Rayne’s Isaac Toups among ‘Top Chefs’ fall contestants

The popular “Top Chef” series will begin its 13th season on the Bravo Network in December and Rayne residents may by interested in one of this year’s contestants, Isaac Toups.
The Rayne native and owner-operator of Toups’ Meatery in New Orleans, will be one of 17 chefs competing for the grand prize of $125,000 and a feature in Food & Wine magazine.
For the new season, which debuts Dec. 2, the contestants will travel to different California stops where they will try to impress the judges, head judge Tom Colicchip, regular judge Emeril Lagasse, and a number of guest and celebrity judges. Padma Lakshmi will again return as the show’s host.
Toups, a semifinalist in 2014 and 2015 for the James Beard Award as Best Chef-South, was sought out by the show following an online video of the New Orleans chef cooking dirty rice (rice dressing).
The show seeks out from across the United States who can provide a different take on everyday food -- a sure deal when it come to Toups’ cuisine.
The Cajun chef is the lone Louisiana chef to be included on this season’s series.
The Rayne native has worked in the kitchens of Emeril Lagasse, was the chef de cuisine at the now-closed Cuvee, and opened Toups’ Meatery in 2012 near City Park with his wife, Amanda. The popular stop offers an original take on his native Cajun cuisine with a focus on meat, from bone marrow to homemade sausage.
His non-traditional style of cooking features his background as a Louisiana chef, highlighting that Cajun flair which sets him apart from other chefs who have been chosen for the show.
The new season of the series was filmed in May and will be aired next week. Without giving away any results, Toups is portrayed as a good guy and family man, representative of his Cajun roots.
Make sure to mark your calendar for the Dec. 2nd show and show your support for one of Rayne’s own.