Author Events

Round out TC Food & Wine week with an exclusive panel of chefs from several top cooking competition shows – Top Chef, Iron Chef, Chopped, and more – for a candid glimpse into the world of competitive cooking from the people who’ve lived it. From the adrenaline of reality TV kitchens to the impact these shows have had on their careers and personal lives, these culinary stars will share behind-the-scenes stories, career-defining moments, and what comes after the cameras stop rolling.

The National Writers Series and Traverse City Food & Wine are excited to convene talented alumni of several food TV competitions with a long-time food television creator and producer for a one-of-a-kind conversation. Chefs Mei Lin and Sarah Welch take the stage with television producer Jim Berger, to dish about what it’s like to be on a reality competition show and how it compares to real life in the kitchen. These chefs will talk about how they rose through the ranks and share their stories about finding a balance between a love of making great food and being successful in a televised culinary competition. Food writer and TASTE podcast host Matt Rodbard will moderate the panel.

This fun conversation will inevitably shed new light on the chefs’ and producer’s experiences creating and competing on the shows, and what it’s like to turn a creative culinary passion into engaging television. Please join us for an unforgettable night that promises to unveil new stories, new friendships, and the indelicate balance between making great television and making great food.

Joining the discussion:

• Chef Mei Lin was the winner of season 12 of Top Chef and season 4 of the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions. Chef Lin has also been on Iron Chef and served as a guest judge on numerous food competition shows.
• Chef Sarah Welch was a Top Chef finalist in season 19 in 2022; she and her highly acclaimed restaurant, Marrow, in Detroit, have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation.
• Jim Berger’s production house, High Noon, has produced more than 800 episodes of popular food television across over 60 different programs, featuring chefs, bakers, and celebrities like Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Rachel Ray, Joanna Gaines, Ayesha Curry, Guy Fieri, Ming Tsai and Buddy Valastro.
• Matt Rodbard is a writer, editor, and author of food and culture books with more than two decades of experience working in television, magazines, book publishing, and online media. He’s the author of several cookbooks and the Founding Editor of online food and culture magazine TASTE.