Top Chef Announces the DC Cheftestants Debuts June 16

by Kamran Abdi
Get ready for a new season of Top Chef! This time the show takes place in Washington, D.C. with 17 new chefs vying for the top honor.

The chefs, unveiled below stir the pot along with host Padma Lakshmi, judges Tom Collichio and Gail Simmons, and new judge Eric Ripert

The chef competitors range from 24-year-old to 51-year-old  only the second woman to become a Certified Master Chef.

Tracey Bloom
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Shortsville, NY – currently resides in Atlanta, GA
PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Table 1280
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Culinary Institute of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: English pea salad

Named one of 2008’s “Top 25 Chefs in Atlanta” by The Sunday Paper, Tracey is well known in the Atlanta culinary scene and is currently the Executive Chef at Table 1280, where she shows off her expertise in both the sweet and savory side of culinary arts. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she decided to go down South to launch her culinary career as the opening Pastry Chef at the award winning Sia’s Restaurant in Duluth, GA. Tracey then joined the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group spending most of her time at 103 West under Chef Gary Donlick, before moving on to work as Sous Chef at AsherRestaurant in Roswell, GA, Oscar’s Restaurant in College Park, GA, and Luma in Winter Park, FL. She would have her last meal with Stevie Nicks and she would prepare Turkey salad sandwiches and homemade lemonade.

Timothy Dean
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 39
HOMETOWN: Washington D.C. – currently resides in Baltimore, MD
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Prime Steak House
CULINARY EDUCATION: Howard University
FAVORITE RECIPE: Soft Shell Crab Tempura with Virginia Ramps, Morel Mushroom and Garlic Confit Emulsion

Timothy spent 12 years working on and off with the late, great chef, Jean-Louis Palladin, first at Jean-Louis in the famed Watergate Hotel, and later as Chef de Cuisine at Palladin in New York City. Currently the Chef and owner of Prime Steak House in Baltimore and Prime Steak House by Timothy Dean, which is slated to open this summer in Washington, DC, his first job in a kitchen was a dishwasher. He has worked alongside other notable chefs including Alain Ducasse, Roberto Donna, Guenter Seeger and Patrick Clark. A graduate of Howard University, he was named the university’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000. His favorite dishes are Maine lobster with mac & cheese and shaved black truffles and pan seared Hudson Valley foie gras with rhubarb and 20-year-old Port wine

Tiffany Derry
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: Beaumont, TX – currently resides in Dallas
PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Go Fish Ocean Club
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, The Art Institute of Houston
FAVORITE RECIPE: Spring risotto

Tiffany, a native Texan, definitely flaunts the “Don’t Mess with Texas” attitude. She began working in the kitchen when she was 15 at IHOP where she learned speed, and by 17, her leadership skills in the business were evident as she became the youngest person to ever be in management there. She competed in ACF competitions to help pay for culinary school where she finished in the top of her class. In addition, she received her seafood training from Houston’s Pesce Restaurant while still in school. Shortly after graduation, she went on to become the Executive Sous Chef of Grotto Cucina. Next, she returned to the Art Institute of Houston to do her other passion, teach culinary. In 2008, she was named Executive Chef of the Dallas hotspot Go Fish Ocean Club, which has received many accolades. Dijon, Creole mustard, champagne vinegar, kosher salt and Creole seasoning are the five ingredients she always has

Tamesha Warren
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 24
HOMETOWN: Christ Church, Barbados – currently resides in Washington, DC
PROFESSION: Sous Chef, The Oval Room
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, The Art Institute of New York City
FAVORITE RECIPE: White asparagus soup

Born and raised in Barbados, Tamesha graduated from The Art Institute of New York City where she was on the President’s List. She went on to work at the world famous Jean Georges restaurant in NYC and was honored with gold and silver medals from the American Culinary Federation. Tamesha is currently the Sous Chef at The Oval Room, one of “Washington’s Power Restaurants,” located next to the White House and owned by Ashok Bajaj, one of the Capital’s biggest restaurateurs. Interested in playing with molecular elements, Tamesha cooks modern American food with French and Asian influences and is sure to bring a youthful, modern edge to the competition.

