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‘Top Chef Carolinas’ finale: A Charlotte foodie's guide to the season

By Produced using AI, based on original work by Heidi Finley

The “Top Chef Carolinas” finale lands Monday night on Bravo — and if you’ve been tracking every Lang Van shoutout and Brittany Cochran appearance like the rest of us, this is your moment.

Whether you’re caught up or scrambling to binge before the winner is crowned, here’s a refresher on the chefs, restaurants and Restaurant Wars chaos that made Season 23 feel like a love letter to Charlotte’s dining scene.

The hometown chef

Brittany Cochran, executive chef at Stagioni, is the local you’ve been screaming for at watch parties. She studied at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, spent time in New York under Marc Forgione (yes, that Iron Chef) and worked the pasta line at Michelin-starred Marea before coming back to lead Bruce Moffett’s seasonal Italian spot.

Her philosophy: simple food, exceptional ingredients, zero fuss on the plate. “I like simple food because of how I grew up and being able to see the work into growing produce and products,” Cochran told CharlotteFive’s Heidi Finley. “I deeply care about the quality, and I truly believe that if you have quality ingredients, you don’t have to do much to it.”

A candid, eye-level shot inside a professional kitchen. In the center, a chef with hair pulled back in a high bun wears a white chef’s coat and a black apron and focuses on wiping or holding a large stainless steel pot with a white towel. In the blurred background, another chef is working near a grill, and various kitchen tools, stainless steel counters, and a white board are visible, creating a busy culinary atmosphere.
Chef Brittany Cochran of Charlotte cooks in “Top Chef” Episode 4, Season 23’s Elimination Challenge. Paul Cheney/BRAVO

If you’ve sat at Stagioni’s open kitchen counter, you already know. “When that plate hits and the table goes silent, I’m like, OK, we did it right,” she said.

She’s joined by the other North Carolina rep, Durham’s Oscar Diaz — a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist whose Little Bull just got recognized in the inaugural Michelin Guide American South. Diaz calls his cooking “pocho cuisine,” a personal mashup of his Mexican heritage and the multicultural Chicago neighborhood where he grew up.

A wide shot of 11 chefs standing in a row on a professional kitchen set. They are all wearing white chef coats with various colored aprons, including burgundy, forest green, cream, and navy blue. Most have their arms crossed or hands behind their backs, looking toward the camera with serious, expectant expressions. The background features modern kitchen architecture with industrial lighting, wood paneling, and a large sign partially visible behind them.
Chefs line up for judging on “Top Chef’s” Pick a Side, Episode 2304: Anthony Jones (from left), Duyen Ha, Jonathan Dearden, Brandon Dearden, Brittany Cochran, Oscar Diaz, Rhoda Magbitang, Laurence Louie, Sherry Cardoso, Sieger Bayer and Justin Tootla . Paul Cheney/BRAVO

The judges’ Charlotte eating tour

Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons landed in mid-August and ate their way through your saved Instagram list. The hits, according to CharlotteFive’s tracking:

  • Lang Van became Kristen’s obsession. “They remember who you are. They welcome you back. They know your order. They remember where you sat,” she said. She had the pancake, a coconut curry with sweet potatoes, “several rice noodle dishes” and vowed to work through the entire menu. Tom called it “fantastic.”
  • Albertine, Joe and Katy Kindred’s stunning uptown Mediterranean spot, got a Gail visit. (She also hit Kindred in Davidson — “exceptionally beautiful” — and Milkbread multiple times.)
  • Supperland hosted the whole crew for what Gail and Kristen described as “a Southern Steakhouse meets a Church Potluck”: sausage gravy croquettes, warm onion dip, miso mac and cheese.
  • Bojangles, naturally. Kristen went at least twice. Gail caved by September: “KK made me do it.”
  • Other stops: Clark’s Snack Bar (chicken salad with tots — they came back for it at the March premiere), Coquette, Customshop, Goodyear House, Harriet’s Hamburgers at Optimist Hall, Leluia Hall (Kristen ordered the Potato & Roe), Church & Union with Jamie Lynch, Yunta, Euro Grill & Cafe and Substrate.
Three people, two women and one man, stand side-by-side in front of a modern, wood-paneled set that resembles a kitchen or studio. The woman on the left has short, dark hair and is smiling at the camera, wearing a brown leather-look bralette and loose grey pants with orange shoes. The man in the center is bald and smiling, dressed in a black cardigan over a white shirt and dark pants. The woman on the right has long brown hair and is smiling, wearing a pink jumpsuit and white heels, with her hands in her pockets. Behind them, there are shelves with decorative paddles or oars on the left and a wall of illuminated, vertically-oriented panels on the right. A curved counter with a wood slatted front is in the foreground.
Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons of “Top Chef” lived in Charlotte while filmngi Season 23. David Moir Bravo

Trips nearby included Asheville (Cúrate, Ashleigh Shanti’s Good Hot Fish), Charleston (Chubby Fish, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit) and Greenville for the Carolinas portion of filming.

The challenge locations you recognized

The premiere kicked off at Charlotte Motor Speedway with judging help from NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, who died May 21 of complications from pneumonia.

Then came the first elimination at La Belle Helene, the uptown French spot co-owned by Top Chef alum Jamie Lynch — with Lynch and James Beard winner Sean Brock judging alongside Cheetie Kumar and Charlotte’s own Chayil Johnson.

