5 New York City Restaurants You Didn't Know Are Run By One-Time Top Chef Contestants

In New York City, dinner can come with a side of TV history, from TV-inspired pop-ups to nostalgic restaurants that were featured in "Seinfeld." The crossover of TV and food is perhaps most epitomized at the restaurants around the city helmed by chefs who've gained national attention from "Top Chef," the Emmy-winning competition show that pits professional chefs against each other to create dishes under pressure. Contestants often go on to open their own restaurants or put their stamp on existing ones, and there are numerous in NYC. For food-loving travelers, NYC gives you a broad range of opportunities to try out dishes from chefs you might have already seen cook something up on a favorite food show.

From classic NYC pizza to gospel brunches to Korean soul food, "Top Chef"-run restaurants in the city are as diverse as the city itself. You might expect spots tied to TV fame to be exclusively high-end, but that's not always the case. Some of the NYC restaurants that "Top Chef" contestants run are surprisingly accessible (though there are, certainly, upscale options for the traveler who wants to splurge). If you're looking for an experience that allows you to say you ate food from a TV-famous chef, here are five restaurant options in NYC that you might not have realized have a "Top Chef" alum keeping things sizzling behind the kitchen doors.

Visitors who make a trip over the East River into Williamsburg — one of NYC's most incredible neighborhoods for first-time visitors, locals insist — may want to make a stop at the reimagined JR & Son, especially if they're foodie TV fans. Having gone through colorful past lives, from an Italian social club to a gritty dive bar, the previous version of JR & Son closed in 2020, as Brooklyn Paper reported. But it acquired new owners and a new "Top Chef" tie upon reopening in May 2025 as an Italian-American eatery. Its new head chef is Patricia Vega, who was a contestant on "Top Chef" Season 11, and is versed in Italian and French cuisine.

Though it's only been open since 2025, JR & Son has gotten some notable acclaim. A review from The New Yorker called it "thrilling," commending its old-school ambiance and Vega's inventive Italian-inspired menu. Among its menu items, there are classic Italian starters with a twist (like stracciatella with black olive caramel), a raw bar, and a slew of pasta dishes: burrata ravioli, paccheri with spicy lobster, to name a few. If you're having trouble making your pick, a pasta dish may be the way to go — it's what Vega started her career making, according to Eater, and reviewers love it.

JR & Son is open for full dinner daily from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., with reservation slots available online. Based on a Resy search, there's plenty of availability throughout the weekdays, but for weekends, you may need to book a couple of weeks ahead. The restaurant sits right off the Metropolitan Avenue/Lorimer Street L train station, and it's about an eight-minute walk from McCarren Park, where you can check for outdoor markets during the day. 

If you enjoy the Mediterranean lineup of hummus, focaccia, and fish kebabs in a more refined setting, then Leonetta in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan could be a good choice. Its executive chef is Ed Cotton, who was a runner-up for "Top Chef" Season 7. Cotton's vision for the restaurant was something traditionally Mediterranean in terms of looks but with a wide-ranging menu. "[Leonetta] feels vintage and timeless," Cotton said in an interview for Food & Beverage Magazine, adding, "The dietary diversity of our menu offerings is another key touchpoint." Inside, you'll find interiors inspired by Mediterranean villas, complete with over 100 plants, wood surfaces, and fluted glass panels.

Meanwhile, Leonetta's menu is Mediterranean in the broadest sense, as Cotton said he wanted to draw from "ingredients you'd encounter traveling throughout the Mediterranean," in Food & Beverage Magazine. For brunch, you'll find staples with a Mediterranean touch: babka French toast and a salmon and avocado toast served on Pugliese bread, for example. Dinner options include a range of seafood plates, such as black cod dolmas and a "Leonetta shellfish tower" loaded with oysters, shrimp, scallops, and more. The prices skew higher-end, though there's not a fine-dining dress code. Cotton told Food & Beverage Magazine it's "a destination for all New Yorkers and City visitors."

Leonetta is at a convenient location for those on a sightseeing route along some of Manhattan's biggest landmarks — about a 10-minute walk from the Empire State Building and 15 minutes from the Flatiron Building. Reservations are recommended, and you can find most slots available a few days ahead of time, based on a Resy scan for four people.

