Spoiler Alert… Maui Wins!
(All Top Chef photos courtesy Bravo TV)
Bravo’s Top Chef Season 11 finale finished with a heated tie-breaker among the judges (many claiming it as this tightest deliberation so far) and its highest rated episode of the season. Wednesday’s finale, which was shot here on the South and West shores, as well as Upcountry Maui, attracted 1.7 million total viewers (according to Nielson and TV by the Numbers).
Ep. 16—Finale Part 1—“Maui Wowie”
Chef, restauranteur, and long-time Top Chef judge (and season 3 Masters contestant) Hugh Acheson writes for the show and had this to say about the new island setting:
“After a slog of a competition in beautifully storied, but wildly humid New Orleans, the chefs find themselves in Maui, Hawaii. You would be hard pressed to find a more stunning place to have this all come to a conclusion. Maui is beautiful. We stayed at the Andaz Wailea, and I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Absolutely beautiful.”
In the end, it was Chef Nicholas Elmi and Chef Nina Compton that were chosen as the winners, and awarded the two coveted spots in the second part of the finale. However, the judges weren’t the only ones to indulge in the culinary creations presented by the contestants. Maui’s own Jeff Scheer was invited as a diner for both episodes, and had this to say:
“Being a part of Top Chef’s 2-part season finale was a blast! It was super fun to experience the energy and food at these events. I think the judges were spot on in saying that Nina and Nick’s dishes were the best.”
Additionally, we spoke to Elena Rego of Food Practice and she proclaimed:
“The experience was, of course, awesome. It’s always fun to get a peek behind the scenes of any show. Top Chef came with the added bonus of being right in my backyard in Maui, with spectacular views and with delicious foods. All contestants did a fabulous job of taking canoe crop foods and turning them into creative dishes, though I must say my favorite was the pork dish. And yes, to answer all the questions I’ve gotten… Padma Lakshmi is actually more stunning in person than she is on TV!”
Ep. 17—Part 2—“Finale”
For this final challenge the chefs were tasked with creating a four-course menu and taking over a restaurant for the evening. Chef Nick was transforming the Andaz’s Ka’ana Kitchen into his own, and Chef Nina was given the keys to Gannon’s. Long-time judge Gail Simmons wrote about her experience at the conclusion of the evening:
“I think they both had a similar approach in that they wanted to show us how much they’ve grown, how much they’ve changed, and the breadth of their cooking ability. I think they both came really prepared, which was amazing to see. They both had very clear visions from the beginning of exactly how they wanted their restaurants to be run, exactly how they wanted to cook… it was really an exciting finale, also because it was such a close finale. It was really up in the air. There was not, in my opinion, an underdog or clear winner whose finale it was to lose. I think in the past, not always, that has been the case. For me at least, this was a neck-and-neck race, which was great. It made us really excited to see what they would actually cook.”
Jeff Scheer was also selected as a lucky diner for part 2, where he got to enjoy Nina’s restaurant. Jeff remarked: “Nina’s tuna tartar and goat ragout where outstanding. Her first 2 dishes came off as very memorable, rustic dishes worthy of a Top Chef.” This seemed to mirror the judges thoughts as well, with Gail saying:
“Nina’s was a little bit brighter, a little more exciting. Nina’s crudo had heat. It had great seasoning so you really got the full flavor of that fresh fish. So hers was a little stronger than Nick’s, although I really liked them both. And then her second course was this orecchiette with goat ragu that was once again an incredible pasta dish from Nina. Her pasta is really flawless. And the goat ragu was tender and had tons of seasoning and spice. She had fresh cherry tomatoes in there that sort of burst in your mouth. The actual pasta was absolutely delicious. I can’t say enough about it. It was such a beautiful course, such a delicate pasta.”
The Season 11 Top Chef Is… Nicholas Elmi!
Again we hear from Gail for an inside take from the judge’s table:
“We went through the dishes, it was really close. Nina’s first two dishes were stronger than Nick’s, but Nick’s final two dishes were stronger than Nina’s. And then there were the extras that Nina made and we had to figure out how to factor them in. And this went on and on for hours literally, until we sort of realized we had to think about who made the worst dishes of the night, who made the best dish of the night, and that went to a vote between all of us.
And in the end we thought that the full experience that Nick gave us and the strength and highlight of just a few of his dishes — really the last three courses of his — were really exceptional. So after much back and forth, long into the night, wherein I almost fell asleep at the table numerous times from sheer exhaustion we decided that Nick’s meal was the winning meal that night — and that he would be named Top Chef!”
Experience The Maui Lifestyle Yourself!
Luxurious beach front resorts, world-class dining, and stunning vistas—just a few reasons that make Maui so special, and all highlighted by the team at Top Chef. It’s exciting to see this island mature in terms of television and movie production, and the brand new Maui Film Studios should only enhance our reputation as a go-to filming destination. If this all sounds appealing to you, we offer a friendly reminder. The Maui real estate market is scorching hot and is shifting in favor of seller’s, so be sure to explore this website further where you can search for Maui condos and homes for sale, or even get a free evaluation for your Maui home! We encourage you to visit our new sales office at the Hokulani Golf Villas, or our offices at Ho’olei, and set up a private showing!
Mahalo,
Dano Sayles REALTOR(Broker)
(808)870-4899