Season 21 Premiere, Top Chef, March 20, 2024, Bravo

Bravo’s popular culinary competition show, “Top Chef,” is back for its 21st season with exciting new flavors and a change in location. Hosted by Kristen Kish, who herself was a winner on the show, and featuring head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons, the upcoming season will take place in the Midwest, specifically Wisconsin.

The new season of “Top Chef” will premiere on Wednesday, March 20 on Bravo, with supersized episodes airing every Wednesday night from 9-10:15 p.m. Additionally, episodes will be available to stream on Peacock the day after they air.

This Emmy-winning series, produced by Magical Elves, will showcase the vibrant culinary scenes of Milwaukee and Madison before culminating in a special high-seas finale aboard Holland America Line’s cruise ship. This season brings forth renowned chef and former winner Kristen Kish as the host, offering fresh perspectives, new rules, and unexpected twists.

Fifteen talented chefs from across the country will compete for the coveted title. With diverse backgrounds and unique culinary heritage, these rising stars will bring their innovative flavors and skillsets to impress both the judges and viewers alike.

In a first-time twist for the series, cheftestants will have an opportunity to win cash prizes during Quickfire Challenges. Additionally, immunity will now be up for grabs during Elimination Challenges. This means that winning chefs can secure their safety in the next episode. As an added surprise for viewers this season, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons will join Kristen Kish at select Quickfire Challenges in the latter half of the competition.

The list of talented cheftestants competing this season includes individuals like Kaleena Bliss from Chicago; Kevin D’Andrea from Austin; Alisha Elenz from Chicago; Danny Garcia from New York; Valentine Howell Jr. from Boston; Dan Jacobs from Milwaukee; Manny Barella Lopez from Denver; Savannah Miller from Durham; David Murphy from San Francisco; Kenny Nguyen from Athens; Laura Ozyilmaz from San Francisco; Charly Pierre from New Orleans; Amanda Turner from Austin; Rasika Venkatesa from San Francisco, and Michelle Wallace from Houston.

Throughout the season, the chefs will be challenged to showcase their culinary skills and draw inspiration from Wisconsin’s traditions, local staples, and fresh produce. From cheese festivals to cherries of Door County and cranberries of Wisconsin, the cheftestants must bring their A-game to each challenge. They will even have to tackle the task of cooking and elevating five different types of sausages during a special “Top Chef” version of the Famous Racing Sausages(R) Race at the home stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The competition will also include experiences like observing an old-fashioned Door County fish boil, creating their own fish-tasting menu under the guidance of Holland America’s Fresh Fish Program Ambassador Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and designing a four-course meal inspired by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The stakes are high as the chefs battle it out to secure a spot in the epic finale on board MS Eurodam in the Caribbean.

The winner of “Top Chef” season 21 will not only take home a grand prize of $250,000 provided by Saratoga(R) Spring Water but also earn a feature in Food & Wine magazine and an appearance at the 41st annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

In addition to Kristen Kish’s role as host, former “Top Chef” winners, finalists, and fan favorites such as Gregory Gourdet, Stephanie Izard, Mei Lin, Buddha Lo, Amar Santana, Joe Sasto, Marcel Vigneron will return throughout the competition to provide guidance and expertise.

This season’s judging panel features esteemed culinary professionals including Dane Baldwin, Charlie Berens (known for his Manitowoc Minute videos), Ryan Braun (professional baseball player), Paul Bartolotta, Dominique Crenn, Curtis Duffy, Clea Duvall, Andrew Kroeger, Emeril Lagasse, Hunter Lewis, Bricia Lopez, Tory Miller, Itaru Nagano, Carrie Nahabedian, Joe Papach and Shaina Papach of Honey & Rye Bakehouse in Minneapolis. Other notable judges include W. Kamau Bell and Chef Matty Matheson.

Following each episode’s premiere on BravoTV.com, viewers can tune into “The Dish with Kish,” a new digital aftershow presented by Saratoga(R) Spring Water and hosted by Kristen Kish. In each episode of the aftershow, Kish will be joined by a former “Top Chef” contestant to discuss the culinary action and create a new dish inspired by the challenges seen in that week’s episode.

As an additional treat for fans of the show, “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen” returns for season 13 on Wednesday, March 27. Hosted by Tom Colicchio and presented by BMW of North America, this digital companion series gives eliminated chefs the opportunity to battle their way back into the main competition through head-to-head cook-offs.

With its mix of talented chefs showcasing their skills against challenging tasks and beautiful locations around Wisconsin and aboard Holland America Line’s cruise ship MS Eurodam in the Caribbean finale – Season 21 of “Top Chef” promises excitement for food enthusiasts everywhere.