It is still not Denver's time to bring home a Top Chef title: the Colorado chef who made it through the first six eliminations of the Bravo TV show, Travis Masar, was eliminated during last night's episode. For the quick fire challenge on, the brave contestants had to cook with coffee for chef Hubert Keller. Masar, a La Junta native whose last cooking job in Denver was a Uncle, flew under the radar through that challenge - didn't win, didn't lose.
In the Elimination Round, they had to cook comfort food, something that reminded them of home, for guest judge actor Anthony Mackie. Masar settled on biscuits with gravy and jam. The chef's test biscuits were perfect the first day, but the batch he made for the challenge had serious texture problems. His solution? Trying to disguise the issue with gravy on top of the biscuits. The judges did not buy it and Masar was asked to pack his knives.
Masar headed to Last Chance Kitchen, an competition that only airs online where eliminated chefs get another shot at returning to the Top Chef kitchen. Each week, the last chef to win the challenge battles the latest eliminated cheftestapant. At the end of the show, the last one standing goes back to the competition and has a shot at the Top Chef title. Masar faced chef Louis Maldonado, executive chef at Spoonbar and Pizzando in Healdsburg, California. In a Asian flavors inspired challenge focused on proteins ranging from tripe to duck feet, Maldonado won and sealed Masar's faith.
In the latest Bravo Top Chef show, Top Chef Masters, chef Jennifer Jasinski came > close to the win, making it to the final three. On Top Chef Seattle, Denver was represented by chefs Tyler Wiard of Elway's and Jorel Pierce of Euclid Hall.
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