Pack Your Knives
Jade Hoye
- 1 hour 36 minutesS23 Ep 4: Pick A Side
Tom got to eat the food! On this episode, Tom shares his experience of eating the Top Chef “Southern Sides” elimination challenge and why the edit was so different than his own meal.
With Tristan Epps-Long back on the show, Sara and Tom run through the the surprising underdog story of the quickfire. Sara tells Tom Colicchio to stop lying about his least favorite food :) and explains how timing is secretly a huge advantage on the show.
Sara and Tom also talk about meeting Brittany Cochran, Nana Araba Wilmot and Sieger Bayer at Sala in Charlotte and eating their food. Finally, Tom begrudgingly has to read out the scores from Sara’s vicious season of fantasy.
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1 April 2026, 9:00 am - 37 minutes 14 secondsTrack Your Knives Ep 3
We're back for episode three of Track Your Knives, the data-driven Top Chef companion podcast brought to you by Pack Your Knives. Carly and Kendra are here to break down YOUR power rankings and fantasy league results from episode 3.
If you're just finding us, head over to find-topchef.com to submit your power rankings and play along, and subscribe at packyourknives.com for deeper weekly insights.
01:56 Setting the record straight
07:46 Our favorite moment from episode 3
11:55 Power Rankings analysis
15:14 Predicting episode 3's winner
22:53 Thoughts on next week's episode
27:03 Fantasy Leagues analysis
32:27 Sign off and reminder to submit rankings!
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27 March 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 25 minutesS23 Ep 3: True Colors with Jamie Brown
With Supperland hosting Top Chef this week, Tom and Sara took their talents to Supperland in Charlotte to recap the episode.
Liver mush. An incomplete dish. Flaccid pork.
Live in person, Tom and Sara together break down the episode with the help of Supperland’s Jamie Brown, who welcomed the Top Chef crew to her restaurant in Plaza Midwood. Tom and Sara didn’t hold back.
With Jamie Brown on the show, the PYK hosts ask her Charlotte, Supperland and bringing Top Chef into their restaurant. Were the dishes THAT muted? What was it like to be at the table with Emeril Lagasse? She share her experience with the pod.
Plus, Tom shrinks as he updates Sara on the fantasy scoring.
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25 March 2026, 9:00 am - 46 minutes 50 secondsTrack Your Knives Ep 2
We're back for episode two of Track Your Knives, the data-driven Top Chef companion podcast brought to you by Pack Your Knives. Carly and Kendra are here to break down YOUR power rankings and fantasy league results from episode 2.
If you're just finding us, head over to find-topchef.com to submit your power rankings and play along, and subscribe at packyourknives.com for deeper weekly insights.
This week did not disappoint! We've got 139 power rankings submitted, Rhoda making Top Chef history, and 86 leagues with 282 fantasy teams to dig into. Let's get into it.
00:00 Hello and welcome!
04:55 First episode, first impressions
08:18 Carly and Kendra’s power rankings
11:00 Orientation to Power Ranking results
11:42 Shout-outs to listeners/players doing well!
13:50 Power Rankings analysis
27:26 Thoughts on Power Rankings going into episode 2
35:35 Reminder to submit rankings and join Fantasy Leagues
Subscribe to the PYK Substack! https://www.packyourknives.com/
Rate PYK 5 Stars on Apple or Spotify, or watch PYK on YouTube!
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20 March 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 2 minutesS23 Ep 2: Puckerbutt
Tom Haberstroh and Sara Bradley turn up the heat and break down the trip to Puckerbutt with Mei Lin, Smokin’ Ed Currie and Noah Chaimberg of The Heatonist.
Sara reveals her shocking distaste for a certain culinary treat as PYK tries to salvage any sponsorship opportunities to the show. We also watch a 2021 YouTube video of Tom eating a dried Carolina Reaper from Puckerbutt. Tom can attest: “If it doesn’t pucker your butt, it’s not Puckerbutt.”
With the group elimination challenge, Tom and Sara debate the progression strategy of a certain chef who gets eliminated, and celebrate a first in Top Chef history.
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18 March 2026, 9:00 am - 40 minutes 45 secondsTrack Your Knives Ep 1
This season, PYK is bringing you a second weekly Top Chef podcast.
