The #RealHousewivesofSaltLakeCity

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

In the 10th installment of Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise, a group of six successful women navigate an exclusive social circle in Salt Lake City. Their lives are filled with high drama, court room drama, cults, and everything in between as they create their own paradises with luxury homes, shopping sprees and multi-million-dollar businesses and brands.

What is The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City?

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, or RHOSLC for short, is the tenth installment in Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise. Starring Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose and Jen Shah, the show takes viewers inside the lives of a social circle of uber-wealthy, Pentecostal-inspired women living in the Salt Lake City area.

Unlike other Real Housewives franchises, the cast of RHOSLC has a deep history in the community. They hail from all walks of life, and their religious beliefs span a spectrum of faiths: Mormon, Islamic, Jewish and Pentecostal.

In fact, it's not uncommon for some of these women to share their faith with their children. While they may be less image-conscious than their counterparts in other cities, the women of RHOSLC are still rich, powerful and forces to be reckoned with.

It's not all drama, though. As the title suggests, these women have their moments of beauty and fashion, but they're also serious about making a difference in the world. From working to end violence against women to creating an online platform that helps people in need, they're all willing to make the sacrifices necessary for a better world.

The show is a great example of how reality TV can be a foray into Mad Libs – it's impossible to watch an episode without laughing at the absurdities and witty one liners that come with the territory. It's a refreshing break from the franchise's previous incarnations, which tended to focus on one archetype or another.

For starters, the show's biggest villain isn't the usual Housewife. This season, it's Jen Shah — she recently pled guilty to a high-profile telemarketing scam and is serving a prison term for her role in the scheme.

On a lighter note, Jen's telemarketing fraud scheme didn't take place in the middle of nowhere; it was based in Salt Lake City, where her husband Sharrieff and their two sons live. The ensuing legal battle pushed her to seek support from her friends and family, which led to some major changes in her life.

The cast's other major event is the reveal of a new friend in Danna Bui-Negrete, an entrepreneur and business owner who goes back to her roots in the Mormon religion. As she gets to know the women, she finds herself tangled in their drama. And as she grows closer to Whitney Rose, she uncovers suppressed memories from her childhood.

Who are the cast members?

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is a reality show that follows a group of six women who live in and around the American state of Utah. The show is a spinoff of the original Real Housewives franchise, and despite only starting in 2020, it's already one of the most popular of the entire series.

The show features six of the most dynamic and successful women living in Salt Lake City, and each woman's personality and personal life is a major focus of the show. Their lives are filled with a variety of challenges, including religion, family dramas, friendship fall outs and legal issues.

In Season 3, fans will see a lot of drama, and it doesn't look like things will slow down anytime soon. The first trailer for Season 3 reveals that cast member Jen Shah was recently sentenced to six and a half years in prison for her role in a telemarketing scam.

Other cast members, Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Meredith Marks and Whitney Rose, are all returning for the new season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. They will be joined by two new friends: Angie Katsanevas and Danna Bui-Negrete.

As for the new faces, they are all business owners and have family connections in the area. They also all live in Salt Lake City, so they know the city well.

Some of the cast members are Polynesian, while others have Black heritage and Pentecostal or Jewish backgrounds. The show is filmed in Salt Lake City, which is a majority Mormon area.

According to Bravo, the cast of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake city is the most diverse in the franchise history. It also features the first housewife of Polynesian heritage.

While most of the cast members are Mormons, there are some who have converted to Islam or are devout Pentecostal Christians. The cast also includes some Black women and a few women who have left the church.

Regardless of their religious background, these housewives are all incredibly funny and down-to-earth personalities. They will be a blast to watch as they navigate the challenges that come with being a part of this famous show.

What is the plot of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City?

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is the latest addition to Bravo’s hit franchise. This installment follows a group of women in the Utah-based city as they navigate a society that revolves around religion, beauty, wealth and perfection.

The show began in 2006 with The Real Housewives of Orange County and has since followed the lives of women living in various cities across the United States, including New York, Atlanta, and Beverly Hills. Now, Bravo has expanded its franchise to Salt Lake City, bringing Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Meredith Marks and Whitney Rose to the snowy slopes of Utah.

