

of competition
this season.

But strategizing and doing
all those games

and everything
is just not my style.

So I gave him some tuna.

I just hope that this doesn't
bite me in the behind.

- I got to make the be of it.
- Hey, Chef, how are you?

Hey, Jamie.

- Hey, Tom.
- Have you got together

with your teammates
to discuss strategy yet?

Yeah, we have,
but if I tell you,

it's sort of going
out the window.

I can't divulge the strategy.

There's people right here
listening.

- Oh.
- We have a plan.

You have a plan.

I think the other team
is really trying

to figure out
who they're gonna send first

to get that first point.
Trying to get a strategy out

of the yellow team,
but no one's talking.

It's not gonna happen.

The crazy part was
is they were so quiet about it.

I was like,
you guys are like the CIA.

What's the strategy now?
No one else can hear it.

You really want to know it?

It's just me.
Yeah, I do really want to know.

We think they're putting
their best food forward first.

- Okay.
- We bet

they're gonna be
coming out "blaising."

And Blais has really good food,

so, as a team,
we're gonna decide

whose dish
is the poorest.

We're gonna put
that person first.

- So they basically wasted--

- so you'll throw
the first one away,

and they're gonna waste
a big dish.

All right, good luck.

I'll see you later.
Thank you so much, Tom.

Okay, Chefs.
You have an hour left to serve.

As I'm chopping,

I look over to Antonia,
and I went,

"oh!"

You all right?

She cuts half
her fingernail off, literally.

- You're going to the hospital.
- The medic's behind me,

and I can hear
what's being said.

"You should go to the hospital"
and this and that.

Oh, no, it's okay,
I can handle it.

I just want to finish my prep.

You can just tell
that she's, like, worried

about what needs to get done.

Does it hurt? Yes.

Am I about to pass out? No.
Carla manned up.

It's called being professional.

There's nothing to stitch.
I cut it all off.

Carla handles cutting
her finger like a champ.

You know, Jamie cut her finger
in the museum challenge,

and then she felt
like she needed to go

to the hospital for it,

but Carla just wanted
to bandage it up

and keep going.

It's an inconvenience.





- What do you need?
- My chickpeas to be soft,

and they're not.

Taste that again.

That's it.

The tomato and tamarind soup
is delicious.

With ten minutes left,
I go to check on my shrimp,

and they're just really bad,

so I rush to cook another batch.

What happened?
What happened?

Why?
It's overpoached?

Less than ten minutes.

And I had very little time
to actually

put some love
and season them all up,

kind of like
I would have wanted to.

Time's up.

Whoo!

Good job, guys.
Good job.

Stepping out
onto the tennis courts,

kind of felt like a gladiator
entering the arena.

We got to go.
We got to go.

What are you doing?

- Guys, who wants to go?
- Jamie.

There's no way.
I'm not going first.

- [Bleep] Bull[Bleep], right?
- Who won?

The U.S. open is gorgeous.

Just think of all the amazing
athletes that played in here.

I feel
like I'm in a fighter jet.

You're gonna need
the pressure cooker, Jamie.

My first thing is to get
those chickpeas cooking.

I am not certain at all that
those chickpeas will be done.

These are hard.

Come on, girl, push.

Doing these dishes
head to head,

it's nerve-racking,

because there's a bunch
of tennis fans here

to watch us cook,
and the other team

is way on the other side
of the court.

So we don't know anything
about their dishes.

Come on, guys.
Antoni, get over here.

We need to pick
who's gonna go first.

Spike,
what do you want to do, bud?

We taste all the team's dish
except for Jamie's.

She's not ready
to give us a tasting portion.

Her chickpeas evidently
are not cooked properly.

And as far as I'm concerned,

an incomplete dish
means the worst dish.

Which means, Jamie,
you're up to bat.

Beautiful.

The judges come,

and our team is as ready
as it ever is gonna be.

It's time for match play.

Okay, spike.

Please send out
your first player.

Fabio, you're fired.

Go on the first plate
for the competition.

I got it, I got it,
I got it.

