Tournament of Champions season 6: semi-final matchups revealed

The Food Network culinary competition Tournament of Champions crowned its winner on Sunday, April 20, 2024, during the season 6 finale. The final showdown saw two experienced chefs, Antonia Lofaso and Sara Bradley, battle for redemption and the championship title.

Before the final cook-off, the episode featured two semifinal battles. The first saw Antonia Lofaso go up against Britt Rescigno, while the second featured Sara Bradley against Lee Anne Wong.

The contestants had to compete using ingredients and techniques chosen by the show’s signature element, the Randomizer. In the end, Antonia Lofaso won with a final score of 88–82, earning her redemption after coming close in previous seasons.

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What happened in the Tournament of Champions semi-finals

In the first semifinal of Tournament of Champions season 6, 1-seed Antonia Lofaso faced off against 1-seed Britt Rescigno. The Randomizer assigned them whole pompano as the protein, figs as the produce, escabeche as the style, lava rocks as the equipment, and purple as the wildcard element.

Lofaso served a whole fried pompano topped with escabeche. Judges praised the bold choice, noting its crispy texture and vibrant flavors, though they commented that the plate needed more purple.

Chef Britt Rescigno presented a poached pompano with a tostado. While the dish had bright flavors, the judges said they preferred to see a whole fish and not a fillet.

The scores were tied at 82 each. As per the show’s rules, taste served as the tiebreaker. The judges awarded 33/40 to both chefs for Randomizer usage. Lofaso edged out Rescigno in taste with a score of 41 to 40, securing her place in the finals.

Backstage, Rescigno was visibly emotional, disappointed by the narrow margin. The result mirrored a previous moment from Tournament of Champions season 2, when Lofaso tied with Jet Tila in every category and had to go to a rematch.

In the second semifinal, 5-seed Sara Bradley faced 3-seed Lee Anne Wong. The Randomizer gave them Blue Silkie Chicken for the protein, sorrel as the produce, turmeric leaves for equipment, en papillote for the cooking style, and black as the wildcard color.

Chef Bradley presented a Nashville hot chicken with potatoes en papillote. Judges appreciated the dish’s balance and smart cooking techniques, although they noted a lack of sufficient sorrel.

Chef Wong prepared a double en papillote dish featuring chicken with thigh mousseline and black dumplings. Judges were impressed with the ambition but found the dumplings dense.

Bradley won the round with a final score of 85 to 83, securing the last spot in the final cook-off of Tournament of Champions season 6.

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Who won the competition?

The Tournament of Champions season 6 finale featured a showdown between two experienced chefs. Antonia Lofaso, competing in her third final four and second finale, went up against Sara Bradley, a two-time Top Chef finalist making her TOC debut.

The Randomizer selected wagyu beef, huitlacoche, and a sausage stuffer, with a hot-and-cold dish format. Wildcard twists added the words 'sticky' and 'spicy,' assigned to the cold and hot components, respectively.

Lofaso crafted a wagyu sausage with huitlacoche mashed potatoes and a sticky wagyu salad with sausage vinaigrette. Judges praised both dishes, especially the vinaigrette and overall execution, though the sausage was slightly dry.

Bradley made a tartare with sticky jam and a sausage with corn. Her tartare received positive notes, but she failed to use the sausage stuffer in the cold dish—a key misstep. She also acknowledged the sausage’s mushy texture.

Ultimately, judges Brooke Williamson, Mei Lin, and Maneet Chauhan awarded Lofaso the win with a score of 88 to 82. Host Guy Fieri emphasized that success comes from answering the Randomizer well. Lofaso finally secured her long-awaited victory, making her the sixth consecutive female winner.

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Fans can stream the Tournament of Champions on Food Network Go.

Edited by Prerak Mishra