Confirmed: Top Chef Season 13 to Film in California

Top Chef is heading home to California. The popular culinary competition will film its 13th season in the Golden State for five or six weeks beginning this spring, according to the LA Times.

The rumors have been rampant over the last couple of months that the Bravo show would be making a return to California, where it had not shot since its first two seasons. It has now been confirmed that the show and its array of culinary challenges will be stopping in six California cities: Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego.

"We're going to be all over the place," host Tom Colicchio told the LA Times. "We're moving around a lot more than we ever moved around before. I don't even know where we're heading right now, but obviously this leads us into a lot of different options." The February 20th casting deadline has unfortunately passed for all aspiring chefs, but they can join the rest of us in tuning in to Top Chef season 13, set to return to the airwaves this fall.

Update: The complete Bravo press release, below:

BRAVO MEDIA'S EMMY AWARD-WINNING "TOP CHEF" HITS THE ROAD IN CALIFORNIA FOR SEASON 13

Six-City Expedition Includes Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Oakland and the Greater Palm Springs Area

NEW YORK - April 15, 2015 - Bravo Media's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning "Top Chef" embarks on an epic gastronomic road trip through California for season 13. Returning to San Francisco and Los Angeles where the series began, the culinary competition will also make stops in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Oakland and the Greater Palm Springs area. Set to premiere this fall, cheftestants will battle it out in iconic destinations across the Golden State to see if they have what it takes to earn the title and culinary bragging rights. Production begins this spring with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio as well as judges Gail Simmons and Richard Blais. The competition will also feature California-based chefs, culinary stars and celebrities as guest judges throughout the season. "Top Chef" is the #1 food competition show on cable among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 year to-date, according to Nielsen. The announcement was made today in partnership with Visit California.

"The entire food landscape has transformed in the 10 years since ‘Top Chef' first launched," said Shari Levine, Executive Vice President, Current Production, Bravo Media. "What better way to explore where it all started then to head out to California, one of the top culinary destinations in the world, for an unprecedented six-city expedition."

Caroline Beteta, president & CEO of Visit California adds, "The Golden State truly is the ‘land of wine and food.' California is the ultimate destination and viewers will see first-hand the abundance and diversity of the state's fresh produce offerings, world-class chefs and renowned dining experiences within our iconic cities, wine regions and agricultural communities."

"Top Chef" is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Magical Elves with Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz serving as executive producers.