The Amazing Run of Tristen Epps
Where does it stack up all-time? Only two other chefs have come close
I’ll give a spoiler alert here to cover my bases: SPOILER ALERT. THIS POST WILL COVER EVENTS THRU APRIL 24 EPISODE 7.
OK, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get down to business.
This, my friends, is a Tristen Epps appreciation post. The Caribbean-American chef with Virginia roots has been hotter than a Massimo-manned potato fry.
Leading up to Restaurant Wars, Epps has won three of the past four Elimination Challenges with a Quickfire Challenge victory sandwiched in between. I would argue that he could have had FOUR wins in a row if it weren’t for the Green Team friendly-fire snafu in Ep 6 that knocked his stunning mackerel dish out of the running for top prize. Tom Colicchio said his dish was one of the best he’s ever had.
But even still, in the New Elimination Immunity Era (est. 2024), we haven’t seen a chef go on a run quite like this. With immunity in his backpocket, Epps hasn’t rested on his laurels at all. He’s going for the jugular every single time he buttons up that chef coat, and I respect the living hell out of it.
I wanted to see how this four-episode run stacks up in history. What I’m looking for are chefs who accomplished the following in a four-episode span:
at least three EC wins and;
at least one QF win in a four-episode span and;
occurred anytime BEFORE Restaurant Wars. (A chef beating out a handful of chefs in the final stages of the competition feels a little bit different than what we’re witnessing with Tristen here.)
OK, got that?
Let’s see what we find…