Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants eliminated each week. Season Three began airing in June 2007. In July 2007, production began on Season Four to be shot in Chicago. The show is produced by Magical Elves Productions, the same company that created Project Runway.
In both seasons of Top Chef, the chef that won the very first elimination challenge went on to become the Top Chef.
Michael Midgley (Season 2) was the first contestant to win both the Elimination Challenge as well as the Quick fire Challenge in one episode.
Guest Judges from season one: * Hubert Keller * Elizabeth Falkner * Laurent Manrique * Jefferson Hill * Mike Yakura * Ted Allen * Jeffrey Chodorow * Marcy Blum * Greg Cole * Lissa Doumani * Philippe Jeanty * Douglas Keane * Keith Luce * James McDevitt * Cindy Pawlcyn * Victor Scargle * Hiro Sone * John Shafer * Lee Anne Wong * Miguel Morales * Stephen Asprinio * Performers from Cirque Du Soleil's * Lorraine Bracco
Guest judges from season two: * Harold Dieterle * Hiroshi Shima * Ming Tsai * Stephen Bugarelli * Suzanne Goin * Michelle Bernstein * Anthony Bourdain * Raphael Lunetta * Kristen Woodward * Lee Hefter * Ted Allen * Mike Yakura * Eric Ripert * Alan Wong * Scott Conant * Wylie Dufresne * Hubert Keller * Roy Yamaguchi
The 1st season winner was Harold Dieterle with the runner up being Tiffani Faison.
The 2nd season winner was Ilan Hall with the runner up being Marcel Vigneron.
The 1st season took place in San Francisco, California. The 2nd season took place in Los Angeles, California. The 3rd season will take place in Miami, Florida.
The first season host was Katie Lee Joel, who quit to spend more time at home. She was replaced with Padma Lakshmi.
The first season had only 12 contestants, while the 2nd and 3rd seasons will both have 15.
