Where Are All 21“ Top Chef ”Winners Now? Inside Their Lives Today After Winning the $250,000 Grand Prize
Where Are All 21“ Top Chef ”Winners Now? Inside Their Lives Today After Winning the $250,000 Grand Prize
Kate Hogan, Samantha Stutsman, Christopher RudolphMon, March 9, 2026 at 10:00 PM UTC
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Melissa King on Top Chef Season 17 ; Danny Garcia on Top Chef Season 21 ; Tristen Epps on Top Chef Season 22.Credit: Smallz & Raskind/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ; Stephanie Diani/Bravo via Getty ; Marcus Nilsson/Bravo via Getty -
Top Chef season 23 premieres on March 9
The show has produced 21 winners, including Buddha Lo, who won back-to-back seasons
See where all the Top Chef winners are today
Across its run, Top Chef has challenged dozens of talented chefs to prove they have the creativity and skill to outcook the competition.
Season 23 of the beloved cooking competition premieres on March 9, welcoming 15 new “cheftestants” ready to battle it out in kitchens across North and South Carolina.
Host Kristen Kish, joined by longtime judges Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio, will return to lead the competition as the chefs face high-pressure situations, elaborate elimination challenges and the scrutiny of some of the food world’s toughest critics.
Since its debut in 2006, Top Chef has produced a roster of standout winners and fan favorites who have gone on to open acclaimed restaurants, earn Michelin stars and shape the modern culinary landscape.
Here’s everything to know about every Top Chef winner and where they are now.
01 of 21
Season 1: Harold Dieterle
Harold Dieterle on 'Top Chef'; Harold Dieterle in 2022.Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Harold Dieterle made Top Chef history in 2006 when he won the show’s debut season in San Francisco, defeating fellow finalist Tiffani Faison to become the franchise’s very first champion.
Following his win, the Italian American chef built a successful restaurant career in New York City. He opened Perilla, an Asian-influenced West Village restaurant that earned widespread acclaim, and later launched Kin Shop, a Thai-inspired spot. Both restaurants have since closed, per Eater.
Dieterle also authored the cookbook Kitchen Notebook, sharing recipes and insights from his professional kitchens.
Today, Dieterle has shifted his focus to hospitality and events. He serves as principal of HD Hospitality.
02 of 21
Season 2: Ilan Hall
Ilan Hall on 'Top Chef'; Ilan Hall in 2019.Credit: Jemal Countess/WireImage; Jesse Grant/Getty Images
In its second season, the show traveled to Los Angeles and crowned young fusion foodie Ilan Hall the champ over frenemy Marcel Vigneron.
Hall opened The Gorbals restaurants in L.A. and N.Y.C., eventually closing both and debuting his latest hotspot, Ramen Hood, in L.A. in 2015.
He hosted Knife Fight on Esquire Network and has appeared on a handful of cooking shows since, most recently Food Network's Tournament of Champions.
03 of 21
Season 3: Hung Huynh
Hung Huynh on 'Top Chef'; Hung Huynh.Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; David Moir/Bravo via Getty Images
Miami set the scene for Hung Huynh, raised in his family's Massachusetts restaurant, to best Dale Levitski in season 3.
After his victory, the globe-trotting chef went on to help launch and lead the trendy Catch restaurant chain, which began in N.Y.C. and later expanded to locations including Miami. Over the years, he has worked as a consultant and private chef while developing new restaurant concepts.
These days, Huynh is based in Florida and continues to work on hospitality projects. He is preparing to open Pomelo, a Southeast Asian–inspired bar and restaurant in Orlando’s Mills 50 district, which is expected to debut in spring 2026.
04 of 21
Season 4: Stephanie Izard
Stephanie Izard on 'Top Chef'; Stephanie Izard in 2022.Credit: Chuck Hodes/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Top Chef’s first female winner, Stephanie Izard, stayed in Chicago after beating Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes in season 4, opening her inventive American restaurant Girl and the Goat in 2010. She later expanded her mini-empire with Little Goat Diner, the Chinese-American Duck Duck Goat and Peruvian-inspired Cabra.
