:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Yes-Chef-FT-BLOG0425-80a77a8ad2eb4aaa9e3679bd0b60652a.jpg "All the Contestants on ‘Yes, Chef!’ Season 1")
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I already have plans for the evening of April 28. If you need me, you can find me at home with a glass of wine in hand, watching the premiere of the most exciting new cooking competition TV show to hit the scene in quite a while: Yes, Chef!
The new series — airing on NBC and produced by Magical Elves, the Emmy Award-winning production company behind Top Chef — will be hosted by two of the greatest icons in our contemporary food scene: businesswoman and entertaining expert Martha Stewart and esteemed chef, restaurateur, and founder of World Central Kitchen, José Andrés. But if the thought of these two culinary giants calling the shots on set isn’t enough to entice you to tune in, they’re making sure to turn up the drama too.
The chefs competing on the debut season of Yes, Chef! were nominated by friends and family not only for their culinary talents but also due to personal issues that hinder their full potential. These issues may include stubbornness, inflated egos, short tempers, and more. Fortunately, Stewart and Andrés will guide the chefs in improving their attitudes as well as their cooking skills.
We finally have insights into the first 12 contestants vying for the ultimate prize of $250,000, and it’s safe to say they’ll bring the heat. Here’s everything we know about the season one chef-testants, as described in their bios provided by NBC.
Christopher Morales
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
As the current executive chef at Gregory’s Steakhouse in Cocoa Beach, Florida, Christopher Morales specializes in cooking fresh fish, steaks, and homemade pasta. Although he doesn’t have a culinary degree, Morales has experience working in high-end kitchens across the country. Morales’ former sous chef nominated him for the show due to his militant style when running a kitchen and harsh critiques of his staff.
Emily Brubaker
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Classically French-trained chef Emily Brubaker is the resort executive chef at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. In addition to French cuisine, she also focuses on Italian and American fine dining, and is passionate about sourcing quality ingredients to create exceptional dishes. Brubaker’s tendency to become impatient and stubborn with her staff, alongside issues with self-confidence, has created a glass ceiling for her career.
Jake Lawler
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Jake Lawler is responsible for curating the menus at multiple restaurants in his role as executive chef for Vintage Brewing Co. in Madison, Wisconsin. He specializes in French and Italian Cuisine, and has experience working in Michelin-starred kitchens. His front of house manager has witnessed Lawler’s defensiveness and temper negatively affect those around him, landing him a role on Yes, Chef!
Julia Chebotar
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
This isn’t Julia Chebotar’s first foray into a cooking competition show, and she won an episode of Chopped in 2019 and the second season of Kitchen Crash in 2021. She currently works as a private chef in New York, with a focus on dishes that feature organic and nutritious ingredients. Chebotar was nominated thanks to her competitive nature and blunt approach to communication, which make it difficult for her to work with others.
Katsuji Tanabe
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Katsuji Tanabe is a seasoned restaurateur with establishments across the United States that showcase a diversity of cuisines, often highlighting his dual Mexican and Japanese heritages. Known for his competitive spirit, he has become a familiar face in culinary showdowns, appearing on shows including Top Chef, Top Chef Mexico, and Chopped. In the kitchen Tanabe has a reputation for pushing other people’s buttons that led his business partner to nominate him for his latest cooking competition.
Lee Frank
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
You’ll find farm-to-table dining at Otis in Exeter, New Hampshire, where James Beard Award nominee Lee Frank is the executive chef. He has previously appeared on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, managing to walk away victorious from the latter. Lee has a chip on his shoulder after being overlooked in the past, and his sous chef thinks that this resentment may be hindering his growth in the industry.
Michelle Francis
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
With more than 27 years of experience under her belt, Michelle Francis is the sous chef at Jar in Los Angeles. Her expertise lies in Mediterranean cuisine, and Francis has held a variety of positions in the world of fine dining. Although Francis struggles with perfectionism and doesn’t always play nice with others, she knows that if she doesn’t change, it may hinder her dream of becoming a traveling chef.
Peter Richardson
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Hailing from Long Island, New York, private chef Peter Richardson specializes in crafting kosher meals. At only 23 years old, Richardson is often the youngest chef in the kitchen and on the receiving end of disrespect from colleagues, which doesn’t help his already short fuse. His boss nominated him for Yes, Chef! out of both admiration and concern for his outbursts.
Petrina Peart
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Petrina Peart is the executive chef at the Wyoming Governor’s Mansion, where her work has earned recognition in local publications like Cheyenne Living. Although she’s experimental and creative when crafting dishes, Petrina struggles with perfectionism, often setting impossibly high standards for herself. Her brother and sous chef nominated her for Yes, Chef! in the hopes that she’ll learn to embrace mistakes and trust in her own abilities.
Ronny Miranda
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Based in California, Ronny Miranda currently serves as the conference lead chef at the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Napa Valley. Miranda’s cooking is influenced by his Portuguese heritage, but he lacks the requisite self esteem to find his own identity as a chef. Combined with a tendency to become frustrated with his colleagues, Miranda acknowledges that it’s time to change his reputation.
Torrece “Chef T” Gregoire
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Torrece Gregoire, or Chef T as she’s better known, is the owner and executive chef at Union 41 in Bristol, Virginia. In addition to headlining food festivals, she has previously appeared on two seasons of Hell’s Kitchen, where she made a name for herself thanks to her no-holds-barred attitude, which ultimately played a role in her eliminations. Gregoire dreams of being a James Beard Award winner and realizes she needs to tone down her temper to achieve this.
Zain Ismail
Courtesy of Brendan Meadows / NBC
Zain Ismail has earned unique work experience while serving as the executive sous chef of Fork n’ Film, an immersive dining and cinema experience in Los Angeles. Her cooking is often influenced by her ties to the island of Mauritius, where her family is from. Ismail is unfiltered in the kitchen and tends to come across harsh when dealing with others — qualities that both she and her executive chef want her to work on.
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