Well, it had to happen sooner or later.....

With Top Chef becoming so popular, it was sooner or later bound to cross paths with the Bocuse d'Or, the international cooking competition that since the 1980's has been pitting the best of the best from around the world in a competition that beggars the imagination for it's beauty and culinary innovation.  

 This is the episode wher Top Chef meets the Bocuse d'Or.  No wonder the chefs in the previews are shitting bricks.

This week in the world of the Iron Skillet, I experienced something truly awe-inspiring.  A seven course tasting menu at Restaurant Eve, the brainchild of chef-restauranteur Cathal Armstrong.  The seven courses were each paired with individual wines, and the results were extraordinary.  I think somewhere in the middle of the fifth course I had an orgasm.  (Actually, a pork-gasm, but why be picky?)  The best part about the meal, however?  The company -- one Verbal Remedy. I am sure there is a blogpost coming, complete with photos of our fantastic culinary escapade.

 But for now....it's time to get started....

9:57 p.m. -- And the fact that Robin went home last week is no surprise.  The only surprise being that she lasted this long.

10:00 p.m. -- I love how the prize money for Top Chef now includes $100K of merchandise from Macy's.  That is a lot of blenders, honey.

10:01 p.m. -- I have a feeling that Bryan Voltaggio's restaurant is doing just fine now.  Eli is a mentee of Richard Blais.  And you are NOT Inigo Montoya buddy.

10:02 p.m. -- And it drops...this is about the Bocuse d'Or.  The scenes from the competition are crazy.

10:03 p.m. -- The final Las Vegas quickfire is basically about making a french version of a terducken.  A protein in a protein in a protein.

10:05 p.m. -- I was wondering which of the chefs would use bacon for a protein -- Mike Voltaggio and Kevin are both putting bacon in the mix.

10:06 p.m. -- And Mikey Voltaggio slams Jennifer, saying her time is done.

10:06 p.m. -- Jennifer finally steps up and delivers a plate worthy of her.  Bryan Voltaggio is putting up something with too many sauces. 

10:08 p.m. -- Eli's scotch egg goes over well, as does the seafood.  Mikey Volt's dish is more of a terrine.  And Mikey is not happy.  I think he is starting to get arrogant as he comes under more pressure.

10:09 p.m. -- And Jennifer wins.  I am really rooting for her and Kevin now.

10:10 p.m. -- This contest is going to be about technique.  They have a choice of lamb or salmon and must present on ginormous serving platters.  They'll be cooking at the Wynn.  And Jennifer gets 30 minutes extra.

10:11 p.m. -- And Thomas Keller's on the panel...the cheftestants plotz.

10:12 p.m. -- Do you get the idea that Bravo is running out of new concepts for TV shows?  "Launch My Line" looks rather contrived...

10:15 p.m. -- The chefs are now at Whole Foods. 

10:16 p.m. -- I think that those that think that Kevin's food lacks technique becuase it is simple are kidding themselves.

10:17 p.m. -- Good for Bryan Voltaggio for being a guy who shares information.  I like him. 

10:18 p.m. -- Thomas Keller is in the room.  For the chefs, it's like being with the Mick Jagger of cooking.

10:19 p.m. -- Jennifer is stressed.  And Bryan is confident.  The kitchen seems a lot quieter with Robin gone.

10:21 p.m. -- Bryan and Kevin are doing lamb, and Tom is weirded out that he's doing sous-vide.  And Mike is doing salmon.  So is Jennifer.  Eli is the wild card, and he is doing lamb.

10:23 p.m. -- Tom drops the next bomb.  The winner gets $30K on top of the win.  They are all now completely crazed.

10:24 p.m. -- Do you get the idea that the Real Housewives franchise is completely played out?

10:26 p.m. -- Kevin is not going to do elaborate presentation. And that may be his downfall. 

10:27 p.m. -- There are fabulous judges.  And here comes Kevin.  The presentation is adequate.  And the judges are impressed with everything but the complexity.

10:29 p.m. -- Mikey's dish falls flat. The "mediterranean" theme goes over poorly.  No harmony and Daniel Bouloud finds a bone.  So. Not. Good.

10:30 p.m. -- Bryan Voltaggio is losing it.  He's under the gun.  Could it be that the Voltaggio brothers are collapsing?

10:31 p.m. -- Jerome Bocuse loves the technique.  Bryan undercooked the lamb, though.  Execution falls flat.

10:32 p.m. -- Eli's dish is elaborate, but does he have the attention to detail.  The lamb is undercooked. The judges look bored and upset.

10:34 p.m. -- Jennifer's confidence is a little shaken, but her salmon looks good, and I like her ingredients.  We'll see how they like it.

10:35 p.m. -- The taste is there, but the dish is all over the place.  Some of the plates are undercooked. 

10:36 p.m. -- These chefs are beautiful.  And the winner will be cooking in the Bocuse d'Or for real.  Jeebus.

10:37 p.m. -- Hard to say who's going to be the weak link here.  I think Mike and Eli both are at risk here.  Mike's dish was not well liked, either in concept or execution.  The look on the judges' faces said just about everything about Eli's dish. And it wasn't pretty.

10:42 p.m. -- THe remaining five are having a little lovefest in the "stew room."  I've had high opinions of most of them....I think the weakest of the bunch is Eli.  But he may not have cooked the worst dish this week. Which may mean that Mikey Volt goes home.

10:43 p.m. -- And Red Lobster should know better than to advertise on Top Chef.  You can't look at those commercials after seeing Top Chef food and thing anything but, "yuck!"

10:45 p.m. -- I want candy.

10:45 p.m. -- And everyone is being judged together at Judge's table. 

10:46 p.m. -- Mikey V played too much.  The concept was off.  Bryan's lamb was underdone, but everyone saw it as a work in progress.  Is Kevin able to do more technique.  Which is not the issue that they are really asking about.  Jennifer's fish cooked too fast, and some were cooked well, others not. 

10:48 p.m. -- Eli's lamb was really, really undercooked.  The big question is not who will lose this week, but who will win.  I'm actually betting on Jennifer.

10:50 p.m. -- Michael demonstrated a great deal of technique, but no flavor.  But Kevin had flavor and no technique. 

10:51 p.m. -- I'm having real trouble figuring out who's going to win and who's going to go home.

10:54 p.m. -- I have to say, I'm diggin Chef Academy.

10:55 p.m. -- And the winner who will be in the next Bocuse d'Or is Kevin.  What a schock actually.  And he's got to be shitting bricks as a Bocuse d'Or chef.

10:56 p.m. -- Kevin is breating a sigh of relief.  And shitting bricks.

10:56 p.m. -- I am really starting to think that Mikey V. is going home.  And this is going to be tragic.

10:57 p.m. -- And Eli goes home.  Mikey, you should be thanking whatever deity you like to pray to.

10:58 p.m. -- I think it's fitting Eli doesn't make the final.  He really wasn't on par with the others.

10:59 p.m. -- And there are tears all around.

10:59 p.m. -- Next week....the first part of the finals.