June 18, 2009 – It came down to two chefs, but Graham Elliot Bowles did not win Wednesday’s challenge on Top Chef Masters. The Marina City resident was on the first two shows of the first season of the new series, a spin-off of Bravo television network’s Top Chef in which world-renowned chefs compete in culinary challenges.

Top chefs competing Wednesday on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters were, left to right, Wylie Dufresne, Elizabeth Falkner, Graham Elliot Bowles, and Suzanne Tracht.

Graham scored 20.5 stars, beating Wylie Dufresne of New York and Elizabeth Falkner of San Francisco but not Suzanne Tracht of Los Angeles, who scored 22.5 stars.

But he called it a fun experience. “I was very honored just to simply be part of this and be cooking along side some really great culinary luminaries,” he said in his “exit interview” on the show. He’s now looking forward to returning to Chicago to “be able to do some great food at my restaurant.”

Bowles moved into the west tower at Marina City last year. He is the chef and owner of Graham Elliot, what he calls a “bistronomic” restaurant combining four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility. It is located at 217 West Huron Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

Bowles is the youngest four-star chef in the nation. After moving to Chicago from Dallas in 1998, he worked at Charlie Trotters for three years, followed by Tru and then Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel. He has been given perfect reviews by Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune.

According to Bravo, the winners of the first six episodes will eventually compete against each other. The winner at the end of the season will be crowned Top Chef Master and $100,000 will be donated to the charity of their choice. Bowles was competing for American Heart Association.

 Graham’s exit interview: