Best ‘Top Chef’ Cheftestant
Cooking shows have existed for decades, and cooking competitions have been on Food Network since the 1990s. But Bravo found the perfect recipe for success when it launched “Top Chef” in 2006. Borrowing from the reality competition format of “American Idol,” “Project Runway,” and “America’s Next Top Model” and timed brilliantly to coincide with the rise of the celebrity chef, “Top Chef” has served up a smorgasbord of new culinary stars over its 23 seasons, some of which have gone on to openly wildly successful restaurant empires, and others to lucrative TV cook careers. In honor of the show’s 20th anniversary, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to trim the fat and attempt to name the Best “Top Chef” Cheftestant.
Chefs discussed: Kristen Kish (S10 Seattle), Stephanie Cmar (S11 New Orleans/S17 All Stars L.A.), Nina Compton (S11 New Orleans), Shota Nakajima (S18 Portland), Shirley Chung (S11 New Orleans/S14 Charleston), Richard Blais (S4 Chicago/S8 All Stars), Mei Lin (S12 Boston), Melissa King (S12 Boston/S17 All Stars L.A.), Gregory Gourdet (S12 Boston/S17 All Stars L.A.), Tristen Epps-Long (S22 Destination: Canada), Bryan Voltaggio (S6 Las Vegas/S17 All Stars L.A.), Carla Hall (S5 New York/S8 All Stars), Stephanie Izard (S4 Chicago), Antonia Lofaso (S4 Chicago/S8 All Stars), Brooke Williamson (S10 Seattle/S14 Charleston), Sarah Bradley (S16 Kentucky/S20 World All Stars)
Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Karissa Kloss, Kevin Dillon, and Trey Radu-Blackburn as they discuss and debate 16 of the sharpest chefs to ever compete on seasons 1 through 23 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.”
For the warm-up to this episode, in which we discuss additional “Top Chef” cheftestants that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today.
Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks.
Want to watch the episode instead? As of Season 12, we now have full video episodes up on YouTube. Subscribe to our channel for even more original, exclusive episodes!
Round 1 Match-Ups:
Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here. Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours!
Match-Up 1: Kristen Kish (S10 Seattle) (1) vs. Stephanie Cmar (S11 New Orleans/S17 All Stars L.A.) (4)
Match-Up 2: Nina Compton (S11 New Orleans) (3) vs. Shota Nakajima (S18 Portland) (2)
Match-Up 3: Shirley Chung (S11 New Orleans/S14 Charleston) (1) vs. Richard Blais (S4 Chicago/S8 All Stars) (4)
Match-Up 4: Mei Lin (S12 Boston) (3) vs. Melissa King (S12 Boston/S17 All Stars L.A.) (2)
Match-Up 5: Gregory Gourdet (S12 Boston/S17 All Stars L.A.) (1) vs. Tristen Epps-Long (S22 Destination: Canada) (4)
Match-Up 6: Bryan Voltaggio (S6 Las Vegas/S17 All Stars L.A.) (3) vs. Carla Hall (S5 New York/S8 All Stars) (2)
Match-Up 7: Stephanie Izard (S4 Chicago) (1) vs. Antonia Lofaso (S4 Chicago/S8 All Stars) (4)
Match-Up 8: Brooke Williamson (S10 Seattle/S14 Charleston) (3) vs. Sara Bradley (S16 Kentucky/S20 World All Stars) (2)
Want to play along at home?
Download theListener Bracketand see if your picks match up with ours!
Sign up for our weekly newsletter!
Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox!
Vote in more pop culture polls!
Check out our Open Polls. Your votes determine our future debates!
Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next.
Episode Credits
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Panelists: Karissa Kloss, Kevin Dillon, Trey Radu-Blackburn
Producer: Bob Erlenback
Editor: Eric Rezsnyak
Intro/Outro Song: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch
