Top Chef Winners Where are they now?

Top Chef is a cookery competition reality television show that sees chefs compete to be named the Top Chef after completing a number of challenges to avoid elimination.

The challenges are judged by a panel of professional chefs and culinary, food and drink experts.

There was a large cash prize on offer, for earlier seasons this was $100,000 but this doubled to $200,000 for later seasons.

Find out what the Top Chef winners did next after appearing on Top Chef. Top Chef winners what happened next?

Harold Dieterle was the Top Chef season 1 winner after impressing the panel with his 5 course menu of scallops, bass, quail, a beef duo and a fig tart.

After Top Chef, Harold opened restaurants Perilla (in 2007) and Kin shop (in 2010), both of which closed in 2015 and The Marrow (in 2012), which closed in 2014. They all had very good reviews prior to closure.

Harold released a cook book Harold Dieterle's Kitchen Notebook. In 2017, he developed three dishes for salad bar Chopt and opened gluten free Italian restaurant Tali & Tali Dolce, which closed in June 2018. He is currently Executive Chef at Ten Hope in Williamsburg.

Ilan Hall was the Top Chef season 2 winner after impressing the judges with his 5 course menu of eel and caviar small stack, gazspaco, squab, shortrib and a fruit soup.

After Top Chef, Ilan opened restaurant The Gorbals (in LA) in 2009 and a second restaurant (in Brooklyn) in 2014. He planned to move the LA restaurant and make it a vegan restaurant but the restaurant never reopened.

His Brooklyn restaurant became Esh, a Middle-East barbecue restaurant, the restaurant closed in September 2016. He briefly had his own television show Knife Fight on the Esquire Network.

Hung Huynh was the Top Chef season 3 winner after his 4 course menu of fish and chips, shrimp, sous-vide duck and chocolate molten cakes impressed the panel.

After Top Chef, Hung returned as a guest chef and was Executive Chef at Solo restaurant in New York City during 2008/9 and was later Executive Chef at Ajna Bar from 2009 to 2011. He opened a number of restaurants with EMM group but cut ties in 2015 due to creative differences.

Hung did a number of pop up events and became a restaurant consultant and was Chef de Cuisine at Morimoto Asia. In November 2019 he opened Warrior in Los Angeles to excellent reviews.

Stephanie Izard was the Top Chef season 4 winner after her 4 course menu consisting of snapper, quail and lobster ravioli, lamb and a poundcake impressed the panel.

After Top Chef, Stephanie is Executive Chef and Partner at both Girl & the Goat and Little Goat in Chicago. She has received a number of accolades including being nominated onto Macy's Culinary Council.

Stephanie released cookbook Girl in the Kitchen in 2011 and she opened her first restaurant, a roof top restaurant called Cabra in April 2019.

Hosea Rosenberg was the Top Chef season 5 winner after impressing the panel with his 4 course menu of blackened redfish, three fish sushimi, scallops and venison and his risky decision not to include a dessert.

After Top Chef, Hosea opened two restaurants in Boulder, Colorado, the Blackbelly opened in 2014 and Santo opened in 2017.

In 2015 he opened Blackbelly Butcher, where he makes and sells his own meats. Before opening his restaurants Hosea had a food truck and a farming business.

Michael Voltaggio was the Top Chef season 6 winner after beating his brother Bryan to the title with his 4 course menu of cream of brocoli, rockfish and crab salad, squab and a chocolate coulant with a butternut squash brûlée.

After Top Chef, Michael opened three restaurants ink., ink.well and ink.sack. Ink.sack closed in March 2018 after more than 7 years in Melrose.

Michael closed ink. in order to open Ink.well but the restaurant closed in April 2018 after being open just 8 months due to issues with a partner.

In October 2017, he opened STRFSH, a fast food fish business with his brother Bryan, in April 2017 they opened Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse and in March 2019 they opened Estuary, a seafood restaurant.

Kevin Sbraga was the Top Chef season 7 winner after his 4 course menu of eggplant, zucchini and pepper terrine, red mullet, duck and dumpling and frozen Singapore sling impressed the judging panel.

After Top Chef, Kevin opened four restaurants. Two restaurants Sbraga and the Fat Ham in University City closed in January 2017 and Fat Ham closed in June 2017. Juniper Commons closed in May 2015 after just six months in business.

