Food Network Star Alums

[Snarklepuss]

6 hours ago, smiley13 said:

i know.  He is head and shoulders above this year's crew.  If he had been on this season, he would have walked away with it IMO.

ITA, I'm happy to hear this news about Jay getting a show on the Travel Channel.  It's not so often that a runner-up from this show goes on to find another network and show.  I'm still wondering why Martie Duncan and Arnold Myint never wound up anywhere.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[BW Manilowe]

On June 14, 2016 at 8:02 PM, Totale said:

I forget her name but I thought the retro hipster chick (Emily? Ellen?) from Justin Warner's season had it won. 

You actually didn't forget her name. It's Emily Ellyn.

[Skyfall]

On June 14, 2016 at 7:01 PM, smiley13 said:

Seeing Jay's news made me think, who are other former contestants who did not win their season, but certainly could have taken some other ones.

For me, it is Kelsey Nixon and Martie Duncan.  I thought that both of these ladies were excellent.

Nikki Dinki

[Skyfall]

Also speaking of Guy, is Big Bite still filming? Feels like it's been longer than normal without a new episode.

[cooksdelight]

Nikki's doing great without FN's help. :)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/cooking/article/67087-nikki-dinki-s-star-is-on-the-rise-with-new-show-cookbook-deal.html

[Totale]

Well, I wouldn't say exactly without FN's help.  Would she have gotten the book deal without the Junk Food Flip show?

[bluepiano]

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 9:54 AM, rab01 said:

My recollection of Melissa's year is that $10 dinners was the network's call.  Certainly no one has topped Guy Fieri but the Network actually has a pretty good record of using these people in other shows. Alums continue to pop up as judges and talking heads on various FN and Cooking Channel shows.  Yes, the show is the show but I think the chance at food network "stardom" is more real than most non-money competition shows on TV.

Yeah, Melissa never mentioned the $10 dinner thing during her season. That was the network's concept. I don't remember Melissa having a food "POV" during the competition. I just remember her talking about her mother's suicide and other extraneous personal stories that often seemed contradictory and of dubious truth. (Like saying that her mother was a Navy admiral but also that she grew up poor).

Guy and Jeff are about it when it comes to alumni you could call network "stars," but this FNS has given them a roster of second bananas - people they can cycle in and out of other shows and use as judges or competitors as needed. So to that extent you can say it's been successful. (In addition to being one of their top rated shows).

FN's new kick seems to be to give shows to "celebrities" with no actual professional food experience, and even celebrity spouses. I just heard that Stephon Curry's wife is getting her own show???

[Snarklepuss]

10 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Yeah, Melissa never mentioned the $10 dinner thing during her season. That was the network's concept. I don't remember Melissa having a food "POV" during the competition. I just remember her talking about her mother's suicide and other extraneous personal stories that often seemed contradictory and of dubious truth. (Like saying that her mother was a Navy admiral but also that she grew up poor).

Did she say that?  I don't remember ever hearing her say her mom was an admiral and I watched her entire series.  Unless she said it somewhere else?  I do remember she talked about her mother being a single mom and how she grew up a "military brat" but that's it. 

Speaking of her format, I always thought she wasn't completely happy with it and that's one reason people complained about the meals being impossible to make on $10.00.  It was a crappy concept and doomed to make her look bad, IMHO.  If she really stayed within the $10.00 she would have had to limit her repertoire a lot more.  I'll bet she pitched her ability to create inexpensive meals to the network because at that time that was what they wanted to hear.  But I don't think she bargained for such an unrealistically cheap price limit.

[HyeChaps]

Remember Reggie?  He showed up here and there. 

[Amarsir]

Quote

Seeing Jay's news made me think, who are other former contestants who did not win their season, but certainly could have taken some other ones.

Vic Vegas comes to mind. An attention-grabbing look, the willingness to get real and not rely on a character, and some real cooking talent.

[cooksdelight]

Vic was on another show, either as a judge, co-host or a contestant (honestly cannot remember) and the reason I can't remember is because he was blah. He's just not cut out for TV.

