Top Chef: Miami
Top Chef: Miami is the third season of the American reality television series Top Chef. It was first filmed in Miami, Florida, before concluding in Aspen, Colorado. The season was Emmy nominated for Outstanding Reality Competition Series, and garnered the Emmy Award for Best Editing in the category.[1] Season 3 premiered on June 13, 2007 and ended on October 10, 2007.[2] Padma Lakshmi returned with Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and new judge Ted Allen, who switched off with Simmons throughout the season.[2] Top Chef: San Francisco contestant Lee Anne Wong was brought in as a food consultant and assisted in planning the challenges.[3] Production took place in April and May 2007 in Miami Beach, Florida, with production activity centered at the Fontainebleau Hotel.[3] The winning recipe from each week's episode of Season 3 was featured on Bravo's Top Chef website and prepared by Lee Anne Wong in a web series called The Wong Way to Cook.[3] In the season finale, Hung Huynh was declared the Top Chef, defeating Dale Levitski and Casey Thompson.[4] Thompson was voted Fan Favorite.[5]
| Top Chef: Miami | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
 Judges Ted Allen and Gail Simmons (center left), hosts Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio (center right), along with the chefs participating in Top Chef: Miami | |
| Hosted by | Padma Lakshmi |
| Judges | Tom Colicchio Gail Simmons Ted Allen |
| No. of contestants | 15 |
| Winner | Hung Huynh |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Original release | June 6 – October 10, 2007 |
| Season chronology | |
Contestants
15 chefs were selected to compete in Top Chef: Miami.[2]
| Name | Hometown | Current Residence | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lia Bardeen | Tacoma, Washington | Brooklyn, New York | 28 |
| Camille Becerra | Elizabeth, New Jersey | Brooklyn, New York | 34 |
| Sandee Birdsong | St. Simons Island, Georgia | Miami Beach, Florida | 39 |
| Clay Bowen | Columbus, Mississippi | Santa Barbara, California | 28 |
| Micah Edelstein | Bridgewater, Massachusetts | Boca Raton, Florida | 33 |
| Hung Huynh | Pittsfield, Massachusetts | Las Vegas, Nevada | 29 |
| Chris "CJ" Jacobson | El Toro, California | Venice, California | 31 |
| Howie Kleinberg | Miami, Florida | Miami, Florida | 31 |
| Dale Levitski | Chicago, Illinois | Chicago, Illinois | 34 |
| Sara Mair | Kingston, Jamaica | Miami, Florida | 34 |
| Brian Malarkey | Bend, Oregon | San Diego, California | 34 |
| Sara Nguyen | Santa Monica, California | Chicago, Illinois | 25 |
| Joey Paulino | Long Island, New York | New York, New York | 29 |
| Casey Thompson | Cedar Hill, Texas | Dallas, Texas | 29 |
| Tre Wilcox | Duncanville, Texas | Cedar Hill, Texas | 30 |
Dale Levitski, Casey Thompson, and Tre Wilcox returned to compete in Top Chef: All-Stars.[6] Chris "CJ" Jacobson returned for Top Chef: Seattle, and later competed in Top Chef Duels.[7][8] Thompson returned again for Top Chef: Charleston.[9] Brian Malarkey returned for Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.[10]
Contestant progress
| Episode # | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 103 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quickfire Challenge Winner(s) |
Micah | Hung | Brian | Casey | Joey | Casey | Dale2 | CJ1 | Dale1 Howie1 Hung1 Sara M.1 |
Brian1 | Hung1 | Hung1 | Casey1 | N/A | ||||
| Contestant | Elimination Challenge Results | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Hung | HIGH | IN | IN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | HIGH | IN | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | WIN | IN | WINNER | |||
| 2 | Dale | LOW | IN | HIGH | LOW | IN | HIGH | IN2 | IN | HIGH | LOW | HIGH | LOW | WIN | RUNNER-UP | |||
| Casey | IN | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | HIGH | LOW | IN | LOW | WIN | WIN | HIGH | IN | RUNNER-UP | ||||
| 4 | Brian | LOW | WIN | LOW | HIGH | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | LOW | LOW | LOW | HIGH | OUT | ||||
| 5 | Sara M. | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | LOW | HIGH | IN | WIN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | |||||
| 6 | CJ | IN | IN | LOW | IN | IN | WIN | LOW | IN | LOW | HIGH | OUT | ||||||
| 7 | Howie | LOW | LOW | WIN | LOW | WIN | LOW | LOW | IN | HIGH | OUT | |||||||
| 8 | Tre | WIN | LOW | IN | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | IN | OUT | ||||||||
| 9 | Sara N. | IN | HIGH | IN | IN | LOW | IN | OUT | ||||||||||
| 10 | Joey | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | HIGH | OUT | |||||||||||
| 11 | Lia | IN | IN | LOW | WIN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Camille | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||
| 13 | Micah | IN | HIGH | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| 14 | Sandee | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||||
| 15 | Clay | OUT | ||||||||||||||||
^Note 1 : The chef(s) did not receive immunity for winning the Quickfire Challenge.
