Pack Your Knives

The cheftestants go to space (in theory) and the Earth-y dishes raised lots of questions from Tom and Kevin. We discuss a shaky performance from an otherwise sturdy cheftestant and debate whether we'd take one chef over the field. Also: a deep-dive into crumby foods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Pack Your Knives, Kevin and Tom recap a heartwarming episode where the judges taste the rainbow and do some soul searching. Kevin reveals a personal story of his classroom etiquette and his favorite restaurants on his recent travels while Tom struggles with the quirky scoring. Finally, Producer Mayes surfaces a Top Chef Reddit post that sparks serious domestic debate from the PYK panel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast discusses Restaurant Wars with insights from Hershy Ash, highlighting team dynamics, strategy, and culinary creativity. They explore experiential retail, missed dining opportunities, and analyze contestant performances while diving into conspiracy theories and making predictions for the winner of Top Chef.

We dig into this week's episode with our PYK pal Joe Flamm, winner of Top Chef Colorado and guest judge of the Jurassic World challenge. Flamm shares some amazing behind the scenes details from his experience on Top Chef Houston and some old callbacks to Season 15. We also discuss best movie scenes involving food and get the goods on the actual winning individual of the challenge. We get Kevin's lowdown on Nigerian cuisine, tier-out the remaining cheftestants and get ready for Restaurant Wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Top Chef welcomes back an eliminated contestant from Last Chance Kitchen, Kevin and Tom dive into Episode 6's drama -- or lack thereof. The competition show brings in trailblazing women to honor trailblazing women and the chefs deliver satisfactory meals, but hardly anything transcendent. With the help of producer Anthony Mayes, Tom and Kevin try to untangle their feelings about this season of their beloved Top Chef and wonder if its recent softness is a symptom of a broader cultural shift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A tentpole challenge is presented on this week's episode, but Tom and Kevin are trying to figure out why this season doesn't seem to be hitting its mark. Tom mourns a surprising elimination, which prompts Kevin and Tom to do a mock redraft of contestants. Who goes No. 1? And can a Last Chance Kitchen juggernaut jolt the season into shape? Five episodes in, the PYK crew are hoping that's the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Tom unpack what goes down as one of their favorite challenges of Top Chef in Pack Your Knives history: doppelgänger dishes! But first Kevin and Tom reveal their favorite biscuits in America and then praise a sense-deficient cheftestant’s rise. A terrific double-elimination challenge cripples one of the fantasy teams and Mayes’ squad provides hope to resolve Kevin’s lone complaint about this season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin and Tom recap the Asian night market episode and survey the landscape. Kevin unveils his night market power rankings, dominating Tom’s impromptu trivia. The two discuss Sam the Potato Man’s polarizing behavior. Meanwhile, trade discussions continue as producer Anthony Mayes picks up his very own cheftestant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom and Kevin break down the second episode of Season 19. With Evelyn on the mind, Tom investigates hometown advantage. A trade is proposed and the two are officially engaged in negotiations.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a season premiere chock full of surprises, Kevin and Tom take part in their fifth annual PYK draft of cheftestants. Who went No. 1 overall? And which pick created the most controversy? Kevin and Tom give their first impressions on the cast as another season of Pack Your Knives gets underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices