| Top Chef Family Style | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Presented by | Meghan Trainor |
| Judges | Marcus Samuelsson |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Doneen Arquines |
| Production company | Magical Elves |
| Original release | |
| Network | Peacock |
| Release | September 9 (2021-09-09) – December 2, 2021 (2021-12-02) |
| Related | |
| Top Chef | |
Top Chef Family Style is an American reality television series and a spin-off ofBravo'sTop Chef series. The show features young chefs teaming up with adult family members to compete in culinary challenges for aUS$100,000 prize.[1][2] The series was ordered in May 2021 by streaming servicePeacock.[1] It is hosted byMeghan Trainor withMarcus Samuelsson serving as head judge.[1] The series premiered on September 9, 2021, and concluded on December 2, 2021.[3] In the season finale, niece and uncle Delilah and Daniel "Danny" Flores were declared the winners, with daughter and mother Anika and Anupama "Anu" Kumar placing as runners-up.[4] In 2022, the second episode "Truffles, Caviar & Prawns -- Oh My!" received theJames Beard Foundation Award for Reality or Competition Visual Media.[5]
Top Chef Family Style features 13 pairs of contestants, referred to as "duos".[6] The cast includes the youngest and oldest competitors to appear in theTop Chef franchise.[6]
| Names[6] | Ages | Relationship[6] | Hometown[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiran Alwy & Moid Alwy | 14, 42 | Daughter & Father | St. Louis Park, Minnesota |
| Milan Bhayana & Chandrani Ghosh | 15, 50 | Son & Mother | Chevy Chase, Maryland |
| Khalil Blue & Willie Blue | 13, 41 | Son & Father | Houston, Texas |
| Ainsley Crouse & Hayley Crouse | 11, 40 | Daughter & Mother | Douglassville, Pennsylvania |
| Jack Cruickshank & Bobbie Lopez | 12, 51 | Son & Mother | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Taylor Ellison & Elizabeth Frame Ellison | 9, 38 | Son & Mother | San Francisco, California |
| Delilah Flores & Daniel "Danny" Flores | 13, 24 | Niece & Uncle | Ontario, California |
| Kaj Friis-Hecht & Liz Thorpe | 14, 42 | Nephew & Aunt | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Ocean Kanekoa & Jaydene Kanekoa | 15, 34 | Brother & Sister | Kamuela, Hawaii |
| Eva Kopelman & Jenn Kopelman | 14, 55 | Daughter & Mother | Long Island, New York |
| Anika Kumar & Anupama "Anu" Kumar | 12, 46 | Daughter & Mother | Palo Alto, California |
| Brooke Nathanson & Carol Weiss | 12, 75 | Granddaughter & Grandmother | Ashland, Massachusetts |
| Kennedy Torres & Rosie Torres | 15, 41 | Daughter & Mother | Palmer, Alaska |
| Episode # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quickfire Challenge Winners | Eva & Jenn | Milan & Chandrani | — | Delilah & Danny | Kaj & Liz | Khalil & Willie | — | Ocean & Jaydene | — | Ocean & Jaydene1 | Delilah & Danny1 | Delilah & Danny1 | Ocean & Jaydene1 | — | |||||
| Duos | Elimination Challenge Results | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Delilah & Danny | IN | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | IN | WIN | WIN | LOW | HIGH | IN4 | WIN | WINNERS | ||||
| 2 | Anika & Anu | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | IN | LOW | LOW | IN4 | LOW | RUNNERS-UP | ||||
| 3 | Ocean & Jaydene | WIN | IN | HIGH | IN | LOW3 | WIN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | IN4 | OUT | |||||
| 4 | Kennedy & Rosie | HIGH | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | LOW | WIN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | |||||||
| 5 | Khalil & Willie | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | IN | IN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | ||||||||
| 6 | Eva & Jenn | IN | IN | WIN | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | IN | LOW | OUT | |||||||||
| 7 | Kaj & Liz | LOW | HIGH | LOW | WIN | IN | IN | LOW | OUT | ||||||||||
| 8 | Jack & Bobbie | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW3 | IN | OUT | |||||||||||
| 9 | Milan & Chandrani | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | LOW3 | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Kiran & Moid | LOW | LOW | HIGH | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| 11 | Brooke & Carol | IN | IN | WDR2 | |||||||||||||||
| 12 | Taylor & Elizabeth | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Ainsley & Hayley | OUT | |||||||||||||||||
^Note 1 : The duo did not receive immunity for winning the Quickfire Challenge.
