Top Chef Colorado winner is…. Did you predict correctly?

In the finale of Top Chef Season 15, two Chicago chefs battled for the Top Chef title. Did you correctly predict the Top Chef Colorado winner?

While the Rocky Mountains were this season’s backdrop, Chicago played a huge role in the Top Chef Season 15 finale. Two Chicago chefs battled it out for the title of Top Chef Colorado winner. The two finalists, Joe Flamm and Adrienne, weren’t the expected finalists earlier in the Top Chef season. Still, only one will earn the title Top Chef.

The two chefs have totally different styles. While both chefs have fine dining experience, their culinary point of view is quite different. Joe is classic Italian cuisine that has a sense of refinement. Adrienne found her way with Southern cuisine. With two totally different approaches, the chef with the best tasting and technical dishes should win the title of Top Chef.

Top Chef Colorado winner, photo

Rebecca Boswell (NBCUniversal)

In the finale, the task was simple. The chefs had to cook the best meal of their lives. With the help of sous chefs (former contestants), each chef had to create a four course tasting menu (including a dessert). Neither chef seemed to have a mistake. The title would come down to taste supremacy and the judges’ personal preferences.

Adrienne’s first course, photo Rebecca Boswell (NBCUniversal)

The first course seemed to have an edge to Adrienne. Her spoon bread with sea urchin and a delicate tuile was visually stunning. More importantly, her dish was inventive. The flavors were spot on and the combination was unusual. Adrienne impressed with the first. The umami was perfection and it will become her signature dish.

In comparison, Joe’s tuna was delicious but didn’t compare to Adrienne’s dish. The dish was playful and light. The dish was good; it just didn’t compare to Adrienne’s plate.

The second course went to Joe. His individually made tortellini were simply breathtaking. The pasta made with special burnt flower looked like a beautiful river stone. The combination of the pasta with the broth was a huge success. The broth was utterly magical and created a lasting food memory.

Joe’s second course, photo Rebecca Boswell (NBCUniversal)

Adrienne created an octopus with grits. The dish was a creative reinvention of Southern cuisine, but it needed some extra fat. Even a little more grits would have balanced the dish more. While the concept was strong, a few additional technical tweaks would make it perfect.

For the third course, both chefs had a few flaws. First, Adrienne mashed some of her black-eye peas. She is a better cook and shouldn’t have purposed mashed those peas. The flavors were creative and delicious, but the little details were slightly off.

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Joe’s third course had a flaw with his ribeye. The meat was over rested. Still, his asparagus made up for the ribeye mistake. The choice to cook the asparagus in its own asparagus juice was genius. Other chefs will definitely be stealing this idea.

The desserts were both successful except for one issue, the dessert names. The names didn’t reflect the nuance of each dessert. Joe made a play on a traditional grandmother Italian dessert. His cake was flavorful and each component played off the chocolate flavor.

Adrienne’s dessert was ultimate eye candy. The plate was a visual stunner. Her dessert should have been called yuzu meringue, not a riff on banana pudding. While the look was impressive, the flavors didn’t quite live up to the hype.

The winner of Top Chef Colorado was Joe Flamm. For the second year in a row, a chef from Last Chance Kitchen won the title.

Looking at the tasting menu, I would have preferred to eat Adrienne’s meal. The bold flavors and the creativity would appeal to my desire to have something new. The concept of a new Southern cuisine is a intriguing.

While Adrienne didn’t win, I sincerely hope that she opens her own restaurant soon. Her first course in the Top Chef finale is on my must eat list. Food fans will be lining up to eat that impressive plate of food.

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Joe should have a strong career ahead of him. Hopefully, he can parlay this win into his own spot in the Chicago culinary scene, beyond his position at Spiaggia. Surely, his restaurant will have an Italian focus. Even so, Joe has his own unique approach to the classic Italian cuisine.

Top Chef Colorado winner, photo from

Rebecca Boswell (NBCUniversal)

What’s next for these two talented chefs? I’m sure that food festivals and job offers will be plentiful. Hopefully, I will be able to try some of their delicious creations.

Did you correctly predict the Top Chef Colorado winner? I didn’t. Then again, I didn’t predict most of this season’s eliminations correctly.

Top Chef fans will have to wait probably another year for Top Chef Season 16 in Kentucky. Can the new set of chef-testants be even more impressive? We will have to wait and see.