Chad White

With the help of mentors and former competitors, the remaining two chefs face off for the last time, cooking for judges Emeril Lagasse, Dominique Crenn, Jonathan Beno, Hubert Keller, Charlie Palmer, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and for their families.

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

In Oakland, Calif., the chefs cook for rapper MC Hammer, who will judge the dishes; master chef Jonathan Waxman asks the chefs to step into a culinary time machine and prepare dishes inspired by significant international food eras.

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.

The chefs strive to create the most visually appealing "food porn" using only snack food; the chefs cook for a black-tie event called Beefsteak during which the diners eat with their hands; diners include Colin Hanks, Max Silvestri and Matt Selman.

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.