^Note 2 : In Episode 3, Brooke suffered from heat exhaustion during the Elimination Challenge, forcing her and Carol to withdraw from the competition.
^Note 3 : In Episodes 5, the judges decided not to eliminate any duos.
^Note 4 : In Episode 12, the judges did not declare a winner for the Elimination Challenge and all three duos advanced to the next round.
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Welcome to the Family" | September 9, 2021 (2021-09-09) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos created dishes showcasing their favorite culinary pairing. The winning duo received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The duos were asked to elevate one of their own family recipes. The winning duo received a trip to theFood & Wine test kitchen.Top Chef: California contestantKwame Onwuachi and his mother Jewel Robinson served as guest judges.
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| 2 | "Truffles, Caviar & Prawns -- Oh My!" | September 9, 2021 (2021-09-09) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos were tasked with putting their own spin onEggs Benedict. However, before cooking, one member of each duo was required to present a perfectly poached egg to guest judgeNancy Silverton. Only the first six contestants to poach their eggs correctly were able to move onto the second part of the challenge. The winning duo received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The duos created luxurious dishes highlighting at least one of the following high-end ingredients: Royal Ossetra caviar, Sicilian pistachios,Kobe beef,manuka honey,jamón ibérico, black truffles, heritage pork, sea urchin, Santa Barbara spot prawns, and 25-year aged balsamic vinegar. ActorJesse Tyler Ferguson and chefJosiah Citrin served as guest judges.
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| 3 | "No Pig Skins Allowed" | September 16, 2021 (2021-09-16) | |
Elimination Challenge: The duos competed in a tournament-styletailgate party, cooking plant-based foods forLos Angeles RamslinebackerKenny Young, social media influencer and guest judgeTabitha Brown, the members of the Los Angeles Rams'2021 draft class, and 50 other partygoers. The tournament consisted of three rounds. All eleven duos first cooked in the "wildcard round", creating appetizer platters. The top six duos from the wildcard round then competed in the "championship round", making burgers. The duo with the judges' favorite dish in the championship round was declared the winner. The winning duo received a trip and two tickets to a Sunday night football game of their choice. On the other hand, the bottom five duos from the wildcard round competed in the "Hail Mary round", preparing grilled plates. The duo with the judges' least favorite dish in the Hail Mary round was eliminated.
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| 4 | "Chill Factor" | September 23, 2021 (2021-09-23) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos had to make either sweet or savory pies using commonlywasted foods, such as apples, carrots, and ground beef, for guest judgeSherry Yard. The pies were also required to incorporateHellmann's mayonnaise. The winning duo received immunity from elimination andUS$10,000.
Elimination Challenge: The duos created elevated frozen meals that could be reheated in a microwave.Top Chef Masters alumnaSusan Feniger andTop Chef: New Orleans finalist/Top Chef: Charleston runner-upShirley Chung served as guest judges.
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| 5 | "Sink or Swim" | September 30, 2021 (2021-09-30) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos created original dishes that could go viral on social media, along with accompanying videos, for guest judgeJessica Woo. The winning duo received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The duos, split into three teams, crafted menus highlighting sustainable seafood. Each team was required to serve three courses showcasing mollusks, crustaceans, andtrash fish, respectively. ChefMichael Cimarusti andTop Chef: Colorado contestantClaudette Zepeda served as guest judges.
