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Tom Colicchio is one of the most renowned chefs in the world and is popularly known as the head judge of Bravo’s Top Chef. He's all set to return for season 19 alongside Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons.
Colicchio is the founder of restaurants Craft and Colicchio & Sons, and the co-founder of Gramercy. Last year, he launched his first Italian restaurant, Eater New York.
His success in the restaurant industry has earned him millions and also recognitions including an Emmy Award and five James Beard Foundational Medals. With Top Chef in his pocket, his fortune has seen massive growth over the years. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has an estimated net worth of $20 million.
Apart from being a chef, Colicchio is also the author of two books, Think Like a Chef and Craft of Cooking. He also hosts Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen, an Emmy-winning digital competition series on BravoTV. Colicchio is also a familiar personality on MSNBC and Citizen Chef, an iHeart Radio podcast.
As per his bio on Bravo’s site, the celebrity chef is also a vocal social justice advocate and a philanthropist.
Tom Colicchio started his culinary career at 17
Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Colicchio’s real name is Thomas Patrick Colicchio. He learned the art of cooking from his mother and grandmother and is also self-taught by studying celebrity chef Jacques Pepin’s cooking manuals.
He began his career in the culinary world at the age of 17 at Evelyn's Seafood Restaurant. The 59-year-old was unstoppable once he was promoted from line cook to sous chef at a four-star restaurant in New York City.
In personal life, he married Lori Silverbush in 2001 and has three sons — Dante, Luka, and Mateo. His bio on Bravo’s site has a description of his days away from the kitchen. It reads,
“When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.”
All about Top Chef season 19
Colicchio, Lakshmi, and Simmons are all set to judge 15 aspiring chefs in Top Chef Season 19. This time, the show’s location is Houston and thus, contestants will be challenged to showcase their skills with traditional Nigerian dishes.
Throughout the season, multiple famous chefs will grace the series as guest judges. The premiere is all set to air on March 3, 2022 at 8.00 pm ET on Bravo.
