After making names — and plenty of pork belly, risotto and scallops — for themselves on Top Chef, several alums of the popular cooking show are opening new restaurants around the country. Here’s our roundup of some of the most anticipated openings from the as-seen-on-TV chefs:
Herringbone; Gingham; Gabardine; Brian Malarkey. The Season Three Top Chefalum plans to open Herringbone, a seafood-focused restaurant in La Jolla, California, in the spring of 2012. And he’s not stopping there. Malarkey has plans to open two more restaurants in San Diego: Gingham, which will focus on barbecue and braised meats; and the more polished Gabardine, which will feature a French-influenced menu. After that, he plans to open 15 more restaurants across the country in the next five years.
Little Goat, Stephanie Izard. Season Four winner Izard is opening a diner near her popular Chicago restaurant Girl & the Goat. In addition to house-made breads and roasted meats, Chicago Eater say there will be cooking classes and a bake shop when the diner opens in March or April of 2012.
Frog n snail, Dale Levitski. After leading Chicago’s Sprout for two years, Season Three runner-up Levitski is working on another Windy City eatery — this time serving French dishes with a Midwestern flair, according to the Chicago Tribune. The restaurant is slated to open this spring.
Bandolero, Mike Isabella. The runner-up on Top Chef All-Stars is following up his Italian restaurant Graffiato with Bandolero, a Mexican small-plates eatery in Washington, D.C. The Georgetown restaurant will serve up tacos, ceviches and fajitas, as well as an extensive cocktail list, when it opens in early 2012.
Talde, Dale Talde. A seasoned chef at New York’s Buddakan, Talde is opening an eponymous restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, this December. Expect an Asian-American menu with dishes like Korean fried chicken from the fiery chef, who appeared on Season Four of Top Chef and on Top Chef All-Stars.
The Spence, Richard Blais. Following his burger and “haute dog” outposts, perennial favorite and All-Star winner Blais has plans to open a new restaurant in midtown Atlanta, serving simple American food (though, considering the chef’s love of liquid nitrogen, we wonder how simple it will be). According to the restaurant’s Twitter page, The Spence will open by Valentine’s Day 2012.
