‘Top Chef’: Sample the Competition for Season 17 (PHOTOS)
Lee Anne Wong (Seasons 1 and 15)
Why so Hungry? After making it to the final four during the competition’s first outing, Wong was recruited for the online series Last Chance Kitchen that accompanied Chef’s 15th season in Colorado. Sadly, she was forced to bow out due to altitude sickness.
Flavor Profile Bubbly. But behind the upbeat energy is someone hell-bent on redemption — more so after a misstep in the premiere.
Bryan Voltaggio (Season 6)
Why so Hungry? He lost to his younger brother Michael, so you know he’s motivated to notch a victory of his own. On top of that, he’s the only returning player to have never won a Quickfire Challenge.
Flavor Profile Mild yet well-seasoned, the Maryland native isn’t the flashiest on the shelf. That may make him a target for his fiery ex-mentee Eric Adjepong, a cheftestant from last season who’s also returning.
Angelo Sosa (Seasons 7 and 8)
Why so Hungry? The San Diego resident is inspired by his 11-year-old son, who has battled a series of health issues.
Flavor Profile Burnt. He came off as a manipulative villain during Season 8, but a decade later, Sosa is quick to note he’s accomplished “a lot of personal growth” since then: “I honestly don’t even recognize that person.” We’ll see whether the heat gets to him eventually.
Jennifer Carroll (Seasons 6, 8 and 15)
Why so Hungry? Of the all-stars, the Philadelphia- and Washington, D.C.-based Carroll has the most Chef appearances under her belt (one in Last Chance Kitchen online) — but she still hasn’t taken the title.
Flavor Profile A little sweet, a little salty. In the opener, she owns up to the “very aggressive attitude” she exhibited previously on Last Chance, adding, “That’s not what I plan to do this time around.”
Long-simmering regrets and reheated rivalries fuel the competition Top Chef‘s 17th season, a Los Angeles–based all-stars edition. Of the 15 former cheftestants back to face judges Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons, which ones will linger on your palate? We picked four.
Top Chef, Season 17 Premiere, Thursday, March 19, 10/9c, Bravo
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