Bravo's TOP CHEF Head to Charleston for Epic New Season , Today

Bravo Media's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning TOP CHEF takes on the culinary hotspot of Charleston, South Carolina, for the new season, kicking off with a supersized premiere on Thursday, December 1 at 10 - 11:15pm ET/PT. In an unparalleled twist, eight acclaimed chefs from across the country will unpack their knives alongside eight chefs from seasons past, who have never won the prestigious title and are back for redemption. Sitting at the judges table for season 14 are host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons who are joined by new judge and TOP CHEF Masters" alum, Graham Elliot. For a sneak peek, please visit: http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-14/videos/introducing-top-chef-season-14s-rookie-chefs.

Meet the Chefs entering the "Top Chef" kitchen for the first time.

Silvia Barban -Brooklyn, NY
Emily Hahn - Charleston, SC
Jamie Lynch - Charlotte, NC
Annie Pettry - Louisville, KY
Sylva Senat - Philadelphia, PA
Gerald Sombright - Marco Island, FL
BJ Smith - Portland, OR
Jim Smith - Montgomery, AL
*For more information on the cheftestants, please visit Bravotv.com/top-chef.

From fan favorites to finalists who have been close enough to taste it, Bravo will be serving up clues on Top Chef's Facebook and Instagram over the next week on the identities of the returning Cheftestants. Fans and foodies alike can join in the #TopChef social conversation to get exclusive hints about who will be returning to the kitchen.

This season is the ultimate challenge of old blood versus new when 16 talented cheftestants descend upon the city of Charleston to battle it out for $125,000 furnished by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a feature in FOOD & WINE magazine, a showcase at the annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen and the coveted title of "Top Chef." Along with the return of the daunting Sudden Death Quickfire, high-stakes challenges include cooking for BBQ king Rodney Scott to the tunes of country music artist, Darius Rucker, a tribute honoring Edna Lewis and a holiday-themed Feast of Seven Fishes dinner. Always upping the ante, one landmark challenge calls for the contestants to cook for a room full of culinary greats in hopes of landing the highly lauded prize of serving their winning dish at the coveted James Beard House in New York City. From a shrimp and grits cook off to a biscuit blowout, the chefs dive deep into the roots of Lowcountry cuisine to prove to the judges, the world, and themselves that they have what it takes to conquer their competition.

Throughout the competition, the chefs serve up food for culinary stars and celebrity guest judges including: Daniel Humm, William Guidara, Jeremiah Tower, Dominique Ansel, Sean Brock, Frank Lee, Richard Blais, Chris Cosentino, Michael Voltaggio, Hugh Acheson, BJ Dennis, Carrie Morey, Nilou Motammed, Mike Lata, John Currence, Alexander Smalls, Michael Cimarusti and Michael Solomonov.

Towards the end of the season, the cheftestants will also have the opportunity to vie for the "Top Chef Fan Favorite" title, voted upon by viewers on BravoTV.com. The winner will be announced on the finale night on "Watch What Happens Live" and will receive $10,000 furnished by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water.

The series is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Magical ELVES with Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Doneen Arquines and Casey Kriley serving as executive producers.

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