Jennifer Jackson and Justin Tootla, life partners and acclaimed Michigan chefs, are competing against each other on season 23 of Bravo's Top Chef, filmed in North and South Carolina. The couple, known for their work at Voyager in Ferndale and Bunny Bunny in Detroit, shared insights into the intense filming process and their excitement for Southern ingredients. The season premieres on March 9 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Jennifer Jackson, 41, and Justin Tootla, 44, met at the Culinary Institute of America and have worked at major restaurants in New York City. They ran the kitchen at Voyager in Ferndale in 2018, when it was named to Food & Wine's top 10 restaurants of the year. The pair, described as life partners, now operate Bunny Bunny in Detroit and are based in Leland, Michigan, while planning a Bunny Bunny revival in Detroit and pop-ups in northern Michigan.
In a Q&A with The Detroit News, Tootla noted surprises about the production scale: "There's just so many people involved in making just one episode, and it was pretty wild and wonderful to be a part of." Jackson added, "It was definitely a whole production. It was intense."
Filming took place in North and South Carolina, which excited Jackson, who has roots in Georgia. However, she admitted, "I psyched myself out because I haven't cooked southern food in such a long time. It was a roller coaster of emotions."
The chefs described the pressure of the competition as real, with no time for overthinking. Tootla said, "Once we start cooking, there's no movie magic. The time is real. The intensity is real." Jackson noted it leveled the playing field among contestants.
Top Chef rarely casts partnered chefs, but this season features Jackson and Tootla alongside a pair of twin brothers. Jackson said, "They let us be our own person," though interviews highlighted their relationship. Tootla emphasized their shared backgrounds: "We've been cooking together for the last 10 years and we haven't really cooked apart."
Host Kristen Kish, from Kentwood, Michigan, impressed them. Tootla praised her: "She's a real person, and she's hilarious and she has really good style."
The winner receives $250,000, a Food & Wine feature, an appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and a James Beard Awards presentation opportunity. The first episode streams now on Peacock, YouTube, and VOD.
Their recent pop-up at the Shelby bar in downtown Detroit was well-received, with Jackson saying, "Every one of our regulars came out... It was so nice to see people that we hadn't seen."
Behind-the-scenes details from Us Weekly highlight the show's demands, such as contestants making two dishes per challenge and production handling cleanup.