While the Real Housewives franchise has been a staple of the reality television world, it can be hard to keep up with all of the drama and controversies that happen in each season. That’s especially true for this season, which features the cast’s biggest villain: convicted fraudster Jen Shah.

During filming, Shah was in the midst of court proceedings after she and her assistant were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering (Shah maintains her innocence). In July, she pleaded guilty to those charges. The plea deal meant that she could face up to 14 years in prison, but it also means that her presence is felt on the series throughout its run.

Meanwhile, Shah’s friend-of-the-show, Angie Harrington, finds herself at the center of a social media scandal after she revealed that her husband ran a troll account. The ensuing drama will be a source of plenty of drama for the show’s cast, who are expected to have many disagreements with one another as they continue to navigate life as the wealthy and aspirational women they are.

As the show progresses, we get a look at how these rich and powerful women are able to stay grounded in their faith while still finding ways to have fun. This includes a spiritual healing journey for Whitney Rose, who struggles to let go of her suppressed memories and is ready to live a life of freedom.

The cast of RHOSLC also includes fellow Mormon Lisa Barlow, who is New York-born but has lived in Utah for over 20 years. She is married to John and has two children.

What is the cast of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City like?

The Salt Lake City cast of the Real Housewives franchise is a collection of women who all share a similar lifestyle. These women are wealthy, well-educated and are a product of a culture where religion, beauty and perfection are all important aspects of life.

The show centers on a group of women who are constantly in conflict with each other. The cast includes Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Meredith Marks and Whitney Rose.

Lisa Barlow is a successful businesswoman and a mother of three. She has a supportive husband and children. She also has a large extended family and a large house in the suburbs of Salt Lake City. She is known for her socialite status, sexy looks and lavish parties.

Unlike most other Real Housewives shows, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is a group of women who aren't racially polarized. This is a great change from the other Real Housewives franchises, which often have a lack of diversity among their cast members.

Mary Cosby, who is the first lady of a Pentecostal church dynasty in Salt Lake City, has an interesting background. She is the granddaughter of Rosemary Redmon Cosby, who founded the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church in the city. Her grandmother's wishes were that her granddaughter should take over the church and marry her second husband.

She's a beautiful woman, and she has an extensive fashion collection. She's also very religious and a member of the Mormon church.

But like most other members of this group, she is not always respectful to people who do not share her cultural background. She has called Asian Americans "slanted eyes" and insulted Mexicans.

As the season progresses, she is also struggling with her relationships with the other housewives, especially Lisa Rinna, who she considers her best friend. She has a hot-mic moment that leaves her in a bit of trouble and her friendship with her friend is put to the test.

Meanwhile, Jen Shah, the biggest personality in the cast and a former Mormon who converted to Islam, is the star of the series. She is the CEO of three marketing companies, has two young children and a husband who she claims she loves. She is the most controversial person in the cast and has the potential to create the most drama. She and her husband Sharrieff often host extravagant events. She is also the leader of her own non-denominational choir.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 12 Cast Members

The affluent women of Beverly Hills attempt to balance their ever-evolving friendships with the demands of family life and growing business ventures. But a string of shocking events proves that living this large is more than meets the eye.

Affectionately known as the Get Along Gang, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Erika Jayne, Garcelle Beauvais, Sutton Stracke and Crystal Kung Minkoff are all back for season 12. The reunion kicks off Wednesday with a three-part special.

Kyle Richards

The 53-year-old Kyle Richards has been a part of the Beverly Hills reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since the first season. She has starred alongside her sister Kim, and she has made appearances on several other shows over the years, including Little House on the Prairie and Halloween Kills.

Kyle is the daughter of Kathleen Mary Dugan and Kenneth Edwin Richards, a business executive. She began acting at a young age, and appeared in numerous television shows and films. She portrayed Alicia Sanderson Edwards on the western drama series Little House on the Prairie. She has appeared in other movies, including a slasher film called Halloween (1978) and The Car.

She has also acted in television movies, such as 106 episodes of fantasy sitcom Down to Earth. She is currently married to real estate broker Mauricio Umansky and has four daughters: Farrah, Alexia, Sophia and Portia.

