Plot Synopsis

This reality competition series offers a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of world-class cookery and the restaurant business at the highest level. The series features a group of aspiring chefs who compete for their shot at culinary stardom and a chance to earn the prestigious title of TOP CHEF. Each episode holds two challenges for the chefs. The first is a Quickfire test of their basic abilities and the second is a more involved elimination challenge designed to test the versatility and inventiveness of the chefs as they take on unique culinary trials such as working with unusual and exotic foods or catering for a range of demanding clients. The challenges not only test their skills in the kitchen, but also uncover if they have the customer service, management and teamwork abilities required of a Top Chef.

Season 10, TOP CHEF: SEATTLE, which premiered on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 10pm ET/PT, welcomes famed chef and restaurant mogul Wolfgang Puck joins as a judge this season, alongside Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson and Emeril Lagasse, to assess 21 chef'testants.

TOP CHEF went to New Orleans for is eleventh season, with lead judge Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson, and New Orlean's own Emeril Lagasse, alongside host Padma Lakshmi, at the judges' table. They were joined throughout the season by these guest judges: Jon Favreau, Lea Michelle, Anthony Mackie, Questlove, Leah Chase, Paul Prudhomme, Jacques Pepin, David Chang, John Besh, and Eddie Huang as well as local legends Kermit Ruffins and Dr. John. Season 11 premiered on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 10pm ET/PT on Bravo, with 19 chef'testants cooking with alligator, frog and turtle.

TOP CHEF's twelfth season (in Boston) premiered on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at 10pm ET/PT on Bravo. Returning to the judges table for the new season in New England are head judge Tom Colicchio, judges Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson and host Padma Lakshmi. For the first time ever, a TOP CHEF winner is joining the judging panel, as Richard Blais makes his debut as a recurring judge offering the cheftestants guidance from a former competitor's point of view. The stakes are higher than ever as TOP CHEF introduces sudden death Quickfire challenges that occur without warning throughout the season and a fiery judges table that puts every chef on the spot. The chefs will be tasked with serving up food for top entertainers, culinary stars and celebrity guest judges including: actress Emmy Rossum, Rob 'Gronk' Gronkowski of the New England Patriots, MLB Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, actor George Wendt, WWHL host Andy Cohen, Todd English, Barbara Lynch, Jasper White, Ming Tsai, Jacques Pepin, Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonette.

Season 13 of TOP CHEF premiered on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 from 10-11:15pm ET/PT on Bravo, with host Padma Lakshmi and head judge Tom Colicchio returning, alongside judges Gail Simmons, Richard Blais and Emeril Lagasse. For the show's thirteenth season, TOP CHEF embarks on an epic gastronomic road trip up the coast of California, kicking off with a two-night premiere event on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3 at 10pm ET/PT. With nearly 1000 miles traveled, the six-city expedition challenged the cheftestants' culinary skills like never before as they journey across the Golden State, stopping in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the series first began, along with San Diego, Santa Barbara, Oakland and the Greater Palm Springs area. From cooking for top food writers under the Hollywood sign to serving MC Hammer on the Oakland waterfront and Chrissy Teigen in Palm Springs, the chefs go knife-to-knife in iconic destinations and agricultural regions across the state to prove they have what it takes to out-cook their competition. Along with the return of the Sudden Death Quickfire challenge, the culinary showdown ups the ante this season with the most daunting Restaurant Wars ever. Additional pressure-filled challenges include catering the ultimate gay wedding in Palm Springs officiated by Lakshmi, a plating challenge inspired by @ChefJacquesLaMerde where the chef's fate was determined for the first time from fans on Instagram and a final California elimination paying homage to Hubert Keller's San Francisco institution Fleur De Lys. Throughout the season, the chefs are tasked with serving up food for culinary stars and celebrity guest judges including: Hugh Acheson, Max Silvestri, Ludo Lefebvre, Dana Cowin, Michael Cimarusti, Jose Andres, John Besh, Art Smith, Javier Plascencia, Antonia Lofaso, Michael Voltaggio, Jacques LaMerde, Bill Chait, Jonathan Waxman, Martin Yan, Adam Fleischman, Traci Des Jardins and Hubert Keller.

