Bravo Announces 'Top Chef' Season 17 Location

This time last year, we were just weeks away from the premiere of season 16 of Top Chef in Kentucky. So if you feel like we're due for some details about the next season, you're correct, and today the Bravo network delivered. At this weekend's BravoCon in New York City, we finally got an official announcement about the location and concept for the upcoming 17th season of the culinary competition.

During a panel and cooking demonstration featuring season 14 winner Brooke Williamson and a special guest appearance by season 15 winner Joe Flamm (and moderated by yours truly), a video message from Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons revealed that filming has already been underway on the upcoming 17th season in Los Angeles. It's a bit of a reunion for the trio of longtime judges, as Simmons took the majority of season 16 off for maternity leave. And the L.A. location is a homecoming of sorts, as the culinary competition's second season was also set in Southern California.

While I'm told more details about the new cheftestants will be revealed in the coming weeks, what is known is that season 17 will be an all-star cast of 15 previous Top Chef contestants, similar to season eight. However, some past contestants have returned recent seasons, including Williamson who was a runner-up in season 10 before taking the title in season 14. At the BravoCon panel, Williamson also revealed that she will make an appearance on the upcoming season, seated at the judges' table.

The same day, Top Chef host and judge Lakshmi also posted an Instagram video further confirming the news about the location and all-star lineup announcement:

As for when we'll get to see the premiere of season 17, no specific airdate has been set just yet but the announcement does promise it will be hitting our screens in the spring of 2020.

For more Top Chef information, cheftestant bios, and videos from previous seasons visit bravotv.com/topchef.