08x16 - Finale

[bunniefuu]

- It's tight.
- What'd they say?

They said
it was really close,

and they think that she stumbled
a little bit,

and she didn't fully regroup.

Antonia, very aggressive
on the spice.

Antonia, please pack
your knives and go.

I've been here before.

It feels worse this time.

I hate to see it happen.
I'm just glad to move on.

I felt bad for Antonia
'cause she's worked so hard.

But it's my time right now.

This is it.
This is the championship round.

I came to win,
and I'm gonna win.

I'm gonna b*at Richard.

I'm a better cook
than he is, period.

Ugh, I was hoping

she was gonna knock you
out of there.

[Both laughing]

I would rather go up
against Antonia,

because I've already b*at
her once.

And I think
I could have b*at her again.

Been here before, man.

I mean, no offense or
anything, but I hope you lose.

As I do you.

Mikey's stronger competition
right now.

He came back
a different chef creatively.

And that's my strength.

I'd be lying if I said
I wasn't concerned.

Chefs.

Congratulations.
You've made it to the finale.

Really nice work
all the way through.

After weeks and weeks
of grueling competition,

it all comes down to this.

Chefs, your last challenge
contains no twists or turns.

What'd we'd like to see
is a glimpse

into your future
as a great chef.

We want you to create for us

the restaurant
of your dreams.

Goose bumps.
[Chuckles]

Two chefs remain
to fight it out

in the finale--

Atlanta native
Richard Blais...

I've always wanted to be
the best of chefs.

Last time you were confident, me
and you ended up on the bottom.

My record for wins
has been amazing.

So, you know,
he's a big sh*t.

- Richard.
- Richard.

- Wow.
- You're our winner.

My strength
is that consistency.

Blais has always been
one of the favorites

to win this competition.

He thinks outside the box

more than anyone
that I've competed with.

Don't get confused
by the technique.

It's about the plates
being perfect.

- All right.
- Whoo!

People thought
that I was just gonna be

an average guy coming in here,
but I knew

that I wasn't gonna do that.

- Mike.
- Mike Isabella.

Yes!
Yeah!

That's a huge accomplishment,

to make it out of New York


Down to the wire
as always, baby.

Mike's just riding
this tremendous high now

here in the Bahamas,

so it's gonna be tough
to kind of match that.

- Mike Isabella.
- Michael.

- Michael.
- Back-to-back, you know?

I'm getting hot now.

Redemption is why
I came back, you know?

Second place
is the first loser.

All right,
let's cross our fingers.

Only one will win
the grand prize--

a feature
in Food & Wine magazine,

a showcase at the annual
Food & Wine classic in Aspen,

$200,000 to pursue
their culinary dreams,

furnished by Buitoni,

and the title
that's eluded them all--

Top Chef.

Chefs, we want you
to create for us

the restaurant
of your dreams.

Before I had my wife

and my family,
I had nothing.

The kitchen was the first place
that I really felt

was a home for me.

I have a burger restaurant,

but I've always wanted
to open up a place

where you come in,

and I cook for you
my style of food.

You'll have to create
a four-course tasting menu

that shows us,
without question,

which one of you deserves to win
Top Chef All-Stars.

Meet me in the kitchen
tomorrow morning

for the rest of the details.

How am I gonna sleep?

See you tomorrow.
Good luck. Thanks.

How do you feel?
It's awesome.

To be one challenge away
from being Top Chef

is really huge.

I quit my job.
I missed my honeymoon.

I have to win.

I'm the underdog.

You're not
the [bleep] under--

you won eight challenges.
I won four.

You won the last one.
You're the favorite.

You're not the underdog.
I have a underdog mentality.

Everyone expects you
to win.

I feel like I'm a underdog
in this competition.

But I was running one
of the top restaurants,

Zaytinya in D.C.,

for Jose Andres
for the last four years.

I know what I'm capable of,
and when I win,

then it's something
that no one expected,

and it's just
more gratifying.

Everyone's expecting me
to blow it.

Well, that probably might--
that probably will happen, but--

I mean, you're probably gonna,
you know,

get a little nervous
and choke at the end.

[Laughs]
I'm the underdog, dude.

People think I'm the favorite?
No way.

I don't want that pressure.

You know,
I've choked once before.

Yeah, sure, I'll say it.

I mean, I feel like I,
you know, choked a little bit.

Let me be the underdog.
It's better that way.

If we get the whole cast,

who would you take
as first pick?

Hi, Chefs,
and welcome to the Bahamas.

Some of you
are gonna be working

as sous chefs
for Richard and Mike.

To determine which one of you
will be helping them,

you have 30 minutes
to cook an amuse-bouche

for them to taste.

Your time starts now.

I mean, without question,
I'd take Jen Carroll, honestly.

I mean, she's from my season.
We're good friends.

I mean, the one person
you don't want is Jamie,

not just because she's Jamie,
but just because she's slow.

Hot.

The question is,
who--who wants to be there?

Who wants to work?

Who's gonna listen?

All right, Mikey,
let's go do this, dude.

Showtime, baby.

[Timer beeping]

Good morning, Chefs.

In front of you
are 15 chefs and 15 plates.

You'll pick
your favorite three dishes

in a blind taste test.

The chefs that created
those dishes

will be your help
in the kitchen.

This is a big decision.

Go find a great chef,
and you're gonna find

two or three great sous chefs
working underneath them.

