Contestant thinks ‘Top Chef’ will boost Portland’s image Bravo cable series episodes were filmed last fall By Kristi Turnquist, oregonlive.com Share: "Top Chef" is based in Portland for Season 18. Among the chefs competing, from left, are Sasha Grumman, Gabriel Pascuzzi, Dawn Burrell, Byron Gomez, Sara Hauman, Nelson German and Avishar Barua. (David Moir/Bravo) PORTLAND — For Gabriel Pascuzzi, one of two Portland-area chefs competing on “Top Chef” Season 18, having the show finally come to town in 2020 provided a much-needed boost for the local food scene. “It’s kind of the perfect timing,” Pascuzzi says, in that the cooking competition series, which airs weekly on the Bravo cable channel, gives Oregon food and dining a positive national spotlight.