Top Chef: Seattle
Top Chef: Seattle is the tenth season of the American reality television series Top Chef. The season was announced on September 19, 2012, and premiered on November 7, 2012. The competition was initially filmed in Seattle, Washington before moving to Juneau, Alaska for three episodes, and then concluding in Los Angeles, California.[1] Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen, the web series introduced in the previous season which puts the eliminated contestants against each other in head-to-head challenges to battle for a chance to re-enter the main competition, also returned.[2] The winner continued to compete in the season finale.[3] In addition, viewers could vote each week for chefs eliminated from the Last Chance Kitchen to move on in the "Save a Chef" competition. The winner of the final vote was "saved", and earned a spot in the final round of the Last Chance Kitchen.[3] In the season finale, Kristen Kish was declared the winner over runner-up Brooke Williamson.[4] Sheldon Simeon was voted Fan Favorite.[5]
| Top Chef: Seattle | |
|---|---|
| Season 10 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Padma Lakshmi |
| Judges | Tom Colicchio Gail Simmons Emeril Lagasse Hugh Acheson Wolfgang Puck |
| No. of contestants | 24 |
| Winner | Kristen Kish |
| Runner-up | Brooke Williamson |
| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| Finals venue | Juneau, Alaska |
| Fan Favorite | Sheldon Simeon |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Original release | November 7, 2012 – February 27, 2013 |
| Season chronology | |
Contestants
The cast of Top Chef: Seattle initially consisted of 21 contestants.[2] After the qualifying challenges in the first episode, the pool of chefs was narrowed down to 15. Former Top Chef competitors Josie Smith-Malave (Top Chef: Los Angeles), Chris "CJ" Jacobson (Top Chef: Miami), and Stefan Richter (Top Chef: New York) joined the competition during the second episode.
Eliminated in qualifying rounds
| Name | Hometown | Current Residence[lower-alpha 1] | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tina Bourbeau | New York, New York | 42 | |
| Stephanie Cmar | Boston, Massachusetts | 27 | |
| Anthony Gray | Macon, Georgia | Atlanta, Georgia | 35 |
| Gina Keatley | Boston, Massachusetts | Harlem, New York | 32 |
| Daniel O'Brien | Clarkson, New York | Washington, D.C. | 32 |
| Jorel Pierce | Denver, Colorado | 28 | |
Top 18
| Name | Hometown | Current Residence[lower-alpha 1] | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth "Lizzie" Binder | Durban, South Africa | San Francisco, California | 37 |
| Chrissy Camba | Chicago, Illinois | 31 | |
| Micah Fields | Los Angeles, California | 28 | |
| Eliza Gavin | Telluride, Colorado | 38 | |
| Chris "CJ" Jacobson | El Toro, California | Studio City, California | 36 |
| Jeffrey Jew | Washington, D.C. | St. Petersburg, Florida | 34 |
| Kristen Kish | Kentwood, Michigan | Boston, Massachusetts | 28 |
| Danyele McPherson | Waynesville, North Carolina | Dallas, Texas | 31 |
| Carla Pellegrino | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Las Vegas, Nevada | 43 |
| Stefan Richter | Tampere, Finland | Santa Monica, California | 40 |
| Sheldon Simeon | Hilo, Hawaii | Lahaina, Hawaii | 30 |
| Josie Smith-Malave | Miami, Florida | San Francisco, California | 37 |
| John Tesar | New York, New York | Dallas, Texas | 54 |
| Joshua "Josh" Valentine | Del City, Oklahoma | Dallas, Texas | 33 |
| Bart Vandaele | Roeselare, Belgium | Washington, D.C. | 42 |
| Tyler Wiard | Denver, Colorado | 41 | |
| Brooke Williamson | Los Angeles, California | Redondo Beach, California | 34 |
| Kuniko Yagi | Maebashi, Japan | Los Angeles, California | 35 |
Stephanie Cmar returned to compete in Top Chef: New Orleans.[6] Kristen Kish and Brooke Williamson later competed in Top Chef Duels.[7] Williamson, Sheldon Simeon, and John Tesar returned for Top Chef: Charleston.[8] Cmar returned again for Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.[9] Kish took over hosting duties for Padma Lakshmi following Top Chef: World All-Stars.[10]
Contestant progress
| Episode # | 22 | 3 | 4 | 54 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quickfire Challenge Winner(s) |
John Kuniko1 Sheldon1 |
Josie | John | Bart Sheldon |
Brooke | Kristen | Micah | Micah | Brooke | — | Stefan1 | Sheldon1 | Sheldon1 | Brooke1 | — | — | ||
| Contestant | Elimination Challenge Results | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kristen | IN | IN | WIN | IN | HIGH | WIN | IN | WIN | WIN | OUT | IN5 | WINNER | |||||
| 2 | Brooke | LOW | IN | IN | LOW | WIN | HIGH | WIN | HIGH | IN | IN | LOW | WIN | WIN | WIN | IN | RUNNER-UP | |
| 3 | Sheldon | HIGH | LOW | IN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | IN | WIN | WIN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | OUT | ||