All right, start tasting.

Oh, interesting.

Looking over these dishes,

I can't match the chefs
to the dishes.

I'm just gonna pick my team
based on flavor profile.

I would love
to have Jen Carroll,

because we know
how to work together.

We've been teammates before.

And she's a beast
in the kitchen.

You guys aren't making it easy
for me.

I'm really trying
to figure out

which dish
would be Marcel's,

'cause that's the last guy
in the world

I want working
on my team.

We didn't work well together
in our restaurant wars.

Keep that hotel pan
like that, yo.

Just keep on cooking,
all right?

Yo, watch the way
you [bleep] talk to me.

I don't want him to be
a part of this challenge.

Sorry.

You want to pick specialists,
so I'd love to have Dale Talde,

'cause he's a strong competitor
and I know him really well,

and Angelo or Jen Carroll.

I feel like
they kind of have my back.

[Laughter]

I'm ready.

Richard, you won
the last challenge,

so you get to pick first.

All right, I mean,
honestly,

I think all of them
are worthy, for sure.

And besides whoever said
they had jet ski reservations...

I think I'm gonna take
the ceviche of squid.

The first one I pick
ends up being Spike,

who did have jet ski
reservations an hour later.

So that's
a little bit concerning,

because I don't know
if his mind's in it.

You upset?
No, no, no, no, no, no.

- We've done this before.
- Yeah.

Love you.

Okay, Mike, you're up.

Uh, I'm gonna go
with this yogurt curry.

I thought it might be Jen's,

so that's why
I picked that one first.

Tiffani can be tough
to work with sometimes,

but her pedigree
is top-notch,

so I'm really happy
to have her.

I think I'll go
with the chicken wing.

Angelo, the guy's just
a thoroughbred.

I'm glad
that I made that pick.

That's a big, big pick.

I'm gonna go
with the pork tenderloin.

Jamie didn't have
a great season this year.

Is she cranky and tough
to deal with sometimes?

She is,
but that's just Jamie.

Richard,
this is your last pick,

so choose wisely.

I'm gonna go
with the--the egg.

I knew it could have been
Antonia,

and at first, I'm thrilled.

My only concern with Antonia
is that she just went home.

Can she get her head
in the game?

All good?
I'm okay.

Okay, Mike, last pick.

Uh, the tropical salsa.

- Yay.
- Carla's a strong competitor.

I'm really excited to have her
on my team.

Having these three
awesome ladies is like

having the angels, you know?
They're like my angels.

I'm really excited to work
with all of them.

I'm going jet skiing, baby!
[Laughter]

- You okay?
- I'm good, I'm good.

- We're here for you.
- Thank you.

- Good luck.
- See ya.

- Good luck, guys.
- Good luck, guys.

Later, Angelo.
Bye.

Richard and Mike,
you have one hour to plan.

Tomorrow you will have
five hours to cook

before opening up
your restaurants

for 70 customers
and the panel of judges.

Good luck to both of you.

Right off the bat, you know,
thank you so much, man.

I'm calling
the restaurant "Iz."

- Nice.
- Be great in there.

Growing up my whole life,
a lot of people call me Izzy.

I want people to know that
they're coming to my restaurant.

I wanted to do
a little bit of mozzarella.

And then I want
to do some pancetta.

I'm really just inspired
by things I grew up with.

I mean, I grew up eating
mozzarella, pancetta.

So, obviously, I want it to be
a part of my finale.

And I think the name

of the restaurant's
gonna be Tongue & Cheek.

So everything has got to have
a duality of its meaning.

Angelo, I want you to handle
the first course.

And, spike,
I'm gonna give you dessert.

Then we'll segue you
to the front of the house.

- Okay.
- This is a team.

I know what Angelo
is capable of.

I know what Spike
and Antonia can do.

I'm gonna let them do it.

Dessert--I'm debating
between two things.

What about, um...?

I do this thing--
it's like a parmesan mousse.

Yeah, I don't--
I-I just like--

kind of a mousse-y
- Cream cheese, essentially.

They say that you can do
golden ones as raw.

I love to listen
to people's ideas.

But at the end of the day,

I have all my dishes
planned out already.

- Maybe just doing chocolate.
- No, I don't want to do that.

I want to kind of do
my own thing.

- This is you.
- This is me.

I just heard
so many different ideas

that I decided, "listen,
I'll come up with a dish myself.

"You guys just focus on all the
other details that I gave you."

What's the pickup
on the dessert?

Cap'n Crunch ice cream.

I feel like
all the pressure's on Blais,

and the bottom line is,
is I'm gonna outcook him.

I've been in his ear all day.

I was like, "you know
I'm gonna kick your ass."

Thank you.

Mike's strengths
are confidence and swagger.

His weakness is the same thing.

It's confidence
and his swagger and his bravado.

[Exhales sharply]

Guys, we got to push.

This is a real test
of what a chef's job is.

- Who's running today?
- It's not just making dishes.

Hey, let's bake one off,
and let's cross our fingers.

It's about being able
to lead a team.

- We're behind on time.
- The word "chef" means "boss."

- Who's talking to me?
- [bleep].

For this final challenge,

we have to open up a restaurant
and do a four-course tasting.

I picked Seafire
at the Atlantis.

This challenge--
it's about being a leader.

It's about being
a great cook.

It's about being able
to run a restaurant.

