Top Chefs 2023

Top Chefs 2023
0

Every year, I think there is no way Top Chefs can get any better, but every year it does. That is due to the chefs who pull out all the stops to create innovative offerings that wow their guests. This year, three new restaurants joined the mix: Fire & Salt, Point B, and Tako Taco. Regardless of the number of years each chef has participated, they all brought the culinary experience to new heights. In the end, the results were so close that we had to recount the ballots several times. After we finished, we not only named winners in appetizer, entree, dessert, and experience, but a compilation of each chef’s numbers allowed us to also name a champion. Congratulations to Bistro by the Tracks’ Chef Robert McDonald III on this accomplishment.

One final note: Top Chefs serves not only as a forum for chefs to compete, but also as a fundraiser for our friends at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Thank you to everyone who came out to support.  

The 2023 Winners

CHAMPION
Robert McDonalds, Bistro by the Tracks
1st Runner Up – Chirs Cummins & Noah Goodfriend, Point B
2nd Runner Up – Deron Little & Austin Altena, Seasons

APPETIZER
1ST PLACE – Alex Gass, Fire & Salt
2ND PLACE – Darin Hoagland, Oliver Royale
3RD PLACE – Deron Little & Austin Altena, Seasons

ENTREE
1ST PLACE – Robert McDonald, Bistro by the Tracks
2ND PLACE – Chirs Cummins & Noah Goodfriend, Point B
3RD PLACE – Alex Gass, Fire & Salt

DESSERT
1ST PLACE – Jason Scott, Lonesome Dove
2ND PLACE – Chirs Cummins & Noah Goodfriend, Point B
3RD PLACE – Darin Hoagland, Oliver Royale

EXPERIENCE
1ST PLACE – Deron Little & Austin Altena, Seasons
2ND PLACE – Robert McDonald, Bistro by the Tracks
3RD PLACE – Chirs Cummins & Noah Goodfriend, Point B

2023 Top Chefs

Chefs Chris Cummins & Noah Goodfriend | Point B

Noah Goodfriend started bussing tables at O’ Charley’s in high school. He waited at TGI Friday’s and Mellow Mushroom, then applied at the Pizza Kitchen on Northshore. “They
Read More…

Chef Robert McDonald | Bistro by the Tracks

Bistro By the Tracks Chef Robert McDonald III grew up in Fountain City. His grandfather Bob was a TVA engineer. His father Robert practices family medicine in Spartanburg,
Read More…

Chefs Deron Little & Austin Altena | Seasons Innovative Bar & Grille

Chef Deron Little started Seasons Innovative Bar & Grille in 2013 and made it a perennial Top Chefs contender and winner. “He’s very traditional, very innovative, a
Read More…

Chef Alex Gass | Fire & Salt

Fire & Salt Chef and Proprietor Alex Gass grew up in Oak Ridge, helping his aunt, mother, and grandmother feed hundreds at the Kern United Methodist Church. He also
Read More…

Chef Jason Scott | Lonesome Dove

Lonesome Dove Executive Chef Jason Scott once wrote in his personal notebook, “If you cook with passion in your heart, success will always follow.” No coincidence that he has
Read More…

Chef Darin Hoagland | Oliver Royale

Oliver Royale Executive Chef Darin Hoagland’s culinary lineage goes back to his Grandpa Joe Bettencourt, who gave up life as a Yellowstone-type cattleman to become owner and
Read More…

Chefs Jesse Newmister & Lucas Trombley | Tako Taco

Jesse Newmister is a chef comfortable in many genres. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, he yearned to break away from the regional fare. “Any cuisine that’s not German in Terre
Read More…
Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.