BRAVO’S EMMY AND JAMES BEARD AWARD-WINNING CULINARY COMPETITION SERIES “TOP CHEF” TO SHOWCASE PORTLAND FOR SEASON 18
Bravo’s “Top Chef” will call Portland home for season 18. The Emmy and James Beard Award-Winning series will return in 2021 with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons at the judges table. The upcoming season will feature a new batch of talented chefs battling from PDX to the coast, exploring the famous Hood River Fruit Loop, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory, Tillamook Bay, Tualatin Valley and Willamette Valley wine country. The announcement was made today in partnership with Travel Portland and Travel Oregon.
In a first, this season will also feature an elite rotating judging and dining panel comprised of “Top Chef” All Star winners and finalists including Richard Blais, Carrie Baird, Nina Compton, Tiffany Derry, Gregory Gourdet, Melissa King, Kristen Kish, Edward Lee, Kwame Onwuachi, Amar Santana, Dale Talde and Brooke Williamson.
Production is underway with a comprehensive health and safety plan developed in accordance with CDC guidance, all state and local orders, as well as NBCUniversal’s own safety guidelines. The health and safety of the cast and crew is the priority of Bravo & Magical Elves on all of its shows.
“Portland has been on our radar for the last few years as a burgeoning culinary destination known for its innovative dining scene driven by independent, chef-owned restaurants, local farms and purveyors,” said Shari Levine, Executive Vice President, Current Production, Bravo. ”The city’s unique culture alongside Oregon’s natural pantry of indigenous ingredients and incredible scenic beauty makes it the ultimate chef’s playground and an ideal destination for ‘Top Chef’ to explore.”
“Filming ‘Top Chef’ in the current climate has been possible because of our strong partnership with Bravo and the city of Portland and the state of Oregon. We are excited to highlight the cuisine and culture of the state through our talented chefs and judges. This season promises to be unique in a multitude of ways,” says Magical Elves Co-CEO’s Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon.
Jeff Miller, Travel Portland President and CEO adds, “Considering all our community is facing this year, ‘Top Chef’s selection of Portland as its filming location means more than if we had been selected any other year because it recognizes that, in spite of everything, our city remains a world-class culinary destination. The show will serve as a window into what Portland has to offer when viewers are ready to travel again. This confirms what we know to be true, that the collaborative spirit and innovation of our chefs, purveyors and local brands make this one of the premier culinary communities in the world.”
“We are beyond thrilled that season 18 of ‘Top Chef’ will feature Oregon. Our state is known not only for its scenic wonders, but also for its world-renowned culinary bounty,” said Todd Davidson, CEO at Travel Oregon. “Oregon’s unique food and drink industry is a significant driver of visitation; in fact, studies show that 61% of travelers to the state say culinary-related excursions were the impetus for their trip. ‘Top Chef’ will place an important spotlight on Oregon’s products, places and people, ultimately inspiring visitation and generating economic impact at local and state levels.”
“Top Chef” is produced by the Emmy Award-winning production company Magical Elves with Casey Kriley, Jo Sharon, Doneen Arquines and Hillary Olsen serving as executive producers.
What shows are ALREADY cancelled this season? Check the official cancelled shows 2021/2022 list.
What shows are ALREADY renewed for next season? Check the TV shows renewed 2022-2023 list.
About Top Chef TV Show
BRAVO'S EMMY-WINNING "TOP CHEF" HEADS TO HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR A NEW SEASON PREMIERING THURSDAY, MARCH 3 AT 8 PM ET/PT
Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Series "Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen" Returns Thursday, March 10
The First Season of Peacock's "Top Chef Family Style" to Debut on Bravo
Houston, we have "Top Chef!" Bravo's "Top Chef," will call Houston, the nation's fourth largest city, home for season 19, launching with a supersized premiere on Thursday, March 3 from 8:00 - 9:15 pm ET/PT. The Emmy and James Beard Award-Winning series, produced by Magical Elves, returns with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. Expect the unexpected as 15 talented chefs from across the country vie for the coveted title bringing their unique skillsets, variety of cuisines and gamut of flavors. For a sneak peek, visit:
In the all-new season, the chefs will put their expert take on iconic regional dishes, while also being immersed in the ethnic diversity that has come to define Houston's culinary identity. With the city being home to the largest Nigerian population in the country, the chefs will be put to the test for a quickfire spotlighting Nigerian cuisine and an elimination challenge tasking them to feed Houstonians at an Asian Night Market that draws inspiration from some of the cities' largest Asian communities. The chefs must also mess with Houston, Texas by putting their own spin on beloved staples including BBQ, biscuits, queso and the classic Tex-Mex original, the fajita, which was popularized in the city.
