Food Network Gossip

Marcela Valladolid Is All Over the British Tabloids

2013-05-17T08:38:00.000-04:00

Photo - Facebook

Food Network's Marcela Valladolid is a judge on the upcoming CBS series The American Baking Competition, which is set to premiere on May 29th. The show is a spin-off of the UK hit show, The Great British Bake Off, in which celebrity baker Paul Hollywood is one of the judges. Paul also came over the the US to judge The American Baking Competition, and is known as 'the George Clooney of baking.'

It was recently announced that Paul has decided to split from his wife of 15 years, and that the decision came shortly after filming the show in the US. The British tabloids then decided to insinuate that it was because of fellow judge Marcela Valladolid. Marcela is referred to in the articles as 'pretty young US chef' and 'sexy US host.' Paul is 47 years old with an 11 year-old son, while Marcela is 34 years-old and also has a son.

Doesn't sound like there is much evidence of a romance between the two, besides a working relationship, but I guess we will have to wait and see. Here is an article from the DailyMail UK, which has over 200 comments already, so I guess this is pretty big news over there.

Amanda Freitag Opening a Restaurant and Guy Fieri's Book Release

2013-05-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

It was reported earlier today that Chopped judge and Next Iron Chef competitor Amanda Freitag will be headed back to the kitchen and is opening a restaurant in New York City. Amanda hasn't been in the kitchen since 2010 when she left the restaurant Harrison. The new restaurant will be in the Chelsea neighborhood and is scheduled to open some time this summer. (Grubstreet via NYTimes)

In other news, Guy Fieri released his book Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown: America's Classic Joints and Killer Comfort Food today if you are into that kind of thing.

Flavorwire has a list of the 20 most absurd quotes from his book, such as: “My favorite line: ‘Do you get any tater with that gator? James Spader likes gator.’ (Ha ha ha, I kill me.)” and "“[They] make a porchetta that you won’t forgetta.”

Ristorante Barolo From Restaurant Impossible Has Been Sold

2013-05-13T15:24:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Ristorante Barolo, which was featured on season 3 of Restaurant Impossible has been sold. The restaurant was located inside the Bayview Hotel in Aptos, California. The owners owned both the hotel and the restaurant, and have decided to sell the restaurant only and keep the hotel. The restaurant is currently closed, and will reopen under new ownership and management according to Facebook Posts from the Ristorante Barolo page, which are referenced below:

A Facebook post about an upcoming event stated:

"We have SOLD the portion of our business - Ristorante Barolo will only be open for a few more weeks!!! - THIS week we are celebrating by saying CIAO to BAROLO by CHOWING DOWN the amazing cuisine.... come by on Saturday April 20th, starting at 4PM - Lunar Flame Fire-Art Productions will be performing later in the evening and The Big Bamboo will be rocking the beats... The Bayview family is happy to focus on the Bed & Breakfast, and say goodbye to Barolo."

And in the event details, this was posted:

"Bar patrons & valued loyal customers of the Ristorante Barolo Restaurant & Bar

COME join the BAROLO WORLD family as we SAY CIAO to the BAROLO name & CHOW DOWN the Italian Cuisine one last time...

This Saturday, April 20th starting @ 4PM BAROLO is saying goodbye to it's old ways & saying HELLO to the GOODBYE BAROLO Party with The Big Bamboo (RockNRoll music)!!!
The restaurant will be CLOSED for some time after this event so get into the BAROLO WORLD quick, before it's gone forever!!! Lunar Flame Fire-Art will be setting the night on fire...

The NEW & IMPROVED, UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT & NEW OWNERSHIP Restaurant will re-open sometime in MAY 2013.

THE BAYVIEW HOTEL will remain in regular business hours & ownership"

Finally on May 6th, they posted: "The Restaurant is CLOSED for restoration, yet the HOTEL is available for VACANY... Give us a call!"

The Restaurant Impossible Page with all of the updates has been updated to change the status of Ristorante Barolo to 'Sold.'

Soup To Nuts Diner From Restaurant Impossible Has Closed

2013-05-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

Soup To Nuts Diner, which was featured on Season 5 of Restaurant Impossible has closed as of yesterday after the close of business. People on Facebook and Twitter have been saying that they were closing after yesterday, and I also got a few emails notifying me that they were closing. Also, the owner Sharon posted on Facebook Saturday, "Come to Soup To Nuts Diner tonight for the car show...LAST car show!!!"

I called the restaurant yesterday to confirm that they were closing, and the person that picked the phone up did confirm they were closing, and were closing for good. When I asked the reason, I was told, "I think she's had enough," referring to the owner Sharon.

The restaurant had suffered from bad reviews, and here is the original update from the show. The show originally aired on March 17th, so the restaurant closed less than 2 months after the original air date. This is the 2nd restaurant from season 5 to close, with the Dinner Bell closing just closing last month.

This now puts the total amount of restaurants from Restaurant Impossible that have closed at 17, and I have updated the Restaurant Impossible Page to reflect that. I may have another update later today though.

Update - A local article stated, "Owner Sharon Whitmore said Monday that she couldn't keep up with "ballooning" mortgage payments and high employee-payroll taxes. She said she's moving to Maryland to be close to her 6-year-old granddaughter."

Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions - Garces Vs. Forgione

2013-05-12T21:59:00.001-04:00

Photo - Food Network

The second battle of Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions had Iron Chef Jose Garces facing Iron Chef Marc Forgione, where the secret ingredient was peanut butter and jelly. Jose Garces won Season 2 of The Next Iron Chef, and Marc Forgione won Season 3 of The Next Iron Chef to become iron chefs. Coming into this battle, Chef Forgione had 5 wins and 6 losses in kitchen stadium, while Chef Garces had 11 wins and 5 losses. Both chefs actually have competed in kitchen stadium on the same team in a Thanksgiving special against Michael Symon and Bobby Flay, in which they lost 59-54.

With the new format of Iron Chef America, Chef Forgione was ahead by 1 after receiving an 8 for his first dish, while Chef Garces received a 7 for his first dish. Both dishes were disappointing to the judges. The culinary curveball was then announced, in which the chefs had to incorporate straws into at least one of their dishes.

After the judges scored all of the dishes, Jose Garces received a total of 79 points (first dish, taste, culinary curveball, originality, plating), while Marc Forgione received 66 points. Pretty dominating win for Jose Garces. Iron Chef Forgione could not get his record back to .500 and is still the only Iron Chef with a losing record.

Jose Garces will now compete against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in two weeks. We are down to the final four with Geoffrey Zakarian Vs. Michael Symon next week. The winners of each battle will face off against each other in the finale in three weeks to determine the champion.

Restaurant Impossible - Mom & Dad's Update

2013-05-12T12:41:00.002-04:00

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and crew are going to DeFuniak Springs, Florida to help out Mom & Dad's Italian Restaurant. The owner Carolyn refuses to make any changes six years after her husband's death despite the 'ill-prepared food and mounting debt.' As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Mom and Dad's Italian Restaurant to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found:

The reviews both before and after Robert Irvine visited were very good for Mom and Dad's Restaurant.

A local article announcing the Restaurant Impossible makeover had a lot of comments wondering why it needed an update, such as:

"My husband and I have been going there for 50 years and the food nor the service needs improving! It is wonderful!"
"Sounds exciting, but I have a difficult time believing that Mom and Dad's was struggling to stay open. Every time I go there, I have to wait an hour for a table."
"I am glad for it, those people at Mom and Dads work hard and they deserve the help. Although I agree with most of you, that the food there is amazing, and yes there is usually a wait, but the service is great as well."
"The Restaurant is already awesome: menu is great and service is great."

Conclusion:
It seems like most of the people love Mom and Dad's already, including the food and service, and have been going there for years. Considering this, and that people have said there was always a wait to eat there, makes me think this makeover will be more about the decor and Restaurant Impossible highlighting the death of Carolyn's husband and how it has impacted the business. Maybe it will focus on the pricing of items and food costs, which could be the problem.

The restaurant does keep an up-to-date Facebook Page, and has almost 1,600 'likes,' which is a ton compared to other Restaurant Impossible restaurants in the past. There are also a lot of positive comments on their page as well as local support for the restaurant. Sounds like this restaurant should have no problem succeeding going forward.

*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant Impossible Updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter

Food Network Star Season 9 Website is Now Live

2013-05-11T11:38:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Just an FYI for everyone if you are interested in learning more about the contestants on Food
Network Star Season 9. The Food Network website has been created for this season. The link to the website is here, and there are bios, videos, and pictures of each of the contestants if you are interested. The videos contain the contestant's casting interviews as well as a quick demo, however it isn't very user friendly because you have to watch a commercial before each one.

Also, here is a previous post on this site that has a preview of the season and where you have seen some of the contestants before.

