Season 14:Top Chef Charleston Spoilers

[ProudMary]

I'm starting a spoiler thread for Top Chef: Charleston as some of the tweets I'll be linking here include photos of Season 14 cheftestants.  I'm not sure if that technically counts as spoilerish, but to my knowledge contestants' names haven't yet been released for the upcoming season, so I'd rather be safe.   (BTW, these aren't my tweets.  They just popped up as re-tweets on my twitter feed.)

Edited October 15, 2016 by Drogo
Spoiler tagged.

[cooksdelight]

Oh wow, I've been to that store when I was down there! It's fun seeing all the cameras and mics, as if we were there.

[MerBearHou]

Does anyone know when Top Chef's return date is?  I've done some unsuccessful searching.  Eager for the next season, especially Charleston!

[spiderpig]

On 6/18/2016 at 7:29 AM, MerBearHou said:

Does anyone know when Top Chef's return date is?  I've done some unsuccessful searching.  Eager for the next season, especially Charleston!

Yes, I've worked a couple of business group programs to Charleston (never got to go myself) and really want to know more about low country cuisine.

[DavidJSnyder]

On 6/18/2016 at 10:29 AM, MerBearHou said:

Does anyone know when Top Chef's return date is?  I've done some unsuccessful searching.  Eager for the next season, especially Charleston!

Tom tweeted that it will be in September.

[chiaros]

On 7/9/2016 at 6:21 PM, DavidJSnyder said:

Tom tweeted that it will be in September.

Any updates?

It is almost the end of September and there is no notice (the last I looked, that is) on the Bravo Top Chef webpage on when the season starts.

[DavidJSnyder]

No, it must have been pushed later.

[biakbiak]

Òops

Edited September 25, 2016 by biakbiak

[DavidJSnyder]

Think this is the latest word from Tom's twitter feed.

[Hero]

I feel like Top Chef comes on later and later each year :(

[HyeChaps]

Wonder if there will be some kind of Thanksgiving challenge. 

[biakbiak]

21 hours ago, Suzy123 said:

I feel like Top Chef comes on later and later each year :(

Last year it premiered in Dec.

[chiaros]

Looks like December it is.

http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-14-premiere-date-cast-announced 

Not sure I like the "repeat" of a previous format they have used before.  There will be 8 new cheftestapants* and 8 former cheftestapants* in the new season.

 

* A term invented by Max Silvestri, I believe, who wrote amusing recaps of TC episodes once upon a time.

[ProudMary]

The first clue to a returning chef is up on Top Chef's FB page.  
Fan favorites from previous seasons, who did not win the TC title, are:  Sam Talbot, Casey Thompson, Fabio Viviani, Kevin Gillespie, Tiffany Derry, Carla Hall, Chris Crary, Sheldon Simeon, Nina Compton, Isaac Toups.  (I got these from the main Top Chef Wikipedia page.  If others remember differently, please feel free to correct me.)
Even though the silhouette is male, the clues don't specifically say that the contestant is male.
My guess (and my hope) is Sam Talbot.  I'd love to see Sam return.  
Let the speculation begin!
 

[FormerMod-a1]

Even though I see her on The Chew, I'd love to see Carla on TC again!  And even though Tiffany has been back a couple of times, I'd love to see her too!  Of the others, I'd add Kevin and maybe Casey.  (The last 4 I can't place/remember - will have to look them up).

[DavidJSnyder]

Silhouette looks like Chris Crary.

[PepperMonkey]

I think it's Isaac.

I could be wrong; I frequently am.

[biakbiak]

11 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

I think it's Isaac.

I could be wrong; I frequently am.

Only if he is wearing a wig. 

Google images leads me to believe it's Chris. 

Edited October 15, 2016 by biakbiak

[PepperMonkey]

Oh I didn't watch the season of Chris Crary. (Hey! No one told me the silhouette was supposed to match the cheftestant!) If they bring back some good people, I'll be all in for the watching. I honestly think Tiffany and Carla might be too busy with other cheffy stuff to come back, but you never know.

I'd dearly love to see them both.

[cooksdelight]

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the drawing, they will probably use that for each chef's clue. The first person that popped into my head, regarding the hot sauce, was Brian Huskey, final 5.

http://koreanamericanstory.org/the-boss-of-sauce-top-chef-brian-huskey/

[dleighg]

The hot sauce reference makes me think Isaac. Wasn't he from New Orleans or there-abouts?

[Wings]

I hope there are a few I remember!  So many seasons and so many who are easy to forget.  

[biakbiak]

14 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the drawing, they will probably use that for each chef's clue. The first person that popped into my head, regarding the hot sauce, was Brian Huskey, final 5.

http://koreanamericanstory.org/the-boss-of-sauce-top-chef-brian-huskey/

The next chef is up and they aren't using the same silouhette.

