Top Chef: All-Stars is the eighth season of the American reality television series Top Chef. The season was first filmed in New York City before concluding in The Bahamas. All-Stars consisted of chefs from the previous seven seasons who did not win the title of Top Chef.[1] It premiered on December 1, 2010, and concluded on April 6, 2011.[2] The cast was announced during the Top Chef: D.C. reunion special on September 22, 2010.[1] The prize money awarded to the winner of the season was US$200,000.[3] In the season finale, Top Chef: Chicago runner-up Richard Blais was declared the winner over Top Chef: Las Vegas contestant Mike Isabella.[3] Top Chef: New York runner-up Carla Hall was voted Fan Favorite.[4]
| Top Chef: All-Stars | |
|---|---|
| Season 8 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Padma Lakshmi |
| Judges | Tom Colicchio Gail Simmons Anthony Bourdain |
| No. of contestants | 18 |
| Winner | Richard Blais |
| Runner-up | Mike Isabella |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Finals venue | The Bahamas |
| Fan Favorite | Carla Hall |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Original release | December 1, 2010 – April 6, 2011 |
| Season chronology | |
Contestants
editEighteen past Top Chef contestants competed in Top Chef: All-Stars.[1]
| Name | Age | Season | Original Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elia Aboumrad | 27 | Season 2 | 4th |
| Stephen Asprinio | 29 | Season 1 | 5th |
| Richard Blais | 38 | Season 4 | Runner-up |
| Jennifer Carroll | 35 | Season 6 | 4th |
| Tiffany Derry | 27 | Season 7 | 5th |
| Tiffani Faison | 33 | Season 1 | Runner-up |
| Carla Hall | 46 | Season 5 | Runner-up |
| Mike Isabella | 35 | Season 6 | 7th |
| Jamie Lauren | 32 | Season 5 | 7th |
| Dale Levitski | 37 | Season 3 | Runner-up |
| Antonia Lofaso | 34 | Season 4 | 4th |
| Spike Mendelsohn | 29 | Season 4 | 5th |
| Angelo Sosa | 35 | Season 7 | Runner-up |
| Dale Talde | 32 | Season 4 | 6th |
| Casey Thompson | 32 | Season 3 | Runner-up |
| Marcel Vigneron | 30 | Season 2 | Runner-up |
| Fabio Viviani | 32 | Season 5 | 4th |
| Tre Wilcox | 34 | Season 3 | 8th |
Contestant progress
edit| Episode # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 124 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quickfire Challenge Winner(s) |
Antonia Dale T. Richard Spike |
Tiffani | Richard1 Spike1 Stephen1 Tre1 |
Tre | Mike | N/A3 | Dale T. | Richard | Dale T.1 | Dale T.1 | Mike1 | Carla1 | Mike1 Richard1 Tiffany1 |
Antonia1 Tiffany1 |
Mike1 | N/A | ||
| Contestant | Elimination Challenge Results | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Richard | HIGH2 | WIN | IN | HIGH | IN | LOW | WIN | IN | IN | HIGH | WIN | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | WINNER | |
| 2 | Mike | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | WIN | IN | RUNNER-UP | |
| 3 | Antonia | IN | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | LOW | IN | OUT | ||
| 4 | Tiffany | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | IN | LOW | OUT | |||
| 5 | Carla | IN | IN | IN | WIN | LOW | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | WIN | LOW | LOW | IN | OUT | ||||
| 6 | Dale T. | IN | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | LOW | WIN | OUT | ||||||
| 7 | Angelo | WIN | WIN | HIGH | IN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | IN | HIGH | OUT | |||||||
| 8 | Fabio | LOW | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | ||||||||
| 9 | Tre | IN | LOW | HIGH | LOW | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | |||||||||
| 10 | Marcel | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | ||||||||||
| 11 | Jamie | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | |||||||||||
| Tiffani | IN | IN | LOW | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Casey | IN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Spike | HIGH | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||
| 15 | Dale L. | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Stephen | LOW | HIGH | OUT | |||||||||||||||
| 17 | Jennifer | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||||
| 18 | Elia | OUT | ||||||||||||||||
^Note 1 : The chef(s) did not receive immunity for winning the Quickfire Challenge.
^Note 2 : Despite Richard making one of the judges' favorite dishes, he was seen plating past the Elimination Challenge's allotted time limit and was thus ineligible to win.
^Note 3 : There was no Quickfire Challenge in this episode.
