Chad White

chefchadwhite chefchadwhite chefchadwhite

AGE: 32
HOMETOWN: Currently resides in Spokane, WA
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner of La Justina in Tijuana, Mexico, Craft Pizza Company in La Jolla, CA and recently opened Zona Blanca, a ceviche bar in Spokane, WA
CULINARY EDUCATION: Culinary Art Program – U.S. Navy/Air Force at Lackland Airforce Base, San Antonio, TX
FAVORITE SIMPLE FALL DESSERT RECIPE: Chayote Squash Cake with Buttermilk Gelato and Mezcal and Tart Cherry Compote

With an eye toward producing eclectic urban style and Baja influenced food, Chef Chad White's cuisine is unlimited in scope or boundary. Born in Spokane, WA, he trained in classic French and Mediterranean cuisine. After traveling, cooking and falling in love with Mexico and its culture, Chad decided to open La Justina in Tijuana and Craft Pizza Co. and Común Taqueria in San Diego and has quickly become a local favorite. His wild creativity, authentic sense of flavor and style and organic fearlessness drive his kitchen to deliver food that's outside the borders full of flavors beyond expectation.

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.

Padma was born in India and grew up in America. She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India's first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model, working in Europe and the United States.

Padma established herself as a food expert early in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, which has over 150 recipes from around the world alongside intriguing personal essays. In 2016, She released her food memoir, The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate, followed shortly thereafter by The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

In addition to her food writing, she has also contributed to such magazines as Vogue, Gourmet and both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

For the Food Network, she hosted Padma's Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. She also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series on the Food Network and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. Padma was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as host and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Show. Other television credits include co-hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated morning news program.

In 2009, Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America alongside world-renowned Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. After suffering from the disease for decades herself, she has been able to make amazing strides with the foundation, like launching the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT, where she gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009. Her efforts were recently recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 15,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

In addition to these projects, Padma is a savvy businesswoman with multiple companies of her own. Her debut home décor line, The Padma Collection, hit Bloomingdale's stores nationwide with tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces. She also created Padma's Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, and natural spice blends, to hard goods.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, produced and directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush, by Kristi Jacobson. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States.

In an effort to broaden his long-standing social and political activism, Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Wholesome Wave and Food Policy Action. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr. She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed..

Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for Best General Cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012.

Gail joined Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she directs special projects, writing a monthly column and working closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure, she has been responsible for overseeing the annual Classic in Aspen, America’s premier culinary event. Prior to working at Food & Wine, Gail was the special events manager for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked as the assistant to Vogue magazine’s esteemed food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten. Throughout her career, Gail has contributed to several books, including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Steingarten, Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City and The New American Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

In 2014, Gail and her business partner Samantha Hanks, founded Bumble Pie Productions, an original content company dedicated to discovering and promoting new female voices in the food and lifestyle space. Their first series, “Star Plates”—a collaboration with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment—premiered in Fall 2016 on the Food Network.

In addition, Gail makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Rachel Ray Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Along with her annual appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, she makes regular appearances at the nation’s foremost culinary festivals, including the Austin Food & Wine Festival and Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

In February 2013, Gail was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Babson College, a mentoring role where she works with student entrepreneurs, helping them develop food-related social enterprises. In April 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gail currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Current Residency: Washington, DC
Occupation: Chef/Owner Pinch & Plate

Chef Eric Adjepong was a finalist on Season 16 of Top Chef in Kentucky, where he used his platform to introduce viewers to traditional Ghanaian cuisine. A first-generation Ghanaian-American, born and raised in New York City, Eric now resides in Washington, D.C., where he is a personal chef, caterer and public health & nutrition professional. He has degrees from Johnson & Wales in Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition (BS) and International Public Health Nutrition (MPH). Eric has cooked in some of NYC’s premier restaurants including two different Michelin Star rated establishments. He is currently focusing on his pop-up series Pinch & Plate that he works on with his wife.

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Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Chef/Owner Fox & the Knife

Top Chef Season 13 frontrunner Karen Akunowicz is the chef and owner of Fox & the Knife enoteca in Boston, which was named one of 2019’s best new restaurants in America by FOOD & WINE magazine, Eater National, Condé Nast Traveler, and Thrillist. Since competing on the California season, Karen won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northeast and was named Boston Magazine’s Best Chef. With degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she gained international work experience as the chef at L’Avian Blu in Modena, Italy. A year later, she returned home to Massachusetts, where she worked alongside James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun at Oleana. In 2011, Karen led the kitchen at Myers+Chang as executive chef, creating dishes that earned her both local and national praise, including a four-star review in The Boston Globe. In 2017, she co-authored The Myers+Chang at Home Cookbook. Karen is proud to be a No Kid Hungry Chef, working with the organization, Share our Strength, to eradicate childhood hunger. She is currently at work on her second cookbook.

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Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Current Residency: Philadelphia, PA & Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Owner Carroll Couture Cuisine; Partner & Co-Executive Chef Spice Finch

A finalist on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas, Jennifer Carroll splits her time between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and is the owner of Carroll Couture Cuisine, her catering and consulting company that has been traveling worldwide, creating fun and delicious experiences for nearly a decade. In 2018, Jennifer and her fiancé opened Spice Finch in her hometown of Philadelphia, where they curate contemporary Mediterranean dishes. Carroll has worked in some of the countries most celebrated restaurants, spending nine years under three Star Michelin Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin and his Philadelphia restaurant 10 Arts. Jennifer has also worked alongside Chef Marcus Samuelsson at the Red Rooster in Harlem and led the opening of his Bermuda restaurant, Samuelsson at Hamilton Princess. Jennifer later moved to D.C. to open Requin. She contributes to many charitable causes, including The American Brain Foundation, Alex's Lemonade Stand, No Kid Hungry, and many more. Addicted to the rush of the competition, Jennifer Carroll is back for one more go after competing on Season 6 in Las Vegas, Season 8: All Stars, Top Chef Duels and on Season 15 in Colorado through Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

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Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Private Chef

A frontrunner on Top Chef Season 11 in New Orleans where she was eliminated after a technicality, Stephanie Cmar is back to show the world she has what it takes. Possessing a genuine passion for cooking from a young age, Stephanie was only 15 when she began working in the food industry at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Stephanie graduated in 2007 from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston, Massachusetts, to begin her career at the Top of the Hub restaurant. From there, she went to work with Barbara Lynch Gruppo as a line cook at B&G Oysters, where she quickly rose through the ranks to the position of sous chef. Stephanie continued to further hone her fine dining skills at restaurants like Stir and No. 9 Park, eventually showcasing her culinary prowess by competing on Top Chef. After the show, she opened the pop-up Stacked Donuts in Boston. In 2015, Stephanie joined Fairsted Kitchen as the executive chef, crafting a menu that reflects her personal cooking style with French and Italian dishes that have a Middle Eastern spin. After a year at Fairsted, Stephanie took a position at Venetian restaurant SRV in Boston’s South End, where she worked to master the art of making pasta. During that time she also worked part time as a private chef and discovered that she loved the creative freedom of working for herself and cooking for small groups. She has since become a full-time private chef for multiple families, and also caters upscale intimate dinner parties.

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Lisa Fernandes

Lisa Fernandes

Current Residency: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Founder/Executive Chef of Sweet Chili

A finalist on Top Chef Season 4 in Chicago, Toronto native Lisa Fernandes is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. With over 20 years of culinary experience, she has worked at several high-end restaurants in NYC including Asia de Cuba, Rain, Public, Mai House and Dos Caminos. In 2013, she launched Sweet Chili food truck featuring her take on southeastern Asian cuisine. She recently opened her first brick and mortar location for Sweet Chili in Bushwick, where she takes inspiration from Asian Cuisines and creates unique dishes and cocktails. While it’s been 10 years since she competed on Top Chef, Lisa has been refining her skills and is ready to show the world she has what it takes to win the title.

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Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Current Residency: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Chef/Owner: Gunshow, Revival, Cold Beer, Gamechanger and Ole Reliable

Chef Kevin Gillespie was a runner up on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas where he earned the title of “Fan Favorite.” His true passion lies in serving his guests quality food by incorporating fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes. After leaving the Top Chef kitchen, Kevin opened his restaurant, Gunshow, in the Glenwood Park neighborhood of Atlanta, focusing on a unique dining style that combines refined and rustic dishes. In 2014, Gunshow earned a spot on GQ magazine's list of "12 Most Outstanding Restaurants." He has since opened four more restaurants Revival, Gamechanger, Ole Reliable and his newest restaurant Cold Beer, which opened in June 2019. Nominated for six James Beard Foundation Awards, Kevin has also been recognized as one of FOOD & WINE’s “The People’s Best New Chef: Southeast” and was also included on Forbes’ food & wine “30 Under 30.” His cookbooks Fire in my Belly and Pure Pork Awesomeness have both received recognition from the James Beard Foundation. After battling cancer, Kevin is always up for a new challenge and is ready to show the world he is stronger than ever.

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Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Current Residency: Portland, OR
Occupation: Director of Culinary Operations, Departure Restaurant

The runner-up on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston, Chef Gregory Gourdet serves as Director of Culinary Operations at Departure Restaurant, overseeing food programming, menus and events. A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and native New Yorker from Queens, he honed his culinary skills within celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant dynasty before moving to Portland in 2008. In the spring of 2010, he took the reins at Departure as Executive Chef, quickly gaining praise for his innovative dishes that combine local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest with meaningful preparations. He made his mark curating local products with the bold flavors and traditions of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea to create modern Asian fare. Throughout his 10-year tenure at Departure, Gregory has played an integral role in Portland’s culinary boom via awards, TV appearances and trips where he’s cooked the bounty of Oregon for diners all over the world. In 2019, he announced he will be opening his own restaurant which will tap into flavors from around the world, with a strong focus on his Haitian heritage. A dedicated trail runner, yoga devotee, and fitness lover, Gregory brings his health-mindedness to the table. His first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health is slated to come out in spring 2021.

