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The presentation to the judges is a moment of truth. And he fails in that moment. Even Jon Favreau, who is overwhelmingly positive by nature, can find nothing positive to say. Meanwhile, Emeril’s “twice-baked” potato is raw. And Tom describes the dish as “so boring.” Brian is in real danger. The judges did not hate the dish, but they did find it questionable in design and the cooking of the potato could prove to be a crucial mistake.

The next participant is Carlos, he of the delicious looking pork belly. The meal he presents is straight off of a magazine cover. It is braised pork belly with sweet potato puree & chipotle tamarind glaze. Carlos confides that this is the first item he has cooked this season that he had planned ahead of time. It is a staple on his restaurant’s menu, meaning that he has complete confidence in the dish. The judges devour it. The other customers love it as well. And even the employees working at Café Reconcile celebrate its brilliance. I think Carlos has won this round.

The final contestant to present tonight is Nick. All he has to do is beat Brian to be safe this week. When I see his plate, I do not think he has managed this feat. Nick presents yellowfish tuna, several preparations of carrot & fennel pollen dust. Even if the words “pollen dust” were not wildly unappetizing, I would sneer at this dish because the tuna looks disgusting. I am also surprised when Nick confides to the judges that he failed with his quinoa preparation.

They did not need to know that prior to tasting the food. I am surprised when Padma is positive about the flavor, describing it as “incredibly sophisticated.” Emeril and Tom are less impressed. Emeril quickly announces that the dish lacks seasoning. Tom agrees emphatically before Emeril can even finish the sentence. The head judge’s larger complaint, however, is that Nick has presented a couple of raw carrots rather than something that involved, you know, cooking. For his part, Nick is convinced he is going home. Nick, I doubt you live at Last Chance Kitchen.

The judges are again complimentary of the cheftestants as a whole. This has been a theme for the past several episodes in a row. There may not be a lot of separation between the five remaining players in the winner’s bracket, but they are all notably consistent.

The judges start their interrogation, and the player who bears the brunt is Brian. There are plenty of mistakes made during a season of Top Chef. The ones that bother Tom the most, however, are those that involve lack of imagination. When Brian explains that he thought chicken breast would fit any circumstance, Tom berates him for not bringing entire chickens then adapting to circumstances as they unfold. Tom is very disappointed in Brian, which usually means elimination.

Before the judges reach what I now believe is an inevitable conclusion, they choose a winner. I had expected this to be Carlos based upon the comments. Instead, Shirley slightly bests him for her second win of the episode. At this point in the season, Shirley has established herself as the strongest performer, usurping Nina’s long held status. The judges go on to state that Carlos narrowly missed victory with Nina slightly behind him. So there is no doubt about the ordering during the Elimination challenge this week.

The players are sent out of the kitchen while the judges debate between Brian and Nick. For his part, Nick is assailed for what I consider to be a hilarious reason. Remember the joke I made above about Nick crafting a bunch of carrot dishes…and fish? Well, Gail does not understand that either. The meal lacked cohesion. The explanation is of course the burnt quinoa but I find the turn of events hysterical. If Nick had not cheated on carrots with fish, he would not be in this mess. That’s the bad news. The good news is that he finishes in fourth place.

Brian is eliminated from the winner’s bracket. His mistake is one of the strangest ever on Top Chef. He chose chicken breast, and the judges harshly condemned him for the transgression. There is a positive aspect for Brian. During Last Chance Kitchen, he presents a dish that Tom describes as Brian’s best of the season. Alas, Louis continues to perform at an almost unconscious level. His dish is celebrated by Tom as THE best of the season. So Brian is eliminated from Last Chance Kitchen. Louis is like the Black Plague of Last Chance Kitchen these days. He’s killing everything.

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