Chicago chef Bailey Sullivan is one of the three competitors representing the Windy City on season 22 of the award-winning Top Chef TV show on Bravo. The reality television series is set in Canada this season, and one of 15 chefs will take home the grand prize of $250,000, a $125,000 Delta flight credit and an appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
Sullivan could win an opportunity to be featured at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in her hometown of Chicago on June 16 at the Lyric Opera. She previously received the Rising Star award from the New York City organization StarChefs in 2021.
After attending Kendall College, she rose to the top of the hospitality world as chef di cucina in the West Loop at Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio. She worked with former Top Chef contestant Beverly Kim at Parachute and is currently employed by Top Chef finalist Sarah Grueneberg at Monteverde.
Bailey reminisced about her culinary roots, and what’s cooking in the pan of this pansexual with an exclusive interview held on Zoom right after the first episode debuted.
Windy City Times: Where are you originally from?
Bailey Sullivan: I grew up in La Grange, Illinois. I’ve been living in the city since I went to college, and I’ve worked at Monteverde for nine years this June. My first job in Chicago was working at Black Dog Gelato spinning gelato.
WCT: So does this mean you have an advantage with desserts on Top Chef?
BS: Well, they are not my specialty. Desserts take a lot of time and testing. That’s just their nature.
WCT: What is your family’s history with cooking?
BS: My dad was the cook in the house growing up and my mom, I love her to death, had about three dishes that were excellent. We did a decent amount of fast food runs in my childhood!
Cooking was something I always wanted to do, and my dad runs a pub called Goldyburgers, so the industry has always been in my blood.
WCT: Talk about the process for being cast on Top Chef.
BS: It was really crazy. Someone reached out to me via email, asking me to apply. There was a thought process in my brain telling me that I wasn’t ready yet, but it’s something that no one will ever be ready for.
The overall casting process took a long time, but it went well and they called to ask me to be on the show. It took me a few days to reply because I was nervous about it.
WCT: The Quick Fire Challenge always appears to be nerve-wracking.
BS: This whole thing was the hardest experience of my life. Just trying to think of things on your feet all the time is just one part of it. It was intimidating to look to my left and right to see 14 chefs at the top of their game crushing it. Some of them owned multiple restaurants and had been on TV before Top Chef. This was my first time being on television.
Combining all these things led to stress, but it was also fun. The first Quick Fire did feel crazy, but I slowly learned how to adapt and react in the moment.
WCT: Isn’t it good training for stress felt in any kitchen?
BS: I am naturally a very anxious person and have been my whole life. Before leaving for Top Chef, I was confident, but when I got there, it was wild. It was the next step in my challenge to be a strong chef and also as a human being just trying to navigate a reality television show. There’s not much in life that can prepare you for that!
WCT: Did you know the other Chicago contestants previous to being cast?
BS: Having the Chicago chefs there warmed my heart. I knew Cesar Murillo because we were in the same StarChef Rising Stars group in 2021. I had never met Zubair Mohajir before and we told each other we were from Chicago while we were in the car together for the show. We became fast friends. It’s been nice to talk about the food scene in Chicago together and build a little community on Top Chef. I love that we are just neighborhoods away to support each other on the daily.
WCT: One of the prizes is to present at The James Beard Awards in Chicago. Have you been to it before?
BS: I have been to the James Beard Awards almost every single year that they’ve been in Chicago. When I was still a student at Kendall College, they offered tickets to us to watch the show. It is always exciting to see all of the chefs come into the city and celebrate with them. I can’t wait for this year too!
WCT: You also participated in Chicago Gourmet’s big event in the past.
BS: Yes, it’s always a great time. I was out this last time because of filming Top Chef.
WCT: What have you learned from Monteverde to help you on the show?
BS: Pasta is my life now, but I came to Monteverde only having cooked Asian food. I remember my first day when I saw Pecorino sitting next to Parm and not being sure of the difference. I have come a long way from there.
I loved cooking Asian food, but I wanted to give Italian food a try. It was a clear-cut decision for me to work with Chef Sarah Grueneberg. I met her at a ramen battle at Yusho when I was working there. They used to have a ramen noodle battle on the last Sunday of every month between two different Chicago chefs. I was able to pick which chef I would work with and I met so many chefs that way. Sarah and I cooked for 300 people and got to know each other. The day that I accepted my job at Parachute was the same day she reached out and asked if I wanted to be on the opening team for Monteverde. I stayed with my commitment, and I was at Parachute for about a year and then went to Monteverde after that.
WCT: Excluding Sarah, have you had a favorite top chef contestant from the past?
BS: It’s really hard to choose one because there have been 21 seasons before this one. I am Chicago-proud, but there are so many of those, too. At Monteverde, I worked with Chef Richie Farina, who was also on season nine with Sarah for a bit. He was filming a TV show at night but wanted to work in the kitchen during the day.
I love so many people on the show both personally and as an inspiration. I am noncommittal on that question—sorry!
WCT: That’s understandable, but even in terms of gender, the representation of women on Top Chef has been valuable with the misogyny found at some restaurants across the country.
BS: I think in society and the media today, things have changed a lot for women chefs. Even looking at earlier seasons, I was thrilled to see our season come together to support each other’s backs, especially the women chefs.
There was a time before when women were pitted against each other and there was an attempt to make girl fight scenarios. To be on the show in 2025 when it’s the most progressive season so far, it’s nice to know we are in a different environment and culture than we were 20 years ago.
WCT: Talk about the representation of queer host Kristen Kish on Top Chef.
BS: She is a joy and a delight. There were quick little moments before the cameras started rolling where she checked in on us to see if we were okay. To have someone who had been in our shoes and had one as a guide was incredible.
WCT: How hard was it to keep the secret that you had been cast on Top Chef?
BS: It was the worst. I am not good at keeping secrets and people can see every expression on my face in the first episode in real time. It was rough!
When I was filming, I had to lie and say I was in Italy. When it was announced that I was on Top Chef it was a huge sigh of relief for me because I was not good at faking the trip to Europe.
WCT: What are your plans for the future?
BS: I am preparing a dinner for the Southern Smoke Foundation. It’s one of the top charities for food industry workers. What’s really cool about it is that it supports everyone from farmers to baristas. They are based out of Texas and are at a national level now.
They just started a mental health care program for restaurant workers called Behind You. They have rolled out the program to many states including Illinois.
I am going to Texas for an event called Decanted on March 29 to prepare a five-course meal for the charity.
WCT: Is your goal to open your own restaurant?
BS: It is and it’s been my dream since day one.
WCT: Will you stay in Chicago?
BS: Yes, and I can’t imagine leaving. I got really lucky to be born right where I want to be!
Monteverde currently celebrates its 10th anniversary at 1020 W. Madison St. and Top Chef airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. CST on Bravo TV.