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Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Current Residency: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Chef/Culinary Partnerships

Melissa King placed as a finalist on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston and has since been recognized by Thrillist as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and FSR’s “40 under 40: Rising Star.” Her unique Californian cooking style combines hyper-local ingredients with modern techniques and Asian flavors. Born and raised in Los Angeles by her Cantonese mother and Shanghainese father, Melissa took pride in her heritage and learned to cook with a wok by age six. After moonlighting in kitchens while achieving a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine, she went on to graduate at the top of her class from the Culinary Institute of America. Melissa led the kitchens of several Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco (Campton Place, Luce, The Ritz Carlton Dining Room) under acclaimed names such as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel. She has cooked for several notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. Melissa founded a company with a focus on culinary partnerships and experiences. She was named the first chef ambassador for Whole Foods Market and has collaborated on an innovative ice cream line with Humphry Slocombe. Internationally she consulted on the opening of Elle Café Aoyama, a fine dining restaurant in the fashion district of Tokyo, in collaboration with Elle Magazine. As an Asian-American, queer, female chef, Melissa has a passion for supporting the community and giving back to others — working with several organizations supporting women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, food education for youths, and LGBTQ charities such as the Human Rights Campaign, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Brave Trails, and more.

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Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Current Residency: Charlotte, NC
Occupation: Chef Partner 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte & Charleston and Sophia’s Lounge

Chef Jamie Lynch is the Chef Partner of 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC as well as Sophia’s Lounge, located in the heart of Charlotte’s Uptown. Jamie competed on Season 14 of Top Chef in Charleston where he made his mark for his controversial decision to give up immunity. A New York native with a passion for sustainable upscale dining, Jamie attended the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont and upon graduation was offered a position by New York Times' four-star Le Cirque 2000 Restaurant in The Palace Hotel. He went on to gain experience at culinary heavyweights Aureole, Café Boulud, and Tocqueville before moving to Charlotte in 2002 to pursue his dream and open his own restaurant, now with locations in Charlotte & Charleston. He has garnered many accolades such as being voted Best Chef in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 in Charlotte Magazine's "Best of the Best" Awards. In 2018, Jamie and his girlfriend Corey opened Chef Jamie’s Farm, a six-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Belmont, NC furthering his mission of sustainability and supplying local ingredients to his restaurants. He is currently working a new restaurant Tempest in Charleston and a new restaurant concept in Nashville with the team from 5Church, both set to open in 2020. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys farming, riding motorcycles and spending time with his girlfriend, farm dog Harlem and his teenage son.

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Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Current Residency: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Chef/Owner of Herb & Wood and Animae

Chef Brian Malarkey was a finalist on Top Chef Season 3 in Miami. He grew up on a ranch in Oregon, and that foundation of enjoying fresh seafood on the coast landed him to where he is today with 10 restaurants across Southern California. This includes award-winning Herb & Wood in San Diego, which was named one of the country's "Biggest Restaurant Openings" by Zagat, one of America's "10 Best Restaurants" by USA Today and "Restaurant of the Year" by Eater San Diego. After appearing on Top Chef, he opened Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants, which under his guidance expanded across the country and internationally to 10 locations that he sold to the Hakkasan group. In 2018, he resigned to focus on the Puffer Malarkey Restaurants alongside his business partner Christopher Puffer and their talented team. The Puffer Malarkey Restaurants include Herb & Wood, Herb & Eatery, Green Acre, Farmer & The Seahorse, and four more that opened this fall, including Herb & Sea, Animae, NIMA Cafe and Herb & Ranch. Brian attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland (now Le Cordon Bleu) and prior to opening his first restaurant, held positions at several marquee restaurants in Los Angeles, including Chef Michel Richard's Citrus. Brian has supported dozens of organizations and nonprofits throughout the years. He is active in his free time, surfing, paddle boarding, fishing and enjoying life with his wife of 17 years, Chantelle, and their three beautiful children.

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Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Current Residency: New York, NY
Occupation: Chef/Instructor/Recipe Developer

A New York based chef, instructor and recipe developer, Nini Nguyen was a frontrunner on Top Chef Season 16 in Kentucky but was eliminated during Restaurant Wars after being front of house. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Nini combines her Vietnamese heritage and NOLA flair into a unique cooking style. Early in her career, she started as a pastry cook at restaurants like Coquette & Eleven Madison Park. She later moved into savory cooking with the touring pop-up, Dinner Lab. She also has a knack for teaching and mentoring other cooks. She expressed this passion through her work at Cook Space, a recreational cooking school in Brooklyn where she developed the culinary program. As a naturally curious person, Nini’s favorite pastime is roaming through markets in different cities, tasting, smelling and squeezing all the fruits and vegetables she can get her hands on. Since being on Top Chef, Nini has kept herself busy collaborating with chefs, hosting private events and starting a pop-up dinner series.

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Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Current Residency: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Chef, Culinary Consultant and Collaborator

A finalist on Top Chef Season 15 in Colorado, Joe Sasto found his love for cooking as a child, spending time in the kitchen with his mother. Instead of taking the traditional path of culinary school, he spent his undergraduate years at the University of California at Davis, largely sustained by cooking gigs and his driving passion for food. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Joe opened a restaurant as a line cook in Ukiah, CA, earning a swift education in the business, its pitfalls, and a passion of the restaurant world. He then decided it was time to move to San Francisco, and began to work under Chef Jason Berthold, making the rise from line cook to sous chef in just six short months. Following a break to travel through Europe, he brought his newly found international inspiration to San Francisco at Quince’s rustic Italian sister-restaurant Cotogna, before moving over to the highly acclaimed Quince. Under Chef Michael Tusk, he spent over three years at the restaurant contributing to its rise from one to three-Michelin stars. Learning the ropes and roots from one of America’s most celebrated Italian-influenced chefs, Joe was ultimately trusted to manage the handmade pasta program. Joe continued to grow and moved on to become Executive Sous Chef at Lazy Bear with Chef David Barzelay. while there, he contributed in the restaurant’s rise from one to two-Michelin stars. Joe moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to help a friend open a restaurant, serving as the Executive Chef. Currently, Chef Joe is outside of the "traditional" restaurant, hosting private events, fine-dining dinner parties and pasta classes as part of his pop-up series Tanto Si. He plans to move back to Northern California, where he is looking forward to opening up his dream restaurant.

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Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Current Residency: San Diego
Occupation: Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula

Angelo Sosa first appeared on Top Chef Season 7 in Washington D.C. where he finished in second place and later returned to compete on Season 8: All-Stars in New York. Born in Connecticut to a Dominican father and an Italian mother, Chef Angelo Sosa earned his stripes in the kitchen working through the ranks with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, consulting for Morimoto restaurants and cooking alongside Alain Ducasse. Since competing, Angelo has opened multiple restaurants including the Michelin Recommended Añejo in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Anejo Tribeca, Mexican cantina Abajo and Death by Tequila named “Best New Restaurant” by San Diego Magazine. He has also released two cookbooks Flavor Exposed: 100 Global Recipes from Sweet to Salty, Earth to Spicy and Healthy Latin Eating: Our Favorite Family Recipes Remixed, the latter, which was a collaboration with TV and radio personality, Angie Martinez. Angelo is currently the Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula and is also working on a separate venture, Wolfie’s Carousel in downtown San Diego. Recently celebrating four years of sobriety, Angelo is full of passion and hopes to empower the world through his culinary expertise and creations.

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Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Current Residency: Frederick, MD
Occupation: Executive Chef/Partner of VOLT, Family Meal, STRFSH, Voltaggio Bros. Steak House, ESTUARY

Two-time runner up Bryan Voltaggio is the only chef who has competed on Top Chef (Season Six: Las Vegas) and Top Chef Masters (Season 5). He is back for Season 17 All Stars LA to prove that he has what it takes to bring home the title. A Maryland native and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan is the executive chef and owner of VOLT, Family Meal, and has three additional restaurants with his brother Michael including Estuary, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House and STRFSH. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Bryan was a cook at Aureole where he met his mentor chef Charlie Palmer. He later was a stagier at Pic, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Valence, France, before reuniting as executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. After working for Charlie Palmer for almost 10 years, he set out on his own opening Volt in 2008, followed by Family Meal in 2012. His latest project, Estuary, opened in March of 2019 and is the third restaurant he opened with his brother Michael. He has also released two cookbooks Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends and VOLT.Ink, the latter which he co-authored with his brother Michael. As a father and chef, Bryan is a passionate philanthropist and has helped raise over one million dollars working with Chefs Cycle and No Kid Hungry to end childhood hunger. He lives with his wife Jennifer and three children in his hometown of Frederick, MD.

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Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Current Residency: Maui, HI
Occupation: Chef/Owner, Koko Head Café, Executive Chef, Hawaiian Airlines, Executive Chef, Papa'aina at the Pioneer Inn

Lee Anne Wong was a contestant on first season of Top Chef in San Francisco and later returned via Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen for Season 15 in Colorado but ended up withdrawing after suffering from altitude sickness while pregnant with her son. A native of Troy, New York, she is the chef and owner of Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii and currently serves as the Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines. Following her Top Chef debut in 2006, Lee Anne was hired as the series' Supervising Culinary Producer for the next six seasons, helping to build the show into what it is today. She graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), formerly known as the French Culinary Institute, and began her culinary training at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit before playing an integral role in the opening of Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Chinese concept, Restaurant 66. In late 2013, she moved from New York City to Honolulu and in 2014, opened Koko Head Cafe, an island-style brunch house in the Kaimuki neighborhood. Opening to popular acclaim, she was recognized on the cover of Honolulu Magazine and has been featured in Bon Appétit, FOOD & WINE, The New York Times, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Huffington Post. In August 2014, Lee Anne released her first cookbook, Dumplings All Day Wong. In March 2017, Lee Anne was named Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines, creating gourmet menus for the airline worldwide. Most recently, she moved to Maui with her husband and son to reimagine the restaurant concept for The Pioneer Inn, Maui's first and oldest hotel, located on the waterfront in historic Lahaina. She is currently also working on a second location for Koko Head Café in Tokyo, scheduled to open in late fall of 2020.