[cooksdelight]

I guess you could go to Wikipedia where they have a rundown of each season and see who the fan favorite was each time. Match them up with hot sauce.

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

The next chef is up and they aren't using the same silouhette.

I still wouldn't count on that to be who it is, but what do I know, obviously.

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, cooksdelight said:

I guess you could go to Wikipedia where they have a rundown of each season and see who the fan favorite was each time. Match them up with hot sauce.

I still wouldn't count on that to be who it is, but what do I know, obviously.

They are also showing the new chefs in the same format so I imagine it is the silhouette and that is part of the clue and they took pictures of all the contestants.

[ProudMary]

Clues are up for two more returning chefs.  
 

Here is the third:

[biakbiak]

Top one totally Sheldon, bottom one Kevin? Though that would surprise me.

[cooksdelight]

"I took a risk" is what Katsuji Tanabe says ALL the time. Maybe the southern food thing is to throw people off, because if he mentioned a Mexican favorite it would be easy to spot. I hope it's him, I've met him in person and he's so nice.

[chiaros]

10 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

"I took a risk" is what Katsuji Tanabe says ALL the time. Maybe the southern food thing is to throw people off, because if he mentioned a Mexican favorite it would be easy to spot. I hope it's him, I've met him in person and he's so nice.

That's interesting - that you found him nice when actually meeting him.  On the show, and as his season progressed, I found him to become the most annoying and obnoxious person - even with all the other competition (so to speak) for that "position", including Aaron Grissom.

[mlp]

Quote

That's interesting - that you found him nice when actually meeting him.  On the show, and as his season progressed, I found him to become the most annoying and obnoxious person 

It's funny how people have different perceptions of the same thing.  During the first couple episodes, I thought Katsuji was kind of a goofball but, as the show went on, I liked him better and better and, by the time he was eliminated, he was one of my favorites (and kind of a goofball).  I'll get a kick out of seeing him again if he's one of the chefs returning.

[cooksdelight]

I stopped by his west L.A. restaurant MexiKosher and it wasn't busy, so he gave me a little tour. Very sweet guy, let me take photos and showed me the entire layout and how the various dishes are prepared. You can't go by what the editors decide to show us with these people. 

[biakbiak]

Katsuji makes more sense than Kevin based on where they are in the careers but I also found him annoying on the show and that is what I will go buy because that is the only time I see him.

[susannot]

Interesting.  I actually like all of the people mentioned.

[ProudMary]

Returning chef #4:

[cooksdelight]

John Tesar, hands down.

[wallflower75]

5 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

John Tesar, hands down.

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

[biakbiak]

God I hate that asshole.

[dleighg]

here's another one. I guessed this pretty easily so won't spoil it unless someone wants me to. I will say this is one of my favorites

[ProudMary]

And yet another.  So we have six clues so far.  Two more to go.

[cooksdelight]

This *is* a spoiler thread. The Argentinian Malbec chick is Casey Thompson.

[AmandaPanda]

Okay, so:

Returning Chef #1: Sam Talbot? (Season 2)
Returning Chef #2: Sheldon Simeon (Season 10)
Returning Chef #3: Kevin Gillespie? (Season 6)
Returning Chef #4: John Tesar (Season 10)
Returning Chef #5: Casey Thompson (Season 3)
Returning Chef #6: Tiffany Derry? 

[cooksdelight]

i have NO idea who the former DJ is.

#3 is Katsuji, if you look at any of his instagram or Facebook posts, they always have #itookarisk in them.

[cooksdelight]

I don't think #6 is Tiffany. She's involved in 3 different TV shows and opening a restaurant. I don't think she'd have time.

[AmandaPanda]

Ugh, I hated Katsuji when he was on! Not excited if it is him.

Yeah, and I didn't know if it was Tiffany. Just took a guess on that one.

[cooksdelight]

I tried googling for "former radio DJ Top Chef" and all I kept getting is someone who's done a rap mix for the show or something weird.

[Wings]

3 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I don't think #6 is Tiffany. She's involved in 3 different TV shows and opening a restaurant. I don't think she'd have time.

What TV shows?  I adore this woman!  

[cooksdelight]

Hungry Investors, Bar Rescue are the main two, she also makes guest appearances on several others that I can't think of right off the top of my head. 

[biakbiak]

I was assuming they wouldn't have any one who was on All Stars but Casey shows that isn't true. The last one is weird because all the other ones have had a clue or outline that at least narrowed it down to one or two but I seriously don't remember anyone with that backstory. 

[Wings]

nm

Edited October 19, 2016 by wings707

[ProudMary]