Who is Stephanie Cmar? 'Top Chef Amateurs' judge started her career at the age of 15
Reality cooking shows aren't for the faint of heart -- for the 24 amateur cooks, it is a chance to prove that they have what it takes, as they get ready to battle it out on 'Top Chef Amateurs'. Bravo's latest cooking show will see these chefs taking on some classic challenges, with a bit of help from the show's alumni, who will be cooking alongside them.
If you're looking for other culinary shows to check out, you might want to consider 'MasterChef Legends', 'The Chef Show', 'Chopped Junior' and 'BBQ Brawl'.
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Who is Chef Stephanie Cmar?
Cmar's began her career at age 15, when she worked at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, Massachusetts. She later graduated from Johnson & Wales University. Cmar has worked at B&G Oysters, Stir, No.9 Park and even operated a pop-up doughnut shop called Stacked Donuts. She went on to become the executive chef at Fairsted Kitchen in Boston, after which she became a private chef.
She's competed 3 times
Cmar's run on 'Top Chef' has been an interesting one, seeing that she was a part of season 10, along with Kristen Kish, who went to culinary school with her. Kish won the competition, but Cmar made a comeback in 'Top Chef: New Orleans'.
The second time around, she was placed 7th -- her elimination was not well-received by fans, seeing that she had to leave the contest on a mere technicality. Cmar was on the same team as Nicholas Elmi, whose dish landed them in the bottom.
But Elmi had won the previous episode and had immunity. This led to the judges with no choice but to eliminate Cmar. She made it back on season 17 of 'Top Chef: All-Stars' and proved that she was a force in the kitchen, making it to finals.
'My Shitty Little Kitchen'
While the 'Top Chef' kitchen is over the top and has everything a chef could ever want, Cmar launched her own show at the start of the quarantine, called 'My Shitty Little Kitchen', where she tries out a range of recipes, all while cooking in her tiny kitchen, equipped with just basic tools.
The show goes to prove that it isn't about how fancy or over the top your space is, you can always make the most of what you have. "I always thought, this is the worst kitchen you could imagine for two chefs," Cmar explained while talking to Boston Magazine.
"I've gotten the most positive DMs from people, like, 'I also have a small kitchen and I don't know what to do.' I've been able to connect with people who think it's impossible," she added.
Chef Stephanie Cmar makes a comeback on' Top Chef Amateurs' as part of the 'Top Chef' alum to help the amateur cooks as they race against the clock while tackling challenges.
She will also be a part of the judge's panel this season, alongside Eric Adjepong, Richard Blais, Jennifer Caroll, Shirley Chung, Tiffany Derry, Joe Flamm, Gregory Gourdet, Melissa King, Kwame Onwuachi, Dale Talde and Isaac Toups.
Catch Bravo's 'Top Chef Amatuers' on July 1, 2021 at 9/8c.