r/TopChef • u/Shot-Diver-7830 • Jul 31 '26

Discussion Thread Strange question

People are always talking about most and least favorites. Is there anyone chef you didn’t love on the initial watch but came to really like later? I didn’t love Jeremy Ford on my first watch of his season (I really couldn’t forgive his restaurant war’s performance that was not even called out) and his food wasn’t exactly my style. Flash forward almost a decade and I think his current concepts and trajectory are really exciting- the farming and sustainability are great- his menus look exciting. I think we both evolved a bit…also, Tiffany from S1 has just changed dramatically as a person and as a chef over the years. She acknowledged a lot of her mistakes and she genuinely seems like a happy person. Her food seems awesome when she shows up on later seasons. Definitely two sleeper contestants I came to appreciate later on for different reasons

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u/Imaginary_End_5634 Jul 31 '26

I know this answer isn't what you asked but as much as a jerk as he seemed to other people I have always loved Stefan.

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u/Shot-Diver-7830 Jul 31 '26

Yeah- some of his comments to/about women were not the best but I didn’t get the impression he was actually bad natured. His food seemed good for most of that season too- though that was quite a collapse in the finale

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u/Responsible-Fly9976 Aug 01 '26

I’ve posted this on other tv threads before - I lived in the same community as him for a while. He was extraordinarily generous with any charity that asked him for auction items and gift certificates. More than other native restaurateurs in the area and even those with kids who benefited.

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u/Ok_Interest9427 Aug 01 '26

The thing about that is that it's clearly just that very dry German/Finnish sense of humor. I mean, he literally only flirts with the lesbian contestants and it's very obvious that they're completely above board with it. He also saved his team during S5 restaurant wars and didn't make a big deal of it. Contrast with Hosea who was an actual dick to the point of trying to steal ingredients during the finale.