I'm specifically asking
to go first,

'cause I have
the best gnocchi in town.

- Who are they putting up first?
- Fabio's going first.

- Fabio?
- Yes.

- So it's not Blais.
- Who wants to go first?

We have to stick
to our strategy.

So the other team
picks Fabio first.

And we're like, wow,
they must have

some really, really
strong dishes.

We just need to figure out
who's going.

Guys, who wants to go?
One, two, three.

- Jamie.
- There's no way.

I need a little bit more time
to get my chickpeas soft.

So I'm not going first.

Team yellow, please send up
your first player.

We're all staring blankly
at each other.

We got to go.
We got to go.

So I decide
I'll just go first.

I don't mind.
I'll go.

- Casey goes first.
- Okay, Casey's going first.

All right, let's concentrate
on Casey's dish.

I have no clue
how this happens.

What are you doing, Casey?

Jamie has the worst dish.

All right, go, fab.
Go.

Go, yellow!
Whoo!

He's gonna take this win,

and we'll take another one
right after it.

I'd like to introduce you
to our special guest,

professional tennis player
Taylor dent.

Tell us what you made, Fabio.

I made
some whole wheat gnocchi

with egg whites
instead of the whole eggs.

And I roasted fennel,
zucchini,

and a little pork loin
for protein.

I'm serving
a grilled pork tenderloin

that I brined,
and then I grilled it.

It's over a salad of farro,
fresh bing cherry,

and a vinaigrette.

Taylor, which one
do you prefer?

The gnocchi tasted fantastic.

I like the fact that you used
a little bit less protein,

so I like that.

This to me
is a heavier plate, Casey.

So I'm gonna go with Fabio.
Tom.

I never had
a whole wheat gnocchi

that had any flavor at all,

and I got to say,
this does.

I'm gonna go with Fabio.

There you go, brother!

Yeah, me!
Yeah, me!

I got the first point
for my team.

I completely lose my mind.

Ahh!

I'm sorry. I'm Italian.
I can't hold it.

- 15-love, orange.

- Yeah!
- All right, hold on.

The first point's
really hard to watch.

Our strategy was to give
that point away,

but it was to give our point
away with our worst dish.

- [Laughs]
- Who wants some?

Huh?
Who wants some?

Orange team,
who will be serving next?

Dude, I have everything ready
to go.

The team had chose me
to go second.

But, unfortunately,
Dale's dumplings

are dying,
and it needs to go.

It's [Bleep] Bull[Bleep].
I'm a little bit bitter

because I'm already
halfway plated.

You should have spoke up

before we decided
that I was gonna go next.

That's all I got to say.

Orange team,
who will be serving next?

- Dale.
- Dale Talde.

Yellow team.

Guys, I think
we have to go for it.

At this point, I think we need
to start getting more momentum

and just go for the win now.

I mean, we kind of just forget
about all the strategy,

and we're just like,
we just got to win now.

You want to go?
I'll go.

- Okay, she's gonna go.
- Let's go, tiff.

So we're sending Tiffani out

because we think that she has
a strong dish.

So today I made
an edamame dumpling

with a Chinese
[Indistinct] Skin.

On top,
it's a spicy carrot froth.

It's a sashimi of black bass.

It's got some avocado
on the bottom,

some nice, healthy fats,

and a ponzu vinaigrette
on top of that.

- Two strong dishes again.
- Tiffani, I love your sea bass.

It's light, refreshing,
a great bite.

I'm gonna go with Tiffani.

Thank you.

I'm actually gonna go
with Dale's dish.

The vinaigrette was great.

So I'm gonna have
to go with Tiffani.

I'm gonna go with Tiffani
as well.

- Yeah!
- Point goes to Tiffani

and to the yellow team.

[Cheers and applause]



How'd they give it
to [Bleep] Tiffani?

[Cheers and applause]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Bleep].

Yellow team,
who are you putting up?

- So now what do I do?
- We're gonna do Angelo.

Orange team.

- Marcel.
- Marcel.

Bring it on, Marcy.
I'm excited to go up

against Marcel
because my dish is gonna win.