A group of contestants stands on the racetrack, some holding backpacks and bags, looking toward something off-camera. The massive grandstands of the Charlotte Motor Speedway tower behind them.
Anthony Jones, Brandon Dearden, Sieger Bayer, Justin Tootla, Brittany Cochran, Jassi Brinda, Duyen Ha, Day Joseph, Nana Araba Wilmot, Sherry Cardoso, Oscar Diaz, Rhoda Magbitang, Laurence Louie, Jennifer Jackson and Jonathan Dearden undertake a cooking challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway in “Top Chef” Season 23’s first episode. Paul Cheney/Bravo

From there, the season hit familiar ground:

  • Supperland for a colorful food challenge with Emeril Lagasse at the table
  • Deep Roots CPS Farm and Fine & Fettle in SouthPark, both centered on James Beard finalist Greg Collier’s cooking
  • U.S. National Whitewater Center, where Joe and Katy Kindred judged alongside Savannah Miller
  • A whole-hog overnight at Splendor Pond Flower Farm in Mooresville with pitmasters including Sam Jones and Lewis Donald of Sweet Lew’s
  • Super G Mart and La Unica for international ingredient runs
  • Henrietta’s in LoSo for the final-four elimination, with Liza Koshy, Michelin-starred Jon Yao and Food & Wine’s Hunter Lewis
An eye-level shot from a television show set showing a female chef standing and talking to a panel of judges seated around a large white dinner table. In the center, the chef stands in a white short-sleeved chef’s coat and a charcoal gray apron, looking intently off to her right. Seated around the foreground table are several judges, including Top Chef host Kristen Kish on the left, who has slicked-back short black hair, visible arm tattoos, and wears a sleeveless pinstriped top while leaning forward with her hands clasped. To the right, Gail Simmons is partially visible in profile, wearing a dark blazer, while a bald male judge sits next to her with his back mostly to the camera.
Kristen Kish (left), Rhoda Magbitang and Gail Simmons are joined at Henrietta’s in Charlotte by Food & Wine editor-in-chief Hunter Lewis (far left) and Michelin-starred chef Jon Yao. Paul Cheney/Bravo

Behind the scenes: the Steele Creek warehouse

If you’ve ever wondered where this all happened, it was a 143,500-square-foot former manufacturing facility in Steele Creek. More than 160 production staffers worked across audio, editing and camera teams sequestered in their own pockets, monitoring nine angles at once.

CharlotteFive went behind the scenes and watched Kristen swap her pointy heels for Uggs slippers between segments. Tom — a self-described Tar Heels fan who once considered a Charlotte restaurant deal — held court in a dressing room with the lights off, ranting about why he doesn’t want to see “sous vide” or “foam” on a menu. What he does want? “It’s good to see a lot of young chefs, especially Black chefs, that are taking food from their culture and doing marvelous things.”

Restaurant Wars at The Casey

The episode every fan waits for went down Sept. 10 at The Casey by Beau Monde, a 1922 event space with 22-foot ceilings that got divided into two pop-up restaurants.

Carolina Queen: Sherry Cardoso, Duyen Ha, Anthony Jones and Laurence Louie. Gail clocked “a lot of béarnaise and a lot of okra” — and Tom hates okra, which he’d just told a reporter days earlier. The word “slime” reportedly came out of his mouth. Shrimp were “slightly overcooked.”

Tierra Reina: Oscar Diaz running front of house, with Brandon and Jonathan Dearden and Sieger Bayer (who returned after Jennifer Lee Jackson left for medical reasons). Guest judges included James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach and Michael Mina, who’s opening a Bourbon Steak location in Charlotte.

Three chefs wearing white coats and maroon aprons collaborate in a professional kitchen. The chef in the center holds and reads a slip of paper while the chef on the right, wearing black gloves, holds a large meatball over a tray. The setting includes stainless steel counters, prep containers, and kitchen equipment.
On “Top Chef’s” Restaurant Wars episode, Tierra Reina chefs Jonathan Dearden, Oscar Diaz and Brandon Dearden prep for service. Paul Cheney/Bravo

Diaz’s concept leaned into a “Mexican thru-line” with Carolinas ingredients. CharlotteFive dined the service: aguachile verde with snapper, grape, serrano and plantain; a Veracruzana cod with chochoyote masa dumplings and castelvetrano olive tapenade; barbacoa of beef tongue and cheek wrapped in collard; arroz con leche made with Carolina Gold rice and a Cheerwine gelée.

The problem? Service was glacial. The new takeout-orders twist this season backed up the front of house. Tom yawned twice waiting. Diners ordered all three courses at a 4:45 p.m. reservation; entrées didn’t arrive until almost 6.

Diaz, glistening with sweat by dessert, pulled out a handkerchief and joked to one table: “I feel like a preacher. Can I get an amen?”

A chef in a blue suit stands and speaks to four seated diners at a white-clothed table. The setting features a modern coral-pink background with a minimalist green wall sconce. The diners, including women in a green blazer and a brown button-down, look on as the chef gestures with his hands during the presentation.
Chef Oscar Diaz chats with guests during “Top Chef’s” Restaurant Wars episode. Paul Cheney/Bravo

How to watch the finale

The finale is slated to air Monday at 9:30 p.m. on Bravo, with the episode hitting Peacock the next day. (Although watch for a time change — recent episodes have started as late as 9:45 p.m.)

Settle in, pour something nice and find out who takes the title of “Top Chef.”

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.

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