Handicapping "Top Chef" part 2

After a rocky start Ariane has been bringing the heat. She has two elimination wins and one quickfire win. This is what you're going to here about the top four: they're all creative, they're all cool under pressure and they can all cook. If Ariane has one disadvantage to the other three, its that she is a caterer by trade and not a top trained chef. Still, she hasn't been on the brink of elimination since about week three. I have her at 5-1.





Here's the darkhorse, if you can call a guy getting 4-1 a darkhorse. Jeff hasn't won an elimination challenge or a quickfire but I do not believe he's been in the even close to elimination. His dishes are always well received. He's just missed winning a couple of times. If he has a draw back its that he always picks something that needs an incredible amount of prep time so he's just barely finishing at times and I think that has cost him. He'll be in the final four and then it will get real interesting.

Fabio. The name says it all. He's Italian with the Mediterranean attitude to fit the bill and he can cook. He has been in the elimination group once, so when he misses, he can miss big. But he also hits it out of the park as his two elimination wins have proven. He's an outstanding chef. He's creative, funny and I sure he's a fan favorite so he'll be around til the last three weeks. 3-1.

Stefan is the man to beat. He's won a quickfire and two elimination challenges and hasn't even sniffed being eliminated. He's bold, confident and his creativity is heads and shoulders above the rest. You will start to see a lot of resentment as they get closer to the finish. His determination that this is a competition is what really separates him. He and Fabio are the Euros in this and right now they're pals but look for him to distance himself from Fabio when the chips are down. 2-1.

There you have it. The top nine as handicapped by the one, the only, The Duke. Enjoy.