We can’t easily express how sorry we are to see Top Chef go. But at least we can say, as we look back at the most bizarrely enjoyable Top Chef season yet, that it’s had more than its share of memorable moments. Here are five of them that come to mind, as we head toward the twilight, in reverse order:

5. Padma Lakshmi, with the languid gravity that only she can summon, looking Erik in the face and asking, “Did you really think that was a successful corn dog?” The self-described "soul chef" had failed miserably to produce the simplest of crispy fried treats, presenting in its stead a sadly flaccid and soggy sample.
Episode recap: Adam Platt Pities ‘Top Chef’ Judges

Having seen an advance screener of the Top Chef premiere, we’re all set and ready to dig in and immerse ourselves in the show’s patented straight-faced lunacy this season. But something is getting in the way. The most annoying of the new cheftestants — this season’s Howie — is the high-strung Andrew, supposedly a cook somewhere here in New York. But where? His Top Chef bio calls him a “Sous Chef in NYC,” but no one seems to be able to give us a hint of where. (One tipster seemed to think that it was at Tocqueville, but the lead was a dead end: Jo Ann Makovitzky, Tocqueville’s co-owner, tells us, “He does not look familiar to me.”) Have you seen this man? Tell us all about him in the comments.

Top Chef Cheftestant Bio: Andrew [Bravo]
Related: What to Expect From the New ‘Top Chef’

Update: The mystery has been solved. An Eater reader has IDed Andrew D'Ambrosi as a sous chef at Le Cirque.

How did such a coupling take so long? Top Chef’s Dale Levitski (who was NOT invited back for this week’s holiday special) and Project Runway’s Jack Mackenroth are dating! Here’s the dirt: “We randomly met over MySpace,” says Dale. “I like keeping it incestuous. Keep it in the Bravo family,” says Jack.

Other pairings we’d like to see:
Sam Talbot and Uli Herzner
Mike Midgley and Wendy Pepper
Elia Aboumrad and Michael Knight

Have any suggestions for hot Project Runway–Top Chef crossovers? Play matchmaker in the comments.

Real Reality Couple: Jack Mackenroth and Dale Levitski Dating [BreakOUT News via Towleroad]