Alton Brown Announces Live Tour

2013-05-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

Alton Brown posted a video on Twitter announcing a Live Tour called the Inevitable Edible Tour or the Edible Inevitable Tour. There will be cooking, live music, and potentially messy experiments, and will be fun for the whole family. See the video below describing the tour:

The current cities and dates listed for his tour are below:

10/18 Palm Desert, CA

10/20 Mesa, AZ

10/22 San Diego, CA

10/26 San Luis Obispo, CA

11/2 Detroit, MI

11/3 East Lansing, MI

11/3 Midland, MI

11/7 Nashville, TN

11/9 Roanoke, VA

2/19 York, PA

2/22 Baltimore, MD

2/23 Pittsburgh, PA

2/28 Atlanta, GA

3/1 Tampa, FL

3/2 Sarasota, FL

There is a website set up for the tour, that has links for each of the show dates with more information if you are interested in buying tickets. It seems like the website is not complete yet as the 'Videos' and 'About' section are blank, but I am sure it will be updated soon.

No word on his podcast yet.

Chopped After Hours - Episode 2

2013-05-07T22:06:00.000-04:00

The second episode of Chopped After Hours is now available online. This one is hosted by Ted Allen, and has judges Marc Murphy, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Maneet Chauhan making a dish from the entree basket ingredients from tonight. They are carrot baby food, mustard greens, pork butt, and red quinoa. The video is after the jump:

The next Chopped After Hours episode will not be until June 13th. If you are interested in seeing the first one, here is a link.

Guarnaschelli Vs. Zakarian - Iron Chef America Tournament Of Champions

2013-05-05T23:00:00.004-04:00

Photo - Food Network

The first battle of Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions had Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian going up against Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, where the secret ingredient was potato chips. Geoffrey won Season 4 of The Next Iron Chef: Superchefs, and Alex won Season 5 of The Next Iron Chef: Redemption to become iron chefs.

With the new format of Iron Chef America, after the first dish, Chef Zakarian and Chef Guarnaschelli were tied after each receiving an 11. The culinary curveball was then announced, in which the chefs had to incorporate a french press into one of their dishes.

After the judges scored all of the dishes, Geoffrey Zakarian received a total of 83 points (first dish, taste, culinary curveball, originality, plating), while Alex Guarnaschelli received 76 points. Pretty easy victory for Geoffrey judging by the points. Alex has lost her first battle in kitchen stadium, although it was only her 2nd time competing as an Iron Chef.

Geoffrey Zakarian will now compete against Iron Chef Michael Symon in two weeks. Michael Symon has the best winning percentage of all Iron Chefs, so Geoffrey better bring his A game.

Chopped All-Stars Finale Preview - Winner Gets $50,000 for Charity

2013-05-05T11:57:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the Chopped All-Stars finale, where the winning chef will win $50,000 for their charity. Let's take a look at the finalists and see how they got here:

Episode 1 - This was the Food Network vs. Cooking Channel episode, where Nadia G was eliminated in the appetizer round, Gabriele Gorcos in the entree round, and Jeff Mauro in the dessert round. Sunny Anderson was the winner and will compete tonight for N Street Village.

Episode 2 - This was the Mega Chefs episode, where Chuck Hughes was eliminated in the appetizer round, Elizabeth Falkner in the entree round, and Richard Blais in the dessert round. Gavin Kaysen was the winner and will compete tonight for Children's Cancer Research Fund.

Episode 3 - This was the Chopped Judges episode, where Marc Murphy was eliminated in the appetizer round, Alex Guarnaschelli in the entree round, and Amanda Freitag in the dessert round. Scott Conant was the winner and will compete tonight for Keep Memory Alive.

Episode 4 - This was the 'Celebrities' episode, where Judy Gold was eliminated in the appetizer round, Johnny Weir in the entree round, and Joey Fatone in the dessert round. Laila Ali was the winner and will compete tonight for Healthy Child Healthy World.

Who do you think will take home the prize for their charity tonight? I think with the screenshot from earlier in the season that revealed two of the winners before their episodes aired, we might be in store for a Scott Conant vs Gavin Kaysen final in the dessert round.

I will update this post with the winner after the episode airs.

UPDATE - Sunny Anderson was eliminated after the appetizer round and Laila Ali was eliminated after the entree round. This put Scott Conant up against Gavin Kaysen in the dessert round as expected. After the dessert round, Gavin Kaysen was chopped and Scott Conant ended up winning Chopped All-Stars and $50,000 for Keep Memory Alive.

Happy with the winner? Think having friends as judges and being part of Food Network helped Scott out?

Photos - Food Network

Food News for the Weekend

2013-05-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Here is a quick update on some weekend shows as well as some random news to get you through the weekend:

This Sunday is the Chopped All-Stars Finale at 9pm. The finalists are Gavin Kaysen, Scott Conant, Laila Ali, and Sunny Anderson. Looks for a quick preview on here this weekend.

This Sunday at 10pm is the beginning of Iron Chef America Tournament of Champions. The first episode has Alex Guarnaschelli going against Geoffrey Zakarian and the winner will face Michael Symon.

Both of these shows being on Sunday night means no new episode of Restaurant Impossible this weekend, but it will return the following weekend as Chopped All-Stars is over.

Ted Allen had a quick Q & A session on the Chopped Facebook Page today, where he said he doesn't want to compete on Chopped and more (Link).

Scott Conant, Giada De Laurentiis, Marcela Valladolid, Rachael Ray, Marcus Samuelsson, Nigela Lawson, and Aaron Sanchez were on EOnline's Hottest Celebrity Chefs list (Link).

With Cinco De Mayo this weekend, Marcela Valladolid was on On Air with Ryan Seacrest this morning sharing her Cinco De Mayo recipes (Link).

Here are some photos from Alex Guarnaschelli's Book Launch Party at her restaurant Butter from earlier this week. Justin Warner made an appearance.

Food Network Shows Nominated for 10 Daytime Emmy Awards

2013-05-01T10:25:00.000-04:00

The 40th annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Nominations were announced today, and there were 10 nominations for the Food Network. Giada De Laurentiis and Giada At Home accounted for four of the 10 nominations, and the others nominated were Sandra Lee, Ina Garten, Guy Fieri, Trisha Yearwood, Bobby Flay and Best Thing I Ever Made.   The list of Food Network related nominations is below as well as the other shows they are competing against in their categories:

OUTSTANDING CULINARY PROGRAM

Best Thing I Ever Made                                          Food Network

Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction                           Food Network

Giada At Home                                                      Food Network

Recipe Rehab                                                         SYNDICATED

Trisha's Southern Kitchen                                       Food Network

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS SPECIAL

86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade                    NBC

Giada At Home: The Royal Treatment                     Food Network

Guy's Family Reunion                                             Food Network

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A LIFESTYLE/CULINARY/TRAVEL PROGRAM

Giada At Home                                                         Food Network

Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope                                                 PBS

Sandra's Restaurant Remakes                                    Food Network

Sara's Weeknight Meals                           American Public Television

This Old House                                                                       PBS

OUTSTANDING CULINARY HOST

LIDIA BASTIANICH, as Host
Lidia's Italy                                                                               PBS

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS, as Host
Giada At Home                                                           Food Network

INA GARTEN, as Host
Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics                       Food Network

CHING-HE HUANG , as Host
Easy Chinese With Ching-He Huang                        Cooking Channel

NATHAN LYON , as Host
Good Food America with Nathan Lyon                            Veria Living

KELSEY NIXON, as Host
Kelsey's Essentials                                                   Cooking Channel

The Cooking Channel also received two nominations, which are above. Also, Rachael Ray was nominated for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her work on the Rachael Ray Show. Congratulations to everyone nominated!   Full list of nominations here

Reminder - Chopped After Hours Tonight

2013-04-30T16:09:00.004-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Chopped After Hours, a web-series where Chopped judges face the same ingredient baskets that the competitors on Chopped have to deal with, will have its first episode online tonight. As the new episode of Chopped is on at 10pm, it should be online at 11pm, and the judges will face the same ingredients those competitors had. The episode will be available on the Food Network's Chopped website -> Link. (Update - it is available below now)

Tonight's Chopped After Hours says, "Alex Guarnaschelli hosts as Chopped judges Chris Santos, Marc Murphy and Aarón Sánchez attempt to conquer a basket featuring both fish and a chocolate candy bar."

Next week's web episode states, "Ted Allen hosts as Alex Guarnaschelli, Maneet Chauhan and Marc Murphy cook with a basket featuring an unexpected jarred food and pork butt."

Those are the only 2 episodes scheduled now, but there should be more in the future as they plan to air 10 of them. It doesn't sound like the judges are actually competing against each other and being chopped, but I guess we will see. I will update this post with a quick recap of the first web episode once it is online.

UPDATE - The Chopped After Hours episode is below (8 mins):

It is not a competition at all and just has the judges making one dish with the ingredients. It is pretty laid back and they all taste their dishes together while discussing them. Also, it is after they saw the competitors face the same ingredients, so there are no surprises to them and they had plenty of time to think about what to make. I feel like they should have made it a competition of some sort.

