Wisconsin becomes the star of the Top Chef TV show

New season of Top Chef includes surprising Wisconsin connections and tourism officials use the opportunity to turn a spotlight on the state

A new season of Top Chef is underway and includes some unlikely connections while showing off locations across Wisconsin, making the state the star of this latest culinary competition series.

Tourism officials are also using the opportunity to turn a spotlight on Wisconsin by airing a first-ever national TV commercial highlighting the Badgers State. The ad is set to air in each of the 14 episodes of Bravo’s Top Chef.

You can see the Travel Wisconsin commercial here.

Surprising connections, beautiful locations

The show, in its 21st season, starts in Milwaukee at the historic Pfister Hotel. It includes sweeping views of Lake Michigan with new host Kristen Kish, the season 10 winner of Top Chef in Seattle, introducing herself.

“I grew up on the other side of Lake Michigan, in Kentwood, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids,” Kish says. “So this kind of feels like a homecoming in more ways than one.”

Show producer has ties to the state

This season will also feature the food and culture of Wisconsin — thanks in part to the senior vice president of production who is originally from the state.

Patrick Schmedeman was born in Janesville, grew up in Madison, and graduated from Memorial High School in 1991.

“It’s a dream come true,” Schmedeman says. “Everyone who works on Top Chef is like family, so it’s really special to be able to introduce them to my favorite parts of Wisconsin.”

His family’s roots run deep in the state, too. Schmedeman’s great-grandfather Albert, served as mayor of Madison for four terms. He was then elected the 28th governor of Wisconsin, the only Madison mayor to be voted in to the role.

One contestant from Wisconsin

And while 15 chefs face-off during the shows’ season in Wisconsin, only one of the contestants is from the state.

Watch for Chef Dan Jacobs. He is a co-owner of the Milwaukee area restaurants DanDan and EsterEv, which Jacobs calls an ode to his great-grandmother’s cooking.

You can see Jacobs as he welcomes the other chefs to Wisconsin during the first episode here.

Top Chef airs live on Bravo at 8 pm (CT) every Wednesday. The episode streams the following day on BravoTV.com or Peacock.