There’s a Charlotte contestant appearing on ‘Top Chef.’ Here’s what you need to know
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‘Top Chef Carolinas’ was filmed in Charlotte
Bravo’s hit reality TV show “Top Chef” filmed most of Season 23 in Charlotte and a few episodes in Greenville, SC, to create “Top Chef Carolinas.” The show’s announcement said: “This season will showcase the finest in southern hospitality, embracing the rich history, agriculture, and outdoors, as a new batch of accomplished and renowned chefs vie for the ultimate Top Chef title.”
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Charlotte’s season of “Top Chef,” set to hit streaming screens in March, will feature a local chef among the contestants, along with one from Durham.
Brittany Cochran, the executive chef at Stagioni - Four Seasons of Food in Charlotte, is among those competing for the title on Season 23 of Bravo’s popular culinary competition.
Cochran’s a Johnson & Wales University alum and carries years of experience that include working for celebrity chef Marc Forgione. She now leads the kitchen at Bruce Moffet’s Stagioni, which offers seasonal Italian fare and wood-fired pizza.
Also competing this season is chef Oscar Diaz of Durham, who earned recognition as a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist while working as executive chef and partner in Raleigh at Cortez, which he left in 2023 to open Little Bull — now a Michelin-recognized restaurant. He also owns Aaktun and TaTaco.
Familiar faces you’ll see on ‘Top Chef’ Carolinas
Most of Top Chef Carolinas was filmed in Charlotte, with a few episodes of travel to Greenville, S.C.
The show is hosted by Kristen Kish, with Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio as judges and you can catch a sneak peek of all the action in this season’s trailer.
The season begins with the chefs competing at Charlotte Motor Speedway in an episode featuring NASCAR legends Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.
Comedian Fortune Feimster, who grew up in the Charlotte area, makes an appearance on another episode, while Bravo’s “Southern Charm” stars Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover challenge the chefs on Southern comfort dishes.
Actress Melissa Benoist from “The Waterfront” — also filmed in North Carolina — joins a celebration in honor of Queen Charlotte’s birthday and the 20th anniversary of “Top Chef,” and actress Liza Koshy tasks the chefs to think outside the box on creative presentations.
In Greenville, the chefs are joined by actress Danielle Brooks for a “Top Chef” Fishing Derby, before hopping on the Swamp Rabbit Trail for a Quickfire Challenge crafted by fans through social media with guest judges Keith Habersberger and Rachel Ann Cole of “Try Guys.”
Contestants also visited Asheville, still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, and return to Charlotte to host a fundraiser spotlighting Appalachian ingredients.
Carolina chefs and other personalities on ‘Top Chef’ Season 23
Throughout the competition, “Top Chef” fan favorites from past seasons make appearances, including Jamie Lynch of Church and Union in Charlotte and Ashleigh Shanti of Good Hot Fish in Asheville, plus Sara Bradley, Tristen Epps-Long, Joe Flamm, Stephanie Izard, Mei Lin, Savannah Miller, Michelle Wallace and Shuai Wang of King BBQ and Jackrabbit Filly in Charleston
Guest judges and notable diners include Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel of Charlotte’s Brown-Tonidandel Restaurant Group; Adam Cooke of Topsoil in Greenville; Greg and Subrina Collier of Uptown Yolk; Ed Currie of Fort Mill’s Puckerbutt Pepper Company; William Dissen of The Market Place Restaurant in Asheville; Meherwan Irani of Asheville’s Chai Pani Restaurant Group; Chayil Johnson of Community Matters Cafe; Joe and Katy Kindred of Charlotte-area Kindred, Milkbread and Albertine; Cheetie Kumar of Aija; superstar chef Emeril Lagasse; Hunter Lewis of “Food and Wine”; James London of Chubby Fish in Charleston; Clare Reichenbach of the James Beard Foundation; and Carl Sobocinski of Table 301 in Charleston.
For a whole-hog barbecue challenge, Sam Jones of Sam Jones Barbecue in Raleigh, Lewis Donald of Sweet Lew’s BBQ in Charlotte and the Monk family of Lexington Barbecue in Lexington add expertise to the crew of pitmasters assisting the competitors.
Fans watch the new season beginning Tuesday, March 3 on Peacock, Bravo’s YouTube channel and VOD. It premieres on Bravo on March 9, and on Monday, March 16, the series will move to its regular timeslot at 9:30 p.m., with episodes available the next day on Peacock.
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 1:26 PM with the headline "There’s a Charlotte contestant appearing on ‘Top Chef.’ Here’s what you need to know."
