Three chefs from Chicago compete in Season 22 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” one of TV’s most well-regarded reality cooking competition shows.
Viewers can root for Zubair Mohajir (founder and executive chef of Lilac Tiger, Coach House and Mirra), César Murillo (executive chef at North Pond) and Bailey Sullivan (executive chef at Monteverde) when the season premieres March 13.
This time the competition took place in Canada. Over the course of the season, viewers will see 15 chefs be whittled down episode by episode until only one remains. “Top Chef” Season 10 winner Kristen Kish is the host for a second season, joined by judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. Chicago chef Stephanie Izard was the fourth season’s winner and parlayed that into a successful run of local restaurants.
New for the winner this year, alongside a $250,000 cash prize and other perks, is the opportunity to present at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards on June 16 in Chicago.
This year’s Chicago contestants have a long list of industry accolades and experience working at some of the best restaurants in the world. Mohajir, Murillo and Sullivan were honored and energized to be included but had different strategies for and relationships to the long-running series.
A week before the season premiere, the three chefs said that on the show they focused on presenting the food they personally loved.
For Sullivan, that meant food “rooted in Italian tradition but taking seasonal produce and global flavors and putting an atypical twist on traditional cuisine.” For Mohajir, it was a “multidimensional approach to flavor” using his skill with spices and pulling inspiration from a variety of influences, from his mother to history to many Asian and French cooking techniques. For Murillo, it was about seasonal and local produce.
Sullivan grew up in the hospitality industry — her father owns beer garden Goldyburgers — and has fond memories of watching the show with her mother.
“At that point, there wasn’t a whole ton of cooking on TV,” Sullivan said. “I was glued to the TV. I loved it. It’s something in the back of my head I’ve wanted.”
Quickfire Challenges are a consistent segment in the show in which chefs are given a task and a time limit while competing for prizes or other benefits. The segments test a specific skill set, and many chefs struggle with them — so turning to alumni for tips can help.
Sarah Grueneberg, head chef and owner of Monteverde, finished in second place on “Top Chef” Season 9. Grueneberg helped Sullivan prepare for the high-stakes environment, setting up timed challenges for practice. Sullivan also brushed up on some skill sets she thought she might be tested on.
Mohajir, who worked his way up the restaurant industry after getting laid off from his finance job following the 2008 financial crisis, said he never had much time to watch “Top Chef.” He wasn’t very familiar with the show’s format until he was cast.
“I love walking in blind,” Mohajir said. “I like to cook what I like to cook… We’re there to cook. We’re there to have fun. Can’t take it too seriously.”
Mohajir called the Quickfire Challenges “one of the most adrenaline-producing things I’ve ever done.”
Murillo said he spent most of his time before the show prepping his staff for his absence. But the week before he left, North Pond Chef de Cuisine John Brandon did test Murillo with two timed challenges.
He reflected on his long journey, which began with coming to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant from Chihuahua, Mexico, at age 4. Now, he’ll be seen on “Top Chef.”
“You start thinking about the important things in life,” Murillo said. He spoke of his family and friends who supported him, including his mother and some of his colleagues at North Pond. “There were too many surreal moments. I wanted to do well and I wanted to represent myself well and make my people proud.”
Murillo and Sullivan knew each other through their 2021 recognition as StarChefs Rising Stars, but grew closer to each other and to Mohajir during the show.
“We were rooting for each other,” Murillo said.
The chefs represented not only themselves and their restaurants, but their city as well.
“Chicago is the best food city in America,” Mohajir said. “Chicago is quality over quantity and I think you’ll see that represented in that season.”
“I was incredibly excited to represent the food I cook every day at Monteverde on ‘Top Chef,’” Sullivan said. “Hopefully I make Chicago proud.”
Though the season had finished filming, the chefs were mum about how they performed. Mohajir came away feeling that the show and the intense challenges were a good representation of restaurant life.
“Every day is different,” he said. “Every service is an adrenaline rush. And that’s exactly what this show puts on its forefront.”
“Top Chef” Season 22 premieres March 13 on Bravo TV. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