[mlp]

Vic co-hosted a half hour show from Las Vegas with Laila Ali.  I think it was called Late Night Chef Fight.  I watched it for a season and gradually lost interest.

[TDT]

Vic is(was?) also one of the "kitchen experts" on Spike's Bar Rescue..as is Aaron McCargoe(sp) and Penny(uggh..she was the KE in that episode that they were cross-promoting with that King Tut miniseries that the network did a while back..hasnt been seen on the show since)

[Totale]

I think he appeared on "Food Fighters", too. 

[Skyfall]

What did everyone think of Deep Fried America? It's basically a Triple D ripoff but Jay has the personality to pull this off over some others who have tried and failed. Jay also is dressed nicely here and the show is in his element (and let's be honest the BBQ show Eddie did was probably made for Jay). Only thing is why is this in Tracel and not Food or Cooking?

[cooksdelight]

I'm trying to steer clear of deep fried anything so I didn't watch. It was on at a weird time, for me, also.

[NewDigs]

Are there any deep-fried surprises left?

I think they deep-fried butter at the MN State Fair.

[cooksdelight]

Somebody has already done a show about deep fried foods. Or something almost like it, I cannot remember. Might have been all the weird stuff they fry at state fairs.

[spiderpig]

Should I bury my head in shame?  I recently bought a deep fryer because I sometimes have an unconquerable desire for fish and chips (and beer-battered onion rings).

Also fried calimari. Oysters.  Clams.

Also tempura anything.

I'd run off and kill myself, but on a deep fried diet it's probably not necessary.

[cooksdelight]

Southern Fried Road Trip, that's the show I am thinking of. And it flopped.

[spiderpig]

25 minutes ago, NewDigs said:

Are there any deep-fried surprises left?

I think they deep-fried butter at the MN State Fair.

Wrap chicken around it and it's Chicken Kiev.

1 hour ago, Skyfall said:

Only thing is why is this in Tracel and not Food or Cooking?

Because we're food adventurists and not limited to arbitrary borders.

[Skyfall]

15 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Southern Fried Road Trip, that's the show I am thinking of. And it flopped.

I wouldn't say it's the same as Jay's show. Also the only reason it flopped was because they were trying to make Monday happen. Since then they've put Burgers Brew and Que after Triple D and it's done much better than their Monday attempts. Also previous Monday shows Guily Pleasures and Top 5 (Restaurants?) are about to start new seasons on weekend mornings. Food has realized travel and diner related shows are best when paired with Triple D and comp shows are better on Monday. I'll also add that Bobby probably wanted to do Junk Food Flip more since he's gone Healthier and Jamie probably didn't want to do the show alone. Make me wonder if they will pair Jamie and Jay like they did Bobby and Nikki. 

[MerBearHou]

I just watched the finale of the Kids BBQ Championship.  I felt compelled to come here and share:  this little summer competition show was a delight IMO.  The kids were genuine and talented without the usual focus on sob stories and filling POV niches; they cooked very well; there were minimal hijinks in the challenges; the judges (Eddie and Camila Alves + experienced BBQ chefs) were great -- very encouraging and warm but also constructive and truthful.  The winner was announced and I was SO happy for the outcome.  If you want to spend a little time on a totally positive competition show on the FN, go back and watch these episodes (there are maybe 7 or 8).  After all of the irritation of FNS and some of the other nonsense on the FN, this one was fun.  And I actually learned a thing or two about cooking BBQ.  

Edited June 28, 2016 by MerBearHou

[Aquarius]

12 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I just watched the finale of the Kids BBQ Championship.  I felt compelled to come here and share:  this little summer competition show was a delight IMO.  The kids were genuine and talented without the usual focus on sob stories and filling POV niches; they cooked very well; there were minimal hijinks in the challenges; the judges (Eddie and Camila Alves + experienced BBQ chefs) were great -- very encouraging and warm but also constructive and truthful.  The winner was announced and I was SO happy for the outcome.  If you want to spend a little time on a totally positive competition show on the FN, go back and watch these episodes (there are maybe 7 or 8).  After all of the irritation of FNS and some of the other nonsense on the FN, this one was fun.  And I actually learned a thing or two about cooking BBQ.  