^Note 2 : As a reward for winning the Quickfire Challenge, Dale was allowed to sit out the Elimination Challenge.
^Note 3 : There were no eliminations in Episode 10.
- (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 the Elimination Challenge.
- (HIGH) The chef was selected as one of the top entries in the Elimination Challenge, but did not win.
- (IN) The chef was not selected as one of the top or bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge and was safe.
- (LOW) The chef was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge, but was not eliminated.
- (OUT) The chef lost the Elimination Challenge.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | "4-Star All-Stars" | June 6, 2007 | |
| 27 | 2 | "First Impressions" | June 13, 2007 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had to create an amuse-bouche within 10 minutes using only the existing appetizer food and plastic service-ware from their introductory party. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were asked to create a "surf and turf" dish in two hours using exotic proteins, such as ostrich, buffalo, abalone, alligator, snake, black chicken, geoduck, and eel. The winner received a collection of books by Anthony Bourdain.
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| 28 | 3 | "Sunny Delights" | June 20, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs created dishes featuring Florida citrus, including oranges, lemons, key limes, grapefruit, tangeloes, and blood oranges. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs needed to create an upscale barbecue dish. They were given two hours to prep and two hours the following day to cook on a barbecue grill on location at a barbecue party.
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| 29 | 4 | "Family Favorites" | June 27, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs had to "catch and cook" a shellfish dish in 30 minutes after using nets to retrieve scallops, crawfish, and conch out of a fish tank. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were asked to update traditional "family favorites", such as tuna casserole, stuffed cabbage, and chicken and dumplings, by creating a healthier, more modern version with reduced cholesterol for members of an Elks club. The winner received three books from guest judge, chef Alfred Portale, and an invitation to spend a week at the Gotham Bar and Grill working with Portale and his staff.
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| 30 | 5 | "Cooking By Numbers" | July 11, 2007 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The contestants were challenged to create an appetizer to pair with Bombay Sapphire mixed drinks; the specific drink was selected by random draw. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: In teams of three, the contestants prepared a tasting menu of four courses, each consisting of trios around a central ingredient. The contestants divided themselves up into teams, and selected the main ingredient for each course and the order of the courses. The meal was served to the judges and members of Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs at Barton G. The Restaurant, owned by one of the diners, Barton G. Weiss.
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| 31 | 6 | "Latin Lunch" | July 18, 2007 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The contestants were asked to create any dish starting with a pre-made pie crust, using additional ingredients from the Top Chef pantry. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The contestants prepared a classical Latin lunch course to be served to the cast and crew of the Telemundo telenovela Dame Chocolate. They had $150 to spend on groceries and initially had three hours to prep. However, on the day of the lunch, the chefs were told that they only had 90 minutes to complete their meals and pack them for service. The winner received a bottle of Argentine wine from guest judge Maria Frumkin.
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| 32 | 7 | "Watch What Happens Special" | July 25, 2007 | |
| 33 | 8 | "Freezer Burn" | August 1, 2007 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The contestants were challenged to the culinary equivalent of a spelling bee, and had to identify foods by either taste or appearance. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The contestants were randomly paired up to create Bertolli-inspired Mediterranean entrées that would be frozen overnight. The food was served to shoppers the next day in the style of pre-packaged frozen dinners. They were given $100 to shop at Fresh Market to buy enough food to make 15 full courses and sampling dishes, two hours to prepare prior to freezing, and another hour after freezing before serving their meals. Each member of the winning team received two tickets to Italy.
