Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.
| Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. | |
|---|---|
| Season 17 | |
Los Angeles, California | |
| Finals venue | Italy |
| Fan Favorite | Melissa King |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Original release | March 19 – June 18, 2020 |
| Season chronology | |
Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. is the seventeenth season of the American reality television series
The season premiered on March 19, 2020, and concluded on June 18, 2020.
Contestants
Fifteen past Top Chef contestants competed in Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.[4]
| Name[4] | Current Residence[a] | Season(s) | Original Placement(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Adjepong | Washington, DC
|
Season 16 | 3rd |
| Karen Akunowicz | Boston, Massachusetts
|
Season 13 | 7th |
| Jennifer Carroll | Washington, DC
|
Season 6, 8 | 4th, 17th |
| Stephanie Cmar | Boston, Massachusetts
|
Season 10, 11 | Eliminated in qualifier rounds, 7th |
| Lisa Fernandes | Brooklyn, New York
|
Season 4 | Runner-up |
| Kevin Gillespie | Atlanta, Georgia
|
Season 6 | Runner-up |
| Gregory Gourdet | Portland, Oregon | Season 12 | Runner-up |
Melissa King
|
San Francisco, California
|
Season 12 | 4th |
| Jamie Lynch | Charlotte, North Carolina | Season 14 | 9th |
Brian Malarkey
|
San Diego, California
|
Season 3 | 4th |
| Nini Nguyen | New York, New York
|
Season 16 | 12th |
| Joe Sasto | Los Angeles, California
|
Season 15 | 3rd |
| Angelo Sosa | San Diego, California
|
Season 7, 8 | Runner-up, 7th |
| Bryan Voltaggio | Frederick, Maryland | Masters 5
|
Runner-up (both seasons) |
| Lee Anne Wong | Maui, Hawaii
|
Season 1, 15 | 4th, 11th |
Contestant progress
| Episode # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quickfire Challenge Winner(s) |
Bryan1 Jamie1 Joe1 Kevin1 Melissa1 |
N/A | Kevin | Gregory | Kevin | Gregory1 | Stephanie | N/A | Lee Anne1 | Melissa1 | Melissa1 | Kevin1 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Contestant | Elimination Challenge Results | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Melissa | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | IN2 | WIN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | WIN | WIN | WIN | WINNER | |
| 2 | Bryan | IN | HIGH | HIGH | IN | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | WIN | HIGH | IN | HIGH | LOW | RUNNER-UP | |
| Stephanie | HIGH | LOW | LOW | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | WIN | IN | WIN | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | RUNNER-UP | ||
| 4 | Kevin | IN | WIN | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | WIN | OUT | IN4 | LOW | OUT | ||||
| 5 | Gregory | WIN | IN | IN | HIGH | WIN | IN | WIN | WIN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | OUT | |||
| 6 | Brian | LOW | IN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | LOW | LOW | OUT | ||||
| 7 | Karen | IN | IN | LOW | HIGH | IN | OUT | IN3 | LOW | HIGH | OUT | |||||
| 8 | Lee Anne | LOW | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | HIGH | LOW | WIN | OUT | ||||||
| 9 | Eric | IN | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | OUT | ||||||||
| 10 | Nini | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | HIGH | OUT | |||||||||
| 11 | Jennifer | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | OUT | ||||||||||
| 12 | Lisa | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||||
| 13 | Jamie | HIGH | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Angelo | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||
| 15 | Joe | OUT | ||||||||||||||
^Note 1 : The chef(s) did not receive immunity for winning the Quickfire Challenge.
^Note 2 : Melissa received immunity for selling the most products during the Elimination Challenge.
^Note 3 : Karen won the first Last Chance Kitchen re-entry challenge and returned to the competition.
^Note 4 : Kevin won the second Last Chance Kitchen re-entry challenge and returned to the competition.
- (WINNER) The chef won the season and was crowned "Top Chef".