Houston is home to infinite possibilities as the chefs create space-friendly dishes for former astronauts, and head out to the Gulf with Tom for an unforgettable fishing experience. Taking inspiration from Top Chef France's most difficult challenge, Padma tests the chefs to create two dishes that look identical but taste completely different. The competition's signature challenge, Restaurant Wars, ups the ante with an open kitchen concept where the chefs must cook for a full dining room of guests, while also catering to an intimate tasting table for the judges. From paying tribute to the state's female trailblazers to hosting a block party fundraiser to preserve Freedmen's town, the culinary showdown from 15 to 1 "Top Chef," is one for the history books.
Meet the New Cheftestants:
Ashleigh Shanti - Asheville, NC
Buddha Lo - Brooklyn, NY
Damarr Brown - Chicago, IL
Evelyn Garcia - Houston, TX
Jackson Kalb - Los Angeles, CA
Jae Jung - New York, NY
Jo Chan - Austin, TX
Leia Gaccione - Morristown, NJ
Luke Kolpin - Seattle, WA
Monique Feybesse- Vallejo, CA
Nick Wallace - Jackson, MS
Robert Hernandez - San Francisco, CA
Sam Kang - Brooklyn, NY
Sarah Welch - Detroit, MI
Stephanie Miller - Bismarck, ND
*For more information on the cheftestants, please visit Bravotv.com/top-chef
Each week "Top Chef" winners, finalists and favorites return to lend their guidance and expertise including Nyesha Arrington, Dawn Burrell, Kelsey Barnard Clark, Adrienne Cheatham, Tiffany Derry, Joe Flamm, Gregory Gourdet, Hung Huynh, Stephanie Izard, Melissa King, Kristen Kish, Ed Lee, Maria Mazon, Shota Nakajima, Nini Nguyen, Kwame Onwuachi, Sheldon Simeon, Brooke Williamson and Claudette Zepeda.
The chefs must also impress world-renowned chefs Daniel Boulud, Wylie Dufresne, Carlotta Flores, Bricia Lopez, Eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelsson, and Alexander Smalls, while also serving up dishes for acclaimed Houstonian chefs Ope Amosu, Aaron Bludorn, Irma Galvan, Greg Gatlin, Robert Del Grande, Christine Ha, Trong Nguyen, Hugo Ortega, Monica Pope, Chris Shepherd, Kiran Verma and Chris Williams. Hunter Lewis, Editor-in-Chief of FOOD & WINE joins the judges for the final challenge.
The winning chef will earn the coveted title of "Top Chef," $250,000 furnished by S.Pellegrino(R) Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a feature in FOOD & WINE magazine and an appearance at the annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. Throughout the season, chefs will also have the opportunity to earn prizes courtesy of in-show partners Chipotle, Mastercard, Talenti, Universal Pictures' Jurassic Park: Dominion and Vrbo.
Beginning Thursday, March 10, Bravo's Emmy-Winning digital companion series "Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen," hosted by Tom Colicchio, returns for season eleven as the eliminated chefs go head-to-head to try to cook their way back into the competition. Presented by BMW of North America, each week's episode will be available on Bravotv.com, On Demand or wherever you stream Bravo's "Top Chef" at the conclusion of each week's episode.
Every Thursday directly following "Top Chef," Bravo will encore Peacock's "Top Chef Family Style," hosted by Meghan Trainor and Marcus Samuelsson, where 15 exceptionally talented culinary prodigies compete with an adult family member for the chance to be crowned champions.
"Top Chef" continues to rank as the #1 food show across all of cable, with the most recent season averaging over 3 million viewers for each episode and reaching over 9 million viewers across the season. (Source: Food Show: Nielsen, L7, P18-49/P25-54, FY 2021, including food programs across cable, excluding repeats. VOD/Streaming: Rentrak and Adobe Analytics, S17 vs. S16, includes STB, TVE (on+off), dMVPD, and OVD.)
"Top Chef" is produced by the Emmy Award-winning production company Magical Elves with Casey Kriley, Jo Sharon, Doneen Arquines, Hillary Olsen and Gaylen Gawlowski serving as executive producers. "Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen" and "Top Chef Family Style" are also produced by Magical Elves.
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