Latest news with #GailSimmons
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Top Chef Season 23: Filming locations, host, judges and other key details
It's official! Top Chef Season 23 is heading south, with Charlotte, North Carolina as its primary backdrop. Also, additional episodes will be set in Greenville, South Carolina. The new season of the culinary show promises to showcase the South's evolving food scene, steeped in history, hospitality, and fresh produce, according to an official release. Bravo's Top Chef is returning with its Season 23 soon(Instagram/bravotopchef) Bravo has dubbed Charlotte as the 'emerging and diverse culinary hub,' People magazine reported. The network states that the next season will feature the 'finest in southern hospitality, embracing the rich history, agriculture and outdoors, as a new batch of accomplished and renowned chefs vie for the ultimate Top Chef title.' Top Chef Season 23: Key details Headed to Carolinas, the all-new season of Top Chef will start production this summer and is eying a premiere next year. Fans can expect the return of host Kristen Kish along with judges Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio. 'When we go to a new city on Top Chef, it becomes the backdrop of the season, inspiring our challenges and motivating the chefs to spotlight local ingredients,' Kish said. As per the official release, the latest group of 'cheftestants' will be seen working with 'the region's freshest ingredients' in the next season. Wisconsin served as the location for Top Chef Season 21, while Season 19 was based in Houston and Season 18 in Portland. Also Read: Flavours of home: 4 celebrity chefs share how their cultural roots and tradition inspire their cooking Tristen Epps was crowned as the winner for Top Chef Season 22. Tristen bagged the grand prize of $250,000 as well as Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion Status, a coveted feature in Food & Wine magazine, and the honor of headlining a dinner at the iconic James Beard House. The final episode, which was shot in Milan, saw Tristen pitted against Bailey Sullivan and Shuai Wang. Top Chef Season 23: Release date As of now, the official launch date for Bravo's culinary reality show has not been announced yet. FAQs Where is Top Chef Season 23 being filmed? Season 23 is primarily set in Charlotte, North Carolina, while few episodes have been filmed in Greenville, South Carolina. Who are the judges and host for Season 23? Host Kristen Kish is returning for the new season, along with judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. When will Top Chef Season 23 premiere? The new season of Top Chef is set to premiere in 2026.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Top Chef' Season 23 Set in the Carolinas, Bravo Confirms
Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons return for Top Chef Season 23, set in Charlotte, NC ... More and Greenville, SC. Production begins summer 2025. Top Chef is heading south. Bravo announced on July 23 that Season 23 will be filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina, with episodes also set in Greenville, South Carolina. Production starts this summer, and the season is expected to premiere in 2026. Kristen Kish returns as host alongside judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, and the new setting promises a spotlight on Southern ingredients, regional hospitality, and two fast-growing food cities. The move follows the show's recent Emmy nominations and its continued evolution post–Padma Lakshmi. Where is Top Chef Season 23 filming? Season 23 is centered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with select episodes taking place in Greenville, South Carolina. Bravo described the two locations as 'perfect chefs' playgrounds' known for their bold flavors, agricultural abundance, and 'warm, genuine hospitality.' The show is partnering with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority and VisitGreenvilleSC to produce the season. Both tourism boards praised the opportunity to showcase their region's culinary scenes. 'Charlotte's rapidly evolving culinary landscape blends global influences [with] This Southern setting follows the show's regional focus in recent years—from Wisconsin's hearty farm-driven season to the international turn planned for Season 22 in Canada. What does this mean for the Carolinas' food scenes? Top Chef has a long track record of boosting visibility for local chefs and ingredients. Past seasons have helped launch restaurants into national attention, increased food tourism, and brought new eyes to under-the-radar cities. Charlotte and Greenville have both seen rapid culinary growth in the last five years, with buzzy openings, James Beard attention, and farm-to-table emphasis. Being featured on Top Chef could accelerate that momentum. As VisitGreenvilleSC's Heath Dillard put it: 'Hosting Top Chef here is both validation and a celebration.' Who's returning for Season 23? Kristen Kish continues as host after stepping into the role in Season 21. Judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons also return, keeping the core judging panel consistent as the series continues its evolution. When Kish debuted as the new Top Chef host in the Wisconsin season, she brought a calm, collaborative energy to the competition—a shift some viewers welcomed after nearly two decades of Padma Lakshmi's sharper edge. When will Season 23 of Top Chef premiere? No official air date has been announced, but Season 23 will debut sometime in 2026. Based on previous seasons, a spring premiere—likely March or April—is the safest bet. Production kicks off this summer across both cities, and Bravo's announcement confirms the locations were secured in partnership with local tourism agencies. Why does this setting shift matter? This marks the show's first full return to the American South since Top Chef: Charleston in 2016–2017. But while that season focused on a more traditional vision of Southern cooking, the 2026 Carolina setting hints at something broader: international influence, evolving regional identity, and next-gen talent grounded in place. Social media response was immediate—and intense. Within an hour of the season 23 announcement on Instagram, comments poured in from chefs, locals, and longtime fans. 'Welcome to my hood besties!' wrote Charleston-based chef Shuai Wang. 'So excited!! You guys should definitely consider doing an episode in Asheville too!' one commenter added. Others begged for long-overdue Philly and Atlanta seasons, while local voices chimed in with challenge suggestions: seafood on the coast, pimento cheese, and even a Cheerwine cook-off. Greenville's tourism board and the Euphoria festival also celebrated the spotlight. With its 19th consecutive Emmy nomination and its Carolina location locked, Top Chef is entering its next phase with local flavor—and plenty of national attention.
