“I kind of think that the whole point of this show is to prove to people that there is incredible food all over this country, incredible chefs and food culture.” — Gail Simmons
by Cathy Martin
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know by now that the smash Bravo TV series “Top Chef” has begun filming season 23 in Charlotte, with some filming occurring in Greenville, South Carolina.
While contestants and exact filming locations won’t be revealed until the show airs next year, we got a chance to interview the “Top Chef” judges while they are in town. While host and judge Kristen Kish hadn’t visited Charlotte before filming started, longtime hosts and producers Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons were a bit more familiar with the Queen City and the Carolinas.
“There’s a couple of chefs in this town whose reputation precedes them, and I was really excited to meet them and connect with them,” says Simmons, adding that she’s close with several North Carolina chefs like Ashley Christensen and Cheetie Kumar in Raleigh and Asheville’s Ashleigh Shanti and Katie Button. “I didn’t know Charlotte well at all, but I have resources, and I got great lists from people,” she says.
“I think that we’ve done all the very obvious places — 20 years of a television show, 23 seasons. Of course, we could do New York again. Of course, we could do LA again, of course, we can do San Francisco — but we’ve done them. I kind of think that the whole point of this show is to prove to people that there is incredible food all over this country, incredible chefs and food culture,” Simmons adds.
“I was very happy,” Colicchio said about learning the new season would be filmed in the Carolinas. The restaurateur, author and producer almost opened a restaurant in Charlotte a decade ago, but the deal never panned out. A huge UNC basketball fan, Colicchio does, however, make it to Chapel Hill about once a year to take in a game, and recently spent time in the Outer Banks.
“We’re excited to return to the South for ‘Top Chef’ Carolinas,” said Ryan Flynn, senior vice president, current production, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, in a press release. “Charlotte and Greenville are perfect chefs’ playgrounds fueled by exceptional local ingredients, bold flavors, a strong agricultural foundation, stunning natural landscapes, and the warm, genuine hospitality the South is known for.”
Season 23 of “Top Chef” airs in 2026.
Featured image courtesy by David Moir/Bravo courtesy NBCUniversal
