It’s time to get excited, Top Chef fans! Very soon we’ll hear the familiar phrase “pack your knives and go.” Season 23 will kick off down south in the Carolinas, where the cheftestants will have to work with ingredients like sweet potatoes, livermush, and Carolina Reaper peppers. And I’m sure Tom Colicchio will be eating plenty of his not-so-favorite vegetable: okra. Check out the trailer below to see what’s in store!
Top Chef Season 23 heads to the Carolinas
Our favorite trio of judges are back again for Top Chef Season 23. Kristen Kish, Tom, and Gail Simmons will judge the cheftestants as per usual. And this time they are all headed to the Carolinas.
Specifically, they will be filming in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a few episodes sprinkled in Greenville, South Carolina, for good measure. Gotta get those Southern Charm folks to judge, after all.
There will be a hefty $250,000 grand prize provided by Graza Olive Oil. And along the way they can also win immunity, advantages, or cash prizes, with more than $150,000 up for grabs. Not a bad day’s work.
It seems they are also hoping to recreate the magic of past brother cheftestants Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio by casting twin brothers Jonathan Dearden and Brandon Dearden. And for the first time ever, they casted a pair of life partners who co-own and operate their own restaurant: Jennifer Lee Jackson and Justin Tootla.
Here is the complete list of cheftestants:
- Sieger Bayer – Chicago, IL
- Jassi Bindra – Houston, TX
- Sherry Cardoso – Brooklyn, NY
- Brittany Cochran – Charlotte, NC
- Oscar Diaz – Durham, NC
- Brandon Dearden – Hamilton, MT
- Jonathan Dearden – Alexandria, VA
- Duyen Ha – Los Angeles, CA
- Jennifer Lee Jackson – Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, MI
- Anthony Jones – Alexandria, VA
- Day Anaїs Joseph – Atlanta, GA
- Laurence Louie – Quincy, MA
- Rhoda Magbitang – Kailua-Kona, HI
- Justin Tootla – Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, MI
- Nana Araba Wilmot – Cherry Hill, NJ
Fans can get a sneak peek of the first episode on March 3rd on Peacock, Bravo’s YouTube channel, and VOD. Get your popcorn ready!
Top Chef Season 23 premieres Monday, March 9, at 9/8c on Bravo. It can be streamed on Peacock the next day.
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