Where You've Seen Food Network's Tournament of Champions All-Star Chefs Before

Before Food Network's new all-star competition Tournament of Champions gets underway on Wednesday, March 4, find out where you've seen the chef contestants before.

By Billy Nilles Mar 04, 2020 12:00 PMTags
Tournament of Champions Chefs, Richard Blais, Antonia Lofaso, Maneet Chauhan, Rocco DiSpiritoGetty Images/E! Illustration

There's a new level of competition coming to Food Network.

On Wednesday, March 4, the network that brought us Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games and a seemingly never-ending array of baking championships will give foodies a March Madness all their own with the premiere of Tournament of Champions.

The five-part tournament will pit 16 of the nation's most celebrated chef—nominated on social media last fall by fans after host and executive producer Guy Fieri asked for input on who deserved to fight it out in an East Coast vs. West Coast tournament—into head-to-head, single elimination bracket-style competition, where a randomizer machine determines the protein, produce, equipment, cooking style and time for each of the cook-offs. 

"The NFL has the Super Bowl, MLB has the World Series, NBA has The Finals. And now Food Network has Tournament of Champions - the ultimate culinary championship to establish once and for all, who rules America's kitchen," Fieri said in a press release when the show was announced in January.

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While the chefs enter the competition blind, not knowing who their opponents will be or what sort of challenges they'll have to face, viewers will likely recognize many of culinary forces repping their respective coasts. Before you tune in, meet the 16 all-star chefs and find out just where you may have seen them before!

Maneet Chauhan

Fans may have seen this chef and cook book author, repping the East Coast on Tournament of Champions, in her role as a judge on Chopped. She's also appeared as a competitor in season three of The Next Iron Chef and a 2016 all-star tournament on Guy's Grocery Games.

Rocco DiSpirito

The celeb chef and cookbook author, a Queens native repping the East Coast, was featured in the 2003 NBC reality series The Restaurant, which followed the launch of a new Manhattan eatery. He's also hosted shows on Bravo (Rocco's Dinner Party) and Food Network (Restaurant Divided), appeared as a guest judge on Top Chef and a commentator on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and made the daytime TV rounds on shows like The View, Rachael Ray, and Good Morning America.

Alex Guarnaschelli

The New York City-based chef and cook book author began her TV career as a competitor on an episode of Iron Chef America in 2007. Since then, she's competed on The Next Iron Chef and The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, regularly appeared as a judge on Chopped, fronted Alex's Day Off in 2009, made appearances countless other Food Network shows, on and currently hosts competition series Supermarket Stakeout, now in its second season. She's also played herself on scripted shows The Real O'Neals, Young & Hungry and Billions.

Elizabeth Falkner

The pastry chef and cook book author, a NYC transplant repping the East Coast, has competed on Top Chef Masters, The Next Iron Chef, Kitchen Inferno and Guy's Grocery Games, served as a guest judge on Top Chef and its spinoff Just Desserts, Top Chef Canada and Donut Showdown, and appeared on The Best Thing I Ever Ate and Unique Sweets.

Darnell Ferguson

The Louisville-based chef repping the East Coast won Food Network's Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge in 2018 and has appeared on Rachael Ray, Beat Bobby Flay and Guy's Grocery Games.

Amanda Freitag

Fans will recognize the New York-based chef from her role as a judge on Chopped, her stints competing on The Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, and her hosting work on the short-lived American Diner Revival.

Marc Murphy

The Italian-born, NYC-based chef and restaurateur serves as a regular judge on Chopped. He's also appeared on Iron Chef America, Guy's Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, Unique Eats, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Rachael Ray and Today, among others.

Christian Petroni

Another chef repping the East Coast, fans may recognize Christian Petroni from his joint win of Food Network Star season 14. He's also both competed on and judged Chopped, while making several appearances on The Kitchen.

Richard Blais

Fans will recognize the So Cal-based restauranteur and cook book author from his stint on Top Chef season four and his win on Top Chef: All-Stars in 2010. He returned to the Bravo show as a recurring judge in seasons 12 and 13. On the Food Network, he's repeatedly appeared as both a judge and competitor on Guy's Grocery Games, while hosting Hungry Games and Halloween Baking Championship.

Eric Greenspan

The L.A.-based restaurateur has competed on The Next Iron Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, and Guy's Grocery Games, while making appearances on Guy's Ranch Kitchen, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Food Network Star and more.

Antonia Lofaso

Since rising to prominence on season four of Top Chef, the L.A.-based chef and restaurateur has returned to the Bravo series for 2010's All-Stars and 2014 off-shoot Duels. She's also appeared on Game Show Network's short-lived Beat the Chefs, served as an adviser on CNBC's Restaurant Startup, has judged Cutthroat Kitchen and Guy's Grocery Games, and appeared on The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Beau MacMillan

Since hosting the first season of Worst Cooks in America in 2010, the L.A.-based chef, repping the West Coast on Tournament of Champions, has competed on The Next Iron Chef, judged Guy's Grocery Games, and made countless appearances on The Best thing I Ever Ate.

Jet Tila

The L.A.-based chef and restaurateur has appeared on Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, Iron Chef America, Guy's Grocery Games and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Marcel Vigneron

After gaining prominent as the runner-up of Top Chef season two, the L.A.-based restaurateur and caterer known for his molecular gastronomy cooking style landed a short-lived Syfy series, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, in 2011, before returning to compete on Top Chef: All-Stars. He's also competed on The Next Iron Chef and Cutthroat Kitchen, while appearing as a judge on America's Best Cooks, Iron Chef America and Guy's Grocery Games.

Michael Voltaggio

The L.A.-based chef and restaurateur known best for competing against his brother Bryan Voltaggio on and eventually winning season of Top Chef has appeared as a guest judge on Hell's Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, and Family Food Showdown. He's also appeared on such scripted fare as Suburgatory, Marry Me and Young & Hungry.

Brooke Williamson

After coming in second place on Top Chef: Seattle in 2012, the L.A.-based chef and restaurateur returned to the series in 2016, where she won. She's since returned as a guest judge, while also serving as a regular judge on MTV's short-lived House of Food in 2014.

Tournament of Champions premieres Wednesday, March 4 at 10 p.m. on Food Network.