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Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.

Padma was born in India and grew up in America. She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India's first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model, working in Europe and the United States.

Padma established herself as a food expert early in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, which has over 150 recipes from around the world alongside intriguing personal essays. In 2016, She released her food memoir, The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate, followed shortly thereafter by The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

In addition to her food writing, she has also contributed to such magazines as Vogue, Gourmet and both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

For the Food Network, she hosted Padma's Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. She also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series on the Food Network and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. Padma was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as host and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Show. Other television credits include co-hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated morning news program.

In 2009, Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America alongside world-renowned Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. After suffering from the disease for decades herself, she has been able to make amazing strides with the foundation, like launching the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT, where she gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009. Her efforts were recently recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 15,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

In addition to these projects, Padma is a savvy businesswoman with multiple companies of her own. Her debut home décor line, The Padma Collection, hit Bloomingdale's stores nationwide with tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces. She also created Padma's Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, and natural spice blends, to hard goods.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, produced and directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush, by Kristi Jacobson. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States.

In an effort to broaden his long-standing social and political activism, Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Wholesome Wave and Food Policy Action. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr. She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed..

Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for Best General Cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012.

Gail joined Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she directs special projects, writing a monthly column and working closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure, she has been responsible for overseeing the annual Classic in Aspen, America’s premier culinary event. Prior to working at Food & Wine, Gail was the special events manager for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked as the assistant to Vogue magazine’s esteemed food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten. Throughout her career, Gail has contributed to several books, including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Steingarten, Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City and The New American Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

In 2014, Gail and her business partner Samantha Hanks, founded Bumble Pie Productions, an original content company dedicated to discovering and promoting new female voices in the food and lifestyle space. Their first series, “Star Plates”—a collaboration with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment—premiered in Fall 2016 on the Food Network.

In addition, Gail makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Rachel Ray Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Along with her annual appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, she makes regular appearances at the nation’s foremost culinary festivals, including the Austin Food & Wine Festival and Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

In February 2013, Gail was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Babson College, a mentoring role where she works with student entrepreneurs, helping them develop food-related social enterprises. In April 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gail currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Current Residency: Washington, DC
Occupation: Chef/Owner Pinch & Plate

Chef Eric Adjepong was a finalist on Season 16 of Top Chef in Kentucky, where he used his platform to introduce viewers to traditional Ghanaian cuisine. A first-generation Ghanaian-American, born and raised in New York City, Eric now resides in Washington, D.C., where he is a personal chef, caterer and public health & nutrition professional. He has degrees from Johnson & Wales in Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition (BS) and International Public Health Nutrition (MPH). Eric has cooked in some of NYC’s premier restaurants including two different Michelin Star rated establishments. He is currently focusing on his pop-up series Pinch & Plate that he works on with his wife.

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Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Chef/Owner Fox & the Knife

Top Chef Season 13 frontrunner Karen Akunowicz is the chef and owner of Fox & the Knife enoteca in Boston, which was named one of 2019’s best new restaurants in America by FOOD & WINE magazine, Eater National, Condé Nast Traveler, and Thrillist. Since competing on the California season, Karen won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northeast and was named Boston Magazine’s Best Chef. With degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she gained international work experience as the chef at L’Avian Blu in Modena, Italy. A year later, she returned home to Massachusetts, where she worked alongside James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun at Oleana. In 2011, Karen led the kitchen at Myers+Chang as executive chef, creating dishes that earned her both local and national praise, including a four-star review in The Boston Globe. In 2017, she co-authored The Myers+Chang at Home Cookbook. Karen is proud to be a No Kid Hungry Chef, working with the organization, Share our Strength, to eradicate childhood hunger. She is currently at work on her second cookbook.

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Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Current Residency: Philadelphia, PA & Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Owner Carroll Couture Cuisine; Partner & Co-Executive Chef Spice Finch

A finalist on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas, Jennifer Carroll splits her time between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and is the owner of Carroll Couture Cuisine, her catering and consulting company that has been traveling worldwide, creating fun and delicious experiences for nearly a decade. In 2018, Jennifer and her fiancé opened Spice Finch in her hometown of Philadelphia, where they curate contemporary Mediterranean dishes. Carroll has worked in some of the countries most celebrated restaurants, spending nine years under three Star Michelin Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin and his Philadelphia restaurant 10 Arts. Jennifer has also worked alongside Chef Marcus Samuelsson at the Red Rooster in Harlem and led the opening of his Bermuda restaurant, Samuelsson at Hamilton Princess. Jennifer later moved to D.C. to open Requin. She contributes to many charitable causes, including The American Brain Foundation, Alex's Lemonade Stand, No Kid Hungry, and many more. Addicted to the rush of the competition, Jennifer Carroll is back for one more go after competing on Season 6 in Las Vegas, Season 8: All Stars, Top Chef Duels and on Season 15 in Colorado through Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

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Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Private Chef

A frontrunner on Top Chef Season 11 in New Orleans where she was eliminated after a technicality, Stephanie Cmar is back to show the world she has what it takes. Possessing a genuine passion for cooking from a young age, Stephanie was only 15 when she began working in the food industry at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Stephanie graduated in 2007 from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston, Massachusetts, to begin her career at the Top of the Hub restaurant. From there, she went to work with Barbara Lynch Gruppo as a line cook at B&G Oysters, where she quickly rose through the ranks to the position of sous chef. Stephanie continued to further hone her fine dining skills at restaurants like Stir and No. 9 Park, eventually showcasing her culinary prowess by competing on Top Chef. After the show, she opened the pop-up Stacked Donuts in Boston. In 2015, Stephanie joined Fairsted Kitchen as the executive chef, crafting a menu that reflects her personal cooking style with French and Italian dishes that have a Middle Eastern spin. After a year at Fairsted, Stephanie took a position at Venetian restaurant SRV in Boston’s South End, where she worked to master the art of making pasta. During that time she also worked part time as a private chef and discovered that she loved the creative freedom of working for herself and cooking for small groups. She has since become a full-time private chef for multiple families, and also caters upscale intimate dinner parties.

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Lisa Fernandes

Lisa Fernandes

Current Residency: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Founder/Executive Chef of Sweet Chili

A finalist on Top Chef Season 4 in Chicago, Toronto native Lisa Fernandes is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. With over 20 years of culinary experience, she has worked at several high-end restaurants in NYC including Asia de Cuba, Rain, Public, Mai House and Dos Caminos. In 2013, she launched Sweet Chili food truck featuring her take on southeastern Asian cuisine. She recently opened her first brick and mortar location for Sweet Chili in Bushwick, where she takes inspiration from Asian Cuisines and creates unique dishes and cocktails. While it’s been 10 years since she competed on Top Chef, Lisa has been refining her skills and is ready to show the world she has what it takes to win the title.

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Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Current Residency: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Chef/Owner: Gunshow, Revival, Cold Beer, Gamechanger and Ole Reliable

Chef Kevin Gillespie was a runner up on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas where he earned the title of “Fan Favorite.” His true passion lies in serving his guests quality food by incorporating fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes. After leaving the Top Chef kitchen, Kevin opened his restaurant, Gunshow, in the Glenwood Park neighborhood of Atlanta, focusing on a unique dining style that combines refined and rustic dishes. In 2014, Gunshow earned a spot on GQ magazine's list of "12 Most Outstanding Restaurants." He has since opened four more restaurants Revival, Gamechanger, Ole Reliable and his newest restaurant Cold Beer, which opened in June 2019. Nominated for six James Beard Foundation Awards, Kevin has also been recognized as one of FOOD & WINE’s “The People’s Best New Chef: Southeast” and was also included on Forbes’ food & wine “30 Under 30.” His cookbooks Fire in my Belly and Pure Pork Awesomeness have both received recognition from the James Beard Foundation. After battling cancer, Kevin is always up for a new challenge and is ready to show the world he is stronger than ever.

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Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Current Residency: Portland, OR
Occupation: Director of Culinary Operations, Departure Restaurant

The runner-up on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston, Chef Gregory Gourdet serves as Director of Culinary Operations at Departure Restaurant, overseeing food programming, menus and events. A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and native New Yorker from Queens, he honed his culinary skills within celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant dynasty before moving to Portland in 2008. In the spring of 2010, he took the reins at Departure as Executive Chef, quickly gaining praise for his innovative dishes that combine local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest with meaningful preparations. He made his mark curating local products with the bold flavors and traditions of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea to create modern Asian fare. Throughout his 10-year tenure at Departure, Gregory has played an integral role in Portland’s culinary boom via awards, TV appearances and trips where he’s cooked the bounty of Oregon for diners all over the world. In 2019, he announced he will be opening his own restaurant which will tap into flavors from around the world, with a strong focus on his Haitian heritage. A dedicated trail runner, yoga devotee, and fitness lover, Gregory brings his health-mindedness to the table. His first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health is slated to come out in spring 2021.

