Beat Bobby Flay - General Discussion

[Guest]

Don't pay too much attention to the opening montage; unless they're doing some tricky editing, it gives away who wins through to play Bobby in a certain episode.

EDIT: lol, right after I saw

Spoiler

Brooke's distinctive high ponytail

facing Bobby in the opening and posted this warning,

Spoiler

she

showed up in that very episode.

Edited November 23, 2022 by tracyscott76

[Bastet]

I have only had a chance to have these holiday episodes on in the background, but love what I'm seeing/hearing just from that; I look forward to being able to settle in and properly watch next month when things settle down.

[Backwards999]

Holiday episode 3 was pretty good.  Bobby is really pushing out some shocking wins, but I kind of knew the sides would hurt Brooke's team while they saved Bobby's team.  Anyways, I enjoyed the friendly snark between the guest chefs.

[Guest]

The pairing of Bobby and Damaris will always make me laugh, so I'm kinda glad she lost early so they could work together. He's lucky they did, too, since she got him the win! They didn't even try to hide it 😆

Edited November 30, 2022 by tracyscott76

[Grizzly]

So frustrating that it's not Bobby getting these wins, it's his partner. No way did I think he and Damaris would beat Zac and Alex. 

[chessiegal]

13 minutes ago, tracyscott76 said:

The pairing of Bobby and Damaris will always make me laugh, so I'm kinda glad she lost early so they could work together. He's lucky they did, too, since she got him the win! They didn't even try to hide it 😆

Bobby clearly adores Damaris.  Their show The Bobby and Damaris Show was a hoot.

About the show from the FN site:

Quote

From the moment that Bobby Flay met Damaris Phillips on Food Network Star, he knew they were going to be friends. The pair are never at a loss for words when chatting about their passion for American food, Southern classics, great cocktails and the latest food trends. Bobby brings his chef sensibility and Damaris is the self-proclaimed "food geek" who's not afraid to school her mentor as they cook together, test quirky food ideas and entertain friends.

[Pattycake2]

Wha??  The judges liked the filling, but the rest?  Heck, Bobby didn’t even fork the ganache to make it look like wood.  Stuffed toast fingers and hot chocolate.  I don’t get it.

[mlp]

I liked and enjoyed everyone on the show tonight although I find Damaris' shtick OTT, juvenile and tiresome.  I wish she'd cool it as I like her much better when she's not carrying on.  I never knew she'd gone to culinary school.  She must have done that after she won FNS because I don't recall that she had that background then.  

I especially like Zac Young so I was pulling for that team.  I was very surprised that he and Alex together didn't win.  

I was happy to see Dan Langan on the judging panel.  I'd never heard of either of the women before.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, mlp said:

I liked and enjoyed everyone on the show tonight although I find Damaris' shtick OTT, juvenile and tiresome.  I wish she'd cool it as I like her much better when she's not carrying on.  I never knew she'd gone to culinary school.  She must have done that after she won FNS because I don't recall that she had that background then. 

No, she'd definitely already been a culinary school instructor when she competed on FNS. I remember when she won a preliminary challenge and her reward was to sit on the judging panel for the main challenge and critique the others' dishes. The others were surprised at how sharp and insightful her comments were (partly because she had been sort of a goofball up to that point) and realized it was probably because she was an instructor.

Damaris can be a bit much, but I still enjoy her, particularly when she's with Bobby. His reaction when she first came out was 😆 

Edited November 30, 2022 by tracyscott76
Fixing her/were

[mlp]

8 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

No, she'd definitely already been a culinary school instructor when she competed on FNS. I remember when she won a preliminary challenge and her reward was to sit on the judging panel for the main challenge and critique the others' dishes. The others were surprised at how sharp and insightful her comments were (partly because she had been sort of a goofball up to that point) and realized it was probably because she was an instructor.

I remember that situation but I didn't know she'd actually been to culinary school.  I'm sure you're right.

I've always liked her.  It's the "comedy" act she puts on that annoys me.  She's in her 40s now (and still beautiful).  Seems to me that it's time for her to act less juvenile.  I remember Bobby getting on her for the shimmying on FNS.  Now he seems to think it's cute.

[Pattycake2]

One last comment. Didn’t one of the judges say that Alex’s butter cream was too buttery and too sugary? It’s impossible for butter cream to be both. It’s 99% powdered sugar and butter. The judge could have said that they would have preferred that the filling was made with something other than American butter cream, but American butter cream is American buttercream.

