If you’re a would-be chef who’s been thinking about someday opening your own restaurant, maybe your first step should be to try to become a contestant on Top Chef. The hit reality cooking show on the Bravo Network has spawned a bunch of new restaurants opened by recent ‘cheftestants,’ as reported by Tina Dirmann for USA Today.
Spike Mendelsohn, who competed on season 4, opened Good Stuff Eatery in Washington D.C. this summer and it’s been an instant hit. His Five Napkin Burger features a pattie made from short ribs, brisket and a secret dose of fat. He recently described his amazing burger in a video interview with The Food Channel during Rachael Ray’s Burger Bash in New York.
Other recent Top Chef competitors who continue to make noise in the business include Richard Blais, another veteran of season 4. He’s the creative director at Flip, a new eatery set to open later this month in Atlanta. In West Palm Beach, Fla., Stephen Asprinio from season 1 opened Forte di Asprinio in March. His featured dish is one he prepared on the show: a butter-poached Maine lobster with a caramelized cauliflower and saffron vanilla sauce. Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle parlayed his Top Chef triumph into a flourishing New York eatery, Perilla. Dieterle now avoids the spotlight, Dirmann notes.
Top Chef Season 5 premieres Wednesday, November 12. Restaurant openings to follow.
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