Hold on the apples.
We'll go with the celery.

Could Mike from season Las Vegas
handle this challenge?

No, not at all.

I just wasn't mature enough
at that time.

And I feel like I've learned
so much over the last two years.

I feel like
I'm ready right now.

You want the seeds
on the jalapeños, yeah?

Just be careful
with the amount you put in.

I'm opening up my restaurant
at Cafe Martinique

at the Atlantis.

I didn't win my season,

because I tried to tell
too much of a story,

instead of just cook
delicious, tasty food.

What I'm trying to show
is that I'm over

creativity
for creativity's sake.

Angelo, u doing okay?
Very good, sir.

Spike, can you add on
to your list

the shaved kumquat?

I definitely am
a better leader now,

three years later,
and a better team player.

And, um, I think my failures
have served me well.

Speed rack.
Thank you.

We have five hours

before we have to open up
a restaurant.

There's not
much breathing time.

These are gonna be
handwritten checks.

Who's running today?

All right,
who's the backup runner?

There's so many elements
to running a restaurant.

Once Jamie puts up
the three salads,

you write 30.

You have to really be thinking
about what's going on

everywhere in the restaurant.

The Terlato Pinot Noir 2007
is a good wine.

This is perfect for the beets,
for the pork.

This is great food,
drinking wine.

I mean, you got 10, 20 things
going on at once.

We can get everything
set up right now,

and I'll be back in a while,
so I'll be back and forth.

Front and the back,
front and back, all night long.

Sauce on the plate.
Chocolate vinaigrette.

Okay.

- No, use panko.
- It'll come through.

It'll come through.

Basically, what I do
with my sous chefs

is have them
set up stations.

I'm gonna have Tiffani
working fish station.

I'm gonna have Jamie
work cold station.

And then Carla--I'm gonna have
her work on the desserts.

And I'm gonna send her
out to the dining room.

I want to put them
in a situation to succeed.

You want it darker?

- No, perfect.
- Okay, good.

There's nothing safe
on my menu.

And if I execute it
to perfection, which I will...

All right, let's put it in
for another 15 minutes.

And I have great service,
how do you not win with that?

That goes out.
That's it.

Do we have enough cake, Spike?

- I do.
- Okay, let's bake one off.

And let's cross our fingers
a little bit here.

This prep period is gonna be
an absolute crush.

For some reason,
I decided to put, like,

four proteins
on every dish.

I'm braising pork belly
and braising short rib

and brining sablefish
and cooking bone marrow.

And I've decided to also do
an amuse.

There's a lot going on.
Maybe too much.

The sous chefs'
assignments are--

Angelo's handling
all the mis en place

for the cold dishes.

Antonia is doing
all of the vegetables.

Spike is gonna get
the dessert ready

and then go
into the front of the house.

Hey, guys we're gonna scrub
the oysters real quick.

Can we do that?

Angelo, can you give a demo
on scrubbing the oysters?

Chef, Angelo needs a hand.
Thank you.

Basically,
there's this membrane here.

Take your time,
and peel through this.

All right, so, Spike, can you
join me to taste real quick?

All right, so let's go
with the Terlato Chardonnay.

And, uh, we'll go
with the Merlot as well.

You have that ice-cream machine
on over there?

Yeah, let's do the foie.

I'm concerned
about the dessert,

because I think it's the least
thought-through dish

that I have on my menu.

And there's six loaves
of foie gras sitting around.

So at the last second,

I make the change
from Cap'n Crunch

to foie gras ice cream.

I'm taking a risk, and I-I hope
that's a good thing.

What's the matter?
Is it chunky?

Ah, the texture's
just a little--

What's the matter with it?

It just needs to be colder.

Guys, we got to push.

Hey, Mike.

- Hey, chef, how you doing?
- Good, how's it going?

Good, I'm in the weeds,
but, you know...

In the weeds?
Why are you in the weeds?

For me, it's, um...

It's a lot,
and I can't just cook.

So thank God I have a good team
around me to help me out.

I have Jamie, Carla,
and Tiffani.

And you haven't been
through this before.

I don't know if anybody
really sort of picked you

getting all the way here.

I'm the only person who picked
me getting here.

I'm just here to prove myself
and to cook good food.

I'm just doing what I need to do
to try to make it happen.

All right, I know you're busy.
I'll let you get back to work.

I appreciate it, Chef.
Thank you very much.

Hey, Richard.

- Chef, how are you?
- Good, how's it going?

I got Angelo,
Antonia, and Spike.

I mean, I couldn't have picked
a better team.

How are you dealing
with the pressure right now?

I mean,
obviously, this is it.

Yeah, I trying not to think
too much about it.

You know, all I can do
is my best.

And, uh, you know, hopefully
I don't blow it this time.

At this point,
what can go wrong?

What can go wrong?

Running a restaurant
is about managing mistakes.

So right now
we're looking okay, you know?

I mean, we're trying to do
tasty, beautiful food.

I think it's gonna be
an epic battle, I hope.

I'll let you get back
to work.

- Thanks, Chef.
- Good luck.

I checked in on the chefs
in both restaurants.

And Richard
knows the pressure.

In his finale, he made
some pretty bad mistakes,

and--and it cost him.

I got a sense from Michael
that he's feeling the pressure.

You know, I could see it
in his face.

He has plenty of time.

Right now,
doing a dinner like this,

organization is so key.