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| 6 | "Look and Siwa I Did!" | October 7, 2021 (2021-10-07) | |
Quickfire Challenge: For aState Farm-sponsored challenge, the duos were assigned pantries, decorated as houses, which each contained unique ingredients. If the contestants required more, they would have to "be good neighbors" and ask others to borrow their ingredients. The duos needed to make dishes that reflected their own neighborhoods, past or present.Top Chef: Texas contestantNyesha Arrington served as a guest judge. The winning duo received immunity from elimination andUS$10,000.
Elimination Challenge: The duos created desserts for a fire and ice-themed party. Pastry chef and chocolatier Chris Ford and dancer and singerJoJo Siwa served as guest judges.
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| 7 | "Tag Team Turmoil" | October 14, 2021 (2021-10-14) | |
Elimination Challenge: The duos competed in aWWE-themed tournament. For the first "battle royale" round, the duos were split into four teams led by WWE wrestlersThe Miz,Naomi,Maryse, andDrew McIntyre. Each team received a mystery ingredient from their assigned wrestler and needed to work together to create a single dish highlighting their ingredient. The team with the judges' favorite dish from the battle royale then competed in the "championshiptag team match", where they faced off against each other to produce any dish of their choosing. The duos' cooking stations were set up in the middle of awrestling ring. Only one member of each duo was allowed inside the ring at any given time, forcing their partner to stand outside the ropes and watch. They were also required to switch places by tagging each other out a minimum of three times. The winning duo received four tickets toWrestleMania. The team with the judges' least favorite dish from the battle royale competed in the "signature move elimination match", cooking their signature dishes with no restrictions.Top Chef: Miami finalist/Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. contestantBrian Malarkey andTop Chef: California runner-upAmar Santana served as guest judges.
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| 8 | "Spine Tingling Treats" | October 21, 2021 (2021-10-21) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos created Halloween-themedamuse-bouches. Prior to cooking, the duos had to guess the identities of ten mystery ingredients, using only their sense of touch, by sticking their hands into several "graves". If guessed correctly, the contestants gained access to the ingredients. The final dish needed to incorporate at least two mystery ingredients.Top Chef MastersSeason 4 winnerChris Cosentino served as a guest judge. The winning duo received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The duos were tasked with catering a Halloween party. First, the duos picked costumes to wear while cooking. They then needed to conceptualize a dish that reflected their costume choice. Chris Cosentino and singer-songwriterEster Dean served as guest judges. The winning duo received a trip for two toUniversal Orlando.
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| 9 | "Restaurant Wars: Top Chef Family Style" | October 28, 2021 (2021-10-28) | |
Elimination Challenge: The duos, separated into two teams, competed inTop Chef's traditionalRestaurant Wars challenge. The teams were given two days to plan and execute their restaurant concepts. Their menus needed to include at least two appetizers, two entrées, and one dessert. The teams also had to designate an expeditor and front of house. The contestants worked with a designer to help decorate their restaurants.Top Chef: Kentucky winnerKelsey Barnard Clark andTop Chef: Seattle/Top Chef: Charleston finalistSheldon Simeon served as guest judges. In a special announcement, Meghan Trainor revealed that the grand prize awarded to the winners of the season would be doubled fromUS$50,000 to $100,000.
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| 10 | "This Is How We Roll" | November 4, 2021 (2021-11-04) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos made miniature sized dishes forTop Chef: Boston winnerMei Lin and former professional basketball playerBaron Davis. The winning duo received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge. Beginning with this Quickfire Challenge, immunity from elimination was no longer available as a reward.
Elimination Challenge: The duos created sushi menus featuring three different techniques:maki,temaki, andnigiri. The menus were servedomakase-style to the judges, includingTop Chef: Portland runner-upShota Nakajima. The duos had to prepare their sushi directly in front of the judges; their presentation and customer service factored into their overall score. As the winners of the Quickfire Challenge, Ocean & Jaydene received exclusive use of three ingredients: Royal Ossetra caviar,uni, and freshwasabi. The winning duo received two sets of Cangshan knives.
