Food Network Gossip

McShane's From Restaurant Impossible To Close

2013-05-22T14:57:00.001-04:00

McShane's Restaurant and Pub in East Syracuse, NY, which was featured in Season 2 of Restaurant Impossible, will close this Friday. However, unlike other restaurants that have closed from the show, they plan to move away from the restaurant and plan to continue catering while starting a Food Truck.

A post on their Facebook Page stated "Closing this Friday . . look for our food truck "Chicken Bandit" . . .coming soon!"

There was also a picture with a message thanking customers stating:

"I would like to personally thank all our loyal customers for supporting us throughout the years! I will be closing McShane's this Friday... I am moving on to a new adventure... Watch for the Chicken Bandit!!! The new Food Truck in town... Coming Soon... Catering still available. Call us at 315-278-3536. Thank you! Cindy xo"

McShane's actually had some good reviews and people seem to love their chicken, so maybe their Food Truck will be a success.

This now puts the total amount of restaurants from Restaurant Impossible that have closed at 18, and I have updated the Restaurant Impossible Page to reflect that.

Iron Chef America Frozen Meals Coming Soon

2013-05-21T13:33:00.000-04:00

Iron Chef America is the next brand looking to capitalize on the frozen food industry. A press release put out today announced a frozen food line called 'À La Cuisine' that will be in US supermarkets soon. There are currently 8 different frozen meal kits that include: Butter Chicken, Spicy Szechuan Chicken, Chicken Garam Masala, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sesame Beef, Mongolian Beef, Thai Green Curry Beef, and Mandarin Orange Beef.

According to the website set up for the meals, they are not created by an Iron Chef, but rather inspired by Iron Chefs. A chef named Anthony created the meals, and judging by the 8 flavors above, he only watched battle chicken and battle beef.

It looks like Ina Garten will have some competition for her Barefoot Contessa frozen meals.

Press Release Below:

Iron Chef America comes to your kitchen

MONTREAL, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Iron Chef America brand has launched À La Cuisine home meal kits, inspired by the Food Network's esteemed Iron Chef America (ICA) series. À La Cuisine home meal kits arrive in the US under license to Premier Meat Packers who acquired the North American License for all food categories.

À La Cuisine home meal kits are packed with premium meats, farm-picked veggies, gourmet sauces, and aromatic basmati rice. Fresh ingredients set for you to cook and feed four in as little as 12 minutes. The product line features an assortment of flavors such as Garam Masala Chicken, Beef Mongolian, Thai Green Curry Beef, and Spicy Szechuan Chicken among others.

Unlike most other leading meal kit brands famous for being par cooked, precooked, or single serve microwavable meals, the quick to prepare À La Cuisine home meal kits set a higher food quality standard by providing fresh ingredients that are low in sodium and preserve their nutritional value.

"ICA is the main source of inspiration. The chefs are impressive. Foodies like myself are hooked," says Anthony J. Elman , Premier Meat Packers - Senior VP of Sales & Marketing. "People love a bold and delicious dish. We felt the need to supply them with varied meal kit essentials, inspired by Iron Chefs. À La Cuisine caters to people's cravings. We also designed two introductory sweeter flavors. It's food they can conveniently and quickly cook up. This is a product people can identify with."

The ICA home meal kits brand has already claimed shelf space across Canada and is rising at an exponential rate in the US.

The company is also developing product extensions. Hors D'oeuvres are underway and expected to hit shelves shortly. Iron Chef America brand remains committed to providing consumers with the freshest ingredients and innovative food solutions that are synonymous with first-rate taste and quality.

About Iron Chef America Meal Kits

Inspired by the Food Network's Iron Chef America series where noteworthy chefs battle against the show's Iron Chefs for culinary supremacy, the "À La Cuisine" home meal kits by ICA turn you into your very own top chef. Create and serve a delicious and nutritious meal for four in as little as 12 minutes.
www.ironchefamerica.tv

Click here to download press kit and hi-res images.

Alton Brown Podcast Update

2013-05-21T10:42:00.001-04:00

Photo - Food Network

Back in early March, Alton Brown announced he was launching a Podcast, and he taped the Podcast on March 8th. Many have wondered when the podcast would be available, and Alton has updated everyone with that today.

He stated on his website that "the Alton Browncast will be available at Nerdist.com and on itunes as well as the new AltonBrown.com which is coming to an internet near you." However, he plans to have 5 podcasts taped before launching, so you will have to wait a few more weeks until more are filmed.

If you want to participate in one, he is filming one tomorrow, May 22nd, and more info will be on the website above and Alton Brown's Twitter. I will update this post with any additional information regarding the podcasts such as direct links and dates.

In other unfinished Alton Brown business, he announced his live tour, then the website went down and has not been back up yet. However, some of the dates are listed in the above link as I got them before the site went down. He has also been filming his Good Eats Youtube series, if you have been following his Twitter updates, but there is not a date yet for that either.