- (RUNNER-UP) The chef was a 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 | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 247 | 1 | "It's Like They Never Left!" | March 19, 2020 | 0.76[6] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The competitors met outside the Griffith Observatory and competed in a mise en place race. The race consisted of three tasks: turn three artichokes, supreme five oranges, and shell twenty almonds. The first five chefs to complete the artichokes became one team and could leave for the Top Chef kitchen immediately to begin cooking. Likewise, the first five chefs to complete the oranges became the second team, while the rest became the third team. Once the third team entered the kitchen, all teams had fifteen minutes to make two dishes featuring their prepped ingredients. Instead of immunity from elimination, the winners received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: Working in teams of three, the chefs created a family-style seafood feast for several noted chefs and restaurateurs at Cabrillo Beach, including Nancy Silverton, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael Cimarusti, Caroline Styne, Josiah Citrin, Suzanne Goin, and guest judge Jeremiah Tower. In addition, the teams were forced to use an open fire grill as their only heat source, with no access to electricity or appliances. The winners of the Quickfire Challenge became the team captains and selected their two teammates via schoolyard pick.
| |||||
| 248 | 2 | "The Jonathan Gold Standard" | March 26, 2020 | 0.82[8] | |
|
Elimination Challenge: In honor of food critic and Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Gold, the chefs traveled around Los Angeles and sampled the various restaurants and food trucks written in his 2017 List of 101 Best Restaurants, his final guide list before his death in 2018. The contestants were then responsible for creating dishes inspired by their visits. The dishes were served to 200 guests at Union Station, including Jon Favreau, Roy Choi, Jeff Gordinier, Ludo Lefebvre, Nancy Silverton, Michael Cimarusti, and guest judge Ruth Reichl.
Note: At the beginning of the episode, the show paid tribute to the memory of | |||||
| 249 | 3 | "Strokes of Genius" | April 2, 2020 | 0.83[9] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were tasked with making unique fried rice dishes incorporating at least one ingredient pre-selected by guest judges Ali Wong and Randall Park, which ranged from candies to fruits to offal. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were randomly assigned one of four historical art movements: Baroque, Neoclassicism, Renaissance, and Rococo. After touring the J. Paul Getty Museum, they then had to create dishes inspired by their art movements. One chef from each group was eligible to win the challenge, while another was put up for elimination. As the winner of the Quickfire Challenge, Kevin was able to select which group he would compete against; he chose to compete in the Neoclassicism group. The dishes were served to several guest diners at the Vibiana social events venue, including Ray Garcia, Sara Hymanson, Sarah Kramer, Craig Thornton, and guest judge Ludo Lefebvre.
| |||||
| 250 | 4 | "You're So Fresh!" | April 9, 2020 | 0.91[10] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs competed in a challenge themed after the computer-animated musical film
Elimination Challenge: The chefs, split into two teams, prepared six-course progressive vegetarian meals for 40 guest diners, including guest judge Jeremy Fox. As an added obstacle, the chefs would not know what ingredients would be available to use until the morning of the challenge, when they shopped at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.
| |||||
| 251 | 5 | "Bring Your Loved One to Work" | April 16, 2020 | 0.82[11] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were tested on their communication skills by playing a game of telephone with their friends and family. Their loved ones were presented with one of three dishes at Nancy Silverton's restaurant Osteria Mozza. While talking to them over the phone, the chefs had to replicate their loved ones' assigned dish using only their verbal descriptions as guidance. The winner received immunity from elimination and US$10,000. Silverton herself acted as the guest judge for the episode.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were responsible for creating their own signature specialty product, along with an accompanying dish, to sell at the Westfield Century City shopping mall. Each guest shopper was provided one ticket, which could be used to purchase one product. While the judges still selected their most and least favorite dishes, the chef who collected the most tickets received immunity from elimination. The contestants received assistance from their loves ones, who served as sous chefs for the challenge.
| |||||
| 252 | 6 | "Get Your Phil" | April 23, 2020 | 0.91[12] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were asked to make dishes using alternative types of flour for guest judge Chris Bianco. The contestants were given access to a wide variety of non-wheat flours, including masa, coconut, rice, hazelnut, and blue corn, but were prohibited from using any all-purpose flour. Instead of immunity from elimination, the winner received US$5,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were randomly assigned one of the five basic taste profiles: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami. They were then required to form pairs and create dishes harmonizing their two different tastes. The dishes were served to the members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and their conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the restaurant Otium, in celebration of the orchestra's 100th anniversary. The guest judge for the challenge was chef Timothy Hollingsworth . Both members of the losing team were eliminated.
| |||||
| 253 | 7 | "Pitch Perfect" | April 30, 2020 | 0.89[13] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: Following her win in Episode 6 of Last Chance Kitchen, Karen rejoined the competition. The chefs were then tasked with making tacos for guest judge Danny Trejo. However, they were forced to use a machete as their only means of cutting. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs pitched their restaurant concepts for the upcoming Restaurant Wars challenge. The contestants had to present a menu and a mood board, alongside one or two dishes, to illustrate their visions to the judges. The top two concepts would be the restaurants built for Restaurant Wars. The guest judges for the challenge were Top Chef: Chicago winner Stephanie Izard and restaurateur Kevin Boehm.
