“Top Chef” begins a new season on March 13 and, as so often happens, some of the star contestants hail from the Bay Area.
On Season 22, viewers will meet Anna “Anya” El-Wattar who worked as chef at San Francisco’s Birch & Rye. This Michelin-recognized restaurant in Noe Valley served elevated Russian cuisine inspired by the chef’s childhood in Russia, like einkorn pelmeni dumplings and spelt khachapuri. The eatery shuttered in 2024, with El-Wattar saying it was hard to stay afloat using high-end ingredients and time-intensive techniques.
Then there’s Vincenzo Loseto, a New York native who’s the chef de cuisine at Press in St. Helena. Run by vintner Samantha Rudd, the Napa Valley eatery specializes in locally farmed ingredients and runs an aggressive wine program, with reportedly the largest collection of Napa wines in the world. The Michelin Guide awarded Press one star for its “contemporary, Californian dishes such as Kusshi oysters with whipped horseradish; citrus-cured snapper with yuzu curd; and white truffle risotto that is simply sophisticated.”
Of the 15 contestants, a third also hails from California — Kat Turner, executive chef and partner at Highly Likely in L.A. According to Resy, Turner is not only a chef but an “art school grad (who) sported a platinum blonde mohawk, toured with The Smashing Pumpkins as their private chef, and worked as a go-go dancer, among other things.”
This year’s “Top Chef” will see the cooks as well as judges Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons head up to Canada to compete. Filming locations include Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Canmore in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and Prince Edward Island.
The grand prize is the biggest yet — a chance for $250,000 plus $125,000 in flight credits on Delta Air Lines. The ultimate winner will also receive an invitation to headline a dinner at the James Beard House in New York and also present at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago.
“Top Chef” premieres on Thursday, March 13, at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.