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Seventeen new chefs heat up the 'Top Chef: Las Vegas' kitchen starting August 19, 2009
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'Top Chef: Las Vegas' judges Toby Young, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons (BRAVO)
Break out your chefs coat and your fire extinguisher because 'Top Chef' is back! This year the seventeen newbies will be thrown in to Sin City for the cooking competition of a lifetime. This is supposed to be the biggest season yet, and the commercials seem to show that it has the biggest egos yet. Who will go down in flames, and who will survive to become the Top Chef. You'll have to watch and find out.
'Top Chef: Las Vegas' premieres on BRAVO September 19, 2009 at 9 p.m.
This season's judges Toby Young (Vanity Fair, The Spectator, GQ, Evening Standard magazine), Tom Colicchio (owner of the Craft restaurants), Padma Lakshmi (author, Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet) and Gail Simmons (Food & Wine magazine).
The Chefs
Ron Duprat - 40 - Mare Rouge, Haiti/Hollywood, Fla./Naples, Fla. - Executive Chef
Ron has cooked for the Pelican Bay Foundation and the Montauk Yacht Club. He loves using exotic flavors, and you will always find five special ingredients in his kitchen - saffron, truffles, vanilla bean, Spanish olive oil and chocolate.
Robin Leventhal - 43 - Sun Valley, Idaho/Seattle, Wash. - Chef, Artist, Teacher
Robin became interested in cooking when she took a catering job in college. It was supposed to be a summer job but turned in to much more. Robin loves to use the flavors she finds while traveling in her dishes. Robin used to own and operate a Seattle Bistro but is currently using her culinary connections to raise money for cancer research.
Preeti Mistry - 33 - San Francisco, Calif. - Executive Chef, Google, Bon Appetit Management Company
Preeti's speciality are her soups, sauces and vinaigrettes. She was born in London but raised in the United States and is heavily influenced by her Indian culture, French schooling and world traveling. In cooking it is very important to Preeti that the ingredients are fresh and local.
Michael Voltaggio - 30 - Frederick, Md./Los Angeles - Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa
Michael began working in restaurants when he was 15 years old and has worked with several celebrity chefs. He has been awarded the "AAA 5 Diamond" award and the "Mobil Award." He was also a finalist for the James Beard "Best New Restaurant" award.
Michael Isabella - 34 - North Jersey/Washington, D.C. - Executive Chef, Zaytinya
Michael has no professional culinary training but has not let that stop him from working at some of the finest dining restaurants in New York City. He currently works in a Greek-Mediterranean restaurant and has traveled to the Middle East to better his skills. His favorite dish: octopus.
Mattin Noblia - 29 - Biarritz, France/San Francisco, Calif. - Owner, Iluna Basque
Matt has been cooking since he was a little boy in the kitchen with his mother. Matt, who was born in France, uses a lot of French and Spanish flavors in his dishes. What would Mattin's last meal be? A candle-lit dinner that he cooks for himself and Jessica Alba.
Lauren Wickett - 38 - Rochester, N.Y./San Francisco, Calif. - Chef/Owner, Left Coast Catering
Lauren began catering on the private level, preparing gourmet dinners for homes of executives in Silicon Valley. She works with the freshest ingredients and local flavors from her area.
Kevin Gillespie - 26 - Atlanta - Executive Chef & Partner, Woodfire Grill
Kevin worked part-time in kitchens while in school and began his culinary career at prestigious Atlanta restaurants, including Atlanta Grill at The Ritz Carlton. His favorite junk food are hot wings, and the five items he always has in his kitchen are banyuls vinegar, smoked pork, espelette pepper, lemon oil and lard.
Jesse Sandlin - 30 - Baltimore, Md. - Executive Chef, Abacrombie Fine Foods
Jesse has worked in kitchens from Maryland to Australia. She loves to use local and seasonal items in her cooking but also enjoys using the European techniques she learned over the years. What are the five items always in her kitchen? Bacon, butter, duck fat, cumin and trash bags.
Jennifer Zavala - 31 - Cromwell, Conn./Philadelphia, Pa. - Sous Chef, Xochitl
Jennifer's cooking influence is an interesting mix of her Mexican and Italian heritage. She is coming on 'Top Chef' to learn more about cooking and becoming a better chef. If she could have a last meal with someone, Jennifer said it would be Julia Child but she would want her to cook.
Jennifer Carroll - 33 - Philadelphia, Pa. - Chef de Cuisine, 10 Arts by Eric Ripert
Jennifer was originally a Law major but jobs at Julia and Cafe Kati in San Francisco, Calif. convinced her that cooking was her true passion in life. Although she works in a fine dining restaurant, Jennifer loves to make a great sandwich. The five items she always has in her kitchen are fine sea salt, espellate citron vinegar, black peppercorns, high fat unsalted butter and setia extra virgin olive oil.
Hector Santiago - 41 - San Juan, Puerto Rico/Atlanta, Ga. - Chef/Owner, Pura Vida
Hector's cuisine is described as "classic and avante garde." He uses a lot of Latin American techniques and ingredients, which works well at his Latin tapas restaurant. His awards include "Best Tapas or Small Plates," "Rising Star Chef" and a finalist for the James Beard "Best Chef, Southeast."
Eve Aronoff - 40 - Ann Arbor, Mich. - Chef/Owner, Eve
The food at Eve's restaurant is an interesting mix of North African, West African Cuban and Vietnamese. She has written her own cookbook, 'Eve: Contemporary Cuisine, Methode Traditionelle' and was recently invited to create a meal at The James Beard Foundation in New York.
Eli Kirshtein - 25 - Atlanta, Ga. - Executive Chef, Eno Restaurant and Wine Bar
Eli began his culinary career nine years ago at a diner in Atlanta. He worked under several great chefs while attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After graduation Eli worked at One, Midtown Kitchen, Karu and Y before settling at Eno.
Bryan Voltaggio - 33 - Frederick, Md./Urbana, Md. - Chef/Partner, VOLT Restaurant
Bryan was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and is said to be a protege of chef Charlie Palmer. Bryan is all about local, sustainable and organic ingredients and says, "through our choice of ingredients we become more engaged in more than creating a great dining experience, but in supporting local agriculture."
Ashley Merriman, 32, Center Sandwich, N.H./Seattle, Wash. - Chef, Branzino
Ashley's culinary training comes from the Institute of Culinary Eduction, but she also attended Hamilton College in New York. Most of her career has been spent in New York and in Washington. What are the four items she always has in her kitchen? Good quality extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemons and thyme.
Ash Fulk - 29 - Pleasant Hill, Calif./New York City - Sous Chef, Trestle on Tenth
Ash's motto in life is, "if it grows together, it goes together." He loves cooking with leeks and items natural to the area he is in. Some of his favorite chefs are Dan Barber and Claudia Fleming.
***Quotes from 'Top Chef: Las Vegas' official website
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