Food Network May 2013 Programming Highlights

2013-04-29T14:44:00.000-04:00

The Food Network has put out a press release detailing the programming in May on the channel and some of the highlights include:

The Chopped All-Stars Finale on Sunday, May 5th.
Iron Chef America Tournament of Champions Starting Sunday May 5th
A Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives behind the scenes special on Saturday, May 18th at 10pm described as: "From pulling pranks to flubbing the standups, Guy is humor personified, and in this never-before-seen look into the show, viewers will laugh, cry and join in on the jokes with Guy on the road."
New seasons of Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen and Trisha's Southern Kitchen at the end of May
New episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Restaurant Impossible, Chopped, Restaurant Stakeout, Cupcake Wars, Giving You the Business, and Mystery Diners
Chopped After Hours Webisodes, with the first hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli, and the second hosted by Ted Allen. No details if the judges will actually compete and get chopped, or just cook the basket ingredients.

Also, here are some of the new series announced for 2013 if you haven't read that post yet.

Full Press Release below from CableU.tv:

FOOD NETWORK MAY 2013 HIGHLIGHTS

SEASON FINALE OF CHOPPED ALL-STARS WITH CHOPPED AFTER HOURS LAUNCHING ON FOODNETWORK.COM AND PREMIERE OF IRON CHEF AMERICA: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

PLUS: New Seasons of ‘Trisha’s Southern Kitchen’, ‘Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen’, as well as a Whole Week of Grilling Specials and the Ultimate Destination for All your Summer Entertaining Needs at FoodNetwork.com/Grilling

NEW YORK – April 26, 2013 -Food Network launches into May with the season finale of Chopped All-Stars on Sunday, May 5^th at 9pm followed by the first-ever Iron Chef America: Tournament of Championsas Iron Chef battles Iron Chef in a five-episode stunt premiering Sunday May 5^th at 10pm. Daytime programming also heats up with the season three premiere of Trisha’s Southern Kitchen on Saturday, May 25^th at 10:30am and the season two premiere of Home For Dinner with Jamie Deen on Sunday, May 26^th at 10am. Food Network gets spirited with a Cinco De Mayo themed weekend on Saturday, May 5^th and Sunday, May 6^th, followed by a Mother’s Day weekend on Saturday, May 11^th and Sunday, May 12^th. Closing out May on a high note, Food Network serves up Grilling Week from Sunday, May 26^th to Saturday, June 1^st with premiere episodes of fan-favorite series that bring the heat and kick off the summer grilling season. FoodNetwork.com’s Grilling Central launches May 13^th with the hottest roundup of grilling recipes and summer entertaining tips to make your summer sizzle. Join the Food Network conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
FEATURED FINALE

Chopped All-Stars

Premiering Sunday, May 5^th at 9pm - “Finale”

The four All-Stars champs compete for $50,000 for their charitable cause. In the first round, competitors use a super salty veggie and a fresh seafood item to create an edible appetizer. Then, cheddar-filled pretzels make it a fun-filled entrée round. The judges cannot wait to taste creative desserts made from freeze dried grapes and Marcona almonds, but only one competitor can win the $50,000 prize for their charity and become a Chopped All-Star.
Judges: Aarón Sánchez, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marcus Samuelsson

FEATURED SERIES

Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions
Premiering Sunday May 5^th at 10pm
May Madness hits Food Network this spring as Food Network pits Iron Chef vs. Iron Chef in the first-ever Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions. With five episodes and a panel of revolving judges, the tournament features high-stakes, bracket-style battles between the best of the best in the culinary world.

Premiering Sunday, May 5^th at 10pm – “Guarnaschelli vs. Zakarian”

Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli battles Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, with the winner moving on to face Iron Chef Michael Symon. The judges are G. Garvin, Simon Majumdar and Trisha Yearwood.

Premiering Sunday, May 12^th at 9pm – “Forgione vs. Garces”

Iron Chef Marc Forgione and Iron Chef Jose Garces go head-to-head, with the winner progressing to cook against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Donatella Arpaia, Adam Fleischman and Simon Majumdar judge.

Premiering Sunday, May 19^th at 9pm – “Winner vs. Symon”

Iron Chef Michael Symon cooks against the winner of the Guarnaschelli vs. Zakarian battle. The judges for this battle are Ree Drummond, Aarón Sánchez and Trisha Yearwood.

Premiering Sunday, May 26^th at 9pm – “Winner vs. Morimoto”

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto battles the winner of Forgione vs. Garces, in front of judges G. Garvin, Candice Kumai and Jeffrey Steingarten.

Premiering Sunday, June 2^nd at 10pm – “Finale”

The winning Iron Chefs battle for the tournament championship. Judges Donatella Arpaia, Karine Bakhoum and Iron Chef Bobby Flay determine who will become Grand Champion.

ON-AIR SPECIAL

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Premiering Saturday, May 18^th at 10pm - “Under the Hood”

Guy Fieri has a passion for food and a knack for shenanigans, and in this one-hour special, he takes viewers behind the scenes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. From pulling pranks to flubbing the standups, Guy is humor personified, and in this never-before-seen look into the show, viewers will laugh, cry and join in on the jokes with Guy on the road.

DAYTIME SEASON PREMIERES

Trisha’s Southern Kitchen

Premiering Saturday, May 25^th at 10:30am - “Karri-oke”

When Trisha’s friend Karri Turner comes to town, the girls decide to grill up a classic dinner before they hit the town for one of their favorite pastimes – karaoke! They whip up Karri’s Marinated Steak served with Twice-Baked Potatoes, a quick Zucchini Sauté and a simple Tossed Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette. When these two girls get together, good food and good times abound.

Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen

Premiering Sunday, May 26^th at 10am

Jamie Deen is making a healthy Italian meal for his family, featuring Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta. On the side, Jamie makes Roasted Garlic and Herb Bread and a Sliced Radish and Grape Tomato Salad. To end the meal, he whips up Salted Caramel Rice Crispy Treats, a kid-friendly dessert that even the grown-ups will love.

PREMIERE EPISODES

Chopped

Premiering Tuesday, May 7^th at 10pm - “Momumental”

Four talented moms, who are not professional chefs, take on the mother of all kitchens, the Chopped Kitchen. In the first round, the competitors have a lot of work to do, including breaking down an uncommon protein and figuring out how to make coffee a key part of their appetizers. Then in the entrée round, a grain and a green must make it onto the plate. When the last two moms find themselves facing off in the dessert round, they must make nutty and fruity flavors work together.

Premiering Tuesday, May 14^th at 10pm - “Amazing Amateurs”

Four amateur chefs who have been yearning to compete in the Chopped Kitchen finally get their chance, but will they be sorry when they open up the first basket and find a daunting sea creature? Then in the entrée round, an unfamiliar tuber challenges the competitors as the energy level peaks. The two amateurs remaining in the final round must create desserts using crackers and red wine.

Premiering Tuesday, May 21^st at 10pm - “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner!”

The usual rounds of appetizer, entree and dessert are replaced with breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the judges are hoping for pure decadence. In the first round, black forest bacon and prune juice are two of the mystery ingredients that the competitors must transform. Then in the lunch round, some colorful surprises are in the basket. Finally, when the chefs find some dream ingredients in the dinner basket, will they successfully rise to the occasion and make a final plate that the judges will adore?

Premiering Tuesday, May 28^th at 10pm - “Military Salute”

Four chefs who have served in the Army or Navy bring military precision to the Chopped Kitchen. In the appetizer round, a freeze-dried surprise in the basket has the chefs scrambling to add much-needed flavor to their plates. A large loaf, a grilled chop and a tough candy make for a challenging second round. The last two military chefs go head-to-head in the dessert round, both badly wanting the win.

Don’t miss Chopped After Hours, a new web series on FoodNetwork.com, where the Chopped judges step out from behind the chopping block to put their own spin on some of Chopped‘s toughest and strangest baskets.
Webisodes include:

Premiering Tuesday, April 30^th at 11pm – “Missing a Beet”

Alex Guarnaschelli hosts as Chopped judges Chris Santos, Marc Murphy and Aarón Sánchez attempt to conquer a basket featuring both fish and a chocolate candy bar.

Premiering Tuesday, May 7^th at 11pm – “Momumental!”

Ted Allen hosts as Alex Guarnaschelli, Maneet Chauhan and Marc Murphy cook with a basket featuring an unexpected jarred food and pork butt.

Cupcake Wars

Premiering Sunday, May 5^th at 8pm - “South Beach”

Four bakers are returning for redemption and a chance to serve their winning cupcakes alongside world-renowned chefs at one of the most exclusive food events in the country, The Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami. Food Network’s Sandwich King, Jeff Mauro, is the guest judge.

Premiering Sunday, May 12^th at 8pm - “Ace of Cupcakes”

The chips fly as four cupcake makers fight to have their cupcakes featured at an exclusive celebrity party celebrating a Hollywood-inspired high-stakes poker game. Two and a Half Men star and poker player, Mimi Rogers, appears as the guest judge.

Premiering Sunday, May 19^th at 8pm - “Cosmic Cupcakes”

Expect out of this world creations when four bakers compete for the chance to launch their cupcakes into the stratosphere at a black tie gala celebrating the arrival of Space Shuttle Endeavour in Los Angeles. California Science Center curator, Dr. Kenneth Phillips, serves as the guest judge.

