‘Top Chef: Seattle’ review: Josh Valentine’s Alaskan adventure

After a good bit of eager waiting, we have finally reached the finale of “Top Chef” next week. So who is going to be taking part? While we still have to watch and review the latest edition of “Last Chance Kitchen,” we can at least tell you the two chefs who are making it through to at least the first part of this big finish … and you may have seen them coming from a mile away.

Ever since Kristen Kish was shockingly eliminated from the competition earlier this season, it was obvious that both Sheldon Simeon and Brooke Williamson were going to find themselves fighting for the grand prize. Not only are these two brilliantly talented people, but they are also thoroughly creative. Being a chef is about more than being able to cook just one style of food, and time and time again we have seen some great diversity here. Do we think that Brooke is still the favorite? Definitely, as she has the greater range of the two, and is also on a pretty extensive winning streak now of three straight elimination challenges.

Now, we turn to saying goodbye to Josh Valentine after what had to be a pretty emotional week for him. He stayed up all night in order to get word on his wife giving birth, and then he tried to take on a foie gras dish that was far too complicated for its own good. There are some dishes that just cannot be replicated in the short span of time given to them, and this (plus some past performances) kept him from making the finale.

Even though Josh did not win, he may have taken more from this show than anyone else just when it comes to seeing and understanding different types of cooking than what he traditionally sees in Oklahoma. He also was a pleasant surprise after coming across early as volatile, and also someone who was not going to last in the competition very long.

Who are you rooting for now to win “Top Chef: Seattle”: Brooke or Sheldon? Check back tomorrow for our full “Last Chance Kitchen” review, and you can see where we ranked the chefs going into this episode over at the link here.

Photo: Bravo