'Top Chef' finale preview

February 24, 5:15 PMTop Chef ExaminerMatt Wolf

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Can he do it? We'll find out...

In Wednesday night's final episode, Carla, Hosea and Stefan will compete in cooking "the best meal of their lives." The ground rules are three courses, dessert optional, with three famous sous chefs working with the contestants in the kitchen. They will be cooking at Commander's Palace in New Orleans.

As easy as it's been lately to get swept up in Carla Fever, and I've definitely gotten swept up in it (I cooked her gumbo recipe over the weekend... incredible), it's still hard not to think that Stefan's been saving something for the finale. His casual disinterest last episode, coupled with the puzzling smoke breaks and being the only chef not to make his own sausage... these could be traits of Stefan pacing himself, or it could be that he's acting withdrawn because he can't handle the pressure. His cool under fire all year lends credence to the former.

Still, it's also very hard to see Carla completely screwing up. She seems to have a pretty big advantage being from the south, and there's always something to be said for momentum and confidence.

I think it's a coin flip, I really do. I do not see Hosea posing any kind of a threat.