[T Summer]

Can anyone please tell me of chef Esther Choi beat Bobby Flay on S30 E25 Holiday Throwdown: Holiday  Around The World?[aired on 12/13/22]

I fell asleep.

Thanks!

[Salacious Kitty]

Yes, she won. 

[T Summer]

49 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Yes, she won. 

Hello,

I recognize you from the Project Runway thread(s)!

Thanks a bunch ;)

[Grizzly]

In order for Bobby to lose, they had to do 2 on 1. And he almost pulled off the win. Truly amazing.

[Salacious Kitty]

31 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

In order for Bobby to lose, they had to do 2 on 1. And he almost pulled off the win. Truly amazing.

I missed team selection. Did Bobby choose to cook by himself?

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I missed team selection. Did Bobby choose to cook by himself?

He did, supposedly so she couldn't claim if he beat her that he only did so with help. He told Esther she could use any or all of the other chefs (even Geoffrey Zakarian), and kind of jokingly dared her to cook alone like he was. She did not take him up on that 😆 because she was planning on making the whole multi-dish spread. Once Bobby heard what she chose to make, he seemed to regret his decision to cook alone but of course didn't change his mind. Some of that might have been pre-planned, but it was still funny.

Edited December 14, 2022 by tracyscott76
Clarification

[Jaded]

I hope when they are actually filming episodes that the order in which the food is given to the final judges is changed up randomly. I mean in the way we always see the judges trying the opponents food first and then Bobby's second. 

[Backwards999]

Bobby kind of threw the last match by doing it by himself. A little help and he probably would've won. 

[Bastet]

I finally caught up on all the holiday episodes; those were fun.  So much food I wished I could eat!  I love when Bobby managed to throw together something great by himself for the Chuseok challenge, and Leah said, deadpan, "He's quite talented.  He should do competition shows or something."

I'm intrigued by the casserole he won with in the first episode, because I'm not overly fond of casseroles, and that one didn't appeal to me at all with the bread instead of pasta.  Yet the judges, who'd utterly drooled after eating Anne's traditional casserole, were all blown away by it.

Since I'd also recently binge watched the six Bobby's Triple Threat episodes (I created a forum for that show, since it got renewed for a second season just two airings into the first one), I particularly enjoyed the challenge with his "titans".  And I loved Michael Voltaggio declaring, after four straight losses, he's done going up against Brooke. 

I'd never realized until they pointed it out that, for all the shit Bobby and Michael Symon give each other, they've always declined to cook against each other. 

Since he owed one win to Tiffany and one to Damaris, I like that Bobby tried the last one on his own (and LOL at it being a Chuseok feast).  I'm not sure if he'd have won with Eric helping, though; he still got out everything he wanted to other than a dipping sauce for the pancake, and they were all well received.  The only knocks against his offering was the stew was more of an homage to something that belonged on a Chuseok table than something that truly did, and Esther won because the overall cohesion of all her dishes was better.  That wouldn't have changed with Eric helping, unless Eric had suggestions for changes, and that food is even less in his wheelhouse than it is Bobby's.  It might have been his one loss regardless.

My pet peeve is how many judges said "My one downfall is [X]" or "The [X] is my one downfall" in pointing out the one weak aspect of a dish.  First, downside is a much more accurate word.  Second, and most annoyingly, it's the dish's "downfall", not the judge's.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Bastet

[The Hound Lives]

What drives me nuts about this show is that you get these chefs in here who have a specialty and then they go up against the great Bobby Flay, and they lose. It’s kind of deflating. Of course, you can’t have the same person winning all the time but I swear it’s nine times out of 10 Flay wins. It reminds me of the other show that he did that was similar to this; the Food Network would travel someplace to meet up with home cooks that are well-known for a particular dish and they would “pretend“ that they were doing a little featurette on them for a FN show. And then suddenly, Bobby appears and wants to challenge them! So you get these little mom and pop shops that are known for, say, their biscuits. They get their moment in the sun, and then here comes Mr. Flay, ready to challenge them to see who makes the better biscuit. They always agree to do it but I feel like it’s kind of mean-spirited. So their brief little feature on the national platform like the Food Network turns into a competition, which they inevitably lose. Bobby knows how to make everything! Amd no need to visit their small, insignificant business because FN let us know that their biscuits aren’t the best. 