I think this is a real,
true test

of what a chef's job is.

It's not just
about making dishes.

It's about being able
to lead a team.

I mean, the word "chef"
means "boss."

Angelo, how long
do these cook for?

Until it's crispy.

Honestly, I think we're gonna
have to go flour, egg.

I don't think it's gonna
stick on with it.

My sous chefs are being
ultra-collaborative.

And I think that's great.

Perfect.
Thank you.

They're taking the dishes
that I gave them

and making them better.
I'm gonna throw it out there.

We do it with sriracha.
Go for it.

Make it tasty.

[Bleep], who cares what it--
make it tasty.

Here's the situation.
We're behind on time.

Are you capable of doing
a seating chart or not really?

I can check it out, and then
I'll come check with you.

Right.

Mike, all I need to do
is portion these beets,

and I'm good to go.

Mike's slightly concerned
about his first course.

You know, $200,000
is on the line.

You know, he wants to start
with his best foot forward.

Talk to me. I'm thinking
about pulling the amuse.

The oysters are kind of
hacked up, know what I mean?

Well, let's just get
the prettiest ones.

It's another thing
to be judged on,

and all the oysters
aren't great.

I've been waiting
for 2 1/2 years.

And I don't know
if I can do it.

I just might be that person
that can't win it--

always a bridesmaid
and never a bride.

[Indistinct chatter]
Hello.

Good evening.
Good evening.

Right this way.

[Glasses clink]

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Tongue & Cheek.
- Yeah.

Sounds good to me.

Richard seems to have

a surf-and-turf theme
going here.

- Uh-huh.
- That's exciting.

- Judges are in the house, guys.
- Judges are in the house.

We're ready to open up
for business.

So you know what?
The pressure's on.

Hopefully, I don't blow it.

I don't think the foie gras
really adds a lot.

- It's a controversial dish.
- I'm really worried.

I got all the way
up to this point again

and didn't do it again.

Two more, guys,
so it's ten followed by four.

- 14 all day, chef.
- No, I need to finish, please.

I'm a little bit worried
about the amuse.

At the last second, I decide
that I'm gonna serve it.

You know, we'll have
a beautiful raw oyster

with creme fraiche pearls.

I'm happy with it. I think
it's a good start to the meal.

Hi, everyone.
How are you?

I'd like to introduce you
to your guests.

We have Lidia Bastianich.
Pleasure, Richard.

Chef, pleasure.

Our guest judge,
and the first judge

to ever appear
on Top Chef, Hubert Keller.

- Happy to.
- Chef.

Alfred Portale
and Bill Terlato.

- Hi, chef.
- As always on Top Chef,

it's an honor to cook
for these people.

Lidia Bastianich
is just all about authentic,

slow-cooked Italian food.

Alfred Portale, a pioneer
in creative American cuisine.

Hubert Keller, one
of the best chefs in the states.

So concept of the restaurant
Tongue & Cheek--

a little bit of whimsy

and also, sort of
in the spirit of things,

chefs like to eat
in the kitchen.

Enjoy.

- Mmm.
- Very nice.

It's refreshing,
and it melts,

and it makes everything
very creamy, right?

I think it showed a lot
of sophistication,

um, and a lot of skill
in execution.

Spike is very crafty, so,
you know, one of his major jobs

is to get feedback
from the dining room.

Did they enjoy the oyster?
Do you know?

Yeah, they did. They loved it.
Loved it. Loved it.

Really well balanced.

Let's go
on the first courses, guys.

[Indistinct chatter]

Thank you.

The first course
is raw hamachi

with crispy veal sweetbread,

garlic mayonnaise,
and pickled celery.

I'm serving this course

because the flavors
are expl*sive.

- I love the portion size.
- Mm-hmm.

Also, all
the different elements.

You know, he's got different
colors, different textures.

And they're harmonizing.

So they're making a unity.

- Really good.
- It's really delicious.

- Mmm. Good.
- Mmm.

Rich, I don't know
where you are,

but they licked their plates
on that hamachi dish.

- Okay, were they happy?
- Very happy.

Hello.
How are you?

- Good. How are you?
- I'm great.

Well, let me seat you.
Welcome to restaurant Iz.

- How are you?
- So good to see you.

- It's a pleasure to be here.
- Yes.

Did I hear $200,000?

- $200,000.
- Hello!

Yeah, that's a lot
of pressure, right?

[Glasses clinking]

Restaurant Iz
is about to open up.

This is what I've been waiting
for my whole career.

I finally get the opportunity
to do 100% Mike Isabella.

And this is it.
It's showtime.

Done, done. They're beautiful.
Look at that.

Nice.

I have my first course.

The chocolate vinaigrette
could go either way.

It's about execution.
There's no in between.

Fish is on.
My beef is ready.

I'll plate it
when I come back.

Well, welcome
ï to restaurant Iz.

I wanted
to introduce you first

to our guest diners
that are eating with us today.

Chef Art Smith.
Chef.

And the new host
of Top Chef Masters,

Curtis Stone.

- It's a pleasure.
- Nice meeting you.

First batch of judges,
we have art Smith,

who has restaurants
in Chicago and D.C.

He is
a James Beard-winning chef--

and Curtis Stone,
who is an acclaimed chef.

So I'm excited for them, uh,

to see what I have
to offer.

We're an American-style
restaurant.