^Note 4 : The judges could not decide on a losing dish, so all five chefs advanced to the finals.
- (WINNER) The chef won the season and was crowned "Top Chef".
- (RUNNER-UP) The chef was a runner-up for the season.
- (WIN) The chef won the Elimination Challenge.
- (HIGH) The chef was selected as one of the top entries in the Elimination Challenge, but did not win.
- (IN) The chef was not selected as one of the top or bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge and was safe.
- (LOW) The chef was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge, but was not eliminated.
- (OUT) The chef lost the Elimination Challenge.
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 1 | "History Never Repeats" | December 1, 2010 | 1.66[5] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs from each season teamed up to create a dish that represented the city where their seasons took place. The winning team received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were confronted with the ingredients from the dishes that sent them home during their respective seasons. Each chef had to recreate their losing dish and turn it into a success. The winner received $10,000.
| |||||
| 106 | 2 | "Night at the Museum" | December 8, 2010 | 2.03[6] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had to create a midnight snack for children spending the night at the American Museum of Natural History. The snack had to be edible without the need for utensils and served inside of a brown paper bag. The top two chefs served their midnight snacks for 150 children at the museum, who decided the winner of the Quickfire Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: Competing as two teams, the chefs created a breakfast for the children and their parents that was limited to a specific dinosaur's diet: a Tyrannosaurus rex (meat, eggs, and dairy) or a Brontosaurus (fruits, vegetables, and grains). Musician Joe Jonas and Top Chef: San Francisco host Katie Lee guest judge.
| |||||
| 107 | 3 | "New York's Finest" | December 15, 2010 | 1.98[7] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: Teams of four competed in a race to complete three mise en place tasks: simultaneously butchering lamb ribs, chopping garlic, and cleaning artichokes. The first team to finish started a fifteen-minute timer; all teams had to prepare a dish within that time limit, using all three prepared ingredients. The other teams were required to complete their mise en place tasks before cooking. While the winning team did not earn immunity, each member won $5,000. New York celebrity chef, restauranteur and author David Chang is the guest judge.
Elimination Challenge: Using the same teams from the Quickfire, the chefs competed among themselves in a double elimination to prepare a dish in the style of one of four notable New York City restaurants -- David Chang's Ma Peche, David Burke's Townhouse, Michael White's Marea, and Wylie Dufresne's Wd~50 -- after dining at their drawn restaurant, where they also prepare their food. Dishes were tasted by the celebrity chefs who ran those restaurants; each master chef's favorite was eligible to win, while their least favorite was eligible for elimination. The winner received a six-night trip to New Zealand.
| |||||
| 108 | 4 | "Advantage Chef" | December 22, 2010 | 2.12[8] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs prepared a stuffing dish. All cutlery and utensils had been removed from the kitchen, so the contestants were forced to improvise tools. The winner earned $20,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were divided into two teams to individually cook for the players in the U.S. Open. The teams designated representatives for head-to-head match-ups, which were scored like a tennis match. The first team to reach four points got the team victory. Chefs that scored a point for the winning team (indicated in italics below) were eligible for the win, while chefs that lost a point for the losing team were eligible for elimination. Though all chefs prepared a dish, due to the format, some ended up not serving; these chefs were ineligible to win, but were still safe from elimination. The winner received a trip to Italy. Tennis player Taylor Dent and Tony Mantuano, chef and owner of Spiaggia, guest judge.
| |||||
| 109 | 5 | "Dim Sum Lose Some" | January 5, 2011 | N/A | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: In a series first, head judge Tom Colicchio entered the competition, challenging the chefs to beat his time in creating a dish: 8 minutes, 37 seconds. The winner received a new Toyota Prius.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs went to Chinatown and worked as a team to serve dim sum for the locals. Susur Lee guest judges.
| |||||
| 110 | 6 | "We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" | January 12, 2011 | 2.36[9] | |
|
Elimination Challenge: In a double elimination, the remaining all-stars went fishing in Montauk. They then cooked fish dishes at the Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City for a summer's-end beach party. The winner received a trip to Amsterdam and $5,000 for airfare. Kerry Heffernan guest judges.
| |||||
| 111 | 7 | "Restaurant Wars - One Night Only" | January 19, 2011 | 2.33[10] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs went to the kitchen of noted seafood restaurant Le Bernardin for a knife skills challenge, butchering and cleaning whole fish. After being judged by Anthony Bourdain and Justo Thomas, the top four chefs competed in a 45-minute cook-off using only the remaining pieces of the cleaned fish: eyes, organs, cheeks, collars, fins, and tails.