 I know everything is staged, but it just bothers me. Flay doesn’t bother me as much as he used to, Guy Fieri‘s son is taking over the spot of my most despised Food Network “celebrity“. But I just wish that these shows were a little more fun and a lot less cringey. 
And Bobbys friends? Ugh. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by The Hound Lives

[AZChristian]

According to Wikipedia, "Through 418 competitions, Bobby Flay's win–loss record is 258–160 (a 61.7% win percentage)."

I don't mind most of his friends, but I've gotten to where I won't watch any episode with Sunny Anderson.  She is SOOOO annoying.

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, The Hound Lives said:

So their brief little feature on the national platform like the Food Network turns into a competition, which they inevitably lose.

That's not true. When Bobby did the Throw Down show, he usually lost. That's how FN introduced Ree Drumond, The Pioneer Woman. She trounced Bobby. It was a rare occasion when Bobby won.

[Guinnessgirl]

Totally agree about Sunny Anderson.  Also when there are comedians I have never heard of who try too hard to be funny.

[The Hound Lives]

On 7/7/2023 at 9:56 AM, chessiegal said:

That's not true. When Bobby did the Throw Down show, he usually lost. That's how FN introduced Ree Drumond, The Pioneer Woman. She trounced Bobby. It was a rare occasion when Bobby won.

Then I ended up seeing mostly eps where he won. Not a fan of the concept in general; “celebrity” chef takes on the average joe or wannabe celebrity chefs, proves he is master of the universe. 
Katie Lee, Jeffrey Zakarian (?) and Giada can go away. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Is anyone watching the Holiday BBF? Bobby is 0-2 so far. 😂

Edited November 15, 2023 by Salacious Kitty
Rouge comma!

[Trey]

I am enjoying it.  I laughed when Michael Voltaggio showed up to go against his brother, Brian.  And I'm glad they won the challenge against Bobby and Darnell.  I knew turkey sausage just wasn't going to cut it in turkey tetrazzini.

[Guest]

Considering that Katie knew Michael V. was waiting in the wings for Round 2, I would have been shocked if she chose Darnell over Brian in Round 1.

[mlp]

I'm enjoying this too.  I was dismayed to see Tiffani sitting there as I usually can't stand her but even she was fun in this show.  I love Marc and Amanda and I know they're good friends in real life so I got a kick out of their carrying on.  Scott is nice to look at but he's so impressed with himself that I was glad he didn't win for his sandwich.

[Guinnessgirl]

I am enjoying it as well.  It is nice to see them having fun and acting like kooky friends instead of the judge persona we see most of the time.

[Salacious Kitty]

Amanda has shown her goofy side before. It was nice to see stuffy Conant loosen up. I've seen enough of Murphy on Guy's Ranch Kitchen to get his persona. He's just overshadowed by the other two in the kitchen. 

I also enjoyed watching the Voltaggio brothers working together. Michael wasn't such a drip. 

[Grizzly]

Murphy never seems to win the competitions but his dishes were what the judges loved. Bobby's stuffing, not so much. Amanda beat Scott but it was his stuffing and gnocchi that were praised. Her green bean casserole almost cost them the win. So the first few rounds are really not a good indication who will come out on top. But I love seeing everyone have a good time.

[Jst2Wld]

On 5/26/2017 at 11:17 AM, mlp said:

Sunny Anderson's loud nonsense.  

I know this quoted post is from 2017 but I can't resist agreeing about big mouth wig. And Katie Lee is annoying as well. Never trust a skinny chef.

But I like Bobby Flay. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Bobby Flay is an executive producer. If he didn't like Sunny or Katie, they wouldn't keep appearing on the show. 

But I'm with you. I wish they'd go away. 

[Grizzly]

Chris Scott had never made an impression on me when he judged. Glad to see Justin doing well. Tiffany is always fun and a tough competitor. Carson is a treasure.

[mlp]

I love Carson.  I enjoyed the show but I wondered how long ago it was filmed.  Justin suffered some serious injuries from his boating accident and I didn't see any sign of scars or anything.  I know they film these episodes months in advance but that accident was two or three years ago I think.

[Irlandesa]

14 hours ago, mlp said:

I love Carson.  I enjoyed the show but I wondered how long ago it was filmed.  Justin suffered some serious injuries from his boating accident and I didn't see any sign of scars or anything.  I know they film these episodes months in advance but that accident was two or three years ago I think.