| |||||
| 254 | 8 | "Restaurant Wars" | May 7, 2020 | 0.94[14] | |
|
Elimination Challenge: The chefs competed in Restaurant Wars, using the two restaurant concepts chosen by the judges during the previous Elimination Challenge. The teams were given 48 hours and US$4,000 each to transform empty spaces into functioning pop-up restaurants, including décor. Unlike previous seasons, the contestants had no restrictions on the number of dishes and courses needed to be served. The winning team received US$40,000. Stephanie Izard, Kevin Boehm, and restaurateur Rob Katz joined the judges as guest diners.
| |||||
| 255 | 9 | "Cabin Fever" | May 14, 2020 | 0.89[15] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs traveled to the Pali Mountain Retreat, where they were challenged to create grilled dishes featuring beans for guest judge and Top Chef: Kentucky winner Kelsey Barnard Clark. The winner received US$10,000. Beginning with this challenge, immunity from elimination was no longer available as a reward.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs catered a Sunday brunch buffet for 200 mothers vacationing at Pali Mountain Retreat, using the limited ingredients available in the camp kitchen pantry. Each chef was responsible for two dishes. The guest judge for the challenge was Top Chef: Charleston winner Brooke Williamson.
| |||||
| 256 | 10 | "Colossal Coliseum Kaiseki" | May 21, 2020 | 0.84[16] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were tasked with making desserts for guest judge Sherry Yard. While the contestants had access to basic pantry items, such as dairy, flour, sugar, and eggs, certain other ingredients, such as milk chocolate, peaches, ricotta, and pistachios, were prohibited from use unless correctly identified through a blindfolded taste test. Each person was given 5 minutes to guess 20 mystery ingredients. In addition, the chefs were assigned time limits based on their scores. The chefs with the two highest scores received an hour of cooking time, with the next pair receiving 45 minutes, and the last pair receiving 30 minutes. The winner received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: In celebration of the Tokyo, Japan (prior to its postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the chefs prepared a six-course kaiseki at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for guest judges Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama, sportscaster Mike Tirico, and Olympic athletes Diana Taurasi, Rai Benjamin, Nastia Liukin, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Christian Coleman, and Kerri Walsh Jennings . Each chef was responsible for one course of the kaiseki, which consisted of sakizuke (appetizer), owan (soup), yakimono (flame-grilled), mushimono (steamed), shokuji (rice), and mizumono (dessert). As the winner of the Quickfire Challenge, Melissa was able to choose her own course and assign her competitors' courses. The winner received two tickets to the Olympics.
| |||||
| 257 | 11 | "Michael's Santa Monica" | May 28, 2020 | 0.90[17] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: After winning Last Chance Kitchen, Kevin rejoined the competition. The chefs then crafted elevated business class airline meals for guest judge Jonathan Waxman. The meals were required to include an appetizer or salad, alongside a main course. Following airline restrictions, the dishes could not exceed the height of the airline trays they were served in. The winner received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs headed to Michael's Santa Monica, a restaurant credited with pioneering Californian cuisine, and sampled dishes created by notable Michael's alumni, including Waxman, Roy Yamaguchi, Sang Yoon, Mark Peel , Brooke Williamson, and restaurant owner Michael McCarty. Each chef was then responsible for reinterpreting one of the six Michael's dishes. The contestants drew knives to determine order of choice. As the winner of the Quickfire Challenge, Melissa was able to choose her dish first.
| |||||
| 258 | 12 | "Lucca" | June 4, 2020 | 0.84[18] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were flown out to Italy for the remainder of the competition. The contestants then gathered at the cold cuts, shellfish, polenta, radicchio); the central region (wild game, beef, mussels); the southern region (tomatoes, peppers, lamb, sardines); and the islands (seafood). The winner received US$10,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs created dishes featuring white truffles for a Tuscan food festival held at the Palazzo Pfanner . The guest judges for the challenge included chef Cristiano Tomei and truffle hunter Cristiano Savini.
| |||||
| 259 | 13 | "Parma" | June 11, 2020 | 0.99[19] | |
|
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were treated to a culinary trip to Prosciutto di Parma ham. After their tour, each contestant was responsible for serving a two-course Italian dinner highlighting Parma's two signature products. The guest judge for the challenge was chef Evan Funke.
