- The chefs prepare fondue. Later, they cater late-night talker Jimmy Fallon's birthday party.
- After the elimination, Dale is grateful not to have been cut. He's reeling from his food being called bland and vows it won't happen again. Fabio demands that Antonio explain how her mussels dish was Italian. He insists it was French. Antonia brushes him off, but manages a few digs at Mike I.
Eight chefs remain. Quickfire Challenge They arrive in the kitchen and see fondue pots waiting for them. For some reason, for Richard this conjures images of bell bottoms and naked people. "My parents definitely went to a nude fondue party, I'm sure," he says.
Padma tells them they'll be making unique fondue. They're their own judges. There's no immunity, but the winner gets a three day trip to Napa Valley. Antonia wants to win since she's won no money or prizes.
They have 30 minutes to cook.
Antonia decides to make smoked salmon fondue. Richard decides to do exactly what Padma cautioned against and goes for chocolate and bananas. Dale goes for pho. Angelo makes a deconstruction of beet and goat cheese salad with endives. Mike I. is making feta cheese fondue with spiced lamb kabobs. Angelo doesn't finish. "I'm going to throw this out," he says.
Padma suggests a toast and they taste.
Richard's includes liquid nitrogen.
Tiffany made an apple fritter with ricotta. Richard thinks it's a "pedestrian" donut.
Angelo serves his, which includes dipping the endive in and shooting beet juice.
Carla made coconut curry with beef tenderloin and shrimp.
Antonia doesn't like Mike's because he goes for lamb again.
She made smoked salmon on toast with fromage blanc and crème fraiche fondue.
Fabio made blinis to go with caviar to be dipped in crème fraiche with fromage blanc and Bourdain wine.
Padma hands out ballots.
They can't vote for themselves.
Richard thinks no one will vote for him because he's intimidating.
Fabio, Tiffany and Mike had the least favorites. Padma asks Mike why he didn't like Mike's and he says he didn't like the spice.
The favorites were: Antonia, Dale and Angelo.
Padma announces the winner is: Dale.
For their Elimination Challenge, they're heading to Rockefeller Center.
Inside they go up to a studio and hear screams outside.
It's Jimmy Fallon's show.
They walk in and immediately are part of a silly game show.
They have to use their cell phone to snap pictures of images and whatever they get is what they have to cook at his birthday lunch.
Antonia and Fabio are first. Pictures go by like a roulette wheel. Antonia gets beef tongue. "I'm very excited about the tongue," she announces.
Fabio gets hamburger and fries.
The rest of the contestants take their shots.
Carla gets chicken pot pie and is so happy and does a little dance about it.
They shop tonight and will be cooking tomorrow at Colicchio & Sons. They're warned that Jimmy hates mushrooms, mayonnaise and eggplant.
They shop.
Dale gets Philly cheese steaks and buys pretzel rolls.
Fabio gets short ribs and what sounds like brisket ground for burgers.
Back at the house, Antonia opens the brought-to-you by Buitoni ravioli and they sit down to dinner.
In the morning, Dale watches fancy Angelo and his fitted clothes get dressed. "I still think I am the better chef, even though he is a stunning man," Dale says, cracking himself up.
They head off to cook.
Angelo is making pulled pork.
Antonia is worried about having enough time to cook her beef tongue, which can take four hours to cook. Richard tells her how to cook it in a pressure cooker.
Mike I. thinks Richard gives too much help to his competitors. He has sausage and peppers.
Tiffany is doing her chicken and dumplings southwestern style.
Carla thinks she's put a lot of pressure on herself by being so excited about chicken pot pie.
"Watching Carla is like watching a chicken with her head cut off at this point," Dale says as she clucks and squawks around the kitchen.
The judges arrive and say hi to Jimmy's parents, James and Gloria and Fallon. Jimmy and his wife Nancy arrive, as does his sister Gloria, announcer Higgins and head writer AD Miles. Karen and Bill Juvonen, Jimmy's mother and father in law are also there.
Jimmy explains that he and his wife are big fans of the show.
In the kitchen, Fabio clarifies that his burgers are chuck, short ribs and brisket combined. He's melting the cheddar and putting it on the side. Mike I. thinks it's "weird."
Antonia is pleased with her tongue.
They serve.
Antonia made beef tongue with pumpernickel rye, caramelized onions and dill slaw.
Fabio serves his burger.
Higgins likes the burger. Jimmy and his dad think it takes like meatloaf. Tom isn't a fan.
Jimmy explains why he hates mayonnaise: as a kid he got his head stuck in a fence and his grandmother used mayo to grease his head.
They like Antonia's tongue. (Ehem.)
Richard made Ramen noodles with seared pork belly, duck legs and duck egg. "This is my first time making ramen noodles without the flavor packet," he says.
Tiffany introduces her chicken and dumplings with poblano chilies, red peppers and cilantro and lime.
Jimmy is a little disappointed that he didn't get the total Blais-out. He wanted nitrogen and lasers.
He thinks Tiffany's was too spicy.
Carla serves her chicken pot pie.
Dale made Philly cheesesteak on a pretzel roll with hot sauce, onions and cheddar cheese sauce .
Jimmy and Gail thinks Dale's is too salty.
Tom is too busy eating Carla's pot pie to judge it.
Angelo feels really confident about his pork sandwich as it goes out. He made a coffee, allspice and chipotle rub.
Mike I. calls his sausage and peppers "Fenway style" just to pander to Boston- Jimmy. Jimmy and Tom love Angelo's.
Finally, they bring Jimmy out an ice cream cake, his favorite. He thanks them for the best birthday lunch ever and tells them the winner will get a cooking segment on his show.
Back in the stew room, Padma comes for Carla, Angelo and Antonia.
Judges' Table Padma tells them they had the best. Tom compliments Angelo for his rub. They loved that Carla put crust on the bottom of her chicken pot pie Antonia confesses she has never cooked or eaten beef tongue. Tom, who serves it on his menu, says she did a good job.
They even made a song about it. Angelo provides the base line, Carla hits the high notes and Antonia sings "gotta make the beef tongue." It's a Top Chef song first.
The winner is: Carla. She freaks out and dances around, going to hug Jimmy.
Padma tells her she also gets a six-night trip to Tokyo. It's her third win and third trip.
Back in the stew room, they summon Tiffany, Fabio and Dale.
Tom tells Tiffany her dumpling was flat. Jimmy missed the traditional take.
Padma tells Fabio he treated his patty like a meatball. Gail says it missed juiciness. Tom tells him the melted cheddar was terrible.
Jimmy tells Dale about his over-saltiness. Dale says it was over-compensating for his last challenge blandness.
Dale says he forgot about the salt on his pretzel.
The judges discuss. Jimmy thinks cutting someone is a bummer.
Verdict time. Tom recaps their sins.
And the knife packer is: Fabio.
He smiles and hugs everyone. Jimmy is near tears. "I love Jimmy Fallon, but the fact that he came on my show and sent me home -- that's not good Jimmy," Fabio says.
He promises he'll cook a burger for Jimmy some day that will make him beg for forgiveness.
He gets hug all around in the stew room. "People should look at me for consistency and perseverance....you're really the only shadow standing in your own sunshine."
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content