Elimination Challenge: The ten remaining chefs were formed into two teams and had 24 hours to create pop-up restaurants. The winning and losing restaurants were selected by the diners. The individual winner, selected by the judges, received $10,000. Chefs Dana Cowin and Ludo Lefebvre guest judge.
| |||||
| 112 | 8 | "An Offer They Can't Refuse" | February 2, 2011 | 2.34[11] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The nine remaining chefs created a visually appealing dish that was judged solely on presentation, with fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi as guest judge.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs cooked a family-style Italian meal at Rao's restaurant for the judges, as well as the restaurant's owners and staff. They were divided into three groups: antipasti, primi, and secondi. The chefs were judged individually on their dishes. In attendance are actor Frank Pellegrino and his son Frank Pellegino Jr., of the family that owns Rao's, Rao's executive chef Dino Gatto, and actress Lorraine Bracco.
| |||||
| 113 | 9 | "Feeding Fallon" | February 9, 2011 | 2.23[12] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The eight remaining chefs created fondue dishes and were judged by their fellow contestants. The chefs rated their top three and bottom three dishes, and could not vote for themselves. The winner received a three-day trip to Napa Valley. From this point forward, the winners of the Quickfire no longer received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs traveled to NBC Studios at the Rockefeller Center, where they participated in the Cell Phone Shootout on an episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In the shootout, they selected the dishes they had to prepare for the challenge and then cooked one of Jimmy Fallon's favorite dishes for his birthday lunch at Tom Colicchio's restaurant, Colicchio and Sons. The winner received a cooking segment on an episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and a trip to Tokyo. Guests include Steve Higgins, Nancy Juvonen, and A. D. Miles.
| |||||
| 114 | 10 | "Lock Down" | February 16, 2011 | N/A | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The seven remaining chefs baked cookies for Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Telly, from Sesame Street. The winner received $5,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs cooked a meal at a Target store using only ingredients and cooking supplies available inside the store. The winner received $25,000. Chef Ming Tsai guest judges.
| |||||
| 115 | 11 | "For the Gulf" | February 23, 2011 | 2.61[13] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: Each chef prepared a Southern-style dish with a deep-fried element. The winner received $5,000. Chef Paula Deen guest judges.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs catered a charity benefit for the Greater New Orleans Foundation, an organization that provides assistance to fisheries and tourism impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Six previously eliminated contestants from this season were paired with a Gulf Coast seafood. The chefs had to choose a pair of an ingredient and an assistant. The winner received a trip to Barbados. Chefs John Besh, David Burke, Carmen González, and Jonathan Waxman guest judge.
| |||||
| 116 | 12 | "Give Me Your Huddled Masses" | March 2, 2011 | 2.48[14] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs made dishes using ingredients found in a ferry snack bar, during a trip from Manhattan to Ellis Island.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs had to create a dish inspired by their ancestry (with insight and inspiration from research into their family history by a leading genealogist) and prepare a meal for one of their family members and the judges. The winner secured a spot in the Final 4 and received a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Chef Dan Barber guest judges both challenges.
| |||||
| 117 | 13 | "Fit For a King" | March 9, 2011 | 2.44[15] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The remaining chefs competed in a culinary duel against the Top Chef from their season at Fort Charlotte. Each season's chefs were given a mystery ingredient selected for them by Tom Colicchio, which they had to share. The chefs had 40 minutes to create a dish featuring their ingredient. Each winner (indicated in italics below) won $10,000. Stephanie, going up against two competitors from her season, was eligible to win up to $20,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs created meals for the King of Junkanoo with limited cooking equipment. Guests included Éric Ripert, Percy Francis, and past winners Michael Voltaggio, Kevin Sbraga, Stephanie Izard, and Hosea Rosenberg.
| |||||
| 118 | 14 | "Island Fever" | March 16, 2011 | 2.26[16] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: Working in teams of two, the chefs had to make 100 identical dishes in one hour. The winners split $5,000.
