John Tesar

"Top Chef" kicks off as 21 chefs from around the country enter the kitchens of our judges - Tom Colicchio, Emeril Lagasse, Hugh Acheson and the newest addition, Wolfgang Puck.

15 chefs make it to Seattle. As a surprising twist changes the course of the competition, one chef cranks up the heat her own way, and one turn of the Seattle Space Needle determines who will go home. Guest judge: Tom Douglas

Eight new chefs face off against eight returning chefs in Charleston, S.C.; the new chefs enter the kitchen first to cook as many dishes as possible in one hour using a whole chicken; the veterans square off to re-imagine shrimp and grits.

The chefs must make different varieties of dumplings from all over the world. In the Elimination Challenge, Tom and Emeril don their chef coats and take to the kitchen to lead teams in an epic Thanksgiving battle. Guest judge: Dana Cowin.

Butchery is king as two giant slabs of beef on meat hooks await the chefs for the Quickfire. For the Elimination, the Chefs go back in time as they're tasked with re-creating an original 1950's menu from one of the best restaurants in the country.

The chefs use their skill and imagination to highlight some of the rarest ingredients found at Pike Place Market.