Posted at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 11

Stephanie Izard was a lion with her lamb Wednesday—and the Chicago chef became the first woman to win Bravo’s “Top Chef.”

“What? Really? Oh my God thank you,” Izard said after the announcement.

Izard was nearly undone by her ricotta pound cake dessert, which the judges called “nothing special.” Overall, the judges enjoyed the other three courses she created—especially her third course of medallions of lamb with Maitake mushrooms, braised pistachios, blackberries and olive tapenade.

“Holy [bleep],” she said in the post interview. “My life’s about to change.”

It was a night of ups and downs for all three finalists, including Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes.

The chef-testants were paired with three world famous chefs to work as sous chefs on the first day of preparation. Then came the curve ballt: The sous chefs “called in sick” on the second day of the challenge.

Fernandes stayed calm and collected throughout the challenge, while Blais and Izard scrambled.

At judges table, Blais said he choked, and at least one judge—Tom Colicchio—agreed. “He made a few mistakes,” the head judge said, mentioning Richard’s pork belly third course.

The judges debated at length, rating each chef’s courses against each other. In the end. Izard pulled it out.

“I’m so glad I was able to pull through,” she said. “This is what I was meant to do in life.”

Izard will chat with the Chicago Tribune at 1 p.m. Thursday. If you have a question you’d like to hear Izard answer during the live video chat, send an e-mail to chicagotribune.com/topchefchat. Then come back on Thursday to the same address to watch the live chat.

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