The Corner Table: Top Chef Wisconsin The Capital Times

Amber Bristow is a fifth generation cranberry grower, but even she had never seen cranberry soup before the cranberry challenge on "Top Chef." "I was blown away by their creativity," said Bristow, who grows cranberries on her family's farm in Warrens, Wisconsin. 

Following Amber on the podcast this week is Elena Terry, a Ho-Chunk chef, educator and nonprofit leader whose organization, Wild Bearies, strives to preserve ancestral foods. Chef Elena was one of the guest judges for the indigenous foods challenge, and she and the chef at Owamni, Sean Sherman, prepared a meal for the cheftestants. Elena has complicated feelings about the idea of Native restaurants but was inspired and encouraged by how the chefs approached indigenous ingredients. 

There are no major spoilers on this week's episode. We do take some side tangents into why there are no chickens allowed on Amber's cranberry farm, how one chef used the milkweed Elena harvested and how Elena's nieces responded when they saw her on TV. 

Restaurant Wars is an iconic "Top Chef" challenge. Chefs must create a whole restaurant with a coherent concept, smooth service and good food in 24 hours, all on TV. 

Everyone on the episode this week, including me, dined at Restaurant Wars during "Top Chef Wisconsin." Up top, we've got guest judges Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, the chefs and co-owners of Fairchild restaurant on Monroe Street. The pair won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest in 2023. 

Chelsea Mamerow, art director for Milwaukee Magazine, dined at Channel, the seafood-themed restaurant, and took note of the decor as well as the flavors. I dined at Dos by Deul, which attempted a Latin/Korean fusion concept. 

Spoilers follow for Episode 8 of "Top Chef Wisconsin," the Restaurant Wars episode. 

This week on the podcast, we're talking ballpark food. 

Loren B. Rue grew up loving baseball, and now has his dream job — executive chef at American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Rue manages everything from the concession stands to the on-site brewery, J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard, and a new market hall serving arepas, smoked brisket nachos, tortas and sushi. 

Then I'm talking with Kyle Nabilcy, my friend and fellow food writer. Kyle writes restaurant reviews for Isthmus and freelances for Eater Chicago, and he's been posting video "Top Chef" recaps on TikTok (@kylenabilcy) and YouTube. 

Spoilers ahead for Episode 7 (the flambe/sausage fest episode) of "Top Chef Wisconsin," and Last Chance Kitchen. 

Chef Paul Bartolotta, the Milwaukee restaurateur and two-time James Beard winner, was bemused by a recent challenge on "Top Chef Wisconsin." 

"When I heard 'chaos cuisine' I was like, what the hell does that mean?" Bartolotta said on this week's podcast. Bartolotta spent years working to bring "Top Chef" to Wisconsin. Here, he shares judging perspective and reflects on how the show has evolved. 

To open the episode, I (food editor Lindsay Christians) talk with Milwaukee-based food writer Nicole Haase, who has a degree in pastry and a background as an artisan baker. The dairy desserts Quickfire baffled her, namely how little dairy the chefs used in it. 

Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 (the dairy desserts/ "chaos cuisine" episode) of "Top Chef," Season 21, with side notes about finding the "yum" and what was going on with Manny's soggy churro. 

No drone shot of Madison would be complete without a view of the Memorial Union Terrace and its iconic sunburst chairs.

That, in fact, is where "Top Chef" producers first got the idea for a challenge featuring historic Black chef and TV host Carson Gulley, whose cookbook inspired a saucy farmers market Quickfire on Episode 5 of "Top Chef Wisconsin." 

This week on the podcast we're talking with a "Top Chef" fan from UW-Madison, Pete Buscaino, who was delighted to see a chef grab Stella's spicy cheese bread at the market. Then we have an extended interview with Tory Miller, chef/owner of L'Etoile and Graze, who takes us into the judges' conversations about Creole sauce, undercooked beef and that very tight budget for the supper club challenge. 

Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 (the farmers' market/ Harvey House supper club episode) of "Top Chef" Season 21. With side chats about tartar sauce, why two-plate dishes are a bad choice and what happens when Tom Colicchio puts his foot down. 

This week on our "Top Chef Wisconsin" companion podcast, we have a full Madison episode!

First, host Lindsay Christians takes a deeper dive into the Taliesin challenge with food and arts writer Gwen Rice, who was also a docent for two seasons in Spring Green. Turns out Frank Lloyd Wright excelled under pressure, but was a terrible collaborator. 

Then Harvey House owner Shaina Robbins Papach talks about what it was like to host "Top Chef" crews at her restaurant, as well as her experience at the judges' table during a Wisconsin supper club challenge. 

Also this week: the story behind the design of Falling Water, the worst cheese to draw for a cheese challenge, and thoughts about Kristen Kish as the new host.