Top Chef: Seattle Finale: Winner Takes All in New-Look Last Round

Brooke Williamson and Kristen Kush go head to head in front of the judges and all nine previous winners

By Natalie Finn Feb 28, 2013 5:14 AMTags
Brooke, Kristen, Top Chef SeattleDavid Moir/Bravo

At long last, there's another female Top Chef.

Brooke Williamson and Kristen Kish ventured into battle on tonight's Top Chef: Seattle finale—and were greeted with an open kitchen where they were asked to, as usual, prepare the best meal of their lives and, for a change, to do so in front of 300 people, including the judges and the previous nine winners of the hit Bravo series.

And there was no guarantee that either would make it to dessert!

The finalists—the first time in 10 seasons that two female chefs have been the last two standing—were pitted against each other in a best-of-five-courses final showdown, with a winner declared after each course and both required to use scallops in the second course and red snapper in the fourth.

Kristen took round one with her chicken liver mousse done to perfection, Emeril Lagasse calling it "simple and classic...and very you."

Brooke came back in round two, however, her seared scallop over salt cod puree besting Kristen's cured scallop, even though Padma Lakshmi felt Kristen did the meaty mollusks "really proud."

Obvious Kristen fan Tom Colicchio didn't get Brooke's vadouvan-fried chicken wings in round three, however, and he, Emeril and Padma declared Kristen's bone marrow and celery-root puree the winner.

On to round four, with the Top Chef: Seattle title on the line.

Brooke whipped up a braised pork cheek with crispy red snapper, collard green slaw and sorrel puree that had Hugh Acheson noting, "If collards are the new kale, I'm all for that."

Kristen countered with red snapper served with leeks, little gem lettuce, uni and a shellfish ménage. Gail found the leeks "long and stringy," but Hugh didn't mind having to use his knife. "I'm good with a knife!" he reasoned.

Matthias Clamer/Bravo

And the round went to Last Chance Kitchen champ Kristen, making her the winner of the 10th season of Top Chef and only the second woman to win.

For the record, season-four winner Stephanie Izard said Brooke cooked the more "exciting" dishes, but Kristen had more than enough talent and fire to deserve the win, having triumphed in five straight Last Chance Kitchen battles to make the finale.

Unfortunately for TV viewers, it was getting more and more obvious as the seconds ticked by that Kristen was going to win, considering there just wasn't enough time in the end for a dessert course. But, that's OK—we're gonna go get a snack. 

Do you think the most deserving chef won Top Chef: Seattle? Sound off in the comments!

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