Pod Chef

The studio equipment tried to eighty-six our last episode, but the line cooks are back to finish service. We reassembled the entire crew to give the fans exactly what they asked for: a complete, uninterrupted breakdown of the latest challenge.

This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, Reaves, and special guest Bethany Coan are dedicating the entire episode to Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 13, "Plate Expectations." We are skipping the usual podcast detours and serving up pure culinary critique. We dissect the flawed plating strategies, judge the judge's reactions, and lock in our predictions for who is packing their knives next. This one is strictly for the hardcore fans!

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop. ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Holding down the fort)

🎸 CREDITSThe Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Jamal is finally back in the studio with special guest Bethany Coan, but bringing the unhinged audio from his Hawaiian hostage situation isn't enough to stop the podcast gods from cutting our recap tragically short.

This week on Pod Chef, the gang reunites to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 13 ("Plate Expectations"). Before the kitchen heats up, Jamal shares harrowing voicemail audio from his time under siege in Hawaii, and Bryan actively tries to summon the SPAM man. We get through Jamal's official pick to win the season before a massive audio failure pulls the plug on the whole operation.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU 

• 00:00 - Intro & Jamal's back

• 05:30 - Voicemail

• 19:50 - Jamal's pick to win this season

• 24:51 - Chef's I Prepared for You

• 44:29 - Sorry Fans: The great audio disaster

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a drop. ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Jamal is still MIA after being taken hostage by Sheldon in Hawaii, leaving Bryan to navigate an adult hockey hit before we finally get to the kitchen.

This week on Pod Chef, the double trouble continues as Jamal remains stranded during his Hawaiian cruise—presumably still held captive by Sheldon. While we wait for his safe return, Bryan takes the mic to share a brutal reality check of what happens when real hockey meets adult league hockey. After the ice clears, we dive into Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 12 ("Appalachian Celebration") to recap the regional cooking challenges and predict who is packing their knives.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU (Timestamps)

• 00:00 - Intro & Sheldon took Jamal Hostage

• 09:30 - Bryans Hockey Hit

• 25:14 - Chef’s I Prepared For You

• 40:58 - Top Chef S23E12 recap starts: "Appalachian Celebration" breakdown

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a weekly drop. ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Holding down the fort)

🎸 CREDITS

The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Bryan and Reaves are holding down the pod while Jamal is MIA on a Hawaiian cruise hunting for the legendary SPAM Man.

This week on Pod Chef, the double trouble continues as Jamal is still off the grid. While we wait for his return, Bryan shows off his new ice cream maker and Reaves talks pizza—a bold move stepping onto Jamal's Detroit-style dough turf while he's out of town. We take a quick detour into ripped aliens before finally getting down to business to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 11 ("Down the Rabbit Hole"). We are judging the chaotic menus and predicting who is getting sent packing.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU (Timestamps)

• 00:00 - Jamal is in Hawaii

• 08:57 - Bryan’s making ice cream & Reaves' pizza adventures

• 29:42 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You

• 46:33 - Top Chef S23E11 Recap starts: "Down the Rabbit Hole" breakdown

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop. ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Holding down the fort)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Alex Kazanas steps in to help us celebrate our 250th episode while Reaves tries to podcast through a lisp caused by a competitive hot dog eating injury. It goes exactly as poorly as you'd expect.

This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and a very lispy Reaves are breaking down the newest episode of Bravo's Top Chef. Before we get to the kitchen, we take a massive detour to review Tom Colicchio's obscure 13-year-old fishing show, "Hooked Up." Then we dive deep into the seafood challenges of Top Chef Season 23, Episode 10 ("Hook, Line, and Dinner") and rank our favorites to pack their knives.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU (Timestamps)

• 00:00 - Intro guest Alex Kazanas & Reaves’s injury

• 24:04 - Tom Colicchio’s “Hooked Up” Series

• 35:29 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You

• 54:39 - Top Chef S23E10 Recap

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop. ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Sidelined by a hot dog)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Bryan creates a toxic workplace by ranking his co-hosts on a scale of "loveability," and Jamal flexes on everyone with a bougie first-class airplane food review.

This week on Pod Chef, the vibe is instantly ruined when Bryan breaks out his controversial loveability rankings for the trio. After the dust settles, Jamal shares a high-altitude culinary adventure from his recent international travels, proving that his restaurant reviewing habits have officially reached first class. Finally, the guys get down to business to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 9 ("The Ultimate Dinner Party"). We're judging the chaotic menus, breaking down the front-of-house disasters, and talking some serious trash.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU

• 00:00 - Intro

• 03:07 - Bryan ranks the hosts (and ruins the vibe)

• 13:05 - We got a new review!

• 15:00 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You

• 47:12 - Top Chef S23E09 Recap starts: "The Ultimate Dinner Party" breakdown

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop! ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Probably at the bottom of Bryan's list)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

It's the biggest week of the Bravo calendar: Restaurant Wars! Reaves is actually here for the entire episode, Bryan is still salty about last week's voicemail, and we take full credit for launching our guest's literary career.

