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The Top Chef finale, or as I like to call it, "The Anybody But Hosea Finale," is next week, and the top four is a lot less horrifying than it was last year. Because last year's top four had Lisa in it, and while Leah is not as terrible as Lisa, putting her in the final four would have been this season's equivalent of that. So yay, no more Leah. Anyway, Stefan's pretty much got this year's win in the bag, and with good reason -- besides being great television, the man can cook -- but even so, I'm still futilely holding out for a Carla upset. Here's why.
She's screwed up a few times, but she is actually a very good chef.
Several of the times Carla's mistakes have cost her, especially in team settings, were when she was asked to make desserts. Because nobody else on the show can handle the enormous complexities of pastry-making, apparently. I think we can all agree a chef shouldn't really be judged by their pastry skills, especially when she does so well when she cooks main courses. I think she was considered a dark horse all this time because of her zaniness, for sure, but also because she faltered in several challenges because she wasn't assertive enough in the group challenges to insist on cooking the food she wanted. And yes, a chef needs to be confident and able to manage a team, but just because she didn't speak up during restaurant wars doesn't necessarily mean she couldn't run a restaurant. It also doesn't take away from the fact that she's been on her own for the past three challenges, and she's done extremely well. Not as well as Stefan, of course, but who the hell does as well as Stefan? He's like the Johnny 5's reading comprehension of cooking or something.
She's not pretentious.
While in many ways fine dining does inherently appeal to a certain upper echelon of clientele, it's always nice to bridge that with a great chef who knows their stuff, but who is also relatable and humble. I love Stefan as much as the next person, but he is most definitely not that. And you can't deny that Carla does not have one ounce of snobbery to her. She's what Ariane would be if Ariane was actually a chef.
She has a unique point of view.
There's something about the idea of dining at a Carla restaurant that piques my interest in a way that dining at any of the other contestants' doesn't. Not that Stefan's won't be great, or Fabio's won't be solid, or Hosea's won't have the entire damn ocean's seafood on the menu, it's just that I think Carla would create a menu you don't see very often. I'm buying what she's selling, is what I'm saying. And what she's selling is green eggs and ham that is actually delicious to people who are not four years old. If that's not an interesting chef, I don't know what is.
Because honestly, how can you not be in love with Carla?
She has a spirit animal, she claims to be a former model, she yells "Hootie!" in public a lot, and her impression of a tortoise is unrivaled. She's fantastic. And not in a contrived, I'm-trying-so-hard-to-be-a-reality-show-personality kind of way, which is what I suspect of Fabio most of the time. I think Carla's genuinely like that, and it would be nice to have a Top Chef representative whose default personality is not "adorably half-asleep" (Harold, Stephanie) or "kind of an asshole" (Hung, Ilan, soon-to-be Stefan).
But all of this is just essentially fan fiction, of course, as Stefan's inevitable win is deserved. Just please, culinary gods -- anybody but Hosea!
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I think we all need to stop saying "anybody bu Hosea", because it's going to jinx it! Shhh...
Seriously, I do love Carla, and she has impressed Jacques Pepin and Eric Ripert. I think that's huge. And her Tofu quickfire with oats looked really good.
definitely on team carla now. i don't see anyone else standing around in the aisles of Whole Foods waiting for the ingredients to "speak to them"
Carla has either outshone or been neck-and-neck with Stefan in last three elimination challenges, so I wouldn't give him the title just yet. It's anybody's game at this point and I think Carla may have an advantage: the finale is in New Orleans and she has already demonstrated her ability to cook southern cuisine.
Her impression of the tortoise breaking into a sprint left tiny turtle-shaped footprints on my heart. Go Carla!
I'm also on Team Carla, and since I live in WDC I just might have a shot at eating her food, or at least hear her shout "Hootie" at a local food market. My only quibble with this article is that Ilan was not "kind of an asshole," he was "the dictionary picture for the word asshole."
Although she tickled me, I was worried about Carla at first because of the group challenges as the article notes. However, I was so thrilled for her that Pepin loved her squab and think she could pull of an upset. Go Carla, indeed!
I want her to win as well. I just think the editing monkey's want us to believe she has a chance, so I'm feling cautious. Still I would be thrilled to see Carla to win.
I would be absolutely tickled if Carla wins. She seems like total, geniune kook (as well as a great chef) and I love her for it. Although, I won't be upset if Stefan walks away with it, because boy can cook.
Thanks for touching on Carla being suckered in to doing desserts as a factor in her previous failings. The girl just wasn't assertive enough. That aside, I'm glad to see her doing her own food on her terms and kicking ass at it! It's Stefan's competition to lose, but if Carla manages the upset victory she will have really earned it. Team Carla, all the way!
Although I do think the contest is Stephan's to lose, I would be thrilled to little tiny bits if Carla pulled out a win. Holy cow, man, you'd be peeling me off the ceiling, I'd be so excited! Hootie Hoo for the win!
Carla is definitely my favorite finalist. She's a fantastic chef who puts out simple, well prepared food, and she's comfortable with who she is without being full of herself. She kind of reminds me of Tre in that respect (if Tre were more exuberant). Now that's she's figured out what she needs to do to succeed in the competition, I think she has a real shot at the title.
Although, after last night I'd be okay with Fabio, too. The Euro-twins may be arrogant as the day is long, but anyone who can put out a decent meal with the added handicap of only being able to use one and a half hands earns some serious respect in my book. Plus, he's trying to win the money for his mom. How sweet is that?
I am a huge Carla fan and have been for the whole show. Also, everyone needs to remember that Stefan has been in the bottom 3 the last two elimination challenges. He peaked too early and Carla, I truly believe, has yet to peak. Go Carla!
I'm so glad for the Carla love. I've been a fan for a while now. She's my Fraggle!
Jacques Pepin said, after eating her squab and peas, that he could die happy after eating that meal. If that doesn't indicate a chef has the goods, I don't know what does.
I've been pulling for Carla for several weeks now, after it became obvious that she does have skills. I always liked her because her nutty personality seems very genuine. I wouldn't mind at all if she won instead of Stefan, and I have been a fan of his from day one.
Shouldn't Frank Oz get the credit considering he is the one making her move?
LOVE HER. Thank you for this article...you forgot to categorize Ilan and Harold! Harold and Carla would make their own category of being a perfect mix of spunky and great chef!
LOVE HER
Hope she really ups her game and takes it home.
So refreshing to have someone in these shows with no malice.
ABSOLUTELY would be thrilled to tiny bits if Carla won. Stefan is the front-runner, but his ego sometimes gets the best of him. Here's hoping that happens again, and the tortoise comes through.
Carla all the way! I hope Stefan will become too embroiled in intimidating Hosea that he will royally screw his chances and get him AND Hosea eliminated, leaving Fabio and Carla. I mean, why did the judges keep Stefan on after he overcooked his salmon ?
I agree with the poster who stated that Stefan may have peaked yet Carla is just hitting her stride. She is the tortoise to his hare and I can't wait to see her take it all!
I Love Carla, my favorite carla moment , when she yelled Gail 's name at confessional. Love, Love, Love Carla.
Carla actually did better than Stefan in 2 of the last 3 elimination challenges and beat him on last week's Quickfire. Do you actually watch the show?
Hung and Stefan do not deserve to be blighted by being added into the same category as that asshole ilan. He was by far the most horrifyingly nasty chef i have seen on this series. So let ilan have his own category of "nasty douchebag."