Finale Part I

Tonight, our four finalists arrive in Colorado. We get a little bit of info about why they cook. Honestly, it was very informative and touching. Hung and Dale's backgrounds were especially touching. The chefs are giving the opportunity to relax and catch up during a hot air balloon ride. Nice. Soon, the fun is interrupted by their Quickfire challenge.

This quickfire REALLY bothered me. I felt it was too late in the game for this type of foolishness. The chefs were asked to make a delicious dish from freshly caught trout....next to a river with equipment suitable for campers. Their judge? None other than Eric Ripert from Le Bernardin. Le Bernardin is regarded as one of the best restaurants in the entire country. Chef Ripert is considered one of the best chefs in the world, and the chefs knew that. Add this fact to the horrendous cooking conditions, I cannot imagine how nervous they were. In the end, Dale's was too spicy, Hung (aka Dash) finished several minutes before the end of the challenge and left off a very important ingredient, Brian's (who is an executive chef at a seafood restaurant) was a bit of a mess, and Casey's was great. So, Casey was victorious.

We later see that the contestants were able to bring a few items with them. Casey was allowed to use them during this challenge and not just the second part of the finale, which is the norm. Their elimination challenge was to cook for a bunch of cowboys. Their protein...elk? Eww. Dale and Brian turned out two very complex, ingredient laden dishes. In the end, it worked in Dale's favor. Not so much for Brian. Hung's dish, while described as technically perfect, lacked something the judge's called "soul". ***rolling eyes*** Whatever. Casey's elk was cooked too rare. However, her "smokey" sauce was apparently amazing. I call it magic sauce. Were it not for the sauce, I think she would have been in serious danger. In the end we bid adieu to Brian and congratulate Dale. Next up...Finale Pt. Deux!