Bravo’s “Top Chef,” a reality television cooking show, made a stop in Greenville for one of its Season 23 episodes.
Titled “The Ultimate Dinner Party,” the episode aired May 4 and brought the eight remaining chefs to compete in two challenges at Soby’s, which is located on South Main Street.
The Quickfire Challenge required the chefs to compete against each other to create an appetizer using Duke’s Mayo, while the participants had to work together as a team to craft individual dishes for the Elimination Challenge’s eight-course meal. Duke’s Mayo was created in Greenville and is still produced in Greenville County.
The challenges were attended by various guests, including Carl Sobocinski, founder and president of Table 301 Restaurant Group; Babette Jones, CEO and founder of Six Nineteen of 1865; Khailing Neoh, owner of Sum Bar; Carrie Morey, founder and owner of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit; Tarcy Harger, pastry chef at Soby’s; Joe Cash, chef and owner of Scoundrel and Jorge Barrales Jr., co-owner of Papi’s Tacos.
Sobocinski also served as guest judge alongside of fellow guest judge Shuai Wang, a South Carolina local and “Top Chef” season 22 finalist, as well as host Kristen Kish and judge Gail Simmons.
“It was a huge honor to represent Greenville and Soby’s on this season’s ‘Top Chef’ episode filmed here at Soby’s,” said Sobocinski. “There were times that I was nervous and times that I was simply in awe of not only the chef participants but also the judges and entire production crew. I had no idea what went into filming an episode of the show and was simply blown away at all the production. Having finally viewed the episode I couldn’t be more happy and proud of our city for how amazing it looks on ‘Top Chef.’”
Oscar Diaz of Durham, North Carolina was eliminated at the end of the episode, while Anthony Jones of Alexandria, Virginia, won the Quickfire Challenge and Laurence Louie of Quincy, Massachusetts, was the victor in the Elimination Challenge.
“Top Chef” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bravo with episodes available on Peacock starting on Tuesdays. Season 23 of the show is based in Charlotte, North Carolina with visits to Greenville for several episodes.