Premiering Sunday, May 26^th at 8pm – “Harlem Globetrotters”

Four cupcake makers are going to have to pull out all their baking tricks if they want to win the chance to have their cupcakes center court at a huge fan event for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. Globetrotter Herbert “Flight Time” Lang serves as the guest judge.

Diners Drive-Ins and Dives

Premiering Monday, May 6^th at 10pm – “Dynamic Duos”

This trip, Guy checks out the combos that make some local hangouts a hit. In Denver, a double-duty corner bar smokes pork for its biscuits and tops pizzas with the bounty of the county, and in Scottsdale, Ariz., the husband/wife team fuse their Mexican and Mediterranean roots for some standout Southwest dishes.

Premiering Monday, May 13^th at 10pm – “Traditional Gone Wild”

This trip, Guy heads to Philadelphia, and a very special guest hits the kitchen with Guy for fried PB&Js and tacos. In Phoenix, the farm-to-table spot dishes out a dynamite pork sammie and cooks everything from pizzas to pancakes to meatballs in its wood-fired oven.

Premiering Monday, May 20^th at 10pm – “Peppers, Pork and Poutine”

This trip, triple “D” goes triple “P” with some standout veggie and meat dishes. In Phoenix, the tattooed, trained chef puts her spin on chiles and a regional pork dish. In Toronto, the decades-old bohemian joint serves up sticky Asian pork ribs and a Canadian staple.

Giving You the Business

Premiering Thursday, May 2^nd at 10pm - “Espresso Yourself”

Four of la prep’s top employees are secretly put to the test in a series of outrageous challenges that could transform their lives. A businessman sets up his mobile office, an unusual tour guide raises eyebrows and the restaurant erupts in chaos, but one employee will survive and win the dream of owning their own franchise.

Premiering Thursday, May 9^th at 10pm- “Wrapper’s Delight”

Four of the top employees at Freshii are secretly put to the test in a challenge that could transform their lives. A foul-mouthed employee calls the shots and the restaurant is overrun by an impatient courier, a food blogger, and a pair of sample seeking sisters – all at the same time.

Premiering Thursday, May 16^th at 10pm – “Sub-Prize”

Four of the top managers of Jersey Mike’s Subs are secretly put to the test in a challenge that could change their lives. A demanding customer leaves without paying, an employee bites into a customer’s sandwich and an engagement ring is thrown in the trash.

Mystery Diners

Premiering Friday, May 3^rd at 10pm – “Party Monster”

George’s Restaurant in Miami wants both its customers and the employees to have a good time at his restaurant, but when the owner notices a dramatic loss in revenue, he contacts Charles to investigate. Mystery Diners Rob and Jenny go undercover and discover that George’s staff is taking the “everyone have fun” policy to the next level.

Premiering Friday, May 10^th at 10pm - “Catch of the Day”

After noticing a recent and unusually low haul in crab claws, the owner of Garcia’s Seafood in Miami contacts Charles for help. Mystery Diners Harry and Carlos go undercover and discover where the seafood is going missing.

Premiering Friday, May 17^th at 10pm – “All in the Family”

When UJ, owner of the family-run R&O’s Restaurant in New Orleans, becomes fed up with the lack of respect he’s receiving from his relative employees, he contacts Charles for help. Mystery Diners Deanna and Andrew go undercover and discover that a few black sheep are destroying the harmony at R&O’s.

Premiering Friday, May 24^th at 10pm – “Friends with Benefits”

After realizing how hard it is to start a new restaurant, the husband and wife owners of N’awlins Cafe, in New Orleans, contact Charles for advice. Mystery Diners Nicole and Tom go undercover and discover that the manager is hiring her incompetent friends who prevent the restaurant from thriving.

Restaurant: Impossible

Premiering Sunday, May 12^th at 10pm – “Drowning in Debt”

At Mom & Dad’s Italian Restaurant in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., owners Carolyn and her husband George bought the restaurant 24 years ago, but now, six years after George’s death, Carolyn refuses to make any changes, despite the ill-prepared food and mounting debt. Can Chef Robert get Carolyn to accept that embracing change and saving the restaurant is the best way to honor her late husband?

Premiering Sunday, May 19^th at 10pm – “Muskrat Mayhem”

Chef Robert Irvine travels to Smyrna, Del., to meet three generations of women fighting to keep the Wagon Wheel Family Restaurant open for business. While the restaurant is in mayhem over the frozen food, outdated decor, dysfunctional family and disrespectful staff, Robert has just two days to repair a broken family.

Premiering Sunday, May 26^th at 10pm – “In the Pits”

Lynn has owned Bryan’s Smokehouse in Lufkin, Texas for 15 years. Business was great at first, but now an oversaturated market and a staff of misfits have put Lynn further and further into debt. Can Chef Robert Irvine overhaul the poor service and lackluster barbecue recipe in two days to save Bryan’s Smokehouse?

Restaurant Stakeout

Premiering Wednesday, May 1^st at 10pm

Willie comes to the aid of Audrey, whose brother, Ernie, took over the family-run eatery Gus’s Franklin Park Restaurant in Harrison, N.Y., almost a decade ago. Now the struggling business is in need of serious help. Willie discovers that an overly generous Ernie may be the root of the restaurant’s problems.

Premiering Wednesday, May 8^th at 10pm

Sisters Kim and Trisha, owners of Dock’s Clam Bar & Pasta House in Staten Island, N.Y., faced a devastating setback following Hurricane Sandy. With nowhere else to turn and rising tensions, Willie is their last hope to save the only business they’ve ever known.

ON-AIR THEME WEEKENDS AND MARATHONS

Cinco De Mayo – Saturday – Saturday, May 4^th- Sunday, May 5^th from 7am-12pm
Food Network celebrates Cinco De Mayo with a spicy weekend lineup.
Premiere episodes include:

Paula’s Best Dishes: Premieres Saturday, May 4^th at 9:30am - “So Sloppy it’s Good”
Giada at Home: Premieres Saturday, May 4^th at 11:30am - “Mexican Fiesta”
Guy’s Big Bite: Premieres Sunday, May 5^th at 10:30am – “South of the Border Snapper”
Sandwich King: Premieres Sunday, May 5^th at 11am - “Mexican Fiesta”

Mother’s Day – Saturday, May 11^th - Sunday, May 12^th from 7am-12pm
Whether it’s a special breakfast in bed or a brunch with friends, Food Network chefs share their favorite family recipes for Mother’s Day.
Premiere episodes include:

Paula’s Best Dishes: Premieres Saturday, May 11^th at 9:30am - “Good Morning Savannah”
Giada at Home: Premieres Saturday, May 11^th at 11:30am - “Double Trouble Baby Shower”
Guy’s Big Bite: Premieres Sunday, May 12^th at 10:30am - “Cajun Pork Pride”
Sandwich King: Premieres Sunday, May 12^th at 11am - “Down Home Southern Sandwiches”

Grilling Week – Monday, May 27^th - Saturday, June 1^stfrom 8pm-11pm
Food Network celebrates the launch of the summer grilling season with a week of barbecue and grilling episodes.
Premiere episodes include:

Restaurant: Impossible – Premiering Sunday, May 26^th at 10pm – “In the Pits”
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives – Premiering Monday, May 27^th at 10pm - “Kings and Queens of ‘Cue”
Chopped – Premiering Tuesday, May 28^th at 10pm - “Military Salute”
Restaurant Stakeout - Premiering Wednesday, May 29^th at 10pm - “Your Smokehouse is a JOKE-house”
Chopped – Premiering Thursday, May 30^th at 9pm - “Cook Your Butt Off”
Mystery Diners – Premiering Friday, May 31^st at 10pm - “Barbecue Blues”

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Marathons
Catch Monday night blocks of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives every Monday in May!
Daring Pairing Marathon on Monday, May 6^th from 6pm – 12am
Classics Gone Crazy Marathon on Monday, May 13^th from 6pm – 12am
All Around Flavortown Marathon
on Monday, May 20^th from 6pm – 12amMeat-A-Thon
on Monday, May 27^th from 6pm – 12am

DIGITAL CONTENT

Cinco de Mayo
Throw the ultimate fiesta this May 5^th with margaritas, tacos and authentic recipes from Aarón Sánchez and more.

Mother’s Day
Treat Mom to a delicious breakfast or brunch this Mother’s Day with favorite recipes from Giada De Laurentiis, Melissa D’Arabian and more. Plus, find out what Guy Fieri’s and Anne Burrell’s moms love to make for their kids.

Memorial Day
Celebrate the start of summer with a Memorial Day feast of burgers, salads and patriotic desserts from Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Sunny Anderson and more.

Breakfast for Dinner
Move rise-and-shine favorites to the evening timeslot for a fun dinner. Try easy, family-favorite recipes from Alton Brown, Ree Drummond and Tyler Florence.

Grilling Central
Beginning May 13^th, make your summer sizzle with the hottest roundup of grilling recipes around. In the only digital destination you need, you’ll find the top burgers, real-deal barbecue, a whole summer’s worth of cool-off sides plus where to go around the country for the season’s must-taste treats. Plan the ultimate cookout with Bobby Flay, Trisha Yearwood and Ree Drummond. Get in on our Summer Showdown featuring Melissa D’Arabian, Jeff Mauro, Justin Warner and other Food Network Star alums, along with your Chopped favorites like Ted Allen, Alex Guarnaschelli and Aarón Sánchez. We’ll be celebrating summer big this year with lots of great entertaining tips, party-planning ideas and easy menus.

