Top Chef exit interviews on CHOW.com

Lisa Fernandes made it much further than anyone thought she would. Did her unsympathetic disposition make her a savvy reality competitor? Or did her personality ultimately hurt her? Lisa thinks her apparently bad behavior was the result of reality-TV editing.

Coming in strong, Richard Blais, looked like he had it all wrapped up. He’d been the master of surprise, wowing the Top Chef Judges all season long with his inventive cuisine and gadget-heavy technique. But in the end, even with the help of Chef Dan Barber, Richard reveals he was unable to wrap his mind around a concrete menu that would lead him to Top Chefdome. Note: Due to inferior cell phone reception, parts of the interview are a little scratchy.

Antonia Lofaso was the surefire candidate for the final three, so it was to everyone's surprise that she was the one sent packing. Was it the undercooked peas that led to her downfall? And did she really snub Gail? The break before the finale was beneficial for some, but proved to be the downfall for Antonia who took the time to open a new restaurant, Foxtail in Los Angeles. With her mind elsewhere, she lost her mojo and let Lisa pass her by.

Spike Mendelson doesn't need help on how to cook a steak; he wins the Quickfire Challenge handily with his mad butchering skills. But his winner's advantage is quickly squandered when he chooses frozen scallops. (Were they planted in Rick Tramonto's kitchen? Bravo doesn't want us to have that conversation). Other discussions that Bravo does allow on the table: the variety of Spike's hat collection, Lisa's work at Spike's restaurant, Mai House, and Spike's post-Top Chef life.

With Dale Talde booted, the Top Chef kitchen is looking downright roomy. In last night's "Restaurant Wars" episode, the dream team from "Wedding Wars" reunited, leaving the nightmare team (or "short-bus allstars," according to Dale) of Dale, Lisa, and Spike to their own struggle. What does Dale have to say? A lot. About Lisa, mostly. But what he really wants to do is make movies. Will there be a role for Lisa?