While on the cast trip to Aspen for season 12 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Kyle and Kathy found themselves at odds. Although the issues were not caught on camera, they were discussed by everyone in the group.

Garcelle Beauvais, 55, and Erika Jayne, 59, got in on the action. In one deleted scene from the Bravo reunion, they both joked that Kyle was relieved someone saw her sister's behavior.

In another clip, Kyle shared her feelings about Lisa Rinna's exit from the show. In it, she revealed how much she missed Rinna, and she also addressed the tension that surrounded her relationship with Kathy Hilton.

Lisa Rinna

Lisa Rinna is a former soap opera star who joined the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2014. She made her debut on the show during season 5 and helped rejuvenate it after a few stale seasons. She also brought some real-life drama to the series.

She faced a lot of backlash from fans for her antics on the show. However, she seemed to be able to handle the negative feedback.

During her final season, Rinna was forced to deal with the death of her mother Lois and her sister Kathy’s meltdown during an Aspen trip. She even clashed with her former friend Sutton Stracke and tension boiled over between her and Kyle Richards.

In a recent interview, Rinna opened up about her exit from the reality show for the first time. She dished on the reason behind her decision and offered some behind-the-scenes details about how The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is filmed.

Rinna’s departure from the franchise is a huge loss for fans. She has served as a staple on the show for eight seasons and helped to bring some much-needed drama to the cast.

The 59-year-old actress sat down with Interview Magazine to discuss her exit from the show, and it seems she’s ready to leave the franchise. She explains that her season 12 experience was tumultuous and she felt like there was too much going on.

Erika Jayne

Erika Jayne is a singer and actress who is best known for her dance-oriented pop music. She was born to a single mother, Renee Chahoy, in Atlanta and attended a performing arts high school before moving to New York City where she started pursuing her passion for music and acting.

She debuted her first hit, “Roller Coaster,” in 2007 and since then has released several other number one Billboard singles. She toured the world and collaborated with various artists. She has also published a New York Times best-selling memoir titled Pretty Mess.

Jayne married her attorney husband, Tom Girardi in 1999 and the pair has a son. They divorced in November 2020. The following year, they were named in a lawsuit in which Tom was accused of embezzling settlement money from plane crash victims to fund their extravagant lifestyle.

The infamous court case was an ongoing issue for the season prior, but it came to a head during the cast trip to Aspen. When the Housewives sat down for their four-part reunion, she faced hours of questioning about her marriage and her ex-husband’s alleged crimes.

She has since apologized to her co-stars for her misusage of alcohol and medications and said that the cast trip was not her “finest moment”—as she admitted in a recent episode of Bravo Con 2022. She says that she acted out of frustration and regrets her actions during the episode.

Garcelle Beauvais

Garcelle Beauvais is a Haitian-American actress, TV personality, author, and former fashion model who has been featured on several fan-favorite shows. Before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she starred in sitcoms like The Jamie Foxx Show and NYPD Blue.

She has also appeared in a number of other projects, including the Lifetime original movie Black Girl Missing. The film is inspired by actual stories of missing women and is part of the network’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

After her appearance on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Beauvais became a fan favorite for her sexy, self-assured attitude. She also had a strong sense of humor and often made ruthless one-liners.

Fans of the reality show have been waiting to see what happens with the cast after their reunion show. They usually take a group photo after the event, but no cast photo was released for Season 12.

The season ended with Kathy Hilton’s epic meltdown, and there have been a lot of drama in the group. Erika Jayne had issues with Kyle Richards, Sutton Stracke had some romance brewing, and Dorit Kemsley dealt with a scary home invasion.

It looks as though the relationship between Garcelle and Sutton may be at a breaking point. The ladies have been best friends throughout the show, but fans are speculating that it has recently gone downhill.

Sutton Stracke

If you’re a fan of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, then you’ve likely watched Sutton Stracke. The Bravo personality is a recurring cast member who first appeared in Season 10 as a "friend of."

Since then, she has made several appearances on the show and has become a fan favorite for her sexy physique. She was a great addition to the show’s lineup in Season 11, and she was able to help Erika Jayne during her legal battle against disgraced lawyer Tom Girardi, who was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from clients.

