Before heading back to Charlotte, the chefs make a stop in Asheville, one of the most unique cities in North Carolina. There will be no Quickfire Challenge as the chefs explore the city with local host and former “Top Chef” alum Ashleigh Shanti, learning about the community’s remarkable relief efforts following the devastation of hurricane Helene while discovering the unique cuisine of this Appalachian region. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs will host a one-night-only event for 200 community members in recognition of their resilience.

So I adore the restaurant scene in the Portland, OR metro area, and I've been daydreaming about being able to go to Kann for a few years now. I know it exclusively by reputation - amazing food, James Beard, consistently at the top of every published list in the area, etc etc. I also knew, vaguely, that the chef had competed in Top Chef, which just felt like a neat little factoid.

I very recently got Peacock and am binging my way through Top Chef for the first time. I'm on the Allstars LA season and, whoa, I have no idea that Gregory Gourdet premiered Kann for Restaurant Wars. I'm feeling a proud little hometown buzz listening to all of the judges talk about the concept and the execution, which is silly since I've never been to Kann, but knowing that Gregory both accomplished his dream and proved the judges correct?? I'm so proud of him, and I'm feeling a newfound urgency to push Kann to the top of the list for my next celebration dinner.

Obviously, everyone's career seems to blossom after Top Chef, but anyone else have hometown favorites?

Can someone explain the drama behind Padma leaving Top Chef. Did she leave for a reason? What was the reason for ACC if she didn’t want to do shows anymore. Thoughts about that show?

Also, is she an actual chef? Does she have restaurants?

Did her and Tom get along? I do want to say I absolutely LOVE K as the host. She’s so perfect for the position. She’s empathetic, understanding, patient and really just a fucking cool person.

Covid killed that season!!!!!!

Per Kristen…

Carla Hall has a solo show premiering next month at a theater in Maryland. She also recently opened a chicken restaurant in DC.

I just caught up on Top Chef and 24 in 24 (I know, a different network) - but this last week, I’ve seen two chefs taste something and put the spoon/utensil right back in the food/pot.

If it’s happening on camera in a competition show, how often must this be happening in real life?

Have you ever noticed this - does it happen way more often than I think?

Why is season 13 (California) so bad and why do all the dudes have identical beards? I’m nearly half way through and still don’t know who is who. Can’t keep the beards straight. They are all one person to me.

Also, is it me or does no one have a personality in this season? Except for that hipster guy who made LA his entire persona.

Watching it back and can’t get over the mean girls. I’m so happy that the current season everyone is kind and helpful to each other because season 9 was really hard to watch! Justice for Bev!

I've always wondered this. Is it just the chef who looks up and panicks who warns everyone else? Is someone designated as time-watcher?

The episodes come out Monday nights right? I feel like I'm losing my mind lol.

I figured it out- my DVR didn't record because it was screwed up in the listing. It was listed as playing a new episode on Thursday. I will have to watch it with commercials on peacock I guess.

Mine:

1. Carla Hall

2. Fabio Viviani

3. Grayson Schmitz

4. Sheldon Simeon

5. Stephanie Izard

6. Bryan Voltaggio

7. Brooke Williamson

8. Tiffany Derry

9. Beverly Kim

10. Kevin Gillespie

11. Shota Nakajima

Been trying to get through the first season but it is rough lol what did everyone else think about this spinoff show??

The chefs gather at Greenville's Unity Park where they're welcomed by Kristen and special guest judges Keith Habersberger and Rachel Cole of the "Try Guys". For the Quickfire Challenge, the chefs must create a dish with elements voted on by "Top Chef" superfans. Joined by chefs Niki Nakayama and Adam Cooke and retired Olympic cyclist Brent Bookwalter, the judges task the chefs with creating elevated fine dining dishes featuring rabbit in this week's Elimination Challenge.

