08x10 - Lock Down

[bunniefuu]

Fabio
He's an impressive guy, man.

He is.
He's unexplainable.

I'll tell you what,
he turned me into a Fabio fan.

- Yeah.
- For sure.

Fabio had the weakest dish
of the day,

and I feel awful 'cause
he's a great friend of mine.

It wasn't a hamburger
with French fries on it.

It was more like
a meatloaf.

But by far, the worst thing

on the plate
was that cheddar cheese.

Fabio, please pack
your knives and go.

I wish he would have
consulted with me.

I run a burger restaurant.

If he would have spent
ten minutes

and sat down with me,
he'd probably still be here.

He reminded me,
"this is what I do, Carla.

I do peasant food."

And I'm like, "I hear you.
Let me do what I do."

The person we thought
did the best job is...

Carla.

It's great to be
the last three women standing.

It would be pretty amazing
to be a woman

winning Top Chef All-Stars.

Are you kidding me?
Ha!

- To the magnificent seven.
- To the magnificent seven.

What's up
with season four?

What's up with season four?
Representing.

Me and you will be allies

all the way until
it's just me versus you.

Let's hope we get
to that point.

You know what?
I almost got eliminated today.

But it means nothing,
'cause I'm here,

and I'm gonna k*ll it
on this next one.

I want the championship belt
around my waist.

I'm not like
these new-school parents

who are like,
"we're all winners."

[bleep] That.
That's bull[bleep], man.

Who the [bleep] Said
losing's okay?

In what country
is that cool?

Seven Chefs remain
to fight it out

for half a million dollars
in cash and prizes--

the most in Top Chef history--

and 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.

♪ ♪

Hello, Chefs.

- Hi, Padma.
- Good morning.

Well, we're on our way,
and everything's a-okay.

Padma, I swear she's speaking,
like, in tongues

or like someone's
possessed her.

Can you tell me
how to get to...

All: Sesame Street!

Sesame Street!
Oh, my God!

- [Laughing]
- Cookie Monster.

Ahh...

- Hi, Chefs.
- Hi, Elmo!

When my daughter Zaya
was little, Elmo was, like,

her best friend.
It's Sesame Street.

It doesn't get bigger
than this.

Please meet your judges
for this round.

That's Cookie Monster
in the middle.

- Hi, Chef.
- That's Telly

over there on the right.
That'd be me.

- And over here near me is Elmo.
- Hi.

My daughter Riley's


In my house,
Elmo's like Elvis.

So if I screw it up,
it's gonna be just devastating.

Chefs, your job today--

- cookies!
Sorry.

[Laughter]

Chefs, just make your version
of the world's best--

Cookie! Cookie! Cookie!
Cookie! Cookie! Cookie!

Cookie! Please!
Where Cookie?

Calm down, Cookie.

- Sorry. Me okay.
- It's okay. Calm down.

- Ahh, okay.
- Okay, Chefs,

I think you get the idea.

You have 45 minutes
to make us

the best possible version
of a...

What?
[Laughter]

Oh--oh, yeah, Cookie!

Yeah, what she said--Cookie.

Do you guys have

any last-minute advice
for our Chefs? Elmo?

Elmo would like a cookie maybe
with some zucchini or carrots.

- Yuckah!
- What do you mean yuckah?

- Eccha!
- It's good.

Me think
just make it yummy--

maybe chocolate chippies.

The winner of this quickfire
will take home $5,000.

- Whoa!
- Whoa!

That buy a lot
of cookies.

I've probably never made a
cookie from scratch in my life.

I ain't even thinking
about the $5,000.

I'm just hoping I can make
a cookie so I'm not embarrassed.

Can they go already?

Your cookie quickfire
starts...

All: Now!

Run! Run!

Make cookies now!

Look at 'em go!

Yeah. Looks like
they really want it.

You're cooking
for Cookie Monster,

but you could win $5,000.

You need to take it
seriously.

Cookie Monster asked
for a chocolate chip cookie,

and he is the expert,
so that I can do.

I really want to win this.

She's weighing the butter.

Weighing--
you can do that?

Me guess so.

Me just kind of throw stuff
in bowl and mix

and hope for best.

I love shortbread cookies.

Because it's not overly sweet,

I'm gonna add in
some lemon zest

to kind of just elevate
the flavor a little bit.

Behind--
sha-sha-sha-sha-sha.

I don't fear pastry
like a lot of Chefs do.

So I'm not gonna make
a chocolate chip cookie.

Th's boring.
What you doing?

Well, you said
you wanted zucchini,

so I'm making
zucchini cookies.

- Go, go, go!
- All right, all right.

Okay.

He's doing it with zucchini!
Yay!