The fourteenth season of TOP CHEF premiered on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT on Bravo, with new judge Graham Elliot joining returning host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio, and judge Gail Simmons. The new season is the ultimate challenge of old blood versus new as eight returning chefs come back for redemption, heading to Charleston to battle it out alongside eight talented TOP CHEF newcomers. The returning chefs are: Sam Talbot (Season 2: Los Angeles; Brooklyn, NY), Casey Thompson (Season 3: Miami & Season 8: All-Stars; Napa Valley, CA), Amanda Baumgarten (Season 7: Washington, D.C.; Chicago, IL), Brooke Williamson (Season 10: Seattle; Los Angeles, CA), Sheldon Simeon (Season 10: Seattle; Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii), John Tesar (Season 10: Seattle; Dallas, TX), Shirley Chung (Season 11: New Orleans; Orange County, CA), and Katsuji Tanabe (Season 12: Boston; Los Angeles, CA). They are joined by the following eight new cheftestants: Silvia Barban (Brooklyn, NY), Emily Hahn (Charleston, SC), Jamie Lynch (Charlotte, NC), Annie Pettry (Louisville, KY), Sylva Senat (Philadelphia, PA), Gerald Sombright (Marco Island, FL), BJ Smith (Portland, OR), and Jim Smith (Montgomery, AL).

Season 15 of TOP CHEF premiered on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT on Bravo, embarking on an epic culinary adventure through the state of Colorado. In the new season, 15 diverse chefs from across the country as they battle it out for the coveted title amid the breathtaking landscapes and thriving culinary scenes in Denver, Boulder, Telluride and Aspen. Host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio return to the judges table alongside Gail Simmons and Graham Elliot. For Season 15, the competition reaches new heights as the chefs battle it out on an epicurean road trip through Colorado, traveling to Denver, Boulder, Telluride and Aspen. From deconstructing the Denver Omelet and preparing Rocky Mountain Oysters to tailgating with the Broncos, the level of competition for these 15 talented chefs is going to be a mile high. With the judges looking for the chefs' peak performances, the challenges will test the competitors' culinary abilities in picturesque locales including a food festival in Larimer Square, a blizzard infused campfire cook-off, and cauldron cooking at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. In addition, social media star Logan Paul heads to Boulder and Olympians Gus Kenworthy, Meryl Davis and John Daly will challenge the chefs in an all-around culinary competition focusing on speed, precision and freestyle. And not to be outdone, TOP CHEF Sason 14 winner Brooke Williamson returns to surprise the cheftestants with a breakfast Quickfire using Nutella. It's not going to be easy for these chefs as they go for the gold, traveling around the state in BMW X5 xDrive50i, and battle it out for $125,000, a feature in "Food & Wine" magazine, a showcase at the annual "Food & Wine" Classic in Aspen and the coveted title of "Top Chef." Throughout the season, the chefs will be tasked with serving up food for culinary stars including: Curtis Stone, Naomi Pomeroy, Richard Blais, John Besh, Bruce and Eric Bromberg, David Kinch, Adam Perry Lang, Johnny Iuzzini, Wylie Dufresne, Paul Liebrandt, Michael Voltaggio, Bryan Voltaggio, Chris Cosentino,and Nilou Motamed. Also lending their expertise are local Colorado greats Troy Guard, Alex Seidel, Hosea Rosenberg, Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson, Keegan Gerhard, Jen Jasinski, and Frank Bonanno. The cheftestants in Season 15 include: Fatima Ali (New York, NY); Tyler Anderson (Simsbury, CT); Carrie Baird (Denver, CO); Adrienne Cheatham (New York, NY); Laura Cole (Denali National Park, AK); Joseph Flamm (Chicago, IL); Rogelio Garcia (San Francisco, CA); Tanya Holland (Oakland, CA); Bruce Kalman (Los Angeles, CA); Brother Luck (Colorado Springs, CO); Melissa Perfit (San Francisco, CA); Tu David Phu (Oakland, CA); Joe Sasto (Los Angeles, CA); Christopher Scott (Brooklyn, NY); and Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins (San Diego, CA).

