We've spent a lot of time in these pages discussing issues of food and celebrity, and despite our occasional excitement about chefs and restaurant openings, we have a skeptical feeling about the whole enterprise. Celebrity chef does not equal quality food. Great restaurants have chefs that watch the staff, that cook in the restaurant and that have a personal investment in the success of the enterprise. North Pond remains one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago because Bruce Sherman is there every night watching plates come out of the kitchen, and that level of interest is necessary for great food. more ›

We're live blogging this finale (a Margaret and Rachelle tag-team, old-skool style!), with frequent text-message updates from our correspondent in the field, food contributor Laura Oppenheimer, who's at the taping. Do we need to tell you that this post contains spoilers about tonight's Top Chef? 9:02 Dale's first Chicago shout out while riding the gondola. "We're riding up and we get higher and higher and higher. The view just gets more spectacular. I'm a flatlander,... more ›

Author Michael Ruhlman more ›