EPISODE #1: Carolina Root.
HOST: Kristen
PRIZE: $250,000
A Feature in Food & Wine magazine,
Appearance at the Food & Wine classic in Aspen,
A Dinner at the James Beard House in NYC,
The Title.
JUDGES: Tom C.,
Gail Simmons.
PLAYERS
1. SIEGER BAYER Exec. Chef Chicago, ILLINOIS
2. JASPRATAP "Jessi" BINDRA (India) Houston, TEXAS
3. SHERRY CARDOSO Chef (Brazil) Brooklyn, NEW YORK
4. BRITTANY COCHRAN Charlotte, NORTH CAROLINA
5. OSCAR DIAZ Durham, NORTH CAROLINA
6. BRANDON DEAREN Hamilton, MONTANA
7. JONATHAN DEARDEN Alexandria, VIRGINIA
8. DUYEN HA Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA
9. JENNIFER LEE JACKSON Detroit, MICHIGAN
10. ANTHONY JONES Alexandria, VIRGINIA
11. DAY ANAII JOSEPH Atlanta, GEORGIA
12. LAURENCE LOUIE Quincy, MASSACHUSETTS
13. RHODA MAGBITANG Kailua-Kona, HAWAII
14. JUSTIN TOOTLA Detroit, MICHIGAN
15. NANA ARABA WILMOT Cherry Hill, NEW JERSEY
ARRIVED AT: Charlotte Speed race
QUICKFIRE CHALLENCE: in group of 3 create a dish in 23 lapse.
Win $15,000
GUEST JUDGE: Kyle Busch, 2x Champion
Jimmy Johnson, 7x Champion.
RED TEAM: Anthony, Brandon, & Sieger,
BLUE TEAM: Jennifer, Jonathan, & Laurence,
YELLOW TEAM: Day, Duyen, & Nana,
GREEN TEAM: Brittany, Jassi, & Justin,
PURPLE TEAM: Oscar, Rhoda, & Sherry.
RESULTS
BOTTOM 2 TEAMS: Red & Green.
TOP 3 TEAMS: Purple, Yellow, & Blue.
WINNING TEAM: Blue Team won $5,000 each.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: Sweet Potatoe.
- Create a dish featuring the sweet Potatoe in 1 hour.
CAROLINA RUBY: Day, Jonathan, Sherry.
MURASAKI: Anthony, Laurence, Nana
PURPLE MAJESTY: Brandon, Justin, Oscar
COVINGTON: Brittany, Jassi, Rhoda
NORTON: Duyen, Jennifer, Sieger.
GUEST JUDGES: Jamie Lynch,
Chayil Johnson, Ex. Chef at Community Matters,
Cheetie Kumar, Chef & Owner Ajja,
Sean Brock, Chef & Owner of Darling
RESULTS
WINNERS OF THE: Ruby is Jonathan, Murasaki is Anthony, The Purple Majesty is Brandon, Covington is Rhoda, and Norton is Duyen.
JUDGES' TABLE
TOP: Anthony, Jonathan, Brandon, Rhoda & Duyen.
WINNER: Rhoda won Immunity.
BOTTOM: Day, Nana, Justin, Brittany & Jennifer.
ELIMINATED: Day.
EPISODE #2: Puckerbutt. 14 Left.
GUEST JUDGE: Mei Lin, Winner of Boston.
- brought w/her Gelato & Sorbetto.
QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE: Gelato & Sorbetto
- Create a savory dish featuring a regional pantry to pair w/a chosen gelato or sorbetto in 30 minutes.
Win $10,000
Nana/Jassi - Indian Pantry,
Sherry/Oscar - Argentinian Pantry,
Laurence/Anthony - Californian Pantry,
Duyen/Brandon - Southern USA Pantry
Rhoda/Brittany - Colombian Pantry,
Jennifer/Justin - Mediterranean Pantry,
Jonathan/ Sieger - Madagascan Pantry.
RESULTS
BOTTOM 3: Brittany, Sieger, & Duyen.
TOP 3: Oscar, Laurence, & Nana.
WINNER: Laurence won $10,000.
Jassi.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: Carolina Reaper.
- working in 2 teams of 7 Create a 7 course progressively hotter meal in 90 minutes.
VIST TO: Puckerbutt Farm.
GREEN TEAM: Anthony, Brittany, Jennifer, Jonathan, Oscar, Sieger, & Rhoda.
RED TEAM: Brandon, Duyen, Jassi, Justin, Laurence, Nana, Sherry.
JUDGES TABLE
WINNING TEAM: Green Team
WINNER: Rhoda - won Immunity.
LOSING TEAM: Red Team.
BOTTOM 3: Justin, Nana, & Jassi.
ELIMINATED: Jassi.
EPISODE #3: True Colors. 13 Left.
GUEST JUDGE: Emeril Lagasse.
QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE: Livermush.
- Create an elevated dish featuring livermush & win $10,000.
LIVERMUSH: delicacy in the Carolinas containing 30% pig liver, cornmeal, spices and other pork part.
- Jennifer injured herself before the show, now it coming back. She went to the hospital.
RESULTS
BOTTOM 3: Nana, Laurence, & Brittany.
TOP 3: Duyen, Anthony, & Rhoda.
WINNER: Anthony won the $10,000
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE:
- Create a dish that feature at least 2 naturally dyed elements.
SERVED AT: Supperland Restaurant.
GUESTS: Jamie Brown, Owner of Tonidandel-Brown,
Jeff Tonidandel,
Amirah Kassen, Owner of Flour Shop.
JUDGES' TABLE
TOP: Anthony, Laurence, & Brandon.
WINNER: Laurence - won Immunity.
BOTTOM: Everybody else.
ELIMINATED: Nana - didn't finish her dish.
