Pod Chef

Reaves flexes his intellectual muscles by sharing a clip from his guest spot on the Ezra Klein podcast. This week on Pod Chef, the boys are back to recap Top Chef S11E08 “Piggin Out.” But before we talk Bravo, Reaves makes Jamal and Bryan listen to a clip from his guest appearance on the Ezra Klein podcast. After we review Top Chef Season 11, Episode 8 “Piggin Out.” ⏱️ EPISODE MENU (Timestamps) 00...

Jamal goes solo for an impromptu, one-on-one interview with world-renowned Chef Seng Luangrath for a special mid-week second helping of the podcast. This week on Pod Chef, we are stepping out of the Bravo universe for an exclusive conversation with a true culinary powerhouse. Jamal sits down with Chef Seng to discuss the origins of Bangkok Golden, the secrets behind Thip Khao's legendary crisp...

The three amigos are back in the studio debating if it is too early for Halloween, and for the first time ever, all three of us actually cooked something for the pod. Then we recap Top Chef S11E07 “Jazz Hands.” EPISODE MENU (Timestamps) 00:00 - Intro & Too Early For Halloween? 13:15 - Chef’s I Prepared For You 43:20 - Top Chef S11E07 Recap Starts: "Jazz Hands" breakdown SUPPORT THE S...

Jamal and Reaves kick things off by telling Bryan all about seeing the movie Aliens together in 70mm. After, the boys recap Top Chef S11E06 "Campfires, Cream Cheese and Countryside."   ⏱️ EPISODE MENU (Timestamps) 00:00 - Intro & Seeing Aliens in 70mm 10:45 - Chef’s I Prepared For You 33:31 - Top Chef S11E06 Recap: "Campfires, Cream Cheese and Countryside" 👇 SUPPORT THE SH...

Bryan is finally back on the mic after a four-week contract dispute, and Jamal is recovering from eating an insane amount of food at a Charlottesville wedding. This week on Pod Chef, the boys are finally reunited! We clear the air on why Bryan was absent for the last month during intense contract negotiations, and Jamal recaps the absolutely massive amount of food he consumed at a recent wedding i...

Jamal and Reaves take full credit for writing the new Anthony Bourdain movie "Tony" before jumping into a stressful elimination-only Top Chef episode. This week on Pod Chef, Jamal and Reaves are holding down the kitchen. We kick things off by reviewing the trailer for "Tony"—the upcoming Anthony Bourdain movie that the boys are definitely claiming to have written. After sharing...

Jamal and Reaves react to Gail Simmons' opening monologue at the 2026 James Beard Awards before heading down to New Orleans for a brutal double elimination. This week on Pod Chef, Jamal and Reaves are holding down the fort to review the double elimination episode that was Top Chef S11E03 “Commander’s Palace.” Before we check in on the competing chefs, the boys react to the opening monologue of...

Reaves somehow got his hands on pages from Tom Colicchio’s unproduced movie script ".Tom." and reads them on air, while Jamal recaps a Jaws-themed movie night. This week on Pod Chef, the boys take a detour into Hollywood. Before we get to the culinary critiques, Reaves does a reading from Tom Colicchio’s script, and Jamal breaks down the menu from his recent Jaws-themed movie night durin...

The boys are back from their summer break, but before we head to the swamp, Reaves is reading our official podcast report card from Tom Colicchio himself. This week on Pod Chef, Jamal and Reaves return from their summer break to kickoff the review of Season 11 of Top Chef. Before we get into the kitchen, Jamal discusses exactly how many subscribers the podcast lost during our hiatus, and Reaves re...

Monique Moses returns to summon the spicy pork and ham man, while Bryan tries to hype up the biggest episode of the season by... talking about jury duty? This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and Reaves are joined by friend of the show Monique Moses to break down the grand finale of Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 14 ("The Final Toast"). Before we crown a winner, Bryan brings the...

The studio equipment tried to eighty-six our last episode, but the line cooks are back to finish service. We reassembled the entire crew to give the fans exactly what they asked for: a complete, uninterrupted breakdown of the latest challenge. This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, Reaves, and special guest Bethany Coan are dedicating the entire episode to Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 13,...

Jamal is finally back in the studio with special guest Bethany Coan, but bringing the unhinged audio from his Hawaiian hostage situation isn't enough to stop the podcast gods from cutting our recap tragically short. This week on Pod Chef, the gang reunites to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 13 ("Plate Expectations"). Before the kitchen heats up, Jamal shares harrow...