But even though she was a popular member of the RHOBH cast, Sutton was not without her share of drama. She and Diana Jenkins got into a spat over her pettiness, and Sutton didn’t take kindly to her comments about her lack of communication skills.

However, Sutton did eventually work out her differences with Diana and she was a solid support for Garcelle Beauvais during their feud. She also was a strong voice for Kyle Richards, who had a difficult time dealing with Kathy Hilton’s alleged Aspen meltdown.

Sutton also had a tense feud with Lisa Rinna, who is rumored to be leaving the series soon. The two women have a history of tense interactions, including a confrontation at Elton John’s Academy Awards party in 2021.

After a rough season, Sutton is teasing fans with the possibility of coming back to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in Season 13. She hopes to come out stronger than she was at the end of the year and believes that viewers might see her a different way if she gets asked to return.

Crystal Kung Minkoff

Real Coco co-founder Crystal Kung Minkoff has become a fixture on the+real+housewives+of+beverly+hills+season+12, with her character taking on a role that’s equal parts drama and friendship. The entrepreneur has quickly become a fan favorite, despite her initial feud with Sutton Stracke.

At the season 12 reunion, Crystal sat down with host Andy Cohen and shared a bit of her eating disorder story. She explained that her struggles with anorexia and bulimia contributed to her feeling like Sutton’s “dark comment” made her feel unsafe.

After addressing her story, Andy asked Crystal whether she thought Sutton’s comments were racist. She answered that she felt that way, and that it was a big deal.

However, Crystal’s story didn’t go over well with the other cast members. Lisa Rinna, Erika Jayne and Kyle Richards didn’t believe her claims, and Andy Cohen pushed for more information.

As a result, Sutton Stracke took on a new role in the season as her character tried to make amends with Crystal. But things didn’t work out the way she planned.

During season 12, the ladies were in the middle of one of the biggest scandals in the show’s history. This is because Erika Girardi and Tom Girardi were both in legal trouble for their alleged business dealings.

The drama escalated to an all-time high, with some of the most dramatic moments in the show’s history. This was one of the reasons why Lisa Rinna decided to leave.

The Real Housewives of Orange County Cast

The Real Housewives of Orange County follows the personal and professional lives of the women in the high-society circles of California. The cast includes Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Heather Dubrow, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson.

OG RHOC star Jen Armstrong exited the show last season after 14 seasons. She’s returning as a “friend of” this season.

Tamra Judge

Tamra Judge is one of the most iconic Housewives in Orange County. She first joined the show during its third season and became an immediate fan favorite. She was a staple on RHOC until she was fired ahead of season 15 in 2020.

According to Page Six, Judge will return to RHOC for its upcoming 17th season in 2022. She'll be appearing alongside Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Emily Simpson.

She said during an appearance at BravoCon 2022 that she was a bit surprised to receive the call for the new season, but was happy to do it. She also mentioned that she's been working on real estate short sales recently and has launched her own makeup line.

On the newest trailer for RHOC's upcoming 16th season, she joins Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson as a main cast member. She's a very relatable 'Wife with many personal storylines and she is able to express her feelings.

However, she walks a very fine line between being relatable and being completely disconnected from reality. She is very controlled with her image, which can make it difficult to connect with her. She also lacks the fearlessness to let her personality shine through, which can be a problem for some viewers.

Shannon Beador

Shannon Beador is a reality TV star who became famous after appearing on Bravo's Real Housewives of Orange County. She is a prominent advocate of fitness practices and promotes an organic and green lifestyle.

She is a mother of three daughters, Sophie, Stella and Adeline. She has been married to her husband David Beador for 17 years. She filed for divorce after he cheated on her with another woman.

Her divorce was finalized in 2019. She got a compensation of $1.4 million from her ex-husband.

The 55-year-old has been a part of The Real Housewives of Orange County since Season 9 and has had many revelations about her personal life. Her unflinching honesty and unconventional ways have earned her fans.

Beador also adheres to a holistic lifestyle and keeps her home a toxic-free zone. She uses an energy specialist to help her clear her house of negative energies, and a Feng Shui advisor to rid herself of any built up anger and resentment.

She discourages too much dependence on modern technology and prefers to stick with traditional methods of healing. She also carries her faith with her and believes in the power of God to guide her through tough times.

