Compliments to the Chef

We're serving up rabbit and hiccups on this week's episode of the pod! Tune into our coverage of Top Chef season 23 episode 11.

We have the rizz king of season 23 on the pod, Oscar Diaz!!! Tune in to hear about Oscar's journey to Top Chef and what he's up to post-show.

A two-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast, Oscar Diaz was born and raised in Chicago. Growing up surrounded by diverse flavors shaped his bold, multicultural culinary style blending his Mexican heritage, global influences, and Southern soul. After training in Michelin-starred kitchens across Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Chicago, he landed in Raleigh, N.C., where he helped to launch Cortez Seafood + Cocktails. In 2023, Oscar opened Little Bull in Durham, which recently earned a Michelin Guide recommendation and features an American melting pot of flavors. His second restaurant AAKTUN opened in 2024, pushing Latin American flavors. Oscar’s latest project and third restaurant, TaTaco is a mercado-inspired eatery in Durham. Known for his fearless creativity and high-pressure skills, Oscar was featured in Time Magazine as a chef defining the “Nuevo South.” A musical aficionado at heart, he loves to DJ, travel and wants to apply the same passion and skills to food and remix his cuisine.

Instagram: @buenosdiaz

The first of the brothers Dearden to grace the pod! Tune into the pod to hear about his career, time on Top Chef and his social media empire

Growing up in Sterling, Va., Brandon Dearden was drawn to the kitchen, often found cooking alongside his grandma, helping at his father’s restaurant job and cooking on a line while in high school. He shares his passion for food alongside his identical twin brother and fellow competitor, Jonathan, this season. After earning dual degrees in Culinary Arts and International Baking & Pastry, he trained in Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. His career includes notable roles with Alinea, Saison Hospitality Group, Wolfgang Puck’s Fine Dining Group, Charlie Palmer’s Aureole and Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group. Now residing in Hamilton, MT, Brandon is the chef and co-owner of Ember and Grano, bringing a live-fire-driven approach to Montana cuisine built on local grain, seasonal agriculture and trusted ranching partners. Ember focuses on incorporating local ingredients, spotlighting its terroir, beef and hyper-seasonal produce. Grano specializes in American-Italian cuisine with well-executed, simple ingredients. Brandon was recently named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef in the Mountains. Known for his ability to thrive under pressure, especially fueled by a friendly lifelong sibling rivalry, he approaches every challenge with focus and fire.

Instagram: @chefauthorized

It's Tom Colicchio's favorite day of the year: mies en place AND a fishing trip. The Top Chefs get out of the kitchen and onto the water in this week's episode. Tune into hear our coverage of it all!

The chefs take on a dual quickfire/elimination challenge in this week's episode of Top Chef. But more importantly, RHODA IS BACK!!!!! Tune into our coverage of episode 9.

Tune into our coverage of the Last Chance Kitchen season finale!

It's RESTAURANT WARS in the Top Chef kitchen!!! Two teams have 36 hours to create a complete restaurant from start to finish, sans serif logo and all. We've got two Carolina-inspired restaurants and rock star teams of chefs ready to face off in the ultimate showdown. Who's restaurant will come out on top?

Last Chance Kitchen continues with this week's Top Chef eliminated contestant. Tune in to hear about what Tom is cooking up!

On this week's episode of Top Chef, wake up and smell the coffee because we're starting our day at the Cracker Barrel! With a few friends from Southern Charm joining Kristen for the quickfire, we see the chefs reinvent menu staples. The elimination challenge brings us to the end of the meal, with a sweet dessert showdown.

Tune in!

Last Chance Kitchen has a three-chef showdown. Listen to our recap and conspiracy theories about what's going on in the competition