EPISODE #4: Pick a Side. 12 Left.
GUEST JUDGE: Tristen Epps-Long, Last Season Winner.
QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE: Wine Flight.
- Make first food fights. As a team Create a food fights to pair w/Josh wines. 4 groups of 3.
RED TEAM: Cheese: Anthony, Duyen, & Jonathan.
CREAM TEAM: Mochi: Laurence, Rhoda, & Sherry.
BLUE TEAM: Egg: Jennifer, Justin, & Sieger.
GREEN TEAM: Seafood:
RESULTS
TOP TEAMS: Red & Blue
WINNER: Blue Team - won $15,000 or $5,000 ea.
ELIMINATIOM CHALLENGE: Sides.
GUEST JUDGE: Greg Collier, Bayhaven Restaurant Group.
- Turn a classic southern side into a main dish in 90 minutes served at Fine & Fettle Restaurant.
VISIT: Deep Root Farm.
JUDGES' TABLE
TOP #3: Sherry, Sieger & Laurence.
WINNER: Sieger.
BOTTOM #3: Anthony, Jennifer, & Brittany.
ELIMINATED: Brittany.
EPISODE #5: Top Chef.
- Jennifer is still hurting. She takes herself out the quickfire challenge.
GUEST JUDGE: Fortune Feimster, Comedian.
QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE: Improvise a dish using the keywords: Christmas, Colorado, & Puffified given by kids. Win $10,000.
NEW TWIST: new word: Corn Nuts.
RESULTS
BOTTOM: Rhoda, Oscar, & Sherry, otherwise she
TOP: Brandon, Sieger, & Jonathan.
WINNER: Brandon win $10,000.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: Create a dish featuring Dehydration in 90 minutes. Served at: U.S. National Whitewater Center.
GUESTS: Katy Kindred, Owner of Kindred,
Joe Kindred, ",
Savannah Miller, Top Chef - Wisconsin Finalist.
JUDGES' TABLE
TOP #3: Anthony, Sherry, Duyen
WINNER: Anthony - won Immunity.
BOTTOM 3: Laurence, Rhoda, & Oscar.
- Jennifer was told by the judges she must complete in the next challenge otherwise she will be sent home.
ELIMINATED: Rhoda.
EPISODE #6: Going Whole Hog. 10 Left.
NO QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: BBQ Showdown.
- in teams of 5, complete Head-Head in BBQ Tournament.
Shoulder, Lion, Belly, Ham, & Chopped.
RED TEAM: Anthony (Capt.): Laurence, Brandon, Duyen, Sherry.
GRAY TEAM: Justin(Capt.): Jennifer, Sieger, Jonathan, & Oscar.
- Served at: Splendor Pond
GUEST JUDGE: Michelle Wallace.
TWIST: Tom asked them to make S'mores.
WINNER - Oscar.
JUDGES' TABLE
WINNING TEAM: Red Team
WINNER: Laurence - won Immunity.
LOSER: Gray Team.
BOTTOM: Sieger, Jonathan, & Justin.
ELIMINATED: Sieger.
EPISODE #7: Desserts Fit for a Queen. 9 left.
QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE: Cracker Barrel Restaurant.
GUEST JUDGE: Madison LeCroy & Craig Conover of Southern Charm.
- Cooking a complete day menu: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner in 45 minutes working in teams of 3 BUT only 1 chef from team can cook at a time.
ORANGE TEAM: Laurence, Oscar, & Sherry.
YELLOW TEAM: Anthony, Brandon, & Jonathan.
GREEN TEAM: Duyen, Jennifer, & Justin.
RESULTS
BOTTOM TEAM: Green Team.
WINNING TEAM : Yellow Team.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: Desserts
GUEST JUDGE: Melissa Benoist, Actress & Superfan.
- Today (day of showing of show, March 8th, 2026, is the 2oth Anniversary of Top Chef )
- Create a dessert fit for a Queen from an southern dessert in 3 hours for 60 superfans.
JUSTIN: Ambrosia Salad, JENN: Atlantic Beach Pie,
ANTHONY: Apple Stack Cake, SHERRY: Sonker,
LAURENCE: Coconut Cake, OSCAR: Moravian Sugar Cake,
JONATHAN: Chocolate Chess Pie, DUYEN: Caramel Cake,
BRANDON: Banana Pudding.
RESULTS
THE SUPERFAN TOP 3: Laurence, Anthony, & Sherry.
WINNER: Anthony.
JUDGES' TABLE
WINNER: Anthony.
BOTTOM 3: Justin, Oscar, & Duyen.
ELIMINATION: Justin.
Then the start of next week episode began: with the Judges announcing Restaurant Wars. But, Jennifer's health is not improving. She went to the ER & was eliminated from the contest.
CHALLENGE: 2 teams of 4 & 3 Course menu & NEW: Take-Out.
PRIZE: ???????
I was glad a guest didn't agree with Tom when he asked if she thought someone was terrible & she said No. She said she wasn't looking at the food like he did as technical & she enjoyed it.
EPISODE #8: Restaurant Wars. 8 Left.
- Sieger was brought back, cause of Jenn being & Justin wanted to be by her side.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: work in 2 teams to create a concept with a la carte menu that offers take out orders.
PEACH TEAM: Carolina Queen: Anthony, Duyen, Laurence, & Sherry.
RED TEAM: Tierra Reina: Brandon, Jonathan, Oscar, & Sieger.
THE OPEN
GUESTS: Claire Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation,
Michael Mina, owner of the restaurant.
JUDGES' TABLE
WINNING TEAM: Carolina Queen.
WINNER CHEF: Duyen.
LOSING TEAM: Tierra Reina.
ELIMINATED: Brandon.