This week on Pod Chef, the gang is fully assembled and joined by Rosie Grant, author of To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes. After Bryan airs his grievances about Jamal ignoring his airport voicemail, the crew buckles in for the ultimate culinary gauntlet. We are breaking down Top Chef Season 23, Episode 8 ("Restaurant Wars"), dissecting the front-of-house meltdowns, judging the chaotic concepts, and deciding which restaurant is shutting its doors for good.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU

• 00:00 - Intro & Reaves is actually here!

• 02:22 - Justice for Bryan’s voicemail from last week

• 04:35 - Rosie Grant joins to talk Gravestone Recipes (and how we made her famous)

• 23:10 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You

• 33:53 - Restaurant Managers: The Real Villains

• 46:55 - Top Chef S23E08 Recap starts: "Restaurant Wars" breakdown

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop! ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Present for the entire episode!)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Jamal is flying solo this week... well, almost. Improviser and travel aficionado Kate Symes steps in to save the pod, while Bryan calls in from an airport lounge after a wild run-in with past guest Reverend Hun Gary.

This week on Pod Chef, Jamal and special guest Kate Symes are holding down the fort to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 7 ("Desserts Fit for a Queen"). Before we get to the kitchen, we're talking improv, swapping travel stories, and decoding Bryan's unhinged airport voicemail. Then, we dive deep into the ultimate Bravo curse: a dessert challenge. We're dissecting the sugar crashes and predicting who is getting sent packing.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU

• 00:00 - Intro & Guest Kate Symes (Travel & Improv talk)

• 15:40 - Bryan’s voicemail from the airport (feat. Reverend Hun Gary)

• 22:35 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You

• 43:29 - Top Chef S23E07 Recap starts: "Desserts Fit for a Queen" breakdown

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop! ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction (Currently lost in an airport terminal)

• Jamal: @hell0newman (Holding down the fort)

• Reaves: (MIA this week!)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

John Carroll (@ohjohncarroll) drops by the studio to formally audition for Bryan’s job.  Bryan is absolutely furious about it.

This week on Pod Chef, the tension is high as special guest John Carroll spends the entire episode correcting Bryan and proving why he should be the new permanent third mic. After the hostile takeover attempt (and a highly specific Wells Fargo plug), Jamal, Reaves, Bryan, and John finally get down to business. We are breaking down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 6 ("Going Whole Hog"), dissecting the pork challenges, and predicting who is getting smoked.

⏱️ EPISODE MENU

• 00:00 - Intro & John Carroll auditions for Bryan's job

• 10:26 - John Carroll's Wells Fargo Plug

• 19:49 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You

• 46:18 - Top Chef S23E06 Recap starts: "Going Whole Hog" breakdown

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed (or if you are Team John), hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop! ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast

• Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• Bryan: @bjacksonininaction (Currently fighting for his job)

• Jamal: @hell0newman

• Reaves: (Enjoying the chaos)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms

Friend of the pod Tim Townsend (Optophobia, Ark) drops into the studio to talk Top Chef and forces Bryan and Reaves to relive their guest appearance on his show—an event they definitely, 100%, absolutely remember happening.

This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and Reaves are joined by Tim Townsend for a massive catch-up. Before we pack our knives, Tim shares some hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from the guys' crossover episode on Optophobia. Then, we get down to business to break down all things Bravo's Top Chef, including this week's newest Season 23 Episode 5, "Cut and Dry". We're dissecting the challenges, judging the judges, and talking some serious trash.

OPTOPHOBIA Podcast Links:

Bryan’s Episode: https://www.optophobia.fm/episodes/s4ep4-deadlike-rasta

Reaves’ Episode: https://www.optophobia.fm/episodes/s1ep7-the-danny-boy-killer

Tim’s Substack: https://dubiouscocktailhistory.substack.com/

⏱️ EPISODE MENU

• ​00:00 - Intro & Tim Townsend joins the chaos
• ​12:00 - The Optophobia crossover: Stories the guys "definitely" remember
• ​22:00 - Chef’s I’ve Prepared For You
• ​46:14 - Top Chef S23E05 “Cut and Dry” Recap starts

👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you never miss a Monday drop! ⭐ Rate us 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you had for dinner last night in the review! (We read the best ones on air).

🔪 FOLLOW THE KITCHEN 🔪

• ​Watch the pod on YouTube: @podchefpodcast
• ​Instagram & Twitter: @podchefpodcast

👨‍🍳 THE LINE COOKS 👨‍🍳

• ​Bryan: @bjacksonininaction
• ​Jamal: @hell0newman

•Reaves: (Still claiming he remembers that Optophobia episode)

🎸 CREDITS The Pod Chef intro was produced and performed by Jeff Ray. Follow him on IG: @jeffrayfilms