You know, kitchen and bar,
very casual,

but elegant food,
you know, good food.

All the dishes
are gonna be reinspired

with an Italian influence
flavor profile

that I grew up with
as a kid.

So the first salad we have
is a spiced beet salad.

Some roasted
red and yellow beets

with a little pistachio,
mozzarella,

and a chocolate vinaigrette.

Thank you very much.
Enjoy your meal.

Thanks so much, Mike.

- This chocolate's very subtle.
- It's a composed dish.

You get the richness
from the nuts

and then the freshness
from the mozzarella.

I think Mike's off
to a good start.

What--what time is it
right now?

[Man speaks indistinctly]

Yeah.

So it's been 18 minutes
for the judges.

No, they're still cold.

I am kind of concerned
about the amount of time.

- Oh, the waiting.
- Yeah.

It's just about where
we want him to serve.

- Fish for judges.
- Fish for judges.

Get it out right away.

Second course
is my elegantly steamed Halibut

with my kumquat marmalade,
cauliflower bean puree,

and my pancetta crumbs.

This is the dish
I really wanted

to kind of give it to 'em,
be like, "wow."

- It's a nice-looking dish.
- It is.

Very fancy presentation,
isn't it?

Beautifully cooked.

- It is beautifully cooked.
- Yep.

I don't think I've ever had
a piece of fish on this show

cooked this nicely, ever.

I think it really--
it's great.

Really is great.

You soon forget about the wait
when you get something

put in front of you
that tastes fantastic.

Very true.

This is good.
It's very nice.

Once you have everything
together, it balances out.

- Yeah, it's good.
- It's really good.

Good, like it.
Super flavorful.

Did you pull
the sweetbreads out?

The marrow is out
of the oven.

I'm sorry, Antonia.

I'm not nervous.

All right, let's go.

The plates for the judges

are coming out
as I want them to.

I think I'm making
the prettiest food

that I've put out
on All-Stars.

We're just behind.
We're just far, far behind.

So let's go.

I need a runner.
Let's go, let's go, come on!

The second course
is pork belly and black cod

and some little bits
of bone marrow.

It's exactly what I want
to display with this restaurant.

Food you want to eat.

This is a beautiful dish.

Wow.

Richard did a great job
on this--

on this dish, I think.
- Absolutely.

The crust on that cod.

- Mm.
- That was really good.

It was nice and crunchy,

but the fish was nice and tender
on the inside.

So that was good.

Yeah, it's really good.

This is Richie at his best.

Do you think
that they're not eating

because they have
other meals to eat?

I mean,
these are the judges' plates.

- Hey, hey.
- What?

They loved that dish.
Richard.

Just concentrate
on what you're doing.

They loved that dish, bro,
okay?

So the third course
is, you know,

a little bit rustic.

A rib of beef,
braised short rib,

with some red cabbage marmalade

and a celery root
horseradish puree.

I think it's simple,

but hopefully it shows
some restraint.

This looks beautiful.

- It's lovely.
- Mm.

Now, for creativity,
I wouldn't give, really,

necessarily hi marks
for this dish.

But execution was good,
and it's really delicious.

Your personality
needs to go out

in your food.

And I think his personality
has come out here.

This is the best so far.

This dish is absolutely
delicious.

He felt that you had
a little--

a lot of restraint
on the short rib dish.

There wasn't much
going on in it, you know?

Right, okay.

This sauce is ridiculous.

The pepperoni?
Love it.

I hope Tom likes it.

All [bleep] Tom talks about
all the time,

whenever you do
braised meat,

"it's not glazed.
It's not glazed."

That mother-[bleep]
is glazed.

[Laughing]

Third course
is my braised pork shoulder

with pepperoni sauce,
roasted cabbage, and turnips.

I call this my Tom dish

just because the way
he loves his meat,

I ex*cuted it to the "T".

- Looks great.
- Smells great.

It's pepperoni sauce.

Wow, that is a nice plate
of food.

It really is.
That's pretty fantastic.

- Kid's got talent.
- Pepperoni sauce.

Pepperoni sauce.

It's a sort of dish
that you will crave.

This is as good as anybody's
food in the finale.

In fact,
it's better than most.

The fourth dish
is my rosemary caramel custard.

Little, crispy pine nuts
that I cooked in syrup,

then deep-fried.

I think they're gonna love it.

What do we have here?

What do you think of it?

Slightly overcooked,
but it's also cooked too fast.

I like the flavor.

But I don't like the way
it feels in my mouth.

This is his weakest
of the dishes by far.

Yeah.

There's nothing wow about it
at all.

- It doesn't stand out.
- No.

It's not wow.

Spike, let's go
on desserts, dude.

Okay. We're gonna
bring 'em in right now.

When was the last time

you actually had
foie gras ice cream, right?

Never.
How 'bout never?

Never, but the better question
is after we have it,

will we want it again?

[Laughter]

Okay, go, go, go, go.

Let's go.
Four, table 11.

Fourth course I'm doing
is cornbread

with whipped mango
and foie gras ice cream.

The foie gras ice cream
is the biggest concern.

Potentially has
a crumbly texture.

One mistake
can blow this whole thing.

So I'm worried.

Well, I like the cornbread.

I wasn't expecting
this freeze-dried...

Whatever this is.

I don't think the foie gras
really adds a lot.

It's--it's a--
it's a controversial dish.

The main criticism
is the ice cream.