Season 16 of TOP CHEF premiered on Thursday, December 6, 2018 from 9-10:15pm ET/PT, with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio, and regular judges Graham Elliot and Gail Simmons, who are joined by guest judges. This season, 15 new talented chefs from cities big and small across the U.S. will compete for the sought-after title amid the unique culinary scenes in Louisville, Lexington and Lake Cumberland, before heading abroad for an epic finale showdown in Macau, China. Cheftestants for Season 16 include: Eric Adjepong (Washington, DC), Sara Bradley (Paducah, KY), Kelsey Barnard Clark (Dothan, AL), Edmund "Eddie" Konrad (Philadelphia, PA), Pablo Lamon (Miami Beach, FL), Natalie Maronski (Philadelphia, PA), Michelle Minori (San Francisco, CA), Nini Nguyen (Brooklyn, NY), Brandon Rosen (San Mateo, CA), Kevin Scharpf (Dubuque, IA), Caitlin Steininger (Cincinnati, OH), Justin Sutherland (St. Paul, MN), David Viana (Asbury Park, NJ), Adrienne Wright (Boston, MA), and Brian Young (Boston, MA). Throughout the season, the chefs will serve culinary stars including: Emeril Lagasse, Eric Ripert, Jonathan Waxman, Art Smith, Nancy Silverton, Richard Blais, Brooke Williamson, Nina Compton, Karen Akunowicz, Annie Pettry, Caroline Styne, Sean Brock, Tandy Wilson, Dario Cecchini, Ken Oringer and Abraham Conlon. Also lending their expertise are acclaimed Kentucky chefs Ouita Michel, Ed Lee, Newman Miller, David Danielson and Kathy Cary.

TOP CHEF returned for its seventeenth season on Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 10-11:15pm ET/PT on Bravo, with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and judge Gail Simmons. The new season, TOP CHEF: ALL STARS LA, features the fiercest group of competitors the show has seen with 15 finalists, front runners and fan favorites from seasons past who have all returned to finish what they started and battle it out for the coveted title. The chefs compete across iconic locations in Los Angeles including the Griffith Observatory, The Getty Center, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Coliseum, and for the first time in show history, an epic finale in Italy. The chefs are challenged on the biggest trends hitting the food stage in Los Angeles, including mastering Kaiseki for Michelin-winning chefs of N/Naka, creating a tribute for the Pulitzer Prize winning and critically acclaimed food critic, the late Jonathan Gold, and honoring one of the most influential restaurants in the country, Michael's in Santa Monica. Along with these celebrated names, the All Stars get to cook for some of the biggest players in food, Olympic legends, as well as A-list celebs such as Ali Wong and Randall Park, Kelly Clarkson for a Quickfire challenge themed to her new DreamWorks Animation film Trolls World Tour, dynamic duo Jon Favreau and Roy Choi, music maestro Gustavo Dudamel, and LA legend and taco maven, Danny Trejo. And with the help of OpenTable to run the restaurants, Top Chef's signature elimination challenge Restaurant Wars is back with a two-part throw down you won't want to miss. The cheftestants also must impress a host of culinary megastars including: Nancy Silverton, Ruth Reichl, Jeremiah Tower, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael Cimarusti, Suzanne Goin, Ludo Lefebvre, Jeremy Fox, Timothy Hollingsworth, Hunter Lewis, Stephanie Izard, Brooke Williamson, Kelsey Barnard Clark, Sherry Yard, Carol & Niki Nakayama, Jonathan Waxman, Mauro Delgreco, Clare Smyth and Dario Cecchini. Competitors in the new season include: Eric Adjepong (Season 16: Kentucky) from Washington, D.C.; Karen Akunowicz (Season 13: California) from Boston, MA; Jennifer Carroll (Season 6: Las Vegas, Season 8: All Stars & LCK Season 7); Stephanie Cmar (Season 11: New Orleans) from Boston, MA; Lisa Fernandes (Season 4: Chicago) from Brooklyn, NY; Kevin Gillespie (Season 6: Las Vegas) from Atlanta, GA; Gregory Gourdet (Season 12: Boston) from Portland, OR; Melissa King (Season 12: Boston) from San Francisco, CA; Jamie Lynch (Season 14: Charleston) from Charlotte, NC; Brian Malarkey (Season 3: Miami) from San Diego, CA; Nini Nguyen (Season 16: Kentucky) from New York, NY; Joe Sasto (Season 15: Colorado) from Los Angeles, CA; Angelo Sosa (Season 7: Washington D.C. & Season 8: All Stars New York) from San Diego, CA; Bryan Voltaggio (Season 6: Las Vegas) from Frederick, MD; and Lee Anne Wong (Season 1: San Francisco & LCK Season 7) from Maui, Hawaii.