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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.5 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), is the manager and general partner.

Restaurant Impossible - Smitty's Restaurant Update

2013-04-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and crew are going to Clearwater, Florida to help out Smitty's Restaurant. The crew ends up having to use a lot of time and money on an exterminator in this episode which Robert has said could be the dirtiest restaurant he has ever done. As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Smitty's Restaurant to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews and comments are post Restaurant: Impossible):

This restaurant pretty much has zero reviews online since the visit, so this update will be a little different than normal. I will just go over the things other than reviews found about this restaurant.

When doing the Smitty's renovation in February, Robert said on Twitter "Day two at Smitty's restaurant in Clearwater Florida OMG the dirtiest place I have EVER EVER seen in my life. Feeling I'm losing this battle." He also said that it was twice as dirty as Rascal's in season 1 and there were 100,000's of bugs.

Robert was there February 15, and on March 20th, Smitty's had a restaurant inspection. In this inspection there were 13 violations including:

Dead roaches on premises.(3 dead in dish area, 2 on floor between ice machine and upright reach in freezer)
Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found.(2 live in dish area, 1 live on floor near upright reach in freezer)
Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food in walk-in cooler.(raw chicken over sauces in walk in cooler)
Toxic substance/chemical stored by or with food.(raid ant and roach spray by bread on cooks line)

Here is the full inspection report with the 13 violations. So, it looks like the bugs are still a problem a month after Restaurant Impossible left.

An article in the Tampa Bay Times earlier this week stated, "By Irvine's account, of the 74 restaurants the show has remade, four have subsequently been sold and eight have gone out of business." So, he is still way off on his numbers when you compare them to mine.

Conclusion:

Smitty's is pretty much a diner serving breakfast and lunch, and not having many reviews online is not a good sign for a restaurant. Usually the buzz of Restaurant Impossible coming to town has people eager to write reviews of the changes made to the restaurant.

With the restaurant having cleanliness problems, including thousands of bugs, it does not make local people want to go try the restaurant. Restaurants that have had bug problems in the past on the show usually do not end up thriving after a Restaurant Impossible visit. I know I probably wouldn't go to a restaurant after seeing thousands of bugs in the kitchen, no matter how many times an exterminator came. An inspection a month after Restaurant Impossible visited still found roaches, which is also not a good sign.

This one will have to be watched.

UPDATE 5/9/2013 - A recent inspection on 5/1/2013 had 12 violations and some of the high priority ones from the inspection notes are listed below.

Dead roaches on premises.(3 dead in dish area, 2 on floor between ice machine and upright reach in freezer)
Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found.(2 live in dish area, 1 live on floor near upright reach in freezer)
Toxic substance/chemical stored by or with food.(raid ant and roach spray by bread on cooks line)
Pesticide/insecticide labeled for household use only present in establishment.

*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant Impossible Updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter

Chef Wanted With Anne Burrell - Nikki Beach

2013-04-25T15:26:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Tonight is the season two finale of Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell, and Anne is hoping to find an executive chef at Nikki Beach in Miami, Florida. They are looking for an executive chef for their new Ibiza, Spain location of Nikki Beach. So, this is the last time this season you will hear Anne screaming a countdown from 10 to 1 and the same fake ticket printing noise played throughout the dinner services. But despite the show not having much success with actually finding chefs to stay at the restaurant, it WILL be coming back for a third season in August (link). I guess ratings are more important than anything.

Back to the Nikki Beach episode that airs tonight. Let's just say there is some crazy stuff going on right now involving this restaurant.

One of the contestants on tonight's episode is Lauren Brown of Cincinnati, who was actually recommended to be on the show by Britney Ruby Miller of the Precinct episode (link). Maybe she should have been on the Precinct episode if she was thought of so highly by Britney, instead of making her travel to Miami and potentially Spain.

Onto the crazy stuff now... At the end of January, Karlie Tomica, who was a 20 year-old bartender at Nikki Beach in Miami, left her shift and on the way home struck and killed a well known Miami chef named Stefano Riccioleti. She fled the scene, but a witness who saw this happen followed her to her apartment and called 911. When officers arrived, they said Karlie Tomica had 'slurred speech and smelled of alcohol' and that she had 'brain or flesh particulate' in her hair (Link with details) Karlie was released after posting $10,000 bail and is awaiting trial. Both Karlie Tomica and Nikki Beach are being sued by Stefano's family, Karlie for the accident, and Nikki Beach as she had the alcohol there (while also being underage).

In an ironic and pretty awful twist, the owners of Nikki Beach actually named Nikki Beach after their daughter Nicole who was killed by a drunk driver as an 18 year-old in 1997, just 2 weeks before her graduation (link).

The Nikki Beach website used to have a link for their Ibiza location, but now that says "Sorry we could not find what you're looking for!" So it looks like they have taken everything down regarding their Ibiza location and it either is not opening or the opening has been pushed back further. I am not sure if it has anything to do with the above issue or not.

This Chef Wanted episode was actually filmed around February 18th according to this interview, so it filmed shortly after the incident. I am surprised the owners went along with the filming. It will be interesting to see the update from the Food Network after the episode airs. I will update this post with any details and the winner after it airs.

Also, as Chef Wanted is coming back for another season, I may create a page similar to the Restaurant Impossible page that will keep track of the Chef Wanted winners and which ones are still at their restaurants.

UPDATE - Chef Jouvens Jean was the winning chef of this episode, and SHOCKINGLY decided to stay at his current restaurant and not take the job he was competing for. Although, I am not sure that job actually existed as it doesn't look like the Ibiza location of Nikki Beach is open.

Bobby Deen Got Engaged Today

2013-04-24T19:36:00.001-04:00

Photo - Twitter

Bobby Deen and family announced that he got engaged today to Claudia Lovera. Bobby tweeted "I'm so excited to share the news that she said "yes"! Claudia makes me a better person... and she is a great cook!" Also, Paula Deen tweeted out "Y'all, please join me in congratulating Bobby on his engagement! Welcome to the family, Claudia!" Both tweets also had the picture to the right (although it was sideways.)

Many people probably still think Bobby was still dating Katy Mixon (pictured below), who has been on Paula Deen shows with Bobby and is most known for her roles in Eastbound & Down and Mike & Molly. However, in February Bobby revealed that they broke up when she moved to Los Angeles, and that it was a hard decision. So I guess he moved on pretty quickly.

In that interview, he also said that he 'met a wonderful, beautiful young lady who is a triathlete and wellness expert. She is not famous, and that's somewhat of a relief to me because I'm protective of those I love, and when you're in the public eye that can be hard to do.'

Claudia is 27, originally from Venezuela and currently lives in Chicago. She went to school at Savannah College of Art and Design for her masters degree, so I am assuming they probably met in Savannah, but I could be wrong. Here are a few pictures of Bobby and Claudia at a recent Bobby Deen charity event.

So Congratulations to Bobby and Claudia!

Tyler Florence Filming With Ina Garten. Plus Giada De Laurentiis Lasagna Pan Recalled

2013-04-24T13:48:00.000-04:00


Photo - Twitter

A few random bits of Food Network news for today. Tyler Florence is currently filming an episode of Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garten in the Hamptons. Tyler has said that he will be making fried chicken on the episode and has been posting pictures of the day on his Twitter page (like the one pictured to the right.) So look for that episode to come during the new season of Barefoot Contessa, which begins its ninth season in June of this year.

Also, Target has recalled a Giada De Laurentiis Lasagna Pan (9 x 13) due to it being a laceration hazard. Here is information on the recall if you happen to have one of the pans and the handles haven't broken off yet. From the report, 'Target has received 39 reports of the pan or its handles breaking or cracking during normal use. Cuts and lacerations were reported in six of those incidents.'

The pans have been sold since 2009, and despite multiple reviews dating back to 2010 warning of handles breaking on the first use, the recall didn't come until today. Some of the oven handles were actually falling off while in the oven while baking. Ironically, the picture picture on the pan boasts "Durable, High Quality Stoneware" and "Elegant handles for easy lifting and carrying."

UPDATE - Giada also filmed with Ina Garten this week, so look for Giada to be on Barefoot Contessa this season too. Picture

Food Network Announces New Series for 2013

2013-04-23T16:21:00.002-04:00

At the Scripps Networks Interactive upfront today, the Food Network revealed 23 new series and specials that will air on the network in 2013.

Here are some things you have to look forward to (or not look forward to):

Robert Irvine driving a bus in a competition show where the winner gets a restaurant
Alton Brown hosting Cutthroat Kitchen, where chefs can spend money on themselves or sabotage other chefs in a competition.
A Supermarket Sweep knockoff called Grocery Games
Joe Bastianich in a show called Bossover, where restaurant employees nominate their terrible bosses for a makeover
A Throwdown type show called Beat Bobby Flay where the competitors travel to New York to compete against Bobby, rather than the other way around.
Rachael Vs Guy: Kids Cook-Off - could a show get more annoying than Rachael, Guy AND kids?
Chef Wanted is coming back for a third season, after having no success in finding executive chefs in their first two seasons. I guess ratings were good enough.
Worst Cooks In America, Great Food Truck Race, and Rachael Vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off are coming back for another season as well.
Plus more, see below

Missing from this is any mention of Justin Warner and Rebel Eats. Do you think the special is all he will get to do on the Food Network after winning Food Network Star?

