Who will judge 'Top Chef' Season 21? Culinary legends and food writers ready to taste Wisconsin's gastronomic scene
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Food lovers, hang on to your forks! 'Top Chef' returns for its Season 21, highlighting Wisconsin's gourmet attractions. Join new and returning audiences on March 20 and every Wednesday at 9 pm EST on Bravo.
Making the ante even higher, head judge Tom Colicchio and veteran judge Gail Simmons will join host Kristen Kish during Quickfire Challenges for the second half of the season.
Tom Colicchio
Tom Colicchio is the chef and proprietor of Crafted Hospitality, which operates New York's Craft, Temple Court, and Vallata; Long Island's Small Batch Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak restaurants.
He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and began his cooking career in New York at prestigious restaurants such as The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Gramercy Tavern before launching Craft in 2001.
Outside his fine dining establishments, Tom developed ''wichcraft'', a sandwich and salad fast casual concept based on the same cuisine and service concepts as Craft, in New York City in 2003.
To widen his long-standing engagement on food issues, he worked as an executive producer on the 2013 documentary 'A Place at the Table', addressing the root causes of hunger in the United States.
This eye-opening event brought Tom to Washington, DC, where he has remained a fixture in the nation's capital for the past many years.
From holding members of Congress accountable for their voting records on food to collaborating with former First Lady Michelle Obama on the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, Tom has established himself as the leading "Citizen Chef," advocating for a food system that prioritizes access, affordability, and nutrition over corporate profits.
He took this pseudonym to the airwaves in 2020, when he launched a podcast on iHeartRadio. Citizen Chef delves into food and policy concerns alongside legislators, journalists, and food producers, connecting the dots on how our food system works.
In reaction to the Covid-19 outbreak, he co-founded the Independent Restaurant Coalition and helped enact the American Rescue Act.
He is also on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, and Wholesome Wave, and his restaurants support community initiatives such as Edible Schoolyard NYC, FEAST, and God's Love We Deliver.
He resides in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and their three boys. When Tom is not in the kitchen, he may be found tending to his garden on Long Island's North Fork, going fishing, or playing guitar.
Gail Simmons
Gail Simmons is a qualified culinary expert, food writer, and energetic television personality. Since the show began in 2006, she has served as a permanent judge on Bravo's Emmy-winning series 'Top Chef'.
She was most recently a co-host of 'The Good Dish', a daily syndicated series that included delectable recipes, real-life advice, and discussions about current events, and she previously hosted 'Top Chef Amateurs' and 'Iron Chef Canada'.
Gail was the chief reviewer on Top Chef Masters, the host of 'Top Chef Just Desserts', Bravo's pastry-focused offshoot of the 'Top Chef' franchise, and the co-host of 'The Feed', which debuted on FYI in 2014.
In February 2012, she released her debut book, "Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater". Her debut cookbook, "Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating", was published in October 2017.
It was nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook and includes dishes inspired by Gail's global travels—all produced with readily available ingredients and clever, basic techniques for successful family dinners and easy entertaining.
Gail often appears on various daytime television shows, including 'TODAY' on NBC, 'Rachael Ray', and 'The Talk', and was dubbed the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post.
She is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, the co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and the most recent Global Ambassador for Children in Conflict, an international organization dedicated to protecting, educating, and providing critical aid to the world's most vulnerable children affected by war.
Gail serves on the boards of numerous additional nonprofits and humanitarian initiatives, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen.
She now resides in New York City with her husband, Jeremy, and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.
Who are the 'Top Chef' Season 21 guest judges?
This season's rotating judging and dining panel includes Dane Baldwin, Charlie Berens, Ryan Braun, Paul Bartolotta, Dominique Crenn, Curtis Duffy, Clea Duvall, Andrew Kroeger, Emeril Lagasse, Hunter Lewis, Bricia Lopez, Tory Miller, Itaru Nagano, Carrie Nahabedian, Joe Papach, Shaina Papach, Justin Pichetrungsi, Sofia Roe, Sean Sherman, Adam Siegel, Helmi Smeulders, Art Smith, Brittany Snow, Elena Terry, Christina Tosi, Erick Williams, and David Zilber.
Which 'Top Chef' alums will make cameos on Season 21?
Throughout the competition, 'Top Chef' winners, finalists, and favorites such as Sara Bradley, Joe Flamm, Jeremy Ford, Gregory Gourdet, Stephanie Izard, Carla Hall, Ed Lee, Mei Lin, Buddha Lo, Kwame Onwuachi, Shota Najikama, Amar Santana, Justin Sutherland, and Bryan Voltaggio return to offer advice and expertise.
When does 'Top Chef' Season 21 premiere?
'Top Chef' Season 21 premieres on Bravo on Wednesday, March 20, with a complete season of supersized episodes from 9 to 10.15 pm. The episodes will be accessible the next day on Peacock.