Top Chef Spotlights Greenville’s History and the “Tangy Twang” of Duke’s Mayonnaise

The secret is officially out. Greenville’s rich culinary heritage is ready for its close-up on the national stage.

This week, Bravo’s Emmy Award-winning cooking competition, Top Chef: Carolinas, headed south to the Palmetto State for its ninth episode of Season 23, titled “The Ultimate Dinner Party”. Filmed on location at the iconic Soby’s New South Cuisine on South Main Street, the episode challenged the remaining eight chefs to cook under pressure while celebrating a beloved staple of Upstate South Carolina’s famous “Golden Strip”—Duke’s Mayonnaise.

Historically, the southern stretch of Greenville County—encompassing the rapidly growing municipalities of Mauldin, Simpsonville, and Fountain Inn—earned the moniker of the “Golden Strip” when a 1950s water line connection triggered an unprecedented economic boom. Today, that same spirit of local pride and commerce was on full display as Top Chef highlighted the region’s signature flavors.

The Ultimate Mayo Quickfire Challenge

To kick off the Greenville visit, host Kristen Kish and judge Gail Simmons introduced a Quickfire Challenge focused entirely on Duke’s Mayo—often dubbed the region’s “sixth mother sauce”.

“No mayo is more famous in the Carolinas than Duke’s,” Simmons remarked during the broadcast, introducing a challenge where the remaining eight contestants had to create elevated, passed appetizers highlighting the iconic condiment.

The ingredient served as a perfect nod to local history. Duke’s Mayonnaise was first created in Greenville in 1917 by visionary entrepreneur Eugenia Duke, who started by selling her homemade sandwiches to World War I soldiers training at Camp Sevier. Known for their rich, tangy flavor, her sandwiches became so immensely popular that by 1919 she was selling 10,000 of them a day. This runaway success led her to officially begin bottling and selling her signature spread in 1923, laying the groundwork for a culinary legacy that stretches straight down the Golden Strip.

Chef Anthony Jones of Alexandria, Virginia, claimed the Quickfire victory, pocketing a $10,000 cash prize for his creative crab dumpling paired with chili crunch and mayonnaise.

A High-Stakes Dinner Party at Soby’s

The action quickly intensified for the Elimination Challenge, which tasked the chefs with working as a team to execute a progressive, eight-course meal for some of Greenville’s most prominent culinary tastemakers.

The dinner party was judged by a panel of local experts, including:

• Carl Sobocinski, founder and president of Table 301 Restaurant Group

• Babette Jones, CEO and founder of Six Nineteen of 1865

• Khailing Neoh, owner of Sum Bar

• Jorge Barrales Jr., of Papi’s Tacos

• Joe Cash, chef and owner of Scoundrel

The chefs faced immense pressure, navigating strict service constraints, a highly limited budget, and nonstop plating demands. While Chef Laurence Louie of Quincy, Massachusetts, emerged as the ultimate victor of the dinner party, a series of critical rice errors unfortunately led to the elimination of Chef Oscar Diaz of Durham, North Carolina.

“It was a huge honor to represent Greenville and Soby’s on this season’s Top Chef,” guest judge Carl Sobocinski shared. “Having finally viewed the episode, I couldn’t be more happy and proud of our city for how amazing it looks.”

Celebrating a Southern Icon

To celebrate the national broadcast, Duke’s Mayonnaise hosted a lively public viewing party at New Realm Brewing in Greenville. Fans gathered to watch the contestants put the brand’s signature egg-yolk-rich, cider-vinegar “twang” to the test on screen.

For local foodies looking to replicate the experience, the culinary excitement doesn’t end with television. Soby’s is offering a special three-course dinner featuring crab and watermelon salad, short rib, and a peach mousse, while other area restaurants across Greenville and the Golden Strip are participating in custom “TV Dinner” menus to let fans taste the on-screen inspiration for themselves.