This week's episode of Top Chef 5 featured a double elimination, as both Eugene Villiatora and Melissa Harrison were dispatched after facing the brutal real-time critique of their dishes from their fellow chefs and new judge Toby Young.

The double elimination thinned the ranks, which was needed after the holiday cheer episode ended without a cheftestant being sent home. And, after Tom Colicchio had admonished the chefs to start playing to win, it would appear that they took his words to heart as the general consensus of the judges was that the quality of the offerings was pretty solid. So who ends up in the top (Gourmet) and bottom (No Way) this week?


Once again, I pretty much have to go along with the judges on this one. Jamie Lauren's Seared Sea Scallops, Fennel and Garlic Cream, Shaved Fennel Salad seemed to be a clear winner, and redeemed her for the scallop failure of the prior episode. There are few pleasures like a perfectly cooked scallop, and the flavors combination she chose – which included orange and mint along with the fennel – were clear crowd pleasers.


Tom Colicchio could barely contain his enthusiasm for Stefan Richter's Duck Breast with Dumpling and Roast Cabbage. His heavily German-centric dish even included pretzels in the dough for the dumpling. He did receive one criticism for the heaviness of the dumpling, but his fellow European Fabio Viviani pointed out that the dish worked together perfectly, so it must have made up for any deficiencies in an individual component.


Ariane Duarte at first appeared to be playing it safe with her Skate Wing with Cauliflower Puree but the twist she added by using pineapple in conjunction with sage elevated her dish. Ariane seems to have fully recovered from whatever crisis of confidence affected her performance in the beginning of the Top Chef 5 season.



As to the worst, I think the right call was made in choosing Eugene's overcooked Whole Red Snapper with Daikon Fettucini and Melissa's “cat food” Ahi Tuna Tacos as two of the worst on this Top Chef 5.


Carla Hall was also in the bottom three, but it really sounded like the raw garlic was the main issue with her dish. I think that, in comparison, Radhika Desai (who was safe from elimination due to immunity from the Quickfire) had a dish - Spicy Crab Bisque with Crab Salad - that sounded worse. The entire table seemed to recoil, and even Radhika herself indicated she felt she lost her way a little bit with the soup. She's demonstrated some good skills, so I have a feeling this was just a bobble for her, but if I had to pick between ordering her soup – described by Toby as “weapons of mass destruction” – or eating the bite of too much raw garlic…I'd probably reconcile myself to the health effects of eating garlic and order Carla's.





- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist.  See what I'm cooking this week on Three-Bowls.com.
(Images courtesy of Bravo)