Bravo announces new 'Top Chef Masters' judges, contestants
Christina Hendricks will be a guest judge, which is all that matters
Christina Hendricks
Credit: AP
Bravo has announced the 12 culinary favorites competing for the next title of "Top Chef Masters," as well as the show's judging panel, some celebrity guests and new format.
That's a lot of announcements for one press release!
Of note to fans of the "Top Chef" franchise, this season of "Top Chef Masters" will find the contestants judged elimination-style by the panel -- following the format of the regular "Top Chef" brand -- rather than on the strange sliding scale used in previous "Masters" installments. Each Quickfire win will be worth $5,000 for the chef's charities-of-choice, with $10,000 going to the charities of each elimination challenge winner.
James Oseland will return as judge, along with new regular judge Ruth Reichl. As was previously announced, Curtis Stone will be the new host for "Top Chef Masters."
Bravo also revealed that this season's celebrity guest judges will include "Mad Men" Emmy nominee Christina Hendricks, singer Kelis and Maroon 5.
Here are the 12 cheftestants who will be competing to win $100,000 for the charity of their choice:
- Hugh Acheson - Chef/ Partner: Five& Ten, The National, Gosford Wine – in Athens, GA and Empire State South, Atlanta, GA; Competing for Wholesome Wave Foundation
- Floyd Cardoz – Former Executive Chef/Partner- of Tabla and soon-to-be Executive Chef/Partner of a new Danny Meyer restaurant; Competing for Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund
- John Currence - City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford, MS Competing for No Kid Hungry
- Traci Des Jardins - Chef/Co-owner of Jardinière, Mijita Cocina Mexicana and Public House and Manzanita, San Francisco, CA; Competing for La Cocina
- George Mendes - Chef/Co-Owner of ALDEA, Manhattan, NY; Competing for Charity: Water
- Mary Sue Milliken - Co-Chef/ Owner: Border Grill Restaurants and Truck, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for Share Our Strength
- Naomi Pomeroy - Owner: Beast in Portland, OR; Competing for Seed Savers Exchange
- Suvir Saran - Executive Chef: Dévi, New York, NY; Competing for Agricultural Stewardship Association
- John Rivera Sedlar - Owner: Playa, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for American Diabetes Association
- Alex Stratta - Executive Chef: Stratta, Las Vegas, NV; Competing for Faster Cures, part of the Milken Prostate Cancer Foundation
- Celina Tio - Chef/Owner: JULIAN Restaurant, Kansas City, MO, Competing for Harvesters
- Sue Zemanick - Executive Chef: Gautreau’s, New Orleans, LA; Competing for the Louisiana SPCA
"Top Chef Masters" premieres on Bravo on Wednesday, April 6 at 11 p.m. and will move to its regular 10 p.m. time slot the following week.
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
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Comments
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupBunny Colvin
March 2, 2011 at 3:34PM EST Reply to CommentDan are you playing the repeater with yourself? That will happen ... that will happen.
dan Bunny - Oddly, I glanced at the story after it posted, thought "That's a lot of contestants" and didn't bother noticing the double cut-and-paste... Fixed now!
March 2, 2011 at 3:44PM EST-Daniel
TC
March 2, 2011 at 4:04PM EST Reply to CommentAre they doing away with the star rating for the dishes too?
dan TC - I believe so. I think they decided that the scoring system was... weird. And that people came to "Top Chef Masters" looking for more continuity with "Top Chef."
March 2, 2011 at 4:42PM EST-Daniel
TC Oh I agree about the weirdness of it. Contrived is how I would put it since it never ended in a tie.
March 2, 2011 at 6:27PM ESTThough it is useful to make fun of in my household. We always act like the judges by giving star rating to any dishes we eat when we dine out.
March 2, 2011 at 6:33PM EST Reply to CommentHow long has it been since there wasn't any form of Top Chef on the air (aside from a one or two week break)? I feel like it's been a *while*.
dan Scott - And another installment of "Top Chef: Just Desserts" and then regular "Top Chef" are already in the pipeline for when this installment of "Top Chef Masters" ends... Bravo's getting the most out of this franchise...
March 2, 2011 at 7:04PM EST-Daniel
fernando
June 9, 2011 at 5:50PM EST Reply to CommentI can no longer be silent, the weekly challenges for Top Chef Masters are an insult for these professionals.
Cooking in test tubes, cooking for a band or cooking in a camping trailer, is demeaning. These challenges don't reflect their abilities under pressure, its just a circus. Challenges should let us learn the cooking abilities of these chefs under pressure with obstacles, without bordering in the ridiculous.
On the judging side the host Curtis Stone, although a Chef its boring and his comments lack the professionalism that one should expect from him and James Oseland doesn't have an idea of what cooking or food is all about he is a writer for a Food Magazine that used to be one of the best food magazines I read and since he has been the editor in chief saveur is going to the dumps. Please get rid of this guy.