Your Favorite 'Top Chef' Contestants, Then and Now

After coming up through the kitchens of world-renowned chef Jean-Georges, Angelo Sosa journeyed to Washington DC for season seven of Top Chef, ultimately finishing in second place. He later returned for season eight's all-star competition.

Ten years after he graced the Top Chef kitchen for the first time, Angelo returned for season 17 of the show. Since competing, he's opened up several restaurants, including New York City hotspot Añejo, and has written several cookbooks.

The Los Angeles chef joined the cast of Top Chef: Seattle in 2012, where she came in second. Four years later, Brooke returned to the show for season 14 to take home the championship prize.

Since her successful second stint on Top Chef, Brooke has remained close to the Bravo network, starring as a judge on Top Chef Junior and returning to Top Chef as a guest judge. She also briefly appeared on MTV's cooking show House of Food as a judge in 2014.

When he couldn't afford culinary school, Michael Voltaggio turned to the prestigious Greenbrier Hotel Culinary Apprenticeship program for an education. Michael worked his way up through the kitchen and was Chef de Cuisine at several restaurants, including the Ritz Carlton in Naples, FL, when he joined Top Chef in season six. He beat out his fellow competitors, including—wait for it—his own brother.

Since being declared a Top Chef champion, Michael has been busy building his food empire and becoming one of the biggest celebrity chefs. If he isn't in the kitchen at one of his four restaurants, you'll find him TV as a regular on shows like Beat Bobby Flay, Iron Chef, Chopped Junior, Hell's Kitchen, and more.

While earning his degree at the Culinary Institute of America, Richard Blais trained under French Laundry chef Thomas Keller and later Daniel Boulud. He was on Top Chef during season four and, although he didn't win, he was a fan favorite and returned for the season eight all-star competition—which he won.

Since his redemption tour, Richard has become a well-known celebrity chef. He's returned as a judge for Top Chef and appeared on programs like Today and Good Morning America. He's also the author of Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate and has restaurants in Atlanta and San Diego.

Stephanie Izard opened her first restaurant Scylla at the age of 27. After closing it down in 2007, she appeared on season four of Top Chef where she claimed the title of being the first woman to win the cooking show.

Since her days on Top Chef, Stephanie has opened three successful restaurants in Chicago. She's also returned to the Top Chef kitchen as a guest judge and competed in Top Chef Duels in 2014. In 2017, she competed and won Iron Chef Gauntlet on the Food Network.

Nobody made an impression on Top Chef quite like Paul Qui, who racked up an impressive 11 wins and went on to be crowned the champion of season nine.

Paul's alleged personal life issues caused problems with his professional career in 2016, when he was arrested for a domestic violence incident. A few years later, he was arrested again for charges of driving while intoxicated. His restaurant Qui, which closed and reopened as Kuneho, has since gone out of business.

Shirley Chung competed in not one, but two seasons of Top Chef. After getting to the final round in season 11, Shirley returned for season 14 in Charleston, where she was the runner-up.

Shirley now owns two restaurants in California, both of which specialize in modern Chinese cuisine. She released her cookbook Chinese Heritage Cooking From My American Kitchen in 2018.

Kevin Gillespie was not only runner-up on season six, Top Chef: Las Vegas, but he was also overwhelmingly the season's fan favorite.

Kevin is now the chef and owner of several restaurants in the Atlanta area. He was nominated for Forbes' "30 Under 30" in 2013 and has since released two cookbooks, Fire in my Belly and Pure Pork Awesomeness. Kevin returned to the Top Chef kitchen for season 17.

After attending Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago and working in numerous restaurants as Chef de Cuisine, Kristen Kish became the second woman to win the Top Chef title when she beat out Brooke Williamson in season 10.

After winning the show, Kristen continued to build a prestigious reputation within the industry, while also working as a host on 36 Hours and publishing her cookbook Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques. In 2019, she opened her first restaurant, Arlo Grey, in Austin, Texas. Two years later, she became one of the stars of truTV's Fast Foodies.

Spending years working his way through the culinary world—including working as an Executive Chef at Matador Room by Jean-Georges—paid off. Jeremy Ford's culinary skills helped him become the champion of season 13, beating out Amar Santana.

In 2017, Jeremy opened Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach, later launching two more restaurants, Krun-chi and The Butcher's Club, in the same area. He also co-hosts truTV's Fast Foodies with fellow Top Chef winner, Kristen Kish.