Top Chef (season 12)
| Top Chef: Boston | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Original release |
October 15, 2014 – February 11, 2015 |
| Additional information | |
| Host(s) | Padma Lakshmi |
| Judges |
Tom Colicchio Gail Simmons Hugh Acheson Richard Blais |
| No. of contestants | 16 |
| Winner | Mei Lin |
Top Chef: Boston is the twelfth season of the American reality television series Top Chef. The season was formally announced on August 20, 2014, and premiered on October 15, 2014.[1][2] Filming for Season 12 took place from May through June 2014 in locations around Boston, Massachusetts, concluding with a finale in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato and the surrounding area.[2] Top Chef: Chicago finalist and Top Chef: All-Stars winner Richard Blais debuted as a recurring judge, joining Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson, and host Padma Lakshmi on the judging panel.[1] Last Chance Kitchen also returned for its fourth season, beginning with a two-part redemption mid-season and continuing until the first part of the finale.[3]
Production
According to reports by Deadline Hollywood, members of Boston's local Teamsters Union allegedly harassed and intimidated Lakshmi and other Top Chef staff during the production's June film shoot at the Steel & Rye restaurant in Milton, Massachusetts.[4] The Teamsters Local 25, upset that Bravo hired non-union personnel to drive cast and crew around Milton, protested the filming, threatening staff using racist, sexist, and homophobic language, and slashing the tires of several crew-owned vehicles.[4] While the network insisted the incident was isolated, sources for The Boston Globe reported that the threats did prompt Bravo to change the locations of some tapings.[5] Teamsters Local 25 released a statement denying the allegations.[6] Four Teamsters were later indicted on charges of conspiracy to extort, attempted extortion, and aiding and abetting.[7]
Contestants
16 chefs were selected to compete in Top Chef: Boston.[1]
| Name | Hometown | Current Residence | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Adams | Tyler, Texas | Portland, Oregon | 29 |
| Stacy Cogswell | Boston, Massachusetts | Boston, Massachusetts | 33 |
| Joy Crump | Coatesville, Pennsylvania | Coatesville, Pennsylvania | 46 |
| Ron Eyester | Long Island, New York | Atlanta, Georgia | 40 |
| Gregory Gourdet | Queens, New York | Portland, Oregon | 39 |
| Aaron Grissom | Tacoma, Washington | North Hollywood, California | 27 |
| Adam Harvey | New York, New York | New York, New York | 29 |
| Rebecca LaMalfa | Chico, California | Chicago, Illinois | 32 |
| Mei Lin | Dearborn, Michigan | Los Angeles, California | 28 |
| Melissa King | Los Angeles, California | San Francisco, California | 30 |
| George Pagonis | Washington, D.C. | Washington, D.C. | N/A |
| Michael Patlazhan | Brooklyn, New York | Brooklyn, New York | 31 |
| Keriann Von Raesfeld | San Jose, California | San Jose, California | 28 |
| James Rigato | Howell, Michigan | White Lake, Michigan | 29 |
| Katsuji Tanabe | Mexico City, Mexico | Los Angeles, California | 33 |
| Katie Weinner | Rosemount, Minnesota | Salt Lake City, Utah | 35 |
Contestant progress
| Contestant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 114 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quickfire Winner(s) |
Aaron1 Adam1 Doug1 Keriann1 |
James1 | Gregory | Katsuji | Gregory | Katie | N/A | Gregory | George | Melissa1 | N/A | Mei1 | Doug1 | Gregory1 | N/A | |
| Mei | WIN | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | IN | WIN | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | IN | WINNER | |
| Gregory | HIGH | WIN | WIN | WIN | WIN | LOW | LOW | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | IN | LOW | HIGH | WIN | RUNNER-UP | |
| Doug | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | WIN | HIGH | WIN | WIN | HIGH | OUT | WIN5 | OUT | ||||
| Melissa | IN | LOW | HIGH | IN | LOW | LOW | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | LOW | WIN | WIN | OUT | |||
| George | OUT2 | HIGH3 | IN | LOW | IN | OUT | ||||||||||
| Katsuji | LOW | HIGH | LOW | WIN | WIN | WIN | LOW | IN | OUT | |||||||
| Adam | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | OUT | ||||||||
| Katie | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | IN | WIN | IN | LOW | OUT3 | ||||||||
| Keriann | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | WIN | IN | OUT | |||||||||
| Stacy | IN | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | OUT | ||||||||||
| Aaron | IN | LOW | IN | WIN | OUT | |||||||||||
| James | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| Rebecca | IN | WIN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| Ron | IN | LOW | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Joy | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Michael | OUT | |||||||||||||||
^Note 1 : The chef(s) did not receive immunity.
^Note 2 : George lost the Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge against Gregory and was eliminated.
^Note 3 : George won the Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge against Katie. George was reinstated into the competition, while Katie was eliminated.
^Note 4 : There were no eliminations in Episode 11.
^Note 5 : Doug won Last Chance Kitchen and returned to the competition.
