Who stars in 'Top Chef' Season 21? 15 contestants compete in Bravo's biggest culinary battle for $250K
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Please stow your knives and stay a long, because 'Top Chef' is officially returning for Season 21. On February 7, the cheftestants' lineup was unveiled, as well as the city location for the forthcoming season.
Kristen Kish, alum and Season 10 champion, will host for the first time for Season 21, with seasoned judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. Meet the chefs competing in Season 21 – and learn all about the new season — below.
Valentine Howell Jr.
Executive Chef Valentine Howell Jr.'s career has led him to work with culinary aristocracy such as Lydia Shire, which has shaped his approach to cooking and expanded his culinary knowledge.
Valentine, a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef in the Northeast in 2023, has gained unique experience from each kitchen.
Born in Boston, Valentine is now concentrating on hosting pop-ups to market his international food concept, Black Cat Eatery, which includes tacos, shared plates of Caribbean, Afro-Latin, and Latin street foods, as well as dishes with his creative twist.
While currently residing in Dorchester, he has also appeared on PBS's 'A Moveable Feast'.
Savannah Miller
After nearly four years of working on New England cuisine, Savannah Miller opted to pursue a job closer to home, joining Chef Michael Lee to help create M Tempura in Durham as Chef De Cuisine in 2018.
During this period, the Southern Pines native worked in a 30-seat tasting menu restaurant for four years, learning everything there was to know about Japanese and Korean cuisine.
She draws inspiration from what is available locally and is passionate about supporting the ecological environment in the region.
Aside from working at the restaurant, Savannah likes spending time at home in Durham with her friends, fiancé, and two cats.
Rasika Venkatesa
Rasika Venkatesa of New York began as a station cook and worked her way up to Chef de Cuisine under the direction of world-renowned Chef Mourad Lahlou.
In 2022, she received the StarChefs Rising Star Award in the San Francisco/Oakland area and worked with chefs from all over the country on numerous culinary events.
Chef Rasika from Chennai, India, is now focusing on her idea, which seeks to redefine Tamil food.
She is presently traveling around Tamil Nadu, learning from local people to grow and expand as a chef in the next stage of her culinary adventure.
Michelle Wallace
Michelle Wallace, from Houston, worked in the renowned fine-dining kitchen of Pêche before going on to a high-end catering firm, which led to a chance with James Beard-nominated veteran Houston pitmaster, Greg Gatlin.
After six years of learning the ropes as a pitmaster and developing her abilities as the Executive Chef at Gatlin's BBQ, Chef Michelle was named CultureMap Houston's Rising Star Chef in 2021.
After being chosen as a member of James Beard's cohort TasteTwenty for their culinary series 'Taste America', Michelle, a St. Louis native, embarked on a new venture and opened B'tween Sandwich Co. in Houston in 2023.
Beginning with small pop-up events across the city, B'tween Sandwich Co. combines numerous culinary techniques while focusing on comfort food, smoked meats, and classic fare for creative sandwich enthusiasts.
Manny Barella
Manny (Manuel) Barella, born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, has been selected as a James Beard semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category for 2022.
Manny who is the president of the Hispanic Chefs Association in Colorado, demonstrates his devotion to assisting others by serving as an ambassador of genuine Mexican food and volunteering his abilities to organizations that promote culinary talent in the community.
Denver-based Manny is presently the Culinary Director for Camp Pickle and Jaguar Bolera, two highly anticipated "eatertainment" concepts that will serve wood-fired foods influenced by Mexican and southern cuisines.
Jaguar Bolera will open in Raleigh and Atlanta in 2024, with Camp Pickle following in Denver and Tulsa in 2025.
Laura Ozyilmaz
Laura Ozyilmaz, born and raised in Mexico, worked at the famed Mugaritz in San Sebastián. She is pleased to be a successful female chef and immigrant, and she takes pride in her fastidious personality.
Laura was named Chef Game Changer by StarChefs and a Rising Star by the San Francisco Chronicle.
She was named a 2024 James Beard Best Chef semifinalist for California.
Kévin D'Andrea
Kévin D'Andrea, a finalist on 'Top Chef France' in 2015, left his profession in France to seek the American dream, moving to Houston to work as Executive Chef at La Villa.
During this period, he acquired a liking for Texas, prompting him to relocate to Austin for Foliepop, where he is now the Executive Chef.
Originally conceived as a French cuisine street café, it has subsequently grown into a booming business-to-business kitchen that serves fine French pastries to high-end events.
Knowing what it takes to make it to the top of the competition series, Kevin is excited to compete on 'Top Chef' and aims to combine his French methods with the influences he has gained from around the world.
Kenny Nguyen
Chef Kenny Nguyen, a first-generation American born in Philadelphia, returned to Georgia during the pandemic to work at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Oconee before accepting an Executive Chef post at the Expat in Athens.
His culinary technique emphasizes the experimentation with food and flavor combinations, yet he draws on his Vietnamese culture to produce innovative recipes.
Kenny was designated a Rising Star in Georgia by Restaurant Informer magazine in 2021.
He is now working on creating his Vietnamese restaurant in Athens called Pretty Boy, which is an homage to his grandmother and the English version of her nickname for him.
Kaleena Bliss
Kaleena Bliss was born and raised in Washington State and was designated a "40 Under 40" honoree by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2022. She has also won multiple nationally televised culinary competitions.
She moved to Chicago in 2023 and now works as the Executive Chef at the Chicago Athletic Association hotel, where she oversees the famed Cindy's Rooftop restaurant as well as the hotel's comprehensive banquet and events program.
Her recipes draw influence from her Pacific Northwest heritage, emphasizing seasonality, location, seafood, wild cuisine, and foraged foods.
Aside from her culinary endeavors, she likes trekking and foraging and is an advocate for improving mental health awareness in the business and beyond.
David Murphy
David Murphy, who was born and reared in Texas, launched Shuggie's Trash Pie + Natural Wine in 2022, a climate change solutions restaurant and bar in San Francisco, where he serves as chef and owner. He and his partner Kayla Abe collaborated to design and build the facility.
Shuggie's, which has been named the best new restaurant by Esquire, Bon Appétit, and the New York Times, serves seductive sharing plates and grandma-style pizzas made using upcycled ingredients, byproducts, and offcuts to help educate people about the impact of food waste on our climate issue.
David lives in San Francisco with his partner and their little, renowned bulldog, Beef.
Danny Garcia
Danny Garcia, a proud Brooklyn resident, relocated to Napa in 2017 to join Thomas Keller's team at the French Laundry and then returned to Team USA for the Bocuse d'Or.
He returned to New York in 2019 to serve as Executive Sous Chef for Crown Shy and Saga restaurants, which he co-founded with his old mentor James Kent.
Danny moved to Hong Kong in 2021 to help reopen the highly regarded Belon as Chef de Cuisine.
He returned to New York recently to reconnect with James Kent's team at Saga Hospitality Group, where he is managing the kitchen of a new restaurant set to launch in late 2024.
Dan Jacobs
Born and raised in Chicago, Dan Jacobs and his business partner, Dan Van Rite, are six-time James Beard Best Chef Midwest Semi-Finalists who work outside the kitchen.
The current Milwaukee resident is on the board of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) and was key in raising $28.6 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund in 2021.
He was also one of four independent restauranteurs who spoke with US President Joe Biden.
Dan was diagnosed with Kennedy's Disease, a hereditary neuromuscular disorder that is sometimes misdiagnosed as ALS, the same year he established his eateries.
With an illness that may make ordinary chores like going upstairs or slicing an onion seem daunting, he is happy to manage two successful restaurants while also raising funds for Kennedy's illness awareness.
Charly Pierre
Charly Pierre, a two-time James Beard nominee, worked at fine-dining establishments while completing culinary school at Southern New Hampshire University, hoping to save enough money to pursue his ambition of founding his restaurant.
In 2015, he relocated to New Orleans, where he and his business partner, Eva Churches, founded their Haitian-inspired restaurant Fritai in 2016, winning several best restaurant awards, including Zagat's 30 Under 30 and Eater NOLA's 2022 Restaurant of the Year.
Charly is passionate about his neighborhood and the welfare and care of his employees, and he places high importance on training and creating unlimited chances.
When he is not in the kitchen, Charly can be found in the garage working on his newest automobile project.
Amanda Turner
Amanda Turner of Arlington got the Mentor BKB award for continuing education in 2017, which allowed her to spend four months cooking at DEN and Ryugin in Japan.
She is presently the Chef de Cuisine at Olamaie and has garnered several awards during her career, including being named a James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef in 2022, StarChefs' Rising Star in 2023, and CultureMap's Tastemaker Chef of the Year in 2023.
Amanda, an Austin native incorporates her culinary interests and abilities while attempting to reclaim the notion of fusion.
She continues to highlight the vibrancy and richness of Austin's flora and fauna, as well as the flexibility of modern Southern cuisine, throughout the African diaspora.
Alisha Elenz
Born in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Alisha Elenz specializes in Mediterranean flavors, drawing on her experience cooking Spanish food. She has worked in the restaurant sector for 12 years and advanced fast through the ranks, reaching Executive Chef at the age of 23.
She now runs her own private chef and events company, "Whisk the Night Away," which provides a full restaurant experience in the comfort of your own home.
Furthermore, she is noted for taking a straightforward approach to combining complex flavors that you would not expect to see together.
Who is the host of 'Top Chef' Season 21?
When Padma Lakshmi revealed in June 2023 that she would be leaving 'Top Chef' after season 20, she stunned the culinary community. Although fans were disappointed to see her go, her departure also sparked rumors about who would replace her.
Fortunately, 'Top Chef' did not have to travel far. Kristen Kish, the winner of Season 10, will be joining the show as a judge and host for Season 21.
She has gone through the procedure and even participated as a guest judge, so she has a tonne of knowledge of the program.
Since winning 'Top Chef', she has also gained experience as a host by presenting programs, including Netflix's revival of 'Iron Chef' and the Travel Channel's '36 Hours'.
Who are the judges for 'Top Chef' Season 21?
Tom Colicchio is the chief judge and executive producer of Bravo's 'Top Chef'. He has also won an Emmy, James Beard, and Critics' Choice awards.
Gail Simmons has been a regular judge on Bravo's Emmy, James Beard, and Critics' Choice Award-winning series 'Top Chef' since its beginning in 2006, and the show is now in its 21st season.
When does 'Top Chef' Season 21 premiere?
Season 21 of 'Top Chef' will include supersized episodes. It will premiere on Bravo on Wednesday, March 20 at 9/8c. Episodes will air on Wednesdays at 9/8c and will be available for streaming on Peacock the following day.