Stephen Hopcraft
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 40
HOMETOWN: Cleveland, OH – currently resides in Las Vegas, NV
PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Seablue at the MGM Grand
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, California Culinary Academy in San Francisco
FAVORITE RECIPE: Agholitti, a small pasta filled with goat cheese tossed in olive oil and tomato water.

Over-the-top and without a filter, Stephen has spent more than 12 years establishing newrestaurants nationwide for award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Mina. Currently the Executive Chef at Mina’s Seablue, the AAA Four Diamond restaurant at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, he has also worked alongside other high-profile chefs including Thomas Keller and Charlie Trotter. A proud father of 14-month-old twins, Stephen’s style is all about putting a playful twist on classic dishes to create cutting-edge food.

Lynne Gigliotti
Contestant, Top Ch

AGE: 51
HOMETOWN: Philadelphia, PA– currently resides in Hyde Park, NY
PROFESSION: Assistant Professor, Culinary Institute of America
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Culinary Institute of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: Anything with peas and asparagus

A Chef for over 30 years, Lynne is looking to break the glass ceiling for female chefs by becoming only the second woman to become a Certified Master Chef. Currently an Assistant Professor at the CIA, where she said she would never step foot after graduation, Lynne previously was the Chef/Owner of Grappa, which was featured in Atlanta Magazine’s “Best of 1999” and named an OutstandingRestaurant in the 2001 Zagat Guide Atlanta. Ice cream is her favorite dish to make and also her favorite junk food.

Kevin Sbraga
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 31
HOMETOWN: Willingboro, NJ – currently resides in Willingboro, NJ
PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Rat’s Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculpture
CULINARY EDUCATION: BS, Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales in Miami, FL
FAVORITE SIMPLE SPRING RECIPE: Asparagus and morels

A self-proclaimed “beast in the kitchen” with unrivaledknife skills, Kevin is currently the Executive Chef at Rat’s at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, which is managed by Stephen Starr. After earning his BS of Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales in Miami, Kevin went on to become the Chef de Cuisine at The Grill at Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel and was included in the 2007 list of “Top 10 Chefs” by Philadelphia Style magazine. In 2008, Kevin served as the Culinary Director of Garces Restaurant Group and was named winner of Best Meat Presentation at Bocuse d’Or USA. This African American, Italian chef declares he’s the “Barack Obama of the

Kenny Gilbert
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 36
HOMETOWN: Euclid, OH – currently resides in Telluride, CO
PROFESSION: President/Owner, Passionate Culinary Enterprises LLC; Chef/Partner, G’s Restaurant Group
CULINARY EDUCATION: Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts
FAVORITE RECIPE: A tomato and mozzarella saladwith an onion marmalade

Kenny is the President/Owner of Passionate Culinary Enterprises and Chef/Partner for G’srestaurant Group. His cuisine ranges from American Regional, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Native American, Moroccan and African. After graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Kenny went on to become a Chef de Cuisine at the young age of 23 at The Grill at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, FL, a AAA Five Diamond Restaurant, and the youngest African-American chef ever to run a Ritz-Carlton Hotel restaurant. An intense and no-nonsense chef, Kenny once split his pants open while cooking a 10-course meal and didn’t even blink an eye. If he could have his last meal with anyone, it would be President Obama, and he would prepare a modern American Southern meal.

Kelly Liken
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Pittsburgh, PA – currently resides in Vail, CO
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Kelly Liken in Vail and Rick & Kelly’s American Bistro in Edwards, CO
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Culinary Institute of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: Parmesan-mascarpone tortellini with spring vegetables and crispy artichokes

Graduating first in her class at the Culinary Institute of America, Kelly is one of the country’s most promising female chefs. In 2008, she was featured in Bon Appetit’s “Women Chefs: The Next Generation” and was a 2009 and 2010 James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best Chef Southwest. A small town girl at heart, she has passed up on offers from heavyweight chefs including Charlie Trotter and Daniel Boulud to stay in Colorado where she feels grounded. Kelly cooks seasonal American cuisine with a strong commitment to locally sourced organic ingredients. She loves to make soup, lamb and anything grilled.