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Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Current Residency: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Chef/Culinary Partnerships

Melissa King placed as a finalist on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston and has since been recognized by Thrillist as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and FSR’s “40 under 40: Rising Star.” Her unique Californian cooking style combines hyper-local ingredients with modern techniques and Asian flavors. Born and raised in Los Angeles by her Cantonese mother and Shanghainese father, Melissa took pride in her heritage and learned to cook with a wok by age six. After moonlighting in kitchens while achieving a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine, she went on to graduate at the top of her class from the Culinary Institute of America. Melissa led the kitchens of several Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco (Campton Place, Luce, The Ritz Carlton Dining Room) under acclaimed names such as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel. She has cooked for several notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. Melissa founded a company with a focus on culinary partnerships and experiences. She was named the first chef ambassador for Whole Foods Market and has collaborated on an innovative ice cream line with Humphry Slocombe. Internationally she consulted on the opening of Elle Café Aoyama, a fine dining restaurant in the fashion district of Tokyo, in collaboration with Elle Magazine. As an Asian-American, queer, female chef, Melissa has a passion for supporting the community and giving back to others — working with several organizations supporting women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, food education for youths, and LGBTQ charities such as the Human Rights Campaign, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Brave Trails, and more.

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Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Current Residency: Charlotte, NC
Occupation: Chef Partner 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte & Charleston and Sophia’s Lounge

Chef Jamie Lynch is the Chef Partner of 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC as well as Sophia’s Lounge, located in the heart of Charlotte’s Uptown. Jamie competed on Season 14 of Top Chef in Charleston where he made his mark for his controversial decision to give up immunity. A New York native with a passion for sustainable upscale dining, Jamie attended the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont and upon graduation was offered a position by New York Times' four-star Le Cirque 2000 Restaurant in The Palace Hotel. He went on to gain experience at culinary heavyweights Aureole, Café Boulud, and Tocqueville before moving to Charlotte in 2002 to pursue his dream and open his own restaurant, now with locations in Charlotte & Charleston. He has garnered many accolades such as being voted Best Chef in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 in Charlotte Magazine's "Best of the Best" Awards. In 2018, Jamie and his girlfriend Corey opened Chef Jamie’s Farm, a six-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Belmont, NC furthering his mission of sustainability and supplying local ingredients to his restaurants. He is currently working a new restaurant Tempest in Charleston and a new restaurant concept in Nashville with the team from 5Church, both set to open in 2020. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys farming, riding motorcycles and spending time with his girlfriend, farm dog Harlem and his teenage son.

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Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Current Residency: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Chef/Owner of Herb & Wood and Animae

Chef Brian Malarkey was a finalist on Top Chef Season 3 in Miami. He grew up on a ranch in Oregon, and that foundation of enjoying fresh seafood on the coast landed him to where he is today with 10 restaurants across Southern California. This includes award-winning Herb & Wood in San Diego, which was named one of the country's "Biggest Restaurant Openings" by Zagat, one of America's "10 Best Restaurants" by USA Today and "Restaurant of the Year" by Eater San Diego. After appearing on Top Chef, he opened Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants, which under his guidance expanded across the country and internationally to 10 locations that he sold to the Hakkasan group. In 2018, he resigned to focus on the Puffer Malarkey Restaurants alongside his business partner Christopher Puffer and their talented team. The Puffer Malarkey Restaurants include Herb & Wood, Herb & Eatery, Green Acre, Farmer & The Seahorse, and four more that opened this fall, including Herb & Sea, Animae, NIMA Cafe and Herb & Ranch. Brian attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland (now Le Cordon Bleu) and prior to opening his first restaurant, held positions at several marquee restaurants in Los Angeles, including Chef Michel Richard's Citrus. Brian has supported dozens of organizations and nonprofits throughout the years. He is active in his free time, surfing, paddle boarding, fishing and enjoying life with his wife of 17 years, Chantelle, and their three beautiful children.

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Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Current Residency: New York, NY
Occupation: Chef/Instructor/Recipe Developer

A New York based chef, instructor and recipe developer, Nini Nguyen was a frontrunner on Top Chef Season 16 in Kentucky but was eliminated during Restaurant Wars after being front of house. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Nini combines her Vietnamese heritage and NOLA flair into a unique cooking style. Early in her career, she started as a pastry cook at restaurants like Coquette & Eleven Madison Park. She later moved into savory cooking with the touring pop-up, Dinner Lab. She also has a knack for teaching and mentoring other cooks. She expressed this passion through her work at Cook Space, a recreational cooking school in Brooklyn where she developed the culinary program. As a naturally curious person, Nini’s favorite pastime is roaming through markets in different cities, tasting, smelling and squeezing all the fruits and vegetables she can get her hands on. Since being on Top Chef, Nini has kept herself busy collaborating with chefs, hosting private events and starting a pop-up dinner series.

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Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Current Residency: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Chef, Culinary Consultant and Collaborator

A finalist on Top Chef Season 15 in Colorado, Joe Sasto found his love for cooking as a child, spending time in the kitchen with his mother. Instead of taking the traditional path of culinary school, he spent his undergraduate years at the University of California at Davis, largely sustained by cooking gigs and his driving passion for food. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Joe opened a restaurant as a line cook in Ukiah, CA, earning a swift education in the business, its pitfalls, and a passion of the restaurant world. He then decided it was time to move to San Francisco, and began to work under Chef Jason Berthold, making the rise from line cook to sous chef in just six short months. Following a break to travel through Europe, he brought his newly found international inspiration to San Francisco at Quince’s rustic Italian sister-restaurant Cotogna, before moving over to the highly acclaimed Quince. Under Chef Michael Tusk, he spent over three years at the restaurant contributing to its rise from one to three-Michelin stars. Learning the ropes and roots from one of America’s most celebrated Italian-influenced chefs, Joe was ultimately trusted to manage the handmade pasta program. Joe continued to grow and moved on to become Executive Sous Chef at Lazy Bear with Chef David Barzelay. while there, he contributed in the restaurant’s rise from one to two-Michelin stars. Joe moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to help a friend open a restaurant, serving as the Executive Chef. Currently, Chef Joe is outside of the "traditional" restaurant, hosting private events, fine-dining dinner parties and pasta classes as part of his pop-up series Tanto Si. He plans to move back to Northern California, where he is looking forward to opening up his dream restaurant.

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Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Current Residency: San Diego
Occupation: Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula

Angelo Sosa first appeared on Top Chef Season 7 in Washington D.C. where he finished in second place and later returned to compete on Season 8: All-Stars in New York. Born in Connecticut to a Dominican father and an Italian mother, Chef Angelo Sosa earned his stripes in the kitchen working through the ranks with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, consulting for Morimoto restaurants and cooking alongside Alain Ducasse. Since competing, Angelo has opened multiple restaurants including the Michelin Recommended Añejo in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Anejo Tribeca, Mexican cantina Abajo and Death by Tequila named “Best New Restaurant” by San Diego Magazine. He has also released two cookbooks Flavor Exposed: 100 Global Recipes from Sweet to Salty, Earth to Spicy and Healthy Latin Eating: Our Favorite Family Recipes Remixed, the latter, which was a collaboration with TV and radio personality, Angie Martinez. Angelo is currently the Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula and is also working on a separate venture, Wolfie’s Carousel in downtown San Diego. Recently celebrating four years of sobriety, Angelo is full of passion and hopes to empower the world through his culinary expertise and creations.

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Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Current Residency: Frederick, MD
Occupation: Executive Chef/Partner of VOLT, Family Meal, STRFSH, Voltaggio Bros. Steak House, ESTUARY

Two-time runner up Bryan Voltaggio is the only chef who has competed on Top Chef (Season Six: Las Vegas) and Top Chef Masters (Season 5). He is back for Season 17 All Stars LA to prove that he has what it takes to bring home the title. A Maryland native and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan is the executive chef and owner of VOLT, Family Meal, and has three additional restaurants with his brother Michael including Estuary, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House and STRFSH. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Bryan was a cook at Aureole where he met his mentor chef Charlie Palmer. He later was a stagier at Pic, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Valence, France, before reuniting as executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. After working for Charlie Palmer for almost 10 years, he set out on his own opening Volt in 2008, followed by Family Meal in 2012. His latest project, Estuary, opened in March of 2019 and is the third restaurant he opened with his brother Michael. He has also released two cookbooks Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends and VOLT.Ink, the latter which he co-authored with his brother Michael. As a father and chef, Bryan is a passionate philanthropist and has helped raise over one million dollars working with Chefs Cycle and No Kid Hungry to end childhood hunger. He lives with his wife Jennifer and three children in his hometown of Frederick, MD.

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Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Current Residency: Maui, HI
Occupation: Chef/Owner, Koko Head Café, Executive Chef, Hawaiian Airlines, Executive Chef, Papa'aina at the Pioneer Inn

Lee Anne Wong was a contestant on first season of Top Chef in San Francisco and later returned via Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen for Season 15 in Colorado but ended up withdrawing after suffering from altitude sickness while pregnant with her son. A native of Troy, New York, she is the chef and owner of Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii and currently serves as the Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines. Following her Top Chef debut in 2006, Lee Anne was hired as the series' Supervising Culinary Producer for the next six seasons, helping to build the show into what it is today. She graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), formerly known as the French Culinary Institute, and began her culinary training at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit before playing an integral role in the opening of Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Chinese concept, Restaurant 66. In late 2013, she moved from New York City to Honolulu and in 2014, opened Koko Head Cafe, an island-style brunch house in the Kaimuki neighborhood. Opening to popular acclaim, she was recognized on the cover of Honolulu Magazine and has been featured in Bon Appétit, FOOD & WINE, The New York Times, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Huffington Post. In August 2014, Lee Anne released her first cookbook, Dumplings All Day Wong. In March 2017, Lee Anne was named Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines, creating gourmet menus for the airline worldwide. Most recently, she moved to Maui with her husband and son to reimagine the restaurant concept for The Pioneer Inn, Maui's first and oldest hotel, located on the waterfront in historic Lahaina. She is currently also working on a second location for Koko Head Café in Tokyo, scheduled to open in late fall of 2020.

