These Are All the Chefs Competing in 'Tournament of Champions VII'

Guy Fieri is back in Tournament of Champions VII, and this time, the talent is coming in hotter than an open flame. Food Network chefs know what it means to perform at the top of their game — some are returning competitors, others have won James Beard awards and all have busted their chops in world-class kitchens — and they'll do everything they can to stay in the running for a chance at the win. Get to know the competing chefs below — at least the ones we know. This year, the top-seeded competitors won't be revealed until they enter the arena(!). And be sure to watch as they battle it out, bracket-style, to impress the judges in blind tastings. The new season airs on Food Network Sunday, March 1 at 8|7c.

Aarti Sequeira is a talented chef and beloved Food Network personality. She's hosted two shows (Aarti Party and Taste in Translation) and appeared on countless others, including Halloween Wars, Holiday Wars and Guy's Grocery Games. She's known for her signature Indian twist on popular American cuisine.

Ashleigh Shanti is a chef, cookbook author and restaurant owner. In 2025, she was named one of the TIME100 Next and won a James Beard Media Award for her cookbook, Our South: Black Food Through My Lens.

Dan Jacobs is a chef, restaurateur and Top Chef runner-up. A six-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest and the owner and operator of DanDan and EsterEv, Dan has proven to know his way around a kitchen.

Giuseppe Tentori is an Italian chef based in Chicago. For more than a decade, he served at the helm of GT Fish & Oyster and GT Prime Steakhouse in partnership with Boka Restaurant Group, before both establishments closed their doors in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Katsuji Tanabe is a chef, restaurateur and cooking competition veteran. He's participated on Food Network's Bobby's Triple Threat, Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay — as well as PBS's Cooking Under Fire; and Bravo's Top Chef.

Kenny Gilbert is a chef, restaurant owner and Top Chef veteran. He's known for his mouth-watering, bold Southern flavors infused with global flair.

Stephanie Izard is a celebrated chef and restaurateur, also based in Chicago. She owns and operates half a dozen restaurants in the Windy City in partnership with Boka Restaurant Group, including Cabra, Duck Duck Goat and Little Goat Diner. Notably, she was also the first woman to ever win Bravo's Top Chef.

Viet Pham is a chef and Food Network alum, with more than a dozen network appearances since his debut on Extreme Chef in 2012. Most notably, he won Iron Chef America by famously beating Bobby Flay in 2013. Then, in 2018, he beat Bobby again on Beat Bobby Flay. Beyond cooking competitions, he's the owner of Utah's Pretty Bird, a Nashville hot chicken concept with four locations across the state.

Adam Greenberg has made regular appearances on Food Network over the years and currently holds a 4-0 stat as a Chopped competitor. After taking the top spot on Beat Bobby Flay, Adam was also a judge on the show. He’s currently the chef and owner of Sparrow Pizza Bar in his hometown of West Hartford, Connecticut.

Adam Sobel is the chef and founder of Aether Group, a hospitality company based in Las Vegas that pulls from his extensive knowledge of building and executing world-class dining experiences. (Adam's background includes overseeing 40 restaurants and brands located everywhere from the US to Dubai.) He's a previous contestant of Tournament of Champions and has appeared on Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games and Guy's Ranch Kitchen.

As a recurring contestant on Tournament of Champions, Britt Rescigno has been called an underdog who has fought her way from being the eighth seed in 2023 to the No. 1 seed in 2025. Britt has won episodes of Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Games. She currently co-owns Fiamma Sun Valley with her wife, Kinsey.

Bryan Voltaggio is a chef, an author and a restaurateur who was a semifinalist for a James Beard Award. He has appeared on three different Top Chef franchises — Top Chef: Las Vegas, Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. and Top Chef: Masters. He has also been a contestant on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing. In December 2025, Bryan and his brother, Michael Voltaggio, became the first-ever winners of Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas.

Carlos Anthony won Cutthroat Kitchen and has also appeared on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing, Guy’s Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions. When he’s not facing the competition, Carlos works as a chef at Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend, Oregon.

