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Top Chef is all set to return with Season 19 on Bravo next month. Leia Gaccione is one of the 15 contestants participating in the cooking competition series.
Gaccione is a 37-year-old chef and the owner of an American eatery, South + Pine, in Morristown, New Jersey. Her bio on Bravo’s site mentions that she has appeared on multiple television shows before Top Chef.
Last year, she participated in Food Network’s Chopped: Alton's Maniacal Baskets. Gaccione has also appeared in Iron Chef America as Chef Bobby Flay’s sous chef for three episodes and on Beat Bobby Flay for two episodes. Apparently, Chef Flay is Gaccione’s mentor and because of him, she got the chance to showcase her talent on camera on several Food Network shows.
Gaccione also hosts a documentary, Her Name is Chef, on Apple TV and Hulu.
What is Leia Gaccione’s mission as a chef?
Gaccione has had a passion for food since childhood. She used to love watching cooking shows like Julia Child and Yan Can Cook as a child. She later pursued culinary arts and restaurant management at the New York Restaurant School to follow her dream.
The chef trained in multiple cities like Connecticut, NYC, Las Vegas, and New Jersey, before launching her own restaurant South + Pine in 2015. She is also the chef owner of Central + Main American restaurant.
Her bio on Bravo’s website mentions her mission as a chef. It reads:
“Her mission is to serve seasonal and locally sourced food made with lots of love and to remain a neighborhood staple in the Morristown community.”
All about Top Chef Season 19
Gaccione will be competing with 14 other talented chefs from all around America. The contestants’ names are Damarr Brown, Ashleigh Shanti, Jackson Kalb, Jo Chan, Jae Jung, Monique Feybesse, Luke Kolpin, Evelyn Garcia, Robert Hernandez, Nick Wallace, Sam Kang, Sarah Welch, Stephanie Miller, and Buddha Lo.
With the $250,000 cash prize at stake, the participants will have to go through tough challenges under a lot of pressure. The winner will be named Top Chef America of Season 19.
Hosted by Padma Lakshmi, the culinary TV show includes Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio as head judges. Top Chef Season 19 is all set to premiere on March 3 at 8.00 pm ET on Bravo.