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16 Top Chef Cheftestants Are James Beard Semifinalists

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16 Top Chef Cheftestants Are James Beard Semifinalists

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Top Chef Season 13 Cheftestants: Where Are They Now?

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Top Chef Season 13 Cheftestants: Where Are They Now?

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Last Chance Kitchen Exit Interview: Ep 7

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Last Chance Kitchen Exit Interview: Ep 7

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Is This the Bloodiest Last Chance Kitchen Ever?

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The Cast

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.

Padma was born in India and grew up in America. She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India's first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model, working in Europe and the United States.

Padma established herself as a food expert early in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, which has over 150 recipes from around the world alongside intriguing personal essays. In 2016, She released her food memoir, The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate, followed shortly thereafter by The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

In addition to her food writing, she has also contributed to such magazines as Vogue, Gourmet and both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

For the Food Network, she hosted Padma's Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. She also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series on the Food Network and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. Padma was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as host and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Show. Other television credits include co-hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated morning news program.

In 2009, Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America alongside world-renowned Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. After suffering from the disease for decades herself, she has been able to make amazing strides with the foundation, like launching the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT, where she gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009. Her efforts were recently recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 15,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

In addition to these projects, Padma is a savvy businesswoman with multiple companies of her own. Her debut home décor line, The Padma Collection, hit Bloomingdale's stores nationwide with tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces. She also created Padma's Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, and natural spice blends, to hard goods.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, produced and directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush, by Kristi Jacobson. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States.

In an effort to broaden his long-standing social and political activism, Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Wholesome Wave and Food Policy Action. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr. She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed..

Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for Best General Cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012.

Gail joined Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she directs special projects, writing a monthly column and working closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure, she has been responsible for overseeing the annual Classic in Aspen, America’s premier culinary event. Prior to working at Food & Wine, Gail was the special events manager for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked as the assistant to Vogue magazine’s esteemed food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten. Throughout her career, Gail has contributed to several books, including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Steingarten, Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City and The New American Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

In 2014, Gail and her business partner Samantha Hanks, founded Bumble Pie Productions, an original content company dedicated to discovering and promoting new female voices in the food and lifestyle space. Their first series, “Star Plates”—a collaboration with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment—premiered in Fall 2016 on the Food Network.

In addition, Gail makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Rachel Ray Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Along with her annual appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, she makes regular appearances at the nation’s foremost culinary festivals, including the Austin Food & Wine Festival and Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

In February 2013, Gail was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Babson College, a mentoring role where she works with student entrepreneurs, helping them develop food-related social enterprises. In April 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gail currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Current Residency: Washington, DC
Occupation: Chef/Owner Pinch & Plate

Chef Eric Adjepong was a finalist on Season 16 of Top Chef in Kentucky, where he used his platform to introduce viewers to traditional Ghanaian cuisine. A first-generation Ghanaian-American, born and raised in New York City, Eric now resides in Washington, D.C., where he is a personal chef, caterer and public health & nutrition professional. He has degrees from Johnson & Wales in Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition (BS) and International Public Health Nutrition (MPH). Eric has cooked in some of NYC’s premier restaurants including two different Michelin Star rated establishments. He is currently focusing on his pop-up series Pinch & Plate that he works on with his wife.

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Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Chef/Owner Fox & the Knife

Top Chef Season 13 frontrunner Karen Akunowicz is the chef and owner of Fox & the Knife enoteca in Boston, which was named one of 2019’s best new restaurants in America by FOOD & WINE magazine, Eater National, Condé Nast Traveler, and Thrillist. Since competing on the California season, Karen won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northeast and was named Boston Magazine’s Best Chef. With degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she gained international work experience as the chef at L’Avian Blu in Modena, Italy. A year later, she returned home to Massachusetts, where she worked alongside James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun at Oleana. In 2011, Karen led the kitchen at Myers+Chang as executive chef, creating dishes that earned her both local and national praise, including a four-star review in The Boston Globe. In 2017, she co-authored The Myers+Chang at Home Cookbook. Karen is proud to be a No Kid Hungry Chef, working with the organization, Share our Strength, to eradicate childhood hunger. She is currently at work on her second cookbook.

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Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Current Residency: Philadelphia, PA & Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Owner Carroll Couture Cuisine; Partner & Co-Executive Chef Spice Finch

A finalist on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas, Jennifer Carroll splits her time between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and is the owner of Carroll Couture Cuisine, her catering and consulting company that has been traveling worldwide, creating fun and delicious experiences for nearly a decade. In 2018, Jennifer and her fiancé opened Spice Finch in her hometown of Philadelphia, where they curate contemporary Mediterranean dishes. Carroll has worked in some of the countries most celebrated restaurants, spending nine years under three Star Michelin Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin and his Philadelphia restaurant 10 Arts. Jennifer has also worked alongside Chef Marcus Samuelsson at the Red Rooster in Harlem and led the opening of his Bermuda restaurant, Samuelsson at Hamilton Princess. Jennifer later moved to D.C. to open Requin. She contributes to many charitable causes, including The American Brain Foundation, Alex's Lemonade Stand, No Kid Hungry, and many more. Addicted to the rush of the competition, Jennifer Carroll is back for one more go after competing on Season 6 in Las Vegas, Season 8: All Stars, Top Chef Duels and on Season 15 in Colorado through Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

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Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Private Chef

A frontrunner on Top Chef Season 11 in New Orleans where she was eliminated after a technicality, Stephanie Cmar is back to show the world she has what it takes. Possessing a genuine passion for cooking from a young age, Stephanie was only 15 when she began working in the food industry at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Stephanie graduated in 2007 from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston, Massachusetts, to begin her career at the Top of the Hub restaurant. From there, she went to work with Barbara Lynch Gruppo as a line cook at B&G Oysters, where she quickly rose through the ranks to the position of sous chef. Stephanie continued to further hone her fine dining skills at restaurants like Stir and No. 9 Park, eventually showcasing her culinary prowess by competing on Top Chef. After the show, she opened the pop-up Stacked Donuts in Boston. In 2015, Stephanie joined Fairsted Kitchen as the executive chef, crafting a menu that reflects her personal cooking style with French and Italian dishes that have a Middle Eastern spin. After a year at Fairsted, Stephanie took a position at Venetian restaurant SRV in Boston’s South End, where she worked to master the art of making pasta. During that time she also worked part time as a private chef and discovered that she loved the creative freedom of working for herself and cooking for small groups. She has since become a full-time private chef for multiple families, and also caters upscale intimate dinner parties.

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Lisa Fernandes

Lisa Fernandes

Current Residency: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Founder/Executive Chef of Sweet Chili

A finalist on Top Chef Season 4 in Chicago, Toronto native Lisa Fernandes is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. With over 20 years of culinary experience, she has worked at several high-end restaurants in NYC including Asia de Cuba, Rain, Public, Mai House and Dos Caminos. In 2013, she launched Sweet Chili food truck featuring her take on southeastern Asian cuisine. She recently opened her first brick and mortar location for Sweet Chili in Bushwick, where she takes inspiration from Asian Cuisines and creates unique dishes and cocktails. While it’s been 10 years since she competed on Top Chef, Lisa has been refining her skills and is ready to show the world she has what it takes to win the title.

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Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Current Residency: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Chef/Owner: Gunshow, Revival, Cold Beer, Gamechanger and Ole Reliable

Chef Kevin Gillespie was a runner up on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas where he earned the title of “Fan Favorite.” His true passion lies in serving his guests quality food by incorporating fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes. After leaving the Top Chef kitchen, Kevin opened his restaurant, Gunshow, in the Glenwood Park neighborhood of Atlanta, focusing on a unique dining style that combines refined and rustic dishes. In 2014, Gunshow earned a spot on GQ magazine's list of "12 Most Outstanding Restaurants." He has since opened four more restaurants Revival, Gamechanger, Ole Reliable and his newest restaurant Cold Beer, which opened in June 2019. Nominated for six James Beard Foundation Awards, Kevin has also been recognized as one of FOOD & WINE’s “The People’s Best New Chef: Southeast” and was also included on Forbes’ food & wine “30 Under 30.” His cookbooks Fire in my Belly and Pure Pork Awesomeness have both received recognition from the James Beard Foundation. After battling cancer, Kevin is always up for a new challenge and is ready to show the world he is stronger than ever.

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Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Current Residency: Portland, OR
Occupation: Director of Culinary Operations, Departure Restaurant

The runner-up on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston, Chef Gregory Gourdet serves as Director of Culinary Operations at Departure Restaurant, overseeing food programming, menus and events. A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and native New Yorker from Queens, he honed his culinary skills within celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant dynasty before moving to Portland in 2008. In the spring of 2010, he took the reins at Departure as Executive Chef, quickly gaining praise for his innovative dishes that combine local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest with meaningful preparations. He made his mark curating local products with the bold flavors and traditions of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea to create modern Asian fare. Throughout his 10-year tenure at Departure, Gregory has played an integral role in Portland’s culinary boom via awards, TV appearances and trips where he’s cooked the bounty of Oregon for diners all over the world. In 2019, he announced he will be opening his own restaurant which will tap into flavors from around the world, with a strong focus on his Haitian heritage. A dedicated trail runner, yoga devotee, and fitness lover, Gregory brings his health-mindedness to the table. His first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health is slated to come out in spring 2021.