Eater
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Next Season of ‘Top Chef' Heads to the Carolinas
is an editor of Eater's South region, covering Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, and the Carolinas. She has been writing about the food scene in the Carolinas and Savannah for 12 years. Erin has resided in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past 20 years. Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Kristen Kish will be in the Carolinas this summer. David Moir/Bravo via Getty Images Top Chef host Kristen Kish and judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons will be in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina, this summer to film season 23 of the cooking competition show. The recent announcement was made in partnership with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority and Visit Greenville SC. In the press release, Senior Vice President for NBCUniversal, Ryan Flynn, says, 'We're excited to return to the South for Top Chef Carolinas. Charlotte and Greenville are perfect chefs' playgrounds fueled by exceptional local ingredients, bold flavors, a strong agricultural foundation, stunning natural landscapes, and the warm, genuine hospitality the South is known for.' This exciting news also comes on the heels of the announcement that Greenville will host the 2025 Michelin Guide ceremony for the American South. Greenville has been making culinary strides in recent years, including taking home a James Beard Award and marking the 20th anniversary of its signature food festival, Euphoria. This isn't the first time the Top Chef crew has focused on the Carolinas — in 2016, they filmed the 14th season in Charleston, South Carolina, with then-host Padma Lakshmi dining her way through the Lowcountry. If you live in Charlotte or Greenville, the best place to stalk the cheftestants is usually your nearest Whole Foods, as the chefs shop there before most of the competitions.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Great Nosh Draws Thousands For A Joyful Day Of Jewish Food, Culture, Music On Governors Island
This past Sunday, over 2,000 attendees gathered under clear skies and the gaze of the Statue of ... More Liberty for the inaugural Great Nosh—a vibrant picnic festival presented by the Jewish Food Society. The Great Nosh On Sunday, June 22nd, over 2,000 New Yorkers boated out to Governors Island for the inaugural iteration of the Great Nosh. Presented by the Jewish Food Society, the event was billed as a 'vibrant picnic festival,' and by all accounts it delivered on that description. The daylong gathering showcased a wide array of Jewish cuisine, craft cocktails, chef-led collaborations, live DJ performances and a general sense of well-being--all of it backdropped by the Statue of Liberty as well as the Manhattan skyline. And all of it demonstrating how food exists as an evolving cultural expression of identity and community. Highlight dishes included schnitzel-and-chips from Dame, a popular seafood restaurant in the city; black and white cookie cheesecake from Junior's--a New York institution; and roti reubens, a collaborative effort between Thai Diner and Katz's Deli. There was a DIY bar dedicated to sabich, celebrating the oft-overlooked Middle Eastern staple. At "Grandmas Tent," cooking demos from prominent personalities such as Gail Simmons and Pati Jinich imparted a tasty type of knowledge to attendees. There were explainers on challah braiding, Eastern European pickling, and how-tos on hand-rolling couscous and rugelach. As evening closed in, guests were treated to a DJ set from seven time Grammy Award-winning artist Mark Ronson. The well-received nature of the Great Nosh--along with its robust attendance--strongly suggests that it will become an annual fixture of New York summers. And it was all the brainchild of Naama Shefi, cookbook author and founder of the Jewish Food Society. "The outpouring of joy, generosity, and togetherness we witnessed was deeply moving,' she said in a press release. 'In a time when division often makes the headlines, the Great Nosh reminded us what's possible when community and hospitality come together.' To get a better sense of what inspired the event, and what we can expect from future iterations, we sat down with Shefi for a brief interview. It has been edited for length and clarity. Breaking bread amongst 2000 guests at the inaugural Great Nosh picnic on Governors Island The Great Nosh Naama Shefi: 'I think about food as a very powerful medium for storytelling and identity exploration. Food is our cultural DNA and I believe that behind every recipe there is a story: how people live, celebrate, mourn and love. At Jewish Food Society we are building the largest archive of family recipes and the histories that are attached to them. We bring this archive to life with programming and gatherings. The Great Nosh was our idea to do that at scale, as a community.' What was your vision for this inaugural event, and how did it evolve in execution? NS: 'The idea for the Great Nosh came from a few different places: the picnics I grew up with on the kibbutz and my new home here in NYC where I love to visit our city's community gardens and parks. What better way to celebrate Jewish culture in New York City than to invite our beloved city to a picnic? That is it in a nutshell, and our goal is for The Great Nosh to be an annual event, celebrated in proximity to the holiday of Shavuot, which is a Jewish holiday