Elimination Challenge: On a deserted island with minimal facilities, the chefs catered a high-end lunch party for a yacht club's 80th anniversary and served up Bahamian delicacies, including conch, which they had to catch from the ocean. Guests include chef Lorena Garcia and Commodore of the Nassau Yacht Club Thierry Huguenin.
| |||||
| 119 | 15 | "The Last Supper" | March 23, 2011 | 2.38[17] | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: Each chef completed a challenge based on a Quickfire from a previous season; the competitors assigned the challenges to one another. Midway through the competition, an additional twist element was added inspired by another previous Quickfire. The winner received $5,000.
Elimination Challenge (Part 1): For the first portion of a two-part challenge, the chefs prepared a meal, inspired by what one of the guest judges would want for their last meal. Guests include chefs Masaharu Morimoto, Wolfgang Puck, Melanie Dunea, and Michelle Bernstein. Elimination Challenge (Part 2): Following the announcement of the winner, the two losing chefs were asked to cook one last perfect bite to secure the last spot in the season finale.
| |||||
| 120 | 16 | "Finale" | March 30, 2011 | 2.77[18] | |
|
Elimination Challenge: The two finalists were asked to design their own dream restaurant and create a four-course tasting menu. Each chef was allowed to work with three sous chefs. The sous chefs were selected from the sixteen previously eliminated contestants through a blind taste test. Richard was assisted by Angelo, Antonia, and Spike. Mike was assisted by Carla, Jamie, and Tiffani. Guests include Lidia Bastianich, Hubert Keller, Alfred Portale, Bill Terlato, Art Smith, and Curtis Stone.
| |||||
| 121 | 17 | "Reunion" | April 6, 2011 | 1.68[19] | |
References
edit- ^ a b c Reyhani, Monica A. (October 8, 2010). "'Top Chef All-Stars' Cast is Announced!". The Daily Dish. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "Top Chef 8 Reaches for the All-Stars". Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ a b Roberts, Soraya (March 31, 2011). "'Top Chef: All-Stars' winner spoiler: Richard Blais wins, Mike Isabella says he still 'beat him'". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ Brion, Raphael (March 31, 2011). "The Top Chef All-Stars Fan Favorite Is Carla Hall". Eater. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Terriers' Finale Up; 'Top Chef All-Stars' Down; 'Psych' Ratings "Peak" & More". TV by the Numbers. December 2, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Top Chef All-Stars' Rise; 'Psych,' 'Mythbusters,' 'Meet the Browns' & More". TV by the Numbers. December 9, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Storage Wars,' Celtics-Knicks Top Night; + 'Top Chef,' 'Psych,' 'Mythbusters,' 'Meet the Browns' & More". TV by the Numbers. December 16, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday 12/22 Cable Ratings: 'Mythbusters,' 'Top Chef,' 'Psych,' 'Meet the Browns,' 'WWE Tribute To The Troops' & More". TV by the Numbers. December 26, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday 1/12 Cable Ratings: 'House of Payne,' 'Top Chef,' 'Storage Wars' Lead Night + Mythbusters, Toddlers & Tiaras and More". TV by the Numbers. January 13, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Hot In Cleveland,' 'Storage Wars' Lead Night + 'Mythbusters', 'Top Chef,' 'Toddlers & Tiaras' and More". TV by the Numbers. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Storage Wars,' 'Top Chef' Top Cable; 'Hot In Cleveland' Drops". TV by the Numbers. February 3, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Storage Wars' Bests 'Justified'; 'Top Chef' Down Slightly; 'Hot in Cleveland' Steady". TV by the Numbers. February 10, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Top Chef' Leads Night; 'Justified,' 'Hot In Cleveland' Steady & More". TV by the Numbers. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Top Chef' Leads Night; 'Justified' Rises, 'Hot In Cleveland' Steady & More". TV by the Numbers. March 3, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: "Top Chef" Slips, But Still Tops + "Justified," "Real World," "Hot in Cleveland" and More". TV by the Numbers. March 10, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Storage Wars,' 'Real World' Lead, Plus 'Top Chef,' 'Justified,' 'Hot in Cleveland' and More". TV by the Numbers. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Real World,' 'Top Chef' Lead, Plus 'Justified,' 'Hot in Cleveland' and More". TV by the Numbers. March 24, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Justified,' 'Top Chef' Finale Up, 'Real World,' 'Sons Of Guns,' 'Ultimate Fighter' & More". TV by the Numbers. March 31, 2011. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Extreme Couponing,' 'Storage Wars' Lead Night + 'Real World' 'Justified,' 'Mythbusters' & More". TV by the Numbers. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2015.