“Top Chef ”Winners: Where Are They Now?

Don't pack your knives and go! Read all about the past 20 seasons of 'Top Chef' winners

Season 1: Harold Dieterle

The chef who started it all in on the debut season in San Francisco in 2006, Italian American Harold Dieterle beat Tiffani Faison to be named the first Top Chef.

Afterward, he went on to open two New York City restaurants, the Asian-influenced Perilla and Kin Shop, and release a cookbook, Kitchen Notebook. These days the 46-year-old is principal at his events company, HD Hospitality.

Season 2: Ilan Hall

In its second season, the show traveled to Los Angeles and crowned young fusion foodie Ilan Hall the champ over frenemy Marcel Vigneron.

Hall opened The Gorbals restaurants in Los Angeles and New York City, eventually closing both and debuting his latest hotspot, Ramen Hood, in Los Angeles in 2015. Now 41, he hosted Knife Fight on Esquire and has appeared on a handful of cooking shows since, most recently Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 3: Hung Huynh

Miami set the scene for Hung Huynh, raised in his family's Massachusetts restaurant, to best Dale Levitski in season 3.

The globe-trotter, now 46, was eventually tapped to head up the trendy Catch chain that began in New York City, and currently works as a consultant and private chef, with a goal to "revolutionize the way restaurants, farmers, cooks, and communities are integrated for the benefit of all," according to his website.

Season 4: Stephanie Izard

Top Chef's first female winner, Stephanie Izard, stuck around Chicago after beating Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes to open her inventive American Girl and the Goat restaurant, later expanding the mini-empire into Little Goat Diner, the Chinese-American Duck Duck Goat and Peruvian-inspired Cabra.

The 47-year-old James Beard Award winner has since expanded Girl and the Goat to Los Angeles and returned to Top Chef as a judge, in addition to competing on the latest season of Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 5: Hosea Rosenberg

New Mexico native Hosea Rosenberg topped season 5 runners-up Carla Hall and Stefan Richter to take the title in N.Y.C.

He eventually settled in Colorado, where his Blackbelly restaurant centers on butchery and his Santo eatery showcases modern New Mexico cuisine. He spends his time outside of the kitchen focused on finding a cure for Multicentric Carpotarsal Osteolysis, a rare genetic disorder his young daughter Sophie was diagnosed with as a toddler.

Season 6: Michael Voltaggio

Season 6 in Las Vegas came with an interesting twist: two brothers competing against one another, with the ever-experimental Michael Voltaggio beating his fine-dining-focused brother Bryan (and chef Kevin Gillespie) in the finale.

The moment didn't hurt the brothers' relationship, however: in the years since, the Voltaggios have opened several restaurants together around the U.S. and even had a Food Network competition show, Battle of the Brothers.

Immediately after Top Chef, Michael opened his ink. restaurant in Los Angeles, which helped shape a future Top Chef winner. The 45-year-old has also competed on Food Network's Tournament of Champions and Bobby's Triple Threat. He is currently awaiting the arrival of his third child, his first with wife Bria Vinaite.

Season 7: Kevin Sbraga

In Washington, D.C., New Jersey's Kevin Sbraga took down fellow finalists Ed Cotton and Angelo Sosa, going on to open new restaurants in Philadelphia and Jacksonville.

Though he eventually wound down his eateries, in 2022, he announced he'd be back in the kitchen with Sonny & Sons chicken in Riverdale, Maryland's Le Fantome Food Hall.

Season 8: Richard Blais

Season 8 of Top Chef was the first all-stars edition, bringing together seven seasons' worth of fan favorites and runners-up who all fell to whiz kid Richard Blais.

In the years since, the 52-year-old has been pretty much everywhere, including the judges' table on Top Chef. He has a handful of restaurants around the country, including San Diego's Juniper & Ivy and Crack Shack, and is currently serving as a judge and mentor on Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef.

Season 9: Paul Qui

Deep in the heart of Texas, chef Paul Qui earned victory over Sarah Grueneberg — and earned serious accolades from judge Tom Colicchio, who called him the "most talented chef that we've ever had on the show."

He went on to open restaurants in Austin and beyond, but made headlines in 2016 when he was arrested and charged with assault and unlawful restraint following an incident with his then-girlfriend and her son. Though charges were later dropped and he entered rehab, the situation had a lasting impact on his legacy, with his restaurant openings since entangled with his arrest, according to Eater. In late 2022, the 43-year-old opened a Japanese-influenced spot in Denver.

Season 10: Kristen Kish

Seoul-born Kristen Kish's rise to the top in Seattle was a first: she was eliminated in week 11 but cooked her way back into the competition via Last Chance Kitchen, ultimately beating pal Brooke Williamson.

