“A lot of them will tell us that the feedback they’re getting has changed the way they cook,” head judge Tom Colicchio tells Parade.com. “It’s changed the way they think about food. It forces you to do things differently when you’re cooking under that kind of pressure than when you’re cooking day in and day out for 678 weeks.” Check out more from our interview with Tom Colicchio below. Top Chef: Houston premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT. You’re making the return to Texas for the first time in 10 seasons, though you didn’t visit Houston the first time around. What made the show choose to go there for season 19? It was kind of funny. There’s this great food scene. There is a really diverse city, the fourth largest city in the country. So we were all excited about going down there. What was your favorite challenge you got to judge during your time in Houston? In one challenge, we get to eat in a Black Baptist church with this beautiful courtyard. That was a great challenge. The barbecue challenge, I thought, was great. Restaurant Wars is always great. There was a fishing challenge we did in Galveston that was fun. I have to be honest with you; I don’t remember them! [Laughs.] We shot back in September. This was your second season filming during the pandemic. Did you feel more at ease having already shot a season with COVID restrictions in place? There were still restrictions. But we weren’t as much in lockdown as the Portland season. This was in September, and the numbers were getting better. Omicron wasn’t here yet. And so we were able to go out to dinner, although we were only allowed to go out to dinner outside. Whereas in Portland, we weren’t allowed to go out at all. So it wasn’t as restricted, but there were definitely some restrictions. One of the things that came about from the COVID bubble was the panel of Top Chef alumni to serve as guest judges. That was heralded as one of the best parts of last season, and I know the concept is returning for Houston. What’s your take on the use of alumni? All 19 seasons, we’re always willing to try different things. In the earlier seasons, we would eat whatever we were eating, not discussing at all, and then go back to Judges’ Table and discuss what we just saw; we questioned the chefs, then we made our decisions. It was a very long process. And one day, I think in the Chicago season, there was a block party. We were all sitting on a stoop after eating, and we were talking. Somebody said, “Hey, save it for Judges’ Table.” We were like, “Well, why don’t you just shoot it here?” So they brought over a camera and started shooting. And that was the start of what we call the “mini-deliberation,” which cut down the amount of time we spent at Judges’ Table. It was a way for us to make comments without being redundant. I bring that up because this is just the way that our production team has worked from day one. There are always new things that we’re doing, always thinking. Last season, we had a lockdown. We weren’t going to fly in chefs every weekend; they were actually sequestered with us. So the use of alumni made perfect sense. And we found that the viewing audience liked it, and they brought a very different perspective to it. They’re all very great chefs on their own, but they’ve also been on the show. We just keep trying new things. I think that’s why the show stays fresh. And I think that’s why we’ve been successful for the last 19 seasons. That’s really interesting. I noticed in recent seasons that you scaled back on showing a lot of drama and bickering between contestants. And considering some of the other shows that air on Bravo, that seems out of character for the network! Partly, yes, that’s a very good observation. But it’s just indicative of our industry. People are more collaborative and more helpful. So much talk in our industry is about equity and equality. And I think the younger chefs are just a different breed. They came up differently in restaurants. There’s definitely a lot less yelling, partying, and drinking. So there’s even less of that on the show. I think that’s a reflection of the industry and where it’s moving, and we see that real-time on the show happening. Speaking of changing things up, we’re going on 10 seasons of Last Chance Kitchen. I know you’ve made several tweaks to it over the years. Last season, you didn’t even get a second returnee when the remaining contestants defeated the last person standing. Are we getting any new twists on LCK this season? We’re continuing with Last Chance Kitchen. Regarding someone not returning like last season, we don’t think that worked out very well. So I don’t know if we’re doing that. Something that made the news at the time of filming was the anti-abortion law that had passed in Texas. You, Padma and Gail ended up showing up to a rally while everything was happening. How did it feel to be filming in a place where all of this was going on? We’re all individuals that care. There are things that we think are important, and so life goes on, even though we’re shooting. We had downtime. And speaking for myself, I believe that abortion should be legal. We’ve all taken political stances over the years. So we thought it was important because we were there. I’m not sure if I would have gone to anything if I was back at home in New York City. But we were in Houston, and they were all marching in the parade and everything. I thought that was really important. Top Chef continues to bring in a high pedigree of contestants. Last season was the first time no sous chefs competed. How do you keep upping that sense of competition every season? In season three or four, we stopped bringing in amateurs or line cooks. All the contestants are either executive chefs, chef de cuisines, owners. We just realized that if you’re not a high-level professional, you’re at a real disadvantage. It comes down to just the amount of hours that you’ve spent in the kitchen and being able to think very, very quickly on your feet. So this season is great. There are chefs from all over the country, a lot of them had great experience. Some had great international experience as well. That’s the one advantage that our show has is that we cast. There are certain things that we’re looking for from day one. We’re always looking for a very diverse cast. And I think we’ve done that from day one, even before the general talks of diversity of the past couple of years. But I think it’s important that we bring on chefs who are very experienced and can compete. I think if you look at our track record, you can see the amount of chefs that have come through our show that have won Beard Awards that have won Best Chef in Food and Wine Magazine, that are getting Michelin stars and opening up multiple restaurants. It’s so much greater than any other reality competition show. And that happens because we are casting real chefs. We’re looking for people who have serious cooking skills, that will be in our industry for a while, and really contribute and give back. It validates the show. We’re calling it Top Chef. It’s a hard show. But if the chefs weren’t going on to do incredible things, it wouldn’t be as validating for the show. So for me, I’m not interested in getting involved in something that’s called Top Chef and has on nobodies or has-beens. It’s really important that we’re bringing on chefs who are the real deal. That’s what really separates us from any other reality show out there. On Project Runway, I can name one alumni: Christian Siriano. I’m sure I’m missing a handful. But that just doesn’t have the track record that Top Chef has. You are getting closer to that 20-season milestone for Top Chef. How does that feel, considering where you were when the show started back in 2006? I can’t believe we’re doing it for 20 seasons. We had no idea back in 2006. But I think once we got to the third or fourth season, we really started to hit our stride. It really started to feel like something special. Every season, we get great chefs; the producers put together some great challenges and great locations. And it just keeps going! It’s really interesting, the chefs that are coming on now. They’re in their late 20s, and they grew up watching the show. It’s become a real milestone. The other great thing about the show is for the chefs on each season; it’s like your graduating class. They all do things together. They all stay in touch with each other. They work together on events; they show up and support each other in the restaurants for their projects. So it’s really great to watch the content from chefs that have been on the show. They all have been through this, and they got through it. A lot of them will tell us that the feedback they’re getting has changed the way they cook. It’s changed the way they think about food. It forces you to do things differently when you’re cooking under that kind of pressure than when you’re cooking day in and day out for 678 weeks. It definitely changes. I love doing this. Season 20 is definitely happening. It’s going to be a great season. I can’t give much away, but it’s going to be fantastic. And hopefully, we’ll get to 25! Next, check out our interview with Top Chef: Portland runner-up and fan favorite Shota Nakajima.
