San Diego Chef Rich Sweeney Gets Married on Tonight's 'Top Chef'

If you've watched the preview for tonight's episode of 'Top Chef', entitled "Big Gay Wedding", you know that the next stop of the season 13's California road trip is Palm Springs, highlighted by a Padma Lakshmi-officiated wedding for 25 same-sex couples.

Among the happy duos getting hitched on the show is San Diego's own Rich Sweeney and new husband Steve Farrow, who have been together for nine years; Sweeney competed on season five of 'Top Chef' and tells Eater that he was prompted by 'Top Chef' guest judge and gay activist Art Smith to get hitched on the show. The local chef says he was surprised to see Chad White, who recently moved from San Diego to Spokane, in the cast — White and his fellow 'Top Chef' competitors are charged with catering the reception — and says that White's competition dish was "amazing". Sweeney is currently running the kitchen at Waypoint Public in North Park, where they'll be screening tonight's episode at 7 p.m.

Next week's episode, airing January 14, is the one that was filmed in San Diego and is rumored to include a guest judge stint by Bracero's Javier Plascencia and a craft beer-related elimination challenge filmed at Richard Blais' Juniper & Ivy. Sweeney says he hopes it will help showcase the "legitimate local food scene" and help give San Diego a little more "street-cred".