The Chef's Cut

The Top Chef Season 23 champion joins our podcast for an exclusive conversation about the journey from finalist to winner. Fresh off the finale, the newest Top Chef breaks down the dishes that sealed the victory, the strategy behind the final meal, and the emotions of competing in one of the most pressure-filled moments of the competition.

In this episode:

A behind-the-scenes look at the Top Chef Season 23 finale

The inspiration and cultural influences behind the winning menu

Why leaning into personal culinary identity became the key to success

The role Joe played as a mentor throughout the finale

The toughest challenges and most memorable moments from the season

What life has been like since winning Top Chef

Future plans, career goals, and what's next after the biggest victory of a culinary career

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

SPOILER ALERT!!

With the Top Chef Season 23 finale just days away, Adrienne and Joe break down the final three chefs and reveal what it really takes to win it all. They analyze Laurence, Rhoda, and Sherry’s chances, share behind-the-scenes secrets from the competition, and revisit their own Top Chef finale experience, including the mistakes they'd avoid, the sous chefs they'd choose today, and stories they've never shared before.

In this episode:

The secrets behind how Top Chef is really made, including the infamous clock and other insider rules

Sieger’s emotional reaction after his elimination

A deep dive into Joe and Adrienne’s Top Chef Season 15 finale experience

What they would do differently today and which sous chefs they would choose now

A memorable story about fan-favorite Fati

Adrienne’s least favorite moment from their season of Top Chef

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

The reservation wars are heating up, as SevenRooms (via DoorDash) seeks to challenge OpenTable and Resy with a major play. Adrienne and Joe tell us why this is just the beginning, and how technology and AI are changing the dining experience. In this episode, we also discuss:

Why dining experiences have become a huge focus for big tech (and your credit card company)

The influence of social media on culinary trends and menu design

The evolution of restaurant operations from analog to digital (and why we may be moving back)

A shift in power for how restaurants are able to book reservations

The initial rise of reservation platforms like OpenTable, Tock, and Resy

The role of AI in restaurant operations and guest experience

Should we trust AI to get involved in our reservations?

Walk In Confession: Joe’s first restaurant convention (a coming of age)

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

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Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

The New York Times released their list of the 100 Best Restaurants in New York City, and people are in their feelings about it. Arienne and Joe sit down to give their thoughts on the backlash, what they did and didn't like about the list, and why former Chef’s Cut guest Ligaya Mishan deserves some grace. In this episode, we also discuss:

Budget restaurants vs. fine dining and how to properly compare them

The biggest NYC restaurants that didn’t make the list (Gramercy Tavern, Per Se, etc.)

Kabawa at number one and the ascent of afro-caribbean cuisine

Some of their favorite NYC dining spots that you should try

The inclusion of street food and a debate about what actually counts as a “real” restaurant

Adrienne announces the newest podcast to join the Chef’s Cut family: Eating History (and our new season all about the history of pizza)

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Reigning Top Chef champion Tristen Epps-Long joins Adrienne and Joe to talk about life after Top Chef, fine dining in Afro-Caribbean cuisine, and what comes after Top Chef (including his new restaurant in Houston). In this episode, we also discuss:

Top Chef favorites this season and his best advice for getting through it all

Who Tristen would want to face off against in a Top Chef Masters season

Whether Michelin is racist or cuisineist

Tristen and Adrienne’s time together at Red Rooster

His ascent from McDonald’s to James Beard nominee and cooking competition champ

The role of Marcus Samuelsson in his career

What life after Top Chef is really like for chefs

The culinary scene in Houston

Walk In Confession: Booking reservations on Open Table to get out of work early 

Follow Tristen: @cheftristenepps 

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Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

There’s an impending food supply merger that could have a huge impact on the restaurant industry, so Adrienne and Joe break down what that means for business owners, consumers, and the food that ends up on your plate. In this episode, we discuss:

The Sysco–Restaurant Depot merger and why a food supply monopoly is bad for you

Why customers are ultimately going to foot the bill with rising prices

The difference between wholesale delivery (Sysco) and cash-and-carry (Restaurant Depot)

A chef’s perspective on how wholesale purchasing actually works

Rising food costs, and the hidden impact of eliminating competition

Will this spell doom for small restaurants?

Why a merger wouldn’t just impact costs, but also the selection of brands, ingredients, and supplies you have access to

What we can all do to keep this from happening

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Adrienne and Joe are joined by Bib Gourmand award-winning Chef Karen Akunowicz to talk about the Boston food scene, excellent food at a great value, and the importance of finding balance in and out of the kitchen (if that’s even possible). In this episode, we also discuss:

Fork It or Forget It: Lobster Rolls (cold or hot?)

The booming Boston food scene and how Karen got her start as a Houston’s bartender

Prominent female chefs in Boston and the example they set

Her restaurants (including Fox & the Knife) achieving Bib Gourmand status

Training in Italy and making Italian food (with a very different chef background)

The influence of her time working at Disney World and what hospitality excellence looks like

Karen’s time spent outside the kitchen as a powerlifter

The illusion of work-life balance (especially when you’re building a career)

Walk In Confession: Karen’s first day as a line cook… and head chef for a night 

Follow Karen: @chefkarenakunowicz 

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This week we’re joined by the one and only Gail Simmons, Top Chef judging legend and renowned food author. Andrienne and Joe ask her what has kept Top Chef on top for so many years, what to expect in the latest season, and how judging really works on a food competition show. In this episode, we also discuss:

The secret sauce behind the show’s appeal and why locations are everything

Behind the scenes of working with Tom and Kristen (among others)

Whether or not Gail has seen Padma’s new show

The real origin story of Top Chef and why they owe it all to another Bravo show

Stories from Top Chef: Colorado and taking a turn at judging

Gail’s upbringing, career, and how she landed on TV

Walk In Confession: Gail’s mishap during filming that almost derailed the latest season 

Follow Gail: @gailsimmons 

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Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

The Michelin Guide is taking a new tack with American restaurants, but is it just diluting their brand? Adrienne and Joe discuss the “recommended” restaurant approach, Michelin plaques with no stars, and why they just don’t get the American Market. In this episode, we also discuss:

Ruth’s Chris battling it out with Chili’s over dining room dress codes

Whether or not you should be allowed to wear a hoodie and hat to a steakhouse

Michelin’s latest ploy to represent southern food in America

What Joe chose to do with his new Michelin plaque

Fork It or Forget It: Wonton Lasagna

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Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

The 2026 James Beard Award Nominee finalists were just announced, so Adrienne and Joe dive headfirst into the biggest surprises, omissions, and things they’d like to see happen this year. In this episode, we discuss:

The biggest names to make each of the lists

Why weren’t there any Caribbean restaurants represented?

An explanation on how the awards process works

What they’d like to see changed, and why the regional layout may need a makeover

Adrienne Cheatham is a member of the James Beard Awards subcommittee

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham 

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm