Food News

Laurence Louie, the chef-owner behind Rubato in Quincy, announced the news on social media over the weekend.

Boston will have another reason to root for the hometown this winter: A local chef is competing on the premier cooking competition show, “Top Chef.”

Laurence Louie, chef and owner at Hong Kong-style cafe Rubato, shared the news on Instagram over the weekend that he would be one of 15 chef contestants on Season 23 of “Top Chef,” the cooking competition reality series that pits high-caliber chefs against each other in various challenges. The show also takes place in different locations each year; for this season, Louie found himself traveling to the Carolinas to compete on TV for a $250,000 prize and the title of Top Chef.

“Hungry Fams!! We are beyond excited to FINALLY share this! Our very own [Laurence Louie] went on a little adventure in the Carolinas. We will all be rooting hard for him this season,” the post read. 

Season 23 of the Bravo show airs at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, March 9, though those with Peacock, who access Bravo’s Youtube channel, or VOD can watch the premiere episode early on Tuesday, March 3. Each episode from then on airs live at 9:30 p.m. on Mondays and on streaming the next day. 

Those at the judges table are the usual faces: Kristin Kish as host, joined by Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. 

Louie, who opened Rubato in 2022 in the space that held his mother’s longtime Contempo Bakery, is the only competitor from New England. But he’s in good company as far as acclaim goes. No stranger to television, Louie is a “Chopped” champion, and outside of the small screen he’s landed on the James Beard Award semifinalist list as well as multiple best of food guides locally and nationally. His fellow competitors have also worked in Michelin or James Beard Award-nominated or winning kitchens. 

The other competitors this season are: 

• Sieger Bayer – Chicago, IL
• Jassi Bindra – Houston, TX
• Sherry Cardoso – Brooklyn, NY
• Brittany Cochran – Charlotte, NC
• Oscar Diaz – Durham, NC
• Brandon Dearden – Hamilton, MT
• Jonathan Dearden – Alexandria, VA
• Duyen Ha – Los Angeles, CA
• Jennifer Lee Jackson – Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, MI
• Anthony Jones – Alexandria, VA
• Day Anaїs Joseph – Atlanta, GA
• Laurence Louie – Quincy, MA
• Rhoda Magbitang – Kailua-Kona, HI
• Justin Tootla – Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, MI
• Nana Araba Wilmot – Cherry Hill, NJ

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.

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