For Top Chef's ninth season, the competition will take place in Texas and will feature a record number of chefs.
Nearly double the usual number of chefs will enter Bravo's cooking competition, but only sixteen chefs will actually get the opportunity to cook their way across the state of Texas, with culinary stop-overs in cities like San Antonio and Houston.
Top Chef Texas will also differ from previous seasons in another way. Joining returning judges Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons are two new judges: famed chef Emeril Lagasse (who owns thirteen restaurants) and award-winning chef Hugh Acheson.
The two chefs will bring local expertise to the Texas judge's table: Lagasse is steeped in the Cajun cuisine of New Orleans; while Acheson is known for his fresh approach to Southern food.
Meanwhile, guest judges for Top Chef Texas will include actress Charlize Theron, singer Patti LaBelle and Iron Chef Cat Cora.
Top Chef Texas premieres November 2nd and airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 10/9PM Central.