- (WINNER) The chef won the season and was crowned "Top Chef".
- (RUNNER-UP) The chef was a runner-up for the season.
- (WIN) The chef won the Elimination Challenge.
- (HIGH) The chef was selected as one of the top entries in the Elimination Challenge, but did not win.
- (IN) The chef was not selected as one of the top or bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge and was safe.
- (LOW) The chef was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge, but was not eliminated.
- (OUT) The chef lost the Elimination Challenge and was out of the competition.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Sudden Death" | October 15, 2014 | 1.09[8] |
|
Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge: The chefs, separated into four teams, competed in a mise en place relay race.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs served updated versions of their very first dishes.
| |||
| 2 | "Boston's Bravest and Finest" | October 22, 2014 | 0.98[9] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs created surf and turf dishes in a challenge inspired by the phrase "one if by land, two if by sea," coined by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1860 poem "Paul Revere's Ride". While cooking, the chefs had to pay close attention to two signal lanterns. If one lantern turned on, they had to incorporate a "land ingredient"; if two lanterns turned on, they had to use a "sea ingredient". Instead of immunity, the winner received $5,000.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs, working in teams, served dishes for the men and women of Boston's police and fire departments. Instead of shopping for their own ingredients, each group cooked using a different set of mystery ingredients available in the kitchen; each set of ingredients was first-come, first-served. The chefs drew knives to determine the teams and order of service.
| |||
| 3 | "The Curse of the Bambino" | October 29, 2014 | 1.05[10] |
|
Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge: The chefs created a dish highlighting tea, in reference to the Boston Tea Party. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: Using classic ballpark snacks, such as popcorn, peanuts, pretzels, and cotton candy, as inspiration for their cooking, the chefs served fine dining dishes at Fenway Park.
| |||
| 4 | "12 Chefs Walk Into a Bar..." | November 5, 2014 | 0.91[11] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs traveled to Cheers Beacon Hill to create tasty bar snacks. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs, working in teams of their choosing, created a three-course Italian menu, including antipasto, pasta, and secondi. The team whose menu was ordered the most by the diners won the challenge; all other teams were eligible for a double elimination. During service, the chefs were informed that one guest, Emmy Rossum, had a gluten-free restriction, forcing those in charge of the pasta course to create an alternative dish.
| |||
| 5 | "It's War" | November 12, 2014 | 0.90[12] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs faced-off in head-to-head battles using Reynold kitchen products; each pair of competitors had to create the same dish using the same cooking method. Among the winners of each match-up (below in bold), the contestant with the best overall dish received $10,000.
Elimination Challenge: The winners of the Quickfire Challenge took on the losers in a "culinary war". Once again, the chefs competed in head-to-head matches, each named after critical battles from the American Revolutionary War. The winner of each match-up (below in bold) earned their team a point. The first team to score three points won the challenge.
| |||
| 6 | "The First Thanksgiving" | November 19, 2014 | 0.95[13] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs created dishes highlighting cranberries. Prior to the challenge, the contestants traveled to a cranberry bog to harvest fresh cranberries. The first four chefs to fill their crates were able to select from a pantry of high-quality ingredients during the Quickfire, while the remaining contestants were forced to use low-quality ingredients.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs served a traditional Thanksgiving meal at the Plimoth Plantation, using only the ingredients and cookware that were available during the "First Thanksgiving".
| |||
| 7 | "Restaurant Wars" | December 3, 2014 | 0.96[14] |
|
Elimination Challenge: The chefs, working in two teams, had 24 hours to create a pop-up restaurant and execute a multi-course dinner service. Each chef was responsible for at least one dish on their team's menu. One member from the losing team was eligible for elimination.
| |||
| 8 | "Clean Up in Aisle 2!" | December 10, 2014 | 0.98[15] |
|
Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had to put their own spin on clam chowder.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs catered a tasting event for 75 Top Chef fans and foodies. Instead of doing their own shopping, as per usual, the judges shopped for the contestants' ingredients. A draw of knives determined which judge the chefs would obtain their ingredients from: Tom shopped for Mei, Padma shopped for George and Gregory, Gail shopped for Katsuji and Melissa, and Richard shopped for Adam and Doug.
| |||
| 9 | "Big Sausage" | December 17, 2014 | 0.98[16] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs prepared sausage dishes. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: Each chef had to create a dish inspired by a famous New England literary work.
| |||
| 10 | "For Julia & Jacques" | January 7, 2015 | 1.02[17] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs created ramen dishes using only ingredients available from college students' dorm rooms. Instead of immunity, the winner received $5,000.
