Season 8 of Bravo’s hit reality series Top Chef will premiere on December 1, 2010. This time around, the contestants (or cheftestants, as they’re sometimes called) are familiar faces to fans of the show. Top Chef Season 8 will also be called Top Chef All Stars. Eighteen of the top chefs from the show’s previous seven seasons return to the kitchen to try and capture the title that eluded them the first time around: Top Chef.
The returning chefs for this all-star competition are:
Season 1 Finalist Tiffani Faison. Tom Colicchio said during the season 7 reunion show that if Tiffani had only made a tasting menu at the end, he would have won the competition. Season 1 challenging Stephen Aspirino. Stephen might be best known for his other calling, that of a sommelier.
Season 2 finalist Elia Aboumrad. Elia was eliminated during the first part of the finale, but she is best remembered for shaving her head after a failed prank on another contestant. Season 2 runner-up Marcel Vigneron. Marcel was the least liked chef by the other contestants. Will he reprise this role in season 8?
Season 3 runner-up Casey Thompson. Casey was probably the strongest chef going into the final in Aspen, but he stumbled a few times during the final challenge. Season 3 runner-up Dale Levitski. Dale started off slow throughout the season, but caught fire until the very end. Season 3 challenging Tre Wilcox. Tre’s elimination after the Restaurant Wars challenge was probably the biggest upset in Top Chef history. It will be nice to see him bring his skills back to the kitchen to compete again.
Season 4 runner-up Richard Blais. Richard was the favorite to win the season, but he had some problems during the final challenge, which led him to admit during the judges table that he froze. Season 4 finalist Antonia Lofaso. Antonia reached the final in Puerto Rico but was eliminated during the first part of the final. Season 4 challenging Spke Mendelsoh. Spike kicked his butt for using frozen scallops, a decision that led to Spike’s elimination shortly before the end. Season 4 challenging Dale Talde. Dale was eliminated after the Restaurant Wars challenge. His fiery personality will make cooking very interesting.
Carla Hall, Season 5 Finalist Carla is the likable chef who brought fun and joy to the kitchen. Season 5 challenging Jamie Hall. Jamie did not make it to the final in New Orleans, but she was given a second chance with a quick challenge to get back into the competition. He was unsuccessful that time, but he is a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. Season 5 challenging Fabio Viviano. Who doesn’t love this calm speaking Italian chef?
Season 6 challenging Mike Isabella. Mike made it quite far in the competition, being eliminated in the tenth week of the competition due to the vegetarian dish he created for special guest actress Natalie Portman. Season 6 challenging Jennifer Carroll. Jennifer made it to the final in Napa, California, but was eliminated during the early part of the competition.
Season 7 challenging Tiffany Derry. Tiffany was a beloved chef who was knocked out shortly before the final in Singapore. Season 7 challenging Angelo Sosa. Angelo was runner-up for the season and could very well have won the Top Chef title if he hadn’t fallen seriously ill while in Singapore.
Top Chef’s all-star season will be highly entertaining for fans. There really aren’t any weak chefs in this lineup, so fans will get to see some great cooking from some very talented people.
