Bravo just revealed the eight chefs who will be back for redemption on the new season of the “Top Chef”. Dallas' Most Hated Chef John Tesar and Shinsei's former Executive Chef Casey Thompson are among the contestants giving us something to look forward to this holiday season! According to the Bravo release this season will be "the ultimate challenge of old blood versus new, on the Emmy and James Beard Award winning series, as the chefs head to Charleston to battle it out alongside eight talented “Top Chef” newcomers."
Bravo's show bio of Tesar describes him as a three-time James Beard "Best Southwest Chef" semifinalist and Top Chef season 10 contestant John Tesar is known for his stylish, modern American cuisine prepared with classic European techniques, innovative culinary perspective and no-nonsense personality. Always looking ahead for the next project, Tesar announced he is working with Flatiron Books and Macmillan on a book, Knife: Modern Steak and All American Meats, that will be published in spring 2017.
Thompson is a Texas native who made her professional start under celebrity chef Dean Fearing at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, one of Texas' most historical fine dining restaurants. From there, she opened and became the Executive Chef at one of Dallas' most popular Asian restaurants, Shinsei. She currently works as the Executive Chef for the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area and continues her private dining business in the Napa Valley.
This season their competition will be:
Sam Talbot (Season 2: Los Angeles) Brooklyn, NY
Amanda Baumgarten (Season 7: Washington, D.C.) Chicago, IL
Brooke Williamson (Season 10: Seattle) Los Angeles, CA
Sheldon Simeon (Season 10: Seattle) Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Shirley Chung (Season 11: New Orleans) Orange County, CA
Katsuji Tanabe (Season 12: Boston) Los Angeles, CA
Top Chef will premiere Thursday, December 1 with a supersized premiere from 9:00 – 10:15pm CST. In a new twist this season, directly following the second episode on Thursday, December 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, BravoTV.com will kick off the sixth season of the Emmy Award-winning, groundbreaking digital video series, “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen,” sponsored by Hidden Valley® and hosted by Tom Colicchio. Each week, the eliminated cheftestants face-off head-to-head in a pressure-filled battle to compete for the ultimate prize – redemption and a spot back in the “Top Chef” finale.