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| 11 | "Science Fair" | November 11, 2021 (2021-11-11) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos were required to usesoft drinks in their dishes. The six available flavors were root beer, ginger ale,pepper soda, orange, cola, and lemon lime.Top Chef: Chicago runner-up/Top Chef: All-Stars winnerRichard Blais served as a guest judge. The winning duo received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The duos were asked to create dishes for a culinary science fair that showcased at least two of the followingmolecular gastronomy techniques:gelification,spherification,siphon whipping,smoking, powderizing, deep freezing,sous vide cooking, andemulsification. As the winners of the Quickfire Challenge, Delilah & Danny were able to prohibit the other duos from using one technique of their choosing; they chose spherification. The dishes were served to 50 guests, including Richard Blais, author and molecular gastronomistNathan Myhrvold, andSaved by the Bell cast membersElizabeth Berkley Lauren,John Michael Higgins,Josie Totah, Haskiri Velazquez, andAlycia Pascual-Peña. The winning duo received copies of Myhrvold's booksModernist Cuisine,Modernist Bread, andModernist Pizza. | |||
| 12 | "Thanksgiving Family Style" | November 18, 2021 (2021-11-18) | |
Quickfire Challenge: One member of each duo raced to complete threemise en place tasks: husk and remove the kernels from five corncobs, peel five sweet potatoes, and crack half a cup of pecans. Once the tasks were done, the other member was responsible for cooking a dish highlighting at least one of the threemise en place ingredients. The winning duo received a set ofSmeg cookware and appliances.
Elimination Challenge: The duos worked as a team to create a Thanksgiving feast from scratch. Aside from the turkey, which was prepared by Marcus Samuelsson, each duo was responsible for at least two items on the menu. The dishes needed to reflect their family's heritage and holiday traditions. The duos' family members,Top Chef: Boston finalist/Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. winnerMelissa King, and pastry chefAmirah Kassem joined the judges for dinner. | |||
| 13 | "The Hall of Fame" | November 25, 2021 (2021-11-25) | |
Quickfire Challenge: The duos were tasked with recreating one dish of their choosing from the "Top Chef Quickfire Hall of Fame", a list of winning Quickfire Challenge dishes from past seasons of the show. They were not provided a recipe; instead, the duos were given tablets allowing them tovideocall theTop Chef alumnus who originally created their chosen dish. The duos were only allowed to speak with the alumni for the first ten minutes of the challenge.Top Chef: Seattle runner-up/Top Chef: Charleston winnerBrooke Williamson served as a guest judge. The winning duo received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The duos were presented with three boxes containing ingredients inspired bycelebrity chefsEmeril Lagasse (Creole/Cajun cuisine),Wolfgang Puck (French/California cuisine), andLidia Bastianich (Italian-American cuisine). After choosing one box, each duo had to create a dish paying tribute to their assigned celebrity chef. As the winners of the Quickfire Challenge, Ocean & Jaydene were able to choose their box first.Top Chef: Boston runner-up/Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. finalistGregory Gourdet and chefsDominique Crenn andTim Hollingsworth served as guest judges. | |||
| 14 | "Finale" | December 2, 2021 (2021-12-02) | |
Elimination Challenge: The final two duos created three-course progressive meals highlighting their journeys throughTop Chef Family Style. Eliminated competitors Ocean & Jaydene and Kennedy & Rosie were brought back to provide assistance assous chefs. Delilah & Danny were assisted by Ocean & Jaydene, and Anika & Anu were assisted by Kennedy & Rosie.Top Chef hostPadma Lakshmi,Top Chef head judgeTom Colicchio,Top Chef: Chicago winnerStephanie Izard,Top Chef: New Orleans runner-upNina Compton,Top Chef Masters alumnaSusan Feniger, and chefMichael Cimarusti joined the finale meal as guest judges.
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