Top Chef Is Heading To Wisconsin For The New Dairy-Packed Season
Bravo's "Top Chef" is finally coming back to TV screens for Season 21, and this time the award-winning cooking competition series is heading to Wisconsin. The reality show has previously filmed across the country in places like San Francisco and Las Vegas, and more recently across the pond in London and Paris for its 20th season. Wisconsin stands out from all of those popular cities because it's known as the Cheese State — a place where you can explore more than a dozen unique cheeses.
Expect plenty of dairy-packed competitions during the new season, which debuts on March 20, 2024. In the new season's trailer, the camera cuts to picturesque dairy farms and later contestant-turned-host Kristen Kish exclaims "Too much cheese!" to which judge Tom Colicchio jokes "Get out of Wisconsin!" Any "Top Chef" fan is well aware of the high-pressure competitions featured on the show, such as its Restaurant Wars episodes, and by the looks of that trailer, a variety of cheese and dairy will be featured throughout the series.
'Top Chef' was spotted filming in Milwaukee and Madison
Before the official announcement, local publications reported on where in Wisconsin the show was filmed. The contestants and hosts were spotted filming on location around the cities of Milwaukee and Madison last summer. It makes sense to us considering that the capital is a mecca for cheese lovers with dozens of local cheese shops and factories that we hope to see on the new episodes.
Fifteen chefs will compete in Wisconsin to win the coveted title of Top Chef, including one Milwaukee, Wisconsin, local – James Beard-nominee Dan Jacobs. He's a chef and co-owner at EsterEv and DanDan located on Erie Street in Milwaukee. Other contestants include Brooklyn-based executive chef Danny Garcia, private chef Alisha Elenz, and Kenny Nguyen who is the executive chef at Expat and is opening his own eatery named Pretty Boy this year.
Fans always expect a new location in each season, but there are some more unexpected changes this time around. You might already know that long-time host Padma Lakshmi, who thinks a stellar dinner party depends on the host, chose to leave the production after last season. And to make things even more exciting, the chefs can no longer score Elimination Challenge immunity during Quickfire Challenges. We know you're excited, so check out these best restaurants from previous "Top Chef" contestants until you can tune into the premiere.