Tom Colicchio puts on the pressure as just two remain in Top Chef

by Amanda Wilkins

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Brooke is noticeably flustered.

NBC Universal

Finalists (from left) Brooke Williams, Sheldon Simeon, and Kristen Kish await their fate in front of the judges.

After FT33′s Josh Valentine was eliminated last week, Dallas doesn’t have a dog in the fight in the Top Chef: Seattle finale. But we’ve come this far; we can’t stop recapping now.

The two remaining chefs, Brooke Williamson and Sheldon Simeon, learn which chef is re-joining the main competition after winning the Last Chance Kitchen battle. To no one’s surprise, Kristen Kish is back.

The chefs will be running the show at judge Tom Colicchio’s Craft restaurant in Los Angeles, with each chef creating his or her own three-course meal. They have just three hours to prep and cook. Colicchio himself is expediting service, which is pretty intimidating for the chefs. “I peed in my pants,” Kristen confesses.

Sheldon decides to cook quail for his main course, to show the judges what he has learned in the months before the finale. During that time, he has staged at a high-end restaurant in Honolulu.

Brooke is indecisive about her dishes, and the time that takes sets her back when it comes time to cook. She’s in trouble. Things keep going downhill during service, as Colicchio is hounding her for being behind. “Bad day to have a bad day,” she says. In contrast, Sheldon and Kristen are rocking, and even have time to joke with each other about getting lost in Colicchio’s beautiful blue eyes. Oh my!

The judges had good things to say about most of the dishes, with low marks here and there. The most significant criticism was for Sheldon’s quail dish: Although it was well cooked, the pine nuts were chalky, and they wish he had cooked his style of food.

The judges ding Kristen for a “one-note” first course and a confusing and poorly executed dessert, which Kristen herself was unhappy with.

As for Brooke, all courses were solid, and almost everyone loved her dessert (the exception being Colicchio). Her problems in service certainly don’t seem to have come across in her food.

In the end, the main course was Sheldon’s undoing, so Part 2 of the finale will be Brooke vs. Kristen. It feels like the right finale pairing, but it is still sad to see Sheldon pack his knives.