Tommy Washbush
Whimsical illustration of many of the elements of Top Chef season 21 including ingredients and celebrity judges.
It’s not every day that an internationally known, Emmy award-winning show visits our little hamlet on the isthmus. Last August, Top Chef did just that. After more than a decade of groundwork laid by Travel Wisconsin, Madison and Milwaukee will be featured on the upcoming 21st season of Top Chef, a culinary reality show that sets itself apart by showcasing and celebrating a different region of the country each season.
What is Top Chef?
This season of Top Chef is set to air in March. Past seasons feature 12-18 episodes each that showcase competitors (also known as “cheftestants”) who strive to win a series of culinary challenges on the road to becoming the next “top chef” of America. This season’s only Wisconsin-based cheftestant is Dan Jacobs of DanDan in Milwaukee.
In each episode of the show, local culinary traditions, ingredients or professional chefs are featured and serve as inspiration for “quickfire” and elimination challenges. In quickfire challenges, cheftestants are often given a local ingredient or regional specialty and asked to make a dish inspired by or featuring those ingredients and given a very short time period to do so. For the upcoming season I’m hoping for a “make your own version of the loaded Bloody Mary” or “create an entree based on the flavor profiles of an old fashioned” as Wisconsin-based quickfires.
The second section of each episode involves an elimination challenge, which ends with one of the cheftestants being told to pack their knives and go home. Elimination challenges also involve regional ingredients or specialties, but the chefs are given more time to plan, shop and execute their visions, taking anywhere from hours to days to prepare and cook for a panel of judges.
Gil Altschul, chef-owner of the nearby restaurant Bandit, witnessed a film crew for Top Chef outside Harvey House, a Madison restaurant that celebrates the supper club traditions of the Midwest. I’m holding out for an elimination challenge in which the competitors create their own take on a traditional Friday fish fry. As a long-time watcher of Top Chef, it would amuse me to no end to have this very regional tradition highlighted on an international stage. Joe and Shaina Papach, co-owners of Harvey House, have been identified by Bravo as upcoming guest judges.
The judging at the end of each episode includes a panel incorporating local culinary talent and professional chefs as well as the hosts of the show, Tom Colicchio (chef and founder of Craft in New York), Gail Simmons (food writer and cookbook author), and Kristen Kish (winner of Top Chef season 10, chef, and cookbook author). Many are excited to see that Racine native Tory Miller, executive chef and co-owner of L’Etoile, was confirmed by Bravo as one of this season’s guest judges; filming was observed on the rooftop of L’Etoile after contestants scrambled around the Dane County Farmers’ Market for local ingredients to feature in a challenge. Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, chefs and two of the three owners of Fairchild, have also been listed as guest judges, though it remains a mystery as to how and in what context they will be highlighted. Nagano and Kroeger have both worked under Miller at L’Etoile, so it is possible they will be featured as part of a panel there…or might Fairchild also be in the spotlight?
From looking at social media posts of Top Chef crew members, the eagle-eyed have also identified Taliesin-adjacent activity as well as pics from what appears to be Gwenyn Hill Farm of Waukesha. Milwaukee chefs Paul Bartolotta of the Bartolotta restaurants and Dane Baldwin of Diplomat have been announced as judges, so those restaurants are also possible filming sites.
Why should it matter to me?
Details that have been released stipulate that local Wisconsin ingredients and food products are to be featured on the show and in challenges, which will broaden the audience and customer base for businesses in our state and promote economic development in the culinary scene of Wisconsin.
Specific items mentioned for use in challenges were Door County cherries, Wisconsin artisan cheeses (which may include cheese curds), and specialty cow’s milk cheese. Other Madison businesses that will be featured in a more casual manner are Colectivo Coffee and Fortune Favors, known for its candied pecans. Although we, as locals, have regular access to these great ingredients and products, the creative ways Top Chef competitors use these items might also inspire us in our own home cooking.
Stick to the first 10 seasons of Top Chef if you’re a reality TV fan who is more interested in interpersonal drama and meltdowns. All of the seasons since then (and presumably including upcoming season 21) have focused on creativity and passion in cooking, learning about regional food traditions and ingredients, and inspiring many to travel and explore the areas featured on Top Chef.
Judging from what’s happened in other regions highlighted by Top Chef, Madison can expect an influx in tourism and a considerable uptick of reservations at the restaurants featured in season 21 after the show is released in March. Media sources from across the country refer to this as the “Top Chef effect” and Three Brothers Restaurant in Milwaukee has already reported a noticeable increase in business since Top Chef judges ate there during their stay in Milwaukee and shared their meals on social media. And more good news? According to the World Food Travel Association, an increase in food tourism can contribute to lower unemployment rates and increased revenue for local governments.
How to watch…
Top Chef will premiere on Bravo beginning March 20, and stream on Peacock the following day. New episodes will be released weekly, and the full season will be available for purchase on Amazon Prime once all episodes have aired on Bravo.
Bonus points for hosting weekly watch parties, and challenging your friends to bring shareable dishes based on a local ingredient or theme. Ideas could include a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, a charcuterie board challenge using local cheeses and meats, or cranberry-themed appetizers and desserts.
Wisconsin is certainly a place to celebrate calling home, and I’m glad that Top Chef got the memo!
