New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Then, Tom asks Nina a loaded question. He queries whether she should be provided extra credit for delivering two dishes that were not required. It’s a trap, Nina. What Tom really wants to know is whether it is okay for the judges to punish you if they find those dishes inferior. She takes the bait. Nina has now authorized Tom to invalidate her overall meal because she added delicious bread at the beginning and an improvised dessert at the end. Her earlier statement that she should have stuck with four courses appears correct.

There is still cause for optimism for Nina, though. Her first two (real) courses are both lavishly praised. There is true joy in the eyes of the judges as they describe how much they enjoy the potency of those flavors. Unprovoked, Nina announces that her swordfish dish did not really gel. I am reminded of the moment during season four when Richard Blais acknowledged that he choked during the finale. She really ought to let the judges determine that for her. She also acknowledges that her dessert was a nice little bite. Heavily pregnant Gail lets Nina know that she and Baby Simmons wanted much, much more dessert. At this point, I am 80% convinced that the lack of an ice cream maker in the kitchen is going to determine the outcome of Top Chef New Orleans.

The contestants are dismissed. Nick confides to Nina that he had to be perfect to beat her, and he wasn’t. Well, his wait staff would definitely agree that he was imperfect. For her part, Nina is acting as if she believes that she choked. The compliments from the judges have elevated her spirits a bit. She recognizes that a cleaner menu would have worked in her favor, though.

The judges start to vote the way that they ordinarily do during the finale. They compare courses. The flaw with this is that Nina cooked more food than Nick. Still, Nina wins the first course in a walk. Her food is flawless while Nick’s salt issues undo him. The second course is when we realize how divided the judges are.

Tom is such a respected critic that he has grown accustomed to mega-dittos whenever he discusses a dish. This time, there is no chance of that happening. The table featuring Hugh, Padma and Emeril believe that the best dish of the night is Nina’s second course. Meanwhile, they consider Nick’s dish to have missed the mark. Tom and Gail were served a superior version of that same dish, so they vote for Nick. Nina wins the round, but I would note that there is a schism among the voters. As of now, Nina has won two out of four courses, making her well positioned to take home the title of Top Chef.

From that moment forward, everything is coming up Milhouse for Nick. The third course is Nina’s swordfish dish, the one that she knows and the editing confirms is a failure. Despite her struggles, this round is still not a blowout because Nick served Emeril inedible duck. He views the round as a tie, something that Padma’s body language indicates she believes is true. Everyone else votes for Nick, narrowing the gap to 2-1.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5       6