- It's hotel heaven for the six remaining chefs on "Top Chef: Las Vegas." The chef'testants must whip up the perfect breakfast in bed dish. Nigella Lawson serves as guest judge.
- Six chefs remain. At the house in the morning, Bryan calls home and talks to his 22 month old son.
Jen is surprised that Mike I. was sent home. She resolves to just worry about herself.
Quickfire Challenge Instead of going to M, they head to the Venetian hotel. Padma calls from her hotel room (in a bathrobe), where she's chilling with chef Nigella Lawson. They want breakfast in bed in 30 minutes, including service.
They're cooking in groups of twos. Eli goes for a play on corned beef reuben with Hollandaise. Robin is way behind and frantic (and talking constantly, of course). She made blintzes.
Mike spends his first 10 minutes cleaning up after Robin's mess. Robin brings her food up, followed by Eli. Nigella says his would be a great "hangover breakfast." She seems to mean it in a good way.
Michael V. tries for a Cuban inspired dish but ends up way behind. Robin comes back to get her stuff and Michael tells her to get out of his way. She says she was told to get her stuff but then storms off after he shouts at her.
Upstairs Michael serves huevos Cubana with banana puree, rice, bacon and arugula salad.
Kevin brings steak and eggs with creme fraiche, aged cheddar and green onion.
In the third group, Jen makes fancy "s--- on a shingle," creamed chipped beef. She works in a hotel and does room service.
Bryan makes a four minute egg with warm corn polenta.
They bring their food up. Nigella makes a face when she sees Jen's food, but she seems to enjoy it.
Nigella thinks the vanilla in Bryan's didn't belong.
Later, dressed and out of bed, Nigella announces her least favorites: Bryan (she cites the vanilla), Robin (not enough contrast in her blintz).
Her favorites were Kevin and Eli (it had "wit" and the tang of the sauerkraut slapped the jet lag out of her).
The winner is Eli. He gets his recipe in the Top Chef cookbook.
Elimination Challenge. They'll be drawing inspiration from hotels on the strip. They draw knives to see where they'll be going. They'll be catering for 175 people. They get the evening to explore and will be cooking tomorrow.
Michael V. goes to New York, New York. He wants to do something that would be a tribute to fire fighters.
Jen visits Excaliber, including the Tournament of Kings medieval show, where you eat with your fingers. She says she's having a hard time focusing on food.
Bryan is off to Mandalay Bay, where he checks out the Shark Reef. He sees a note about sustainable fishing that inspires him. He picks up a stuffed shark for his son, Dasher.
Robin has the Belaggio and walks around staring at glass Chihuly sculptures.
Kevin visits the Mirage, where he gets to pet a dolphin.
Eli checks out Circus Circus, where he's underwhelmed by the lack of luxury.
Later that night back at the house, Eli gets grief for thinking Circus Circus wasn't that circusy.
The next morning they get 3 1/2 hours to cook. Kevin is working with salmon. Michael is doing a twist on chicken wings.
Robin is making panna cotta and working with sugar to represent the colored glass, even though it's a technique she's not super familiar with.
Jen still isn't quite sure what she's up to but she's using the Sword and the Stone for inspiration. She has three sauces that have red wine in them.
Eli is working with peanuts and caramel apple and other circusy food. He takes a moment to hope that Robin's luck is about to run out, serving as a Greek chorus.
They head off to the World Market Center, a giant exhibition space.
They have an hour to prep. Michael starts cooking his chicken wings. Jen is scrambling. Robin's disappointed her sugar didn't set right and she can't use it.
The diners arrive in a huge mass followed by the judges. They head to Jen and arrive right when she's out of food. She tells them about her inspiration as she preps their food.
She made NY strip with red wine reduction, beets, truffles and herbs, with a cocktail sword through them. Nigella objects to the enormous size of the hunk of meat.
Kevin serves wild Alaskan sockeye salmon cured in salt and sugar with Napa cabbage and cucumber. Nigella pronounces it delicious. Diners guzzle the remaining tomato water and Tom calls it "stunning."
Michael V made boneless chicken wing confit with curry and blue cheese disc with hot sauce. Padma loves the combination.
Robin serves her panna cotta, showing them the sugar but not serving it. Nigella thinks there's too much gelatin.
Bryan made escabeche of halibut with boullabaisse consomme with pine nuts, parsley coulis and garlic chips. Padma thinks it sounded gross but is really good. Toby thinks it tastes really professional.
Eli made caramel apple and peanut soup with popcorn and raspberry froth, which he presents as being "risky." Nigella is frightened to try it. Padma makes a horrible face. Toby says "like most people who come to Vegas, he has gambled and lost."
After service, they toast themselves with champagne.
In the stew room, Kevin asks how everyone's came out but nobody talks. Padma comes for Kevin, Michael and Bryan.
Judges' Table Tom tells Kevin his salmon texture was great and Toby compliments the broth.
Nigella tells Bryan his was elegant.
Toby tells Michael that his dish was perfectly expressive of his style of food (which he calls sometimes "effeminate.")
Nigella announces the winner: Michael.
He wins a magnum of Terlato wine and a two night trip to the Terlato vineyard in Napa Valley.
Jen, Eli and Robin head out for the bad news.
Jen says she's not surprised to be there since she didn't have a clear vision. She calls her food "boring." Nigella says her steak was too tough.
Robin says she didn't nail the execution and admitted making two things she wasn't super familiar with. Nigella says panna cotta should have the texture of "when you put a spoon in it, a 17th century courtesan's inner thigh."
Tom asks her if she's being influenced by the other chefs. She says she admires their skill.
Nigella tells Eli there was too much going on. Tom says the texture was off and the dish was a "failure." Padma says she'd never want to eat it again.
They send them away. Robin cries in the stew room. Nobody says anything.
The judges discuss. Nigella says Jen's meat was "almost hostile." Tom says Jen started really well but the last three challenges she's been "terrible." In the stew room, Jen says she's ready to go.
Tom says Robin's problem is that panna cotta is easy to make and he didn't see Chihuly in it.
Nigella wanted to spit hers out. In back, Kevin tells Eli his problem was that it's too hard to make just once without opportunity to refine. Eli's expression seems to say "duh."
On the Chopping Block Tom recaps their failures.
Padma announces the knife packer is: Robin.
Eli breaths a huge sigh of relief and Jen looks almost disappointed.
"I'm happy that I made it this far, I deserve to be here," Robin says, "but I was trying to impress people with s--- I don't know how to do yet."
Everyone hugs her good-bye and Jen walks her out.
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