| 4 | Josh | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | LOW | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | |||
| 5 | Lizzie | IN | HIGH | HIGH | IN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | LOW | IN | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | ||||
| 6 | Stefan | LOW3 | IN | HIGH | LOW | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | |||||
| 7 | Josie | LOW3 | LOW | IN | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | LOW | LOW | OUT | ||||||
| 8 | Micah | IN | IN | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | HIGH | IN | OUT | ||||||||
| 9 | John | HIGH | IN | IN | LOW | HIGH | LOW | WIN | OUT | |||||||||
| 10 | Bart | LOW | IN | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | ||||||||||
| 11 | Danyele | IN | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | |||||||||||
| 12 | Eliza | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 13 | CJ | LOW3 | HIGH | LOW | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Tyler | IN | LOW | HIGH | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| 15 | Carla | IN | WIN | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Chrissy | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||||
| 17 | Kuniko | WIN | OUT | |||||||||||||||
| 18 | Jeffrey | OUT | ||||||||||||||||
^Note 1 : The chef(s) did not receive immunity for winning the Quickfire Challenge.
^Note 2 : Due to the qualifying rounds, the show did not use its traditional elimination format until the second episode.
^Note 3 : Former Top Chef contestants CJ, Josie, and Stefan entered the competition following the Quickfire Challenge.
^Note 4 : Due to the poor quality of the dishes served in the Elimination Challenge, no winner was declared.
^Note 5 : Kristen won Last Chance Kitchen and returned to the competition.
- (WINNER) The chef won the season and was crowned Top Chef.
- (RUNNER-UP) The chef was the runner-up for the season.
- (WIN) The chef won the Elimination Challenge.
- (HIGH) The chef was selected as one of the top entries in the Elimination Challenge, but did not win.
- (IN) The chef was not selected as one of the top or bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge and was safe.
- (LOW) The chef was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge, but was not eliminated.
- (OUT) The chef lost the Elimination Challenge.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | 1 | "The Ultimate Chef Test" | November 7, 2012 | |
|
Qualifying Challenge: The 21 chefs were separated into four groups and sent to the restaurants of judges Tom Colicchio, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, and Hugh Acheson. The judges devised their own challenges to evaluate the potential contestants and selected which chefs would compete for the Top Chef title in Seattle.
| ||||
| 141 | 2 | "A Shock at the Space Needle" | November 14, 2012 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs separated themselves into teams of three and had to create a dish that highlighted the local shellfish. The winning team drew knives to determine which individual would receive immunity. Past Top Chef contestants, Chris "CJ" Jacobson, Josie Smith-Malave, and Stefan Richter officially joined the competition following the challenge.
Elimination Challenge: Using the same teams from the Quickfire, the chefs traveled to the Space Needle to make a dish using regional ingredients.
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| 142 | 3 | "Tom vs. Emeril: Turkeypocalypse" | November 21, 2012 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were tasked with creating international dumplings, inspired by whatever country they took on a map; they had 5 minutes on an Amazon Kindle Fire to look up whatever they needed to know about their type of dumpling.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs worked in two teams, led by Tom Colicchio (Red) and Emeril Lagasse (Gray), to cook a Thanksgiving meal to benefit FareStart.
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| 143 | 4 | "'50s Food Flashback" | November 28, 2012 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were asked to butcher a part of a whole piece of beef and cook a dish with that cut.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs recreated dishes from a classic 1950's menu from the restaurant Canlis. The winner received $10,000.
| ||||
| 144 | 5 | "Pike Place Pickle" | December 5, 2012 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs paired up and created a breakfast on a stick for 50 people at Pike Place Market.
Elimination Challenge: The same teams were kept for the Elimination Challenge. The chefs were asked to create a dish, by drawing knives, to feature an ingredient created by the vendors at Pike Place Market. The winners would have received $10,000; however, due to the poor quality of the meal, the reward was pulled off the table.
