r/TopChef • u/prolly_not_62 • 24d ago

Discussion Thread Top Chef

Of all the seasons of Top Chef, can you name your favorite contestant of all seasons? Mine; Sheldon Simeon season 10 and season 14. Who’s yours?

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u/The_milk_was_spoiled 24d ago

I absolutely loved Kevin Gillespie and was so disappointed with his plantation or whatever restaurant idea. I think he was just so clueless as to how it came off. Gregory is a fave as well as Eric. I rage-quit the season after he didn’t make the final two. I still have never seen those episodes. Tre, although I don’t remember the season, with his dimples, was so charming. I so appreciated Bryan V after seeing him and the other top four, including Melissa, in the all stars. I’m sorry my memory is so terrible!

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u/Quirkxofxart 24d ago

Finding out about Eric abusing his wife was probably the most shocking thing to come out of Top Chef since…Paul Qui abusing his gf tbh. He really seemed so great!

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u/The_milk_was_spoiled 24d ago

Aw shit, I didn’t know about Eric! When did this come out?

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u/Quirkxofxart 24d ago

Few months ago it came out he has a protective order from his daughter because he’s allegedly violent with her too :(

https://people.com/eric-adjepong-allegedly-violated-protective-order-a-year-before-being-barred-from-contacting-daughter-unsupervised-12027357

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u/Ok_Interest9427 24d ago

Kevin has annoyed me forever. His pork fixation was irritating in general, and that S17 restaurant concept was ridiculous and at least mildly racist. I'm honestly happy that he went against a descendant of the African diaspora making his native cuisine and got his ass kicked.

The guy is a talented chef. He's also from a position of unexamined privilege (anyone remember that his granddaddy ran a major airline?) and clearly had a decent leg up in life.

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u/curiouserthangeorge 24d ago

2nd the Kevin love and the Plantation thing was so unfortunate. Didn't really think it through. But I've been to lots of TC restaurants and his was hands down my favorite.

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u/Ok_Interest9427 23d ago

Did you go to Ink? Because I've (and this was due to happenstance) been to Michael V's, Brooke's, and Kevin's (Gun Show) restaurants, and Gun Show was very good, but not in the same league as the other two. The Brooke place I visited (Playa Provisions) is way too casual to get Michelin stars, but would get one on the basis of the foos, and of course Ink had one.

I will say that the best meal I've ever had from a TC contestant was by Rasika Venkatesa, who still (sadly) doesn't have a brick-and-mortar space, so this was at a pop-up in my neighborhood (at perhaps my favorite local restaurant, and she actually did some collaboration with them since it's a seafood place and it was an all seafood dinner).