Top Chef Finale Recap with Photos

Working with these sous-chefs proved enlightening and a bit surreal for our chefs with Stephanie at one point joking about ordering Ripert around: "So I tell Eric how I want him to cut the snapper, and then I just sort of hover over him....I think he got a little, like, offended for a sec. He's like, 'I know.' ''

On to Richard and his liquid nitrogen. That's right liquid nitrogen. The chef says that it was the one special ingredient he brought with him. Not sure if it's for cooking or protection against a T-1000. Nope, it's for cooking and it's a huge hit with the celebrity chefs. "There are probably less than a dozen chefs in the country that cook with liquid nitrogen,'' he said. ''I broke out the nitrogen, and all of a sudden I'm doing a demonstration for the best chefs in the world.''

Richard's use of the nitrogen to make ice cream prompted chef Ripert to so admit that he'd never seen anything like that. ''As a chef, the day you don't learn anymore, it means you're such an egomaniac you're blind.''

On Day 2, we await the curveball in the competition and it's not that big of a deal: no sous-chefs today. Kind of disappointing. Could have done much better than that.

Fast forward to the kitchen and Stephanie and Richard are a bit on edge. Lisa, the mean one, the uptight one, the...you get the point...is one cool customer. What?

Even head judge Tom Colicchio found it odd: ''It was surprising to see the reactions,'' Colicchio said after his usual check-in. ''You know, Richard has been usually calm, but he seems very excited, I think partly because he has so many ideas running around in his head and he can't keep them quiet. His Achilles' heel could be that he's doing too much, but again, if he pulls it off, it should be great. Lisa is very calm. We know she's a tough competitor. We've seen her at judges' table time and time again defending herself, and I think part of being a chef is having somewhat of an attitude and a swagger. It helps.''

With Stephanie somewhat freaking out over her dessert, a ricotta cheesecake, it's Lisa who attempts to calm her down. I believe we've entered some alternate universe. Up is down. Left is right. I can't handle this. ''You always say that,'' Lisa said, ''and it's always awesome stuff. You've said that like three times to me, and then you won. I don't want to hear that from you.''

Joining the Gail, Ted, Padma, Colicchio, Ripert, Barber, and Bloomfield tasting table were local chef Alfredo Ayala and Tim Zagat, creator of the renowned Zagat Survey. Pretty dull straightforward stuff until Stephanie's lamb-pistachio struck a chord with everyone. With judge Gail saying she loved it. Ripert seconded her, saying, ''It's the first time I hear at the table, everybody is using the word I love. We haven't heard that yet.'' Colicchio agreed, saying, ''Richard's dish just needs work, Lisa's dish is just pedestrian, Stephanie's is just full of surprises, and it works.''

Even with comments like that it was hard to judge who would win. All three chefs seemed to have some good positives but all had a few negatives as well.

Let's get to judge's table. All three chefs looks visibly nervous. Seemed all that was missing was a few bandanas and cigarettes. Before determining who would end up on the chopping block, Padma asked if the chefs had anything left to say which resulted in a bit of begging it seems.

Stephanie: ''It's just sort of funny that when I was having Dale work with me and the number one thing he said was don't second-guess yourself, and the dish that I fell short on, I think that that dessert was me second-guessing myself. But I think I'll be able to take this and learn, and I think I just am what a Top Chef should be.''

Lisa: ''I feel very strongly about the menu that I provided you guys with tonight. I'm very confident that you're going to be like, 'She deserves this, she deserves to be Top Chef, you know, she's got the qualities.' ''

Richard: ''Yeah, sure, I'll say it, I feel like I choked a little bit. I think I overthought things too much. I think when I'm at my best, it's when I'm not thinking. And I think that it wasn't certainly my top performance that I've had so far.''

Wow. You know, I think Richard Blaise is going to make a big splash in the food world. He's a terrific chef, a very creative guy and is seemingly a respectful chef who knows the score regardless of who is winning. Good for him for owning his shortcoming. In the backroom, Lisa has a tough time shutting her mouth. ''You definitely killed the first and third [courses],'' she told Stephanie, ''and I kind of feel like I nailed the second and fourth. I don't know.''

Umm..hi...I'm Richard and I'm sitting right here. Lisa, you know it, we know it, Richard certainly knows it. Just stop talking. Why don't you just kick in the crotch for good measure.

After an apparently long debate, the judges have their decision...

Stephanie........(dramatic pause)....you are the top chef!"

And with that Fanboy rejoices!

 ''I won Top Chef!'' Stephanie cried. ''Holy ----! This is the biggest thing that's happened in my life. My life is about to change. It's going to be absolutely insane.''

Congratulations, Steph! And readers, if you want a little more from chef Stephanie Izard, here's a link to the interview I did with her a few weeks back.

PHOTOS: Bravo.com