Top Chef Winner Says She Missed Son's First Steps to Compete: 'It Was Brutal'

Kelsey Barnard Clark was crowned the winner of Top Chef season 16 on Thursday, becoming the fourth woman to ever win the title — but competing came with a major sacrifice.
The Alabama native, 29, had to leave her 9-month old son Monroe with her husband for nine weeks to film the Emmy-winning Bravo reality show, missing her only child’s first steps in the process.
Learning that her baby boy had reached that milestone while she was away nearly caused Clark to quit the show. Calling to