I think it was a solid group of chefs but I don't think Joe Flamm or any of the other contestants could compete with previous winners like: Paul Qui, Voltaggio brothers, Richard Blais, Hung, Brooke etc. The previous winners are a tier above this years cast. Even some of the ones who never won top chef are on a different level like: Sheldon, Katsuji, Angelo Sosa, Antonia Lofaso. How many elimination challenges or quickfires did Joe Flamm or Adrienne win this season? I can't recall too many, maybe one or two.

I think mustache Joe was probably the best chef this year, and his entire body of work this season was better than anyone else's. It's a shame he didn't make it to the finale.

Tom C even called them out multiple times this season that they weren't giving their best and they needed to step it up. Can't remember the last time that happened. Tom didn't seem that impressed this year with most of their food until the finale.

I think this was a pretty strong group. We tend to remember the best of some of the previous winners while the fails are fresher in our memory. It's also hard to decouple some of the performances from variations in the challenges.

The first two courses in the finale sounded as good as anything I recall.

Adrienne talks about how Joe deserved the win here

http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-15-winner-runner-up-reacts-video

One thing her comments made me think about was the dishes where the critique talked about things being dry. The editing of the finale emphasized the effect of altitude on baking but the expert in the earlier altitude challenge also talked about proteins drying out.

In terms of comparison to past cheftestants, no way I would include Katsuji in that group.

Fatima Ali's cancer has come back.

Quote:

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After undergoing surgery to remove a tumor in her shoulder bone in January, former Top Chef contestant Fatima Ali has revealed that her cancer has returned.

In an emotional essay for Bon Appetit, Ali, 29, writes that "the cancer cells my doctors believed had vanished are back with a vengeance in my left hip and femur bone," adding that her oncologist told her she likely has "a year to live, with or without the new chemotherapy regimen."

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Horrible. She was one of my favorites.

Mine too