‘Top Chef: New Orleans’ preview: Nick, Nina, and Shirley arrive in Maui

Tonight’s “Top Chef” is the beginning of an extensive finale event, where the remaining chefs will all square off in a place that is certainly far away from New Orleans: Maui. It’s got a different flavor profile, different challenges, but is aesthetically beautiful at the same time.

The remaining chefs also bring something different to the figurative dinner table. You have Nina Compton, the favorite of the competition from the very beginning; then, you have the chef with the most momentum in Shirley Chung. Add to that the current darkhorse in Nicholas Elmi and whoever returns from “Last Chance Kitchen,” and you could have what is a pretty competitive environment in the end.

Unfortunately, the sneak peek video below doesn’t really offer much in the way of insight about anything, save for seeing the contestants all arrive in Hawaii for their final showdown. One thing that you do have to remember here is that there is a significant amount of time that passed between the part of the competition in New Orleans and the start of this round. That levels the playing field somewhat, since it gives you an opportunity to go back, practice, and maybe get a little bit of your mojo back after you previously lost it in a few challenges. A great example of this is how Mike in “Top Chef All-Stars” became a beast when returning for the final stage of the competition, and gave Richard Blais a real run for the title when it didn’t previously look like there was going to be anyone to beat him.

Who do you want to see win “Top Chef” this season? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and you can also visit the link here if you want to see where some of the chefs who are still on this season stand. Also, sign up now for our CarterMatt Newsletter to get some tasty updates sent straight to you.

Photo: Bravo