Gina Kirschenheiter

Gina Kirschenheiter is a reality TV personality who is renowned for her appearance on the show The Real Housewives of Orange County. The series mainly deals with the lives of the upper-class housewives of one of the wealthiest communities in Southern California.

The show first premiered in 2006 and currently, it is running on Bravo. It features several famous personalities including Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Emily Simpson, Noella Bergener, Jennifer Armstrong and others.

Before she became a housewife, Gina worked as a flight attendant for North American Airlines and also served as an executive assistant in the Upper East Side. She married Matthew Kirschenheiter in 2010 and the couple has three children.

She and her husband moved to Orange County with their kids in 2015 for his work. During their marriage, they suffered a lot of ups and downs. However, they got back together in 2019 after a split in 2018.

The RHOC star is now dating her new boyfriend, Travis Mullen. She has shared many photos on social media and recently threw a wedding for her blended family.

Noella Bergener

Noella Bergener is a former model and reality television star. She gained fame by appearing on the 16th season of Real Housewives of Orange County. She has also made a name for herself on social media, as she is popular for her politics, activism, and support of Black Lives Matter.

On December 15, 2021, Noella revealed that she was feeling completely shattered because her husband served her with divorce papers. She explained the reason for the separation by stating that James owes $6 million USD in tax debts.

The divorce left Noella's life a mess as she had to care for her children and worry about her financial future. She also shared that she had to deal with the emotional impact of the divorce on her family.

Her lavish lifestyle was ripped apart by the news and she finds herself unable to cope with her new circumstances. Noella turns to her friend Shannon Beador for help as she tries to make sense of what’s happening in her life.

Noella Bergener was introduced to the cast of RHOC in season 16. She and Jen Armstrong were a lukewarm addition to the show, with viewers thinking that she was boring and didn’t have a good relationship with her husband Ryne Holliday.

Alexis Bellino

The Real Housewives of Orange County is a reality television show that features the lives of a group of women living in the wealthy city of Orange County. These women often focus on their wealth and live large. They have big houses, a lot of money, and they enjoy drinking, shopping, dancing and dining out.

Alexis Bellino is a reality TV personality and an alum of the Real Housewives of Orange County. She has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million. She was also the creator and designer of her own clothing lines, Alexis Couture and Alexis Casual.

She is married to Jim Bellino and they have three children together. They have twin daughters named McKenna and Melania and a son named James Bellino.

In 2018, she divorced Jim and began dating Andy Bohn. She has been seen flaunting her new relationship on social media and appears to be a big fan of Bravo's Below Deck show.

During season 16, she had a huge feud with Heather DuBrow, who was a cast member in seasons 14 and 15. The two women clashed regularly and they fought in front of the cameras almost every episode.

The Real Housewives of Orange County is back with a new season in 2019. It will be the franchise's seventeenth season and several of its original cast members could be returning, including Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson.

Quinn McKenna

The Real Housewives of Orange County has some pretty talented cast members. However, a few of them are rumored to be leaving the show. For example, it looks like Peggy Sulahian is exiting the Bravo series after one season.

Another rumored RHOC alum is Marcy McKenna, who is a savvy business owner with a few million dollar products under her belt. Her inventions include a bathroom valet that stores hair care products, and an interchangeable clutch bag.

Her e-commerce site sells a few of her more popular items, including a toilet paper roll stand. She also has a few more interesting products in the works, including an electric toothbrush that automatically charges and cleans itself.

Aside from her inventions, she’s got an impressive tally of achievements in the entertainment industry. She’s appeared in several films, including the blockbuster hit “The Predator” and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

The best part is that she has the time to do it! She also loves to share her love of all things beauty and fashion with her 1.9 million Instagram followers. She also has a knack for spotting the most exciting and relevant trends in the world of fashion and beauty. She even recently sat down with her favorite makeup brands to talk all things skincare!

Kimberly Brooke

The Real Housewives of Orange County is one of the most popular reality shows on Bravo. The show features a group of women who live in luxury in Orange County, California. Throughout the show, they share their lives with fans and are often involved in high-stakes drama.

The show is known for focusing on their extravagant lifestyles and how they spend their money. However, life can be tough for them as well.

