Bravo's "Top Chef" is packing its knives and setting its sights on Charlotte for its 23rd season. The reality TV staple will also film select episodes in Greenville, South Carolina, according to multiple sources. Savoring the South's charm, Season 23 seeks to capture the birthplace of sweet tea, pimento cheese, with all the thrive of a food scene that's booming—not to mention a touch of southern hospitality.
As noted by a Charlotte Observer report, hosting duties will fall once more to Kristen Kish, flanked by veteran judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. The competition will immerse cheftestants in Carolina traditions and outdoor cooking experiences. Jamie Lynch, a Charlotte culinary stalwart from Church & Union who previously graced Season 14, and Season 22 winner Tristen Epps, a Johnson & Wales University alumni, underscore the city's established connection with the show.
Production is slated to begin this summer with an air date penciled in for 2026, as reported by WCCB Charlotte. This schedule maintains the rhythm of recent seasons, which have traditionally premiered in March. "Charlotte and Greenville are perfect chefs’ playgrounds fueled by exceptional local ingredients, bold flavors, a strong agricultural foundation, and stunning natural landscapes," Ryan Flynn, Senior Vice President, Current Production, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, observed in a statement referenced by WBTV.
The show's choice to film in the Carolinas reaffirms the region as a growing culinary hotspot deserving the spotlight.