TOP CHEF's 18th season debuted on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT on Bravo, with returning host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons calling Portland, Oregon home for the new season. This season, a new batch of 15 extremely talented Executive Chefs and restaurant owners, representing a cross section of kitchens and food around the country, vie for the coveted title bringing their unique skillsets, diversity of cuisines and gamut of flavors. With Portland as a picturesque backdrop and culinary inspiration, the chefs compete in a variety of challenges including celebrating PDX's Pan-African cuisine to feeding hundreds of frontline workers and crabbing on the Oregon Coast in a tribute to culinary icon and Oregonian James Beard. For the first time ever, a collection of TOP CHEF all-star winners, finalists and favorites are joining an elite rotating judging and dining panel including Richard Blais, Carrie Baird, Nina Compton, Tiffany Derry, Gregory Gourdet, Melissa King, Kristen Kish, Edward Lee, Kwame Onwuachi, Amar Santana, Dale Talde and Brooke Williamson. This season also includes appearances by Jose Andres, Massimo Bottura, Gabriel Rucker and Alice Waters, as well as PORTLANDIA stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein who stop by TOP CHEF Kitchen for a Quickfire Challenge. Season 18 cheftestants include: Brittanny Anderson (Richmond, VA); Avishar Barua (Columbus, OH); Dawn Burrell (Houston, TX); Gabe Erales (Austin, TX); Nelson German (Oakland, CA); Byron Gomez (Aspen, CO); Sasha Grumman (Houston, TX); Roscoe Hall (Birmingham, AL); Sara Hauman (Portland, OR); Kiki Louya (Detroit, MI); Maria Mazon (Tucson, AZ); Shota Nakajima (Seattle, WA); Gabriel Pascuzzi (Portland, OR); Jamie Tran (Las Vegas, NV); and Chris Viaud (Milford, NH).

Season 19 of TOP CHEF premiered on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT on Bravo. Host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons head to Houston for the new season, where 15 talented chefs from across the country vie for the coveted title bringing their unique skillsets, variety of cuisines and gamut of flavors. This season, the chefs will put their expert take on iconic regional dishes, while also being immersed in the ethnic diversity that has come to define Houston's culinary identity. With the city being home to the largest Nigerian population in the country, the chefs will be put to the test for a quickfire spotlighting Nigerian cuisine and an elimination challenge tasking them to feed Houstonians at an Asian Night Market that draws inspiration from some of the cities' largest Asian communities. The chefs must also mess with Houston, Texas by putting their own spin on beloved staples including BBQ, biscuits, queso and the classic Tex-Mex original, the fajita, which was popularized in the city. Houston is home to infinite possibilities as the chefs create space-friendly dishes for former astronauts, and head out to the Gulf with Tom for an unforgettable fishing experience. Taking inspiration from Top Chef France's most difficult challenge, Padma tests the chefs to create two dishes that look identical but taste completely different. The competition's signature challenge, Restaurant Wars, ups the ante with an open kitchen concept where the chefs must cook for a full dining room of guests, while also catering to an intimate tasting table for the judges. The Season 19 cheftestants are: Ashleigh Shanti (Asheville, NC); Buddha Lo (Brooklyn, NY); Damarr Brown (Chicago, IL); Evelyn Garcia (Houston, TX); Jackson Kalb (Los Angeles, CA); Jae Jung (New York, NY); Jo Chan (Austin, TX); Leia Gaccione (Morristown, NJ); Luke Kolpin (Seattle, WA); Monique Feybesse (Vallejo, CA); Nick Wallace (Jackson, MS); Robert Hernandez (San Francisco, CA); Sam Kang (Brooklyn, NY); Sarah Welch (Detroit, MI); and Stephanie Miller (Bismarck, ND).

