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Baumgarten (left) and Reznik (right) via Bravo
The 7th season of Bravo's Top Chef will give viewers two opportunities to root for the home team thanks to the casting of two Los Angeles-based chefs who will be going knife-to-knife with their fellow hopefuls for the accolade.LA native Amanda Baumgarten has an education at Le Cordon Bleu in London on her resume, along with gigs in the kitchens of La Tante Claire and Le Gavroche in London and Melisse, Patina, and Paperfish in LA. Most recently she was the Executive Sous Chef under Ben Ford at Ford's Filling Station, and then was working as a consultant, before becoming the Sous Chef at the Water Grill. Says her Bravo bio:
Amanda is a gifted butcher with a distinct sense of flavor and style and loves to make any meat on the bone, but her favorite dish to prepare is Boudin Noire with vanilla-scented apple chutney.
Also fired up for the competition is Brooklyn-born Alex Reznik, who forged a working relationship with renowned "nightlife entrepreneur" Ivan Kane, and the two teamed up to create Hollywood's Ivan Kane's Cafe W as [LAist Review]. Per his bio:
Alex's philosophy is to marry local, seasonal ingredients with classic French techniques to create honest, Californian bistro cuisine. Today, in the kitchen or dining room, Alex's passion for his craft is lauded by loyal customers and critics alike.
We'll have our first chance to see what gets cooked up when the series, shot this season in Washington, DC, debuts on Bravo on June 16.
