Ready, set, cook! Top Chef is set to premiere its 19th season on Thursday, March 3, as the Emmy-winning Bravo series takes on Houston, Texas.
This year’s crop of 15 cheftestants include culinary masters from all over the States who will compete to impress returning host Padma Lakshmi, judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, and as usual, a vast list of famed guests like Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud and Wylie Dufresne, in addition to past contestants like Tiffany Derry, Hung Huynh and Kwame Onwuachi.
According to a Bravo press release, contestants “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.”
This season will include a variety of challenges, including 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.”
Other challenges inspired by the Lone Star state will highlight beloved staples like BBQ, biscuits, queso and the classic Tex-Mex fajita.
In the action-packed trailer, contestant Jackson Kalb references a common side effect of COVID-19, claiming, “I lost my sense of smell and taste. I am terrified.”
Top Chef’s Emmy-winning digital companion series Last Chance Kitchen, which is hosted by Colicchio, will also return as eliminated chefs compete for a chance to get back into the competition.
Top Chef premieres on Bravo with a supersized episode on Thursday, March 3, at 8 p.m. Scroll down to meet the 15 chefs competing on season 18…