This is so exciting.

- This me kind of place.
- Yeah.

Looks like a lot
of sharp stuff over there.

Yeah, that's why we're
all the way over here.

I haven't made a cookie
in probably 25 years, so...

I just want
to get through this.

I've never made
cookies before,

but there's a first time
for everything.

That's not the first cookie
you've made.

- It is.
- Really?

- You dropped an orange.
- Five-second rule.

Hurry, pick it up.

- Uh, Mike Isabella--

it's pretty amazing that
someone who eats so many cookies

would be uncomfortable
making cookies.

You're gonna serve that?

Have you won a quickfire yet
this year? I have.

Whew. Tsss!



As a caterer,
I make cookies for a living.

The first time I made cookies
was when I was in girl scouts.

It would be great for me
to win $5,000

making something
that I make all the time.

Mm.

I'm not a cookie person.

Like, I know I can't make
traditional cookies,

so I'm not gonna make
a traditional cookie.

But my cookie's gonna
taste delicious.

Dale, no potato chips
in the cookies!

You don't like potato chips
in the cookies?

I've been heckled
by a lot of people before,

but never did I think

it was gonna be
the Sesame Street guys.

I mean, what's the appropriate
response to that?

You can't really curse at them.
That just wouldn't be cool.

You guys are gonna like it.
You guys are gonna like it.

Dale is just
putting stuff together,

like chocolate and pretzels
and potato chips,

but he's not baking
a cookie.

He's a cookie cheater.

Behind--
sha-sha.

Richard Blais is by me.

He's making whipped cream,
and he's freezing it

and calling 'em
ice cream cookies.

Richard, be careful.

Is there ever gonna
be a challenge

that he doesn't use
liquid nitrogen?

All I can do is pray now.

Five minutes!

- Five minutes, everybody.
- Five minutes, everybody!

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah...

I can't take the pressure!

[Exhales deeply]

Oh, it smells so good.

We need bigger platters.

My cookies are huge.

They don't look
that nice on the plate.

But taste-wise,
I'm happy with the cookie.

There's only one
minute left!

Me no can take it.

All: Five, four,
three, two, one.

Time.

Time up.
Can we eat?

- Cookie time.
- Okay, let's go. Cookie!

Ahh, num num num!

- Y, cookie, be careful.
- On to the next cookie!

It looked like cow chips.
Well, it did.

They look good.

Miss Antonia, tell--tell us
about your cookies.

So I did a chocolate cookie

with a little bit
of white chocolate chips.

Just put a little bit
of caramel on top

just to get the sprinkles
to stay on.

- Mmm.
- Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Elmo can definitely taste
the white chocolate.

- They're, like, melted.
- They are.

I got some of that gooey center
stuck to the roof of my mouth.

That was very good,
miss Antonia.

Thank you. Thank you.

- I'm going traditional--
chocolate chip cookie.

They're cinnamon
and chocolate chunks.

Me like the texture.

I thought maybe
it was cardamom. No.

- Very close--
cinnamon and cardamom

actually grow
in the same part of the world.

- Really?
- Really.

T.M.I.

- Next cookie. Next cookie.
- Next!

- Hi, Dale.
- Hi, Cookie Monster.

So I made a pretzel
and potato chip shortbread,

glazed them with caramel
and chocolate.

It starts off
really sweet,

and then it gets--

it gets kind of salty
at the end.

It's kind of fun.
Delicious.

Num num num num num...

I have a little girl
named Riley

who watches you
every day.

Hello, Riley.
Elmo loves you.

Oh, wow.
This is huge.

My heart is, like, melting
right now.

I'm the coolest dad
in the world.

So I'm calling this
an ice cream cookie.

So I made ice cream
with zucchini and mint.

Technically,
is that cookie?

- You're pulling my leg.
- That not technically cookie.

It actually isn't a cookie.

It's an ice cream disk.

And Elmo tasted zucchini.
It was really good.

Let's go visit Mike.

- Thanks, Mr. Richard.
- Thank you.

What's up, guys?

I got an almond
and dried cherry cookie,

and I dusted it with a little
rose petal powdered sugar.

You did that
in 45 minutes?

Yeah. I'm a little fast
sometimes, you know what I mean?

Num num num num.

Mmm. It like party
in me mouth.

[Laughter]

So I made a shortbread
cookie today.

It has a little bit
of lemon and thyme.

- Oh. How much time?
- 45 minutes.

That's right.
[Laughter]

- Elmo can taste the lemon.
- And this is coconut milk.

Yes, a little bit
of coconut milk.

Did you like the coconut milk,
Cookie Monster?

Yeah, it nice touch.

It's really good
for your skin too.

- It is?
- How about me fur?

