Episode 13: A Little Place Called Aspen

Final 3!!!  NOT the final 3 I expected! Joe Sasto Pick 5, Adrienne Cheatham Pick 9 and Joseph Flamm Pick 4! None were chosen in the 1st round. I do love how tight they all are. I think this season's chefs are the closest I've ever seen. There was very little drama- it was really just Claudette and Tanya, and it was very contained. 

Guest judge Chris Cosentino- Top Chef Masters winner!!!! 

Can we talk about Padma's outfit for a second? REALLY!?!?!?! So ridiculous. 

Quickfire- catch your own fish, and cook it! Otherwise you get to use some canned fish! This is kinda fun, but stressful! Poor Adrienne, takes her FOREVER to catch one- at least she knows fish!!!! How has Joe never cleaned a fish?!?!?!?! Another thing I would have practiced before coming to Top Chef. 

Adrienne is up first with a Pan-Seared Trout with Sprint Onion & Jalapeño Ponzu Vinaigrette. She left it partly raw which apparently was a bad move with river fish... they wouldn't even eat it. They loved everything else about it- especially the fish skin.

Joe made a Smoked Trout Rillette with Spring Onion Corn Cakes & Summer Berry Glaze. He accidentally cooked his fish all the way which ended up in his favor. They enjoyed the fun, playful dish!

Joseph made Pan-Seared Trout, Black Garlic Beurre Blanc with Fennel, Mushrooms, Asparagus & Bread Crumbs. They loved his bread crumbs, but his fish skin couldn't compare to Adrienne's. 

The winner of the Quickfire is Joseph! 

Elimination Challenge: Host an event at the Food and Wine Classic. They will serve to 200 attendees including Chef Superstars. And their dish much be vegetarian- made with a cowboy cauldron. They each get a Sous Chef- and Joseph gets to pick first- he chooses Carrie, and assign the others- Bruce with Adrienne, and Chris with Joe. This is tough!!! They're all taking risks, but staying true to themselves. I think Joseph is the most confident overall. Adrienne is sure of her own strengths, but seems nervous about execution. Joe is most uneasy, I think he has potential with his dish, but he just doesn't have a complete vision. 

Joe made a Beet Carpaccio with Beet Yogurt, Green Bean Tomato Vinaigrette & Sourdough Bread. There is a lot going on with the plate and the flavor is great- but it's not cohesive, and the bread was a bit neglected. They loved the Beet Yogurt and the contrasts of flavor though. 

Adrienne made a Charred Corn Pudding wrapped in Swiss Chard with Shishto Peppers & Champagne Broth. It's very delicate and well seasoned- textures are great, but she could have charred more. They loved her creativity!

Joseph made a Grilled Baby Zucchini topped with Hazelnut Zucchini Pesto, Mushroom Vinaigrette, Goat Cheese & Raw Asparagus Salad. He did the best job getting the char from the caldron and his veggies were stand-out, and the cheese really grounded it. Their only issue is with such a large piece of zucchini which isn't a super flavorful veggie on it's own. 

Overall they all did well- Tom wanted more of the fire flavor with everyone, but given the challenge, they all stepped up! 

Joseph Flamm gets the WIN! Back from LCK- it's a trend!

And the Chef going home is Joe. He's so talented and so young, I think he'll do great things!!!! 

That means Adrienne and Joseph are in the FINALE!!!!! I know she's not on my team, but I still love to see the ladies kick some ass! Crazy thing is both Adrienne and Joseph have 33 points going into the finale, however I think LeChevre will get the win no matter what at this point- boo.