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Tournament of Champions season 6 contestant Joe Sasto is a chef and television personality, renowned for his appearances on a variety of culinary competitive shows. Popularly known for his handlebar mustache, Joe quickly earned the nickname 'Mustache Joe.' Based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Joe is not only a chef but also an author and an entrepreneur.
Unlike most chefs, who begin their journey at culinary school, Joe attended the University of California, Davis, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. However, he transitioned into cooking soon after graduating from college.
From starting as a line chef at a local restaurant to owning his own pasta company, Joe faced many ups and downs in his journey to becoming a reality TV alum. He is currently a participant in the latest season of Tournament of Champions, hosted by Guy Fieri.
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Tournament of Champions star Joe Sasto's career and business ventures explored
According to Joe's official website, he is described as a Chicago-based celebrity chef and the creator of Tantos, the "first-ever & original puffed pasta chip." It then delves into what inspired Joe to become a chef and how his journey into the culinary industry began.
Joe had "an itch" to become a chef at a young age and was drawn to cooking because of his mother, from whom he learned the Italian classics. After graduating from UC Davis, the Tournament of Champions contestant started training under the mentorship of the Bay Area's "most respected chefs."
However, Joe recognized his passion for pasta while working at Quince in San Francisco. Soon after, he forged connections with local farmers while working as an Executive Sous Chef at Lazy Bear in San Francisco. During that time, he learned about the seasonal produce unique to the California area and began practicing utilizing those ingredients in his cooking.
"It was there he showcased elevated farm-to-table dining," the website says.
With his skills and overall performance, he earned Lazy Bear two Michelin stars and Quince, three Michelin stars.
In 2018, the Tournament of Champions contestant wanted to open his own eatery. Consequently, he traveled to different parts of the country, hosting private events, teaching pasta classes, and throwing fine-dining dinner parties. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he transitioned into taking online sessions, giving his students pasta-making tips.
With many viral videos, Joe quickly became a recurring judge and TV personality on various shows across the Food Network. Besides Tournament of Champions, Joe has appeared on Guy's Grocery Games, Chopped, Chef Grudge Match, Supermarket Stakeout, Top Chef, and Top Chef All Stars. In 2022, he paved his way onto Food Network's Hot List.
As an entrepreneur, Joe launched Tantos in 2024, the first-ever puffed pasta chips. He is also the author of Breaking the Rules, his first cookbook set to be published in the Fall of 2025. Joe is also the co-founder of Ripi Foods, a frozen pasta company, set to be available nationwide.
Besides working as a chef and as an entrepreneur, Joe spends his time consulting on menus and recipes across various restaurants, bonding with his fiancée Kait and their pet dog, Tito.
Tournament of Champions star Joe Sasto's Instagram explored
Fans of Tournament of Champions can follow Joe Sasto on his official Instagram page, @chef.joe.sasto. With over 444K followers on Instagram, Joe has 2,108 posts on his page, as of this writing. They are mostly videos of different recipes, clips from his TV appearances, and photographs with his partner.
He also utilizes the platform to advertise his pasta products by using them in his recipes. The bio of his Instagram account includes the links to pre-order his cookbook, as well as to his Tantos' company page and his Ripi Foods' company page.
His latest post, shared on April 13, 2025, is a photograph from this week's episode of Tournament of Champions, where he went head-to-head in a battle against Lee Anne Wong for a spot in the Top 4.
Tournament of Champions season 6 airs on Sundays at 8 pm ET exclusively on Food Network.
