By Lisa DiCarlucci
The fifth season of “Top Chef” aired last Wednesday to a record-breaking 3.74 million total viewers, making this the highest-rated season of Bravo’s reality cooking competition, according to Nielson Media Research. While this season was full of talented chefs and big personalities, Boulder, Colo., resident, Hosea Rosenberg, came out on top.
Rosenberg was met with serious competition throughout the show, especially his final competitor, Stefan Richter. Stefan had an undeniable confidence in nearly every challenge, but also had the skill to back it up. The sometimes arrogant European seemed like a shoe-in for the Top Chef title from the very beginning, but his loss came down to a poor choice in dessert.
Rosenberg’s other competitor, Carla Hall, could have easily been eliminated within the first few weeks of the competition, however a little luck and a surge in performance toward the end secured her spot in the top three. She more or less blew it for herself in the end when she trusted her sous chef’s judgment over her own. She was barely even considered at the judge’s table.
It’s not that Hosea wasn’t talented, and it was clear that his final dish was worthy of his title, but his overall competition during the show was inconsistent, and he rarely hit the ball out of the park. Not to mention the fact that his personality became increasingly annoying, especially after he cheated on his girlfriend with fellow competitor, Leah. He most certainly did not gain the sympathy vote for that move.
What was most disappointing about this season of Top Chef was not the result of the final three, but the result of the season as a whole. Incredibly talented chefs, arguably much more talented than Hosea and Carla, were sent home before their time. Though the judges made clear that every contestant would be based on each competition individually, a more cumulative judging would have brought forth a more accurate result.
Chefs like Jamie, Ariane and fan-favorite Fabio produced more consistent and thoughtful dishes throughout the competition until their dismissal. This just seems unfair. However with that out of mind, the final episode was fairly judged and Hosea’s meal clearly outdid those of his competitors.
When asked by a Bravo TV interviewer if he thought he would win, Rosenberg responded, “I was never sure I was going to win. What I was sure of was that it was probably my best performance of the entire competition. I was happy with my food and I enjoyed myself. It was such an honor just to be here. And to make it all the way…. I feel extremely lucky.” As he should.