Top Chef: New Orleans is the eleventh season of the American reality television series Top Chef. The season was announced on May 10, 2013. Filming took place from early May through late July, beginning in New Orleans, Louisiana, and concluding in Maui. The season premiered on October 2, 2013. State and local tourism offices in Louisiana sponsored the season, paying a total of $375,000. The state contribution came from a recovery fund established by BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In addition to the return of the Last Chance Kitchen, Bravo launched a new web series called Padma's Picks. Debuting on August 14, 2013, the competition, presided over by host Padma Lakshmi, featured ten New Orleans-based chefs competing for the chance to join the official lineup of contestants and represent the city.
The final episode of the season generated controversy after head judge Tom Colicchio appeared to successfully sway the other judges into awarding the title of Top Chef to Nicholas Elmi, a contestant who had been nearly eliminated in several episodes and had temper control issues. Fan outrage led Colicchio to release the judges' scores on Twitter to justify their decision to give Elmi the victory over eventual runner-up Nina Compton, who was considered a front-runner in the competition. Compton was later voted Fan Favorite.
The cast of Top Chef: New Orleans originally consisted of 17 chefs. An additional 10 New Orleans-based chefs competed in Padma's Picks for the chance to join the main lineup of contestants; following its conclusion, Lakshmi selected Justin Devillier and Michael Sichel. Benedetto Bartolotta and Nick Lama previously competed in the fifth season of Top Chef Masters as the sous-chefs of Odette Fada and Sue Zemanick, respectively. Stephanie Cmar appeared as a contestant in ' during the qualifying rounds.
Shirley Chung competed in Top Chef Duels, and later returned to compete in '. Stephanie Cmar returned for '
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