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| 145 | 6 | "Even the Famous Come Home" | December 12, 2012 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were asked to cook a holiday-themed sweet and savory dish that reminds them of their heritage using Truvia baking blend sugar. However, there was only one knife available for all the chefs; those who needed to use it were forced to either share it or improvise using other tools or methods.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were tasked to cater a homecoming party for actors Anna Faris and Chris Pratt, along with their families and friends. The winner received a Toyota Prius c.
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| 146 | 7 | "Foiled Again" | December 19, 2012 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: All ingredients in the Top Chef pantry were completely wrapped in Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil. The chefs had 30 minutes to make whatever they wanted, with the limitation that each chef must incorporate any ingredient he or she unwrapped. In addition, all pots, pans, and bowls were off-limits; only the aluminum foil could be used as a cooking vessel.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs paired up and competed against each other to make dishes that featured berries from Remlinger's Farm. The winner of the Quickfire Challenge was allowed to cook by themselves. The dishes were served to 150 guests, who voted which contestant had the better dish in each head-to-head battle (below in italics). The winner received $10,000.
| ||||
| 147 | 8 | "Jalapeño Business" | December 26, 2012 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were challenged to make either a hot or cold preparation of oysters that they had harvested themselves from local oyster beds in Bow, Washington. The winner received $5,000.
Elimination Challenge: In teams of two, the chefs had to cater an after-game party for a Seattle roller derby team, the Rat City Rollergirls. The dishes each team cooked were inspired by the name of one of the rollergirls.
| ||||
| 148 | 9 | "Past Suppers" | January 2, 2013 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were tested on their knife skills. Beginning in three teams of three, the contestants had to sharpen dull knives enough to cut cleanly through paper. The two teams to finish the fastest advanced to the next round preparing 50 potatoes using the Tourné cutting method. The members of the winning team continued to the final round, competing against each other to break down the rack of two rabbits. A chef cutting themselves was treated as an automatic disqualification. The winner received a custom chef's knife from master bladesmith Bob Kramer, worth roughly $4,000, and immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: Each chef cooked a dish inspired by a memorable moment from a previous season of Top Chef, but had to prepare a healthier version than the original. The winner received $15,000, and their dish would be used as inspiration for a new Top Chef Healthy Choice frozen entrée. In a surprise twist, the bottom two contestants competed head-to-head based on a memorable moment from this season: CJ's elimination in Episode 5.
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| 149 | 10 | "Battle Before the War" | January 9, 2013 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had 15 minutes to prepare a dish containing ginger. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs created a restaurant concept, and presented their concept via a representative dish at the Taste of Seattle Food Festival. The two winning chefs each received $10,000 and acted as executive chef for their teams during Restaurant Wars in the next episode. The two winners picked their teams from the other remaining contestants without knowing the results of the elimination, guaranteeing that one would be handicapped in the following challenge. | ||||
| 150 | 11 | "Restaurant Wars" | January 16, 2013 | |
|
Elimination Challenge: The chefs had 48 hours to create a restaurant pop-up based on the winning concepts from the prior episode: Urbano (modern Filipino) and Atelier Kwan (reinterpreted classical French). They set up both the dining area and the kitchen area, and executed a multi-course dinner service. One member from the losing team was eligible for elimination. The winner received a Toyota Avalon.
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| 151 | 12 | "Wolfgang Clucks" | January 23, 2013 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to create a dish to impress a sushi master. The winner received $5,000. From this point forward, the winners of the Quickfire no longer received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs had to make a fried chicken dish for a dinner party. The winner received a year's supply of Terlato wine.
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| 152 | 13 | "Chefs at Sea" | January 30, 2013 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The competition left Seattle and boarded a cruise ship en route to Juneau, Alaska. The chefs prepared 200 portions of a one-bite appetizer incorporating iceberg lettuce. The winner received an advantage in the following Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs prepared a creative reinterpretation of a surf and turf. The winner of the Quickfire Challenge was allowed to choose their two proteins first, which became off-limits to the rest of the competitors.
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| 153 | 14 | "Kings of Alaska" | February 6, 2013 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to create a dish highlighting Alaskan crab. The winner received $5,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs had to make a dish using salmon and sourdough bread for the residents of Juneau. The winner received a trip for two to Costa Rica.
