- And then there were four - the remaining chef'testants head to Napa Valley to compete in the penultimate challenge that will determine who makes it to the final round and who will take home the title of "Top Chef."
- And so Jen, Kevin and the fighting Voltaggios head to Napa Valley.
Jen says she's competing for her mom. Michael vows to go for it, no matter what. He greets Jen at the tiny little train station. Next Kevin shows up with flat hair -- and the beard. He notes that there's an entire Facebook page devoted to his facial hair. Finally Bryan arrives. He wants to win for his son, whom he was apart from for six weeks in the early rounds.
A train pulls up, and Kevin expects Padma to get off with a conductor's hat on. Instead, she shows up preggers. They congratulate her. She's there with the guest judge for the round, former Top Chef Master Michael Chiarello.
It's time for the last Quickfire.
They'll have 30 minutes to cook using Napa's signature ingredient, the grape. And they'll be cooking aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train.
Kevin's not too excited since he gets motion sickness.
Padma tells them it's their last high stakes Quickfire. Out rolls a sporty blue third generation Prius.
On board is fully stocked and there are several types of grapes.
They have to cook as the train sways from side to side and Bryan is irritated with his brother for getting the best prep station.
Bryan is hoping to win his first Quickfire.
Kevin made a honey and fromage blanc mousse, with glazed grapes and olive oil -- the only dessert.
Michael used the grape leaf and stuffed it with cous cous filling and a scallop kabob.
Bryan made roasted hen with carmelized Brussel sprout with a concord grape reduction.
Jen made chicken livers with clams with cabernet grapes and mushroom salad.
Michael C. congratulates them and tells Kevin he needed a little more grape. He liked Michael's use of the vine. He liked Bryan using the non-Napa concord grape. And he tells Jen he might steal her chicken liver and clam pairing.
Michael announces the winner: Michael, who told a whole story about grapes with his food.
Padma tosses him his car keys.
At the Mirage Resort in Napa, Kevin sends Jen a wake up message for breakfast. She says her mentor Eric Ripert is really proud of her and showing her off.
Off to the Rutherford Hills winery for the elimination challenge. Padma explains the winery is celebrating their crush party for the end of the season. They'll be cooking for 150 people using strictly local ingredients to make two dishes. One has to be vegetarian and the other has to feature a local protein. They have five hours to prep and cook before the party tonight.
Kevin is stoked because he cooks 100 percent locally at his restaurant in Atlanta.
They go to a farmer's market to shop and salivate over all the fresh food. Jen debates then opts for duck.
Michael likes that they have farm fresh eggs and plans on the perfect egg for the vegetarian dish.
Kevin acknowledges that Michael has called his food simple and resolves to win to show him simple cooking can win.
In the kitchen they set up and get to work. Michael has something that he needs to vacuum pack, seal, wrap, unwrap, rechill and process, then do the hokey pokey with.
Kevin gives Jen tips on how to use the wood fire grill.
Bryan starts deboning his grass fed short ribs. He doesn't think local agriculture is as much his brother's bag.
Michael freely acknowledges he wants to beat his brother. Bryan jokes about sabotage.
Tom stops by to chat. Kevin is making grass fed brisket with pumpkin polenta with marinated root vegetables. He's also making roasted carrot and beet salad with carrot top puree and San Andreas cheese.
Jen is making chevre mousse with honey with mushroom, braised radishes and basil. For her protein she's making grilled duck breast, braised duck legs and squash puree and foie gras vinaigrette.
Bryan is making goat cheese ravioli with a puree of delicata squash and bronze fennel. He's also making fig-glazed short ribs, celeriac puree, wax beans and wild arugula.
Michael's vegetarian dish is vegetable pistou, heirloom tomato coulis, 63 degree egg and fennel. He's also making turnip soup with terrine of fois gras with poached pear and glazed turnip.
Tom thinks Kevin's got a challenge braising brisket in a short time, Jen seems to be her usual stressed out self and the Brothers Voltaggio are trying to beat the tar out of each other.
