Food Network’s Newest “Hot List” — Stars to Watch in 2025
We’re so excited to announce our fourth annual Food Network Hot List, our picks for some of the most-exciting food personalities and culinary rock stars making their mark in the food content space.
Food Network
Say hello to our 2025 Hot List! From viral TikTok stars to Michelin-trained chefs, this year’s dynamic and diverse group of talent are making magical things happen in and out of the kitchen.
Carlos Anthony
Chef Carlos Anthony puts the HOT in Hot List!! We’re sure you’ve seen Carlos across Food Network shows, including 24 in 24, Tournament Of Champions and Grocery Games. When he’s not coming out on top in competitions, you can find Carlos cheffing up “modern cowboy” cuisine at Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend, OR.
Erica Barrett
When it comes to bold flavors and turning up the heat, nobody does it like Erica Barrett! A master of 'cue, Erica has a true passion for live-fire cooking and even took home the winning title for Team Bobby on BBQ Brawl! Beyond the pit, this Atlanta-based chef has built multiple successful restaurant concepts. We couldn’t be more excited to showcase her talent as part of our 2025 #FNHotList!
Jeff Fierberg
Byron Gomez
Byron Gomez is one to WATCH! After competing on the first season of Last Bite Hotel, he is ready to bring the heat to the 2025 Hot List. Born in Costa Rica but raised in New York, Byron launched his career working at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Manhattan. Today, you can find him running the show at Michelin-starred Brutø in Denver where fine dining meets sustainability. We can’t wait to see what Byron does next!
Mika Leon
When picking our 2025 Hot List, we couldn’t think of anyone more ready to bring the HEAT than Mika Leon. She has spent the better part of the decade working in kitchens across South Florida and you've likely spotted this Cuban chef on multiple Food Network shows like Beat Bobby Flay and Wildcard Kitchen. Now as a proud Hot Lister, Mika is here to celebrate her Latin heritage with bold flavors and comforting dishes.
Buddha Lo
We could not be more excited to have Buddha Lo on our Hot List this year! You may know Buddha as the “GOAT” of Top Chef after becoming the show’s first and only two-time winner. Buddha grew up in Australia, where he learned to cook at a young age in his parents’ restaurant. After working at a variety of Michelin restaurants across the world, Buddha is now serving exquisite dishes as the executive chef at Huso in NYC. Stay tuned today to get to know Buddha as we share new recipes, tips and more!
Ben Franke
Nini Nguyen
Please help us welcome the incredible Nini Nguyen to our 2025 Hot List! A New Orleans native, Nini combines her Vietnamese heritage with bold Creole influences, creating flavors that will knock your socks off. You may know her from winning the first season of Last Bite Hotel or crushing it on Tournament of Champions — but trust us, this chef is just getting started! As if this year couldn’t get any bigger for our Hot Lister, Nini also dropped her first cookbook, Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook, filled with inventive takes on Vietnamese cuisine.
Tue Nguyen
You’ve seen Tue Nguyen, aka @twaydabae, going viral for her Vietnamese recipes on social so it’s no wonder she’s on this year’s Hot List. After going to culinary school, Tue grew her social following across platforms and landed on Forbes 30 Under 30. She’s since sold-out pop-outs, opened her own restaurant, ĐiĐi, in Los Angeles and written a cookbook, Di An. We can’t wait to see what’s next for, Tue!
Clay Williams
Ayesha Nurdjaja
Remember this name: Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja! You may know her from NYC hot spots, Shuka and Shukette, where she serves up bold Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors as the “Rip and Dip Queen.” Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ayesha has made her mark in the NYC restaurant scene, earning herself a James Beard Nomination in 2022. She is a FORCE in the kitchen, and we cannot wait to see her skills this year as the new TITAN on Bobby’s Triple Threat!!
Olivia Tiedemann
If you’ve seen Olivia Tiedemann’s videos, you KNOW why she’s one of the hottest private chefs and content creators on the food scene right now. Her videos push the envelope with her mouth-watering recipes! She’s trained in culinary school and restaurants and has grown her audience across social to more than 6 MILLION followers!
Joshua Weissman
You’ve seen Joshua Weissman all over your feeds, and we couldn’t be happier to see him here on the 2025 Hot List! Joshua’s passion for cooking started when he was just 3 years old. He went on to cook professionally in restaurants for a decade, published two cookbooks and now shares his recipes with more than 21 million followers through his exciting, engaging viral videos.