Read through the shows and descriptions and let me know which ones you are looking forward to, and which ones sounds like train-wrecks to you.

Here is the total list from Deadline.com:

Giving You the Business
Series Premiere: April 2013
CEOs of well-known food chains are looking to expand and reward one of their loyal, hard-working employees with the opportunity to own their own franchise. The twist? The employees don’t know. The bosses secretly enter them into a hidden-camera competition that will test them on their skills, their honesty and their ability to handle themselves in increasingly outrageous situations. In the end, one will be given the opportunity of a lifetime. Produced by Cineflix for Food Network

Food Court Wars
Series Premiere: July 2013
Food Court Wars pits two teams of aspiring food entrepreneurs against one another as they battle to win their own food court restaurant rent-free for a year. Hosted by Tyler Florence, in every episode a mall in a different city wants to open a new ‘local’ eatery in the food court that offers a fresh region-specific menu. Stakes are high as teams must test their concept, market their brand, and run their outlet for a full day feeding hungry shoppers. The team whose restaurant makes the most profit wins their eatery space – a prize worth $100,000. Produced by Optomen for Food Network

Bubba’s Grills Gone Wild
Series Premiere: July 2013
Bubba’s Grills Gone Wild profiles the lives of Bubba, his family and his crew, the creators of the world’s most outrageous custom barbecue grills. From car engines to big rigs, Bubba and his team can turn just about anything into a grill. Follow the day-to-day fun and drama as they battle impossible deadlines, and each other, to push the envelope of grill design and fabrication. Produced by Nancy Glass Productions for Food Network

Chef Roulette
Series Premiere: August 2013
This cooking competition takes on a new spin, literally, when Chef Roulette brings four talented chefs together in a high stakes game of chance. Preparing a masterful meal, chefs must learn to expect the unexpected as their entire cooking station and dish may change hands as the wheel turns. The dish they started may not be the one they finish, as the wheel will decide which plate they are completing and ultimately being judged on. Produced by Jane Street for Food Network

The Shed (wt)
Series Premiere: August/September 2013
Follow the lives and exploits of the Orrisons – the (unofficial) First Family of Mississippi. Brad Orrison and his family have amassed a fortune through a chain of Barbecue restaurants ultimately becoming the premier team in nationwide barbecue competitions. The Orrisons are a family full of big characters, big toys, and big laughs, and each episode will chronicle a different component of the Orrison’s ever growing family and business empire in the great state of Mississippi. Nothing is too wild for Brad, his family or the “Shed Heads” to conquer…in or out of the Shed. Produced by Mandt Bros./Neil Mandt for Food Network

On the Rocks
Series Premiere: September 2013
After opening his own consulting business and overseeing bar and club openings in seven countries, it’s safe to say that John Green knows bars. But if John is coming to your bar it means you are On the Rocks. Luckily for struggling bar owners, it’s John to the rescue. In each episode, John travels to bars around the country to help them keep their doors open and get business back to normal. He assesses the bar’s problems, confronts the owner and lets them know what needs to be fixed, whether it’s newly trained staff or a whole new design, John’s got the answers for what ails the bar. Produced by Bodega Pictures for Food Network

Cutthroat Kitchen (working title)
Series Premiere: September 2013
Just how far is a chef willing to go to win a cooking competition? Cutthroat Kitchen hands four chefs $25,000 and the opportunity to spend that money on helping themselves or sabotaging their competitors. Ingredients will be thieved, utensils destroyed and valuable time on the clock lost when these chefs compete to cook delicious dishes while also having to out plot the competition. With Alton Brown as the devilish provocateur, nothing is out of bounds when money changes hands and we see just how far one chef will go to insure they have the winning dish. Produced by Embassy Row for Food Network

Grocery Games
Series Premiere: September/October 2013
Four talented chefs compete in supermarket-themed cooking challenges as they must navigate their way through the aisles, adhering to “real-world” challenges of shopping on a budget, substituting out-of-stock ingredients, and cooking (and checking out) with five items or less. In the end, the food does the talking, as one-by-one the losing chefs are “bagged,” and the last chef standing goes on the shopping spree of a lifetime to make big bucks.

Extreme Tupperware Ladies
Series Premiere: October 2013
Extreme Tupperware Ladies pulls the curtain back from one of America’s most iconic brands, giving viewers an insider’s glimpse of a vibrant, fun and completely unexpected culture where top saleswomen and men are making millions, and having a ball doing it. Produced by Collins Avenue for Food Network

Bossover (working title)
Series Premiere: October 2013
The restaurant business is a cutthroat pressure cooker where every moment counts and failure is always right around the corner. With success rates at less than 50%, there’s a wide range of reasons that can cause closures, but sometimes it’s not the food, it’s not the location, and it’s not the employees – sometimes it’s the boss. That’s where Joe Bastianich comes in. Restaurants nominate their terrible bosses for a makeover from Joe, and the owner will have to perform his employees’ jobs to realize that success must start at the top. Produced by Magilla for Food Network

Restaurant Divided
Series Premiere: October 2013
Restaurant Divided is a reality series that pits two warring factions in a failing, family-run restaurant – each with a different vision of how to save it – against each other to determine who has the best plan. After dividing the entire restaurant space in half, each group is given a limited time and budget to transform their space into their vision for a new restaurant. Then, the two restaurants open and compete, side-by-side, by serving real customers over a period of two nights. The concept that does best overall in customer reviews, critic reviews and profitability will be the one that unites the restaurant again. Produced by Leopard Films for Food Network

Restaurant Express
Series Premiere: November 2013
Robert Irvine has gathered eight aspiring restaurateurs for a bus road trip of a lifetime. Through a rigorous set of challenges, Robert will be looking at every aspect of their business acumen and testing all the skills needed to run their own restaurant. In the end, only one person will remain on the bus, ultimately dropped-off at their final stop: their very own restaurant. Produced by RelativityREAL for Food Network

Beat Bobby Flay
Series Premiere: TBD 2013
In order to beat Bobby Flay, you have to get to him first. This new series is the ultimate throwdown-showdown…. Three culinary masters, each with their own signature dish, a dish that they’d stake their reputations on, travel to New York for the chance to challenge Bobby Flay to a head-to-head cook-off of their specialty. But first, these contenders must battle it out to see who has the culinary prowess to ultimately go one-on-one against Bobby on his own turf. Produced by Rock Shrimp for Food Network

Chef Marks the Spot
Series Premiere: TBD 2013 Pilot Tonight
In this cutting edge, culinary competition, two blindfolded chefs are dropped into a real-world environment far from a standard kitchen and pantry – a carnival, dormitory, boardwalk, shopping mall, airplane, hospital, the Las Vegas Strip, Times Square, etc. After removing their blindfolds, the chefs only have a 50-foot radius to source their ingredients and prepare a masterful meal. Regulated by ankle monitors and armed with only a mobile cooking station, the chefs must use their resourcefulness, creativity, and culinary prowess to impress the palates of a group of judges. In the end, only one chef will be victorious in this one-of-a-kind challenge. Produced by Vidiots for Food Network

Amateur Chefs Competition Show / American Superstar Chef (working title)
Premiere: Q1 2014
The biggest home cook tournament spanning the entire country. Join eight celebrity chefs, each representing their own region of the country, as they pick one home cook to represent them and their region in the tournament of their lives. Through a series of head-to-head competitions coached by their celebrity chef, ultimately, one home cook will be crowned the American Superstar Chef.

