Nicholas Elmi, a 32-year-old from Philadelphia, won season 11 of “Top Chef” on Wednesday.
Nina Compton,a 34-year-old from Miami, was runner-up.
The final meal left the judges torn. Host Padma Lakshmi said that it was “the closest” finale she had ever experienced.
But Elmi won the close match.
He won $125,000.
Elmi said in a post-win interview that “this is a pretty great feeling right now.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” he said, reported Zap2It. “Winning means a lot for my family, it’s life-changing.”
Compton added that she’s proud being a role model and coming in second.
Elmi opened Laurel Restaurant in Philadelphia this past fall, where he is both the owner and head chef, and previously worked at the Ritterhouse Tavern.
His bio on Bravo TV describes Elmi as specializing in French cuisine.
“Chef Nicholas Elmi has worked at some of the top rated French restaurants on the east coast, including Guy Savoy (Paris), Le Bec Fin, Union Pacific, Oceana, and Lutece,” it says. “Nicholas has built a solid French repertoire that is constantly undated with influences from his travels as well as his upbringing in New England.”