Carly and Kendra will be summarizing and analyzing YOUR power rankings and fantasy leagues!
If you haven’t yet, head over to find-topchef.com to sign up and become a subscriber on https://www.packyourknives.com/ to get additional data-driven insights on Top Chef.
00:00 Hello and welcome!
04:55 First episode, first impressions
08:18 Carly and Kendra’s Power Rankings
11:00 Orientation to Power Ranking results
11:42 Shout-outs to listeners/players doing well!
13:50 Power Rankings analysis
27:26 Thoughts on Power Rankings going into episode 2
35:35 Reminder to submit rankings and join Fantasy Leagues
Subscribe to the PYK Substack! https://www.packyourknives.com/
Rate PYK 5 Stars on Apple or Spotify, or watch PYK on YouTube!
Follow PYK on Twitter: @packknives & Instagram: @packyourknives
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13 March 2026, 9:00 am - 47 minutes 28 secondsSavor Charlotte Edition Ep 1 - Chris Coleman
The first segment of a six-part Savor Charlotte with Tom Haberstroh series presented by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
Tom sits down with Charlotte chef and food competition guru Chris Coleman of Built On Hospitality who explains why it's a great time for Top Chef to spotlight the emerging Charlotte food scene.
Also, Chris shares the secrets of performing in food competitions and his long-held aspirations of being on Top Chef.
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11 March 2026, 5:09 pm - 2 hours 10 minutesS23 Ep 1: Carolina Roots
Tom Haberstroh and new co-host Sara Bradley break down a dramatic season premiere of Top Chef 23 Carolinas, which was released exclusively on Peacock March 3rd.
Tom and Sara get to know the contestants and react to one of the biggest meltdowns in Top Chef history, saved by an impromptu rescue mission from one of the judges. New for this season, the couple and twin dynamics already have Tom and Sara's heads spinning. The controversial ending will be sticking with us for a long, long time.
Plus, enjoy the first segment of a six-part Savor Charlotte with Tom Haberstroh series presented by CRVA. Tom sits down with Charlotte chef and food competition guru Chris Coleman of Built On Hospitality who explains why it's a great time for Top Chef to spotlight the emerging Charlotte food scene. Also, Chris shares the secrets of performing in food competitions and his long-held aspirations of being on Top Chef.
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5 March 2026, 10:00 am - 22 minutes 54 secondsSara Bradley Predicts Season 23
On a hot summer morning, Tom received a long text message from Sara. In it, Sara explained that she nerded out and wrote down a list of dishes she predicts will be on Top Chef Carolinas.
From Appalachian fine dining to hyper-seasonal sustainability, Sara drew upon the unique ingredients of the South and even sketched out the Restaurant Wars restaurant themes and menus.
After it all, Tom rethinks what it means to be a Top Chef expert.
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27 February 2026, 1:00 pm - 49 minutes 39 secondsGail Simmons Welcomes Us to Charlotte
To get us hyped for Season 23 Carolinas, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons joins the pod and coaches Tom about what it's like to "host" Top Chef in your home city (/country). The Canadian shares a bee-hind the scenes incident in Calgary last season and revels in Tom's LeBron comparison.
Finally, Tom and Gail each give a scouting report on Charlotte's restaurant scene and what makes the Queen City unique in the American culinary landscape. The big question: Does it need a signature dish? And what would it be?
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26 February 2026, 6:06 pm - 1 hour 35 minutesThe First-Ever In-Person PYK Blind Draft
That's right, a blind draft. In person!
Top Chef has taken their talents to Tom's home city of Charlotte, which presents a new draft twist. With the possibility that Tom (and Sara) might be attending some challenge tapings in the fall, they got their hands on the contestant list early and drafted immediately to maintain integrity of the show.
Yes, for the first time ever, the PYK draft was held before watching the first episode.
In the comforts of Tom's home, Tom and Sara break down the wild contestant list (twins! a married couple!), share how they created their rankings and debate their most controversial picks.
As a two-time Top Chef finalist, Sara reveals the qualities she looks for in a contestant. Tom explains his bold first pick with research that even Sara didn't uncover and asks the pros and cons of being the hometown chef.
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23 February 2026, 10:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App