Pack Your Knives

We're back for episode four of Track Your Knives, the data-driven Top Chef companion podcast brought to you by Pack Your Knives. Carly and Kendra are here to break down YOUR power rankings and fantasy league results. This week, in addition to our typical debrief of the episode, we talk about the answer to the bonus question: How many times will people mention that Tom hates Okra? Now that Last Cha...

Tom got to eat the food! On this episode, Tom shares his experience of eating the Top Chef “Southern Sides” elimination challenge and why the edit was so different than his own meal. With Tristan Epps-Long back on the show, Sara and Tom run through the the surprising underdog story of the quickfire. Sara tells Tom Colicchio to stop lying about his least favorite food :) and explains how timing is...

We're back for episode three of Track Your Knives, the data-driven Top Chef companion podcast brought to you by Pack Your Knives. Carly and Kendra are here to break down YOUR power rankings and fantasy league results from episode 3. If you're just finding us, head over to find-topchef.com to submit your power rankings and play along, and subscribe at packyourknives.com for deeper weekly insights....

With Supperland hosting Top Chef this week, Tom and Sara took their talents to Supperland in Charlotte to recap the episode. Liver mush. An incomplete dish. Flaccid pork. Live in person, Tom and Sara together break down the episode with the help of Supperland’s Jamie Brown, who welcomed the Top Chef crew to her restaurant in Plaza Midwood. Tom and Sara didn’t hold back. With Jamie Brown on the sho...

We're back for episode two of Track Your Knives, the data-driven Top Chef companion podcast brought to you by Pack Your Knives. Carly and Kendra are here to break down YOUR power rankings and fantasy league results from episode 2. If you're just finding us, head over to find-topchef.com to submit your power rankings and play along, and subscribe at packyourknives.com for deeper weekly insights. Th...

Tom Haberstroh and Sara Bradley turn up the heat and break down the trip to Puckerbutt with Mei Lin, Smokin’ Ed Currie and Noah Chaimberg of The Heatonist. Sara reveals her shocking distaste for a certain culinary treat as PYK tries to salvage any sponsorship opportunities to the show. We also watch a 2021 YouTube video of Tom eating a dried Carolina Reaper from Puckerbutt. Tom can attest: “If it...

This season, PYK is bringing you a second weekly Top Chef podcast. Carly and Kendra will be summarizing and analyzing YOUR power rankings and fantasy leagues! If you haven’t yet, head over to find-topchef.com to sign up and become a subscriber on https://www.packyourknives.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get additional data-driven insights on Top Chef. 00:00 Hello and welcome! 04:55 First episode, first impressi...

The first segment of a six-part Savor Charlotte with Tom Haberstroh series presented by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Tom sits down with Charlotte chef and food competition guru Chris Coleman of Built On Hospitality who explains why it's a great time for Top Chef to spotlight the emerging Charlotte food scene. Also, Chris shares the secrets of performing in food competitions and his l...

Tom Haberstroh and new co-host Sara Bradley break down a dramatic season premiere of Top Chef 23 Carolinas, which was released exclusively on Peacock March 3rd. Tom and Sara get to know the contestants and react to one of the biggest meltdowns in Top Chef history, saved by an impromptu rescue mission from one of the judges. New for this season, the couple and twin dynamics already have Tom and Sar...

On a hot summer morning, Tom received a long text message from Sara. In it, Sara explained that she nerded out and wrote down a list of dishes she predicts will be on Top Chef Carolinas. From Appalachian fine dining to hyper-seasonal sustainability, Sara drew upon the unique ingredients of the South and even sketched out the Restaurant Wars restaurant themes and menus. After it all, Tom rethinks w...

To get us hyped for Season 23 Carolinas, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons joins the pod and coaches Tom about what it's like to "host" Top Chef in your home city (/country). The Canadian shares a bee-hind the scenes incident in Calgary last season and revels in Tom's LeBron comparison. Finally, Tom and Gail each give a scouting report on Charlotte's restaurant scene and what makes the Queen City unique...

That's right, a blind draft. In person! Top Chef has taken their talents to Tom's home city of Charlotte, which presents a new draft twist. With the possibility that Tom (and Sara) might be attending some challenge tapings in the fall, they got their hands on the contestant list early and drafted immediately to maintain integrity of the show. Yes, for the first time ever, the PYK draft was held be...

We have a trailer! We have a cast! We have a premiere date! Tom and new co-host Sara Bradley are joined by PYK contributors Carly Levitz and Kendra McClanahan to break it all down and make some big announcements about PYK coverage this season (fantasy leagues and power rankings!). We talk about the twins and the married couple on this season and how those relationships may play out on Top Chef. We...

