With a friendly countenance not unlike Big Bird’s (and in the photo here, hair to match), Top Chef contestant Carla Hall flew under the radar for much of Season 5.
One of my favorites from the start (alongside Jamie and Radhika), the model-turned-chef’s early missteps had many dismissing her entirely. Of course, her talk of “spirit guides” and “adding in the love,” also came off as a little wackadoodle. “Crazy like a fox” is more apt, looking back.
As the season progressed, Carla’s cool-under-pressure attitude and culinary talents were soon impressing big-name chefs from Jacques Pépin to Emeril Lagasse, who crowned her the Queen of the Bayou in last week’s semi-final.
Certainly, Season 5 has been a mostly lukewarm affair (Toby, you’re no Gail, who thankfully returned last week), but the heat really gets turned up in New Orleans tonight, as Carla competes with Stefan and Hosea in the finale. I’m betting Carla brings the love, guiding her to the title of Top Chef and leaving the fellas fighting over second-place crumbs.
Can’t get enough of Carla? Check out this Q&A from the Washington Post, published earlier today.
Top Chef airs tonight at 10/9 Central on Bravo.
