HOUSTON – If you’re missing “Top Chef Houston” like we are, you can at least check out all of the restaurants featured on the show.
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Of course, one of the top contenders throughout the season, without giving away the result if you have not watched the season yet, was Houston’s own Evelyn Garcia from Kin.
We dive even deeper, episode by episode, to showcase all of the local establishments featured in Season 19 of “Top Chef.”
EPISODE 1
As the season began, who else would be the judge for the Quickfire Challenge to start things off? Dawn Burrell, of course! The “Top Chef” Season 18 finalist and executive chef of the upcoming restaurant Late August, part of the Lucille’s Hospitality Group, is seen here and in many episodes throughout Season 19.
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This first episode certainly set the tone for the show’s presence in Houston. Food prep for the episode’s elimination challenge took place at The Annie Café & Bar.
The judges joining the Top Chef trio of Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons read like a Houston all-star cast:
- Trong Nguyen, Crawfish & Noodles
- Robert Del Grande, The Annie Café & Bar
- Dawn Burrell, Late August/Lucille’s Hospitality Group
- Kiran Verna, Kiran’s
- Chris Shepherd, Underbelly Hospitality
- Chris Williams, Lucille’s Houston/Lucille’s Hospitality Group
- Hugo Ortega, Backstreet Café, Caracol, Hugo’s, Xochi
- Monica Pope, Telegram Tea Room
EPISODE 2
In this episode, the judge of the Quickfire Challenge was Irma Galvan of The Original Irma’s.
Burrell and Shepherd from Episode 1 were judges again in Episode 2.
EPISODE 3
If you are in a mood for Asian food, this episode has some of Houston’s finest. “Top Chef” had an Asian Night Market featuring:
Food from the elimination challenge was served at Post Houston, with appearances by chefs from:
EPISODE 4
Chris Williams from Lucille’s was the judge for the Quickfire Challenge over biscuits.
EPISODE 5
This was the barbecue episode, with the food prep at J-Bar-M BBQ.
Greg Gatlin from Gatlin’s BBQ was a judge, with Willow Villareal of Killen’s Barbecue also sitting at the table with the judges.
Among those featured as tasting the contestants’ barbecue dishes:
- Richard Orozco, Piper’s BBQ
- Scott Moore, Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue
- Robin Wong and Quy Hoang, Blood Bros.
- Don Nguyen, Khoi Barbecue
- Susan Rinaldi, Texas Q
- Russell Roegel, Roegel’s Barbecue
- Ara Malekian, Harlem Road Texas BBQ
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EPISODE 6
This episode’s tasting from the Elimination Challenge was at Brennan’s Houston.
Christine Ha (Blind Goat/Xin Chao) was a judge.
EPISODE 7
The Quickfire Challenge focused on Nigerian cuisine, with the the judge being Ope Amosu from ChopNBlok.
The Elimination Challenge had a real dinosaur feel at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
EPISODE 8
Restaurant Wars! The fan-favorite episode from each season was hosted in Houston this year at Post Houston.
EPISODE 9
Chef contestants tried soul food from This is it.
Dawn Burrell from Late August/Lucille’s Hospitality was featured yet again, bringing her constant positivity.
EPISODE 10
This episode’s Quickfire Challenge was inspired by Ninfa’s.
EPISODE 12
In the season’s final episode in Houston before moving to Tucson, food was tasted at Bludorn with Aaron Bludorn being a judge along with Burrell.
And there you have it!
So as we await the next season of “Top Chef,” you can eat your way through each of the above and have a glorious time doing it. Enjoy!