Several seasons of "Top Chef" have aired on Bravo, but none shined a spotlight on Chicago - in positive and negative light - like its ninth season (aired 2011-2012) did.
In that season, much of it filmed in Texas, six out of 16 contestants were chefs in Chicago restaurants. High tension, bullying and clique mentality were the narrative threads, and a Chicago chef was in contention up until the final minutes of the show - when Sarah Grueneberg of Spiaggia took second place behind winner Paul Qui.
After that season, those six chefs returned to their Chicago restaurants with the added distinction of being reality television celebrities. Two years later, the glimmer of stardom has faded, but all six are still involved in the food world. Not all in restaurants, not all in Chicago. And television wasn't the easy ticket to fame and fortune many expected.
Where are they now? Tribune reporter Kevin Pang tracks down the six for an update.
Richie Farina
Then: Sous chef, Moto
Now: Executive Chef, Moto
What's new: Richie Farina said his life has been "turned upside down" since "Top Chef," and he probably meant that in the good sense. A sous chef at Moto at the time of the show, Farina now leads the kitchen - its Executive Chef - and the Fulton Market restaurant has earned one Michelin star for two years running. Farina will also be getting married in October.
In his own words: "I became a nationally recognized figure, which was different at first, but now I'm used to it. Lots of financial opportunities have come along, and my career as a chef has been springboarded by at least five years. I was on the show for only two full episodes, but made a big enough impact on people that I still get recognized two years after the fact. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given by getting on the show." — Photo by Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune, Feb. 27, 2014
Sarah Grueneberg
Then: Chef de cuisine, Spiaggia
Now: Consultant, owner/chef of forthcoming unnamed Chicago restaurant
What's new: When it was announced last November that Spiaggia would be closing for half a year to undergo renovations, Sarah Grueneberg - "Top Chef" runner-up - thought it'd be the ideal time to step away. She's wanted to open her own Italian restaurant for a while, and with financial backing in place, she's now looking for the right space with an eye to open this winter. But she's doing so in sunny Florida, where she's currently menu consulting for a mom 'n' pop restaurant near Naples. "The weather doesn't make me not miss Chicago," she said. "I'm starting to get a bit homesick."
In her own words: "I wouldn't be thinking about opening my new place if not for the show. In terms of recognition, it's definitely died down. But being in southwest Florida now, there aren't a lot of (contestants from the show), so you go to the market and it's like being on 'Top Chef' all over again. So it's nice. But I want to get back as soon as possible. We still have our apartment in Chicago. I'm still a Chicagoan." — Photo by Virginia Sherwood/Bravo, Jan. 14, 2012
Chris Jones
Then: Chef de cuisine, Moto
Now: Culinary director of innovation, Hampton Creek Foods
What's new: Chris Jones left his molecular gastronomic sandbox to go save the world. Four months after the "Top Chef" finale, he left his high-profile position at Moto to join an upstart San Francisco-area company called Hampton Creek Foods as its culinary director of innovation. The company is a combination tech startup and sustainable foods research group financially backed by Bill Gates, and Jones' first project involved reinventing mayonnaise. In particular: How to make mayonnaise taste like mayonnaise without using battery cage eggs? "There's a lot of cruelty going on with animals," Jones said. "It takes 16 eggs to make 1 gallon of mayo. We can find a better way." Jones and his team found a yellow split pea grown in Canada that acts like an emulsifier, and now their "Just Mayo" is sold in 48 states, including Whole Foods in Illinois.
In his own words: "I'm still working the same hours as in a kitchen, but it's a different kind of excitement. When I was at Moto, it was all about creating the perfect dish. What we did for 200 people, we want to do for 2 million. I'm not very good at riding P.R., but if I can use my P.R. at this point, it's to use my platform to try to make a difference in fixing our (food system) besides just being local and sustainable. I have my little girl, and I keep thinking one day she'll say, 'Wow, Dad, you did it.'" — Photo by Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune, March 5, 2012
Beverly Kim
Then: Chef de cuisine, Aria
Now: Part-time culinary instructor at Kendall College; chef/owner of upcoming Parachute in Avondale
What's new: After leaving Aria at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel, Beverly Kim attempted to scale luxury Korean in Logan Square at the Michelin-starred Bonsoiree. Within months, that experiment failed, and soon Kim received an unexpected call from Kendall College about teaching its culinary students. Kim, an alumna of the school, agreed to teach one quarter - and ended up staying for much of 2013. But her focus has always been to open her own restaurant, and she will do so this spring in Avondale: A collaboration called Parachute with her chef husband, John Clark.
In her own words: "The most phenomenal thing that's happened since 'Top Chef' is getting recognition from my own family. That's the most important transition. Even at Aria, my parents were telling me, 'You sure you don't want to go back to school?' I've always been the financial weak link of my family - we have chiropractors and news anchors. But now, my parents feel like, 'Yeah, our daughter's going to be fine.' As far as getting recognized, things have fizzled down after two years. It's sort of random how people will give me the double take. They'll say, 'I feel like I know you from somewhere. Are you a doctor or a nurse?' It's always a doctor or a nurse; I don't know if it's the Asian stereotype. But it's happening less now." — Photo by Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune, Feb. 27, 2014
Heather Terhune
Then: Executive chef, Sable Kitchen & Bar
Today: Executive chef, Sable Kitchen & Bar
What's new: Of the six Chicago chefs, Heather Terhune has held the steadiest career ¿ she's remained executive chef at River North's Sable Kitchen & Bar, which turns 4 this month. "Top Chef" did open the door for outside opportunities - she worked as a cooking consultant and became a touring spokeswoman for Chicago Cutlery. Now, with the restaurant cruising along, Terhune said she's taking more time off to explore the world and bring back ideas to her kitchen.
In her own words: "Being on 'Top Chef,' I learned so much about myself and my cooking style. I learned a lot from my competitors. I know I'm never going to work at Alinea. My food is very simple, and I cook very American; more rustic, not so refined. I still go back to my training in classic French techniques. A lot of cooks don't know how to do it - braising, charcuterie, frenching a rack of lamb - and it's a bit scary. What I've been focusing is on teaching, and that's something I love to do. The nasty (comments from viewers)? That all dissipated once the show ended." — Photo by Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune, Feb. 26, 2014
Chuy Valencia
Then: Owner and chef, Chilam Balam
Now: Looking to open small-plates Mexican restaurant in Sonoma County, Calif.
What's new: Chuy Valencia was only supposed to be in Chicago for three months. He was completing an internship with Rick Bayless when he was plucked to run his own kitchen. A year turned into two, which turned into eight. He appeared on "Top Chef," eventually sold his share of Chilam Balam, and had a high-profile position fall through. "I had no girlfriend, no money, no job, no future here. So I thought, 'OK, I'll move back with my parents.' And I was done with the weather." Valencia moved back to Santa Rosa, Calif., last April, and now - with his parents as investors - he's searching for a restaurant space to cook what he calls "punk rock Mexican."
In his own words: "I was sick of going on the CTA, and people tapping me on my shoulder while I had headphones on asking if I was the guy from TV. You accept that as part of the deal, but I was tired of it. I lost a really good girlfriend because of it. I went into this horrible drinking and drug problem afterward. I really hated how before the show, people would say, 'You're a great chef,' and after the show, they'd only say things like, 'You're funny on TV.' As a chef, that messes with your ego and stomps on your emotions. Now in California, life's perfect. Every morning, I make a pot of coffee, smoke my medical weed and look out at the beautiful Sonoma Valley. I've learned to slow down." — Photo by Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune, March 5, 2012
