Chicago chefs compete on new Padma Lakshmi show “America’s Culinary Cup”

One. Million. Dollars.

That’s what 16 elite chefs from across the country — including two from Chicago — are vying for on “America’s Culinary Cup,” a new cooking competition series premiering March 4 on CBS.

It’s the highest prize money ever offered among food competition TV shows. And while some may draw comparisons to the plethora of Food Network or Cooking Channel offerings, America’s Culinary Cup (ACC) host — food expert, cookbook author and the former “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi — claims she’ll take everything to a whole new level.

“I thought the genre was ready for a shake-up, for a refresh, and for something new and different. And I wanted to be the one who did it,” Lakshmi told the media at the Television Critics Association Winter Tour in January.

There are several female chefs in the cast, including two Chicagoans: James Beard Award winner Chef Beverly Kim of Parachute Hi-Fi in Avondale (co-owned with her husband Chef Johnny Clark), and executive chef/owner and James Beard nominee Diana Dávila of Mi Tocaya Antojería in Logan Square.

The show’s mission? Challenge each chef in what the series calls “10 culinary commandments”: meat, vegetables, sauces, dessert, innovation, flavors, sustainability, world cuisine, consistency and culinary science/technology. Chefs will be judged on taste, creativity, presentation and technique as they pertain to each commandment. Sharing judging duties with Lakshmi are Michelin-starred chefs/restaurateurs, LA-based Michael Cimarusti (Providence, and Connie and Ted’s) and New York-based Wylie Dufresne (Stretch pizza).

Lakshmi told People the elite 16 are “the most decorated group to ever compete against each other,” a group that includes James Beard Award winners/nominees, Michelin Star recipients, a “Top Chef” champion and Bocuse D’Or gold and silver medalists.

The competition pressure, the Chicago chefs both acknowledged, was immense, especially deciding what to cook in a split second.

“You’re filtering a lot of ideas. At the same time you’re filtering what’s given in the moment, what’s in the [on-set] pantry [for example]. … At the end of the day it’s making a decision and sticking with it,” said Kim.

The chefs said they had no idea who comprised the rest of the lineup until they were revealed during the taping of the first episode.

“I was so scared,” Dávila said. “It was really great to see Beverly; it makes you feel not alone.”

While Kim has previously competed on “Top Chef,” (finishing 4th in 2011), Dávila is a newbie to the concept, but she said she welcomed the opportunity at this point in her life.

“It’s wanting to have a challenge, do something out of the norm. ... Just wanting an adventure,” Dávila said. “We say a lot of dumb things when we're young, like, I’m not gonna do a TV competition. That’s not what real chefs do. And all that kind of stuff. So many years later I have friends who have done it and I started watching shows here and there, and … I’m like, why not try it?”

There’s another benefit, she admitted. ”It’s good for business,” Dávila added. “The business woman in me is, like, if you have an opportunity to challenge yourself and maybe shed some light and maybe get a broader audience for Mi Tocaya, why not do it? … It’s almost like checking your privilege, too. This is an opportunity that not a lot of people get.”

Both chefs say they did receive some competition advice from those they hold near and dear.

For Kim, it came from her “biggest cheerleader,” her husband, partly in the form of a gift — a St. Sebastian medal she wears on a necklace that accompanied her throughout the show. Sebastian is considered the patron saint of archers and soldiers, invoking strength and perseverance.

Dávila turned to Season 15 “Top Chef” winner, Chicago chef/restaurateur Joe Flamm (Rose Mary, Il Carfiofo and Bar Tutto), who told her to “just be herself.”

“I called him up and he’s like, just do it!,” Dávila said. “You’re gonna kill. You’re perfect for it. You’re gonna have so much fun. Is it super hard? Yes. Do you feel like you’re gonna die? Sometimes. He told me to just be really focused and centered.“

"America's Culinary Cup" airs at 8:30 p.m. March 4 on CBS, and streams on Paramount +.