Word on the street is that they will be selling single day tickets for the Art Coast Food & Wine Festival as soon as this weekend! You wouldn't need to buy the whole weekend pass in order to meet Kristen Saturday in Saugatuck, MI! Let me know if you're going - I'd love to meet up with other KK fans :D Or other food & wine fans haha! Also, the leave are JUST starting to change over here so it is going to be a beautiful time to visit!

I’m a huge top chef fan but started at season 5! Watched all of them and decided to finally watch the first 5 ive missed.

Honestly its hard to watch with the bullying of Marcel and im not even at the infamous shave thing (that I know because of here and all star maybe?) The way they gang up on him constantly, especially Ilan and Betty, im disgusted (and Sam now in the 7 deadly sins which Im watching at this moment 😅)

I always read the Marcel was a douche but the way I see it, I would be worse to them if it was me in the corner. ‘What did I ever do to you?’ His first response to a bitchy Betty, glad he said it

My question is, now in 2026, rewatching it, do you feel comfortable with that season? (Also dont spoil the end I have a good feeling on who won based of the drama I read and who showed up on all star)

As I’m rewatching this season, I forgot about Eddie “Money”. 🤑He reappears as sous chef a few more times later in the season and could not put my finger on why he looked so familiar. 🤔
During the finale I finally figured it out ..🎯🎯

I have only watched a few seasons of top chef but i think season 9 was the worst!

I am curious if any of the bullies had been fired from their jobs due to how they were on the show?

I mean sarah worked for Tony and Lyndsy worked for Michelle, i can't imagine they would be impressed, or is that how they are in their kitchens, wonder if that did damage to their resturants.

I can't stand heather but hearing she was getting death threats is horrible but also hearing her not regret how she treated Bev was just rude.

Ok big scary title but let me explain.

Im watching season 3 right now, and twice, TWICE women are shamed and scolded out for not "standing up to" Howie. One Sara even got sent home for it.

This is a big, loud, physical man is a bully. But nooo its both Saras' fault for not saying, no Howie we're doing this.

Now. If you grew up Femme presenting, whether you were aware or not, were conditioned to placate men. We compromise, we step back, we let them have their way. Because its safer. And then people in charge, men in charge, say "well why didnt you fight?" Bc we've been told a man could kill us.

And lets not pretend that almost every woman in a professional kitchen hasnt been threatened, made to feel uncomfortable, even abused, by the men in the kitchen.

I love Tom Colichio but I wish someone had explained it to him this season. I think Howie would have gone home much earlier.

Doing a rewatch of Season 22 and Tatiana Hong is telling her story and running through her family and casually mentions her brother ( she’d adopted) while this pops across the screen- her brother is actor Reid Scott ( Dan Egan in VEEP!)

I know there are several "Best Season" threads, but I'm curious what seasons you think had the best cooking. I just rewatched Season 15, which was a really touching season with great contestant:judge chemistry, but I feel like the chefs were often critiqued for not doing their best cooking throughout the season.

What seasons have the highest caliber of cooking acumen, in your opinion?

one of the funniest moments from the earlier seasons

For me season 8 Jamie, i felt she should have gone home instead of Jen Carrol and then Josie in season 10.

Top Chef 25 would be a VERY strong chance for another all stars season, with Gregory saying he would be open to competing one more time I could see us getting some true legends back if scheduling works.. who do you see in that case coming back?

Knowing how they cast I could see this being a group:

Guys: Massimo (22), Soo (21), Damarr (19), Shota (18), Sheldon (14), Isaac (13), Gregory (12), Doug (12), Edward (9),

Woman: Sara (19), Evelyn (19), Jamie (18), Sara (18), Carrie (15), Shirley (13), Nina (11), Beverly (9), Nyesha (9)

Re-watching season 16: It's very strange to me how the contestants treat Brother when he gets in from LCK. Of course I understand not being thrilled with a new person entering, and all rooting for Nini to come back, but the hostility towards him and weird jubilation at his elimination just felt cruel to me. 1) He's still a person and fellow chef and 2) haven't they all watched the previous season? I would expect them to know Brother and have respect for him going in.

The whole attitude felt weirdly cliquey and mean.

I can't speak to whether or not he deserved to come back in and be eliminated so quickly without tasting the food, but the attitude from the others felt really off. It's like they all agreed that he was NOT part of the season 16 team. Like they all bonded over rejecting him. I found it especially confusing because Brother always struck me as quite a good-natured and likable guy, talented yet humble... He definitely deserved way better.