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Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Current Residency: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Chef/Culinary Partnerships

Melissa King placed as a finalist on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston and has since been recognized by Thrillist as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and FSR’s “40 under 40: Rising Star.” Her unique Californian cooking style combines hyper-local ingredients with modern techniques and Asian flavors. Born and raised in Los Angeles by her Cantonese mother and Shanghainese father, Melissa took pride in her heritage and learned to cook with a wok by age six. After moonlighting in kitchens while achieving a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine, she went on to graduate at the top of her class from the Culinary Institute of America. Melissa led the kitchens of several Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco (Campton Place, Luce, The Ritz Carlton Dining Room) under acclaimed names such as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel. She has cooked for several notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. Melissa founded a company with a focus on culinary partnerships and experiences. She was named the first chef ambassador for Whole Foods Market and has collaborated on an innovative ice cream line with Humphry Slocombe. Internationally she consulted on the opening of Elle Café Aoyama, a fine dining restaurant in the fashion district of Tokyo, in collaboration with Elle Magazine. As an Asian-American, queer, female chef, Melissa has a passion for supporting the community and giving back to others — working with several organizations supporting women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, food education for youths, and LGBTQ charities such as the Human Rights Campaign, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Brave Trails, and more.

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Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Current Residency: Charlotte, NC
Occupation: Chef Partner 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte & Charleston and Sophia’s Lounge

Chef Jamie Lynch is the Chef Partner of 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC as well as Sophia’s Lounge, located in the heart of Charlotte’s Uptown. Jamie competed on Season 14 of Top Chef in Charleston where he made his mark for his controversial decision to give up immunity. A New York native with a passion for sustainable upscale dining, Jamie attended the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont and upon graduation was offered a position by New York Times' four-star Le Cirque 2000 Restaurant in The Palace Hotel. He went on to gain experience at culinary heavyweights Aureole, Café Boulud, and Tocqueville before moving to Charlotte in 2002 to pursue his dream and open his own restaurant, now with locations in Charlotte & Charleston. He has garnered many accolades such as being voted Best Chef in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 in Charlotte Magazine's "Best of the Best" Awards. In 2018, Jamie and his girlfriend Corey opened Chef Jamie’s Farm, a six-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Belmont, NC furthering his mission of sustainability and supplying local ingredients to his restaurants. He is currently working a new restaurant Tempest in Charleston and a new restaurant concept in Nashville with the team from 5Church, both set to open in 2020. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys farming, riding motorcycles and spending time with his girlfriend, farm dog Harlem and his teenage son.

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Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Current Residency: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Chef/Owner of Herb & Wood and Animae

Chef Brian Malarkey was a finalist on Top Chef Season 3 in Miami. He grew up on a ranch in Oregon, and that foundation of enjoying fresh seafood on the coast landed him to where he is today with 10 restaurants across Southern California. This includes award-winning Herb & Wood in San Diego, which was named one of the country's "Biggest Restaurant Openings" by Zagat, one of America's "10 Best Restaurants" by USA Today and "Restaurant of the Year" by Eater San Diego. After appearing on Top Chef, he opened Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants, which under his guidance expanded across the country and internationally to 10 locations that he sold to the Hakkasan group. In 2018, he resigned to focus on the Puffer Malarkey Restaurants alongside his business partner Christopher Puffer and their talented team. The Puffer Malarkey Restaurants include Herb & Wood, Herb & Eatery, Green Acre, Farmer & The Seahorse, and four more that opened this fall, including Herb & Sea, Animae, NIMA Cafe and Herb & Ranch. Brian attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland (now Le Cordon Bleu) and prior to opening his first restaurant, held positions at several marquee restaurants in Los Angeles, including Chef Michel Richard's Citrus. Brian has supported dozens of organizations and nonprofits throughout the years. He is active in his free time, surfing, paddle boarding, fishing and enjoying life with his wife of 17 years, Chantelle, and their three beautiful children.

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Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Current Residency: New York, NY
Occupation: Chef/Instructor/Recipe Developer

A New York based chef, instructor and recipe developer, Nini Nguyen was a frontrunner on Top Chef Season 16 in Kentucky but was eliminated during Restaurant Wars after being front of house. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Nini combines her Vietnamese heritage and NOLA flair into a unique cooking style. Early in her career, she started as a pastry cook at restaurants like Coquette & Eleven Madison Park. She later moved into savory cooking with the touring pop-up, Dinner Lab. She also has a knack for teaching and mentoring other cooks. She expressed this passion through her work at Cook Space, a recreational cooking school in Brooklyn where she developed the culinary program. As a naturally curious person, Nini’s favorite pastime is roaming through markets in different cities, tasting, smelling and squeezing all the fruits and vegetables she can get her hands on. Since being on Top Chef, Nini has kept herself busy collaborating with chefs, hosting private events and starting a pop-up dinner series.

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Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Current Residency: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Chef, Culinary Consultant and Collaborator

A finalist on Top Chef Season 15 in Colorado, Joe Sasto found his love for cooking as a child, spending time in the kitchen with his mother. Instead of taking the traditional path of culinary school, he spent his undergraduate years at the University of California at Davis, largely sustained by cooking gigs and his driving passion for food. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Joe opened a restaurant as a line cook in Ukiah, CA, earning a swift education in the business, its pitfalls, and a passion of the restaurant world. He then decided it was time to move to San Francisco, and began to work under Chef Jason Berthold, making the rise from line cook to sous chef in just six short months. Following a break to travel through Europe, he brought his newly found international inspiration to San Francisco at Quince’s rustic Italian sister-restaurant Cotogna, before moving over to the highly acclaimed Quince. Under Chef Michael Tusk, he spent over three years at the restaurant contributing to its rise from one to three-Michelin stars. Learning the ropes and roots from one of America’s most celebrated Italian-influenced chefs, Joe was ultimately trusted to manage the handmade pasta program. Joe continued to grow and moved on to become Executive Sous Chef at Lazy Bear with Chef David Barzelay. while there, he contributed in the restaurant’s rise from one to two-Michelin stars. Joe moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to help a friend open a restaurant, serving as the Executive Chef. Currently, Chef Joe is outside of the "traditional" restaurant, hosting private events, fine-dining dinner parties and pasta classes as part of his pop-up series Tanto Si. He plans to move back to Northern California, where he is looking forward to opening up his dream restaurant.

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Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Current Residency: San Diego
Occupation: Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula

Angelo Sosa first appeared on Top Chef Season 7 in Washington D.C. where he finished in second place and later returned to compete on Season 8: All-Stars in New York. Born in Connecticut to a Dominican father and an Italian mother, Chef Angelo Sosa earned his stripes in the kitchen working through the ranks with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, consulting for Morimoto restaurants and cooking alongside Alain Ducasse. Since competing, Angelo has opened multiple restaurants including the Michelin Recommended Añejo in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Anejo Tribeca, Mexican cantina Abajo and Death by Tequila named “Best New Restaurant” by San Diego Magazine. He has also released two cookbooks Flavor Exposed: 100 Global Recipes from Sweet to Salty, Earth to Spicy and Healthy Latin Eating: Our Favorite Family Recipes Remixed, the latter, which was a collaboration with TV and radio personality, Angie Martinez. Angelo is currently the Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula and is also working on a separate venture, Wolfie’s Carousel in downtown San Diego. Recently celebrating four years of sobriety, Angelo is full of passion and hopes to empower the world through his culinary expertise and creations.

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Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Current Residency: Frederick, MD
Occupation: Executive Chef/Partner of VOLT, Family Meal, STRFSH, Voltaggio Bros. Steak House, ESTUARY

Two-time runner up Bryan Voltaggio is the only chef who has competed on Top Chef (Season Six: Las Vegas) and Top Chef Masters (Season 5). He is back for Season 17 All Stars LA to prove that he has what it takes to bring home the title. A Maryland native and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan is the executive chef and owner of VOLT, Family Meal, and has three additional restaurants with his brother Michael including Estuary, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House and STRFSH. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Bryan was a cook at Aureole where he met his mentor chef Charlie Palmer. He later was a stagier at Pic, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Valence, France, before reuniting as executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. After working for Charlie Palmer for almost 10 years, he set out on his own opening Volt in 2008, followed by Family Meal in 2012. His latest project, Estuary, opened in March of 2019 and is the third restaurant he opened with his brother Michael. He has also released two cookbooks Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends and VOLT.Ink, the latter which he co-authored with his brother Michael. As a father and chef, Bryan is a passionate philanthropist and has helped raise over one million dollars working with Chefs Cycle and No Kid Hungry to end childhood hunger. He lives with his wife Jennifer and three children in his hometown of Frederick, MD.

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Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Current Residency: Maui, HI
Occupation: Chef/Owner, Koko Head Café, Executive Chef, Hawaiian Airlines, Executive Chef, Papa'aina at the Pioneer Inn

Lee Anne Wong was a contestant on first season of Top Chef in San Francisco and later returned via Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen for Season 15 in Colorado but ended up withdrawing after suffering from altitude sickness while pregnant with her son. A native of Troy, New York, she is the chef and owner of Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii and currently serves as the Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines. Following her Top Chef debut in 2006, Lee Anne was hired as the series' Supervising Culinary Producer for the next six seasons, helping to build the show into what it is today. She graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), formerly known as the French Culinary Institute, and began her culinary training at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit before playing an integral role in the opening of Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Chinese concept, Restaurant 66. In late 2013, she moved from New York City to Honolulu and in 2014, opened Koko Head Cafe, an island-style brunch house in the Kaimuki neighborhood. Opening to popular acclaim, she was recognized on the cover of Honolulu Magazine and has been featured in Bon Appétit, FOOD & WINE, The New York Times, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Huffington Post. In August 2014, Lee Anne released her first cookbook, Dumplings All Day Wong. In March 2017, Lee Anne was named Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines, creating gourmet menus for the airline worldwide. Most recently, she moved to Maui with her husband and son to reimagine the restaurant concept for The Pioneer Inn, Maui's first and oldest hotel, located on the waterfront in historic Lahaina. She is currently also working on a second location for Koko Head Café in Tokyo, scheduled to open in late fall of 2020.

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Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.

Padma was born in India and grew up in America. She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India's first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model, working in Europe and the United States.

