'Top Chef' season finale recap: Going the Whole Hog

The party was uneventful. No fisticuffs. No old ladies slipping and sliding on tender pork that found its way to the ground. The VIPs at least liked the food, it seemed. At the judges' table, Colicchio stated that Richard's pork belly and Steph's chicharrón salad were the highlights of the competition. Later, Stephanie didn't even mention to the judges the huge mistake Dale had made; again, this says a lot about her character, given what we've seen out of some of the others. Richard came out on top, though — winning a 2009 Toyota Corolla. He was shocked: ''So I win the challenge, and I win a new car. I don't know how to react to it, to be honest with you.'' I think he should demand a royalty for product placement, too. (Trust me. Labor negotiation is one of my beats.)

As for the bottom two, Antonia and Lisa were lambasted for minor things. Antonia for her slightly undercooked beans and her plating methods and Lisa for choosing to go Latin American although she knows Asian cuisine better. Lisa was convinced she had lost. ''I'm telling you right now I'm going home,'' she said. ''I'm not saying I did a horrible job. I'm being realistic.'' And it seemed that the audience agreed with her. During the commercial break, 91 percent of viewers who voted picked Lisa as the person who should pack his or her knives. But get this: The judges friggin' picked Antonia because of her technical errors. What a shame. ''My entire heart was invested in it,'' she said afterward. Oh, sad.

For a second there, I started to feel a wee bit bad that I've been super-critical of Lisa, I even empathetized with her after seeing that 91 percent score. But then she reverted to her usual self and said to Stephanie and Richard, ''I know you guys are upset that Antonia's leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice.'' Good going, Lisa. Way to make it about you when all you did was bring your B+ game. She then added, ''You just make me feel like the wrong person went home.'' Well, sweetie, that last comment has less to do with them and more to do with your own insecurity. And for the record, right before Lisa and Antonia had gone to face the judges, Stephanie had said, ''Good luck, guys.'' As in, plural. Richard aptly summed up that ridiculousness: ''You won the f---ing bronze medal. Congratulations.''

Dah! What did you all think about the episode and the elimination? Are you frustrated? What will you do if Lisa wins Top Chef? Is that possible?

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