I know that 100%.

So what we have here today
is a smoked fish.

On the top I have
a camphor froth,

a yuzu gelee,
and then red onions and capers.

I have a cauliflower couscous
with pomegranate seeds,

golden raisins.

On top,
you have a yellowfin tuna.

I did finish it with a touch
of cream and a touch of butter.

I mean, I love them both
to be honest with you.

I think
they're both great.

I had a hard time really
actually tasting the tuna.

The cream actually got
in the way,

so I'm gonna go Angelo.
Thank you very much.

I think I'm gonna go
with Angelo.

I'm with you guys.
I'm gonna go with Angelo.

Point, yellow team.

Yeah!
[Cheers and applause]

- 15-30, yellow.

[Bleep] Bull[Bleep], right?

Angelo takes the point,

and I'm crushed.

He always plates on a spoon.

Are you [Bleep] Me?

Yellow team,
who is your next player?

Guys, what do you think?
Guys, come in, please.

I'm happy that Angelo won.

It's nice to get two points
in a row.

I'm hoping that we'll
just nip it in the bud

and I won't have to go at all,
which would be nice for me.

It looks like Richard's next.

He's plating, so...

You want to pick Tiffany
or Jamie?

Orange team,

who are you putting up?

Antonia.

- So it's not Blais.
- Yellow team?

- Okay, I'm going.
- Tiffany.

Do it.

They're going with Tiffany
right now.

You're going against Tiffany.
That looks beautiful.

Great job.
Great job.

Angelo has his hands

in everyone's dish,
and it's like,

dude,
keep your hands to yourself.

Antonia needs to win this one.

Yeah, I want to win,

and I want the entire team
to win,

because it's just great
for morale.

But at the end
of the day,

we really are working
on our own,

because if my dish wins,

I'm not up for elimination.

So what I've done

is I've spiced
a little bit of tuna

with fennel, peppercorns,

coriander seeds.

I have a warm lentil salad

that I tossed
with a mustard vinaigrette.

So I did a diver sea scallop
on top of China doll lentils

spiced with a little bit
of mint, cilantro, and chive.

- I'm gonna go with Tiffany.
- Thank you.

I'm going with Antonia.

- This dish tastes fantastic.
- Thank you.

Oh, there's
a little fist pound.

I'm gonna go with Tiffany.

Yeah, they're both
really great dishes,

but I have to say just
for all-around, like, flavor,

Antonia.

- Girl.
- Who won?

I did!

[Cheers and applause]

[Laughter]

Yes!
I win the fourth round.

[Grunts]
That a girl.

That sucks.

Orange team,
who are you putting up next?

- Bad boy Blais.
- Yellow team.

Spike.

Jamie's dish
is just undercooked beans,

so I'm the best
we have left.

And now I'm going up against
one of the strongest Chefs

in this competition.

Am I pissing my pants
a little bit?

Yes.
You want a little oil?

A little oil?
A little olive oil's nice.

Angelo and Tiffani, after
hearing the judge's comments,

start to get
very aggressive

about my dish.

- Put a little gelee in there?
- I would.

Want to put a little gelee?

I want to make sure
that everybody's dish is set,

and I want to make sure

that all the flavors
are cohesive.

Just go light.
Go light, light.

Angelo decided to add
this yuzu gelee

at the bottom of my bowl.

Go, go, go.
Take two.

Angelo's
kind of like a car salesman.

You don't know
if you can trust him or not,

but this is not the dish
that I conceptualized

at all
at this point.

I made a tomato tamarind soup

it's got
some olive oil-poached shrimp,

some pineapple,
some fresh tomatoes,

some dill.

- I did what I'm calling
thai-bouleh,

which is a take
on tabbouleh.

So I introduced some thai herbs
and a barbecued lean lamb loin.

Both proteins
were downfalls

on each of these dishes.

I think the shrimp was bland,

and the lamb was really gamy.

But the tabbouleh saved it,
so I'm gonna go with you.

I'm gonna go with Richard.

Spike, I love the soup.
I hate the shrimp.

