In a groundbreaking first for the long-running culinary competition, Top Chef Season 23: Carolinas features life partners Jennifer Lee Jackson and Justin Tootla competing side by side—and against each other—for the $250,000 grand prize and prestigious accolades.

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The Detroit-area duo, who met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America, have built their careers together through shared kitchens, challenges, and triumphs.

They co-owned and operated acclaimed restaurants Voyager (opened in 2017 in Ferndale, a seafood-forward spot named a Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year in 2018) and Bunny Bunny (launched in 2020 in Detroit, blending Tootla’s Indian heritage with Jackson’s Southern roots, despite pandemic hurdles).

After consulting roles at Gilchrist Farm Winery and traveling, the pair are now poised to showcase their collaborative yet competitive dynamic on national television.

Jackson, originally from Statham, Georgia, and now based in Suttons Bay/Detroit, Michigan, honed her skills at renowned spots like Prune in New York City before teaming up with Tootla.

Tootla, with Indian-American roots, also trained at top establishments post-CIA and brings bold, heritage-inspired flavors to their joint ventures.

Bravo highlighted the historic casting: for the first time, the show includes life partners who co-own and operate a restaurant, adding layers of personal stakes to the high-pressure challenges.

“We’ve navigated kitchens, openings, and life together,” the couple has shared in past reflections on their journey, including multiple break-ups, make-ups, and adventures across states and restaurants. Now, that partnership faces the ultimate test: elimination rounds where only one can advance.

Set primarily in Charlotte, North Carolina, with episodes in Greenville, South Carolina, Season 23 spotlights Southern hospitality, regional ingredients, and diverse flavors—elements that could play to Jackson’s Southern influences and the duo’s farm-to-table ethos.

The season kicks off with a high-speed premiere challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway, promising intense drama as the couple balances support, strategy, and ambition amid the rest of the field, including identical twin brothers Jonathan and Brandon Dearden.

Viewers can catch the early premiere episode starting March 3 on Peacock (with access also on Bravo’s YouTube channel and VOD), ahead of the official Bravo airing on Monday, March 9, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Supersized 75-minute episodes will deliver extended looks at the cooking, critiques, and interpersonal tensions.

Will their deep bond give them an edge through teamwork and understanding, or will the cutthroat competition strain their relationship? Jackson and Tootla are ready to prove their culinary prowess—together or apart—in what promises to be one of Top Chef’s most emotionally charged seasons yet.

Top Chef Season 23 airs Mondays on Bravo, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.