TOP CHEF returned for its 20th season on Thursday, March 9, 2023 from 9-10:15pm ET/PT on Bravo, with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. Season 20, titled TOP CHEF: WORLD ALL-STARS marks the first time that the flagship edition of TOP CHEF shoots an entire season abroad, while bringing together 16 of the most talented, creative and decorated chefs who have competed in their respective countries' versions of the series. A culinary melting pot, London's cuisine has been influenced by countries all over the world. From traditional pub food to modern Indian cuisines, the chefs will be cooking with the best ingredients the UK has to offer from its sought-after seafood, high-quality meat and produce. The stakes will be bigger than ever as the cheftestants cook their way through globally inspired quickfire and elimination challenges. Throughout the competition, Padma, Tom and Gail are joined by distinguished judges from the international versions, as well as esteemed global culinary experts. The Season 20 cheftestants are: Samuel Albert (winner, TOP CHEF FRANCE, Season 10); Luciana Berry (winner, TOP CHEF BRAZIL, Season 2); Sara Bradley (finalist, Bravo's TOP CHEF, Season 16: Kentucky); Dawn Burrell (finalist, Bravo's TOP CHEF, Season 18: Portland); Ali Ghzawi (winner, TOP CHEF MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA, Season 3: Lebanon); Tom Goetter (finalist, TOP CHEF GERMANY, Season 1); Nicole Gomes (winner, TOP CHEF CANADA, Season 5: All-Stars); Victoire Gouloubi (finalist, TOP CHEF ITALY, Season 2); Charbel Hayek (winner, TOP CHEF MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA, Season 5: Saudi Arabia); Buddha Lo (winner, Bravo's TOP CHEF, Season 19: Houston); Dale MacKay (winner, TOP CHEF CANADA, Season 1); May Phattanant Thongthong (finalist, TOP CHEF THAILAND, Season 1); Begona Rodrigo (winner, TOP CHEF SPAIN, Season 1); Gabriel Rodriguez (winner, TOP CHEF MEXICO, Season 2); Amar Santana (finalist, Bravo's TOP CHEF, Season 13: California); and Sylvia Stachyra (winner, TOP CHEF POLAND, Season 7).

