Pack Your Knives

Tom Haberstroh is over the moon upon discovering that Top Chef Season 23 will be filmed in his own backyard!

On Wednesday, it was announced that “Top Chef Carolinas” will have Charlotte, NC as the hub city. Tom sheds light on Charlotte ties to Top Chef alums Tristen Epps, Sara Bradley, Jamie Lynch, Sam Talbot and Eric Adjepong.

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After Tom and Eric watch the season finale at his restaurant in DC, they host the podcast recap in front of a live audience, a joyous crowd that included the winner’s brother and Season 22 contestant Corwin Hemming.
Tom and Eric discuss the significance of the winner’s impressive victory and take stock in the winner’s entire season. Eric shares his personal thoughts on the legacy of the winner’s achievement. After ranking this Top Chef season among the greats, Tom decides to put together his Mount Rushmore of Top Chefs with input from Eric and the audience. We hear from the winner’s brother and Corwin, who shared some behind-the-scenes experiences. Finally, Tom and Eric break down each dish and score each round with their commentary.
At the end, Tom and Eric take questions from the audience and then wrap an incredible season of Top Chef.
Thank you all for your support on Season 22!

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Viva Finale. With one episode to go, Tom (now an honorary Ghanaian citizen) and Eric break down the Milan Finale Part 1 with the help of Carly Levitz who shares her analysis on the history of risotto on Top Chef. Is the curse of risotto overrated, underrated or properly rated?

One chef's out-of-box thinking gets the best of them and the finale will decide which fantasy team wins: Team Eric or Team Tom. The margins are so slim. That's why it feels so big. See you in DC next week at Eric's restaurant Elmina.

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Ahead of their Season Finale Watch Party announcement (June 12th at Elmina! Get your tickets now!), Tom and Eric wax poetic about the Quarry Lake episode. This hour of Top Chef had it all. Tom and Eric recap what they consider one of the greatest episodes of the series' history.

While getting choked up on air, Eric explains why he got so emotional watching the Quarry Lake episode and especially the heart-breaking judge's table. The integrity of the show, Tom argues, is what makes Top Chef TOP CHEF and that integral guiding post is what helped paint such a beautiful episode.

Did the chef deserve to go home? What does it say about the show? And the fantasy standings? Tom and Eric have a lot to say.

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And then there were five. With one episode left before the two-part finale, Eric Adjepong and Tom Haberstroh break down the Calgary episode (Yahoo!).

As the contestants wrangle with beef and berries, Tom and Eric weigh in on the most underrated cut of the cow and the best preparation at a steakhouse. How exactly we did Massimo make that fancy Fruit Roll-up?

A rivalry emerges and three chefs separate themselves from the pack. The race seems more undecided than ever.

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Last Chance Kitchen is over. Eric Adjepong is back. And the show wraps up Toronto.

A returnee comes back into the competition and gets revenge on the competitors. Adjepong shares his thoughts on Tristen at Restaurant Wars and what he took from the last two weeks while he was off air.

Tom and Eric can’t help but laugh at the “hot garbage” quickfire while we wonder how sustainable Tristen’s lead might be with Massimo closing fast. The Top Chef fantasy race is getting hot.

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Buddha, Kevin and Tom oh my! Back for more, Kevin Arnovitz returns to the stage with Tom Haberstroh to flex their mussels and talk Top Chef post-Restaurant Wars.
With no more immunity on the table, they discuss the reintroduction of last year’s rule that Quickfires are now part of judges table.
Plus, Buddha Lo joins the show to share insights from his high seat at judge’s table in Toronto. After gushing about a flawless salmon Wellington, the two-time champ is asked to compare his game to Tristen Epps and the shared experience of losing a father while pursuing dreams of becoming Top Chef. He also shares what it’s like to cook for Padma Lakshmi at his HUSO restaurant in Tribeca.

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Restaurant Wars is here and so is Kevin Arnovitz!

With Eric Adjepong on film leave, Arnovitz steps back into the chair to break down an emotional and tragic Restaurant Wars episode and offer his big-picture thoughts on the Destination Canada season as a whole.

Where is Tristen Epps in the pantheon? When did the losing team squander their moment? What's the best way to eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch? And which Atlanta Braves pitcher does Lana remind us of? All that and more on a PYK reunion episode.

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OK, it’s time to talk about a certain chef in this competition. With the dominant stretch in the middle of Destination Canada, Tom and Eric discuss where the elimination-challenge winner places statistically and stylistically among the all-time greats. Names like Buddha Lo, Kristen Kish and Brooke Williamson are conjured up.

Eric reveals the one chef that made him stand in awe during one of his competitions and explains the brilliance of Wylie “WD50” Dufresne and his DC pal Spike Mendelsohn. Plus, Tom and Eric share their favorite pizza style and finally agree on an intro food take.

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Eric Adjepong starts his victory lap trot after another disastrous week for Team Tom. Everyone at PYK is on Team Pickle. 

Haberstroh and Adjepong unpack the mistake-ridden episode of Top Chef while simultaneously bowing down to the greatness of two of Adjepong's chefs (Tristen and César). Eric also sheds light on the fashion do's-and-don'ts of Top Chef and the food TV world. 

After his trip to NYC, Tom shares his review of Time and Tide, the new restaurant from last season's Top Chef champ Danny Garcia. Eric takes stock of his visit to Tom's neck of the woods in Charlotte.

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