Undercover Critics
Series Premiere: Q1 2014
Restaurant critics are armed with hidden cameras, looking to unveil the good, the bad and the ugly of established restaurants. Undercover Critics will give restaurant owners a second chance to improve on their faults and flaws, before any review is actually published. After visiting the restaurant, our Undercover Critics will reveal themselves, letting the owner know about the visit and handing over the ‘would-be/could-be’ negative review. With a laundry list of things to fix, we’ll see owners do whatever it takes to turn a bad review into a great one before it hits the press. Produced by RelativityREAL for Food Network

Food Network Star
Season Nine Premiere: June 2013
Long-running hit primetime series Food Network Star returns for season nine with twelve talented hopefuls competing for the ultimate prize: their own Food Network show. Culinary superstars Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay are all back for the new season, this year in a hybrid mentor/judge role. An audience vote will again determine who possesses the personality and kitchen chops to be the next Food Network Star. Produced by Triage for Food Network

Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell
Season Three Premiere: August 2013
Superstar chef Anne Burrell hits the pavement to help prominent restaurants around the country find their most valuable employee – the Executive Chef. Chef Anne puts four top-level candidates through the ultimate job interview as she tests their culinary chops and business savvy in kitchen challenges that run the gamut. From testing their resourcefulness by creating a delicious dish using only four ingredients, to assessing their ability to pair their own dishes with a signature beer from the restaurant’s menu, these chefs are in for the challenge of their lives. For the final two chefs it all boils down to one night of service when they are handed the keys to the restaurant and, potentially, the job of their dreams. Produced by Smart Dog Films and Mannahatta Productions

The Great Food Truck Race
Season Four Premiere: August 2013
The Great Food Truck Race’s fourth outing will have more drama, more twists, more strategy, but most of all, more dreams. Hosted by Tyler Florence, this season’s not a competition between current food truck operators – it’s between people who desperately want to be. Eight teams of hopefuls will have their dream truck handed to them before they race from city to city trying to prove they have what it takes to own and operate a successful food truck, and the winning team will get to keep their truck and immediately launch their food empire. Produced by RelativityREAL for Food Network

Halloween Wars
Season Three Premiere: October 2013
Food Network puts viewers in the Halloween spirit serving up a deliciously scary series, Halloween Wars, for a third season. The four episode competition places five teams – comprised of cake decorators, candy makers and pumpkin carvers- working in unison to create the ultimate Halloween-themed display. One team is eliminated each week, with the winner taking home $50,000. Produced by SuperDelicious for Food Network

Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off
Season Three Premiere: January 2014
Food Network icon Rachael Ray and best-selling cookbook author and successful restaurateur Guy Fieri, return to coach and mentor new celebrity contestants for the third season of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. The celebrities are divided into Team Guy and Team Rachael, as they compete in intense weekly challenges that are sure to have them working, fighting and laughing along the way. The losing team must send its two bottom-rated contestants to face off against each other, with one member sent home each week in a blind tasting elimination challenge. The last celebrity standing will join the ranks of winners, Lou Diamond Phillips and Dean McDermott, and win $50,000 for the charity which they are playing for. Produced by Jane Street for Food Network

Worst Cooks in America
Season Five Premiere: TBD 2014
Worst Cooks in America, the primetime Food Network hit that turns kitchen zeroes into kitchen heroes returns for a fifth season. The cooking-challenged contestants are split into two teams for a grueling competition designed to turn them into competent cooks. A $25,000 grand prize will be awarded to the winning contestant who has achieved the most successful culinary transformation, along with a victory for their team leader. Produced by Optomen for Food Network

SPECIALS
Guy & Rachael’s Kids Cook-Off (working title)
Series Premiere: September 2013
Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri team up again, this time they are challenging the most impressive, determined and downright adorable contestants ever – kids! They’ll mentor and guide all along the way, as these young chefs prove to themselves and America that you don’t need a driver’s license to be an amazing cook. Produced by Jane Street for Food Network

Food Network’s 20th Birthday Special
Premiere: November 2013
Take a look back at the last 20 years as we revisit Food Network’s start and see just how far we’ve come. Hear from the beloved chefs and hosts who helped make Food Network what it is today. Food Network is celebrating our 20th birthday and audiences are invited to the party!

Thanksgiving Live!
Live Premiere: November 2013
The experts at Food Network come together to answer viewers toughest questions about holiday meal-making on Thanksgiving Live!, a two-hour, live-interactive show. They address the perennial holiday problems from dry turkey to lumpy gravy, as well as demonstrate helpful tips and delicious recipes.

Your Dish Is My Command
Premiere: December 2013
Join Rachael Ray as she fulfills the dream of some of her biggest fans by cooking with them.
Produced by Rachael Ray for Food Network

Also from an Adweek Page, a few other titles with no descriptions include American Champions, The Joe B. Project, and Million Dollar Chef. Your guess is as good as mine to what these are.

Chef Marks The Spot - Another Food Network Pilot

2013-04-22T20:02:00.002-04:00

Photo - AliyaLeeKong.com

Tomorrow night after Chopped at 11pm ET, the Food Network will be airing another pilot. This one is called 'Chef Marks the Spot.' The description of the show states: "Two chefs are taken to an unfamiliar college campus, where they are tasked with finding ingredients in the dormitories to create a meal in a makeshift kitchen set up in the school's gymnasium."

This pretty much sounds like the recent pilot of Kitchen Ambush, but this uses college dorms rather than people's houses for the ingredients.

The first two contestants on the show are Ryan Depersio, who has appeared on Chopped in the past, and Aliya LeeKong, who is an accomplished chef from Junoon in New York City. It also seems that David Rosengarten will be the host of the show. You might remember David from the show Taste, which aired on the Food Network for eight years.

Right now, the only other times Chef Marks the Spot will be on are Tuesday at 11:00pm, Wednesday at 2:00am, Friday at 6:30pm, and Saturday at 1:00pm.

Let me know what you think after watching this show. Think it will become a series, or suffer the same fate as Kitchen Ambush?

UPDATE - As someone pointed out in the comments, Zoe Feigenbaum was a competing chef on the show and Aliya LeeKong was a judge. Zoe has been on Chef Academy on Bravo, Chopped (she was on in 2011 and chopped in the dessert round), and Paula's Best Dishes.

Restaurant Impossible - Old World Italian Update

2013-04-21T14:56:00.001-04:00

Photo - Grand Strand Happening

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine is going to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina to help out the Old World Italian Restaurant. The owners George and Theresa are apparently facing health and financial problems and do not trust their culinary-trained son, George Jr. to run the restaurant. As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about the Old World Italian Restaurant to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews and comments are post Restaurant: Impossible):

The Positive Reviews:

"Food was amazing and authentic..fresh and fantastic"
"The food still has the same excellent quality although the former restaurant had a larger menu selection. The new edition has a much smaller selection with higher prices."
"We have been going here off and on for the 15 years we have lived in the area. The Restaurant Impossible folks came in and did a makeover. They did it right. The place is much brighter and more open. The menu is smaller but seems the choices are broad.....We will go back soon!"
"We found it to be great. The decor is very nice. The service was special, our waitress was very attentive, engaging, informative and fun."
"We went to see if all had changed for the better....Well the answer is YES IT HAS "
"After this place was remodeled by "Restaurant Impossible" it is now very open concept and inviting. I've always liked this place and am glad to see it super busy, although it does make the service slow. The new menu is more than adequate to satisfy."

The Negative Reviews:

"Since our last visit the restaurant had their make-over. If they had stopped at the decor, it would have been fine. However, they removed all the items on the menu that made it special. We had been patronizing Old World for 7 years at least once a month and never saw the place less than 3 quarters full. If you didn't have a reservation you had a long wait. Only the name is the same now. I'm sorry to say we won't be back."
"While their interior makeover was a great improvement the change in the menu selections and the dishes we ordered were poor at best, as a local there are much better Italian restaurants in the area"

Conclusion:

The reviews before Restaurant Impossible came were actually very good, and many of the people commenting on articles wondered why they needed to come to Old World Italian. The restaurant was also always crowded and most loved their food, but maybe they got on the show because the interior needed a makeover.

In one article, there were a lot of comments about the owner treating the regulars much different than the other diners in the restaurant. The regulars got all of the attention, while normal patrons were treated differently and ignored. I did see in some reviews that George is no longer on the floor, so maybe they addressed this issue.

Other things of note:

They got rid of their popular Early Bird menu.
They are located next to the chain Italian restaurant Carrabba's
A hostess said 'business has been brisk since the renovation, with an average of 90 diners on weeknights and 100-plus on weekends.'

Here's a random fact. George Jr. was apparently on the Food Network in 2003 on a show called Date Plate. The show had 2 bachelors cook a meal for a bachelorette, and she picked the person to date based upon their food. George Jr. actually won the episode he was on (link).

Reviews from Yelp and Tripadvisor

*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant Impossible Updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter

Chef Wanted With Anne Burrell - Victor's Cafe

2013-04-18T20:28:00.005-04:00

Tonight on Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell, Anne is hoping to find an executive chef for Victor's Cafe in New York City. Victor's Cafe has been in business for 50 years without an executive chef, and they are hoping Anne Burrell can help with finding their first one. This is the 2nd to last episode of this season, so maybe one of the next two episodes will actually have a chef staying at the restaurant.

There wasn't much info about this episode on the Internet, and Victor's Cafe hasn't really mentioned anything about it either. Victor's Facebook Page has a lot of mentions of the celebrities that have eaten there, so maybe this is another case of a restaurant looking for more publicity. Hopefully not, but I will update this post with the winner after the episode airs, and if the chef is still at the restaurant.

Both chefs had a great dinner service, but Ted Torres from Philadelphia ended up winning this episode of Chef Wanted.

Photo - LinkedIn

And SURPRISE, Ted did not take the job and decided to stay at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia. Only 1 more episode left of this joke of a show.

UPDATE - A local story from 5/9/2013 has Ted Torres stating "Despite my interest in winning, I didn’t necessarily participate to find a new job. I wanted to sample the experience and see what it could bring.”

The article also states, "Having informed personnel he would listen to the job offer’s specifics, Torres decided to turn down the position for a few reasons, including only a marginal difference existing between his current salary and prospective wages. With New York City’s cost of living topping Philadelphia’s, he would not have been able to thrive and feared having to subsist."