It's good for your fur
as well.

On to the next cookie!

Oh, no, this last one.

I did a chocolate chip
and Belgium hazelnut cookie...

H a chocolate
oh, no, this last one.

And banana milkshake.

Oh, these look delicious.

Ahh, num num num num...

Hey, cookie, be careful.

[Laughter]
Mmm. Okay.

Thank you so much,
Angelo.

Let's talk cookies.

How was that?
Was that fun?

Oh, it delicious.

Yeah, Elmo did have
a lot of fun.

Who needed a little help?

Me had little issue
with Richard.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Technically,
it not quite cookie.

You know, he's an expert.
He's the Cookie Monster.

You don't want to be called out
in a cookie challenge

by Cookie Monster.

So I'm a little disappointed.

Angelo, it just
different tasting.

It could be
a little dry.

Guys, now tell me
who your favorites were.

- Two--Dale...
- Yeah.

Dale!
Congratulations.

Yeah, we loved
the sweet and salty mix.

And our number-two favorite
is Antonia.

- Yeah.
- Thank you.

The only cookie
around here

that's chewy, gooey.
Yeah.

Frankly, it wasn't
the prettiest cookie

I've ever seen.
It looked like cow chips.

[Laughter]
Well, it did.

Cow chips!

Did he just say

that my cookie
looked like [bleep]?

All right, guys,
who is the winner

of this cookie quickfire?

- We got to--
we got to huddle up.

Huddle up! Come here.
Huddle!

Okay, the winner

is...

Dale!
Yay!

I don't make cookies,

but Cookie Monster,
Elmo, and telly anointed it

as the best cookie.

Winning this quickfire
is probably

top three experiences ever

on Top Chef--
this was amazing.

Congratulations, Dale.

You win $5,000,
furnished by Buitoni.

It was great
to have you guys.

Oh, it was great
to be here.

- Bye.
- Bye-bye.

- Bye-bye. Bye.
- Bye-bye, everybody.

Bye.

Now that we've unleashed
your inner child,

we're gonna turn you loose,
like kids in a candy store.

For your elimination
challenge,

you'll be playing
for more money

than we've ever given away
in one challenge--

$25,000.

- It is--we're like,
"what do we have to do?"

[Laughter]

My eyes were going
ching, ching! Ching, ching!

I'm so excited. I'm thinking
this could be the one.

Chefs, you're headed
to Target.

Target? I love Target.
Love Target.

Tar-zhay--
whatever you want to call it.

You have three hours
in the middle of the night

to raid the store
and grab anything you need

to make a delicious dish
for 100 Target employees.

Wow, that's a lot
of employees.

I'm exhausted
when I leave a Target,

let alone cooking
and running around in a Target.

I can't even fathom
how hard this is gonna be.

The store is empty,
and it's all yours.

And, Chefs, you don't need
to worry about ingredients.

Target has an expanded store

with a varied selection
of fresh produce and groceries.

You can find anything
you need

to cook and prepare
a delicious meal

for an entire family.

You'll also have help
from designer Thomas O'Brien.

He'll help you create
a great dining experience

for the employees.

Chefs, leave your knives here
in the kitchen,

because you'll find everything
you need in the store.

We can't bring knives,
pots, pans.

Everything we have to get,
we have to get from Target

and open it up
and build our own stations

and cook enough food
for 100 people.

It's crazy.

Have fun
on you your shopping spree.

Bye.

Arriving at Target,
it's dark outside.

The store is dead-empty.
I'm pretty, pretty pumped up.

The whistle blows,
and we're off to the races.

I feel like Carl Lewis
running through the aisles.

Go, go, go!
[Laughs]

$34...$24.

This is not really
the time to price.

I got to think.
I got to think.

Who doesn't want to go
through Target

and just be able to get
anything you want?

I think it's
so phenomenal.

You got
the electric grill pan?

- No, I've only got two
of these--I got to get more.

I wish I could definitely
get over into the tv section

and go on a real
shopping spree.

That would be neat.
The store is large.

You're talking
about four or five


at least.

So there's a physicality
to this challenge

that is very difficult.

Are you making pasta?

Tomato soup.

Tiffany made it this far
without a single win.

And she's a little goofy
and a little loud.

[Imitating tiffany]
"I'm from beaumont.

I'm from beaumont."

Yay!

It's really getting
on my nerves.

This is probably one of the
biggest Targets I've ever seen.

I used to work
in a grocery store,

so I was there
after hours,

and I know what kind
of crazy stuff goes on.

And all of a sudden,
a tuna fish can

and, you know,
two brooms

broke out
into a hockey game.

I can only imagine how weird
it'd be at a Target after hours.

But right now my biggest concern
is cooking equipment.

