'Top Chef'The 'Top Chef' finale failed to disappoint when it came to good food and better surprises.

Maybe it was the unexpected way Padma Lakshmi announced it, bypassing the usual reality tradition of eliminating the second-runner up first. Instead, the first person she targeted out of the three remaining finalists was the winner.

Head judge Tom Colicchio said of the winner, "The Top Chef is the one who took the most risks, but also cooked the best meal." He also said he would have liked to have awarded the top prize to all three of the remaining finalists. With two chefs from New York and one from New Jersey, one thing was certain. It was a guaranteed East Coast victory.