John Somerville
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 42
HOMETOWN: Ohio — Currently resides in West Bloomfield, MI
PROFESSION: Chef de Cuisine, The Lark
CULINARY EDUCATION: BS In Engineering, University of Michigan
FAVORITE RECIPE: Spiced Spring cucumbers with dill

Growing up in rural Ohio, John developed an appreciation for farm fresh ingredients at a young age. He attended the University of Michigan and earned a degree in Engineering before deciding to pursue his culinary dream. In 1994, he joined The Lark as a Garde Manger, working his way up the ladder to his current position as Chef de Cuisine. He has received two James BeardNominations for Best Chef: Great Lakes (2008 and 2009) and is recognized as one of the best chefs in the greater Detroit area. His philosophy is “spreading the infectious spirit of cooking!”

Jacqueline Lombard
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Grew up in Boston, MA – currently resides in Brooklyn, NY
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Jacqueline Lombard Events
CULINARY EDUCATION: French Culinary Institute, WSET, The Sommelier Society of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: Summer Corn Risotto with Butter-Poached Lobster, Black Truffles and Green Onions

Jacqueline is a private chef, sommelier and event producer whose company, Jacqueline Lombard Events, caters to both private and corporate clients nationwide, including Balenciaga, Glamour, Jil Sander, Miele USA, Osklen, Bergdorf Goodman, Barterhouse Imports, Stella McCartney, Wines of Argentina, ViniPortugal, and Wine Enthusiast Magazine, among many others. Her chic, seasonal and sustainable approach to her work has garnered her praise for both the quality of her food, wine education and business practices. Recently Jacqueline revived the venerable Florent restaurant as Executive Chef of Gansevoort 69. Currently she is working on an exciting new concept, serving as Executive Chef of Leña in New York City. Jacqueline is also the Dining & Wine Editor of the NYHerald.com.

Ed Cotton
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 32
HOMETOWN: Boston, MA – currently resides in New York City
PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Plein Sud at the Smyth Hotel
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Culinary Institute of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: Fresh Farm Egg Ravioli with a silky English pea puree, spring onion fondue and crispy pancetta

In high school, Ed got an early start on his culinary career working for acclaimed chef Todd English at Olives where he began to hone his knife and pastry skills before helping open Figs in Wellesley, MA. After culinary school, he rejoined English working at Olives in Boston and Las Vegas. After spending a year out west, he returned to Boston to become the Executive Sous Chef at the award-winning No.9 Park in Beacon Hill where he worked alongside Barbara Lynch. From there, he set his sights on the Big Apple where he landed a job working with Daniel Boulud at db Bistro Moderne and Daniel. For more than five years, he worked with Boulud, helping him open eateries across the country. Before joining Plein Sud earlier this year where he has been cooking up a storm, Ed was the Chef de Cuisine at BLT Market and loves to make any dish with rabbit.

Arnold Myint
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 32
HOMETOWN: Nashville, TN
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Cha Chah
CULINARY EDUCATION: Culinary Arts Diploma, Institute of Culinary Education
FAVORITE RECIPE: Anything with peas

Inspired by his mother who has run a successful restaurant for over 30 years, Arnold is the Executive Chef and owner of three popular restaurants in Nashville: Cha Chah, which was voted Best New Restaurant by Nashville Scene (2009), Suzy Wong’s House of Yum and PM. Once a competitive professional figure skater, Arnold is also an expert mixologist, savvy event planner and has been known to appear as Suzy Wong herself to promote his latest concept. Arnold’s culinary approach is mirrored by his colorful life.

Angelo Sosa
Contestant, Top Ch

AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Durham, CT
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Xie Xie
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Culinary Institute of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: Steamed madai snapper with lily bulbs

Angelo, who opened his Asian-influenced sandwichrestaurant Xie Xie (“thank you” in Mandarin) in July 2009, has worked with some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the world. Early in his career, he met Jean-Georges Vongerichten who became his mentor, and went on to work for him at Jean Georges, Dune and Spice Market, where he served as Executive Sous Chef. Shortly thereafter, he was invited by Alain Ducasse to create a special seasonal menu at his Paris restaurant Spoon Food & Wine, the first American to receive such an honor. Angelo, who also created the menu for Buddakan, the Stephen Starr hotspot restaurant in NYC, always has salt, Japanese fish sauce, cinnamon, green cardamom and lily bulbs handy in the kitchen.