In season 16, the cast welcomes a newcomer to the housewives, former actress Heather Dubrow, who is married to a prominent Newport Beach plastic surgeon. She joins Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson.

This is an exciting return to the show for Heather, who left the series in 2016. In addition to Dubrow returning, Bravo also revealed that Dr. Jennifer Armstrong and Noella Bergener would be joining the cast.

In this season, Noella’s world is turned upside down when her husband files for divorce. While she struggles to come to terms with the unexpected change in her life, she finds solace in her friendship with a sympathetic Shannon. She also takes on a challenge to help her daughter deal with the loss of her father.

Top Chef Season 19 Episode 11 - Sara Horowitz's Last Chance at Redemption

In this week’s episode, the top six chefs were tasked with cooking for their families on vacation. While this was not exactly a psych-out challenge, it did bring up a few interesting moments and gave the chefs some insight into each others’ family lives.

On the flipside, Sarah was forced to fight her way back into the game as she faced a challenge that mimicked the Quickfire from season three. She won, and it looks like she’s going to have a chance to make it into the elimination round.

Sarah’s first challenge back in the game

It’s time for Sara Horowitz to get back in the game and prove herself once again. She has been eliminated from the competition and will have her last chance at redemption.

She arrives in Hell’s Kitchen and is greeted by Jean-Philippe, who tells her that she will be one of twelve contestants. After getting to know the other contestants, they have to cook their signature dishes in front of Ramsay.

Sarah is excited to have a chance to get back into the competition and impress Ramsay. She hopes to win, but she knows that it will take a lot of work.

After arriving at Hell’s Kitchen, the team was divided into two teams. The red team included Rachel and Sara, while the blue team included Heather.

During prep, Sara was unhappy with how the team worked together as a group, and she wanted to be the leader of the red team. However, she felt that she was being dominated by Rachel.

The red team did well during the Relay Challenge, as they were able to send two entrees and a salad to the pass. They were rewarded with a day on a yacht with Ramsay.

Sara’s first Quickfire challenge is a seafood tower, which will consist of a cold dish and a hot dish. She makes a raw oyster with shallots for the cold dish, and she makes a Thai-Cajun shrimp boil for the hot dish.

She was criticized by Padma and Shota for the seafood tower, but she thinks it’s a good idea because it shows her skills and that she can cook. She also wins immunity for this challenge, and she thinks she may have found her niche.

In her first service, Sara’s Colorado rack of lamb was cooked poorly, and she did not have enough experience cooking meat. Her entrees were also not sliced correctly. She was irritated by Virginia’s lack of remorse for her mistakes, and she was even more frustrated by Heather’s giggling while she was trying to help Maribel on the scallop station.

During her first service, she was very stressed out. She was worried about her sister, who is going to come in and judge the dishes. She was a little embarrassed about this, but she also thought it was a good opportunity to show her sister that she can cook. She was also afraid of letting the team down.

Evelyn’s family reunion

Evelyn’s family reunion brings up painful memories from her past.

During the last challenge, each chef had to cook for a family reunion at a rented house in Galveston. The chefs each received a dossier, containing information about the likes and dislikes of a specific family member.

Evelyn, Sarah, Buddha, Damarr, and Nick each had to create a dish based on the assigned family member’s likes and dislikes. As a group, they whipped up dishes that evoked feelings of home, comfort, and love.

The judges praised them for their dishes, which were all delicious. Evelyn made a Tex-Mex pork stew that was rich and heavy seasoned in the best way possible. She also cooked a rice dish that many of the astronauts mentioned as being the “best rice they had today.”

As Evelyn continued to prepare, she figured out that her father was in her family’s dossier, but she was still struggling to figure out who this person was. Sarah, who clocked her sister’s aversion to mushrooms, thought she knew her family’s connection.

In the end, she guessed right, and it turned out to be her father. She’s also the only chef to correctly recognize that her mother is a family member.

She also managed to make her father’s favorite meal—Southern gumbo. She paired collard greens, beans, and okra with her gumbo to bring in plenty of flavors from the region.