I've seen Justin on local MN shows recently and he looks like he did in last night's episode.   If he has scars, they're maybe hidden by his beard or elsewhere.   He has unending praise for his doctors.

[MerBearHou]

Chris Scott is one of my very favorites from Top Chef.  Love seeing him on Food Network from time to time.  After his Top Chef season, I went to his Butterfunk restaurant in Brooklyn, had some of his famous honey rolls and chicken, and we had the nicest chat.  He’s very low-key and kind.  

Delighted to see another favorite, Justin, back after his terrifying accident.  My goodness, he went to hell and back, and had so, so many pulling for him to recover and heal.  

[Bastet]

I'm virtually always more interested in Mike Voltaggio's food than Bryan's, so I'm not surprised he won the brother battle.  Bryan's laugh drives me nuts, but I enjoyed them working together against Bobby and was glad they won even though I thought the cauliflower gratin was a bad idea from jump and came out the weakest dish.

I cannot stand Scott Conant, wage-stealing asshole that he is, but I enjoy the Chopped judges when they interact as a group, so I really liked that episode. 

In the latest episode, that performance of "12 Ways to Beat Bobby Flay" went on way too long and half the entries were stupid, but hide his Calabrian chili was funny.  I love Tiffany and Justin on everything I've seen them in, and I liked Chris on Top Chef (although it took me a minute to figure out where I recognized him from), so I knew I was going to be happy however it came out.  I hate black-eyed peas (I hate all beans), so I wouldn't eat that Hoppin' John with someone else's mouth, but I agree with those who said it was a better side for the dish than sweet rolls.  If Tiffany's partridge had been properly cooked, Bobby would be 0-3.

On 11/21/2023 at 7:50 PM, mlp said:

Justin suffered some serious injuries from his boating accident and I didn't see any sign of scars or anything. 

The only thing I noticed is he's scrawnier than he used to be, presumably from however long he spent not eating or moving much.  This was the first time I'd seen him since his accident, and it was great to see him recovered and happy.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Bastet

[Bastet]

Oops, wrong Bobby thread.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Bastet

[Bastet]

I'm not sure how much Maneet and Zac should be patting themselves on the back about "redemption" for winning this one -- Bobby's eggs were hands-down winners over hers and their second sides were evenly matched, so if Bobby had gotten his bread on the plate and if it had been as good as (or better) than hers, he'd have won.  Now, that second "if" is a big one, I know; he's cooking outside his wheelhouse while it's her specialty and Eddie did the bread anyway.  But it could have happened.

[Grizzly]

I think Zac's dish should have won over Maneet's but of course they were going to pick her to beat Bobby with Indian flavors. The whole thing is a little suspect since when Maneet named the dish, she added on that bread. It had to be an element so the judges had no choice.

[libgirl2]

I was thrilled to see crispy rice. I love crispy rice which Dominicans call concon. Its the rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot and I prefer it over regular rice! 

[Grizzly]

There is no way in heck that I believe Damaris beat Stephanie Izard. Sunny even said the Mexican hot chocolate, the star ingredient, was very subtle in her dessert. And Duff loses on a technicality?! I can't even with this show.

[Gramto6]

Right there with ya @Grizzly  that was just weird!  What is up with this show?  

[Irlandesa]

I don't think there was anything strange about the judging. Yeah, Damaris had a subtle Mexican chocolate flavor but it wasn't non-existant.  Sunny had more critiques for Stephanie's pupusa.  She said that she wished there were less pupusa and for a textural element.

And Duff didn't get his cookies on his plate.  Nothing odd about not it not being counted. 

My recording cut me off before they announced the winner, though.  Can someone tell me who won?

[Salacious Kitty]

Bobby, 2-1.

[orangekit]

Give me a break, Duff has no clue how to manage his time to bake cookies ? And Damaris wins even though it was obvious the other person was better ?

They wanted Damaris and Bobby to compete . I am glad Bobby has won .

i didn’t mind Damaris in the past but now she annoys me with her overdone stupid behavior. Her voice is also an irritating .

 

[Salacious Kitty]

I agree that it was set up for Bobby to face one of his favorite pets. He's backed Damaris since Next Food Network Star. They even had a brunch show together in Bobby's kitchen. 

[buttersister]

I was out the second Damaris “beat” Stephanie.