Local Hoosiers have had some pretty decent showings on TV cooking shows

Here’s a look at how locals have fared on some national cooking programs in recent years.

Samantha 'Sami' White

"Worst Cooks in America" | Food Network | 2023

When Fishers native Samantha “Sami” White appears on the 26th season of “Worst Cooks in America,” which began Aug. 6 on Food Network, we’ll see her attempt to uphold the banner of many Indy cooks who have impressed celebrity chefs and restaurateurs in front of TV viewers.

White, a 2012 Fishers High School graduate living in Chicago, is one of 16 home cooks in the culinary boot camp competition vying for the $25,000 that goes to the most improved chef.

The romance-themed season has contestants being mentored by chefs Anne Burrell and Jeff Mauro.

White made it to the finale, walking away for $3,000, and chef Anne Burrell telling her how good she was in the kitchen.

The Block Bistro & Grill

“The Great Food Truck Race” | Food Network | 2023

It got high praise from host Tyler Florence for its Boomerang jumbo grilled chicken wings, but Terry Anthony’s  The Block Bistro & Grill in Indianapolis was the first to be eliminated in this season's “The Great Food Truck Race.”

David Johnson

“Top Chef Amateurs” | Bravo | 2021

The Carmel new home sales consultant won an episode of the cooking series, gaining $5,000.

Top Chef Amateurs season 1: Carmel's David Johnson wins episode 9 (indystar.com)

The show pitted against one another two home chefs paired with mentor alumni from the “Top Chef” series. Johnson was mentored by Shirley Chung, a finalist in season 11 and the runner-up in season 14.

'Top Chef' spinoff: The Indy area has another 'Top Chef' personality. See how he performed.

Kelsey Murphy

“MasterChef” | Fox | 2021

Fishers resident, by way of Chicago, Kelsey Murphy won it all in season 11 of “MasterChef.” That was a prize of $250,000 and a new kitchen. Murphy returned to “MasterChef” as a guest judge in a 2023 episode, spotlighting her “elevated stadium food” — wagyu beef hotdogs, Cuban sandwiches and Asian sticky wings — that have been served at Colts games and the Indy 500.

She worked on a couple of “MasterChef”-related promotions and opened a spot at the Fishers Test Kitchen. Murphy returned to “MasterChef” as a guest judge in a 2023 episode and spotlighted her “elevated stadium food” — wagyu beef hotdogs, Cuban sandwiches and Asian sticky wings — that have  been served at Colts games and the Indy 500.

'MasterChef' winner has our attention: Where you'll see Kelsey Murphy next

Asia Coffee

“Holiday Wars” | Food Network | 2021

As part of a three-person team, cake artist Coffee won the third season of “Holiday Wars,” a holiday-themed baking and cake decorating competition show.

The prize was $25,000 for the team.

Coffee used the notoriety to help promote her Cakes by Coffee cake decorating instruction business. She later appeared on a special “Holiday Wars” episode with her Dough Angels team squaring off against the champs from that season’s “Halloween Wars” for a New Year's Eve trip to New York.

Cooking skills: Indianapolis cakemaker wins Food Network's 'Holiday Wars' baking competition

Tiffany Billingsly

“Worst Cooks in America” Food Network | 2021

Greenwood resident Tiffany Billingsly was on a team mentored by chef Carla Hall. Billingsly began the competition with an aversion to touching raw meat and ended up placing fourth out of a field of 14.

George Turkette

"Guy’s Grocery Games" | Food Network | 2020

The Indianapolis butcher and restaurateur wowed judges with a supremely porky sandwich, appropriate for the episode’s bacon theme. Judges proclaimed his Triple P sandwich, featuring two fried pork loins, thick pieces of candied bacon and a red onion bacon jam with pepper jack cheese, the best dish during the first round.

Porky sandwich: Guy's Grocery Games judges loved this dish -- and you can get it in Indy

Steven Oakey

“Beat Bobby Flay” | Food Network | 2017

The James Beard semi-finalist and owner of Oakleys Bistro bested celebrity chef Bobby Flay in cooking a seafood corndog on the show.

The shrimp corndog, with bistro honey mustard and fennel pepper, remains on the Oakleys menu at 1464 W. 86th St. in Indianapolis.