Food Network Star Season 9 Begins June 2nd

2013-04-18T13:05:00.002-04:00

Photo - Multivu

We knew Food Network Star would be returning in June, and now there is a press release to confirm its
return on June 2nd. Same format with having the same mentors, but I noticed this year it didn't say the winner would get a show produced by their mentor after last years ordeal. A new twist this year is an eliminated contestant will have the chance to come back for another chance at victory (sounds like the idea is taken from Top Chef). Also, viewers will get to vote again this year for the winner.

I will link to the press release, with photos of the contestants and details of the changes for the show this year below. However I wanted to take a look some of the contestants set to appear on the show. You will notice a lot of recycled talent that have appeared on the Food Network or other shows. Lets take a look:

Rodney Henry has been on Throwdown, Chopped (Halloween episode 2011 - eliminated after first round), Paula Deen, and Down Home with the Neelys (pictured right)

Chris Hodgson was on the Great Food Truck Race Season 2- Truck Hodge Podge (Link)

Viet Pham competed on Extreme Chef and also defeated Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America (pictured right).

Stacy Poon-Kinney was on Restaurant Impossible. She is the owner of The Trails in San Diego, which appeared in Season 2 of the show. I guess she wants more than $10,000 from the Food Network.

Connie "Lovely" Jackson was on Fox's Hells Kitchen.

Russell Jackson went against Jose Garces in Iron Chef America this season, and lost 71-62 (Link)

Danushka Lysek appeared on 24-Hour Restaurant Battle on Food Network a few years ago (Link). Also appeared on Chopped on 7/31/2012 and was chopped after the entree round.

Recognize anyone else that I missed? Rooting for any of the the people above? Let me know in the comments.

Video Preview of the Season:

Press Release Below (link to photos of contestants plus video):

New Roster Of Hopefuls Vie For Culinary Stardom In Season Nine Of Primetime Competition Series Food Network Star

Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay Return as Mentors/Judges in Season Premiere on Sunday, June 2nd at 9pm ET/PT Audience Vote Will Determine Winner, To Be Announced in Season Finale on Sunday, August 11th at 9pm E/PT

NEW YORK, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Food Network's long-running competition series Food Network Star returns for a ninth season this summer with fresh talent, intense challenges, and culinary icons Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay leading the charge to discover the best and brightest new faces in food television. In the one-hour season premiere on Sunday, June 2(nd) at 9pm ET/PT, the twelve contestants arrive in Los Angeles, ready to kick off the biggest audition of their lives to find out who has the personality, on-camera charisma and kitchen chops to follow in their idols' footsteps and helm their own show. In new twists, focus groups of Food Network fans will also have their say on contestant performances and one finalist will be brought back after elimination for another chance at victory. Viewers will again be able to vote online or via phone before the August 11(th) finale to determine who will win the ultimate prize: their own show on Food Network.

"Alton, Bobby and Giada are not only enduring stars, but also star-makers, so they are the ideal mentors to bring out the best in our talented cast," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Food Network. "These newcomers are competing to achieve their dream, and their journey is fascinating to watch."

The finalists are: Nikki Dinki (New York); Andres Guillama (Waynesville, NC); Rodney Henry (Baltimore); Chris Hodgson (Cleveland); Connie "Lovely" Jackson (Los Angeles); Russell Jackson (San Francisco); Danushka Lysek (New York); Daniela Perez-Reyes (Haleiwa, Haw.); Viet Pham (Salt Lake City); Damaris Phillips (Louisville, Ky.); Stacey Poon-Kinney (San Diego) and Chad Rosenthal (Ambler, Penn.).
Each episode before the finale features a first-round Mentor Challenge, second-round Star Challenge and an elimination determined by the selection committee, including returning judges Food Network executives Susie Fogelson and Bob Tuschman.

In the season premiere, Alton, Giada and Bobby greet the finalists and immediately kick off their life-changing Star journey. Each finalist is challenged to refine their personal point of view and film a pitch tape in the season's first Mentor Challenge, and convincingly explain why they are the best person to win their own show. In the second round Star Challenge, each contestant must prepare and present one dish to Food Network executives Susie Fogelson and Bob Tuschman and a focus group of Food Network fans.

Upcoming episodes feature a Chopped-themed mystery ingredient challenge before Chopped judge Alex Guarnaschelli; an anything-can-happen live, on-camera test with E! News co-host Terrence Jenkins; a fresh Italian-themed challenge with a twist using Buitoni(R) products; a pantry cook-off with Kellogg's(R) Special K(R) Cereals and Snacks; a Star-making screening evaluated by The Hollywood Reporter Editorial Director Janice Min and Senior Writers Gary Baum and Leslie Bruce; and guest appearances by Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine.

For more Food Network Star, fans can visit www.foodnetwork.com/star all season long for on-set video, exclusive interviews and insider blogs, behind-the-scenes footage, photo galleries, peeks into finalists' personal journals, online polls, interactive quizzes, sweepstakes and more. Launching Memorial Day Weekend, fans can vote in the "Star Summer Showdown," pitting summer recipes from Star winners and judges against recipes from Chopped. Fans can also connect with one another and the show's stars on Facebook at facebook.com/foodnetwork and on Twitter with the hashtag #FoodNetworkStar.

All season long, Food Network will offer the Food Network Star TV SYNC EXPERIENCE. Partnering with Yahoo!'s second-screen mobile application, IntoNow, Food Network is creating a custom experience that will bring fans into the world of Food Network Star like never before. This unique two screen offering will allow viewers access to exclusive content from the set including commentary, photos, exclusive video, behind the scenes details, live polls, interactive trivia and special culinary tips. Fans can download the IntoNow app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play, then sync the app with the broadcast. The experience will also work when synced with encores and when watching the episode on DVR, VOD or online streaming.

Food Network Star is produced by LEG/Triage Entertainment.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.5 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), is the manager and general partner.

SOURCE Food Network

Food News - Good Eats to Return?, Bourdain Ratings, Rachael Ray Sued, and More

2013-04-17T13:53:00.000-04:00

Alton Brown recently hinted that Good Eats would be returning. On Twitter, a fan asked what happened to Good Eats, to which Alton responded - Hint Hint, "Your patience will be rewarded." Also, from an IndyWeek article today, it states Alton "has good news for fans of his best-loved TV show: He'll be putting up a new web series later this year. Brown calls it "the evolution of Good Eats." So it looks like when it does return, it will be a web series rather than on TV.
Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown is getting a lot of press for its ratings from Sunday Night's premiere. It was the 'most watched cable news show' in a specific demo with 747,000 total viewers and 282,000 viewers in the 25-54 age group. Not sure if that is deserving of all the good press when compared against other food and cable shows. For example, Sunday in the same timeslot, Chopped All Stars had 1.80 million viewers, Restaurant Impossible at 10pm had 1.423 million viewers, and Cupcake Wars at 8pm had 1.158 million viewers (futoncritic).

The Rachael Ray Show is supposedly being sued by an overweight teen that appeared on her show 'for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming back to an appearance she made on the CBS series when she was 18 years old.' She also 'claims the trainer made her run and hike mountains, and yelled and screamed at her.' Huffington Post has a good summary with links to the video and everything. Ronald McDonald better hope he doesn't get hit with a lawsuit too.

Chopped Judge Marc Murphy plans to open another restaurant in New York City (Grubstreet)
Chopped Judge Maneet Chauhan is releasing a book called Flavors of My World, and will be doing a book tour for it. Dates and cities of the book tour are here.

Food Network Gossip

Marcela Valladolid Is All Over the British Tabloids

Amanda Freitag Opening a Restaurant and Guy Fieri's Book Release

Ristorante Barolo From Restaurant Impossible Has Been Sold

Soup To Nuts Diner From Restaurant Impossible Has Closed

Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions - Garces Vs. Forgione

Restaurant Impossible - Mom & Dad's Update

Food Network Star Season 9 Website is Now Live

Alton Brown Announces Live Tour

Chopped After Hours - Episode 2

Guarnaschelli Vs. Zakarian - Iron Chef America Tournament Of Champions

Chopped All-Stars Finale Preview - Winner Gets $50,000 for Charity

Food News for the Weekend

Food Network Shows Nominated for 10 Daytime Emmy Awards

Reminder - Chopped After Hours Tonight

Food Network May 2013 Programming Highlights

**FOOD NETWORK MAY 2013 HIGHLIGHTS**

Restaurant Impossible - Smitty's Restaurant Update

Chef Wanted With Anne Burrell - Nikki Beach

Bobby Deen Got Engaged Today

Tyler Florence Filming With Ina Garten. Plus Giada De Laurentiis Lasagna Pan Recalled

Food Network Announces New Series for 2013

Chef Marks The Spot - Another Food Network Pilot

Restaurant Impossible - Old World Italian Update

Chef Wanted With Anne Burrell - Victor's Cafe

Food Network Star Season 9 Begins June 2nd

Food News - Good Eats to Return?, Bourdain Ratings, Rachael Ray Sued, and More

FOOD NETWORK MAY 2013 HIGHLIGHTS