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| 154 | 15 | "Glacial Gourmand" | February 13, 2013 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs prepared a meal for the athletes training for the Iditarod using only the supplies already available at their training camp.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs cooked a dish inspired by their memory of the moment they decided to become a chef.
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| 155 | 16 | "Finale Part 1" | February 20, 2013 | |
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Elimination Challenge: After the competition moved to Los Angeles for the finale, the remaining chefs were given three hours to prepare an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert course to be served that night at Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant. In addition, the chefs must run the kitchen during the dinner service, expedited by Colicchio himself, finishing and plating courses to order.
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| 156 | 17 | "Finale Part 2" | February 27, 2013 | |
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Elimination Challenge: Cooking in an Iron Chef-style arena in front of the judges, their friends and families, and all nine previous Top Chef champions, the finalists each prepared up to five courses of a meal to be served to the judges and audience. Kristen was assisted by Josh, Lizzie, and Sheldon. Brooke was assisted by CJ, Kuniko, and Stefan. Each course would be critiqued head-to-head by the judges, who would immediately vote on a winner for the round. The first chef to win three rounds would be crowned "Top Chef".
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Last Chance Kitchen
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Carla vs. Chrissy vs. Kuniko vs. Jeffrey" | November 28, 2012 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs were given a chance to redeem themselves by creating a dish incorporating the same ingredients from the dishes that eliminated them.
| |||
| 2 | "CJ and Tyler vs. Kuniko" | December 5, 2012 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs were tasked with making a dessert. Because CJ and Tyler were eliminated from the main competition as a team, the two contestants had to work together to create their dish.
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| 3 | "Eliza vs. CJ vs. Tyler" | December 12, 2012 | |
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Challenge: The chefs had to create a well-composed dish highlighting pickles and carrots.
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| 4 | "Danyele vs. CJ" | December 19, 2012 | |
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Challenge: The chefs were required to make a sandwich using lunch meat.
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| 5 | "Bart vs. CJ" | December 26, 2012 | |
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Challenge: The chefs had to use chicken breast to create a flavorful dish.
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| 6 | "John vs. CJ" | January 2, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs were allowed to cook any dish, but were required to use pots and pans bought from a yard sale.
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| 7 | "Micah vs. CJ" | January 9, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs had to prepare their best tartare.
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| 8 | "Kristen vs. CJ" | January 16, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs got to choose an ingredient, a cuisine, and a cooking technique that they had to incorporate into their dishes, as well as a time limit. They decided that they had to prepare a French-inspired snapper dish with a smoked element in 30 minutes.
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| 9 | "Josie vs. Kristen" | January 23, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs had to break down a salmon, portion 10 identical pieces, and create well-composed dishes for Tom and the eliminated contestants.
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| 10 | "Stefan vs. Kristen" | January 30, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs cooked dishes using offal.
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| 11 | "Lizzie vs. Kristen" | February 6, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs made a dish over a campfire using Alaskan fish.
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| 12 | "Josh vs. Lizzie vs. Kristen" | February 13, 2013 | |
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Challenge: The chefs received the simple challenge of creating a great plate of food.
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References
- Notes
- The contestants' city and state of residence during time of filming.
- Footnotes
- The Dish (September 19, 2012). "'Top Chef' Season 10 Is Coming Your Way". Bravo. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
- Gennis, Sadie (September 20, 2012). "Bravo Sets Top Chef: Seattle Premiere Date, Adds New Judge". TV Guide. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- Myers, Dan (November 28, 2012). "Top Chef's 'Last Chance Kitchen' Returns Tonight". The Daily Meal. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- Abramovitch, Seth (February 28, 2013). "'Top Chef Seattle': 10 Questions With Winner Kristen Kish". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Mosthof, Mariella (February 28, 2013). "WATCH: Who's The Top Chef Seattle Fan Favorite? Not Josh Valentine's Mustache". Mediaite. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- "Introducing the 'Top Chef' Season 11 Cheftestants". Bravo. August 12, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- Ng, Philiana (June 4, 2014). "Bravo's 'Top Chef Duels' Lands Premiere Date, Celebrity Guests (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- Spence, Shay (October 20, 2016). "Top Chef Is Bringing Back 8 Fan Favorite Contestants — See Who Made the Cut". People. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Huff, Lauren (December 12, 2019). "Unpack your knives: Top Chef announces all-star lineup for season 17". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- Maas, Jennifer (July 11, 2023). "'Top Chef' Winner Kristen Kish to Replace Host Padma Lakshmi in Wisconsin-Set Season 21". Variety. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.