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The second course of Nina’s is her pride and joy. It is roasted goat sugo with orecchiette, cherry tomato confit & goat cheese. The goat had been difficult to prepare, forcing Stephanie to focus on it almost exclusively. Somehow, she saved the day for Nina. Tom provides two compliments. The first is that the goat is perfectly cooked. The even better one is, “I would come back for this dish.”

Nina’s third dish is arguably the minimalist creation of the season. It is swordfish with squash puree, braised kale & smoked onion jus. Food comprises maybe 20% of the plate. If you paid $70 for it, you would feel shafted because there isn’t enough protein to stave off starvation for an hour. As avant garde cuisine, it is a masterwork. Alas, Tom believes that she has failed in the attempt to blend two different cuisines. Sheldon from last season believes it lacks texture while one of his companions bemoans the lack of crunch.

The third course from Nick provides sparkling colors. It is kombu cured duck breast with kabocha squash, hijiki & ginger. That plate looks like a Pixar movie. Emeril seems to be working hard to chew his duck, something he quickly confirms. Another judge notes that his duck is better than Emeril’s. There are definite issues of consistency. Notably, Hugh loves the dish. So, even at the same table, there is debate about the success of the dish. As others compliment it, Emeril politely holds his tongue. His body language tells a different story.

A noteworthy moment occurs as Nick attempts to present his last dish. His constant struggle against his servers bleeds out into the dining area. Like any good The Tick fan, he wants a spoon. In front of the judges, he assails an employee. “Where’s the spoons that I asked for? Like, five minutes ago, I asked for spoons. Can I get those spoons?” Wry Hugh is a bit naughty here, asking “How are your servers?” As Nick tries to play it off as no big deal, he smiles knowingly. Television viewers may be considering Nick to be a jerk right now. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant kitchen has a different opinion. They have all been burned by bad service before.

The fourth dish itself is caramelized white chocolate panna cotta with almond cocoa crumble & tropical fruit. The judges all agree that the dish is not quite jiggly enough. It is apparently delicious, though. Everyone confirms that Nick has exceeded expectations on the evening, meaning he has a real chance to win Top Chef.

Nina combats Nick’s fourth dish with chocolate zeppole with macadamia nuts & passion fruit anglaise. Tom has skepticism on his face as he takes a bite. He has in fact pre-judged the dish. Unsurprisingly, he is less than enthusiastic about it. That perception is confirmed by another judge who adds that “it’s the ending the meal with a whimper and not a bang.” In the kitchen, Nina confides that she “did too much that I didn’t need to do." She believes that had she served only four courses without the extras, she would have provided a better overall dining experience. Let’s hope that her gut is wrong in this regard.

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