I'll go with Richard.

There you go, boy!

[Cheers and applause]

I'm pissed

at the way
that my plate-up went,

and then I'm extremely upset

because Jamie's nowhere
to be found.

[Overlapping chatter]

I take the point
against spike.

We're one point away
from winning.

Carla for team orange.

Match point.

Team yellow.

Jamie, you're gonna have
to go.

They're not cooking in there.

At this point,
we really need to win.

Jamie, undercooked beans,
or Tre?

Tre!
Tre for team yellow.

If trey loses,
he has immunity,

and he is safe no matter what.

So the chances
of the rest of us

going home is greater.

Yikes.

This next round
is very important.

And I serve with Tre.

I'm concerned
because he's been on fire

in the last few challenges.

It's gonna be Jamie versus me
at the end.

Carla's flavors need
to develop a little bit more.

I mean, it's a healthy dish,

but it has a lot
of bold flavors on it.

I'm really worried about her.

All right, let me start working
on my dish.

I would be real careful
about them small pieces.

As we begin to prepare
my dish,

Angelo asks me
could he do anything for me?

You're basting it, Tre?

Yeah.
Even though my dish isn't

that complex,
but, you know, I like

to work together as a team.

I just told Angelo to go ahead

and fire it off
and cook my fish for me.

Some of them are
a little b*rned, though, huh?

Match point.

Okay.

I did
an African groundnut soup,

which has got adzuki beans,

peanuts,
and very little fat.

I took advantage of
the coho salmon still in season,

placed it on top
of parsnip puree,

olive oil sauce
that is laced with citrus,

tomatoes, and olives.

I love the salmon dish.

Thank you, sir.

Carla, the soup
is fantastic.

I love it.
So Carla gets my vote.

Thank you.

I'm gonna go
with Carla.

For me, the salmon
was a little bit over,

but seasoned well.
It had a good sear.

The soup is really spicy.

But I love spicy food.
I'm going with Carla.

[Shrieks]

[Cheers and applause]

Match point.
Orange team takes the win.

- Overcooked salmon.
- It's gonna be a tough one.

I think the team should have


The worst dish
should have went up first.

That was Jamie's dish.

Really dreading judges' table.

Spike's strategy
was stupid.

Not the greatest play.
Man.

I don't know.
Did we play the game right?

I dodged a giant b*llet.

I think I got really lucky
by not having

to go up there.

Four of them
are in the bottom.

One of 'em's
definitely going home.

So, I mean,
I felt bad,

but it kind of just happened
that way.

You [Bleep] Deserve
to win tonight.

You never have a strategy
in a game like this

when you don't know
what you're getting into.

At the end of the day,
if you have

a good player,
you're gonna win.

That hearty grain
is a lot to digest.

It was meant to be hearty.

The strategy
may have backfired,

because, if you think
she had the worst dish,

she's not even up
for elimination.

You were a cheerleader,
though, weren't you?

Look.
Let's get a cheer.

Give us a cheer.

- I cannot cheer.
- Give us a cheer.

Like, let's do it together.
Come on.

You cheer,
she dances,

and Angelo will have, like--
he'll be the male dancer.

He'll catch you guys!

You [Bleep]!
[Laughter]

Mikey brings out
the goofier side of me,

and definitely
the playful side of me.

[Rhythmic clapping]

[Cheers]

Isabella, man, Isabella is,
like, the biggest kid

out of all of us.

Shake what your mama
gave you.

[Laughter]

Yeah, Mike!

[Overlapping laughter,
shouting]

Oh, Mike.

So, jame, are you upset
that you didn't get to cook?

Yes and no.

- Why yes?
- 'Cause I'm upset

that I didn't get
to present my food.

It sucks.
Jamie had the worst dish,

so, at the end of the day,

she should be up
for elimination.

I should have went first.

- Good evening.
- Good evening.

Good evening.

We would like to see Fabio,
Carla, Richard,

and Antonia.

Thank you.

Go get 'em, guys.

You four scored
the winning points

that secured victory
for team orange.

And one of you will be winning
a trip to Italy.