- Yeah.
- Okay?

So maybe if you use
little bit of milk

and do the same thing

and make another batch
right now

for--for the next service,
the judges--

maybe it's a little bit better.

I want to see the plates
when they come back.

Let's go.
Let's move on.

Yeah.

It's controversial,
Spike says.

And I can't really take
the risk

of giving away a course.

So we're gonna have to tinker
with this dish

a little bit
to make it more appealing.

Hubert, did Richard
do well today?

I think Richard did
extremely well.

We all were excited
right away.

It build up,
it build up.

And then I think we were
maybe too build up

for the dessert.

Any more pork fired,
any more fish fired,

any more desserts, anything?

I feel like I put out
four perfect courses

for the judges.

But it's not over from here.

The second group of judges
are coming in,

and these guys have eaten
all over the world and back.

So for me,
it's a little nerve-wracking

cooking for such icons.

Round one.
Looking great, guys.

Looking great.

I think overall he did a great
job with his restaurant.

Just the whole
restaurant experience.

I think with the exception
of the wait

between the first
and the second course,

everything was great.

Well, I could go home
happy right now.

But unfortunately, we have
a full other meal to eat.

So let's go see
what Richard made.

Oh.

Feeling good
about the next service, right?

Spike, how do you--
what's up with this, man?

We are halfway through.

I'm exhausted.

And I'm really worried,
you know.

I really feel like maybe I came
all the way out here,

got all the way
up to this point again,

and didn't do it again.

I have to win the other judges
that are coming in,

so we have to take the ice cream
that we already made.

Maybe I can switch it
and change it a little bit

to make the dish better
for the second round.

Either one of you
is worthy of this title.

But unfortunately,
only one of you will get it.

He's been good,
I'm telling you.

Pork rising.

I do think Mike and Richard
deserve to be here.

They were the two
top players.

Mike has worked and worked
and worked

in the past couple of months.

I know Mike has
a hell of a sh*t at it.

And you girls
rocked it out for me.

Izzy!

I really respect
Mike as a chef.

I've seen his personal growth.

- Yeah, they're--
- that's amazing.

Richard, he's probably one
of the most talented chefs

that I've ever cooked with
in the country.

Really big team player.

I have so much respect
for Richard.

Food was tasty and delicious.

Mike has been cooking
good food.

I think it's gonna be tough.

This is what it's all about,
you know.

One more service.

Now it's time.

Chefs are here.

Let's get ready
on five perfect plates.

The second group
of judges I'm serving

come in pretty quickly.

Welcome to restaurant Iz.

This season has been
a dream season for me.

How you doing?

First course is a beet salad.

So hopefully
you guys enjoy tonight.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

I'm glad I got a second chance
to really show

I have evolved.

I'm much better
and much stronger now.

I've never had
chocolate vinaigrette.

No, it's very clever.

He's reaching out
in the tradition,

the Italian,
in this tradition well.

Fish for judges.

This is just a journey
to become great one day.

The fish is cooked very well.
The flavors are great.

Well, it's very different
stylistically

than the first dish.

Shows a lot more finesse.

It shows
a lot of range, you know?

I knew that
I have it in me,

and I just feel like I'm putting
it all together.

I feel awesome at this point.

I wonder how they liked
Richard's.

The name of the restaurant's
Tongue & Cheek.

So it's a little bit
about whimsy.

Enjoy.
Thanks so much.

It's been the hardest,
toughest, craziest season

of Top Chef ever.

And the only way
for redemption for me

is gonna be
to win Top Chef.

It's a nice start.
I love an amuse-bouche.

I love to sit down
and get the meal underway.

I like the frozen
creme fraiche.

It just chills everything down.

'Cause, you know,
you want a cold oyster.

Four judges' hamachi.

This would be
the biggest moment for me.

To validate my hard work.

This has been
in my head for years.

It's haunted me.

And I'd like to exorcise,
you know, some demons.

Beautiful texture.
Nice flavors.

This one we need to cook
a little bit longer.

Judges' plates
are all clean.

Beautiful piece of fried fish.
Beautiful, I thought.

We've got two dishes
with lots of components.

And in that short period
of time.

Sounds like he's got
the dream team back there.

They ate the last one,
yeah?

They cleaned the dish.

All right,
for the judges,

we got the braised pork.

- Brilliant, very good.
- It's delicious.

I think it's brilliant.

We got the rosemary custard.

You know, I just wish my wife
and my family

was here to be a part
of everything.

And I really feel like

I did everything
I possibly could.

I couldn't ask
for anything else.

And I really feel like
I'm gonna be the next Top Chef.

You definitely see
grandmother's influence here.

Not in the foie gras ice cream.

And I think the style
of the dessert

fit perfectly the menu,
right?

- Proud of you, kid.
- I feel--yeah, thank you.

Feel like I've evolved a lot
over the last

especially couple months.

- Two good meals.
- Yeah.

- Amazing.
- Two good contestants.

Antonia,
can I get more sweetbreads?

Okay, I'll grab 'em.
Hold on.

Short ribs for the window.

The short rib
is perfectly cooked.

It's nicely glazed.

But it's so strong
and so delicious

that it, like,
just wakes you right up.

- How's that ice cream?
- Better.

Winning Top Chef All-Stars

would be my biggest
accomplishment ever.

My wife's raising a family.
Like, I owe it to her.

And now the moment
of truth is here.