Jen notices the grill isn't hot and has to confit the duck breasts instead. Everybody's racing.
Bryan says he wants to beat his brother but wants him in the finale, whereas Michael says he'd be glad to see his brother go home.
They head outside to finish prepping and serve.
Michael cracks into his egg and is happy to see it turned out, as did his foie gras terrine.
And like that the guests and judges arrive.
They hit up Bryan first. Gail likes his ravioli, but Tom thinks the sauce is bland. And his ribs need salt.
Next up is Michael, who's very proud of himself for cooking locally. He serves up his vegetable pistou and turnip concoction with foie gras. Tom likes the egg with the vegetables but Padma finds the egg unappetizing. Tom loves the foie gras combination. Michael Chiarello suggests he needs a touch less sauce.
On to Kevin and his beet and carrot salad and brisket on pumpkin polenta. Gail loves the colors of his vegetarian dish and Michael C. calls it a "brilliant" use of local ingredients. Gail loves the polenta. Tom thinks the beef tastes a little tinny.
Jen serves up her chevre and radish and duck confit. Gail and Padma think there's too much salt on the radishes. Michael C. likes the duck as does Tom.
The diners seems to like everybody.
Michael doesn't think he'll have anything to defend and he's got it "in the bag." He thinks some of the others played it safer.
Kevin says regardless a talented chef is going home.
We check in on a brief wine tasting at Terlato vineyards.
Then on to the make shift stew room, a kitchen table where they all sit behind glasses of wine. Padma comes for all of them.
Judges' Table
Padma starts by saying it's been a great season and Tom adds that their professionalism all season was appreciated. Michael C. says they represented Napa food well.
He tells Kevin his vegetarian dish was "stellar." Tom says it was a "study in simplicity." Gail says the brisket was slightly tougher than she expected.
Padma tells Bryan she could have used more seasoning in her ravioli sauce. Gail wanted a figgier taste to her short rib sauce.
Gail tells Michael that the flavor was lost by chopping the veggies in the pistou so small and Padma critiques her white and runny egg. Michael is proud of his pear looking like a turnip and turnip looking like a pear. Gail thinks his turnip puree was too bitter and he says he was worried about running out of foie gras.
Tom tells Jennifer her goat cheese was an interesting combination. Michael C. calls it "beautiful" but Padma says hers was too salty. They pass on their duck compliments. Tom asks why she didn't grill it and she explains.
They are sent away.
Michael C. says it's up to who made the bigger mistake. Gail stands up for Jen's chevre-basil combination. Tom thinks it wasn't completely thought through.
Gail still isn't happy with Michael's bitter soup.
Back at the stew table, the cheftestants note that the judges seem to be all over the map in their opinions.
Tom says Michael was sloppy with his egg dish.
Gail rhapsodizes about Bryan's ravioli, but Tom notes that it needed salt and pepper.
Michael C. says he thinks Bryan had two difficult dishes and delivered on both.
They rave again about Kevin's simplicity but Tom thinks his brisket needed more time.
At the stew table, they think it's a tough choice because all the week links have been cut.
Verdict time
Tom says he wishes all four could come.
Michael announces the winner, who made the most of the farmer's market food and seasoned it close to perfectly: Bryan.
He shakes everyone's hands and heads away.
Tom recaps, saying that each of them had something missing. He tells Jen that letting her fire die out means she was scattered. He tells them he'd be happy to eat in any of their restaurants any time.
But the knife packer is: Jennifer.
Padma nearly cries announcing the decision.
Jennifer shakes their hands and says the experience has pushed her to want to become more creative. She gives Kevin and Michael a big hug. "I'm sorry that I'm not in the finals," Jennifer says.
Kevin knows it won't be easy. "I really wanted to win, I wanted to be there at the end, I wanted to be Top Chef," Jennifer says. "I ended up making a lot of really great friends. It's hard when you know you can do better but you don't have any time to fix it or to change it."
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