- [Gasps]
- Furnished by Gelato Vineyards.

The winning prize
is a trip to Italy.

I would love
to just go to Italy

and eat my way around.

This was some of the best food
we've been served

across seven seasons.

It was just delicious

and beautiful--
every bite.

Richard, talk to us
about the strategy.

We really just tasted
all of our food

and just randomly chose
who to send up there.

Actually, our strength was
probably not having a strategy.

Carla, let's talk
about your soup.

That soup could be perceived

as very homey,

but the steps you took
really elevated it.

It was a real surprise
for me.

Oh, thank you very much.

- Antonia.
- The layers of flavors

were really interesting,

and the raisins
were a great touch.

I thought that was beautiful.
Thank you.

- Richard.
- I loved the tabbouleh.

I though it was a great idea.
It tastes great.

Nice job on that.

- Fabio.
- Light gnocchi is a miracle.

It was really, really good.

That means a lot.
Thank you.

Tony, as our guest judge,

please announce the winner.

The dish that stood out
was balanced.

It was elegant.

The winning dish...

Is Carla.

Congratulations, Carla.

You get a five-day,
four-night trip to Italy,

including a tour
of Santa margherita winery,

furnished by Gelato Vineyards.

Thank you.

I really want to be a kid
right now.

I just want to go,
"nah nah nah-nah nah."

I'm feeling so good,
so validated.

Thank you, Chefs.

Please send in the Chefs
from the yellow team

who lost their point.
Thank you.

Carla.
[Ululates]

She's going to Italy.

- That is awesome.
- Go, Carla.

So they'd like to see Casey,
Tiffany d.,

Tre, and spike.

- Go fight, guys, go get 'em.
- Go get 'em!

Jamie, you got a story
going now.

Wait, I'm sorry, Richard.

I'm trying not to be offended

by your comment.

What exactly is my story
that's going on here?

I'm saying
it's an odd story.

- 'Cause I haven't cooked?
- Yeah.

Chefs, unfortunately,

you all lost points
for your team.

What strategy
did your team employ?

We were gonna try
to be a little tricky.

We thought they were gonna put

their best dish forward,
and we were gonna

kind of put our worst dish
forward.

You thought Casey's dish

was the worst dish?

No, that's not what I said
at all.

Whose dish did you guys decide
was the worst dish?

I think Jamie's dish.
Her beans had a bite to them.

The strategy backfired
somewhere here

because, if you think
she had the worst dish,

she's not even up
for elimination.

She's not here.

- Spike.
- You know, the thing

about my dish is, actually,
I had my three bowls set up,

I tossed the shrimp

with a little bit
of a spicy salmon roe.

Which had that saltiness
and a lot of spice to it.

And then all I heard was like,
"it's gonna be too spicy."

And, you know,
Angelo and Tiffani

just tossed my first three.

Really?

I just got overtaken.
Do you know what I mean?

Like, Angelo plopped on
his yuzu gelee

that he used
for his dish.

Without asking you?

- I mean, they asked--
like, you know,

it's kind of like
you're sitting around

and, like, "let's taste this
with the yuzu

and see what it does."

My issue actually
was that it was a little

out of balance
towards the sweet.

I think it was
because the shrimp was so bland.

I think, spike,
you had a good soup,

but too many other hands
got involved.

Tiffany,
in season seven,

you were with Angelo,
and there was a lot of criticism

that sometimes
there was a possibility

he was sabotaging
his teammates

in order to win.
Do you think that...

I mean, at that moment,
I kind of did think

it was true,
but after looking back

and thinking about it,
ultimately, we cook

our own food,
so, like, for me,

I'd rather go off
of my own instincts

than to go off
of someone else's.

Tiffany, I have a question
about your fennel salad.

Did you toss it
in the dressing

before you put it
on the plate?

- Yes.
It actually had a little bit--

just a little bit
of the walnut dressing

and then just a squeeze
of lime.

It was
a little bit overdressed,

a little bit flaccid.
Okay.

And there was something

about the spice rub
on the tuna

that didn't sit 100% with me.