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| 34 | 9 | "Guilty Pleasures" | August 8, 2007 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were given 45 minutes to prepare ingredients to be mixed into Cold Stone Creamery ice cream just prior to serving. The winner received immunity from elimination and dined with restaurateur Govind Armstrong at Table 8.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs were initially told they had the night off to enjoy Miami nightlife. They discovered later that they would be cooking outdoors for patrons at the Nikki Beach night club. The eight chefs drew knives to divide into two groups. Each team was given a catering truck to use as a mobile kitchen, 30 minutes and $300 to shop, and two hours to prepare a number of "late-night" bar food dishes. The winner received a first-edition copy of Armstrong's book and a platinum card good for entry into all Club Nikki locations. | ||||
| 35 | 10 | "Restaurant Wars" | August 15, 2007 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were given 30 minutes to prepare a burger, as inspired by Red Robin's line of "Adventuresome" Burgers. The winner received an advantage for the upcoming Elimination Challenge. From this point on, immunity was no longer awarded to the winner of a Quickfire Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs divided into two teams, and each one was responsible for taking an empty space and opening an operating restaurant out of it in 24 hours. The teams had $2,500 and 45 minutes to purchase decor items, and $500 and 30 minutes to shop for food items at The Fresh Market. Each restaurant was connected to the Top Chef kitchens; thus, teams shared the kitchen space. CJ, as the winner of the Quickfire, was able to select the members of his team. The teams were unaware prior to the challenge that Andrea Strong, author of the food blog "The Strong Buzz", would also be dining in each restaurant and commenting on decor, service, and food, with her comments partially influencing the judging decisions.
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| 36 | 11 | "Second Helping" | August 22, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: Continuing with the same teams from the previous week, both teams competed to be the first to complete four mise en place tasks in relay. The winning team received the help of Season 1 contestant and sommelier Stephen Asprinio for pairing wine with their courses during the Elimination Challenge, along with an extra $200 to spend on wine.
Elimination Challenge: Each team reopened its restaurant, using input from the previous challenge, along with the assistance of Christopher Ciccone, who appeared as a diner in the previous episode, for interior decoration. The teams were allowed to change anything else they wanted with their restaurant, including its name. Each team prepared two different options for three of the four courses. They were given four hours of preparation time before both restaurants opened. Head judge Tom Colicchio was present in the kitchen during the preparation time and into the serving period. The winner received a fully stocked pantry from Town & Country.
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| 37 | 12 | "Chef Overboard" | September 5, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs drew numbered knives corresponding to an aisle in a supermarket. Each chef had 20 minutes to create a dish using only $10 worth of products from that aisle, in addition to a limited selection of items from the Top Chef pantry. The winner received the ability to choose the team leader for the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: Working as a team, the chefs catered a party for fashion designer Esteban Cortazar and 60 guests aboard the yacht Venetian Lady chartered by the Pure Nightclub. The entire team had a total of $350 to spend for supplies, and had two hours of preparation time on board the yacht prior to service. The winner received a 17-inch Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer.
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| 38 | 13 | "Snacks on a Plane" | September 12, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were awakened in their penthouse by Padma Lakshmi and had 20 minutes to serve her breakfast using only a butane burner, a Breville blender, and a selection of ingredients brought over from the Top Chef pantry. The winner received an early copy of Lakshmi's new cookbook Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet and was first to choose a protein for the Elimination Challenge.
Elimination Challenge: The contestants flew to Newark Liberty International Airport and, using the Continental Airlines kitchen at Newark Airport, prepared a meal for first class. The meal had to be reheated and served aboard a Boeing 777 in a hangar to 14 Continental flight attendants and the judges. The winner received two Continental business first class tickets to any Continental destination worldwide.
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| 39 | 14 | "Manhattan Project" | September 19, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs dined at Le Cirque on a classic dish of sea bass wrapped in thinly sliced Russet potatoes over leeks. They then had 25 minutes to recreate the dish as closely as possible to the original. This challenge was judged by Sirio Maccioni, owner of Le Cirque and the co-creator of the dish. The winner earned an extra 30 minutes of cooking time for the Elimination Challenge and the opportunity to serve the elimination judges first.
Elimination Challenge: At the French Culinary Institute, the chefs created dishes highlighting what are said to be the three hardest French cuisine ingredients to be creative with: onion, chicken, and potato. The chefs had a $200 budget to shop at the Union Square Greenmarket and two hours to cook (except Hung, who had an extra 30 minutes). The dishes were served to a panel of FCI deans consisting of André Soltner, Nils Norén, Jacques Torres, Alain Sailhac, Cesare Casella, and Dorothy Hamilton. The four dishes judged as the best would advance to the Top Chef finale in Aspen, Colorado.