Andrea Curto-Randazzo
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 39
HOMETOWN: Vero Beach, FL – currently resides in Miami, FL
PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Talula Restaurant and Creative Tastes Catering
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Culinary Institute of America
FAVORITE RECIPE: Fresh berries with zabaglione

Andrea has been a rising star in the culinary world ever since she graduated from the CIA with honors. After working in the kitchens at Tribeca Grill and Aja in NYC, she returned to Miami where she worked at The Heights and Wish. In 2000, during her tenure at Wish, she was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs.” In 2003, she and her husband, Frank, opened theirown restaurant, Talula, which was named “The Place To Be Now” by The New York Times. A mother of three, she counts chocolate pudding, ice cream and popcorn with Raisinettes as some of her favorite indulgences.

Amanda Baumgarten
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 27
HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA – currently resides in Los Angeles
PROFESSION: Sous Chef, Ford’s Filling Station
CULINARY EDUCATION: Le Cordon Bleu in London
FAVORITE RECIPE: Roasted baby lamb with pomme cocotte persillade

A Los Angeles native, Amanda attended Le Cordon Bleu in London and went on to work at four different Michelin-starred restaurants including La Tante Claire and Le Gavroche in London and Melisse and Patina in LA. From there, she went onto become Executive Sous Chef of Paperfish before joining Ford’s Filling Station as Executive Sous Chef. Currently a consultant, Amanda is a gifted butcher with a distinct sense of flavor and style and loves to make any meat on the bone, but her favorite dish to prepare is Boudin Noire with vanilla-scented apple chutney

Alex Reznik
Contestant, Top Chef

AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, NY – currently resides in Hollywood, CA
PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Ivan Kane’s Café Was
CULINARY EDUCATION: AOS, Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, NV
FAVORITE RECIPE: Avocado panna cotta with pickled ramps and tomato

Growing up in Brooklyn, the son of a first-generation European family, food was an integral part of Alex’s early life. Watching his Russian mother and grandmother cooking in preparation for the daily ritual of good food and conversation set Alex on a path towards creative cooking. After travelling extensively throughout Europe, Alex found himself working in Las Vegas at the legendary, five-star restaurant, Lutecé. During his tenure as chef at multiple Bally’s/Paris resortrestaurants, Alex met famed nightlife entrepreneur, Ivan Kane. The two discovered a shared philosophy for great food and impeccable service. Thus was born Hollywood’s Cafe Was. Alex’s philosophy is to marry local, seasonal ingredients with classic French techniques to create honest, Californian bistro cuisine. Today, in the kitchen or dining room, Alex’s passion for his craft is lauded by loyal customers and critics alike.

Tom Colicchio
Judge, Top Chef

One of the culinary world’s most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo’s sixth season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef: Las Vegas, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges.

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Colicchio spent his childhood immersed in food, cooking with his mother and grandmother. It was his father, however, who suggested that he make a career of it. Colicchio taught himself to cook with the help of Jacques Pépin’s legendary illustrated manuals on French cooking, La Technique andLa Méthode. At the age of 17, he made his kitchen debut in his native town of Elizabeth at Evelyn’s Seafood Restaurant.

Colicchio then cooked at prominent New Yorkrestaurants such as The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian. During his tenure as executive chef of Mondrian, Food & Wine magazine selected him as one of the top ten “Best New Chefs” in the United States and The New York Times awarded the restaurant three stars.

In July of 1994, Colicchio, along with partner Danny Meyer, opened Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood. In 1996, Ruth Reichl of The New York Times awarded Gramercy Tavern three stars noting that Colicchio was “cooking with extraordinary confidence, creating dishes characterized by bold flavors and unusual harmonies.” His cooking at Gramercy earned consistent recognition: After three nominations for The James Beard Award for Best Chef-New York, he won in 2000.

One year later, and one block south of Gramercy Tavern in March 2001, Colicchio opened Craft. Soon thereafter, William Grimes of The New York Times awarded Craft with three stars naming Craft “a vision of food heaven.”