Justin Miller

“Guy’s Grocery Games” | Food Network | 2017

Miller was executive chef at Hillcrest Country Club when he won $16,000 on the show. He prepared an updated club sandwich with fried prosciutto and pulled chicken; an Asian veal burger with ramen slaw; and smoked tofu steak with smoked soy barbecue sauce. Miller, who has been executive chef at The Country Club of Indianapolis and LRG Restaurants; currently operates Ghost Mobile Kitchen.

Tanya Marshall

“Clash of the Grandmas” | Food Network | 2016

Heavenly Sweets Bakery owner Tanya Marshall won a Thanksgiving throwdown on the show that had grandmothers compete to create the best holiday meal with twists.

Marshall took home a $10,000 prize on the strengths of her pasta primavera with sausage and a sweet potato-filled pie pop.

Loreal Gavin

“Cutthroat Kitchen” | Food Network | 2015

Gavin, aka  “Butcher Babe,” was eliminated in episode 9 on the 10th season of “Food Network Star” in 2014, but finished on top of her next contest on the network, winning “Cutthroat Kitchen.”  Now a resident of Kentucky, Gavin had been a butcher at Kincaid's Meat Market in Indy and later hosted the CMT TV miniseries “The Downtown Farmer.”

Tanorria Askew

“MasterChef” | Fox | 2016

Askew, who operates personal chef service Tanorria’s Table, cooked her way into the final four and America saw none other than Gordon Ramsay predict her shrimp and grits would go down in history as the best.

Sabrina Richard

“Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-Off” | Food Network | 2015

At age 11, Westfield's Sabrina Richard was one of eight kids competing in “Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-Off" on Food Network in 2015. Richard were eliminated during the fifth episode of the six-episode season but came back during the finals as a sous chef to help the eventual champ.

“Guy’s Grocery Games” | Food Network | 2017

Two years later, Richard competed on a junior episode of “Guy’s Grocery Games,” cooking lamb burgers and duck and being complimented for their Julia Child impression.

Food Network in 2016 invited Richard back as a guest judge on “Beat Bobby Flay.”

Tekisha Collins

“Supermarket Superstar” | Lifetime | 2013

The Indianapolis resident won the grand prize –  $20,000 plus $100,000 worth of product development funding and the launch of her Smoogy ice-cream sandwich-type cheesecake treats in selected A&P supermarkets.

Marc Summers

“The Next Food Network Star” | Food Network | 2005-2006

The Indianapolis native hosted Nickelodeon’s "Double Dare" game show back in the 1980s.  More recently, Summers, a North Central High School grad, has done a lot of work for Food Network, including hosting "Unwrapped," and  the first two seasons of “The Next Food Network Star,” judging on  "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" and executive producing “Dinner: Impossible” and "Restaurant: Impossible."

Others who don’t live in the Indianapolis area have used their notoriety to set up shop here. They include:

Fabio Viviani

“Top Chef”

Bravo

2008-2009

Viviani, the Florence, Italy-born who lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois, came in fourth during the show’s 11th season when he was selected as the fan favorite. His Fabio Viviani Hospitality Group opened Osteria by Fabio Viviani in Carmel Market District for dine-in service with Italian cuisine and handcrafted cocktails in March 2022.

Jeff McInnis & Janine Booth

"Top Chef"

Bravo

McInnes, 2008-2009; Booth, 2013

McInnis, a Florida native, made it to the fifth season finale, having been brought back into the competition after an earlier ouster.

Booth, who grew up in Australia, was the fifth chef eliminated during the show’s 11th season, set in New Orleans.

The pair opened a southern-style restaurant Root & Bone in Indianapolis' Meridian-Kessler neighborhood in 2019.

Wahlburgers in Carmel: Here's what to expect at the Wahlberg brothers' restaurant and bar

Chef Paul Wahlberg

“Wahlburgers”

A&E

2014-2019

Wahlberg starred with two of his celebrity siblings in the series that followed their establishment of the burger and bar chain.

The company opened a restaurant in Carmel in 2021, with the chef appearing there later.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter: @cherylvjackson.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Local Hoosiers have had some decent showings on TV cooking shows