Over the past 15 years, Top Chef has highlighted world-renowned chefs in one of the best TV cooking competitions that showed fans the world of fine dining. The chefs work tirelessly to create dishes that show their talent while also avoiding being eliminated, week after week.
Since the show aired in 2006, it has delighted fans and shown a side of the culinary world that not many people see. Even though the show has been on for so long, fans still take time to look back at the show's first seasons and the winners. The first seasons of the show had highs and lows and created a lasting impression on viewers.
Season 10
During season 10, chefs that were eliminated from the competition were placed in Last Chance Kitchen in order to battle their way back into the main competition. Fans were also invited to vote on which chefs they wanted to save from elimination, giving the show more opportunity to connect with fans.
The season began in Seattle before moving to Juneau and, finally, Los Angeles. Fans voted on their favorite of the season and chose Sheldon Simeon. Kristen Kish was the winner of this season, after being eliminated and battling her way back to the main competition. She beat out Brooke Williamson in order to solidify her win.
Season 9
Season 9 of Top Chef changed the game up once again for the contestants. The roster of competing chefs rose to 29 and the chefs that were eliminated were also given the chance to return to the competition by competing in Last Chance Kitchen. The season began in Texas and concluded in British Columbia, Canada.
Fans of the series voted for Chris Crary as the favorite of the season and Paul Qui was the Top Chef winner. Paul Qui was able to compete fiercely in the competition and won nine of the 17 challenges that took place over the course of the season. He was able to beat out Sarah Grueneberg to claim the title.
Season 8
Season 8 was the first All-Stars season in the series history. Chefs that competed in this season were unable to solidify the win in the past 7 seasons and included many favorites from seasons past. The chefs competed in New York in the first half of the season and the finalists were taken to the Bahamas to crown the winner.
The winner of the season was Richard Blais, a former fan favorite chef who was beaten out in season 4. Richard Blais out-cooked Mike Isabella and was awarded the staggering cash prize of $200,000.
Season 7
Top Chef changed up the game in season 7 with the series first international venue. The season began in Washington D.C. and concluded in Singapore. The chefs that competed were sensational and fans voted for Tiffany Derry as the favorite of the season.
Kevin Sbraga ended up winning the season and shocking fans. Despite only winning one elimination challenge throughout the whole series, he was able to buckle down and pull out a win over Angelo Sosa and Ed Cotton.
Season 6
Season 6 changed the game up drastically for the competitors. The season took place in Las Vegas and took the finalists to Napa to conclude the series. The season also changed the cash prize for the winner from $100,000 to $125,000.
Fans loved all the chefs that competed but voted for Kevin Gillespie as the fan favorite. There was also a notorious sibling rivalry that took place over the course of the season between Michael and Bryan Voltaggio. The brothers competed fiercely and both ended up in the finale. However, Michael Voltaggio was able to take the title over his brother.
Season 5
Season 5 is one of the best and more memorable seasons of Top Chef. It took place in New York before taking the finalists to New Orleans to crown the winner. The chefs that competed on this season were instantly likable and would continue on to become prominent names in the culinary world for years to come.
Fans of the series voted for Fabio Viviani as the favorite of the season. The chefs put their talents on the line for this season, but Hosea Rosenberg was declared the winner. He solidified his win by beating out Carla Hall and Stefan Richter.
Season 4
Season 4 was filmed in Chicago and the chefs were tasked with creating upscale dining dishes for an esteemed panel of judges. The chefs completed challenges like creating upscale tacos and cooking for a tailgating party at a Chicago Bears game.
This season housed many skilled chefs that were able to complete the challenges and made judging harder than ever. Fans loved this season and voted for Stephaine Izard as their favorite chef. Stephanie Izard was also able to beat out the rest of the competition and become the first female Top Chef winner.
Season 3
Top Chef was able to maintain viewers after a controversial season 2 and stayed prominent in season 3. The series took place in Miami, Florida, and took the finalists to Aspen, Colorado, to crown the winner.
The competition was fierce and the chefs that competed in this season were powerhouses. Fans adored each of the chefs, but Casey Thompson was voted the fan-favorite of the season. However, Hung Huynh was victorious after beating out Dale Levitski and Casey Thompson in the finale.
Season 2
Season 2 took place in Los Angeles and showcased another round of talented chefs. The chefs still competed in the high-stakes competition, but fans will recall that this was the first season that Padma Lakshmi appeared as the host. Ilan Hall was the winner of this season, narrowly beating out Marcel Vigneron to claim the title.
Season 2 was least liked by the Top Chef fanbase. Many of the competing chefs complained that there was cheating and bullying going on behind the scenes. Some fans did not like the drama that occurred during the season and some even disliked the chefs that competed. But despite fans' distaste for the chefs, Sam Talbot was voted the fan-favorite of the season.
Season 1
When Bravo first aired Top Chef, fans were instantly hooked with the cooking competition. The show took place in San Francisco and displayed the talents of chefs based in the United States as they battled it out for the coveted cash prize. The season took the finalists to Las Vegas to crown the winner.
Harold Dieterle was the winner of the first season. He was able to beat out Tiffani Faison and Dave Martin in order to solidify his win. Dieterle created dishes inspired by his classical training and delighted fans with his calm reserve.