When it’s a hot afternoon in September 2025, spring broadcast dates for “Top Chef” seem a long way away. The only thing hotter than the parking lot of a special-events building in West Charlotte that day is the pink mini-jacket dress that Gail Simmons is wearing, ready for the afternoon’s taping of the show’s perennially most popular episode—Restaurant Wars, the eighth episode of the ongoing Carolinas-themed Season 23. (It aired Monday, April 27.)
Luckily for her ensemble and makeup, Simmons is waiting inside the building. The rest of us huddled masses, waiting to be eating-extras for the episode, desperately try to cool our heels under a black tent in the parking lot. I pass the time watching everyone else’s version of “TV cool,” which covers the fashion gamut from cocktail clubbing to elevated office wear. (What was I wearing? Honestly, I can’t remember. Spoiler alert: I do know that I have my denim jacket with me despite the heat. I’ll explain later.)