Elimination Challenge: The contestants tested their skills in French cuisine by preparing dishes in tribute to Julia Child.
| |||
| 11 | "Sous Your Daddy!" | January 14, 2015 | 1.09[18] |
|
Elimination Challenge: Each chef was responsible for creating two dishes, one appetizer and one entrée, utilizing local seafood. The chefs' family members joined the challenge, serving as their sous chefs. The contestants were not allowed to touch the appetizers, leaving solely their loved ones responsible for executing those dishes. While the chefs were not in danger of elimination, as an added incentive, the winner was guaranteed entry into the finals.
| |||
| 12 | "The Final Battle of Bean Town" | January 21, 2015 | 0.99[19] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs made dishes highlighting beans. Instead of immunity, the winner earned a trip to Napa, California.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs created innovative dishes that pushed their own culinary boundaries. The winner received $10,000.
| |||
| 13 | "Getting Prickly In Mexico" | January 28, 2015 | 1.11[20] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: After arriving in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the chefs prepared dishes highlighting xoconostle. The winner was given first choice of sous chefs during the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs created dishes inspired by an artist's piece of work.
| |||
| 14 | "Holy Escamoly!" | February 4, 2015 | 0.89[21] |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs created sweet and savory dishes using Mexican chocolate. The winner was given first choice of sous chef during the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs worked together to prepare a six-course meal highlighting six different Mexican ingredients: avocado, escamoles, guava, huitlacoche, poblano, and queso fresco. Each contestant was responsible for two dishes.
| |||
| 15 | "Mano a Mano" | February 11, 2015 | 0.96[22] |
|
Elimination Challenge: The finalists, with the assistance of two sous chefs of their choosing (Melissa & Rebecca for Mei, and Doug & George for Gregory) had to cook the best four-course meal of their lives.
| |||
Last Chance Kitchen
The Last Chance Kitchen is a web series featuring challenges in which the ousted chefs compete for a chance to re-enter the main competition. Each week, two or more chefs compete against each other in the Top Chef kitchen, with the results judged solely by Tom Colicchio. The winner(s) of each week moves on to face the next eliminated Top Chef contestant(s), while the loser is eliminated from the competition for good. The champion of the Last Chance Kitchen returns to compete in the season finale.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Redemption Royal" | December 10, 2014 |
|
Challenge: The chefs transformed the dishes that sent them home into winning dishes.
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| 2 | "Dry and Slimy" | December 10, 2014 |
|
Challenge: The chefs created dishes using dry and slimy ingredients.
| ||
| 3 | "The Kitchen Sink" | December 17, 2014 |
|
Challenge: Each chef had to create a cohesive dish using 20 or more ingredients.
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| 4 | "Liverwurst Nightmare" | January 7, 2015 |
|
Challenge: Each chef created a dish featuring liver.
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| 5 | "Crudité Redux" | January 14, 2015 |
|
Challenge: The chefs prepared dishes using produce from crudité platters.
| ||
| 6 | "The Last Chance Kitchen Finals" | January 21, 2015 |
|
Challenge: The chefs created Mexican-inspired dishes featuring clams.
| ||
References
- 1 2 3 The Dish (August 20, 2014). "First Look at Top Chef Season 12!". Bravo. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- 1 2 Goldstein, Meredith (August 20, 2014). "'Top Chef' Boston season revealed". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Top Chef Season 12 Cast Info". Bravo. August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- 1 2 Robb, David (August 20, 2014). "'Top Chef' Host Padma Lakshmi And Crew Flambéed By Boston Teamsters". Deadline. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ↑ Shanahan, Mark; Goldstein, Meredith (August 21, 2014). "Source confirms 'Top Chef' harassment by local Teamsters". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ↑ Scalese, Roberto (August 21, 2014). "UPDATED: What the Hell Went on Between Boston's Teamsters and the 'Top Chef' Crew?". Boston.com. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- ↑ Stout, Matt; Planas, Antonio; Sweet, Laurel (October 1, 2015). "Feds hammer Teamsters in 'Top Chef' extortion rap". Boston Herald. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'South Park', 'Teen Mom 2', Baseball, 'Impact Wrestling' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 23, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Tops Night + 'Key & Peele', 'Melissa & Joey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (October 30, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'South Park', 'Key & Peele', 'Ghost Hunters', 'Top Chef' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 6, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Tops Night + 'South Park', NBA Basketball, 'Key & Peele' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (November 13, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'South Park', 'American Pickers', 'Key & Peele', 'Top Chef' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 20, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Tops Night + NBA Basketball, 'Duck Dynasty', 'South Park' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 4, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Tops Night + 'South Park', College Basketball, 'Duck Dynasty' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (December 11, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night,'South Park', 'Duck Dynasty', 'Melissa & Joey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 18, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Tops Night + 'The Daily Show', 'The Colbert Report', 'Mob Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (January 9, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'Duck Dynasty', 'Wahlburgers', 'Mob Wives', 'Little Women LA' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 16, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night + 'The Game', 'Duck Dynasty', 'Workaholics' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (January 22, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'Duck Dynasty', 'The Game', 'Broad City','Melissa & Joey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 29, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'The Game', 'Wahlburgers', 'Conan', 'The Americans' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (February 5, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night, 'Snooki & J Woww', 'Broad City', 'The Americans' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 12, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'The Game', 'Wahlburgers' NBA Basketball & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 12, 2015.