EDIT: Just listened to the PYK podcast episode with him. He spoke about how the second ejection from the show brought up some serious trauma for him at the time, and why he made the decision not to return to LCK again. At the same time, it sounded like he's doing much better now. He also spoke about the S16 chefs with a lot of graciousness and understanding, and said he never felt anyone was directly disrespectful to him. Classy guy.

Just saw Gregory Gourdet outside my hotel in Healdsburg, CA with a group of other chefs that I couldn’t identify. Can anyone identify other folks in these bad pics? The shuttle driver said they were filming in town but I’d heard nothing.

ETA: Joe Sasto and friends were at breakfast this morning! https://imgur.com/a/tZKjmYG

There is a Food & Wine Festival in Saugatuck, MI (Southwest coast of Michigan) that Kristen Kish will be hosting and doing a meet and greet + special fireside chat for the VIPS! Its November 5-7, 2026. Every guest will also get a signed copy of her new book! I cannot WAIT for this one of a kind experience.

KK is coming back to West Michigan for the Saugatuck Food & Wine Festival!

Planning my 30th! Going for the weekend. Got Bouchon bistro Friday night and alpha omega on Saturday afternoon any other places or wineries? Thank you in advance.

For me it was Brian Voltaggio. I like Micheal but i thought Brian should have won season 6.

Of all the seasons of Top Chef, can you name your favorite contestant of all seasons? Mine; Sheldon Simeon season 10 and season 14. Who’s yours?

Whyyyyy do they need to keep this BEEP-BEEP-BEEP, BEEP-BEEP-BEEP, BEEP-BEEP-BEEP part of the show. Makes my dog go crazy? Im sure this is a "me" problem but I just dont understand the value of keeping that when you're already doing a countdown, etc.

Is anyone going to Melissa King's book tour? I'll be in New York where she's talking to Padma and I'm soooooo excited

https://www.chefmelissaking.com/book-tour

As I’m rewatching all seasons of TC, I never realized how many eps Tony Bourdain appeared in. Since his passing I haven’t watched much with him in it bc it’s just too sad. Did they ever do a tribute episode or something to acknowledge or memorialize his heavy presence within the franchise? If not they should have. Would have been nice to see an ode to what he brought to the show. I know he and Eric were besties, and he’s the one who found him, so it might just be too painful.

On another note…do they make the stew room uncomfortable on purpose? I think I remember someone saying it’s hot in there. Also, for season 8 they really ran the chefs ragged with sleep deprivation and being overworked and sitting in hard chairs for hours does not seem very humane. 🤨

Are they just favorites of Tom, Gail and Padma/Kristen? Having just watched the first 22 seasons straight through, it seems Stephanie, Blais, Gregory, Nina and Ed have shown up the most. Sam has been back a few times as well. So it’s clearly not just winners.

I do NOT remember this scene on the museum challenge when Jen basically yells at the judges for being the losing team, arguing with Tom. The look on their faces when Jen said her dish was not bland. And Antonia calling Jamie out for not duct taping her finger and pushing through instead of going to get 2 stitches when she cut her finger. Jen saying it “made no difference that Jamie wasn’t here” yikes! 😳This team brought the drama! 🎭

I always loved top chef and I watched some of the seasons while they were airing but most of the seasons I watched after they were already done. Finally I finished the last season today. I know there are many other top chef series from other countries and also some like juniors or amateurs or desserts. Which ones would you recommend as a must watch for an original main series fan? (any familiar faces would help too)

I’m sorry if this seems like an unnecessarily negative post but would love to get opinions on contestants that really get under your skin! Whether it’s based on their food, abilities, personality?

On the heels of the recent Nick vs Nina post, I highly recommend everyone watch King George’s.

The film follows chef Georges Perrier, and his Philadelphia-based restaurant Le Bec-Fin. The restaurant was considered to be one of the best in the United States, but the chef shuttered the location after over 40 years of operation. The film's focus is on a chef past their prime, but highlights the close relationship he has mentoring his apprentice Nick Elmi.

It also has tons of guest appearances from fan favorites of top chef such as Eric Riper, Daniel Boloud, a young Eddie Konrad, and more.

You don’t have to like Nick’s top chef performance, or like him but this is a great companion piece that gives some context to why he is the way he is.

Nick aside, it’s a great film for food lovers of all kinds.