Claudette Zepeda is a celebrity chef based in San Diego who’s known for her inventive Mexican cuisine. She’s won Bobby’s Triple Threat and has appeared on Iron Chef, Top Chef and Tournament of Champions. Zepeda is a James Beard “Best Chef: West” semifinalist and the founder of Chispa Hospitality.

Dale Talde is a James Beard-nominated chef and cookbook author who is best known for his appearances on Top Chef as a judge and contestant. He has also appeared on Chopped, Tournament of Champions and Beat Bobby Flay. Dale founded Food Crush Hospitality alongside his wife, Agnes, and they’ve opened a number of restaurants throughout the country.

David Viana is a James Beard-nominated chef who has been trained by Bobby Flay. He’s appeared on Top Chef, and his Good Trouble Hospitality group currently oversees four restaurants: Heirloom Kitchen, Lita, Judy & Harry’s at the St. Laurent Social Club and La Otra.

Jet Tila is a celebrity chef, an author, a restaurateur and a developer who has appeared on a number of Food Network shows over the years. He won $20,000 on Guy’s Grocery Games, was a contestant on Iron Chef America and has previously competed on Tournament of Champions. Jet was the co-host of Halloween Cookie Challenge.

Joe Sasto is a chef and author known for his handlebar mustache. He’s appeared on Top Chef, Chopped, The Great Food Truck Race and Shark Tank (where he pitched his chips, Tantos). Joe is also a previous competitor on Tournament of Champions.

Jonathon Sawyer is a Chicago-based chef and author who won Season 2 of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing. He also won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef: Great Lakes" in 2015, and has appeared on Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay and Tournament of Champions.

Kaleena Bliss is a chef and restaurateur based in Seattle. She has competed in various Food Network shows, including Tournament of Champions, Beat Bobby Flay and Beachside Brawl. In 2022, she won Chopped: Casino Royale.

Karen Akunowicz is a chef and the owner of Fox & the Knife and Bar Volpe. She is a James Beard winner who has also appeared on Top Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, Tournament of Champions and more.

Chef Kevin Lee has appeared in a number of Food Network competitions, including Alex vs. America and Beat Bobby Flay. He's also won Guy’s Grocery Games. Kevin has previously competed in Tournament of Champions and currently owns two restaurants in Oklahoma City. In 2025, he became a James Beard semifinalist for "Best Chef: Southwest."

Lee Anne Wong is a chef, restaurateur and culinary producer of four seasons of Top Chef (where she has also been a contestant). She has appeared on Iron Chef America, Chopped and Tournament of Champions. After her restaurant Papa’aina in Lāhainā burned down due to a wildfire in 2023, Lee Anne volunteered with World Central Kitchen to help provide relief.

Chef Marcel Vigneron is the first winner of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing and has also appeared on a number of Top Chef seasons. He has 30 years of culinary experience, with an emphasis in gastronomy, and currently serves as the executive chef and CEO of Modern California Cuisine from his home base in Los Angeles.

Nini Nguyen is a chef based in New Orleans, Louisiana, who has appeared on Top Chef, Last Bite Hotel and Tournament of Champions. In 2024, Nini published her first cookbook, Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook.

Sara Bradley was a winner of Chopped: All-American Showdown and Chopped: Legends. She appeared on Top Chef and was a finalist on Tournament of Champions VI (the first rookie to reach the finals). Sara lives in Paducah, Kentucky, with her family.

Chef and author Shirley Chung has appeared on Top Chef, Guy’s Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions. She’s trained in classic French and Italian cuisine and has opened restaurants for Thomas Keller and Guy Savoy. Shirley is also the first-ever winner of Food Network's House of Knives competition series.

Tobias Dorzon is a chef, restaurateur and former professional football player who has appeared on Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Last Bite Hotel and Tournament of Champions. His first fully owned restaurant, Huncho House, opened in 2023 in Hyattsville, Maryland.