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Last night's pivotal episode of "Top Chef: Las Vegas," titled "Culinary Olympics," crept up on me.

"It's the last challenge in Las Vegas," explains Frederick favorite Bryan Voltaggio.

We're down to the five best cheftestants. Only two episodes remain after tonight. After that it's off to Napa Valley, and the crowning of the next Top Chef. Every sauce, every seasoning, every second counts.

"It's $100,000," Bryan says, laying out the stakes.

"My restaurant is slower now. My phone might not be on when I leave here, because I can't pay my bill," he laughs. (Maybe that's why he hasn't returned my calls.) "But I'm going to try to put that aside, although it's obviously on my mind."

Meanwhile, Kevin Gillespie gives a shout out to his wife, Callie — "she's the cornerstone of my life," he says — while my wife and I came to the simultaneous observation that chef Jennifer Carroll never, ever looks happy. She's always depicted prowling around the house with a scowl on her face as though she's starring on, I don't know, "The Real Housewives of Hazard County," or something, instead of "Top Chef."

No matter, soon we're back in the comfortable kitchen of the M Resort, where host Padma Lakshmi introduces Quickfire judge Gavin Kaysen, a baby-faced culinary icon who looks like he's not even old enough to use the microwave by himself, let alone represent the United States in the prestigious 2007 Bocuse d'or.

Mike Voltaggio strikes a balance between unbearably cocky and incredibly informative this episode when he translates: "Representing the U.S. in the Bocuse d'or is like being chosen to represent the United States in the Olympics."

Thanks, Mike!

So the chefs are saddled with the following challenge: Create an updated version of chef Kaysen's Bocuse entry, a chicken ballantine with crayfish in the middle – or, basically, if I understood this at all, a protein wrapped in a protein wrapped in a protein. Yum!

"I'll make a Turducken," jokes Carroll, managing a slight smile. (And, yet, I believed her! I've always been fascinated by the Turducken phenomenon.)

Kaysen explains that it took him four months to perfect his dish — cut to an egregious, "I could do it in four minutes" eye roll courtesy of Mike Voltaggio — but the cheftestants will only be allowed 90 minutes.

And they're off!

In the thick of things, comrades Gillespie and Eli Kirshtein, who the former notes have grown quite close throughout the competition, confide in one another regarding their homespun recipes.

"We believe in the food we grew up eating," says Gillespie.

For Kirshtein, that coda results in a bacon-crusted sausage with a six-minute egg center, while Gillespie turns in a fried fillet of catfish with scallop and shrimp.

"Simplicity is OK," comments Bryan to the talking-head camera. "If it's done correctly."

It's Carroll, though, who makes the biggest splash with her calamari, scallops, salmon, and shitake shiso, with rice noodle salad.

"Welcome back," beams Lakshmi after one bite.

Mike's poultry terrine — chicken with turkey and a bacon mouselline — is critiqued by Kaysen as "not quite what they were looking for."

"They didn't say to make a ballantine," snarls Mike. "If they did, I would have – and I'm pretty sure it would have been as good as the one he made in the Bocuse d'or."

Welcome back, Mike!

Regardless, Carroll takes the Quickfire; A true boost to her self-confidence after some fairly crushing disappointments in the two previous episodes. For winning, she receives an extra 30 minutes of preparation time in the Elimination Challenge.

That challenge? A Top Chef version of the Bocuse d'or in which the chefs are responsible for one protein and two extravagant garnishes to be presented to 12 judges, including representatives of the Bocuse d'or advisory board, at restaurant Alex at the Wynn.

In addition to the Bocuse powers-that-be, esteemed professional Thomas Keller, owner of landmark restaurant The French Laundry will also be sitting in, Lakshmi says.

"Thomas Keller is one of the most recognized American chefs in the world," Mike explains.

Immediately, the platitudes begin rolling in, with the chefs lauding praise upon Keller.

"The French Laundry was one of the first cookbooks I read," says Gillespie. "I owe a great debt of gratitude to him."

