Pack Your Knives

On a hot summer morning, Tom received a long text message from Sara. In it, Sara explained that she nerded out and wrote down a list of dishes she predicts will be on Top Chef Carolinas.

From Appalachian fine dining to hyper-seasonal sustainability, Sara drew upon the unique ingredients of the South and even sketched out the Restaurant Wars restaurant themes and menus.

After it all, Tom rethinks what it means to be a Top Chef expert.

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To get us hyped for Season 23 Carolinas, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons joins the pod and coaches Tom about what it's like to "host" Top Chef in your home city (/country). The Canadian shares a bee-hind the scenes incident in Calgary last season and revels in Tom's LeBron comparison.

Finally, Tom and Gail each give a scouting report on Charlotte's restaurant scene and what makes the Queen City unique in the American culinary landscape. The big question: Does it need a signature dish? And what would it be?

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That's right, a blind draft. In person!

Top Chef has taken their talents to Tom's home city of Charlotte, which presents a new draft twist. With the possibility that Tom (and Sara) might be attending some challenge tapings in the fall, they got their hands on the contestant list early and drafted immediately to maintain integrity of the show.

Yes, for the first time ever, the PYK draft was held before watching the first episode.

In the comforts of Tom's home, Tom and Sara break down the wild contestant list (twins! a married couple!), share how they created their rankings and debate their most controversial picks.

As a two-time Top Chef finalist, Sara reveals the qualities she looks for in a contestant. Tom explains his bold first pick with research that even Sara didn't uncover and asks the pros and cons of being the hometown chef.

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We have a trailer! We have a cast! We have a premiere date!

Tom and new co-host Sara Bradley are joined by PYK contributors Carly Levitz and Kendra McClanahan to break it all down and make some big announcements about PYK coverage this season (fantasy leagues and power rankings!).

We talk about the twins and the married couple on this season and how those relationships may play out on Top Chef. We read the tea leaves from the trailer and look ahead to the March 3 premiere.

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Follow PYK on Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @packknives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @packyourknives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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With Top Chef Carolinas on tap, we have a big announcement to make. In this special offseason episode, we welcome Top Chef finalist Sara Bradley to the team and preview Season 23 by taking turns predicting challenges in Charlotte, NC and Greenville, SC.

Bradley sheds light about her time living in Charlotte and cutting her teeth at Johnson & Wales. Tom reveals childhood culinary trauma and Sara reveals what she's MOST excited about for the upcoming season.

What Charlotte-themed challenges do you want to see? Chime in below.

Subscribe to the PYK Substack!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.packyourknives.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rate PYK 5 Stars on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or watch PYK on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow PYK on Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @packknives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @packyourknives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠COUNT THE DINGS MERCH STORE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH
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