Season 21 of TOP CHEF debuted on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo, featuring an entire season of 75-minute supersized episodes. New host Kristen Kish joins head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons at the judges' table as they head to the Midwest to call Wisconsin home. The new season lands in the energetic culinary scenes of Milwaukee and Madison before embarking on a special high-seas finale with award-winning cruise line Holland America Line. Renowned chef and season 10 winner Kristen Kish takes the helm this season as host, bringing a fresh perspective, new rules and unexpected twists. A new batch of 15 talented, rising star chefs and James Beard nominees from across the country vie for the coveted title, bringing their unique skillsets, culinary heritage and innovative flavors. For the first time in series history, the cheftestants will have the opportunity to win a cash prize at every Quickfire Challenge and immunity will now be up for grabs at the Elimination Challenges, making the winning chef safe in the next episode. Making the stakes even higher, Colicchio and Simmons will also lend their expertise as they join Kish at Quickfire Challenges for the back half of the season. Cheftestants for the new season are: Kaleena Bliss (Chicago, IL), Kevin D'Andrea (Austin, TX), Alisha Elenz (Chicago, IL), Danny Garcia (New York, NY), Valentine Howell Jr. (Boston, MA), Dan Jacobs (Milwaukee, WI), Manny Barella Lopez (Denver, CO), Savannah Miller (Durham, NC), David Murphy (San Francisco, CA), Kenny Nguyen (Athens, GA), Laura Ozyilmaz (San Francisco, CA), Charly Pierre (New Orleans, LA), Amanda Turner (Austin, TX), Rasika Venkatesa (San Francisco, CA), and Michelle Wallace (Houston, TX). These cheftestants must bring their A-game and inspiration to Wisconsin this season as they go head-to-head in a slew of challenges honoring the state's traditions, local staples and fresh produce. From a cutthroat cheese festival featuring some of Wisconsin's Award winning cheesemakers, to showcasing the versatility of Door County cherries and Wisconsin-grown cranberries, there's no room for error as the judges narrow down the competitors each week to find this season's winner. One challenge takes the chefs to the home of the Milwaukee Brewers for their Famous Racing Sausages Race, but this TOP CHEF version means they're tasked with cooking and elevating five different types of sausages. The cheftestants will also observe a Wisconsin institution -- an old-fashioned Door County fish boil before creating their own with some help from some TOP CHEF alums. In Madison, the chefs pull together a high-end, clever take on a supper club menu and visit a farmer's market to do their shopping for a special Quickfire with guest judge W. Kamau Bell. While this year's Restaurant Wars goes back to the basics, the competition continues to keep the chefs on their toes. Always pushing boundaries, one challenge tasks the chefs to make dishes that are works of art honoring renowned architect and Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright, where another challenge brings in Chef Matty Matheson as a guest judge for a challenge about chaos cuisine, combining cultures and breaking the culinary mold. The chefs have to cook at the top in order to move onto the epic finale cruising on the MS Eurodam in the Caribbean. The first stop is Curacao for one last Quickfire. While onboard, the final four receive a surprise visit from Holland America's Fresh Fish Program Ambassador, Chef Masaharu Morimoto, before having to prepare an eight-course fish-tasting menu for the penultimate episode. In the final meal, the remaining chefs must impress the judges and table of experts by cooking the best four-course meal of their lives in order to be crowned the champion. The winner takes home the $250,000 grand prize provided by the Saratoga Spring Water, a feature in Food & Wine and an appearance at the 41st annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Throughout the competition, TOP CHEF winners, finalists and favorites return to lend their guidance and expertise, including Sara Bradley, Joe Flamm, Jeremy Ford, Gregory Gourdet, Stephanie Izard, Carla Hall, Ed Lee, Mei Lin, Buddha Lo, Kwame Onwuachi, Shota Najikama, Amar Santana, Justin Sutherland and Bryan Voltaggio. The elite rotating judging and dining panel this season includes Dane Baldwin, Charlie Berens, Ryan Braun, Paul Bartolotta, Dominique Crenn, Curtis Duffy, Clea Duvall, Andrew Kroeger, Emeril Lagasse, Hunter Lewis, Bricia Lopez, Tory Miller, Itaru Nagano, Carrie Nahabedian, Joe Papach, Shaina Papach, Justin Pichetrungsi, Sofia Roe, Sean Sherman, Adam Siegel, Helmi Smeulders, Art Smith, Brittany Snow, Elena Terry, Christina Tosi, Erick Williams, and David Zilber.
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On Thursday, June 19, 2024 from 9-10:15pm ET/PT, Bravo premiered "Cruising to a Win," the 75-minute Season 21 finale of TOP CHEF. The three remaining chefs -- Dan Jacobs, Danny Garcia & Savannah Miller -- must create the best four-course progressive meal of their careers; the chefs will present their dishes to a lineup of culinary greats.

TOP CHEF has been renewed for a 22nd season.