Padma established herself as a food expert early in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, which has over 150 recipes from around the world alongside intriguing personal essays. In 2016, She released her food memoir, The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate, followed shortly thereafter by The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

In addition to her food writing, she has also contributed to such magazines as Vogue, Gourmet and both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

For the Food Network, she hosted Padma's Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. She also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series on the Food Network and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. Padma was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as host and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Show. Other television credits include co-hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated morning news program.

In 2009, Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America alongside world-renowned Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. After suffering from the disease for decades herself, she has been able to make amazing strides with the foundation, like launching the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT, where she gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009. Her efforts were recently recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 15,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

In addition to these projects, Padma is a savvy businesswoman with multiple companies of her own. Her debut home décor line, The Padma Collection, hit Bloomingdale's stores nationwide with tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces. She also created Padma's Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, and natural spice blends, to hard goods.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, produced and directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush, by Kristi Jacobson. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States.

In an effort to broaden his long-standing social and political activism, Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Wholesome Wave and Food Policy Action. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr. She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed..

Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for Best General Cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012.

Gail joined Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she directs special projects, writing a monthly column and working closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure, she has been responsible for overseeing the annual Classic in Aspen, America’s premier culinary event. Prior to working at Food & Wine, Gail was the special events manager for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked as the assistant to Vogue magazine’s esteemed food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten. Throughout her career, Gail has contributed to several books, including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Steingarten, Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City and The New American Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

In 2014, Gail and her business partner Samantha Hanks, founded Bumble Pie Productions, an original content company dedicated to discovering and promoting new female voices in the food and lifestyle space. Their first series, “Star Plates”—a collaboration with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment—premiered in Fall 2016 on the Food Network.

In addition, Gail makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Rachel Ray Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Along with her annual appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, she makes regular appearances at the nation’s foremost culinary festivals, including the Austin Food & Wine Festival and Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

In February 2013, Gail was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Babson College, a mentoring role where she works with student entrepreneurs, helping them develop food-related social enterprises. In April 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gail currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Eric Adjepong
@ChefAdjepong

Current Residency: Washington, DC
Occupation: Chef/Owner Pinch & Plate

Chef Eric Adjepong was a finalist on Season 16 of Top Chef in Kentucky, where he used his platform to introduce viewers to traditional Ghanaian cuisine. A first-generation Ghanaian-American, born and raised in New York City, Eric now resides in Washington, D.C., where he is a personal chef, caterer and public health & nutrition professional. He has degrees from Johnson & Wales in Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition (BS) and International Public Health Nutrition (MPH). Eric has cooked in some of NYC’s premier restaurants including two different Michelin Star rated establishments. He is currently focusing on his pop-up series Pinch & Plate that he works on with his wife.

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Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Karen Akunowicz
@KAkunowicz

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Chef/Owner Fox & the Knife

Top Chef Season 13 frontrunner Karen Akunowicz is the chef and owner of Fox & the Knife enoteca in Boston, which was named one of 2019’s best new restaurants in America by FOOD & WINE magazine, Eater National, Condé Nast Traveler, and Thrillist. Since competing on the California season, Karen won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northeast and was named Boston Magazine’s Best Chef. With degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she gained international work experience as the chef at L’Avian Blu in Modena, Italy. A year later, she returned home to Massachusetts, where she worked alongside James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun at Oleana. In 2011, Karen led the kitchen at Myers+Chang as executive chef, creating dishes that earned her both local and national praise, including a four-star review in The Boston Globe. In 2017, she co-authored The Myers+Chang at Home Cookbook. Karen is proud to be a No Kid Hungry Chef, working with the organization, Share our Strength, to eradicate childhood hunger. She is currently at work on her second cookbook.

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Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Jennifer Carroll
@chefjencarroll

Current Residency: Philadelphia, PA & Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Owner Carroll Couture Cuisine; Partner & Co-Executive Chef Spice Finch

A finalist on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas, Jennifer Carroll splits her time between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and is the owner of Carroll Couture Cuisine, her catering and consulting company that has been traveling worldwide, creating fun and delicious experiences for nearly a decade. In 2018, Jennifer and her fiancé opened Spice Finch in her hometown of Philadelphia, where they curate contemporary Mediterranean dishes. Carroll has worked in some of the countries most celebrated restaurants, spending nine years under three Star Michelin Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin and his Philadelphia restaurant 10 Arts. Jennifer has also worked alongside Chef Marcus Samuelsson at the Red Rooster in Harlem and led the opening of his Bermuda restaurant, Samuelsson at Hamilton Princess. Jennifer later moved to D.C. to open Requin. She contributes to many charitable causes, including The American Brain Foundation, Alex's Lemonade Stand, No Kid Hungry, and many more. Addicted to the rush of the competition, Jennifer Carroll is back for one more go after competing on Season 6 in Las Vegas, Season 8: All Stars, Top Chef Duels and on Season 15 in Colorado through Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

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Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Stephanie Cmar
@StephanieCmar

Current Residency: Boston, MA
Occupation: Private Chef

A frontrunner on Top Chef Season 11 in New Orleans where she was eliminated after a technicality, Stephanie Cmar is back to show the world she has what it takes. Possessing a genuine passion for cooking from a young age, Stephanie was only 15 when she began working in the food industry at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Stephanie graduated in 2007 from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston, Massachusetts, to begin her career at the Top of the Hub restaurant. From there, she went to work with Barbara Lynch Gruppo as a line cook at B&G Oysters, where she quickly rose through the ranks to the position of sous chef. Stephanie continued to further hone her fine dining skills at restaurants like Stir and No. 9 Park, eventually showcasing her culinary prowess by competing on Top Chef. After the show, she opened the pop-up Stacked Donuts in Boston. In 2015, Stephanie joined Fairsted Kitchen as the executive chef, crafting a menu that reflects her personal cooking style with French and Italian dishes that have a Middle Eastern spin. After a year at Fairsted, Stephanie took a position at Venetian restaurant SRV in Boston’s South End, where she worked to master the art of making pasta. During that time she also worked part time as a private chef and discovered that she loved the creative freedom of working for herself and cooking for small groups. She has since become a full-time private chef for multiple families, and also caters upscale intimate dinner parties.

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Lisa Fernandes

Lisa Fernandes

Current Residency: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Founder/Executive Chef of Sweet Chili

A finalist on Top Chef Season 4 in Chicago, Toronto native Lisa Fernandes is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. With over 20 years of culinary experience, she has worked at several high-end restaurants in NYC including Asia de Cuba, Rain, Public, Mai House and Dos Caminos. In 2013, she launched Sweet Chili food truck featuring her take on southeastern Asian cuisine. She recently opened her first brick and mortar location for Sweet Chili in Bushwick, where she takes inspiration from Asian Cuisines and creates unique dishes and cocktails. While it’s been 10 years since she competed on Top Chef, Lisa has been refining her skills and is ready to show the world she has what it takes to win the title.

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Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Kevin Gillespie
@topchefkevin

Current Residency: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Chef/Owner: Gunshow, Revival, Cold Beer, Gamechanger and Ole Reliable

Chef Kevin Gillespie was a runner up on Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas where he earned the title of “Fan Favorite.” His true passion lies in serving his guests quality food by incorporating fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes. After leaving the Top Chef kitchen, Kevin opened his restaurant, Gunshow, in the Glenwood Park neighborhood of Atlanta, focusing on a unique dining style that combines refined and rustic dishes. In 2014, Gunshow earned a spot on GQ magazine's list of "12 Most Outstanding Restaurants." He has since opened four more restaurants Revival, Gamechanger, Ole Reliable and his newest restaurant Cold Beer, which opened in June 2019. Nominated for six James Beard Foundation Awards, Kevin has also been recognized as one of FOOD & WINE’s “The People’s Best New Chef: Southeast” and was also included on Forbes’ food & wine “30 Under 30.” His cookbooks Fire in my Belly and Pure Pork Awesomeness have both received recognition from the James Beard Foundation. After battling cancer, Kevin is always up for a new challenge and is ready to show the world he is stronger than ever.

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Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Gregory Gourdet
@GG30000

Current Residency: Portland, OR
Occupation: Director of Culinary Operations, Departure Restaurant

The runner-up on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston, Chef Gregory Gourdet serves as Director of Culinary Operations at Departure Restaurant, overseeing food programming, menus and events. A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and native New Yorker from Queens, he honed his culinary skills within celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant dynasty before moving to Portland in 2008. In the spring of 2010, he took the reins at Departure as Executive Chef, quickly gaining praise for his innovative dishes that combine local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest with meaningful preparations. He made his mark curating local products with the bold flavors and traditions of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea to create modern Asian fare. Throughout his 10-year tenure at Departure, Gregory has played an integral role in Portland’s culinary boom via awards, TV appearances and trips where he’s cooked the bounty of Oregon for diners all over the world. In 2019, he announced he will be opening his own restaurant which will tap into flavors from around the world, with a strong focus on his Haitian heritage. A dedicated trail runner, yoga devotee, and fitness lover, Gregory brings his health-mindedness to the table. His first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health is slated to come out in spring 2021.

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Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Melissa King
@chefmelissaking

Current Residency: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Chef/Culinary Partnerships

Melissa King placed as a finalist on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston and has since been recognized by Thrillist as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and FSR’s “40 under 40: Rising Star.” Her unique Californian cooking style combines hyper-local ingredients with modern techniques and Asian flavors. Born and raised in Los Angeles by her Cantonese mother and Shanghainese father, Melissa took pride in her heritage and learned to cook with a wok by age six. After moonlighting in kitchens while achieving a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine, she went on to graduate at the top of her class from the Culinary Institute of America. Melissa led the kitchens of several Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco (Campton Place, Luce, The Ritz Carlton Dining Room) under acclaimed names such as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel. She has cooked for several notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. Melissa founded a company with a focus on culinary partnerships and experiences. She was named the first chef ambassador for Whole Foods Market and has collaborated on an innovative ice cream line with Humphry Slocombe. Internationally she consulted on the opening of Elle Café Aoyama, a fine dining restaurant in the fashion district of Tokyo, in collaboration with Elle Magazine. As an Asian-American, queer, female chef, Melissa has a passion for supporting the community and giving back to others — working with several organizations supporting women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, food education for youths, and LGBTQ charities such as the Human Rights Campaign, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Brave Trails, and more.

