Little Bull chef and co-owner Oscar Diaz was eliminated from "Top Chef: Carolinas" on the episode that aired May 4, ending his run on the show's 23rd season.
Diaz landed in the bottom of the ninth episode after his take on Sancocho drew complaints from judges. Too much turmeric, they said, had made the dish bitter. His shot at returning closed quickly. He was dismissed in his first appearance on Last Chance Kitchen, the show's comeback format for eliminated chefs.
The exit stings a little, given how well things had gone before. In the Restaurant Wars episode, judges called his collard green barbacoa one of the very best dishes of the entire season. He won an impromptu s'mores challenge during the Whole Hog episode, held his own cooking with extremely hot peppers in the chili episode, and drew consistent praise for the way he blended Southern and Mexican culinary traditions. Not every week landed cleanly. A soggy bread pudding inspired by Moravian Cake, a North Carolina cinnamon-sugar dessert, was a low point.
Top Chef: Carolinas filmed mostly in and around Charlotte. Diaz is the second Triangle chef to make a notable run on the show, following M Tempura chef Savannah Miller's finalist finish in 2024.
Diaz said before the season aired that he had turned down reality cooking offers for years before agreeing to this one. People close to him pushed him to take the leap.
"I didn't have a game plan, I didn't practice," he said. "I just wanted to shut it all out of my mind and represent myself well."
"I'm glad that people pushed me," he added. "I don't know how many times you get to do something like this in life."