that marks the harvest that comes after Spring. Growing up on a kibbutz, agriculture played a central role and Shavuot was the biggest annual event. I wanted to recreate this type of magic at scale." What does it take to curate an event of that scale and make it feel intimate? NS: 'It's all about setting a clear purpose. We aimed to create a multi-sensory experience that invited guests to step out of their daily routine and enjoy an inspiring time with friends. The island setting helped enormously; there's something about being separated from the city that naturally creates an escape from our typically busy lives. I love that going to the Great Nosh requires a little journey to get to this oasis. It lends itself to a full experience, not just another event in the city where you swing by. It hopefully felt intimate because everyone—chefs, artists, guests— were invested in this joint experience and came with the same spirit: a desire to be part of something joyful, meaningful, and deeply rooted.' Many people think of Jewish food in a nostalgic or traditional context. How did you seek to make it more contemporary? NS: "Jewish food is extremely global, seasonal and diverse in its nature so we wanted to highlight these qualities in the food offerings and programs. All 12 pop-ups featured at the picnic celebrated friendships within the culinary community, and many created unexpected dishes drawing on NYC staples with a completely new take on traditional flavors. For example, my friend Zoe Kanan of Elbow Bread partnered with her neighbor Sunny Lee of Sunn's on a vegetable-forward banchan bialy with smoky eggplant and zucchini. I love how Sunny and Zoe represent their mutual appreciation of Jewish traditions and are bringing to life Korean and Jewish flavors in the most delicious and thoughtful way. " How do you define success for The Great Nosh? NS: 'Part of how we measure success is in conversations started, connections made, and minds opened. There's a notion that Jewish food is a monolith, but in reality it's extremely diverse and we wanted to highlight its richness and seasonality. One of my guests at the picnic tried Sabich, an Iraqi-Jewish eggplant sandwich for the first time and it started a whole conversation about Jewish immigration and identity. This is just one example of many but the real impact is in the individual moments of discovery and is a very intimate medium that carries memory, tradition, and emotion in ways that words alone cannot. Every dish tells multiple stories—the story of its origins, its journey across borders, its adaptation to new environments, the people who prepared it or were around the table, when it was served. Now, more than ever, it's important to come together and celebrate Jewish culture in a way that fosters connection, understanding, and joy. The Great Nosh is about pride, resilience, and sharing heritage in an open and welcoming way. It's a chance to reinforce the power of community and to invite all New Yorkers to engage with Jewish food and culture in a dynamic and celebratory setting." Do you see the Great Nosh becoming a national—or even global—series? NS: 'We are excited to be an annual event on the city's calendar for years to come, and yes, at some point we aspire for the Great Nosh to be replicated in other major cities in the US and beyond.' What was your absolute favorite bite at the Great Nosh? NS: "I really loved the Marbled Rye Roti Reuben with pickled mango slaw from the Katz's x Thai Diner. I've been craving it ever since." Founder Naama Shefi hopes to make the picnic on Governors Island an annual tradition. The Great Nosh
Eater
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Sold-Out NYC Jewish Food Mashup Event Is Releasing More Tickets Today
A new epic picnic-styled food event highlighting Jewish food mashups is happening later this summer. The Great Nosh will take place on Sunday, June 22 out on Governors Island. The event features collaborations between New York restaurants who will make special dishes. This includes matchups like Thai Diner and Katz's Deli (Thai with classic New York Jewish deli), Atoboy and Apollo Bagels (Korean with bagels), Gertrude and Dhamaka (Jewish-ish with Indian), and Tatiana and Dickson's (Caribbean with a butcher shop). Elsewhere, Williamsburg restaurant the Four Horseman is running a wine bar; celebrity chefs Gail Simmons and Pati Jinich are running what is being called the Grandmas Tent. Then there's a marketplace, arm wrestling, music, and art. While the tickets were previously sold out, the organization is releasing more today — it's $39.89 for adults and $20.74 for children between the ages of six and 12. The event is run by nonprofit the Jewish Food Society. Restaurant Row in the spotlight Hell's Kitchen's Restaurant Row is going to get its signs across West 46th Street across Eighth and Ninth avenues. 'We'd love to reimagine Restaurant Row and give it a distinctive identity,' said Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris. 'If other neighborhoods have signs, why not us?' Restaurant Row has been in existence since at least 1973, with 16 restaurants on the stretch when it started. Today, over 30 reside on the stretch. A Queens fan-favorite coffee shop opens in Soho A cult favorite Long Island City waterfront coffee cart started over a decade ago by two Navy vets, Jimmy Lai and his partner Danny Singh, is expanding to Soho. Deploy Coffee has opened at 120 Lafayette Street, at Canal Street. Sign up for our newsletter.
