Top Chef Los Angeles 2020

Bravo has announced the 15 contestants competing for another shot at culinary supremacy when Top Chef returns for Season 17 with a supersized episode on Thursday, March 19. The lineup includes finalists, front runners, and fan favorites who wowed us with their culinary skills in seasons past.

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr.  She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed.

What is your first stop when you arrive in LA? Coffee and breakfast at Go Get ‘Em Tiger.

What’s your last meal in LA before traveling home? Usually lunch or dinner at Pizzeria Mozza for Nancy’s chopped salad, a squash blossom burrata pizza and Butterscotch Budino.

What favorite thing /food can you get in LA that you don’t get in NY? 

• Practically everything at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.
• Countless authentic Thai (as well as Chinese, Persian, Salvadorian) restaurants that don't shy away from spice and heat.
• Hyper-regional Mexican food that’s as deeply flavored and nuanced as it is diverse.
• Unassuming, unpretentious and affordable Japanese food, especially fresh sushi, with almost impossibly high standards of quality, often enjoyed in startlingly humble surroundings. Authentic to and ever respectful of process and mastery of its highly-revered craft.
• I have an unscientifically-priced theory that while NYC does so many things well, we have nothing on how California makes a salad. By this I don't mean how to put a meager handful of mesclun lettuce on a plate, but how to build a proper bowl of vegetables, grains, protein and dressing, in the most satisfying and innovative way, with ingredients and vegetable/fruit varieties we often don't see, or even know of in the Northeast due to the difference in climate and approach to seasonality.

What’s your favorite Neighborhood to explore in LA?
On most recent trips, I have loved getting to know Historic Filipinotown, DTLA, Silver Lake and Eagle Rock. The vastness of LA never ceases to astound and disorient me.

It’s Wednesday in LA and there are no meetings planned. What do you do?

If my kids are with me, we head to the beach as it's still a novel draw for us East Coasters. We play at the Annenberg Beach House, up in Malibu or with friends down in Manhattan Beach. We also love getting out in nature as its also something we can’t do as freely all year round in NYC. We go to the Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, Tree People Park and Nature Preserve in Coldwater Canyon, Cayton’s Children’s Museum in Santa Monica, and we love the playground and trails around Griffith Park.

If I am not with my family, I have a long leisurely lunch with friends at Salazar in Frogtown, maybe SQIRL, Bianca Bakery, or new favorite Porridge & Puffs. Next, go for a hike or a run, relax by the pool, and then head out for a late dinner and drinks (you can't take the New Yorker out of me so I often want to eat dinner much later than my LA friends are used to) at Antico, Birdie G’s, Rustic Canyon, Nightshade or maybe Ma’am Sir.

Where do you find your favorite “NY thing” in LA? What is it? 

Truthfully, I don't seek out “NY things” in LA. I stopped comparing them years ago and instead love finding all the treasures of the city that I can't find in my own. But if I had to think of anything it would be the traditional Jewish deli. Lunch at Langer’s is the closest to NYC deli I have found and I adore it. If I want something a little more modern and tongue-in-cheek I eat at Freedman's.

Any other favorite restaurants that you would like to add?

There are far too many to count but along with all the above, while shooting this season of Top Chef there I had chance to check out for the first time or revisit these faves (to name a few!):

• Jitlada
• Sapp Coffee Shop
• Bavel
• Auburn
• Genghis Cohen
• Felix
• Kismet
• Petit Trois
• Guelaguetza
• Attari Sandwich
• Gwen
• a.o.c.
• Casa Buono
• Gjusta
• luv2eat
• Broken Spanish
• Destroyer
• Cassia
• Republique

What restaurants are on your list for the next time you are in LA? 

My list grows by the day, and includes Kismet Rotisserie, Kato Taiwanese by Jon Yao, Baroo and Northern Thai Food Club.

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. 

What is your first stop when you arrive in LA? Sqirl

What favorite thing /food can you get in LA that you don’t get in NY? Nothing! You can get everything here and there.

Any other favorite restaurants that you would like to add? Kismet and Felix.

What restaurants are on your list for the next time you are in LA? N/Naka.

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.   

What is your first stop when you arrive in LA? In-N-Out Burger, the one right by LAX. 

What’s your last meal in LA before traveling home? Also In-N-Out.

What favorite thing /food can you get in LA that you don’t get in NY? Anything cooked by Nancy Silverton.

What’s your favorite Neighborhood to explore in LA? I have loved exploring Silver Lake recently, there’s a lot of great food popping up in that area.

It’s Wednesday in LA and there are no meetings planned. What do you do? I head to my favorite boxing gym- Wild Card, to meet my former trainer Sammy Stewart for a session.

Where do you find your favorite “NY thing” in LA? What is it?

I love visiting the Union Square Greenmarket in New York, so when I’m in LA, I’ll get my fresh produce fix at either the Santa Monica or Beverly Hills Farmer’s Markets.

Any other favorite restaurants that you would like to add?

• Guisados in West Hollywood
• Curtis Stone’s restaurant Gwen in [Hollywood]
• Night Market in West Hollywood

What restaurants are on your list for the next time you are in LA? 

I recently had dinner at n/naka, and a return visit is definitely on my to-do list for the next time I’m in town.