Top Chef Texas, Season 9 - Spoilers, Winners, Recipes & Rumors

MAIN Pop Culture Reality TV Top Chef Texas - Season 9

Who's got the chops to make it as Top Chef this season?

Watch for a splashy premiere on cable channel Bravo on Wednesday, November 2 at 10PM ET/PT as a whole new edition of the popular cooking reality show kicks off this Fall.

Yes, this season will be BIG.

TEXAS big, that is, as several cities - including Austin. Dallas, and San Antonio - share the new Top Chef venue. For the first-time ever, season 9 will boast a record 29 chefs – almost double the amount of chefs in season's past – who will see if they have what it takes to become an official chef'testant

Already slated to appear as guest judges are Charlize Theron, Pee-wee Herman, Cat Cora, John Besh, Tim Love, and Patti LaBelle. On the new judges panel will be celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and critically acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson.

As always, set your kitchen timers for this season's spicy dish and spiteful digs as host Padma Lakshmi joins Tom Colicchio, and judge Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine, to critique each week's dishes.

Top Chef Texas is hot, hot hot

This year, a record 29 contestants will be living the good life in the Lone Star state for as long as they remain in the competition. Stress much?

For those who can stand the heat, the ultimate winner gets $125,000 in seed money to help open their own restaurant, along with a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen ... and, of course, the coveted title of "Top Chef."

Top Chef Texas contestants

This week, we're down to the FINAL FOUR (really!) with the big finale just over the horizon.

Season 9's Last Chance Kitchen featured an online competition in which those eliminated throughout the season were given an opportunity to get back into the action. Down to the wire, it was Bev and Grayson who brought back in for a final cook-off.

The winner? It's Bev, whose performance this week not only returns her to the competition...she's going on to the final!

Stay tuned next week as cheftestants head north to British Columbia to see who wins the whole hog on Top Chef Texas:

Lindsay Autry, 29 – West Palm Beach Omphoy Ocean Resort
Sarah Grueneberg, 29 – Chicago, Spiaggia
Paul Qui, 30 – Austin, Uchiko Restaurant
Beverly Kim, 32 - Chicago, Aria Restaurant
~~Edward Lee, 38 – Louisville, 610 Magnolia~~ eliminated Week 14
~~Grayson Schmitz, 27 – New York, Exec. Chef~~ eliminated Week 13
~~Chris Jones, 30 – Chicago, MOTO~~ eliminated Week 12
~~Beverly Kim, 31 – Chicago,, Aria Restaurant~~ eliminated Week 11
~~Ty-Lör Boring, 34 – Brooklyn, Spasso~~ eliminated Week 10
~~Chris Crary, 29 – Los Angeles, Whist Restaurant, Viceroy Hotel~~ eliminated Week 9
~~Heather Terhune, 39 – Chicago, Sable Kitchen and Bar~~ eliminated Week 8
~~Nyesha Arrington, 28 – Los Angeles, Wilshire Restaurant~~ eliminated Week 7
~~Dakota Weiss, 35 – Los Angeles, 9:30 Restaurant~~ eliminated Week 7
~~Whitney Otawka, 30 – Cumberland Island, Ga., Greyfield Inn~~ eliminated Week 6
~~Chuy Valencia, 25 – Chicago, Chilam Bilam~~ eliminated Week 5
~~Richie Farina, 28 – Chicago, MOTO~~ eliminated Week 4
~~Keith Rhodes, 39 – Wilmington, N.C., Catch Restaurants~~ eliminated Week 3
~~Jonathan Baltazar, 36 – Long Beach Heights Cuisine~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Molly Brandt, 30 – Hollywood, Fla., Royal Caribbean~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Chaz Brown, 29 – New York, Fatty Crab~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Kimberly Calichio, 27 – New York, Fishtail by David Burke~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Andrew Curren, 32 – Austin, 24 Diner~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Berenice deAraujo, 33 – Miami, Sra. Martinez~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Janine Falvo, 37 – Atlanta, Briza Restaurant~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Laurent Quenioux, 51 – Los Angeles, Vertical Wine Bistro~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Ashley Villaluz, 25 – Seattle, Sous Chef~~ eliminated Week 2
~~Tyler Stone, 22 – Sacramento, Personal Chef~~ eliminated Week 1
~~Simon Pantet, 30 – Seattle, Twenty-Two Doors~~ eliminated Week 1
~~Colin Patterson, 37 – Seattle, Sutra~~ eliminated Week 1
~~Nina Vicente, 29 – Seattle, Spur Gastropub~~ eliminated Week 1

Top Chef Texas Judges
Padma Lakshmi	Tom Colicchio	Gail Simmons

More about Top Chef 9 around the Web:

Top Chef - The official and most comprehensive Top Chef site with anything you ever wanted to know about the show, the chefs, and the judges including recipes, blogs, fan mashups, and insider gossip.

Buddy TV - Top Chef - Check out the latest season buzz, rumors and episode recaps including photos & profiles of all the chefs and judges.

Top Chef TV Guide.com - Discover top features and reviews together with the entire season schedule including episode recaps dating back to Season 1.

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