The James Beard Award winner has since grown the brand beyond Chicago, opening Girl and the Goat in L.A. and launching Valley Goat in California’s Silicon Valley. Izard has also returned to the Top Chef universe as a judge and competed on Food Network shows, including Tournament of Champions.
05 of 21
Season 5: Hosea Rosenberg
Hosea Rosenberg on 'Top Chef'; Hosea Rosenberg.Credit: Michael Lavine/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Hosea Rosenberg Instagram
New Mexico native Hosea Rosenberg topped season 5 runners-up Carla Hall and Stefan Richter to take the title in N.Y.C.
He later settled in Colorado, where he runs Blackbelly Market in Boulder — a restaurant and butcher shop centered on whole-animal butchery and locally sourced ingredients. His New Mexican–inspired restaurant, Santo, operated for several years before closing in 2023.
He spends his time outside of the kitchen focused on finding a cure for Multicentric Carpotarsal Osteolysis, a rare genetic disorder his daughter Sophie was diagnosed with as a toddler.
06 of 21
Season 6: Michael Voltaggio
Michael Voltaggio on 'Top Chef'; Michael Voltaggio in 2023.Credit: Justin Stephens/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Jesse Grant/Getty Images
Season 6 in Las Vegas came with an interesting twist: two brothers competing against one another, with the ever-experimental Michael Voltaggio beating his fine-dining-focused brother Bryan (and chef Kevin Gillespie) in the finale.
The moment didn't hurt the brothers' relationship, however: in the years since, the Voltaggios have opened several restaurants together around the U.S. and even had a Food Network competition show, Battle of the Brothers.
After his Top Chef victory, Michael opened the influential L.A. restaurant Ink., which helped shape a new generation of chefs before closing in 2017.
He has since remained a fixture in the food-TV world, competing on shows like Tournament of Champions and Bobby’s Triple Threat.
07 of 21
Season 7: Kevin Sbraga
Kevin Sbraga on 'Top Chef'; Kevin Sbraga.
In Washington, D.C., New Jersey native Kevin Sbraga beat fellow finalists Ed Cotton and Angelo Sosa to win Top Chef season 7.
He later built a restaurant group in Philadelphia, opening spots including Sbraga, The Fat Ham and Juniper Commons, along with other projects around the country.
Though many of those restaurants eventually closed, Sbraga returned to the kitchen in 2022 with Sonny & Sons, a Nashville hot chicken concept at Le Fantome Food Hall in Maryland. The restaurant closed in 2023 when the food hall shut down.
08 of 21
Season 8: Richard Blais
Richard Blais on 'Top Chef'; Richard Blais.Credit: Chuck Hodes/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; FOX via Getty Images
Season 8 of Top Chef was the first all-stars edition, bringing together seven seasons' worth of fan favorites and runners-up who all fell to whiz kid Richard Blais.
In the years since, the chef has been nearly everywhere in the food world. Blais has appeared frequently at the judges’ table on Top Chef and now serves as a judge and mentor on Next Level Chef. He previously helped launch restaurants including San Diego’s Juniper & Ivy and Crack Shack, though he has since shifted much of his focus to television, cookbooks and culinary collaborations.
09 of 21
Season 9: Paul Qui
Paul Qui on 'Top Chef'; Paul Qui in 2019.Credit: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; John Parra/Getty Images
Deep in the heart of Texas, chef Paul Qui earned victory over Sarah Grueneberg — and earned serious accolades from judge Tom Colicchio, who called him the "most talented chef that we've ever had on the show."
He went on to open restaurants in Austin and beyond, but made headlines in 2016 when he was arrested and charged with assault and unlawful restraint following an incident with his then-girlfriend and her son, per the Austin American-Statesman. The charges were later dropped and he entered rehab.
