In its upcoming 14th season, Top Chef will be going where it's never gone before. When the culinary competition kicks off with a supersized Season 14 premiere on Thursday, December 1 at 10/9c, not only will we meet eight new cheftestants ready to vie for the coveted title of Top Chef, but we'll also welcome back eight chefs from seasons past, hungry to take home the honor that they weren't able to attain the first time around.
The cheftestants returning for Season 14 are:
Sam Talbot (Season 2: Los Angeles) - Brooklyn, New York
Casey Thompson (Season 3: Miami & Season 8: All-Stars) - Napa Valley, California
Amanda Baumgarten (Season 7: Washington, D.C.) - Chicago, Illinois
Brooke Williamson (Season 10: Seattle) - Los Angeles, California
Sheldon Simeon (Season 10: Seattle) - Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
John Tesar (Season 10: Seattle) - Dallas, Texas
Shirley Chung (Season 11: New Orleans) - Orange County, California
Katsuji Tanabe (Season 12: Boston) - Los Angeles, California
Whoa. The rookie chefs are clearly going to have their work cut out for them in Season 14. Get reacquainted with the newbies, below:
Annie Pettry Louisville, Kentucky
BJ Smith Portland, Oregon
Emily Hahn Charleston, South Carolina
Gerald Sombright Marco Island, Florida
Jamie Lynch Charlotte, North Carolina
Jim Smith Montgomery, Alabama
Silvia Barban Brooklyn, New York
Sylva Senat Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In order to win the grand prize of $125,000 furnished by S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a feature inFOOD & WINE magazine, a showcase at the annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, and, of course, the coveted title of Top Chef, the cheftestants will have to impress an illustrious panel of judges, including host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons, as well as new judge and Top Chef Masters alum Graham Elliot.
Along the way, some of the biggest culinary stars of today will also serve as guest judges, such as Daniel Humm, William Guidara, Jeremiah Tower, Dominique Ansel, Sean Brock, Frank Lee, Richard Blais, Chris Cosentino, Michael Voltaggio, Hugh Acheson, BJ Dennis, Carey Morey, Nilou Motamed, Mike Lata, John Currence, Alexander Smalls,Michael Cimarusti, and Michael Solomonov.
This season, the cheftestants will be heading down to Charleston, South Carolina, and as such, they will be challenged in the best of southern cuisine, such as cooking for barbecue king Rodney Scott to the soundtrack of Darius Rucker, paying tribute to Edna Lewis, and firing up some shrimp and grits. One sure-to-be-unforgettable challenge will task the cheftestants with cooking for culinary legends in order to win the chance to serve the winning dish at the James Beard House in New York. Yes, the dreaded Sudden Death Quickfires will make a return as well.