Top Lesbian Chef

By now you’ve probably heard that “Top Chef” has filled the enormous Padma Lakshmi-shaped hole on the series with none other than former “Top Chef” champ Kristen Kish. Obviously this is great news, not just because Kristen is a famous queer chef, but also because for once a beloved TV competition franchise has made the absolute correct call when replacing a departed beloved iconic original host.

Admittedly, I had stopped watching TC right before Kristen’s season because of its until-then egregious record on winning female contestants. That it took 10 seasons to get two female Top Chef champions, well, it irked me then and irks me still.

Anyway, after the latest news I decided to watch Kristen’s season for the first time and thanks to my Peacock subscription that I always forget I have, I was able to binge over the weekend and catch up to 11 years ago. Damn, I forgot how addictive this show can be. I also forgot how irritating it continues to be to see mediocre male chefs get chance after chance when talented female chefs always seemed to be sent packing after their first mistakes. Whoops, I was going to stop grumbling about that. Where was I?

The other thing that I didn’t realize is that Kristen wasn’t out at the time her season aired. In fact, the show made an explicit point of pointing out (I mean, hey even repeated it again in the finale!) that Kristen and her “roommate” and fellow cheftestant Stephanie Cmar were NOT lesbianing together despite their best friend status and matching tattoos and living in the same building thing. Granted, it is up to every single individual person when to come out. It must be done on their own time and in their own way. She came out two years later in an instagram post celebrating the one-year anniversary with her girlfriend.

Kristen has said in interviews that she had always known she was gay, and not being out during her season of TC wasn’t about fear of her family or friends’ reactions, but just her own “insecurities” at the time. Also, it’s a reminder that 11 years ago is in terms of LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance is a long ass time ago. Her season aired three years before marriage equality was the law of the land (well, at least for now – we all know they’re gunning for Obergefell) and she still came out the year before the historic SCOTUS case.

The other thing I didn’t realize about Kristen is that she is an international adoptee, like me. That makes us both “white Asian,” as she coined during her season. Anyway, I think we should be friends. We’re both adopted, she’s a great cook and I greatly like to eat. Also, I would totally wear that unhinged-looking mosquito net head bag that she took to the rainforest on her new Disney+ show. See, so much in common!

Right, back to my rambling point. While I’m of course a Padma LUVR 4LYFE, I think I just might start back up watching “Top Chef” with Kristen on board. She is a talented chef, a charismatic host (“Restaurants at the End of the World” was an engaging showcase of her TV bona fides), completely not terrible to look at (ahem), and continues to bring welcome diversity of all kinds back to the series. I also can’t wait to hear her tell chefs to “Pack your knives and go!”