After the closures he became a Private chef and consultant before opening Sonny & Sons, a hot chicken restaurant in June 2019.

Richard Blais was the Top Chef season 8 winner after impressing the panel with his 4 course menu of hamachi and fried veal sweetbreads, pork belly, beef short rib and cornbread with foie gras ice cream.

After Top Chef, Richard appeared on Iron Chef America and Chopped All-Stars. In 2014, he started culinary company Trail Blais, Inc. and had opened two restaurants, Juniper & Ivy and The Crack Shack.

Richard has released two cookbooks and is a regular on cookery shows on Food Network. In 2020, The Crack Shack now has six locations.

Paul Qui was the Top Chef season 9 winner after his 4 course menu of chawanmushi, sea bass, sea urchin congee and puffed rice, fruit and coconut ice cream impressed the panel.

After Top Chef, Paul won Best Chef Southwest at the James Beard Awards. He opened restaurant Aqui in August 2017, it later closed in December 2018 and his restaurant Kuneho née Qui closed in the fall of 2017.

In 2016, Paul was arrested on charges of domestic assault against his partner after attacking her following a drugs and alcohol binge. The charges were dropped in 2018 shortly before trial. In May 2018, he opened TacQui in Dallas.

Kristen Kish was the Top Chef season 10 winner as her four course menu of chicken liver mousse, scallops, celery and bone marrow and red snapper impressed the panel.

After Top Chef, Kristen became chef de cuisine of Menton for a year before leaving to travel and to co-host 36 Hours on the Travel Channel.

Kristen released her first cookbook, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques in 2017. In June 2018, she opened her first restaurant Arlo Grey in Austin, Texas.

Nicholas Elmi was the Top Chef season 11 winner after after wowing the judges with his 4 course menu of hamachi and Tuna, shrimp bisque, duck and white chocolate panna cotta.

After Top Chef, Nicholas opened his first restaurant Laurel in Philadelphia. He later opened bar ITV in 2016 and opened Royal Boucherie in November 2017.

In September 2019, Nicholas released his first cook book called Laurel: Modern American Flavors in Philadelphia.

Mei Lin was the Top Chef season 12 winner with her 4 course menu of octopus, congee, duck and strawberry lime curd impressing the judging panel.

After Top Chef, Mei travelled, did a number of cookery events and pop up dining experiences around the world. Mei opened her first restaurant Nightshade restaurant in December 2018.

Jeremy Ford was the Top Chef season 13 winner after his 4 course menu of foie gras two ways, branzini, duck and a ricotta and mozzarella cheese cylinder impressed the judges.

After Top Chef, Jeremy took a break from the kitchen before opening his own restaurant Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach. In May 2019, he opened Krun-Chi in Time Out Market Miami. He has a second restaurant opening planned in 2020 called Afishonado.

Brooke Williamson was the Top Chef season 14 winner after her 4 course menu of oyster, octopus, pork belly and a rum and chamomile flan impressed the panel. Brooke was also the Top Chef season 10 runner up.

After Top Chef, Brooke opened a number of restaurants with her husband Nick Roberts. Their restaurants are Hudson House, The Tripel, Playa Provisions and Da Kikokiko

Joseph Flamm was the Top Chef season 15 winner after impressing the judges with his 4 course menu of Tuna, pighead tortellini, beef ribeye and brown sugar cake.

After Top Chef, Joseph is Executive Chef at Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia. He is now a father, his son was born in January 2019 and he plans to open his first restaurant in Chicago’s Fulton Market in the Summer of 2020.

Kelsey Barnard Clark was the Top Chef season 16 winner after her 4 course menu of cornbread with crayfish, oysters, soft shell crab and peach cobbler impressed the judging panel of Top Chef Kentucky.

After Top Chef, Kelsey plans to use the prize money to invest in her restaurant KBC and she hopes to one day open a second restaurant. She also does live cooking lessons one her website.

Melissa King was the Top Chef season 17 winner after impressing the judges with her Italian and Chinese flavour combination and her range of techniques.

After Top Chef, Melissa returned to her company providing culinary services and partnerships. She has hosted a number of virtual cookery demonstrations.

More Top Chef

Top Chef Season 16 | Top Chef Season 17