[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]eeing an out queer woman of color from the San Gabriel Valley win Top Chef in the middle of Pride Month, during our intense time of national and cultural reckoning with racism, felt as if the Dodgers had just won the World Series.
All season long, my fem partner, hetero sisters, my Japanese-Mexican brother in law from the San Gabriel Valley, and so many more family, friends, and fans around the world rooted for Chef Melissa King as she competed for the second time on Top Chef: All-Stars, set in L.A.
So when Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi spoke those words on the Season 17 finale of Bravo TV’s Emmy- and James Beard Award-winning show, we hugged each other and jumped up and down, smiling and crying at the same time: “Melissa...you are the Top Chef.” We took whiskey shots, cheered some more, and texted other friends and family members. Melissa King’s Top Chef win this year felt that huge for us as longtime fans of the show.
We’ve watched a bunch of dudes and only six women win Top Chef in the show’s seventeen seasons. Watching King get crowned with the Top Chef title was special, like watching your friend from school or a family member win. We felt gratifying, visceral joy. Top Chef fans first met Chef Melissa King on Season 12, shot in Boston. King competed fiercely and finished as a finalist, losing to Chef Mei Lin. Five seasons later, King would come roaring back to win both the Top Chef title and the “Top Chef Fan Favorite” online poll.