Join host Kristen Kish, along with Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons tonight at 7 p.m. as Bravo’s hit cooking competition kicks off, straight from the Carolina’s. Even though no local chefs will debut in season 23, Colorado has a long history of Top Chef contestants. Here’s where to find them.
Hosea Rosenberg: Season 5 Champion
Restaurant(s): Blackbelly and Santo in Boulder, and Blackbelly Market in Denver
In 2008, chef Hosea Rosenberg came out triumphant on Top Chef Season 5, which gave him the notoriety to turn a catering gig into the culinary haven known as Blackbelly. It’s been one of the state’s top restaurants ever since.
Not only is Rosenberg a great chef, but his ethos revolves around local nose-to-tail and farm-to-table foods. With Blackbelly, Rosenberg started Boulder’s first-whole animal butcher shop and market, specializing in house-cured charcuterie. Now the group resides under the moniker of Little Piggy Hospitality, and recently the Denver location has added on a Blackberry Bistro, a Friday night dinner service with an excellent steak frites. 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, blackbelly.com
Eliza Gavin: Season 10
Restaurant: 221 South Oak in Telluride
Chef Eliza Gavin made a splash in 2012 on Top Chef‘s Season 10 in Seattle. But before that, she flexed her kitchen skills in New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York City, and Japan, eventually landing in Telluride in 1999 and opening 221 South Oak. The restaurant resides in a historic home, and Gavin serves up seasonal plates of new American fare good enough to get her a stint on the show.
Unfortunately her time on Top Chef ended prematurely. However, Gavin got to relive her television days by hosting the Season 15 team for a memorable episode filmed in Telluride. For those craving a taste of Gavin’s post-Top Chef world, a trip to the stunning mountain town promises culinary excellence with a side of celebrity chef charisma. 221 S. Oak St., Telluride, 221southoak.com
Travis Masar: Season 11
Restaurant: Pig and Tiger in Denver and Peko Peko in Boulder
Travis Masar’s stint in 2013 on Top Chef took him to the gumbo-laden streets of New Orleans to the diverse culinary landscapes of San Francisco, Boston, Miami, and Maui. Masar, a Colorado native who formerly worked at Tommy Lee’s Uncle, notably whipped up a pork sausage lettuce wrap with pineapple shrimp paste that clinched a win during Restaurant Wars.
As a nod to his extensive knowledge of Asian cuisines, Masar was dubbed “Captain Vietnam” during his season. Taste that joy at his Denver restaurant, Pig and Tiger, which he runs with his best friend and co-chef, Darren Chang.
]Located in Denver’s hip Five Points neighborhood, Pig and Tiger pairs influence from Chang’s upbringing as a first-generation Taiwanese-American with Masar’s travels through Asia and love of local produce sourcing. With Pig and Tiger, the duo aims to challenge diners’ idea of what Taiwanese cuisine is and isn’t, through dishes such as Taiwanese Fried Chicken and a fresh spin on zhajiangmian. 2200 California St., Denver, pigandtiger.com
Carrie Baird: Season 15
Restaurant: Fox and the Hen in Denver
Representing Denver not just in spirit but also in our state, where season 15 aired, chef Carrie Baird dazzled Top Chef judges with her innovative “fancy toast,” propelling her into the semifinals. It’s not surprising she got so far. As a protégé of chef Jen Jasinski’s Rioja and Euclid Hall (the latter closed in 2020), and tenure at Bar Dough (part of the Culinary Creative group), Baird has a strong Mediterranean and Italian cooking background.
However, it was the chef’s quickfire prowess and composed on-screen presence that cemented her as a culinary contender. She moved on to other shows too. In Beat Bobby Flay she bested the master with a huevos rancheros, a dish that now stars at her latest venture, Fox and the Hen in Highland. Fans of Baird can get a taste of that fancy toast at her Highland restaurant, or make it at home during her episode on Chef’n It, Colorado’s own cooking show. 2257 W. 32nd Ave., Denver, foxandthehen.com
Brother Luck: Seasons 15 and 16
Restaurant: Four by Brother Luck in Colorado Springs
Head to Colorado Springs to find Top Chef contestant Brother Luck and his upscale southwestern restaurant, Four by Brother Luck. There’s a reason, after all, that he did so well during his stints on the show, which also features chef Carrie Baird.