Oh, good to know!  I was going to give this a try but I'm not big on BBQ.  I do love the kids challenge shows on FN, though.  I'm one of a dozen people who actually watches the Kids Baking Championship, and for exactly the reasons you describe.  I will definitely try to catch this one.

Edited June 28, 2016 by Aquarius

[cooksdelight]

I am not sure why Alex (buddies with Dom and Jay) is changing his restaurant so soon. Alfie's had good reviews when it opened, but it must have gone downhill fast for him to be replacing it. I think it's barely been open 6 months.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/article/20827761/alex-mccoys-launches-poboy-shop-called-tchoups-market

[xaxat]

It sounds like his current restaurant concept would have been a much better sell on NFS than his international perspective.

[Rick Kitchen]

Damaris and Justin Warner were judges on Guy's Grocery Games Sunday night.

[HyeChaps]

How nice to see Arnold as a judge on Chopped Junior!

[cooksdelight]

I love Arnold, having gotten to know him in the past couple of years, he's an amazing, gifted guy.

[Amarsir]

Emilia Cirker was on Cutthroat Kitchen last night and it was nice to see her again. Assuming she could avoid repeating her ill-advised roast presentation, she's another I would happily have seen on this year's competition over whoever ends up winning it.

[Christina]

Previous Food Network Star chefs are going to be on tonight's Guy's Grocery Games at 8 pm ET. I can't tell you who they are, but it appears to be a new episode. 

[Sew Sumi]

My guide said that they were all from Guy's season. Does that mean we get Reggie? I loved that guy. 

[cooksdelight]

 Reggie made a brief appearance. I liked him as well.

Google "Guy Fieri Gets in Fight With Hairdresser" (my linking capability is missing right now). There's a link in there to a video of him getting into a big pissing match with a guy in an SUV. And lots of other stuff.

[StaceyNotStacie]

http://www.kelseynixon.com/blog/expectingababy

Kelsey Nixon news 

[Skyfall]

4 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

http://www.kelseynixon.com/blog/expectingababy

Kelsey Nixon news 

I hope there is a second season of her Homemade series. Essentials seems to be finished.

[StaceyNotStacie]

1 hour ago, Skyfall said:

I hope there is a second season of her Homemade series. Essentials seems to be finished.

I've enjoyed her shows. They should bring her on FNS as a mentor. Even though she didn't win, she has a good perspective and does well in a teaching role. 

[SoCal Mema]

On 7/18/2016 at 2:48 PM, Rick Kitchen said:

Damaris and Justin Warner were judges on Guy's Grocery Games Sunday night.

I saw that episode.  Was it just me, or did you find it a tad astonishing what the booted contestants had gone on to do?  That first woman kicked off on his season now makes a living doing her cooking videos. 

On 5/28/2016 at 8:38 AM, cooksdelight said:

Katie Lee has a show called Beach Bites which I just now am seeing commercials for. Maybe that's going to be her focus from now on.

I'll be outside my house curb stomping.

[Totale]

I saw an ad for Katie's beach show somewhere along the way and will consider watching with the sound off if she wears lots of swimsuits.

[Christina]

Earlier today I came across a show on the FYI channel that was titled something like Big Kitchens. The first episode I watched was showing a military restaurant and the second was an Indian restaurant preparing for a large feast. It was interesting enough to have on as background noise. After it went off, another show that was something like Kids vs Chefs came on, and I began to turn it because I rarely enjoy kids cooking but saw a woman with huge fake eyelashes and was trying to remember who she was. I missed her intro but one of the kids yelled from the balcony her name as Penny. I knew then that I knew her, but still couldn't remember how or where. After the first kid burned his food but won that round, Penny's talking head said something about what she could have done to improve her dish as opposed to yelling bull on the result. I thought that maybe she wasn't who I thought she was since I still couldn't place her, and her being nice after losing to burnt food certainly couldn't be the person I was thinking of since I remembered her as an unpleasant person.

