When will 'Top Chef' Season 21 drop? Air date, cast and plot of Bravo's cooking show without Padma Lakshmi
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: It is time to begin cooking on 'Top Chef' Season 21, as the award-winning series returns in a major manner in March.
With a complete season of supersized episodes, Season 21 of 'Top Chef' will premiere on Bravo on Wednesday, March 20 from 9 to 10.15 pm. The episodes will be accessible the next day on Peacock.
Following the premiere of 'Top Chef' Season 21, BravoTV.com will launch a brand-new digital aftershow, 'The Dish with Kish'.
Bravo's digital companion series 'Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen' will also return for Season 13 on Wednesday, March 27.
How to watch 'Top Chef' Season 21?
'Top Chef' airs on Bravo every Thursday at 9 pm ET. The episodes will then be accessible the next day on Peacock. View 'Top Chef' episodes at Bravo.com.
What to expect from 'Top Chef' Season 21?
Season 21 of 'Top Chef' will undoubtedly be memorable, as for the first time in the show's history, cheftestants will be able to win a cash prize at each Quickfire Challenge.
An immunity will now be up for grabs at the Elimination Challenges, ensuring the winning chef's safety in the next episode.
As they join host Kristen Kish at Quickfire Challenges for the second half of the season, head judge Tom Colicchio and longtime judge Gail Simmons will also contribute their knowledge, raising the stakes even further.
A fresh group of fifteen exceptional, up-and-coming chefs and James Beard contenders from throughout the nation will be participating.
Cheftestants must bring their A-game and imagination to Wisconsin this season, where they will compete in a variety of tasks honoring the state's traditions, local staples, and fresh vegetables.
From a competitive cheese festival featuring some of Wisconsin's award-winning cheesemakers to highlighting the flexibility of Door County cherries and Wisconsin-grown cranberries, the judges leave little room for mistakes as they narrow down the contenders each week to choose this season's winner.
One assignment brings the cooks to the home of the Milwaukee Brewers for their Famous Racing Sausages Race, but this 'Top Chef' version requires them to prepare and elevate five different varieties of sausages.
The cheftestants will also see a Wisconsin tradition—an old-fashioned Door County fish boil—before making their own with the assistance of some 'Top Chef' alumni.
In Madison, the cooks create a high-end, creative supper club menu and buy it at a farmer's market for a special Quickfire with guest judge W. Kamau Bell.
While this year's Restaurant Wars returns to the basics, the rivalry keeps the cooks on their toes.
Always pushing the envelope, one challenge requires the chefs to create works of art in honor of renowned architect and Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright.
Another features Chef Matty Matheson ('The Bear') as a guest judge for a challenge about chaos cuisine, cultural fusion, and culinary innovation.
To advance to the dramatic finale cruising aboard the MS Eurodam in the Caribbean, the chefs must cook at the highest level. The first destination is Curaçao for one last Quickfire.
While onboard, the last four receive a surprise visit from Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Holland America's Fresh Fish Programme Ambassador, before preparing an eight-course fish-tasting feast for the penultimate episode.
To be proclaimed champion, the surviving chefs must please the judges and the expert table by cooking the finest four-course dinner of their lives.
The winner receives the $250K grand prize donated by Saratoga Spring Water, a profile in Food & Wine, and an appearance at the 41st annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
Who stars in 'Top Chef' Season 21?
While we were heartbroken by her exit, it also sparked conjecture about who might replace her.
Fortunately for 'Top Chef', they did not have to travel far. Kristen, the winner of 'Top Chef' Season 10, will take on the role of host and judge for Season 21. She has extensive experience with the show, having gone through the process and even appeared as a guest judge.
She has also honed her hosting skills since winning and presenting series which includes Travel Channel's '36 Hours' and Netflix's 'Iron Chef' revival.
This season's rotating judging and dining panel includes David Zilber, Erick Williams, Christina Tosi, Elena Terry, Brittany Snow, Art Smith, Helmi Smeulders, Adam Siegel, Sean Sherman, Sofia Roe, Justin Pichetrungsi, Shaina Papach, Joe Papach, Carrie Nahabedian, Itaru Nagano, Tory Miller, Bricia Lopez, Hunter Lewis, Emeril Lagasse, Andrew Kroeger, Clea Duvall, Curtis Duffy, Dominique Crenn, Paul Bartolotta, Ryan Braun, Charlie Berens, and Dane Baldwin.
Throughout the competition, 'Top Chef' winners, finalists, and favorites such as Bryan Voltaggio, Justin Sutherland, Amar Santana, Shota Najikama, Kwame Onwuachi, Buddha Lo, Mei Lin, Ed Lee, Carla Hall, Stephanie Izard, Gregory Gourdet, Jeremy Ford, Joe Flamm, and Sara Bradley return to offer advice and expertise.
Top Chef Season 21 cheftestants
Michelle Wallace - Houston, TX
Rasika Venkatesa - San Francisco, CA
Amanda Turner - Austin, TX
Charly Pierre - New Orleans, LA
Laura Ozyilmaz - San Francisco, CA
Kenny Nguyen - Athens, GA
David Murphy - San Francisco, CA
Savannah Miller - Durham, NC
Barella Lopez - Denver, CO
Dan Jacobs - Milwaukee, WI Manny
Valentine Howell Jr. - Boston, MA
Danny Garcia - New York, NY
Alisha Elenz - Chicago, IL
Kevin D’Andrea - Austin, TX
Kaleena Bliss - Chicago, IL
'Top Chef' Season 21 premieres on Wednesday, March 20. The first episode will air at 9 pm Eastern on Bravo.