- Cutting boards...
- They're in the back.

I got 'em.

It's like a giant quickfire
in Target with nothing.

- You got knives?
- I got knives.

Am I gonna get
the tables first?

Am I gonna get my appliances?

But why would I get
my appliances

if I don't know
what food is over there?

It's like I'm grabbing
all of these items--

toaster oven, blender, like,
waffle machine,

deep fryer--like,
I don't know what I'm cooking,

but I have everything
in kitchen that I would need.

You have corn here.

There's scallions
right down here.

Mike and I definitely have
a good relationship.

You know,
we help each other out.

I have your shrimp.
That's all I have so far.

Me and Angelo
kind of came together.

We decided just to try to get
each other to the finish line.

You don't see any coconut,
do you? No?

I don't see any, bro.

On his season, he was known
as a villain or a bad guy.

He gets a bad rap,
but I think he's a cool dude,

and I definitely think

we're gonna be friends
for a long time.

Beautiful.
We're back on track.

I'm grabbing everything
I possibly can.

A couple different burners,
flat tops,

knives, cutting boards.

The quicker
you get everything,

the quicker
you can start cooking.

And also, too, I'm not
in the best shape in the world,

so it's definitely gonna take me
a little bit longer

to run around the store.

Pbbbt. Whew.

Okay. Ha!

What do you need? I got you
some more garbage cans.

Thank you.

- Antonia, you like it?
- Whoo!

All right.

So we're using equipment
that's, like,

not high-powered...
There's no flames.

So everything's gonna take
a lot longer,

and equipment's
a lot smaller.

So it's definitely
a challenge.

I'm about to have
a heart att*ck.

Did you get tablecloths?
Nope.

Have you seen the linens?
Have you seen the tablecloths?

The wrench that is thrown
into my plan

is that, as a caterer,
I'm thinking

about how I want to present
my table.

And I'm doing all of this,
and I think,

"oh, my God, I have to actually
shop for my food."

Duh.

Two hours!

What do we have here?

You know,
I can hear what's going on,

and I can kind of hear, like,
Carl seems like

she's a little bit behind.

Unfortunately, there's not
a lot of time

to cook a meal
for 100 people.

A few of us might not be able
to finish this challenge.

Oh, my God.

I'm just--
oh, my God!

Before I do that,
I need to find linen.

Everybody else is cooking,
and I'm still shopping.

The sauce looked
like parrot [bleep].

Have you ever given this guy
a urine test?

We have less than two hours

to totally raid Target

and to cook
for 100 Target employees.

This is insane.

I'm really concerned,

because everybody else is
cooking, and I'm still shopping.

Where are the tablecloths?

- You look sexy over here.
- What's up, babe?

I'm the first person
to start cooking.

That was really important
to me.

I want to try
and develop flavor,

and there's not a lot
of time to do it.

I'm gonna be making
a corn pancake

with a seared
pork tenderloin

and some braised pork ribs.

This is a blue-collar dish.

It's food you want to eat
at any time of the day,

especially at 3:00
in the morning.

My hopes are that
I can win $25,000.

It's a lot of money.
It'd be great to win.

You got salt for me?
You got a peeler for me?

I don't know
where it is.

I'll get it for you.

Great job
over there, Chef.

I'm doing a soft egg
with parmesan cream.

And I have, basically,
heating elements to cook on,

not all the stuff
that I would normally use.

It does start to freak me out
a little bit

that I'm not gonna find
the right groove

to cook these eggs.

Tiff, what do you think
about my egg?

I think it's fine.

I'm going to make a spin-off
of jambalaya.

It has chicken and sausage
and shrimp.

I use creole seasoning

which I absolutely love,
so I'm excited.

It definitely gives me
an advantage.

I really like the dish,
and I thought

it would be something easy
for me execute.

I need to find...

Oh, before I do that,
I need to find linen.

Kitchen...Deco frames.

Okay, what am I gonna do?
I can't do that.

I can't do that.

I'm nervous.
I'm nervous...

I can't believe
I'm not cooking yet.

Because I need to cook,

and my cook time
is very short now.

Oh, my God,
I want to pass out.

An hour and a half, guys.

This challenge, it reminds me
of my college days

in my dorm room

and how I was broke
and drunk.

All I would do
is butter up the bread,

put my iron on it, 'cause
I never ironed anything.

And put, you know, the tomato
soup in the rice cooker

and warm it up,
and that would be dinner.

So that's my plan
of att*ck--

steak grilled cheese sandwiches
on sourdough with tomato soup.

Looking at the girls' tables,

they banged out,
like, tablecloths

and, you know,
a centerpiece,

a corsage
for the first three guests.