Is it just me, or is this always, always the case? Now, I don't doubt in the least that the "Top Chef" guests and guest judges have exacted life-changing influence on our contestants. But such sound bites flow each and every week. Some of these chefs are barely 30 years old. How can their very souls maintain so much mind-blowing inspiration?

I keep waiting for Padma to walk out and introduce the esteemed Chef Boyardee.

"I am well aware of who Chef Boyardee is," Gillespie would say. "I grew up reading the word-finds on the back of his cans. His mini-raviolis transported me during some tough times. He has had a tremendous impact on my life, and the life of my beard."

Maybe I think about these things too much.

Four out of five chefs retire to the house they share to review some Bocuse d'or DVDs, while Mike Voltaggio simply retires — going straight to bed.

"The food Kevin cooks is the food I cook on my day off," he says only moments before.

If things keep progressing the way they have been, it could also be the food he cooks while he's at home watching "Top Chef" reruns, wondering what happened.

Gillespie asks his housemates for advice on how to cook sous vide. Don't ask. I don't know what that means. But Bryan Voltaggio obviously does, as he offers his assistance (while everyone else remains conspicuously mum).

"Being a chef is very much about sharing information," he says, fully realizing he could have shut his opponent down. That's the definition of class.

At the Wynn, judge Tom Colicchio, as usual, invades the kitchen just as things reach a fever pitch. "This is the last hurdle before they leave Las Vegas," he says, informing the chefs that whoever wins the Elimination Challenge will also be awarded $30,000.

The general consensus? That's a lot of money.

"A lot of people think if you own a restaurant, you're rolling in the money," says Kirshtein, "but it's the exact opposite of that."

The goal is complexity, but Gillespie isn't going for it.

"I'm going to give them complex flavor in a nice, neat, simple bundle," he says, sealing his fate.

His lamb loin, poached in caramelized lamb fat and olive oil with sherry glazed golden beets and baked asparagus wins several accolades for taste from the judges' panel – including son of Bocuse d'or namesake, Jerome Bocuse.

"But it's a little elementary," says Thomas Keller.

Mike Voltaggio's Mediterranean-inspired salmon platter is riddled with problems, from under-seasoning to the fatal discovery of a bone by one of the judges.

Jen's and Eli's dishes — poached salmon and caviar and lamb sausage, respectively — receive various criticisms, largely surrounding their undercooked nature.

Bryan Voltaggio's crusted loin of lamb is also found to be undercooked, but receives the panel's highest marks for technical achievement, demeanor and overall knowledge.

"I like the way he plated his dish," remarks Keller.

"How coachable is he?" Colicchio repeatedly asks.

The unanimous reply: Very.

As the episode ends, all five chefs are welcomed to the judge's table, where Jerome Bocuse joins Gail Simmons, Lakshmi and Colicchio.

In addition to the 30 grand, the winner of the elimination challenge will also receive a spot in the 2011 Bocuse d'or — something, Gillespie notes, that "most chefs aspire to all of their lives."

While each dish was not without its problems, Colicchio and company express their pride in the five chefs standing before them.

"I'm left with an incredible respect for each of you," Colicchio says. Still, someone must head home. And that someone is Eli Kirshtein.

"I'm not in a situation where I pooched it," Kirshtein says.

"I'm the last one who goes out and you guys are behind me, I'm good with that," he tells his fellow chefs, fighting back tears.

It appears that Bryan may just take the win. A technical, if not tasty achievement, the judges all agree that, although undercooked — given more time, Bryan's dish would have been Bocuse-worthy.

Gillespie's, on the other hand, was flavorful, if lacking such technical prowess. However, that's apparently enough. He walks away with the $30,000, the spot in the Bocuse d'or, and takes another giant leap toward the title of Top Chef.

He even learned how to cook sous vide. A good day.

Next up: A very special Christmas episode of "Top Chef: Las Vegas," in which a Santa Claus-suit clad Mike Voltaggio slides down the chimney, steals everyone's candy canes, and claims to have invented the roast beast. Just kidding!

Episode 13, Part 1 of the Finale, airs Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. on Bravo.