Recap Roundup - Top Chef All-Stars Finale

Minxeats on Mike needing to win: "Mike says he has to win because he quit his job and missed his honeymoon. I have no idea what either of them have to do with winning or losing: he quit his job at Zaytinya in late 2010 to open his restaurant Graffiato, and he got married in August of 2009, long after Top Chef Las Vegas finished taping, and well before the All-Stars season was even a twinkle in Andy Cohen's eye."

Jordan Baker on Tom's kitchen visit: "Tom thru! It’s kind of the meanest Tom thru ever – he basically goes to each restaurant and tries to psych them out by reminding Mike he hasn’t been in the finale before and Richard that he blew up during his."

Grub Street on Mike's traits: "Richard rightly pointed out that Mike's strength and weakness are the same: confidence and swagger. Also, snarky jerk faces. But to be fair, he did seem to really pull out the leadership skills with almost no dickishness, unlike he has throughout his two seasons."

Fork in the Road on restaurant hopping: "Then all of the judges swap restaurants, and for a brief, horrible second it looks like we'll be treated to all of this interminable sweating and analysis all over again, but fortunately we get an extended montage instead, with Richard rushing to fix his lumpy foie ice cream.">

Monkeys as Critics on Mike: "Mike tells Richard that if Richard wins he’ll feel like bleep. Gee, that’s a nice sentiment. Just when I was thinking, well, Mike’s not all bad he has to go and convince me that, well, actually, he is."

My Monkey Could Do That on the winning: "But there is only one winner, and that winner is Richard! WOO! Everyone comes to mob him, but some people come to comfort Mike. Whatever! Mike lost! He’s so happy. Mike says 'I feel like I beat him, but I didn’t get the prize.' Shut up Mike. Richard calls his wife in confessional, and she can’t believe it, and it’s so cute."

David Dust on Carla: "if Carla Hall doesn't get her own show, then the people in charge of The Teevee need a swift kick in the Hootie Hoos. I would watch the hell outta anything she was on - especially if the show also included Carla's adorable husband."

Max the Girl on stealth techniques: "The best part of Blais’s group is Spike, totally creeping in the background, serving as spy. 'Spike is very crafty,' says Blais. (In fact, Spike couldn’t be less crafty if he were wearing a sign around his neck that read: 'Number One Spy.')"

Check out the Creative Loafing Top Chef 8 Finale Extravaganza Podcast (now with video)!

Posted on AllTopChef.com