Where Are All 21 “Top Chef ”Winners Now? A Look at Their Lives Today After Being Crowned Champions

NEED TO KNOW

Season 1: Harold Dieterle

The cook who started it each connected nan debut 2006 play successful San Francisco, Harold Dieterle hit Tiffani Faison to beryllium named nan first Top Chef.

Afterward, he went connected to unfastened 2 New York City restaurants, nan Asian-influenced Perilla and Kin Shop, and merchandise a cookbook, Kitchen Notebook. These days he is main astatine his events company, HD Hospitality.

Season 2: Ilan Hall

In its 2nd season, nan show traveled to Los Angeles and crowned young fusion foodie Ilan Hall nan champ complete frenemy Marcel Vigneron.

Hall opened The Gorbals restaurants successful L.A. and N.Y.C., yet closing some and debuting his latest hotspot, Ramen Hood, successful L.A. successful 2015. He hosted Knife Fight on Esquire Network and has appeared connected a fistful of cooking shows since, astir precocious Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 3: Hung Huynh

Miami group nan segment for Hung Huynh, raised successful his family's Massachusetts restaurant, to champion Dale Levitski successful play 3.

The globe-trotter was yet tapped to caput up nan trendy Catch concatenation that began successful N.Y.C., and presently useful arsenic a advisor and backstage chef, pinch a extremity to "revolutionize nan measurement restaurants, farmers, cooks, and communities are integrated for nan use of all," according to his website.

Season 4: Stephanie Izard

Top Chef's first female winner, Stephanie Izard, stuck astir Chicago aft beating Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes to unfastened her inventive American Girl and nan Goat restaurant, later expanding nan mini-empire into Little Goat Diner, nan Chinese-American Duck Duck Goat and Peruvian-inspired Cabra.

The James Beard Award winner has since expanded Girl and nan Goat to L.A. and returned to Top Chef as a judge, successful summation to competing connected Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 5: Hosea Rosenberg

New Mexico autochthonal Hosea Rosenberg topped play 5 runners-up Carla Hall and Stefan Richter to return nan title successful N.Y.C.

He yet settled successful Colorado, wherever his Blackbelly edifice centers connected butchery and his Santo eatery showcases modern New Mexico cuisine.

He spends his clip extracurricular of nan room focused connected finding a cure for multicentric carpotarsal osteolysis, a uncommon familial upset his young girl Sophie was diagnosed pinch arsenic a toddler.

Season 6: Michael Voltaggio

Season 6 successful Las Vegas came pinch an absorbing twist: 2 brothers competing against each other, pinch nan ever-experimental Michael Voltaggio beating his fine-dining-focused relative Bryan (and cook Kevin Gillespie) successful nan finale.

The infinitesimal didn't wounded nan brothers' relationship, however: successful nan years since, nan Voltaggios person opened respective restaurants together astir nan U.S. and moreover had a Food Network title show, Battle of nan Brothers.

After Top Chef, Michael opened respective restaurants, which have since closed including Ink successful L.A. He has besides competed connected Food Network's Tournament of Champions and Bobby's Triple Threat. In June 2024, he welcomed his 3rd child, his first pinch woman Bria Vinaite.

Season 7: Kevin Sbraga

In Washington, D.C., New Jersey's Kevin Sbraga took down chap finalists Ed Cotton and Angelo Sosa, going connected to unfastened caller restaurants successful Philadelphia and Jacksonville.

Though he yet coiled down his eateries, successful 2022, he announced he'd beryllium backmost successful nan room pinch Sonny & Sons chickenhearted successful Maryland's Le Fantome Food Hall.

Season 8: Richard Blais

Season 8 of Top Chef was nan first all-stars edition, bringing together 7 seasons' worthy of instrumentality favorites and runners-up who each fell to whiz kid Richard Blais.

In nan years since, Blais has been beautiful overmuch everywhere, including nan judges' array connected Top Chef. He has a fistful of restaurants astir nan country, including San Diego's Juniper & Ivy and Crack Shack, and is presently serving arsenic a judge and mentor connected Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef.

Season 9: Paul Qui

Deep successful nan bosom of Texas, cook Paul Qui earned triumph complete Sarah Grueneberg — and earned superior accolades from judge Tom Colicchio, who called him nan "most talented cook that we've ever had connected nan show."

Qui went connected to unfastened restaurants successful Austin and beyond, but made headlines successful March 2016 erstwhile he was arrested and faced misdemeanor charged of battle and unlawful restraint pursuing an incident pinch his woman and her son, per nan Austin American-Statesman.

Qui entered rehab and nan charges were later dropped successful April 2018, according to the outlet.

In precocious 2022, Qui opened a Japanese-influenced spot successful Denver.

Season 10: Kristen Kish

Seoul-born Kristen Kish's emergence to nan apical successful Seattle was a first: she was eliminated successful week 11 but cooked her measurement backmost into nan title via Last Chance Kitchen, ultimately beating pal Brooke Williamson.

She has remained a awesome subordinate successful nan franchise, returning arsenic a impermanent judge, successful summation to opening a fistful of restaurants, including Austin's Arlo Grey. Kish hosted Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, and Restaurants astatine nan End of nan World on National Geographic.