So three big projects for him, all with questions still to be answered.

UPDATE - For tomorrow's Podcast, you can email questions to askalton@altonbrown.com OR Call 267-507-0240 starting at 11:15am tomorrow until 5pm EST (May 22nd). Code is 219179

Update 2 - He is doing more calls tonight (May 23rd) from 8-10pm.

Also, Alton announced he is doing a Reddit AMA this Friday May 24th at 3pm EST.

Symon Vs. Zakarian - Iron Chef America Tournament Of Champions

2013-05-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

Photo - Food Network

The semi-final battle of Iron Chef America: Tournament of Champions had Iron Chef Michael Symon facing Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, where the secret ingredient was wings. Geoffrey Zakarian defeated Alex Guarnaschelli to get here, while Michael Symon had a bye. Michael Symon has the best record of all Iron Chefs, and won season one of the Next Iron Chef, while Geoffrey Zakarian won season four.

With the new format of Iron Chef America, Chef Zakarian and Chef Symon were tied after both receiving a 12 for their first dish. The culinary curveball was then announced, in which the chefs had to incorporate peanuts into at least one of their dishes.

After the judges scored all of the dishes, Michael Symon received a total of 82 points (first dish, taste, culinary curveball, originality, plating), while Geoffrey Zakarian received 76 points. Pretty high scores for both of them, and Michael Symon lived up to his reputation. We have yet to see an upset in any of the battles so far.

Michael Symon will now compete against the winner of the Masaharu Morimoto vs. Jose Garces battle in two weeks. The winner of that battle will be the Champion of Iron Chef America Tournament of Champions.

Restaurant Impossible - Wagon Wheel Update

2013-05-19T09:39:00.000-04:00

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and crew are going to Smyrna, Delaware to help out the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. The restaurant has 'frozen food, outdated decor, dysfunctional family and disrespectful staff and the only thing keeping the restaurant alive right now is muskrat.' If you do not know what muskrat is, it is a large rodent that lives in wetlands (pictured to the right.) I asked Robert Irvine if he tried the muskrat while there, and he said 'Yep, Yuk!" As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about the Wagon Wheel to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found:

Positive Reviews:

"Food was good & service was great!"
"Was very good. Good was fresh and portions were great. Meatloaf sandwich is huge!! Nice and friendly staff!! Was rehabbed by Robert Irvine and Restaurant Impossible crew and what difference!! "

Negative Reviews:

"Decided to try the Wagon Wheel after hearing that Rest. Impossible just finished shooting there a couple of weeks ago. I figured this is the best time to go because they will still be using what they have learned from Chef Irvine, right? Wrong......my friend who was eating with me had a stink bug in her main course, it was on a piece of lettuce and looked to have been cooked up quite nicely....I noticed it was a little tough and cut it apart with my knife to find I had been eating undercooked chicken. VERY undercooked. Pink."
"Burger = Burnt beyond medium well. Tasted like a forest fire. Fries = Soggy , undercooked, unseasoned.. Chicken Stew = Cement..Salad = Good...Grilled Cheese- Meh...never again and this is post Robert Irvine visit "
"At this rate, with this menu, and this cook, and this staff, this restaurant cannot possibly survive. I would not recommend eating here."
"Restaurant Impossible helped the decor, not the food...We probably won't be back for a while."

Other Stories:

A comment from a local message board - "I used to work as a server at the wagon wheel for over a year, this was back in 2010. It was really bad there the daughter of the owner Shelia drank her whole shift and had drugs going in and out of there. It is far from a family restaurant!! The food is so bad there that you wouldn’t even be able to tell that they are open because the parking lot is so empty! I saw everything that the customers didn’t and from what I saw I would not recommend this restaurant to ANYONE!!!"
From a Local newspaper - "For the past two months, however, Gallegos said acceptance among the locals has been slow coming. “Some people like it, some people don’t. The clientele I had before this don’t like it,” she said. “They don’t like change. And neither do I. But this was a good thing.”
From a different local article - "“We used to serve a lot of frozen food. But now, all the ingredients, even the fries are fresh,” said Mrs. Gallegos. “It was a little rough when we were first on our own with the new menu but everything is sorted out now.” The restaurant used to only serve breakfast and lunch but with the new menu it serves dinner five days a week.

Conclusion:

While there weren't many reviews for the Wagon Wheel, the ones that were out there were mostly negative. It seems that people have issues with both the food and the service. The locals who were frequenting the restaurant before seem to not like the change, but that is usually the case for restaurants on the show. It does seem that the owner has stuck with the changes that Robert suggested by not using frozen food and is serving fresh food. This might be one we have to watch if they can't get the issues worked out soon.

Reviews from Yelp, Foursquare, 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

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.

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Food Network May 2013 Programming Highlights

**FOOD NETWORK MAY 2013 HIGHLIGHTS**

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FOOD NETWORK MAY 2013 HIGHLIGHTS