With Top Chef Carolinas on tap, we have a big announcement to make. In this special offseason episode, we welcome Top Chef finalist Sara Bradley to the team and preview Season 23 by taking turns predicting challenges in Charlotte, NC and Greenville, SC. Bradley sheds light about her time living in Charlotte and cutting her teeth at Johnson & Wales. Tom reveals childhood culinary trauma and Sara re...

Making his highly-anticipated debut on Pack Your Knives, Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps talks to Tom Haberstroh about his epic performance on Top Chef and why the Afro-Caribbean chef is jealous about the upcoming Top Chef Carolinas. The globetrotter explains what Top Chef greatness looks like, sets the record straight on the supposed Massimo beef (?) and what he envisions for his new resta...

Tom Haberstroh is over the moon upon discovering that Top Chef Season 23 will be filmed in his own backyard! On Wednesday, it was announced that “Top Chef Carolinas” will have Charlotte, NC as the hub city. Tom sheds light on Charlotte ties to Top Chef alums Tristen Epps, Sara Bradley, Jamie Lynch, Sam Talbot and Eric Adjepong. Subscribe to the PYK Substack!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.packyourknives.com/...

After Tom and Eric watch the season finale at his restaurant in DC, they host the podcast recap in front of a live audience, a joyous crowd that included the winner’s brother and Season 22 contestant Corwin Hemming. Tom and Eric discuss the significance of the winner’s impressive victory and take stock in the winner’s entire season. Eric shares his personal thoughts on the legacy of the winner’s a...

Viva Finale. With one episode to go, Tom (now an honorary Ghanaian citizen) and Eric break down the Milan Finale Part 1 with the help of Carly Levitz who shares her analysis on the history of risotto on Top Chef. Is the curse of risotto overrated, underrated or properly rated? One chef's out-of-box thinking gets the best of them and the finale will decide which fantasy team wins: Team Eric or Team...

Ahead of their Season Finale Watch Party announcement (June 12th at Elmina! Get your tickets now!), Tom and Eric wax poetic about the Quarry Lake episode. This hour of Top Chef had it all. Tom and Eric recap what they consider one of the greatest episodes of the series' history. While getting choked up on air, Eric explains why he got so emotional watching the Quarry Lake episode and especially th...

And then there were five. With one episode left before the two-part finale, Eric Adjepong and Tom Haberstroh break down the Calgary episode (Yahoo!). As the contestants wrangle with beef and berries, Tom and Eric weigh in on the most underrated cut of the cow and the best preparation at a steakhouse. How exactly we did Massimo make that fancy Fruit Roll-up? A rivalry emerges and three chefs separa...

Last Chance Kitchen is over. Eric Adjepong is back. And the show wraps up Toronto. A returnee comes back into the competition and gets revenge on the competitors. Adjepong shares his thoughts on Tristen at Restaurant Wars and what he took from the last two weeks while he was off air. Tom and Eric can’t help but laugh at the “hot garbage” quickfire while we wonder how sustainable Tristen’s lead mig...

Buddha, Kevin and Tom oh my! Back for more, Kevin Arnovitz returns to the stage with Tom Haberstroh to flex their mussels and talk Top Chef post-Restaurant Wars. With no more immunity on the table, they discuss the reintroduction of last year’s rule that Quickfires are now part of judges table. Plus, Buddha Lo joins the show to share insights from his high seat at judge’s table in Toronto. After g...

Restaurant Wars is here and so is Kevin Arnovitz! With Eric Adjepong on film leave, Arnovitz steps back into the chair to break down an emotional and tragic Restaurant Wars episode and offer his big-picture thoughts on the Destination Canada season as a whole. Where is Tristen Epps in the pantheon? When did the losing team squander their moment? What's the best way to eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch? An...

OK, it’s time to talk about a certain chef in this competition. With the dominant stretch in the middle of Destination Canada, Tom and Eric discuss where the elimination-challenge winner places statistically and stylistically among the all-time greats. Names like Buddha Lo, Kristen Kish and Brooke Williamson are conjured up. Eric reveals the one chef that made him stand in awe during one of his co...

Eric Adjepong starts his victory lap trot after another disastrous week for Team Tom. Everyone at PYK is on Team Pickle.  Haberstroh and Adjepong unpack the mistake-ridden episode of Top Chef while simultaneously bowing down to the greatness of two of Adjepong's chefs (Tristen and César). Eric also sheds light on the fashion do's-and-don'ts of Top Chef and the food TV world.  After his trip to NYC...