In late 2022, he opened Miru, a Japanese-influenced restaurant in Denver.
10 of 21
Season 10: Kristen Kish
Kristen Kish on 'Top Chef'; Kristen Kish in 2022.Credit: David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images
Kish's rise to the top in Seattle was a first: she was eliminated in week 11 but cooked her way back into the competition via Last Chance Kitchen, ultimately beating pal Brooke Williamson.
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She has remained a major player in the franchise, returning as a guest judge, in addition to opening a handful of restaurants, including Austin's Arlo Grey. Kish hosted Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend and Restaurants at the End of the World on National Geographic.
She has been host and judge since season 21 of Top Chef following host Padma Lakshmi's exit. In 2026, she appeared on season 4 of The Traitors, coming in eighth place.
11 of 21
Season 11: Nicholas Elmi
Nicholas Elmi on 'Top Chef'; Nicholas Elmi.
Born in New England and inspired by French cuisine, Nicholas Elmi won against fan favorite Nina Compton in the New Orleans season final.
He later rooted himself in Philadelphia, opening the acclaimed restaurant Laurel and additional concepts, including The Landing Kitchen. Elmi also released a cookbook inspired by the city’s culinary scene. Lark operated for several years before closing in 2023.
12 of 21
Season 12: Mei Lin
Mei Lin on 'Top Chef'; Mei Lin in 2020.Credit: Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Mei Lin was working at former champ Voltaggio's restaurant Ink. when she dominated on Top Chef's Boston season, besting Gregory Gourdet in the final.
Lin, who grew up in her parents' Chinese restaurant in Michigan, went on to open two successful L.A. spots herself: Nightshade and Daybird. (The former closed its doors in 2020 during the pandemic.)
In addition to Top Chef, she won Food Network's Tournament of Champions.
13 of 21
Season 13: Jeremy Ford
Jeremy Ford on 'Top Chef'; Jeremy Ford in 2021.Credit: Dale Berman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Scott Roth/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Miami's Jeremy Ford took the crown on the California season, winning over Amar Santana.
Already established on the South Florida food scene, Ford went on to open several restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach and Beauty & The Butcher in Coral Gables, a spot inspired by his oldest daughter. His Palm Beach Gardens restaurant The Butcher’s Club operated for several years before closing in 2024, while Stubborn Seed has since expanded to Las Vegas.
Additionally, he hosted TruTV's Fast Foodies alongside Kish and Top Chef alumnus Justin Sutherland.
14 of 21
Season 14: Brooke Williamson
Brooke Williamson on 'Top Chef'; Brooke Williamson in 2022.Credit: Matthias Clamer/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Rick Kern/Getty Images
Williamson returned on the Charleston edition that mixed new contestants with returning standouts, ultimately beating friend and fellow Top Chef veteran Shirley Chung in the finale after being eliminated on episode 11 and cooking her way back in Last Chance Kitchen.
While running her Playa Provisions restaurant in L.A., she has also been big on television, appearing on everything from Top Chef Duels and Guy's Grocery Games to Bobby's Triple Threat and Knife Fight. She also won the first season of Food Network's Tournament of Champions.
15 of 21
Season 15: Joe Flamm
Joe Flamm on 'Top Chef'; Joe Flamm.Credit: Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Joe Flamm Instagram
Chicago-raised Italian chef Joe Flamm was another winner who spent time in Last Chance Kitchen before coming back and emerging victorious, topping Adrienne Cheatham to take the Colorado crown.
After pandemic-related delays he opened his Rose Mary restaurant in Chicago, melding his grandmothers' Croatian and Italian roots. In 2022, he also began overseeing the Chicago's BLVD Steakhouse, in addition to judging Top Chef. In December 2024, he opened another restaurant, il Carciofo.
16 of 21
Season 16: Kelsey Barnard Clark
Kelsey Barnard Clark on 'Top Chef'; Kelsey Barnard Clark.Credit: Smallz & Raskind/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; David Moir/Bravo via Getty Images
One of the first Southern chefs to shine on Top Chef, Kelsey Barnard Clark beat Sara Bradley in the latter's native Kentucky with her consistent cooking.