Visitors with a "Top Chef" soft spot who spend some time wandering around the rich cultural scene of Harlem might find a match in Red Rooster. Its co-creator and head chef, Marcus Samuelsson, has the prestige of being the Season 2 winner of "Top Chef Masters." Red Rooster serves American soul food-style lunch, brunch, and dinner across a space that channels Harlem's creative heritage, with photos and artwork by local Black artists covering its walls. The restaurant hosts a live music series, with musicians scheduled daily — you can typically expect jazz or R&B music to accompany your meal. Sundays host a unique dining experience called "gospel brunch," led by a local choir. "A lovely setting, typical soul food, and a live band and soul singer accompanying Sunday brunch. A treat for the eyes, palate, and ears," a Tripadvisor reviewer raved.

The restaurant's menu is American fare, albeit Samuelsson's touch (who grew up in Sweden) reveals itself in subtle ways, like Swedish meatballs served at lunch. On its all-day menu, you'll find soul food staples like piri piri wings and jerk salmon. Brunch offers a red velvet and walnut pancake, among other creative dishes. While the menu is somewhat elevated, the prices aren't fine-dining-level — most entree items range between $20 and $40, as of this writing.

By public transit, you can take the 2 or 3 train to the 125th Street station, where Red Rooster is right next to. It's a good idea to make a reservation online ahead of time, since reviewers have noted it fills up quickly, especially for dinner time.

Of all the hundreds of mouth-watering pizza joints around New York, it can be hard to pick one that truly differentiates itself somehow. Stretch Pizza, near the Flatiron Building, is one that makes a solid case for its TV connection alone: Its co-owner and head chef, Wylie Dufresne, was a "Top Chef Masters" contestant, in addition to being a guest judge for other "Top Chef" seasons and appearing in "The Bear." Name recognition aside, the pizza spot has proven its singularity among pizza lovers. "Drastically underrated place," one Reddit user said of Stretch Pizza. It holds 4.6 stars from Google Reviews, and it ranked among the Best Pizza Selection 2025.

Part of what stands out about Stretch Pizza's pies is the nostalgic NYC-specific topping combinations that are available on the menu. There's one called "Old Town" that nods to NYC's Old Town Bar, a historic pub that's under 10 minutes on foot from Stretch Pizza, topped with mushrooms and Muenster cheese. Another is named after the beloved everything bagel, made with the everything bagel spices, cream cheese, and chives. "We use New York City as our inspiration a lot," Dufresne told Eater. Another unique feature of Stretch Pizza's menu you won't find at many other pizza joints is that it serves cocktails.

You can reserve a table at Stretch Pizza in advance, anytime during lunch and dinner, for every day it's open (all except Mondays). However, fans of the pizzeria say you typically don't need a reservation for smaller parties. It's also possible to order pizzas for delivery or just stop in for a slice to-go during lunch hours. The Flatiron location is convenient to reach — a five-minute walk from the 23rd Street subway station.

For a casual but tasty spot on a "Top Chef"-run itinerary, Wangs offers an Asian-inspired take on fried chicken takeout. Even though its owner and executive chef, Sara Nguyen, was a competitor on "Top Chef" Season 3 (the youngest on the show at the time), Wangs isn't particularly famous. Substack writer New York's Only Good Restaurants said there's "[r]arely a line," despite the well-rated fried chicken it serves. "They beg to be torn apart and devoured, slicked with Korean flavors, sticky and sugary," the Substacker described.

Fried chicken is front and center on the menu at Wangs. Its namesake special dish stars Korean-style fried chicken wings, glazed in a house-made sauce with hot and non-hot options. There's a handful of other soul-food-meets-Asian-cuisine accompaniments that can be ordered with the chicken: collard greens with Chinese sausage, mac and cheese with gochugaru bread crumbs, and pickles tossed with Thai chili, among others. For budget-conscious travelers, Wangs could also be your chance to try TV-chef food without splurging: Three pieces of fried chicken cost under $15, as of this writing.

Travelers looking for a spot to sit inside and get served, however, won't find what they're looking for at Wangs. The spot is designed as a takeout restaurant, with just some tables to sit at outside. You can stop by daily to order lunch and dinner, or order ahead online. Wangs is in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, right off the Union Street station, served by the R train. It's also about a 20-minute walk from Prospect Park, Brooklyn's beautifully wooded park, so you could take a fried chicken sandwich for a picnic.