| Top Chef: Carolinas | |
|---|---|
| Season 23 | |
| | |
| Hosted by | Kristen Kish |
| Judges | Tom Colicchio Gail Simmons |
| No. of contestants | 15 |
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Original release | March 9, 2026 |
| Season chronology | |
Top Chef: Carolinas is the upcoming twenty-third season of the American reality television series Top Chef . Filming was centered around Charlotte, North Carolina, with additional episodes shot in Greenville, South Carolina. [1] [2] It is scheduled to premiere on March 9, 2026. [1] [3]
Filming for Top Chef: Carolinas took place between August and October 2025. [4] [5] The season was produced in partnership with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) and VisitGreenvilleSC. [6] The show was approved for a North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant, receiving a $2.5 million grant rebate. [7] The CRVA paid $1.2 million for the "integration of Charlotte assets" into Top Chef; these included verbal mentions, challenges, and reality segments filmed throughout Charlotte; highlights of local history, culture, and ingredients; and the participation of local chefs and restaurateurs. [7]
Fifteen chefs competed in Top Chef: Carolinas. [8] The cast notably includes identical twins, Brandon and Jonathan Dearden, and a pair of life partners, Jennifer Lee Jackson and Justin Tootla, competing against each other. [8] [9]
| Name [8] | Hometown | Current Residence [a] |
|---|---|---|
| Sieger Bayer | Chicago, Illinois | |
| Jaspratap "Jassi" Bindra | Kanpur, India | Houston, Texas |
| Sherry Cardoso | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Brooklyn, New York |
| Brittany Cochran | Columbus, Ohio | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Oscar Diaz | Chicago, Illinois | Durham, North Carolina |
| Brandon Dearden | Sterling, Virginia | Hamilton, Montana |
| Jonathan Dearden | Sterling, Virginia | Alexandria, Virginia |
| Duyen Ha | Binghamton, New York | Los Angeles, California |
| Jennifer Lee Jackson | Statham, Georgia | Suttons Bay, Michigan/Detroit, Michigan |
| Anthony Jones | Sunderland, Maryland | Alexandria, Virginia |
| Day Anaїs Joseph | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Laurence Louie | Boston, Massachusetts | Quincy, Massachusetts |
| Rhoda Magbitang | Antipolo, Philippines | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
| Justin Tootla | Detroit, Michigan | Suttons Bay, Michigan/Detroit, Michigan |
| Nana Araba Wilmot | Cherry Hill, New Jersey | |