The next kid took her place to cook against Penny, and after giving Penny the restriction that she couldn't taste her food, she began to explain how important it is to taste what you were cooking and how she is a special princess and I turned to a Dateline rerun I've seen three times. During a commercial I flipped back because it was driving me crazy trying to place Penny. Mike Isabella was judging a meatball dish and during her talking head, Penny said something like, "I'm sure he has had a lot of Middle Eastern meatballs in New Jersey. :rollseyes:" AHA!! Penny Davidi. I didn't watch her season of FNS but saw her on Chopped. I was so happy that I figured it out and began to flip back to Dateline when I saw another woman I recognized acting as sous chef for the kid. Her first name is Jamie but I don't remember the last and she was also on Top Chef. That kid started talking about how he may only be 14 but he can run a kitchen, blahblahblah, I turned channels. I flipped back to see the final result and Penny lost to the kids and actually hugged one of them, who looked to be 7 or 8.

She was not at all the same person that was on Chopped. I'm guessing that she signed on knowing she was going to lose but willing to take the money just to be on television. Or she may have been on a high dose of Valium or had a lobotomy. Maybe she has been taken over by an alien life form. I don't know, but she didn't act right for her, other than the Middle Eastern food comment since she is the only chef in the world that can have a valid opinion on it. No wonder it took me so long to place her. A pleasant Penny Davidi; what is this world coming to?

[chessiegal]

I don't often watch FYI network -it cracks me up that they basically rip off Scripps shows, but did see on the on-line guide that Davidi was going to be on, so didn't watch it' What a TV whore. 

[HyeChaps]

That was Nikki Dinki on The Kitchen!

[Skyfall]

On August 13, 2016 at 5:38 PM, HyeChaps said:

That was Nikki Dinki on The Kitchen!

Any mention on a new season of Junk Food Flip?

[cooksdelight]

Christina Fitzgerald (season 11) has a beautiful new baby:

[TDT]

No thread for Food Network Star Kids..?  saw parts of the previews for upcoming episodes...

Spoiler

..and wouldnt you know it,Tregaye shows up as a guest judge,saying how someone's lamb"was on fleek".. uggh..

[NewDigs]

19 hours ago, Albino said:

Apologies if this has been posted already, but Damiano is going-a to be a judge-a on-a FN Halloween Baking Championship in October.  

From foodnetworkgossip.com - 

 A new season of Halloween Baking Championship will begin on Monday, October 3rd at 9pm ET on Food Network.  An interesting thing about the show is that Food Network Star season 12 runner-up Damiano Carrara will be a judge on the show along with Sandra Lee and Carla Hall.  The show will be hosted by comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham.  This means he will appear on Food Network before Food Network Star winner Tregaye Fraser (she has done filming for The Kitchen Sink according to her social media).

 

4 hours ago, NewDigs said:

I thought Tregaye guest-judged on the latest kids' edition of NFNS.

And Damiano is enough to make me not watch HBC. Haven't seen Aunt Sandy in a while but do like Karla. What's she doing back on cable? And also not a fan of a comedian-moderator. 

Guess I'm out? 'Til I'm in.

 Moved from S12.E11: A New Food Network Star 2016.07.31 thread.

[BW Manilowe]

Justin Warner has a new cooking show on Twitch, a streaming service owned by Amazon, according to this article from Variety earlier today.

http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/twitch-justin-warner-live-roker-media-1201898909/

[lambertman]

Tregaye was a guest on The Kitchen this past weekend. It kinda felt like the cast got tired of her quickly.

[MerBearHou]

That's a great way to describe Tregaye, lambertman -- she is quickly tiresome (and annoying!)...

I work with someone like that...always "on" and always thinks she's the cutest person in the room and she isn't.  Gets on everyone's nerves real, real quickly.  Can you tell this is a hot button for me?!?

[Snarklepuss]

I honestly felt that Sunny and Jeff were far more annoying than Tregaye on "the Kitchen" and positively drowned her out with their OTT boisterousness.  And I never even thought that was possible.

[bad things are bad]

Sunny seems to be getting worse lately. Jeff has always been someone who considers himself cute. Tregaye has got to stop with the Miss Prissy imitation.