I didn't know this was, like,
Susie Homemaker's challenge.

Oh...

Oh, God, I can't even--

I'm about to pass out.
That's--

finally I get everything
set up...

[Sighs]
But I have to cook.

- Carla, take some--
breathe, baby, breathe.

My idea was to do
a salmon cake

and soup,
but I didn't see salmon.

So I'm making
a curried apple soup

with an apple slaw.

And I think, "do I have enough
time to go and get a protein?"

Just something--
but I'm afraid to leave,

because I don't have much time
to cook for 100 people.

Carla gets
to her station last,

which concerns me, 'cause
I know that she's doing soup.

Soup is one of those things.

The theory is,
the longer it sits,

the more that flavor
can develop.

So if you only have an hour
to make soup,

it's not an easy task.

You got my can opener,
sweetie?

- You never asked for one.
- You grabbed it for me.

You didn't?
I wasn't aware, dude.

Maybe I grabbed it.

I grabbed everything else
for you.

- I know. I--

- you want me to cook
the food for you too?

Uh, if you don't mind.

First, my dish was gonna be
spicy coconut shrimp stew.

Then it went to coconut pork.

And now it's just
a spicy coconut broth

with some vegetables.

But, you know,
everything's coming together.

The flavors are getting close,
so I feel confident.

I got to set up, Mike,
'cause I'm never gonna finish.

I'm making potato soup
with bacon, onions,

cheddar cheese.

Every household in America
loves baked potatoes,

so I think this was totally
appropriate for the challenge.

[Chuckles]

It's a little thick.

Salt?
Does it need more salt?

It's missing something.

Mikey tastes my soup--he
thinks it's missing something,

so I decide to add more salt,
add more bacon to it,

and hopefully it's better.

My one soup's
coming out good.

The other one, I'm just
waiting for it to boil.

Everybody's making soup.

Everybody's frickin'
making soup,

and I think
it's ridiculous.

$25,000 on the line,
I'm not gonna make a soup

and call it a day
and play it safe.

Nine minutes.

As time's counting down,

I have 25 plates
ready to go.

I got 75 more to go.

And it's the middle
of the night.

We're not sleeping.

There's, like, a fog
that comes over you.

It's a pretty crazy
challenge.

One minute.

I'm not that happy
with my soup,

because it takes time
to develop flavors in a soup.

I don't know if this is
a $25,000 dish,

but my presentation
is a $25,000 presentation.

Is that salty?

At this point in time,
I'm pretty worried.

My baked potato soup
got a little bit too salty.

That's salty.
A little bit.

This is the last run.
Need a ladle.

Whew.
I'm out of shape.

Ah, I'm exhausted.

Ready or not,
here they come.

- Hey, what's going on?
- Hi.

I felt like this challenge
was geared

towards college kids.
Okay.

- The old
grilled-cheese-iron trick.

A little different
than my normal ironing routine.

With the product I was given
and the time that I was given,

I think I did
a pretty decent job,

but I am scared
of what I made.

I mean, it's just grilled cheese
and tomato soup.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome. Enjoy.

If you guys
don't like it,

Mikey over there made it.
[Laughter]

This is what
I was running around to get.

No, actually, this is what
I was running around to get.

A little heat in there,
a little chili in there.

So enjoy.

- Unbelievable.
- Very good.

I actually really like
the spicy tomato soup.

I like the bite to it
afterwards.

I like Carla's soup.

I don't really like curry,
but I think it's good.

- Well, this is a first
for Top Chef--

a 3:00 A.M. service.

And I'm going straight
from judges' table

to a parent/teacher conference.

"Your daughter's great,
but the father's very grouchy."

- It's not the prettiest dish
in the world--I know that.

But I'm ready to defend
my dish if I have to.

I think it's tasty.
Pardon my reach.

I'd like to introduce you
to your judges

for this elimination
challenge--

Anthony Bourdain...
- Chef.

Host of travel channel's
no reservations,

Chef and owner
of Blue Ginger, Ming Tsai...

Hello.

And special guest,
home designer for Target,

Thomas O'Brien.
Great to see you.

This is my play
on arepas,

so it's a corn pancake
with seared pork tenderloin,

and green chilies, braised pork.
Enjoy your meal.

- It is well-seasoned.

- Apples add a great acid.
- Yeah, it's good.

- Frankly, I think
Richard's dish was butt-ugly,

but it was delicious.

[Laughs]

The sauce looked like
parrot [bleep].

Mine wasn't the prettiest
dish in the world,

but it's not about pretty.

- Did it taste good?
- Yeah.

The meat has a nice kick to it
and a nice flavor.

And it's not, like,
overpowering.

It's just kind of
a little hint there.

