3 Fringe Culinary Competition Host Chefs We Love

3 Fringe Culinary Competition Host Chefs We Love

Gordon Ramsay, Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Anne Burrell. These celebrity chef hosts have never lost sight of the fact that cooking competition shows should be, above all, entertaining. Not only are they talented chefs, but they have a particular personality that is necessary to shine on TV. But they are not the only ones making waves in the world of culinary hosts.

Viewers have also taken notice of the following three chefs who, much like their predecessors, delight us by keeping us captivated and constantly tuning in for more. These dynamic personalities are slightly lesser-known but share the same passion and authority as super prominent culinary competition hosts.

Carla Hall

Chef Carla Hall started her television career by competing on Bravo’s Top Chef and has since grown a huge fan base. Her ‘always cook with love’ philosophy has resonated with audiences worldwide. After years of hosting the award-winning cooking-themed daytime talk show, The Chew, Hall became one of Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship judges for both the TV show and the app. Hall is a trained chef and has written three cookbooks that all celebrate soul food. She currently resides in Washington D.C. and is an active philanthropist who supports numerous organizations, including Helen Keller International. She also hosted season 1 of Netflix’s Crazy Delicious.

Eddie Matney

A beloved Phoenix, AZ, restaurateur known by locals as the “most colorful chef,” Matney’s approach to New American cuisine embraces the theory that dishes can marry together different cultures and ethnicities while staying true to their respective styles. Before Matney became Executive Chef at Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, AZ, he found success with several restaurants across the state, including Eddie’s Grill, Eddie Matney’s, Stoudemire’s Downtown, and Eddie’s House. He’s been featured in many of the top culinary publications and was the host of the online competition, Favorite Chef, which resulted in a donation of more than $1.1M to Feeding America®, giving the charity the ability to provide an estimated 11.5 million meals to communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Matney also co-authored a cookbook and teamed up with Poore Brothers Potato Chips® to drum up seasonal-flavored varieties. Matney currently hosts “Your Life A to Z” two times a week.

Graham Elliot

If you are a MasterChef loyalist, you will recognize three-time James Beard Award nominee Graham Elliot (one t) for his cooking artistry, expert culinary analysis, and signature frames. Before hosting the cooking show for six years, Elliot competed on Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters. He currently serves as a judge/host on Top Chef alongside Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons. Merging his love for music and cooking, Elliot has been the Culinary Director at Lollapalooza since 2009. He is currently the Executive Chef at Pounders Restaurant on Oahu. After having weight-loss surgery, Elliot lost about 150 lbs. He is also involved in multiple charitable organizations, including Share Our Strength, the American Heart Association, and Smile Train.