Already at the helm of her KBC restaurant and catering company in Alabama when she joined the show, she released a cookbook in 2021 and competed on Food Network's Tournament of Champions. In September 2024, she published her latest cookbook, Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings.
Clark was arrested in January 2026 on DUI charges.
17 of 21
Season 17: Melissa King
Melissa King on 'Top Chef'; Melissa King in 2023.Credit: Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Suzi Pratt/Getty Images
In another all-stars season set in L.A., San Francisco's Melissa King beat Bryan Voltaggio and Stephanie Cmar with her fresh flavors — and she won fan favorite, too. She donated that $10,000 prize to Asian Americans For Equality, Asian Youth Center, The Trevor Project and National Black Justice Coalition.
Still busy in the culinary world, King is also busy on TV, returning to judge Top Chef and serving as host of National Geographic's Tasting Wild.
18 of 21
Season 18: Gabe Erales
Gabe Erales on 'Top Chef'; Gabe Erales.Credit: Stephanie Diani/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Gabe Erales Instagram
Gabe Erales, who trained at the world-famous Noma before opening his own Texas restaurant, became known for his sauces, winning the Portland season over Shota Nakajima and Dawn Burrell. He was the first Mexican chef to win the series.
Immediately after his season aired, however, he was fired from his position at Austin's Comedor for "repeated violations of the company's ethics policy as it relates to harassment of women," according to his boss Philip Speer.
He apologized in an open letter on Instagram, writing, “I had a consensual relationship with a co-worker and later reduced her work hours." Lakshmi publicly called on Bravo to investigate the allegations. The network didn't further comment on the situation, per The New York Times.
In 2023, he opened Ometeo, a Mexican restaurant in Virginia.
19 of 21
Season 19 and 20: Buddha Lo
Buddha Lo on 'Top Chef' season 19; Buddha Lo on 'Top Chef' season 20.Credit: Emily Shur/Bravo via Getty Images; Stephanie Diani/Bravo
Aussie Buddha Lo's cooking in Houston was literally out of this world (remember that NASA-inspired dessert?!), leading him through a steady season and to victory over Evelyn Garcia and Sarah Welch in the emotional finale.
He did it all over again in season 20, returning for a world all-stars edition in London that he dominated. There, Lo beat fellow Top Chef standout Sara Bradley and Top Chef Mexico winner Gabri Rodriguez.
Lo is the executive chef at Huso restaurant in N.Y.C. — which reopened following a fire and later moved to Tribeca in February 2025. In May 2025, he returned to guest judge on season 22 of Top Chef.
20 of 21
Season 21: Danny Garcia
Danny Garcia on 'Top Chef'; Danny Garcia in 2025.Credit: David Moir/Bravo via Getty ; Amber De Vos/Getty
Things got rocky for Danny Garcia — literally — when the final two episodes of Top Chef season 21 were set aboard a Caribbean cruise ship.
After being tasked with creating a multi-course meal, Garcia ended up beating out fellow finalists, Dan Jacobs and Savannah Miller, claiming the $250,000 prize.
Following his season 21 victory, Garcia opened his new seafood restaurant, Time and Tide, in N.Y.C., in October 2024.
21 of 21
Season 22: Tristen Epps
Tristen Epps on Top Chef Season 22 ; Tristen Epps-Long during the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards on June 16, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.Credit: Marcus Nilsson/Bravo via Getty ; Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Chef Tristen Epps cooked his way to victory on season 22 of Top Chef, impressing judges with dishes that blended Caribbean flavors with fine-dining technique.
Born in Houston and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Epps built his culinary résumé under Marcus Samuelsson before stepping into the spotlight on Top Chef.
Epps is currently working on the launch of his highly-anticipated Houston-based restaurant BuBoy, per Eater.
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