Jamal is still MIA after being taken hostage by Sheldon in Hawaii, leaving Bryan to navigate an adult hockey hit before we finally get to the kitchen. This week on Pod Chef, the double trouble continues as Jamal remains stranded during his Hawaiian cruise—presumably still held captive by Sheldon. While we wait for his safe return, Bryan takes the mic to share a brutal reality check of what happens...

Bryan and Reaves are holding down the pod while Jamal is MIA on a Hawaiian cruise hunting for the legendary SPAM Man. This week on Pod Chef, the double trouble continues as Jamal is still off the grid. While we wait for his return, Bryan shows off his new ice cream maker and Reaves talks pizza—a bold move stepping onto Jamal's Detroit-style dough turf while he's out of town. We take a quic...

Alex Kazanas steps in to help us celebrate our 250th episode while Reaves tries to podcast through a lisp caused by a competitive hot dog eating injury. It goes exactly as poorly as you'd expect. This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and a very lispy Reaves are breaking down the newest episode of Bravo's Top Chef. Before we get to the kitchen, we take a massive detour to review Tom Colicchi...

Bryan creates a toxic workplace by ranking his co-hosts on a scale of "loveability," and Jamal flexes on everyone with a bougie first-class airplane food review. This week on Pod Chef, the vibe is instantly ruined when Bryan breaks out his controversial loveability rankings for the trio. After the dust settles, Jamal shares a high-altitude culinary adventure from his recent international...

It's the biggest week of the Bravo calendar: Restaurant Wars! Reaves is actually here for the entire episode, Bryan is still salty about last week's voicemail, and we take full credit for launching our guest's literary career. This week on Pod Chef, the gang is fully assembled and joined by Rosie Grant, author of To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes . After Bryan airs his griev...

Jamal is flying solo this week... well, almost. Improviser and travel aficionado Kate Symes steps in to save the pod, while Bryan calls in from an airport lounge after a wild run-in with past guest Reverend Hun Gary. This week on Pod Chef, Jamal and special guest Kate Symes are holding down the fort to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 7 ("Desserts Fit for a Queen"). Bef...

John Carroll (@ohjohncarroll) drops by the studio to formally audition for Bryan’s job.  Bryan is absolutely furious about it. This week on Pod Chef, the tension is high as special guest John Carroll spends the entire episode correcting Bryan and proving why he should be the new permanent third mic. After the hostile takeover attempt (and a highly specific Wells Fargo plug), Jamal, Reaves, Bryan,...

Friend of the pod Tim Townsend ( Optophobia , Ark ) drops into the studio to talk Top Chef and forces Bryan and Reaves to relive their guest appearance on his show—an event they definitely, 100%, absolutely remember happening. This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and Reaves are joined by Tim Townsend for a massive catch-up. Before we pack our knives, Tim shares some hilarious behind-the-scenes sto...

Sorry for the delay. Your best friends all had some non-podcast stuff going on last week so we're behind... BUT HERE IT IS, YOU ANIMALS! This week Bryan and Reaves talking about the cooking show. Reaves reads a prepared statement and we get REAL about Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 4 ("Pick a Side"). 👇 SUPPORT THE SHOW 👇 If you laughed, hit that Subscribe button so you nev...

Bryan received an official email from Tom Colicchio penalizing us for going over time last week. His punishment? He is only allowed to speak 30 words for the entire first segment of the show. This week on Pod Chef, Jamal has to put the team on his back while Bryan sits in silence. We deal with the ramifications of Tom's strict podcasting rules, Jamal gives his official review of "America&...

Reaves and Bryan go deep into the time Bryan was sued for allegedly hitting a cyclist with his car. Honestly, navigating a lawsuit might be easier than surviving this week's spicy Top Chef challenge. This week on Pod Chef, the boys are back to break down Bravo's Top Chef Season 23, Episode 2 ("Puckerbutt"). We are bringing the heat, dissecting the peppery challenges, and judging exactly which chef...

Season 23 is officially here! We've got a brand new theme song, a brand new season in the Carolinas, and our very first call-in guest, Jeff Ray, reporting live from an actual, functioning payphone. This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and Reaves kick off Bravo's Top Chef Season 23. Before we pack our knives, we welcome back our musical maestro Jeff Ray to catch up. Then, we dive deep into the Seas...

Padma Lakshmi is back on our screens, and we are officially grading her new homework. We break down the series premiere and offer our highly unsolicited (but definitely correct) pitches on how to make the show even better. This week on Pod Chef, Bryan, Jamal, and Reaves step out of the Bravo universe to review the very first episode of former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi’s new show, "America’s...