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How good is Nick’s dish? Well, the tears must taste like ambrosia. This gnudi is his daughter’s favorite, and that is why it means so much to him. Anthony Mackie wryly states, “I wish I was his daughter.” Soon afterward, Tom compliments Shirley on the proper level of seasoning, which is praise from Caesar. Anybody who seasons to his satisfaction is in good shape in a challenge. Stephanie goes last, and her dish is also wildly popular. When Padma states, “It’s delicious,” Tom nods emphatically. There have been six very good dishes presented thus far. The final trio of players really has their work cut out for them.

The final group is comprised of Justin, Nina and Carrie. These have been the best three chefs overall this season although Justin has been in a funk the last two weeks. If any of them fails, they are a mortal lock to be eliminated due to the exemplary performance of the first six players. The margin of error for the last three players is almost non-existent.

Carrie’s dish is delicious. That’s pretty much all that is shown with regards to comments from the judges. Nina’s “mistake” is that she chose an avocado accompaniment rather than rice. Leah and Padma lament this decision. Everything else about the flavor is pitch perfect to the point that I think Nina may be starting another winning streak. Well, she probably won’t because of Nick but she remains the alpha this season. Justin’s reception is inscrutable. Emeril and the other Louisianans immediately appreciate the local flavor before they realize it is from a native of the area. Still, the dish is “dry”. I wouldn’t be shocked if he finished in the top group, the bottom group or the middle.

In the stew room, the remaining players all acknowledge that being sent home during this particular challenge would be brutal. They have crafted the comfort food of their youth. Being told that this meal was not up to snuff would be like a kick to the groin of their child memories. The only consensus is that Nick’s dish combined with emotional presentation makes him a frontrunner.

These beliefs are quickly affirmed when Nick, Carlos and Stephanie are called to Judges Table. They are the best performers this week. I am shocked that Nina and Carrie are not chosen, and that reinforces the idea that all of the dishes this week were spectacular. So that is two of the last three challenges plus half of Restaurant Wars (the Fin team) that have been exemplary. The New Orleans crew is finally starting to dominate.

The judges shower the three players with hosannas, and Anthony Mackie takes an unexpected opportunity to slam Tom Colicchio for his fishing skills (Mackie is *funny*). Then, the obvious is stated out loud. Nicholas is the winner this week, which has been a foregone conclusion since he cried during his presentation. His daughter will be so proud when she watches the episode, just as she will be horrified in 10 years when others hear an anecdote about her loving the word gnudi because it reminds her of baths.

Who is in the loser’s bracket? Brian, Justin and Travis are up for elimination, and one of them will be given a (presumably) one way ticket to Last Chance Kitchen. Padma does declare that all of their dishes were great, which means that for the second time in three episodes, a chef will lose despite presenting great food.

The complaints about the dishes are predictably exacting. Brian is informed that he should have chosen a short rib. Given what we know about his father, that was never a possibility. Travis acknowledges that the heat in the kitchen cost him with his biscuit preparation. He is again queried on why he didn’t improvise. Once more, the answer can be reduced to “that wouldn’t make it a family recipe”. History repeats itself with Justin. Anthony states that he wanted more gravy while Justin mentions that he has made the dish hundreds of times. He is a bit out of practice because it has not been on his restaurant menu, though.

All three chefs have the same problem. They wanted to remain true to their upbringing, as is the underlying theme of this challenge. All of the critiques offered would require a fundamental change to the dish that means so much to the players. All of them border on defiant when pressed about their “mistakes”.

As a viewer, I admire the fact that they would rather jeopardize their presence in the game rather than be unfaithful to their upbringing. That is an admirable trait. Unfortunately, one of them must go home for their dish. Since Travis is the only one who truly made a mistake with his cooking of the biscuit, he is the rightful choice for elimination. The judges agree, and he is shipped to Last Chance Kitchen.

While Travis needs some maturity and more than a little humility, he should hold his head up about his performance. His presentation as Front of the House during Restaurant Wars surpassed that of Fabio Viviani, who has enjoyed a strong post-Top Chef career in that role. With a bit more seasoning, Travis could be become a similarly popular restaurateur personality. He has the right look and personality for it.

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