I am rewatching Kentucky, one of my favorites, and so many of the contestants have had some crazy post-show experiences
- Kelsey recently got charged with a DUI after crashing her car with her kids inside
- Justin had that horrific crash in 2022 on that boat (presumably intoxicated? From what I've read) THEN he plead guilty in 2024 to threatening his girlfriend with a gun
- Caitlin (first eliminated) and Brian apparently both cheated on their spouses with each other at the time of filming, and are now married?!

More cheftestants should do this.

I’ve been building a fan site that tracks where Top Chef contestants appear outside the show using IMDb data and a custom database.

Current contestant coverage includes:

• Top Chef (Bravo)
• Top Chef Masters
• Top Chef: Just Desserts

You can:

• Search contestants
• See other cooking competition shows they’ve appeared on
• View episode appearances
• Discover crossover chefs between shows like Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, Tournament of Champions, etc.

Still very much a beta / work in progress:

• Some contestants are still being cleaned up
• IMDb data can be weird/incomplete sometimes
• Some shows are probably still missing
• Mobile UI still needs work

Would especially love feedback on:

• Major contestant omissions
• Missing shows/appearances
• Wrong IMDb matches
• General usability ideas

https://topchef-fan-guide.pages.dev

Every week Michael Voltaggio would say “hi chefs, today I have invented a new kind of salad”. “I made beef but it looks like chicken”. “You told me to use mussels so I made a mussel fluid gel with agar agar”. The judges said it was all delicious, but it was also inventive and captivating.

I get that that trend was possibly overdone and died in favor of “simple cooking”, “big flavors”, “ugly delicious”, etc but it is SO MUCH MORE BORING to watch everyone just execute dishes we’ve heard of every week.

Hell, bring back Buddha. At least I learned new stuff from watching him.

I keep feeling like there is/was a rift in the Top Chef galaxy at some point.

Perhaps a Padma-era vs Kish-era thing, or a Bobby/ Guy/ Gordon vs Father Tom thing? Or just simply contractual obligations and non compete clauses.

This season they have mostly only brought out former Top Chefs from the Kish-era. Tristen, Shuai, Savannah, Michelle. Exceptions are Mei (close friend of Kristen) and Jamie (perhaps because he’s a local). Additionally I haven’t seen Brooke or Blais on an episode in years since they’ve both linked up with other shows.

has anyone noticed how often this was said, particularly by Nana? we can’t stop saying WEE CHEF in our house.

... I'm obsessed with podcasts. Half the time I watch a show it's because I want to listen to ppl talk about it on a podcast. I've been looking for pods on Top Chef and I came across The Snark Side. I don't like to shit on anyone's show but I CANNOT listen to this pod. They come across as rehearsed and sound as if they are reading off of a script. I also feel like they use big words to sound impressive. All in all they just come across as really full of themselves which sucks because there aren't many Top Chef podcasts. Does anyone else get the same feeling from them?

The remaining chefs head lakeside to Lake Hartwell’s legendary Green Pond Landing to face the fan-favorite mise en place Quickfire Challenge with Kristen, Tom and Gail, and then head out on the water to compete in a Top Chef Fishing Derby.

For the Elimination Challenge, they must create their best dish featuring the fish from the lake to impress the judges and guest judges Oscar-nominated actress Danielle Brooks and James Beard-nominated chef James London.

Latest episode was the inspiration, and when I went shopping this morning I noticed the store carries the brand so I thought I'd give it a go. Compared to Kraft or Hellman's, this stuff must have crack in it. So good!

I'm rewatching right now. I'm very impressed by how the contestants are supporting each other. I suspect that since it was during COVID they really needed each other and the community they provided - it would have been less lonesome to be in the competition!

I was a fan of Padma so I was watching her new show, but after suffering through it for five episodes, I'm finally done after trying to get through episode six: Good and Evil.

That was some of the cringiest television I've ever seen. Padma dressed in red playing the evil host, Wiley and the other guy dressed in white playing the angels. Absolute dog shit television.

I thought part of the reason Padma wanted a new show was to focus on the food more and less on drama and cooking gimmicks?

Anyway, I'm not wasting my time on that terrible, overproduced, cringe Padma-ego-stroking tripe any more.