So I did a simple version
of a spicy tomato soup.

And it's grilled cheese

with a little seared,
sliced rib eye on it.

But I used two steaming irons
to kind of

give a nice sear on the top
and warm 'em through.

Enjoy, guys.
Thank you very much.

- He got a good crunch on it.
- Mm-hmm.

It's brilliant using an iron.
I mean, he was thinking.

- I think he's going
for that late-night,

comfort, stoner food.

You ever given this guy
a urine test?

[Laughter]

Maybe Dale was trying
to become an "iron" Chef.

[All groan]

The grilled rib eye
was done perfectly.

I know the flavors
haven't developed,

and so I'm really nervous.

I hope this dish
does not send me home.

I made a curried apple soup
with a tomato ginger jam

and a cucumber apple slaw.

Thank you. Enjoy.

- I found this soup
a little bit two-dimensional.

It's just screaming out
for some protein.

It feels like a sauce.

It feels like a gravy
to some protein.

Something is conspicuous
in its absence,

whether it's meat
or protein...

And the flavor
just wasn't there for me.

Taste was good,
but a little salty for me.

I'm really just hoping
that, you know,

the eggs are cooked properly.

That's the biggest feat
in this entire challenge.

I have a garlic crustini,
over-easy egg,

a parmesan cream, almonds,

and then just fresh apples
and [Indistinct] On the side.

- This is a ballsy offering.
- Right. 100 eggs?

I like the sweetness
as a nice breakfast surprise.

Yeah,
it's breakfast time almost.

I love the egg,
and I think it's perfect.

How we doing today,
everybody?

We got some coconut soup.

It's got a little spice to it,
some fresh coconut milk.

You found fresh
coconuts here?

No, I found coconut milk.

Then it's not
fresh coconut milk.

- You're right.
- Thank you, Mike.

I had a teaspoon of it.
That's enough.

Kind of sharp for me too.

I think there's a good amount
of flavor in here.

This is satisfying for me

to have something spicy
like this late night.

It's all right.
It was too much spice.

Too spicy.

I'm done.
Does your back hurt?

My lower back is k*lling me.

It probably will
as I get...

This is my jambalaya.

It has chicken,
sausage, and shrimp.

- Thank you so much, Tiffany.
- Thank you.

I'm not crazy
about Tiffany's dish.

I thought the chicken
was a little soggy and rubbery.

It's okay.
Overall it's okay.

It's not a great dish.

There's something
not special about it.

- Beaumont, how you doing?
- I'm doing good.

I think.
[Chuckles nervously]

Don't be scared.
Make it happen, let's go.

I feel pretty good
about the dish, you know.

My biggest concern
at this point in time is

is I'm hoping they understand
the flavors.

Go, go, go, go,
go, go, go. Go.

- You take two.
- No, you take two.

I have a version
of a baked potato soup

made with bacon, onions,

potatoes,
and cheddar cheese, blended.

The garnish is broccoli,
potato skins

and sour cream
and scallions.

You do not need
to pass the salt.

It's too heavy
and way too salty.

If you ate
a whole bowl of this...

- You'd die.
- You'd die.

There was really
no zip to it.

It was potatoes.

I mean, the other soups
had a lot more taste.

How'd they do
in this challenge, Tom?

Well, considering how
difficult the challenge was,

some of them did
really well.

Some of them, uh, just kind of
messed up a little bit.

- We had a lot of soups.
- We did.

This was, like,
the soup challenge.

- I'm souped out.
- I'm souped up.

Well, Thomas,
thank you so much.

It was a pleasure
dining with you.

Thanks for coming to Target.

All right, well,
it's a long drive back

to judges' table,
so we better hit the road.

As long as Colicchio's
not driving,

with those eyes.
I got the check.

I'm exhausted, dude.

Is it really, like,


I feel like I worked out
at the gym today.

I can't smile.
I'm just exhausted.

Great job, Mikey.

Tiff, ready to go?

For some reason, I am
particularly nervous about this.

I don't know if my nerves
are getting to me

because I am the only person
that has not won anything,

and somebody's gonna have
to go home.

I'm could actually
be going home,

and I don't feel it here.
Someone has to go.

They all know they made
a critical mistake.

The flavor just
never developed.

It left, literally,
bad taste in the mouth.

[Silly voice]
What did you think of the egg?

[Silly voice]
I loved it!

[Normal voice]
This was the hardest challenge

I've ever done.

Tell me the truth.
Don't lie to me.

It's 4:00 in the morning.
We are sleep-deprived...

Don't b*at on my friend!

It's possible that I just
might be a little tired.

[Laughs]

You know what?
They have these

nifty little hoodies
just for me.

I want a hat.