His first cookbook, Think Like a Chef, won The James Beard KitchenAid Cookbook Award in May 2001. This same year, Gramercy Tavern was awarded for Outstanding Service. In 2002, Craft was awarded The James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and Gramercy Tavern’s sommelier won for Outstanding Wine Service. In October 2002, Colicchio received Bon Appétit’s American Food and Entertaining Award for Chef of the Year.

After opening Craft and Craftbar in New York City, Colicchio opened Craftsteak at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in July 2002. In spring 2003, ‘wichcraft opened – a sandwich shop rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft. ‘wichcraft now has ten New York City locations, plus shops in Las Vegas and San Francisco.

Craftsteak New York and Craft Dallas opened in 2006, followed by, Craft Los Angeles in the summer of 2007. Craftsteak at the MGM at Foxwoods and Craft Atlanta also opened in the spring and summer of 2008. Colicchio has consulting relationships with the Kiawah Island Club in South Carolina and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland — both private clubs.

Colicchio’s second cookbook, Craft of Cooking, was released in October 2003. A sandwich book inspired by ‘wichcraft was released this spring.

Colicchio and his restaurants give back to the community by supporting charities including Share Our Strength, Children of Bellevue, City Meals-on-Wheels, The College Fund, Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Doctors of the World.

Padma Lakshmi
Host, Top Chef

Padma Lakshmi returns as host of Bravo’s Top Chef: Las Vegas, introducing the challenges to the contestants each week and presiding over the judge’s table alongside Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Toby Young.

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early on in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing a best-selling cookbook Easy Exotic, for which she won the International Versailles Event for best cookbook by a first time writer. Lakshmi followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, released by Weinstein Books which is a larger endeavor filled with over 150 recipes from around the world and intriguing personal memoirs.

Previously, Lakshmi hosted Padma’s Passport where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. Lakshmi also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series broadcast on The Food Network and worldwide on the Discovery Channel, in which she journeyed to countries including Spain and India.

Lakshmi was last seen with Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott in Paul Mayeda Berges’ film Mistress of Spices. Lakshmi appeared as Princess Bithia in ABC’s mini-series The Ten Commandments alongside Naveen Andrews, Omar Sharif and Dougray Scott, the second-highest rated television film of 2006. She also starred in the two-part mini-series Sharpe’s Challenge opposite Sean Bean, the continuation of the BBC series based on Richard Cornwall’s novels.

She has appeared in films in the US, Italy, and India. Other television credits include hosting Rai Television’s Dominica In, Italy’s highest rated program.

In addition to her food writing, she has contributed to American Vogue, Gourmet and British and American Harper’s Bazaar.

In May 2009, Lakshmi launched her namesake line of fine jewelry, “PADMA” at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. The collection of over 40 pieces consists of earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings in both 10 and 14 carat gold with precious and semi-precious stones.

Originally known as the first internationally successful Indian supermodel, Lakshmi started modeling while abroad as an exchange student in Spain with Clark University where she received a B.A. with honors in Theater Arts.

Gail Simmons
Judge, Top Chef

Gail Simmons lends her strong culinary expertise as a judge and critic for Bravo’s Top Chef: Las Vegas, tasting and critiquing the competing chefs’ creations each week. Simmons has been withFood & Wine since 2004 in charge of special projects for the epicurean magazine, acting as liaison between the marketing and editorial teams on events and chef-related initiatives. In this role, she oversees the brand’s signature event, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the country’s premier culinary event.

Simmons began her culinary career writing food articles forToronto Life magazine and the National Post, Canada’s national newspaper. In addition, she served as the Research and RecipeAssistant to food critic Jeffrey Steingarten at Vogue magazine and apprenticed at both Le Cirque 2000 and Vong restaurants. Prior to joining Food & Wine, Simmons worked as the Special Events Manager for The Dinex Group, Chef Daniel Boulud’s acclaimed restaurant empire. She has also contributed to several cookbooks including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Jeffrey Steingarten, (Knopf 2002), Daniel Boulud Cooking in New York City (Assouline 2002) and The New American Chef by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg (Wiley, John & Sons, Inc. 2003).

She graduated summa cum laude from McGill University in Montreal and received her formal culinary training at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. Simmons currently resides with her husband in New York City.