Sadly, none of the just-announced cheftestants on season seven of Bravo’s Top Chef (which starts on June 16th) were plucked straight from Boston kitchens but a couple have connections to Beantown. Jacqueline Lombard, chef-owner of Jacqueline Lombard Events in New York, grew up in Boston as did Ed Cotton, Executive Chef of Plein Sud at the Smyth Hotel in New York. Before heading for the Big Apple, Cotton cut his teeth at Olives, Figs and No. 9 Park. These two – and fifteen other cookers – will be duking it out D.C. this season in challenges that take them from Nationals Park to CIA headquarters cooking for the likes of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC. Tune in on Wednesday nights to see how it all unfolds. In the meantime, get to know the rest of the contestants on the Bravo website – they’ve got everyone’s bios and pictures posted so you can get a little preview of what’s to come.