Official Bravo Description Let the flames begin. Bravo's highly anticipated fourth season of the Emmy Award-nominated No. 1 food show on cable returns with “Top Chef: Chicago,” premiering Wednesday, March 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Get ready to sharpen your knives as the newest crop of 16 rising chefs from across the country take on the windy city. Returning to the kitchen, cookbook author, actress and host Padma Lakshmi presides over the judge’s table alongside head judge Tom Colicchio, renowned culinary figure and chef/ owner, Craft Restaurants, judge Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine, and judge Ted Allen, Emmy-winning cookbook author and TV personality. In what will prove to be the most exciting season yet, some of the biggest and most respected chefs will guest star on “Top Chef: Chicago.”

Season 4:
Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Better (Aired: 3/12/08)
Zoo Food (Aired: 3/19/08)
Block Party (Aired: 3/26/08)

Host: Padma Lakshmi
Judges: Tom Colicchio
Ted Allen
Gail Simmons

Chicago Contestants:
- Andrew, 30 - Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Resides in N.Y. C.
- Antonia, 31 - Hometown/Resides in: Los Angeles, Calif.
- Dale, 29 - Hometown: Chicago, Ill.; Resides in N.Y.
- Erik, 38 - Hometown: Chappaqua, N.Y.; Resides in San Francisco, Calif.
- Jennifer, 35 - Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.; Resides in San Francisco, Calif.
- Lisa, 27 – Hometown: Toronto, Canada; Resides in N.Y.C.
- Manuel, 33 - Hometown: Laredo, Texas; Resides in N.Y.C.
- Mark, 29 - Hometown: Invercargill, New Zealand; Resides in N.Y.C.
- Nikki, 35 - Hometown/Resides in: N.Y.C.
- Nimma, 26 - Hometown: Peachtree City, Ga.; Resides in Atlanta, Ga.
- Richard, 35 - Hometown: Uniondale, N.Y.; Resides in Atlanta, Ga.
- Ryan, 28 - Hometown: Los Banos, Calif.; Resides in San Francisco, Calif.
- Spike, 27 – Hometown: Clearwater Beach, FL; Resides in Williamsburg, N.Y.
- Stephanie, 31 - Hometown: Stamford, Conn.; Resides in Chicago, Ill.
- Valerie, 32 - Hometown/Resides in: Chicago, Ill.
- Zoi, 30, - Hometown: Seattle, Wash.; Resides in San Francisco, Calif.