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Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Jamie Lynch
@Chefjamielynch

Current Residency: Charlotte, NC
Occupation: Chef Partner 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte & Charleston and Sophia’s Lounge

Chef Jamie Lynch is the Chef Partner of 5Church Restaurants in Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC as well as Sophia’s Lounge, located in the heart of Charlotte’s Uptown. Jamie competed on Season 14 of Top Chef in Charleston where he made his mark for his controversial decision to give up immunity. A New York native with a passion for sustainable upscale dining, Jamie attended the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont and upon graduation was offered a position by New York Times' four-star Le Cirque 2000 Restaurant in The Palace Hotel. He went on to gain experience at culinary heavyweights Aureole, Café Boulud, and Tocqueville before moving to Charlotte in 2002 to pursue his dream and open his own restaurant, now with locations in Charlotte & Charleston. He has garnered many accolades such as being voted Best Chef in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 in Charlotte Magazine's "Best of the Best" Awards. In 2018, Jamie and his girlfriend Corey opened Chef Jamie’s Farm, a six-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Belmont, NC furthering his mission of sustainability and supplying local ingredients to his restaurants. He is currently working a new restaurant Tempest in Charleston and a new restaurant concept in Nashville with the team from 5Church, both set to open in 2020. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys farming, riding motorcycles and spending time with his girlfriend, farm dog Harlem and his teenage son.

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Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Brian Malarkey
@BrianMalarkey

Current Residency: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Chef/Owner of Herb & Wood and Animae

Chef Brian Malarkey was a finalist on Top Chef Season 3 in Miami. He grew up on a ranch in Oregon, and that foundation of enjoying fresh seafood on the coast landed him to where he is today with 10 restaurants across Southern California. This includes award-winning Herb & Wood in San Diego, which was named one of the country's "Biggest Restaurant Openings" by Zagat, one of America's "10 Best Restaurants" by USA Today and "Restaurant of the Year" by Eater San Diego. After appearing on Top Chef, he opened Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants, which under his guidance expanded across the country and internationally to 10 locations that he sold to the Hakkasan group. In 2018, he resigned to focus on the Puffer Malarkey Restaurants alongside his business partner Christopher Puffer and their talented team. The Puffer Malarkey Restaurants include Herb & Wood, Herb & Eatery, Green Acre, Farmer & The Seahorse, and four more that opened this fall, including Herb & Sea, Animae, NIMA Cafe and Herb & Ranch. Brian attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland (now Le Cordon Bleu) and prior to opening his first restaurant, held positions at several marquee restaurants in Los Angeles, including Chef Michel Richard's Citrus. Brian has supported dozens of organizations and nonprofits throughout the years. He is active in his free time, surfing, paddle boarding, fishing and enjoying life with his wife of 17 years, Chantelle, and their three beautiful children.

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Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Nini Nguyen
@chefnininguyen

Current Residency: New York, NY
Occupation: Chef/Instructor/Recipe Developer

A New York based chef, instructor and recipe developer, Nini Nguyen was a frontrunner on Top Chef Season 16 in Kentucky but was eliminated during Restaurant Wars after being front of house. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Nini combines her Vietnamese heritage and NOLA flair into a unique cooking style. Early in her career, she started as a pastry cook at restaurants like Coquette & Eleven Madison Park. She later moved into savory cooking with the touring pop-up, Dinner Lab. She also has a knack for teaching and mentoring other cooks. She expressed this passion through her work at Cook Space, a recreational cooking school in Brooklyn where she developed the culinary program. As a naturally curious person, Nini’s favorite pastime is roaming through markets in different cities, tasting, smelling and squeezing all the fruits and vegetables she can get her hands on. Since being on Top Chef, Nini has kept herself busy collaborating with chefs, hosting private events and starting a pop-up dinner series.

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Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Joe Sasto
@chefjoesasto

Current Residency: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Chef, Culinary Consultant and Collaborator

A finalist on Top Chef Season 15 in Colorado, Joe Sasto found his love for cooking as a child, spending time in the kitchen with his mother. Instead of taking the traditional path of culinary school, he spent his undergraduate years at the University of California at Davis, largely sustained by cooking gigs and his driving passion for food. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Joe opened a restaurant as a line cook in Ukiah, CA, earning a swift education in the business, its pitfalls, and a passion of the restaurant world. He then decided it was time to move to San Francisco, and began to work under Chef Jason Berthold, making the rise from line cook to sous chef in just six short months. Following a break to travel through Europe, he brought his newly found international inspiration to San Francisco at Quince’s rustic Italian sister-restaurant Cotogna, before moving over to the highly acclaimed Quince. Under Chef Michael Tusk, he spent over three years at the restaurant contributing to its rise from one to three-Michelin stars. Learning the ropes and roots from one of America’s most celebrated Italian-influenced chefs, Joe was ultimately trusted to manage the handmade pasta program. Joe continued to grow and moved on to become Executive Sous Chef at Lazy Bear with Chef David Barzelay. while there, he contributed in the restaurant’s rise from one to two-Michelin stars. Joe moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to help a friend open a restaurant, serving as the Executive Chef. Currently, Chef Joe is outside of the "traditional" restaurant, hosting private events, fine-dining dinner parties and pasta classes as part of his pop-up series Tanto Si. He plans to move back to Northern California, where he is looking forward to opening up his dream restaurant.

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Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Angelo Sosa
@ChefAngeloSosa

Current Residency: San Diego
Occupation: Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula

Angelo Sosa first appeared on Top Chef Season 7 in Washington D.C. where he finished in second place and later returned to compete on Season 8: All-Stars in New York. Born in Connecticut to a Dominican father and an Italian mother, Chef Angelo Sosa earned his stripes in the kitchen working through the ranks with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, consulting for Morimoto restaurants and cooking alongside Alain Ducasse. Since competing, Angelo has opened multiple restaurants including the Michelin Recommended Añejo in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Anejo Tribeca, Mexican cantina Abajo and Death by Tequila named “Best New Restaurant” by San Diego Magazine. He has also released two cookbooks Flavor Exposed: 100 Global Recipes from Sweet to Salty, Earth to Spicy and Healthy Latin Eating: Our Favorite Family Recipes Remixed, the latter, which was a collaboration with TV and radio personality, Angie Martinez. Angelo is currently the Culinary Director of Small Barn Temecula and is also working on a separate venture, Wolfie’s Carousel in downtown San Diego. Recently celebrating four years of sobriety, Angelo is full of passion and hopes to empower the world through his culinary expertise and creations.

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Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Bryan Voltaggio
@bryanvoltaggio

Current Residency: Frederick, MD
Occupation: Executive Chef/Partner of VOLT, Family Meal, STRFSH, Voltaggio Bros. Steak House, ESTUARY

Two-time runner up Bryan Voltaggio is the only chef who has competed on Top Chef (Season Six: Las Vegas) and Top Chef Masters (Season 5). He is back for Season 17 All Stars LA to prove that he has what it takes to bring home the title. A Maryland native and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan is the executive chef and owner of VOLT, Family Meal, and has three additional restaurants with his brother Michael including Estuary, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House and STRFSH. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Bryan was a cook at Aureole where he met his mentor chef Charlie Palmer. He later was a stagier at Pic, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Valence, France, before reuniting as executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. After working for Charlie Palmer for almost 10 years, he set out on his own opening Volt in 2008, followed by Family Meal in 2012. His latest project, Estuary, opened in March of 2019 and is the third restaurant he opened with his brother Michael. He has also released two cookbooks Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends and VOLT.Ink, the latter which he co-authored with his brother Michael. As a father and chef, Bryan is a passionate philanthropist and has helped raise over one million dollars working with Chefs Cycle and No Kid Hungry to end childhood hunger. He lives with his wife Jennifer and three children in his hometown of Frederick, MD.

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Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Lee Anne Wong
@leeannewong

Current Residency: Maui, HI
Occupation: Chef/Owner, Koko Head Café, Executive Chef, Hawaiian Airlines, Executive Chef, Papa'aina at the Pioneer Inn

Lee Anne Wong was a contestant on first season of Top Chef in San Francisco and later returned via Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen for Season 15 in Colorado but ended up withdrawing after suffering from altitude sickness while pregnant with her son. A native of Troy, New York, she is the chef and owner of Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii and currently serves as the Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines. Following her Top Chef debut in 2006, Lee Anne was hired as the series' Supervising Culinary Producer for the next six seasons, helping to build the show into what it is today. She graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), formerly known as the French Culinary Institute, and began her culinary training at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit before playing an integral role in the opening of Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Chinese concept, Restaurant 66. In late 2013, she moved from New York City to Honolulu and in 2014, opened Koko Head Cafe, an island-style brunch house in the Kaimuki neighborhood. Opening to popular acclaim, she was recognized on the cover of Honolulu Magazine and has been featured in Bon Appétit, FOOD & WINE, The New York Times, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Huffington Post. In August 2014, Lee Anne released her first cookbook, Dumplings All Day Wong. In March 2017, Lee Anne was named Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines, creating gourmet menus for the airline worldwide. Most recently, she moved to Maui with her husband and son to reimagine the restaurant concept for The Pioneer Inn, Maui's first and oldest hotel, located on the waterfront in historic Lahaina. She is currently also working on a second location for Koko Head Café in Tokyo, scheduled to open in late fall of 2020.

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