As “Top Chef” begins its 23rd season, two Detroit chefs will be among the competitors.
Jennifer Lee Jackson and Justin Tootla will compete on the new season, marking the first time the show has featured “life partners who co-own and operate a restaurant” together, according to Bravo.
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The duo made their mark on Metro Detroit’s dining scene in 2017 with the opening of Voyager in Ferndale, a seafood-forward restaurant that quickly earned national acclaim.
In 2020, they followed it up with Bunny Bunny in Detroit. Despite launching during the uncertainty of the pandemic, the restaurant garnered similar praise.
Most recently, the pair served as consultants and co-executive chefs at Gilchrist Farm Winery in Suttons Bay. Since then, they have been traveling and consulting while searching for Bunny Bunny’s next home, according to Bravo. Recently, Bunny Bunny took over the kitchen at the Shelby, a popular Downtown Detroit cocktail bar, from Feb. 11-14.
After getting his bachelor’s degree in fine arts and spending several years traveling, Tootla discovered his passion for cooking and went on to train at the Culinary Institute of America, where he met Jackson. He completed an externship at the three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin in New York, then worked in notable kitchens across the country, including under “Top Chef” finalist Kelly Liken in Colorado and at Eva in Los Angeles, according to Bravo.
After years of gaining experience nationwide, he returned to the Midwest, leading kitchens including Thank You Chinese and Lost Lake in Chicago.
Originally from Georgia, Jackson discovered her culinary passion while cooking at a restaurant while she was in college. After being mentored by that restaurant’s chef, she decided to attend the Culinary Institute of America. After that, she also worked in New York, training under Chef Gabrielle Hamilton, before heading to Colorado, Chicago, and then Detroit.
This season of “Top Chef” features 15 chefs from across the country, each competing for the $250,000 grand prize, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and other high-profile opportunities. The cast also includes identical twin chefs and life partners competing against each other.
Season 23 will be set primarily in Charlotte, North Carolina, with several episodes filmed in Greenville, South Carolina. Returning to the judges’ table are head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons, alongside Michigan native and Season 10 winner Kristen Kish, who will serve as the show’s host.
The new season premieres March 9 on Bravo, with episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.
In addition to Kish, some of the other chefs with Michigan ties who have competed on previous seasons of “Top Chef” include Season 12 winner Mei Lin of Dearborn; Sarah Welch, of Marrow in Detroit and Umbo in Traverse City; and James Rigato, of Mabel Gray.