'Top Chef Masters' Winner Is Rick Bayless
by Andrew Scott, posted Aug 20th 2009 11:00AM
Rick Bayless has been named the winner of Bravo's first-ever 'Top Chef Masters.'Bayless -- who owns Chicago's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo -- won the title after cooking a four-course meal, with each course representing a different stage in his quest to become a chef.
Among the courses he prepared: A cochinita pibil (baked suckling pig), and an Ahi Tuna served with an Oaxacan black mole that won raves from the judges. Gail Simmons called it the best mole she'd ever had, while Jay Rayner proclaimed he had lost his mole virginity to Ric
Contestants Michael Chiarello and Hubert Keller finished second and third, respectively.
Rick Bayless has been named the winner of Bravo's first-ever 'Top Chef Masters.'Bayless -- who owns Chicago's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo -- won the title after cooking a four-course meal, with each course representing a different stage in his quest to become a chef.
Among the courses he prepared: A cochinita pibil (baked suckling pig), and an Ahi Tuna served with an Oaxacan black mole that won raves from the judges. Gail Simmons called it the best mole she'd ever had, while Jay Rayner proclaimed he had lost his mole virginity to Rick.
Contestants Michael Chiarello and Hubert Keller finished second and third, respectively.
His $100,000 cash prize will go to the Frontera Farmer Foundation, a charity that provides capital development grants to sustainable farms in the Midwest. Bayless co-founded the charity in 2003.
