Top Chef: All-Stars

Top Chef: All-Stars
Release
Original release	December 1, 2010

Top Chef: All-Stars is the eighth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York. The season premiered on December 1, 2010. On September 22, 2010, the cast was announced during Season 7's reunion special.

Judges, guest judges and special appearances

Judges

• Tom Colicchio (Head Judge)
• Padma Lakshmi (Host)
• Gail Simmons (Judge)
• Anthony Bourdain (Judge)

Bourdain is new to the show as a judge in Season 8. Colicchio, Lakshmi and Simmons returned from Season 7.

Contestants

There are 18 past Top Chef contestants competing in Season 8. Names below are from the Bravo website, followed by original season (placement). In the order eliminated:

• Elia Aboumrad, Season 2 (4th)
• Jennifer Carroll, Season 6 (4th)

Still in the competition:

• Stephen Asprinio, Season 1 (5th)
• Richard Blais, Season 4 (Runner-Up)
• Tiffany Derry, Season 7 (5th)
• Tiffani Faison, Season 1 (Runner-Up)
• Carla Hall, Season 5 (Runner-Up)
• Mike Isabella, Season 6 (7th)
• Jamie Lauren, Season 5 (7th)
• Dale Levitski, Season 3 (Runner-Up)
• Antonia Lofaso, Season 4 (4th)
• Spike Mendelsohn, Season 4 (5th)
• Angelo Sosa, Season 7 (Runner-Up)
• Dale Talde, Season 4 (6th)
• Casey Thompson, Season 3 (Runner-Up)
• Marcel Vigneron, Season 2 (Runner-Up)
• Fabio Viviani, Season 5 (4th)
• Tre Wilcox, Season 3 (8th)

Contestant progress

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Quickfire Winner(s)	Antonia Dale T. Richard Spike	Tiffani
Angelo	WIN	WIN
Antonia	IN	LOW
Carla	IN	IN (+)
Casey	IN	IN (-)
Dale L.	IN	IN (-)
Dale T.	IN	IN (+)
Fabio	LOW	HIGH
Jamie	HIGH	LOW
Marcel	IN	WIN
Mike	IN	IN (+)
Richard	IN1	WIN
Spike	HIGH	IN (+)
Stephen	LOW	HIGH
Tiffani	IN	IN (-)
Tiffany	IN	LOW
Tre	IN	LOW
Jennifer	IN	OUT
Elia	OUT

^Note 1 : Richard was cited by the judges as cooking one of the best dishes, but was deemed ineligible for the win because he exceeded the two-hour time limit.

  (WINNER) The chef won the season and was crowned Top Chef.

  (RUNNER-UP) The chef was a runner-up for the season.

  (WIN) The chef won that episode's Elimination Challenge.

  (HIGH) The chef was selected as one of the top entries in the Elimination Challenge, but did not win.

  (LOW) The chef was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge, but was not eliminated.

  (OUT) The chef lost that week's Elimination Challenge and was out of the competition.

  (IN) The chef neither won nor lost that week's Elimination Challenge. They also were not up to be eliminated.

  [IN (+)] The chef won a pair or team challenge but was not chosen as one of the judges' favorites.

  [IN (-)] The chef lost a pair or team challenge but was not selected as one of the judges' least favorites.

  (SAFE) The chef won the Quickfire Challenge, which exempted them from participation in the Elimination Challenge.

Episodes

Each episode includes two challenges. The Quickfire Challenge is a short, simple challenge with a varying reward each week; in the initial episodes of the season, it usually guarantees the winner immunity from being sent home that week; however, in the latter stages, the Quickfire winner is given an advantage in the upcoming Elimination Challenge. It also has been made clear that Quickfire winners this season may receive other rewards, including cash prizes. The Elimination Challenge is a more complex challenge that determines who goes home. One or more judges join the show each week to evaluate both the Quickfire and Elimination challenges. Each week's elimination is announced in a segment called "Judges' Table."

Episode 1: History Never Repeats

• Quickfire Challenge: Chefs from each season are teamed up to create a dish that represents the city where their season took place. The winning team receives immunity from elimination.
  • Top: Team Season 3 Miami (Tre, Dale L., and Casey), Team Season 6 Las Vegas (Mike and Jennifer), Team Season 4 Chicago (Antonia, Spike, Dale T., and Richard)
  • Bottom: Team Season 2 Los Angeles (Elia and Marcel), Team Season 1 San Francisco (Tiffani F. and Stephen), Team Season 5 New York (Carla, Jamie, and Fabio), Team Season 7 Washington D.C. (Angelo and Tiffany D.)
  • WINNER: Team Season 4 Chicago (Pork and Black Pepper Sausage with Mustard Ice Cream)
• Elimination Challenge: Each chef is confronted with the ingredients from the dish that sent them home in their season. The chefs must recreate their dishes, this time successfully.
  • WINNER: Angelo (Homemade Ramen with Sweet Glazed Pork Belly and Watermelon)
  • ELIMINATED: Elia (Red Snapper steamed in Ti Leaf with Snapper Jus)
• Original Airdate: December 1, 2010

Episode 2: Night at the Museum

• Quickfire Challenge: The chefs must create a midnight snack for children spending the night at the American Museum of Natural History. However, the snack must be eaten without using utensils and the snack must be served inside of a brown paper bag. Because guest judge Joe Jonas could not decide on a Quickfire winner, the top two chefs, Spike and Tiffani, must each create their midnight snacks for 150 children at the museum, and the children will decide who the winner of the Quickfire Challenge is.
  • Top: Spike, Tiffani
  • Bottom: Mike, Stephen, Tiffany
    • WINNER: Tiffani (Rice Crispy Treat Snowball with Malted Milk & Graham Crackers)
• Elimination Challenge: The chefs must create a breakfast for the children and their parents that is inspired by a specific dinosaur's diet, either the Tyrannosaurus Rex, which will include meat, eggs, and dairy, or the Brontosaurus, which will include fruits, vegetables, and grains.

• WINNERS: Angelo, Marcel, and Richard
• ELIMINATED: Jennifer

• Guest Judge: Joe Jonas (Quickfire Challenge), Katie Lee (Elimination Challenge)
• Original Airdate: December 8, 2010