She has remained a major player in the franchise, returning as a guest judge, in addition to opening a handful of restaurants (including, currently, Austin's Arlo Grey) and hosting Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Last March, the 40-year-old's latest TV venture, Restaurants at the End of the World, premiered on National Geographic.

She is stepping in as host and judge on season 21 of Top Chef, following host Padma Lakshmi's exit.

Season 11: Nicholas Elmi

Born in New England and inspired by French cuisine, Nicholas Elmi won against fan favorite Nina Compton in the New Orleans season final.

He rooted himself in Philadelphia afterward, opening restaurants including Laurel, The Landing Kitchen and Lark, in addition to releasing a cookbook inspired by Philly's cuisine.

Season 12: Mei Lin

Mei Lin was working at former champ Michael Voltaggio's restaurant ink. when she dominated on Top Chef's Boston season, besting Gregory Gourdet in the final.

Lin, who grew up in her parents' Chinese restaurant in Michigan, went on to open two successful Los Angeles spots herself: Nightshade and Daybird. The 38-year-old is another star who went on to win of Food Network's Tournament of Champions, too.

Season 13: Jeremy Ford

Miami's Jeremy Ford took the crown on the California season, winning over Amar Santana.

Already established on the Florida food scene, the 39-year-old has gone on to open Stubborn Seed, The Butcher's Club and, last year, Beauty & The Butcher, a spot inspired by his oldest daughter. Additionally, he hosted TruTV's Fast Foodies alongside fellow champ Kristen Kish and Top Chef alumnus Justin Sutherland.

Season 14: Brooke Williamson

Brooke Williamson returned on the Charleston edition that mixed new contestants with returning standouts, ultimately beating friend and fellow Top Chef veteran Shirley Chung in the finale after being eliminated on episode 11 and cooking her way back in Last Chance Kitchen.

While running her Playa Provisions restaurant in Los Angeles, the 45-year-old has also been big on television, appearing on everything from Top Chef Duels and Guy's Grocery Games to Bobby's Triple Threat and Knife Fight. She also won the first season of Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 15: Joe Flamm

Chicago-raised Italian chef Joe Flamm was another winner who spent time in Last Chance Kitchen before coming back and emerging victorious, topping Adrienne Cheatham to take the Colorado crown.

After COVID-related delays he opened his Rose Mary restaurant in Chicago, melding his grandmothers' Croatian and Italian roots. In 2022 he also began overseeing the Chicago's BLVD Steakhouse, in addition to judging Top Chef. In late 2023, he announced plans to open another eatery in the Windy City.

Season 16: Kelsey Barnard Clark

One of the first Southern chefs to shine on Top Chef, Kelsey Barnard Clark beat Sara Bradley in the latter's native Kentucky with her consistent cooking.

Already at the helm of her KBC restaurant and catering company in Alabama when she joined the show, she released a cookbook in 2021 and competed on Food Network's Tournament of Champions.

Season 17: Melissa King

In another all-stars season set in L.A., San Francisco's Melissa King beat Bryan Voltaggio and Stephanie Cmar with her fresh flavors — and she won fan favorite, too. She donated that $10,000 prize to Asian Americans For Equality, Asian Youth Center, The Trevor Project and National Black Justice Coalition.

Still busy in the culinary world, King is also busy on TV, returning to judge Top Chef and serving as host of National Geographic's Tasting Wild.

Season 18: Gabe Erales

Gabe Erales, who trained at the world-famous Noma before opening his own Texas restaurant, became known for his sauces, winning the Portland season over Shota Nakajima and Dawn Burrell. He was the first Mexican chef to win the series.

Immediately after his season aired, however, he was fired from his position at Austin's Comedor for "repeated violations of the company's ethics policy as it relates to harassment of women," according to his boss Philip Speer. He apologized in an open letter on Instagram, and Top Chef judge Padma Lakshmi publicly called on Bravo to investigate the allegations. In 2023 he opened a new Mexican restaurant in Austin.

Season 19 and 20: Buddha Lo

Aussie Buddha Lo's cooking in Houston was literally out of this world (remember that NASA-inspired dessert?!), leading him through a steady season and to victory over Evelyn Garcia and Sarah Welch in the emotional finale.

He did it all over again in season 20, returning for a world all-stars edition in London that he dominated. There, Lo beat fellow Top Chef standout Sara Bradley and Top Chef Mexico winner Gabri Rodriguez.

Now chef at the 12-seat Huso restaurant in New York City — which reopened last spring following a fire — Lo also has another new project: raising his twin daughters with wife Rebekah Pedler.

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