Grayson Schmitz

Seventeen chefs converge in Los Angeles for a shot at culinary stardom; first, the chefs face off in a quick-fire challenge, then they make dishes for a group of food critics and reporters to survive the first elimination round.

During the Restaurant Wars, the chefs must open their restaurants for both lunch and dinner services, which results in twice the drama.

In San Diego, the chefs cook up high-end tacos for Mexican chef Javier Plascencia; at Juniper and Ivy, the contestants serve up mouthwatering dishes to complement their handcrafted microbrews.

In Palm Springs, model Chrissy Teigen entices the contestants to make their best "date" dishes; the chefs cater a wedding for 25 gay couples in an elimination challenge.

In Palm Springs, Calif., world-renowned chef Jose Andres instructs the contestants to use solar-powered stoves; then, the chefs must avoid culinary sand traps when they cook on a golf course.

The chefs travel through San Francisco's Chinatown, winding up at chef Martin Yan's M.Y. China restaurant, where they use woks; then Umami Burger restaurateur Adam Fleischman tasks the chefs to create their own fast-casual restaurant concept.