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Joe Tartamella, 35, the executive chef at Felina Restaurants in Ridgewood, Jersey City, and Summit, and Kyle Timpson, 30, of Dennis Township (Cape May County) are among the 18 contestants on a brand-new season of the hit FOX cooking competition.
Season 23, titled"Head Chefs Only," debuted on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Contestants are divided into two teams, the Red Team, which is all women, and the Blue Team, which is all men. The Blue Team happens to be led by Asbury Park's James Avery, who owns The Black Swan and formerly The Mainstay, which closed over the summer.
The winner will receive a $250,000 grand prize and will go on to serve as head chef of "Hell's Kitchen" at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, CT, not far from where the show is being filmed.
In a teaser for the season, Tartamella tells cameras he didn't think the season would be this hard. Avery says Tartamella looks like he "wants to win this thing."
Timpson, who wears a hot pink zebra set, may have been underestimated, Avery says: "But you know what, he means business."
Timpson's food earned accolades while in the culinary program at the Atlantic Cape Community College, his website says. He launched his career working at season restaurants in South Jersey then moved to Philadelphia in 2021. There, he worked as Chef de Cuisine at Moshulu and as the executive chef of an Italian steakhouse.
Tartamella was named head chef of Felina last year. According to NorthJersey.com, he had previously worked as a chef at Allegory at the MC Hotel in Montclair, Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery in Berkeley Heights, Tabor Road Tavern in Morris Plains, and at Roots Steakhouse in Ridgewood (as executive chef of Harvest Restaurant Group).
Catch the next episode on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. on FOX.
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