3 Food Trends ‘Top Chef’ Stars Are Saying Goodbye to in 2026

Over the course of 22 Top Chef seasons, fans have been introduced to dozens of new chef celebrities, from Richard Blais and Stephanie Izard to the Voltaggio brothers and now-host Kristen Kish, and explored culinary scenes from San Francisco to Wisconsin to Boston. Along the way, viewers have learned countless cooking techniques, flavor pairings, and terms, with “amuse bouche” and “mise en place” part of the everyday lexicon, thanks to the Emmy award-winning reality cooking show.

Since debuting in 2006, Top Chef has certainly made its mark on the food world. And as the series nears its 20th anniversary, it’s clear the show has staying power. However, very few food trends are as long-lasting. (Remember rainbow bagels and those over-the-top milkshakes?)

As we await the premiere of Top Chef season 23 next spring—the crew recently wrapped up filming in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina—we spoke with the stars of the show to dish about which food trends they hope “pack their knives and go” as we kick off a new year.

1. Thinking Overly-Fussy Food Is the Only Way

Since they’ve been able to savor many iconic dishes over the years, you might imagine that the host and judges of Top Chef are big fans of fancy food. Not always—especially if a recipe feels extravagant in an obligatory way.

This summer, Top Chef host Kristen Kish told us that she still has a soft spot in her heart for the Hamburger Helper and chicken fingers her parents made for her during childhood. Permanent judge Gail Simmons is right there with her, crushing on casual cuisine from Waffle House, In-N-Out Burger, and her local Brooklyn pizza parlor. On the DIY side, Simmons says flavored popcorn is one of her go-to cocktail party “recipes.”

Since he’s been cooking for 50 years, is an 8-time James Beard Award winner, and the owner of the Craft restaurant empire, you might think that head judge Tom Colicchio would be more on board for fancy fare. However, if he could say goodbye to any one ingredient as we say hello to the new year, it's microgreens.

He’s also a firm believer that simple can be spectacular. In fact, Colicchio revealed in his Grub Street Diet that he cooks his family one-pan spatchcocked roast chicken and veggies. When the dad of three arrives home after a long day and isn’t in the mood to DIY, he’s also not too proud to eat his kids’ leftover pepperoni pizza straight from the fridge.

All three stars agree that we can say “goodbye” to believing that bougie is always best. You don't need to spend a lot of time or money on a meal for it to feed your soul.

2. The 'Here’s How to Eat at Our Restaurant' Speech 

Kish, Simmons, and Colicchio adore dining out, especially at locally-owned spots, and visit an inspiring number of restaurants in the cities where they film each season. They adore experiencing the unique atmosphere, food, and drink at each dining establishment. However, the magic fades for Simmons if she is greeted with an all-too-common conversation. 

“A restaurant trend that drives me crazy is when servers come to the table and say, 'Have you dined with us before?” And if we say ‘no,’ they literally talk to you as if you've never eaten in a restaurant. They'll say, ‘Well, our menu starts with appetizers, and goes into entrees that get bigger and heavier as you go down, and the last section is our desserts.’ I know how to order!”

If there’s something about a place that’s unlike any other restaurant, Simmons welcomes the sermon. Otherwise, “I got it! For 2026, let's put that out in the world.”

3. Shared Small Plates

Spanish tapas, Italian cicchetti, and Middle Eastern mezze have existed for centuries, and are worth celebrating and savoring. But it’s time to retire the recent restaurant menu wave of “small plates made for sharing,” according to Simmons and Colicchio.  

“Tom, my husband, and I agree: the whole small-plates-meant-to-be-shared trend can go away,” Simmons tells BHG. “If they're small, why do we have to share them, right? I understand the ethos of tapas, but tapas is actually meant originally as a bar snack, not your meal.”

For Simmons, “nothing is more annoying” than when you order empanadas or meatballs for a table of four, and only three arrive. At this point, you either have to cut the pieces into fractions to offer even portions, order another round (and wait for it to be cooked and delivered), or ask one diner to sacrifice their serving. 

“I remember the day where you ordered based on your appetite. I kind of like that,” Colicchio says. What doesn’t he like? “When you're passing these small plates around and have to scrape the plate to get a bite.”

In an ideal scenario, small plates should be for one and large plates should be for sharing family-style, they explain.