Since I was out of town last week, I didn't get to see 'Top Chef' until this past weekend. So I post here a belated: Say it ain't so! After gaining runaway-train momentum on Top Chef, the pride of Dallas, chef Tiffany Derry, was eliminated last week. Executive chef at Go Fish Ocean Club, she made it to the top 5, and looked like a favorite to either win or place in the top 2. In the "Gastro-nauts" episode, she had even come in second in the Quickfire.
Alas, her demise came in an elimination round -- in which contestants had to prepare a dish that could be eaten by astronauts in space. Curse those dastardly mussels! They were supposed to jazz up her pan-seared Alaskan halibut, but when she reached for them in the fridge, they were frozen.
In exit interviews, Tiffany explained the problem was that, by a sheer fluke, the refrigerator froze everything on the top three shelves -- including her mussels, herbs, and tomatoes. (Remind us to find out the brand of fridge and boycott it.)
She's a formidable chef (We know. We've tasted.), so her ouster surprised contestants, judges and fans alike. Tiffany was also one of the season's most likable personalities. Many on her "Chef Tiffany Derry" Facebook page have vowed that they're now through with the show. We'll keep watching, but we'll be weeping into our halibut.