It's like drinking wine
that has no finish.

It's just so--
it drops off,

and it's like,
what's missing?

Tre.

Having immunity might have
been in the back of your mind,

because not only
was the salmon overcooked,

but it was oily.

So it was our least
favorite dish.

Casey, I thought
your dish felt heavy.

It is hearty,

so you actually feel
like you can eat a lot

without feeling guilty.

- That hearty grain
with a pork loin--

too much of a good thing.

It was more
of a perception thing.

I think,
if there was more farro,

probably would have appeared
to be more healthy.

I don't really see it
personally.

Casey, you were just b*at out
by a better dish.

Thank you, Chefs.

We'll call you back
when we've made a decision.

- I don't--
- what did she say?

It doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter.

There's nothing really
to argue.

You know, I just told 'em.
I just feel

like there was too many hands
when it comes to plate-up

and I should have said,
like, you know,

"[bleep] All of you
and let me just plate my dish

the way I want to plate it."
At the end of the day,

you're responsible
for your own plate.

Well, that was
a really thrilling match,

but one of these Chefs
has to go home.

When you have no idea
and you can't control

your opponent,
the only thing

you have control over
is what's in front of you

that you can do.
Tre, boy,

is he lucky
that he had immunity.

Did he put up
as much of a fight

as he could have

because he had immunity?

I mean, maybe he did
sort of phone it in.

Spike.

- Adding that yuzu element--

it didn't need that.

It needed salt.
Yeah, it needed salt.

Sure, spike said, you know,
this is what I wanted to do

and they all jumped in
and changed it.

You just can't let that happen.

Right.

Casey's dish,
it didn't seem

that she really understood

what issues we had
with that dish.

I think she understood.
She was disagreeing.

- Yeah, I thought
it was a little protein-heavy.

I wanted it toe
more of a salad.

I loved the farro.
I didn't get enough.

Tiffany's dish
was underseasoned.

I think it just missed the mark.

That dish was lacking
in flavor

and a bit of roundness.

I wanted something more there,

and I didn't find it.

I think we have our answer.

I think we do.

- Yeah.
- I think so too.

So, Chefs, we all have systems
that we create

in our kitchens
to expedite food

to create dishes,
and the second you deviate

from that system,
that's when we get the weeds,

and that's when we get
in trouble.

I think a little bit of that

happened here
for your team.

Casey, you gave us
a great dish.

Unfortunately, you ended up
going against someone

who was a little better tonight.

Tre, the main part of the dish
you sort of gave

to somebody else, someone who,
even though is on your team,

ultimately
you're competing against.

I'm not sure
that strategy was good.

You do have immunity,

but you did let your team down.

Spike, we all enjoyed
the soup.

But the shrimp
was underseasoned.

Tiffany, downfall of the dish

was you gave us
a bland piece of tuna.

Unfortunately
for one of you,

you'll be going home.

Spike, please
pack your knives and go.

That's cool.

It was a good run.

I got [Bleep].
I got screwed.

I'm totally bummed
for leaving early.

I feel there's a couple Chefs

that are a little bit worse
than me.

I'm out of here.

Mendelsohn is out.

Brother.

I think some of the people
in this team's strategy

was not to serve their food,
and then maybe others' strategy

were to screw up
other people's food.

I'm pissed.

Jamie didn't serve her food
at all

and that she's getting
to stay.

Listen, Jamie,

this is competition,
and, at some point,

you're gonna have to compete.

You have to be in charge
of your own dish.

That's the lesson of the day.

I'm disappointed.

I came here to stay
all the way to the end.

Do I think
I'm still the best of the best?

You bet your ass.

- next on Top Chef: All-Stars...

- We have to cook
head-to-head against Tom.

Sorry, Padma.

You can't come to New York

as a food person
and not go to Chinatown.

That little
trap door oven.

They won't even
fit this one in it.

I'm screwed.
We are going down.

- We need food!
- Fire everything.

Please don't fight.
Please don't fight.

I'm embarrassed
to call myself a Chef.

There's people up there
ready to walk out.