- I just need a good night's
rest--that's what I need.

You want a hat? You can
borrow mine sometime

if I can borrow that vest.

Oh, anytime.

- Okay. Bye.
- Bye.

- [Yawning]
That was a hard challenge--

just running around
and getting everything.

- It was just straight-up
guerilla style.

It was just hand-to-hand
close combat.

Definitely stew room
is a weird vibe.

The sun has come up,
and it's the morning,

and we're exhausted.

Pbbbbt...

I'm could actually
be going home,

and I don't feel it here.

You usually feel decidedly
one way or the other?

Or somewhere in the middle.

I feel--
I don't feel anything.

I don't either.

You know, like,
someone has to go.

Oh, my...

[Door opens]

Hello.
We'd like to see Dale,

Antonia, and Richard.
Thank you.

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

How you guys doing?
Are you tired?

A little bit.

Well, one of you will win
$25,000,

so that
should perk you up.

You had the top dishes
of the evening.

- Tough challenge--
how was it for you guys?

I mean, the shopping
for all of the equipment,

and the 100-yard sprints back
and forth in that giant store,

I was just drenched with sweat.
It was just a push.

What I really liked
about your dish is

you were the only one
to actually cook a protein

two different ways.

So you had the loin
that was perfectly cooked.

Then you had the braised.

With the apple,
it was a good touch.

Antonia.

I'm always happy to see
runny eggs,

particularly at 3:00
in the morning.

I thought it was
an audacious move.

It could have gone terribly,
tragically wrong.

I thought the dish came out
really well.

I was very happy with it.
Thank you.

- Dale.
- It was nice and crispy.

It was hot, and the soup
was delicious.

There was a little bit
of smokiness

in the tomato soup
from the bacon, which was nice.

I really enjoyed it.

- Thank you.
- You got that surreal mix

of goofy and devious.

You used an iron
on the sandwich?

The inspiration
for that was being broke

and partying
a little too much.

Ming, as our guest judge,

please tell us the winner
of this challenge

and the winner
of $25,000.

- It's with great pleasure--

and again, I think you all did
an amazing job.

But today's winner goes...

To Dale.
Congratulations.

[Applause, laughter]

I'm, like, boom!
That's rent for a year.

A very expensive
grilled cheese sandwich.

Thank you very much.

The biggest pot
in one challenge

in Top Chef history,
and I landed it...

Congratulations, Dale.
You win $25,000

for your grilled cheese
and tomato soup,

furnished by Target.

Over a grilled cheese sandwich
and soup and an iron.

That's what's up.
[Chuckles]

Thank you, Chefs.
I also need you

to send back
some of your colleagues.

[Applause]
Oh, you are rockin'.

- Wow. Congratulations.
- Awesome.

You're making big bucks here,
dog, you're making big bucks.

I'm trying, you know.
Thank you very much.

So the bad news--
they want to see Carla,

Tiffany, Angelo.

Bye.

$25,000, [bleep].
[Giggles]

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Chefs, unfortunately,
tonight is the end of the road

for one of you.

Carla, tell us
about your soup.

The texture wasn't good.
It didn't come up to a boil.

The flavors didn't meld.

I think you hit the nail
on the head.

The flavor just
never developed.

And so when you ran
out of the garnish,

it just wasn't
very interesting anymore.

Right.

I think your soup is
desperately in need of protein

or some substance.

Did you consider chicken?

Honestly, I didn't even think
about the chicken.

That actually would have been
a good solution.

The soup would have been
a great sauce

for a piece of salmon or a piece
of chicken or something.

But it was just thin.
It was two-dimensional.

- Angelo.
- The concept was, obviously,

a deconstruction
of a baked potato.

I think the bottom line--
where I went wrong is

the soup, based in itself,
was just not balanced.

It was too salty,
way too salty.

Boy, one spoonful,
it was just like, "oh, my God."

- [bleep].
- It was very rich.

That was
the other problem I had,

is it's hard to eat
a whole bowl of it.

- Heavy-handed
on the scallions.

It left, literally,
a bad taste in the mouth.

You didn't taste the completed,
assembled dish after?

I did.
I apologize.

Maybe I just tasted it,
and my palate was just fatigued.

- Mm-hmm.

Tiffany.

At home,
my mom makes this dish.

She calls it red rice,
since it's not really jambalaya,

being that it's not cooked
in the tomato sauce.

I was just trying to extract
as much flavor

as possible really quickly.

And the spice you used.

It was a creole seasoning
that I love.

So you used
a prepared spice mix.

- Correct.
- Those dried spices

are what really got you
into trouble.

It accentuated the difficulty
of the challenge

rather than distracted from.

