Two Seattle Chefs on Top Chef Season 6

Seattle chefs finally get their chance to shine on a national (reality show) stage when Top Chef Season 6 debuts August 26th. Those two chefs?

Ashley Merriman, who I called a rising-star chef when I praised her finessed cooking in my Branzino review last year. Merriman's cooking tastes deceptively simple and balanced--she's got the touch. Before heading the kitchen at Branzino, Merriman worked with Maria Hines at Tilth, and at Butter in NYC prior to that. 

Robin Leventhal, whose refined comfort food at the dearly missed Crave (which closed last October) kept Capitol Hill's brunch crowd sated for years. Leventhal, a cancer survivor, is self-taught; in fact, she holds an MFA from the University of Michigan and was an artist before she caught the cooking bug. Levethal's feisty personality (she rocked a saucy purple slip and cowboy boots for her Bravo bio page) should serve her well on the show.

So who will the ladies be up against? My picks for other chefs to watch:

Michael Voltaggio, chef at The Bazaar in L.A., the Jose Andres-owned eatery which was not only nominated for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation this year, but earned four stars from L.A. Times critic S. Irene Virbila in February. Look for cool molecular gastronomy tricks from this guy.

Jennifer Carroll, former sous-chef at Le Bernardin in NYC (no small feat) and current chef at Ripert's 10 Arts in Philadelphia, in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Refined French sauces, ridiculous knife skills are a sure bet.

Kevin Gillespie, who, aside from just looking like a fun guy to hang out with, lists lard as one of the ingredients he always keeps on hand. Plus, he cooked at Portland's Fife Restaurant before heading back to his hometown of Atlanta to head up the Woodfire Grill.

Preeti Mistry, who happens to be the exec chef for Google. I wouldn't usually put a chef who's essentially a large-scale caterer on my "to watch" list, but so many of last season's challenges required catering know-how, the London-born Mistry just might be a dark horse. 

Also worth a read: Grub Street's take on this season's lineup.