I was kind of very skeptical
on the foie gras ice cream,

but it's very, very subtle.

- Very subtle.
- It was well done.

I think we did well,
better with this round

than the first round.

The whole menu,

it's been really
about bal--

everything was nice
and balanced.

But it's exciting.

You've got two
very talented chefs.

Hubert and I have to get back
to judges' table.

Thank you.

- Glad to see you, Tom.
- You, too.

[Sighs heavily]

That's it.
It's over.

Guess so.

Guess so.

You know?

You going crazy again?

What, you--you're--
you're cool?

You're just like--

I did everything
I wanted to do.

Team worked like I've never
seen 'em work before.

Jamie just worked like

she was--it was her final.

Right? Nice.

How'd your team do?
They do good?

No complaints.

Team--team rocked it out.

- Good.
- Good team.

Yeah. We'll see.

You know, if you win,
you deserve it,

'cause I [bleep]
cooked my heart out,

and I'm sure that,
you know,

it's gonna be
splitting hairs.

This is--I wouldn't want
to judge this challenge.

Maybe, maybe not, dude.

I mean, it sounds like
you k*lled it.

This is one of our last times
at judges' table.

[Grunts]

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

I'd like to start
by saying

you both did
a wonderful job.

I would venture to say

the best food we've had
in any finale.

Mike, was it harder
than you thought

it was going to be
this time around?

The toughest part
of this season

was challenge one,
challenge two, challenge three,

'cause you could go home
at any one of 'em.

This season was tough
top to bottom.

Richard,
what are you thinking of

five minutes
before service starts?

To focus, you know,
and to taste.

I also want to throw up.

Last plate goes out.
How do you feel?

I'm a sentence
or two away

from absolute
emotional breakdown.

Michael?

I felt really good
at the end of the service,

and I felt like that my guests
left really happy.

And I was really happy
to serve them

and give them what--
what came from me.

Mike, tonight
at restaurant Iz,

there was a subtlety,
there was an understatedness,

almost a femininity.

Now, I don't know
if it had anything to do

with the girls in the kitchen.

There was so much finesse.

It really delivered.

Thank you.
I appreciate it.

What do you think
was your strongest dish?

It was my fish dish.

Steaming fish
is kind of ballsy, I think.

Often it's, you know,
it's like hospital food, almost.

This wasn't.
Can't find a flaw with it.

Pepperoni sauce.

That was crazy business,
Mike Isabella.

It was a risk.

It was
a stroke of genius.

That dish was serious.

That was probably
the biggest hit of the night.

Really, with that shoulder,

I think you blew
everything away.

Definitely was a dish that you
have to leave on your menu

when you open your restaurant.

Thank you, chef.
I really appreciate it.

The custard cooked

at too high a temperature,
too fast.

You had bubbles in there.

All in all,
I think you did a great job.

I mean, this is some of
the best food you've done

your season plus this season.

It's the right time
to get hot.

Thank you.

Richard, you hit us

with the most intense,
extraordinary flavor,

course after course
after course.

The amuse was just perfect,
just brilliant.

Great start, great kickoff.

I kind of have
a special sort of feeling

about that dish.

I mean, I think that's what
the restaurant was all about.

Tongue & Cheek,
oyster and pearls.

First course, hamachi,
was your strongest course.

The flavors were just
really, really strong.

But also clean.

To me, I mean,
I think it was very expl*sive.

And I wanted to start
on that track.

Really,
really successful dish.

The black cod was flawless.

Yeah, I thought there was
a lot of, you know,

guts to that dish,

and kind of the way
I like to treat seafood.

You know,
almost more like a meat.

Your beef dish was safe.

But it was all
perfectly done.

Probably could have used
another 30 minutes,

you know, to come up
with a little wow,

uh, factor to it.

Richard, what was
the difference

between the foie gras ice cream
that we got

and what they got?

Well, because I,
you know,

had my ear to the ground,

I heard Chef Keller talking

about the dish
a little bit.

I thinned out the dish.

You--you actually got--

the presentation
was a little softer.

Mike, why do you think

the restaurant
you created tonight

should earn you the title
of Top Chef?

The number one thing
I wanted to do

was get here and cook for you
and show you

really who I've become
and what I am.

You know, to have my--

my wife support me 100%
through this.

And for me,
I feel like it's just as much

a part of her as it is me.

It would mean the world to me.

I couldn't explain it.
I'd probably break down.

I'm probably gonna break down
either way.

It's just everything

that I could possibly want
in life.

Richard.

I mean, hopefully,
you know,

Tongue & Cheek showed
a little bit of creativity

and whimsy and, um,

my newfound understanding
of the pleasure principle.

And that it's not
about me,

and it's about, uh,
the guests.

This is the biggest professional
moment of my career.

For me, it would mean
my own restaurant.

Let me compose myself here...

A little bit.

Whew.

You know, I mean,

as chef, sometimes
you have to do things

because of money
and finances.

And, uh, this would give me
the opportunity

to do something
that I want to do as a chef.

Thank you both so much.

We'll call you back
when we've made a decision.

- Thank you.
- Thanks.

I know.

[Suspenseful music]

Well, it shouldn't take
that long, dude.

There was definitely
some heavy petting going on

for Mikey Isabella.

Don't say that to me.

Because we throw two desserts
out of the window,

it's three on three.

I mean, you know,
you won the first course.

