he ninth season of the popular TV show “Top Chef” has just begun, and it is sure to be a great one! The contestants are some of the most talented chefs in America, and they have their work cut out for them. There are 14 contestants this year, so we will see plenty of competition as well as delicious dishes. If you want to follow along with what’s happening on the show or find interesting facts about these chefs, then this blog post is for you – keep reading!
Contestants are:
Hugh Acheson: Georgia native with a passion for Southern food, winning numerous James Beard Awards and Top Chef Masters.
Carla Hall: Season two winner of “The Great British Baking Show” in 2007, previously on the show as an advisor.
Richard Blais: Former contestant from season three who is known for his skill with molecular gastronomy and is a James Beard Award winner.
Tiffani Faison: Winner of “Top Chef All-Stars,” known as the southern chef, she’s also won two seasons nine episodes.
Lizzie Binder: Season four runner up, who gained notoriety for her delicious dishes.
Brooke Williamson: Season six winner, known for her creative seafood dishes.
Fabio Viviani: Winner of “Top Chef Masters” who has worked with Wolfgang Puck and is an expert in Italian cuisine.
udy Joo: Korean American chef from Los Angeles, winning the Top Chef Award in 2006.
Rick Moonen: Winner of “Top Chef Masters” and the author of eight cookbooks.
Gail Simmons: Known for her cooking techniques on “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay,” a judge on Top Chef since season two.
Nick Kokonas: A restaurateur from Chicago who runs Alinea, the restaurant with the highest-ever Michelin Star rating.
Who is the winner of season 9?
Fabio Viviani.
Judy Joo, Rick Moonen and Gail Simmons were the other finalists.
Nick Kokonas was a contestant as well but had to withdraw from the competition due to health issues at one point in time.
Brooke Williamson made it all the way to the top four before she was eliminated.
Rick Moonen: Winner of “Top Chef Masters” and the author of eight cookbooks.
Gail Simmons: Known for her cooking techniques on “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay,” a judge on Top Chef since season two.
Nick Kokonas: A restaurateur from Chicago who runs Alinea, the restaurant with the highest-ever Michelin Star rating.
Judy Joo: A restaurateur and chef from Los Angeles who is a judge on Top Chef Masters.
Judy was also a contestant in season two of “Top Chef,” and finished fourth before being eliminated. She then competed in Season Fourteen and finished in seventh place.
Gail returned to the show as a judge from season two onward after being eliminated in the first episode of that season.
She is one of only four judges who has competed and won on Top Chef, with Rick Moonen, Hubert Keller, and Wolfgang Puck all having done so before her.
Top Chef has been nominated for and won a number of awards, including:
Emmy Awards (2009)
James Beard Foundation Awards (2010)
Culinary Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences(2012)
Satellite Award nominations for Outstanding Reality Program Series in 2010, 2011 and 2012
James Beard Award for Outstanding Reality Show in 2012.
The show has been criticized for its lack of diversity, the high number of contestants who have gone on to open their own restaurants (a phenomenon known as “Top Chef Fever”), and what some consider to be an excessive focus on food aesthetics over flavour or substance.
“Top Chef” is an American reality show on Bravo. The contestants are given a series of challenges, usually cooking competitions with a signature dish and other restrictions. Following each episode, the contestant who performed the worst in that challenge is eliminated until only one remains to claim their prize money for winning the competition’s grand title of “Top Chef.”
Who are the judges?
Judges include Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson, Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi.
What is the prize?
The winner of the competition’s grand title of Top Chef receives a large cash prize, usually around $125,000–$200,000 US dollars.
How is a contestant eliminated?
A contestant can be eliminated by being kicked off the show for poor performance in a quickfire (a challenge that takes place within one episode), or if they don’t make it to the finals.
What are some of the past contestants and their dishes from last season?
Past contestants on the show have included chefs like Michael Voltaggio, Wylie Dufresne and Ludo Lefebvre.
One of the most famous dishes from last season was a white truffle risotto with lobster served by Chef Michael Voltaggio.