| |||||
| 260 | 14 | "Finito!" | June 18, 2020 | 1.04[20] | |
|
Elimination Challenge: The final three chefs had to cook the best four-course progressive meal of their lives. Each finalist received help from one sous chef, consisting of previously eliminated competitors Kevin, Brian, and Lee Anne (Gregory was unable to participate due to a back injury). Stephanie was assisted by Brian, Bryan was assisted by Kevin, and Melissa was assisted by Lee Anne. The meals were served to several renowned chefs, including Mauro Colagreco, Clare Smyth, Marcus Samuelsson, Janice Wong, and Tony Mantuano, butcher Dario Cecchini, and Food & Wine editor-in-chief Hunter Lewis.
| |||||
Last Chance Kitchen
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Road to Redemption" | March 26, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: After arriving at Michael Cimarusti's restaurant, Providence, the chefs were given 30 minutes to cook seafood dishes using some of Cimarusti's favorite ingredients: geoduck, oysters, caviar, celtuce, and yuzu.
| |||
| 2 | "A Game of Chicken" | April 2, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs were asked to create dishes using chicken. To determine their time and ingredient limit, the contestants played a game of chicken with each other; they chose to work with a 20-minute timer and only seven ingredients, including the chicken and seasonings.
| |||
| 3 | "Fry or Die" | April 9, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to serve dishes using the deep fryer as their only cooking element.
| |||
| 4 | "Wait...Tom's Cooking?" | April 16, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs created their own sauces to be served alongside a protein prepared by Colicchio. The sauces had to be complete by the time Colicchio finished cooking.
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| 5 | "Two Friends Enter..." | April 23, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to produce sweet and sour dishes. Two chefs would advance to the next round.
| |||
| 6 | "Kick Down the Doors and Say, "I'm Back"" | April 23, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 45 minutes to cook family-style meals for Colicchio and the other eliminated contestants. The winner returned to the main competition.
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| 7 | "Colicchio Wants Italian" | April 30, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to create dishes matching Colicchio's restaurant concept, "coastal Italian seafood".
| |||
| 8 | "Battle Down Memory Lane" | May 7, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to modernize their favorite childhood dishes.
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| 9 | "Eggs 3 Ways Race" | May 14, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to create three perfect egg dishes: an over easy egg, a French omelette, and Eggs Benedict. While the over easy egg and French omelette had to be made with no accoutrements, the contestants had free rein on their Eggs Benedict dishes.
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| 10 | "Tea Up for the Finals" | May 21, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The chefs had 30 minutes to make dishes highlighting tea.
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| 11 | "No Small Feat for the Uneliminated" | May 21, 2020 | |
|
Challenge: The last remaining chef competed head-to-head against three non-eliminated contestants of their choosing. In each round, the non-eliminated chef selected one of four themed sets of ingredients to work with: root vegetables, shellfish, fruits and nuts, or stinky ingredients. Colicchio then decided which dish the two competitors would have to make. To earn their spot back into the main competition, the eliminated chef was required to win two out of three rounds. The chefs had 30 minutes each for all three rounds.
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References
- Notes
- ^ The contestants' city and state of residence during time of filming.
- Footnotes
- ^ Bravo. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ a b Quinn, Dave (February 11, 2020). "Top Chef Turns Up the Heat in Trailer for New All Stars Season — With Guest Judge Kelly Clarkson". People. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Wigler, Josh (March 19, 2020). "'Top Chef' Judge Tom Colicchio on 'All-Stars' Premiere and Current State of the Food World". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c Huff, Lauren (December 12, 2019). "Unpack your knives: Top Chef announces all-star lineup for season 17". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Lambe, Stacy (June 19, 2020). "'Top Chef' Winner Melissa King on Finding Her Confidence Between Seasons 12 and 17 (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 20, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals &Network Finals: 3.19.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ Fletcher, Brekke; Hunter, Marnie (March 25, 2020). "'Top Chef Masters' winner Floyd Cardoz dies after coronavirus diagnosis". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 27, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals &Network Finals: 3.26.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 3, 2020). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.2.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 10, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.9.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 17, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.16.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 24, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.23.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 1, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.30.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 8, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.7.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 14, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.14.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 22, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.21.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (May 28, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.28.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (June 4, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.4.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (June 11, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.11.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (June 18, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.18.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.