Despite their initial confusion, they all got the hang of it quickly and made a good first impression with their meals. Their confidence showed through in the cooking process, and it was a great reminder to them that they can win on the big stage when they put their heart into their food.

Ultimately, Evelyn’s family reunion was one for the books. She walked away with her first individual win. It was a perfect example of how if you focus, you can do anything! And now she’s a step closer to winning the title of top chef! So what will she do next? We’ll find out when Season 19 comes to a close.

Demarr’s emotional letter

In the most dramatic challenge of the week, each chef received a dossier detailing the likes and dislikes of a family member, but they couldn’t figure out who the hell it was supposed to be. Sarah clocked her sister, Evelyn knew she was cooking for her father, and Damarr guessed that his wife was the mystery guest, but Nick still had no idea.

To help the chefs make sense of their assignments, Top Chef host Tom Colicchio gave them a bit of a break by introducing them to the first challenge of its kind: a Quickfire. The chefs were given 45 minutes to prepare two dishes — one hot and one cold — that could be assembled into the “ultimate communal appetizer.”

While the competition was exciting, it also had its fair share of hiccups. Sarah was having trouble finding the right oysters for her hot dish, while Nick and Damarr were both struggling to get the hang of making a tortilla from scratch.

Thankfully, Brooke and Kristen Kish were on hand to offer some support. They handed out letters from loved ones, along with mystery care packages filled with food and other goods.

It was a good thing they had those boxes on hand, because the first challenge that the final five did was something that I think you could call the most important. The chefs were challenged to create a dish from the contents of their mystery boxes.

The most interesting part of this challenge was that it was blind. The six chefs were told to use only the ingredients on their boxes and to create a dish that was both tasty and inspired by the contents of their box.

This was a very well done challenge, and I love that it had a little twist. Instead of a simple dish made from the ingredients in the box, they had to create a dish that was “inspired by the best thing about the item.”

The best dish was definitely Evelyn’s red snapper and sticky rice. The judges praised her dish as being “the most impressive of the night.” But it was Demarr’s letter that really caught my attention and was probably the most memorable of all. The letter came from his boss and mentor, Erick Williams. It was a great way to show Demarr that he’s got his mom and aunt’s back — a much needed morale boost after weeks of being told he was the softy among the tough guys.

Buddha’s second win

After two weeks off, the top four chefs returned to the "Top Chef" kitchen for their final challenge. As they did in the season’s first episode, the finalists were responsible for cooking a progressive meal. This time around, they had the opportunity to select a sous chef from among their eliminated competitors.

It was a fun way to end the season, but it also left us wondering who would be crowned the next top chef. New York-based Australian chef Buddha Lo impressed everyone with his creativity and ease of execution, and he earned the title of season 19 champion.

In this week’s Quickfire challenge, the finalists traveled to Galveston Island to make two-tier seafood towers at the beach. Each tower needed to include a hot and cold dish. The winner of this challenge received an advantage in the Elimination Challenge.

While most of the finalists created excellent dishes, only Buddha Lo’s cold jumbo shrimp and XO cocktail stood out to Padma Lakshmi. Damarr Brown makes a herb bread-crusted redfish with little neck clams and white beans that were also well received by judges.

Ashleigh Shanti’s country ham kanzuri barbecue sauce and peel-and-eat jerk shrimp are also praised, but the squid she serves as part of her paella-inspired heirloom rice are so undercooked that host Padma Lakshmi spits them out into her napkin. Nick Wallace learns late in the challenge that there’s no tortilla press for his masa, so he switches to grilled shrimp with mango chili vinaigrette and an orzo salad.

Sarah Welch’s red snapper and sticky rice is also a standout, but her family-style meal isn’t quite what she had in mind. She tries to get her head straight after the challenges, but it doesn’t take long for her to realize she can’t work with such limited space.

On this episode of Last Chance Kitchen, Sarah returns to the competition after being eliminated in episode 4. This was a surprise to many fans because Tom Colicchio is always single-handedly judging each episode, but it worked out well.

Despite the teasing, Tom and guest judge Top Chef: Portland runner-up Shota Nakajima did blind judging of the final dishes, so we didn’t know who would be back in the game for the finale. Ultimately, it came down to Evelyn Garcia, Sarah Welch, and Buddha Lo.