Those New Yorkers looking to eat food that may have been touched by a Top Chef contestant have one less option to choose from. After just six months Octavia's Porch, the Alphabet City "Global Jewish" restaurant from Top Chef contestant Nikki Cascone, has closed (shame, the brunch wasn't bad). The news comes almost exactly a year after Cascone's previous joint, 24 Prince, closed up shop. But just because Cascone is out of the game doesn't mean there aren't other Cheftestants in the Big Apple looking to sell you food. Below, the six still standing:
First season winner Harold Dieterle continues to do well for himself, and thanks to a low media profile and some hard work in the kitchen he now has two restaurants in town. His four-year-old spot Perilla is still kicking in the Village and last year he opened the contemporary Thai restaurant Kin Shop.
After a stint out in Montauk, pretty boy chef Sam Talbot has been getting pretty solid reviews for his sustainable seafood restaurant in the Mondrian Soho, Imperial No. 9.
Though we've heard he is barely ever in the restaurant, Angelo Sosa has gotten pretty good notices for his food at Social Eatz. The bibimbap burger in particular has gotten some ardent fans in the restaurant's short life.
Former cheftestant Dave Martin doesn't have a restaurant anymore per se, but he's been hard at work as a consulting chef. In his latest gig, he helped develop the menu for the new rolling pommes frites vendor, The Flying Dutchmen.
If you want to find the tiny third season winner Hung Huynh, look no further than ajna bar (formally Buddha Bar), where he has been the executive chef for two years. Update: A rep from ajna bar writes to inform us that, despite what the website says, Hung is no longer involved with the restaurant.
Finally, come this fall you'll once again be able to eat Leah Cohen's food when she opens a Southeast Asian joint at Iriving Place. Before then the chef—who was well-regarded while cooking at Centro Vinoteca—finishes up her week-long run at LTO tomorrow night.