It would have been better,
I think,

and just used
straight-up cayenne

for the heat or whatever

and not used
those dried herbs and spices.

We have to send
one of you home tonight.

Do you have any final words

before we make
our decision?

Well...

I just have
a few words to say.

I'm from beaumont, Texas.
It's a real small city.

And there's a lot of times
you can't...

Dream big enough.

You know what I mean?
Like, it's...

Everything's so far away.

And I'm just really happy,

so whatever decision
you make--

I'm not doing this today.
[Laughs]

Whatever decision you make,
it has been my honor

to work with all of you guys,
I promise, so...

Chefs, regardless
of who goes home,

it has been a real pleasure
to have you here with us.

And it's not an easy decision
we have to make.

We'll call you back
in a while.

Thank you all.
Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Beaumont cried again.

What'd they say
about the dish?

- Too aggressively seasoned,
basically--

just too much.

Damn, Mike.

You giving me a high five
'cause I'm going home?

No, you're not going home.

Why do you think
you're going home?

How could you get
past salt?

It's been such a long night,
and it's such a hard decision.

Plus, I think
they're exhausted right now.

They're tired.

And they're b*ating
themselves up

'cause they all know
they made a critical mistake.

I thought Carla's soup
was weak.

It reminded me
of the watered-down sauce

they give in tea shops
in India.

The cooking
never came together,

and part of it is that
she made too much.

She didn't need to make
as much as she made.

Without having the time
to develop those flavors--

protein would have helped.

And what
about Tiffany's jambalaya?

Not really jambalaya.

The dried herbs that
she really leaned heavily on,

I can't get past that.

Does that ever make
anything better?

You know, I think
sometimes these things

that you grow up eating,
you have an affinity for them.

But it doesn't mean
they're good.

You end up
with artificial flavor.

- Tiffany had
the more-is-better philosophy--

just kept adding,
adding, adding,

and that was her demise.

There were a lot of problems
with Tiffany's rice,

but it wasn't inedible.
No.

I couldn't eat more
than a bite of Angelo's soup.

I couldn't get past
the salt.

As Chefs,
we taste, taste, taste.

Even with a fatigued palate
when you try that soup,

it was salty.

And then, you know,
five minutes later,

he should be saying,
"that's just not good."

I don't think he was giving us
anywhere near his best game.

This can easily be fixed.
He just lost focus.

- I think we have our answer.
- Mm-hmm.

Okay, let's get them
back out here.

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

So, Chefs, this challenge
was difficult.

Going into a Target store
with nothing but your wit

and cooking abilities,

gathering everything you need
to create a dish...

Quickly it turned
into a real test of will.

Carla, your dish
never developed,

and I think probably
because you made too much.

If you'd made less, it would've
cooked a little better.

It would have been more
of a complete dish.

Tiffany, you promised
a jambalaya,

and I think your focus
led you to give us

a rice dish
that wasn't complete.

Angelo, just way too much salt,
and you lost your focus.

Didn't taste everything
in that final second.

It got by you.

It's really hard to see
any one of you go home,

but as you know,
in this competition,

one bad dish
will send you packing.

Angelo, please pack
your knives and go.

Oh, my gosh.

Thank you so much.

This has been just a...

Very humbling
and amazing experience for me,

and I'm truly honored.

Thank you.

I made an critical error
of it being oversalted.

I've made over 40 dishes,
you know, almost back to back.

That's a lot, and I think
I'm just mentally fried.

It's like when you know
you're so close,

and you had control, and you
just lost control, and...

I know I'm so much better
than this.

Thank you so much
for everything.

All right, guys.

What?

- Are you serious?
- Yeah.

You?

[Voice breaking]
You've all, like, pushed me

beyond, you know, my limits,

and you really
made me define myself

as an individual.

I'm just truly honored
to cook alongside you all.

Thank you.

[Bleep], man, I'm sorry.

Of course I wanted
to go to the end,

but that wasn't
in my deck of cards.

I think the other Chefs,
they really pushed me

to get to know myself
even more.

One element that's been
extremely hard for me--

being away from my son
for so long.

I want him to know
that I do love him dearly

and that I never give up.

I think that's the main lesson
that I learned.

- Next
on Top Chef All-Stars...

Oh!

I am floored.

Paula Dean,
with her beautiful hair,

is right here.

You know, I've worked
to get these guys out of here,

and now all of a sudden, they
show up--they're like bedbugs.

Fabio, just pack everything.

In true Fabio fashion,

he wanted to do everything
at the last second.

You should use some of these

'cause they have the head
on 'em.

Just cook my food,
and let's cook it

the way that I want it done.

Redemption
is slipping away...

Far, far away.

Bye, redemption.

For more about the recipes
seen tonight,