She has been big and judge since play 21 of Top Chef, following big Padma Lakshmi's exit.

Season 11: Nicholas Elmi

Born successful New England and inspired by French cuisine, Nicholas Elmi won against instrumentality favourite Nina Compton successful nan New Orleans play final.

He rooted himself successful Philadelphia afterward, opening restaurants including Laurel, The Landing Kitchen and Lark, successful summation to releasing a cookbook inspired by Philly's cuisine.

Season 12: Mei Lin

Mei Lin was moving astatine erstwhile champ Michael Voltaggio's edifice Ink. erstwhile she dominated connected Top Chef's Boston season, besting Gregory Gourdet successful nan final.

Lin, who grew up successful her parents' Chinese edifice successful Michigan, went connected to unfastened 2 successful L.A. spots herself: Nightshade and Daybird. (The erstwhile closed its doors successful 2020 during nan pandemic.)

In summation to Top Chef, she won Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 13: Jeremy Ford

Miami's Jeremy Ford took nan crown connected nan California season, winning complete Amar Santana.

Already established connected nan Florida nutrient scene, Ford has gone connected to unfastened Stubborn Seed, The Butcher's Club and Beauty & The Butcher, a spot inspired by his oldest daughter.

Additionally, he hosted TruTV's Fast Foodies alongside chap champ Kristen Kish and Top Chef alumnus Justin Sutherland.

Season 14: Brooke Williamson

Brooke Williamson returned connected nan Charleston version that mixed caller contestants pinch returning standouts, yet beating friend and chap Top Chef veteran Shirley Chung successful nan finale aft being eliminated connected section 11 and cooking her measurement backmost successful Last Chance Kitchen.

While moving her Playa Provisions edifice successful L.A., Williamson besides appeared connected television, appearing connected everything from Top Chef Duels and Guy's Grocery Games to Bobby's Triple Threat and Knife Fight. She later won nan first play of Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 15: Joe Flamm

Chicago-raised Italian cook Joe Flamm was different victor who spent clip successful Last Chance Kitchen before coming backmost and emerging victorious, topping Adrienne Cheatham to return nan Colorado crown.

After pandemic-related delays he opened his Rose Mary edifice successful Chicago, melding his grandmothers' Croatian and Italian roots. In 2022, he besides began overseeing nan Chicago's BLVD Steakhouse, successful summation to judging Top Chef. In December 2024, he opened different restaurant, il Carciofo.

Season 16: Kelsey Barnard Clark

One of nan first Southern chefs to radiance connected Top Chef, Kelsey Barnard Clark hit Sara Bradley successful nan latter's autochthonal Kentucky pinch her accordant cooking.

Already astatine nan helm of her KBC edifice and catering institution successful Alabama erstwhile she joined nan show, she released a cookbook successful 2021 and competed connected Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

In September 2024, she published her latest cookbook, Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings.

Season 17: Melissa King

In different all-stars play group successful L.A., San Francisco's Melissa King hit Bryan Voltaggio and Stephanie Cmar pinch her caller flavors — and she won instrumentality 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 engaged successful nan culinary world, King is besides engaged connected TV, returning to judge Top Chef and serving arsenic big of National Geographic's Tasting Wild.

Season 18: Gabe Erales

Gabe Erales, who trained astatine nan world-famous Noma earlier opening his ain Texas restaurant, became known for his sauces, winning nan Portland play complete Shota Nakajima and Dawn Burrell. He was nan first Mexican cook to triumph nan series.

Immediately aft his play aired, however, he was fired from his position astatine Austin's Comedor for "repeated violations of nan company's morals argumentation arsenic it relates to harassment of women," according to his leader Philip Speer.

He apologized successful an unfastened missive connected Instagram, and Top Chef judge Padma Lakshmi publically called connected Bravo to analyse nan allegations. The web didn't further remark connected nan situation, per The New York Times.

In 2023, he opened Ometeo, a Mexican edifice successful Virginia.

Season 19 and 20: Buddha Lo

Aussie Buddha Lo's cooking successful Houston was virtually retired of this world (remember that NASA-inspired dessert?!), starring him done a dependable play and to triumph complete Evelyn Garcia and Sarah Welch successful nan affectional finale.

He did it each complete again successful play 20, returning for a world all-stars version successful London that he dominated. There, Lo hit chap Top Chef standout Sara Bradley and Top Chef Mexico winner Gabri Rodriguez.

Lo is nan executive cook astatine Huso edifice successful N.Y.C. — which reopened following a fire, and later moved to Tribeca successful February 2025. Lo is besides now raising his copy daughters pinch his woman Rebekah Pedler.

In May 2025, he returned to impermanent judge connected play 22 of Top Chef.

Season 21: Danny Garcia

Things sewage rocky for Danny Garcia — virtually — erstwhile nan last 2 episodes of Top Chef play 21 were set aboard a Caribbean cruise ship.

After being tasked pinch creating a multi-course meal, Garcia ended up beating retired chap finalists, Dan Jacobs and Savannah Miller, claiming nan $250,000 prize.

Following his play 21 victory, Garcia opened his caller seafood restaurant, Time and Tide, successful N.Y.C., successful October 2024.