Though he didn’t win, the loss for Luck turned into a gain for Colorado Springs. The chef’s local fans were thrilled to have his attention returned to the kitchen, which he opened on Cinco de Mayo in 2017, just days before he left for taping Top Chef. Not that his absence stalled the restaurant’s propulsion to the forefront of the area’s dining scene. Luck made a notable appearance on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, where his skills were put to the test again on the screen. 321 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, fourbybrotherluck.com
Byron Gomez: Season 18
Restaurant: Brutø in Denver
A lot of buzz surrounded Byron Gomez’s launch into head of Brutø’s kitchen, which has earned a Michelin star for the past three years. But for Gomez, it took quite the ride to get there. Gomez was born in Costa Rica, seasoned in New York’s culinary crucibles such as Café Boulud and Eleven Madison Park. In Colorado he was tested in Aspen’s high-altitude dining scene as executive chef at the now shuttered 7908 Aspen.
During his stint on Top Chef in Portland in 2021, Gomez went far, getting to the tenth episode and participating in the first ever Tournament of Tofu. Today the show is just another thing Gomez has done as he manages the kitchen at one of Denver’s best restaurants, though there are talks of him moving on late this summer, but to where we aren’t sure. 1801 Blake St., Denver, brutodenver.com
Manny Barella: Season 21
Since winning viewers’ hearts on season 21 of Top Chef, Barella has opened his own restaurant, Riot BBQ, with his longtime friend and local pitmaster, Patrick Klaiber.
Riot BBQ, nestled in Denver’s Overland neighborhood, marries the live fire heritage of Manny’s Northern Mexican with the discipline of Texas barbecue. The result? A unique blend of Mexican-inspired dishes smoked the traditional, low-and-slow way. Think Pork Ribs Al Pastor, Chicken Pibil, and the Esquites Cornbread.
Manny has maintained close relationships with his co-stars as well. In November 2025, he hosted a collaboration dinner at Riot BBQ with pitmaster Michelle Wallace, as well as a series of pop-up dinners with chefs Soo Skyo Ahn and Dan Jacobs. Barella has plans to open a new concept soon, though the details are still under wraps. 2180 S. Delaware St., Denver, riotbbqcompany.com
Jennifer Jasinski: Top Chef Masters Season 5 Finalist
Restaurant(s): Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, and Ultreia, all in Denver
Denver’s culinary scene boasts its own celebrity chef in Jennifer Jasinski, a Wolfgang Puck protégé turned local gastronomic guru. With a portfolio that reads like a foodie’s dream tour of Denver, from Rioja’s Mediterranean flair to Ultreia‘s gin and tonic sophistication, Jasinski’s touch is golden. Jasinski’s Crafted Concepts, the name of the restaurant group she runs with Beth Gruitch, continues to thrive decades in.
While locals knew of the chef’s skills, her stint on Top Chef Masters in 2013 showcased these as she battled culinary giants. Over the course of the season, she won $35,000 for Work Options for Women, a Denver nonprofit that teaches food-service skills to women in poverty. Not only did Jasinski take home the prize, but she showed the world just how awesome she and her restaurants are.
Ryan Dishman: Winner of Top Chef Amateurs Season 1
This Top Chef spinoff in 2021 gave talented home cooks the opportunity of a lifetime to test their skills. On Episode 11 of Season 1, Making Ends Meet, Denver’s own Ryan Dishman came out the victor. A software salesman by trade and self-taught home cook by night, it was a huge step for him to shed the professional side and go all out. Today Dishman periodically publishes restaurant reviews and recipes on his website, Mile High Dish.