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| 40 | 15 | "Finale, Part 1" | September 26, 2007 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The chefs were each given a fresh trout from the Fryingpan River Valley area of Aspen, Colorado, along with a frying pan, camping stove, and several basic pantry ingredients. They then had 20 minutes to create an original dish to impress guest judge Eric Ripert, executive chef of Le Bernardin restaurant in New York City.
Elimination Challenge: At the Moon Run Ranch, the chefs catered the annual dinner for the Snowmass Rodeo Riders, using supplies already in place for the event's original caterers. Once the chefs arrived in the kitchens, the protein was revealed: elk. Each chef had three hours to create their own menu of dishes, and an hour for service. As the winner of the Quickfire Challenge, Casey was the only chef who would be able to use the items she brought from home in the Elimination Challenge. All others had to use what was provided.
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| 41 | 16 | "Finale, Part 2" | October 3, 2007 | |
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Elimination Challenge: The chefs took a ski lift to the Aspen Mountain Club, with an elevation of 11,200 feet. Their instructions for the final challenge were simple: "cook us the best meal you've ever cooked in your life." They were shown a large, diverse array of proteins and produce and were given 35 minutes to plan a three-course menu. Their final meal was served head-to-head rather than back-to-back; each chef's course was presented at the same time as their competitors. The chefs then drew knives to see which celebrity sous-chef they would be paired with for the three-hour prep period on the first day. Hung was paired with celebrity chef and author Rocco DiSpirito. Casey was paired with chef Michelle Bernstein. Dale was matched with chef and restaurateur Todd English. On the second day, the chefs were given two hours to complete their dishes before service. With an hour left, however, they were told that that had to add a fourth course to their menus. It could be composed of any ingredient available in the kitchen, and be served at any point in the meal. Eliminated contestants CJ, Howie, and Sara M. were randomly paired through knife drawing with Dale, Casey, and Hung, respectively, as sous-chefs to assist in the fourth course preparation. The four judges were joined at the dining table by the three celebrity sous-chefs and the most recently eliminated contestant, Brian. This episode marked the first, and only, time that the winner of Top Chef was announced live following the pre-taped portion of the show, at a live event in Chicago.
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| 42 | 17 | "Reunion" | October 10, 2007 | |
| 43 | 18 | "Top Chef Holiday Special" | December 6, 2007 | |
Primetime Emmy Awards & Nomination
Season 3 was the second time that Top Chef was nominated for Best Reality Series. The show was first nominated in 2007, but lost both years to the Amazing Race. However, while the series failed to win the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Series in 2008, it did succeed in winning the Emmy Award for Best Editing on a Reality Competition Series. Top Chef Season 3 was edited by Kevin Leffler, Vikash Patel, Marc Clark, Antonia Tighe, Steve Lichtenstein, Brad Schwartz, Susan K. Hoover, and Katherine Griffin.
References
- "Primetime Emmy Awards 2008". IMDB.
- Rocchio, Christopher; Rogers, Steve (May 9, 2007). "Bravo reveals its 'Top Chef 3' cast, series to premiere June 13". Reality TV World. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- "Bravo's "Top Chef 3 Miami" Premieres with 15 Hot New Chefs Wed, June 13 at 10:00 P.M. ET/PT". The Futon Critic. May 8, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Smith, Nina (October 5, 2007). "Top Chef's Controversial Hung Wins — and Says He Deserves It". TV Guide. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Eisenberg, Dana (June 24, 2016). "Flashback Friday: A Look Back at Some of Our Favorite Female 'Top Chef' Contestants". Mediaite. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Reyhani, Monica A. (October 8, 2010). "'Top Chef All-Stars' Cast is Announced!". The Daily Dish. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Gennis, Sadie (September 20, 2012). "Bravo Sets Top Chef: Seattle Premiere Date, Adds New Judge". TV Guide. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Ng, Philiana (June 4, 2014). "Bravo's 'Top Chef Duels' Lands Premiere Date, Celebrity Guests (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- Spence, Shay (October 20, 2016). "Top Chef Is Bringing Back 8 Fan Favorite Contestants — See Who Made the Cut". People. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- Huff, Lauren (December 12, 2019). "Unpack your knives: Top Chef announces all-star lineup for season 17". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 12, 2019.