‘Top Chef: Houston’ Season 19 Full Cast List: Meet Padma Lakshmi and other star chefs
‘Top Chef: Houston’ Season 19 will premiere on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 7 pm.
The chefs will put their unique spin on renowned regional dishes in the all-new season, while simultaneously immersing themselves in the ethnic mix that has come to define Houston's culinary culture. Houston has the country's greatest Nigerian population. The chefs will be put to the test in a quickfire featuring Nigerian cuisine and an elimination challenge requiring them to serve Houstonians at an Asian Night Market inspired by the city's major Asian groups. As the cooks prepare space-friendly food for former astronauts and travel out to the Gulf with Tom for an incredible fishing adventure, Houston offers unlimited opportunities.
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Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi is a New York Times best-selling author and Emmy-nominated television host, producer, and cuisine expert. Lakshmi is the host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy-winning series 'Top Chef', for which she has received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Host of a Reality-Competition Program. Lakshmi is a co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) and an Artist Ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for immigration and women's rights. Lakshmi was also appointed a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador. Born in India and raised in the United States, Lakshmi earned a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature from Clark University. She began her career as a fashion model and actress in Europe and the United States, earning the title of India's first supermodel.
Tom Colicchio
Tom Colicchio is the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which operates Craft, Temple Court, and Small Batch in New York, Craft Los Angeles in Los Angeles, and Heritage Steak and Craftsteak in Las Vegas. Colicchio made his New York cooking debut at The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Gramercy Tavern before founding Craft in 2001. He's also the presenter of 'Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen', an Emmy-winning digital companion video series on BravoTV.com. He has published 'Think Like a Chef' (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001, Craft of Cooking (2003), and a sandwich book inspired by Wichcraft (2009). By serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, and Wholesome Wave, Colicchio and his restaurants give back to the community.
Gail Simmons
Gail Simmons is a well-versed chef, food writer, and dynamic television personality. She has given her experience as a permanent judge on Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series 'Top Chef', now in its 19th consecutive season, since the show's launch in 2006. Her debut book, 'Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater' was released in February 2012. Simmons has been on NBC's 'TODAY', 'Rachael Ray', and 'The Talk', among other daytime shows, and was rated the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post. She serves on the boards of numerous additional charitable and nonprofit organizations, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen.
Contestants who will feature on the show this season include:
Sarah Welch
Sarah is Marrow's Executive Chef, founding member, and equity partner. She is also the co-founder of Mink, a seafood-focused restaurant in Corktown, Detroit. Sarah received her culinary training at the prestigious International Culinary Center in New York City after graduating from Michigan State University with a business degree.
Nick Wallace
Nick Wallace is the owner and chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, Nick Wallace Catering, Nissan Café by Nick Wallace, and "CHURN Creameries," which will open shortly. Born and reared in Mississippi, he began his culinary education at a young age in the kitchens of his grandmothers, where he gathered the expertise and direction that sparked his passion for food. Nick has worked as the Executive Chef at a number of the country's most prestigious institutions and hotels.
Ashleigh Shanti
Ashleigh Shanti is the chef and founder of Good Hot Fish, a pop-up fish fry in Asheville, North Carolina. Ashleigh studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College after receiving her Bachelor's in Marketing from Hampton University. She polished her abilities at a range of places, from Northern Italian to Classic French, but her culinary love language is Southern Appalachian food.
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller is the chef and owner of Butterhorn in Bismarck, ND, as well as the owner of Shelter Belt. Stephanie shifted gears after pre-med at the University of North Dakota and went to Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis for culinary school. She spent the following seven years cooking under Lenny Russo and Doug Flicker, two James Beard Award-winning chefs. Following her time as Executive Chef at Piccolo, a James Beard-nominated restaurant, she moved on to Italian Eatery, which was named Minneapolis' Best Italian by Mpls St. Paul Magazine in 2016.
Buddha Lo
Buddha Lo is the Executive Chef of Huso, a Michelin-starred restaurant located within Marky's Caviar that offers an eight-course tasting menu. Working with his father in his family's Chinese restaurant in Port Douglas, Australia, Buddha acquired the fundamentals of flavor and kitchen rules at an early age.
Luke Kolpin
Luke Kolpin, a Seattle native, began his culinary career at Seattle Central College's culinary department. Luke went on to work at a number of Seattle restaurants after graduation, including Canlis, an expensive fine dining restaurant. He took a position as a chef at Noma, a three-Michelin-starred, world-renowned restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, under Chef Rene Redzepi.
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Sam Kang
Sam Kang, a native of Southern California, moved to New York in 2010 with only $700 in his pocket and the ambition of becoming a head chef. Chef Sam has been focusing on his new love for teaching and educating children about cuisine since 2020.
Jackson Kalb
Jackson Kalb, together with his wife Melissa, is the chef and owner of Jame Enoteca and Ospi in Los Angeles, California. He's also the chef and a partner of Wake&Late.
Jae Jung
Chef Jae Jung is the owner and chef of KJUN, a New York City-based Korean-Cajun pop-up. Chef Jae, a native of Seoul, moved to the United States in 2009 to study at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She relocated to New Orleans after college and fell in love with Cajun cooking while working in the kitchens of some of the city's most well-known restaurants, including August, Domenica, Herbsaint, and Dooky Chase.
Robert Hernandez
Robert Hernandez is a San Francisco-based private chef. He grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs, where his love of food was nurtured by family gatherings and his mother's cooking.
Leia Gaccione
Leia is the owner and chef of the south+pine American restaurant in Morristown, New Jersey. Before launching south+pine in 2015, she studied culinary arts and restaurant management at the New York Restaurant School and worked in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Las Vegas. Leia has hosted the documentary film 'Her Name Is Chef' and has been on 'Iron Chef America', 'Beat Bobby Flay', 'Iron Chef Showdown', and 'Chopped'.
Evelyn Garcia
Chef Evelyn Garcia, a Houston native with parents from Mexico and El Salvador, is the chef and co-owner of Kin HTX. Kin HTX has evolved and showcased Evelyn's enthusiasm for Southeast Asian cuisines and local agriculture through pop-ups, chef residencies, a restaurant, and a product line.
Monique Feybesse
Chef Monique Feybesse, a San Francisco native, began her career in 2007 after graduating from the California Culinary Academy and joining the opening teams of Madera at Rosewood Sand Hill and Masa's in San Francisco.
Jo Chan
Jo Chan attended the San Diego Culinary Institute after graduating from San Diego State University. In 2018, she relocated to Austin and accepted the position of Executive Chef at Eberly. In this city, she has discovered a solid community and aspires to strengthen her roots in the coming years.
Damarr Brown
Damarr Brown is the Chef de Cuisine of Virtue, a restaurant on Chicago's south side. Damarr studied culinary arts at Chicago's Le Cordon Bleu College and continued his training at some of the city's finest kitchens, including mk, the Capital Grille, and Roister, a Michelin-starred restaurant.