I probably won the third course.

And it could go either way
for the second.

My amuse comes into play.

It was a good dish.

If you win,

I'm gonna feel like [bleep].

If I do win,

I'll give you some money
to open up graffiato.

I'll take it,
'cause I need it.

[Footsteps approach]

Me and Richard sitting there,
kind of being quiet.

And I hear someone coming.

I'm just waiting to see
who it is.

[Peaceful music]

I see my wife and my mom
and my sister,

and it was just--
it was just great to see them.

[All laughing]

I wish that my wife
could be here.

But she's very pregnant

and probably very tired
right now.

But my Uncle Scott is here.

I hope that he didn't have
to come all the way out here

just to watch me
blow this thing.

Jazmin told me to give you
a big hug,

so this one's from Jazmin,
all right?

I know my family loves me
regardless of what I do.

But it's definitely
a lot of pressure.

I love my wife,
and I miss her,

and I know
she's been nervous for me.

And I feel bad leaving her
for these competitions,

but hopefully she can
watch me win Top Chef.

I was so impressed
by both chefs tonight.

I think we stepped up
the challenge.

They stepped up their game.

And they gave us two meals

unlike we have ever
had before.

I'm on the fence.
I loved both meals.

And I'm not quite sure yet
who I think won.

And I think having
only five hours

to put that together,
that was remarkable.

Richard's amuse-bouche
was beautiful.

Texturally, it was amazing.

Excluding the amuse for now,

I have to give Richard
the first course.

I thought the hamachi
was one of my favorite dishes

of the night.

I thought that Michael gave us

the weakest dish
of the night

with his salad.

It just didn't compute.
That hamachi--

maybe because the mozzarella
wasn't very good.

All of us loved
Richard's second course.

I thought Richard's dish
was a beautiful dish.

To me, between, um,
Mike and Richard,

I think Richard went
an extra step

when it comes
to the black cod.

I was impressed by it
because it was so flaky.

As soon I touched it,
that flake,

I mean, that thing came off.

Right, so I said
how delicate it was.

Tom, you said
that Michael's fish

was the best you'd ever tasted
on Top Chef.

I tasted that
before I tasted Richard's.

All of us loved
both these braised courses.

Richard's dish
was a simple, rustic dish.

The flavors,
everything came so together.

There was nothing

in Richard's dish
that blew me away.

- Right.
- We're nitpicking.

We're really digging deep.

But it wasn't
pepperoni sauce.

It was rustic in flavor,

but not in presentation,
not in conception.

That's why I so loved
Michael's pork shoulder.

I loved that Mike
was able to do

elegant food
that was still comforting.

They loved your fish course.
You know?

And they loved the pork course,
so it's two to one.

If I had to order
one or the other dessert,

it's definitely Mike's dessert.

- I preferred Richard's.
- I did, too.

I thought the cornbread
was excellent.

Mm-hmm.

As much as
the foie gras ice cream

was not perfect--

It wasn't offensive.

Obviously, the dessert
that we had on our table, right,

was not exactly
the same dessert.

- Yeah, sounds like it.
- True.

Everyone at our table

was much more receptive
to Mike's dessert

than to Richard's.

Is that fair?
Definitely.

I think it's fair.
I could see that.

So it sounds to me
like the first two courses

are going to Richard.

The last two courses
are going to Mike.

Sure.

I think when it comes to me,
since the challenge

was about having
your own restaurant

and writing out the menu,
giving the name,

I think a few little
disagreements between us--

Look, if I had to eat
at these restaurants again,

I would want to eat at Mike's
during the week,

and I want to eat at Richard's
on the weekend.

Yeah, both these chefs
at this stage of their career,

they've been through a lot.
They've done a lot.

You know,
Richard owns four restaurants.

Michael was an executive chef

for Jose Andres' restaurant.

Very successful.

I think both of them have
a long career

ahead of them.

But I think at the end,
there's just one restaurant

that I think we'd prefer.

I think we have
a new Top Chef.

- Think so.
- Yep.

Absolutely.

Let's get them
both out here.

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

[Cheers and applause]

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Mike...

Richard...

One of you will take home
$200,000,

furnished by Buitoni...

and finally earn
the elusive title of Top Chef.

You guys fought it out
all season,

and especially here.

Richard, all season long,

just performing steady.

Michael, coming on really strong
here in the Bahamas.

Whatever happens here tonight,

I'm sure that both of you
will have

long and successful careers.

I would suggest
that either one of you

is worthy of this title.

But unfortunately,

only one of you will get it.

Richard...

You are Top Chef.

What?

[Cheering]

[Upbeat music]

♪ ♪

- Congratulations.
- Congratulations.

I just--I didn't think
I could do it.

You know, I just--I--

you don't know.

You know, and I don't want
to be cliche.

Where there's a will,
there's a way.

But I willed this.

- It--it hurts.


To come in second is tough.

You know, I made it
to the finale,

and I competed
with the number one seed,

who was considered to be

the best chef
to never win a competition.

And I feel like I b*at him.

I just didn't get the prize.

[Line ringing]
Hello?

Jazmin.

- Yeah.
- I won Top Chef.

What?

I won Top Chef.

I'd like to raise a glass
to our new Top Chef.

And thank you to Mike.

- Isabella.
- Mike.

- I'm--I can't believe it.

I'm lost for words.
I'm just...

I'm Top Chef.