Top Chef: Houston
Top Chef: Houston is the nineteenth season of the American reality television series "Top Chef". It was first announced by Bravo and NBCUniversal on September 21, 2021. The competition was filmed in Houston, Texas, which was not featured during the series' , along with other areas near the city, such as Galveston Island. The winner received . Filming for the season covered roughly five weeks, beginning in late September 2021 and completing at the end of October. The same COVID-19 protocols used for "" remained in effect, requiring frequent tests for the coronavirus and masks to be worn by production  staff. A variation of "Portland" alumni judging panel was implemented. In each episode, the trio of Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons were joined by a former "Top Chef" competitor, along with a local or nationally acclaimed chef as a guest judge. The campaign to promote Houston as the next location for "Top Chef" was led by Houston First, who showed off the city to Magical Elves Productions and helped scout for potential sites to highlight during the season. The set for the show was constructed at the NRG Arena. The season premiered on March 3, 2022. Contestants. "Top  Chef: Houston" features 15 new contestants. One contestant, Jackson Kalb, was notable for contracting COVID-19 a few weeks before the show began filming. While Kalb did not lose his spot among the cast, he ended up having to compete without his sense of taste or smell. Episodes. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude>