The Next Food Network.."Star"?

[Old Timer]

Good Lord!

What a motley crew they are foisting upon unsuspecting viewers.

Not one of them could muster anything that looked like a wedding cake?

Plain icing and a simple shell border would have probably sufficed to win that one.

Then the wedding challenge.

"Tommy" makes polenta using "chicken broth' at a vegan wedding.

To top it off, the gay guy from the other team catches the error, but...says nothing about it!

The foreign girl makes a salad that looks like several cans of "stuff" were emptied into a bowl and calls it done.

The short guy's stuff was the only presentable product on the tables.

TFN must have footed the bill for the real wedding reception, as what passed for the televised version surely would have generated much anger for ineptness at all levels.

[Marky Marc]

Patrick Rolfe is one of my sous chefs actually. The man is utterly useless in every sense of the word. The man spends all day standing around, looking important.

One of my co-workers got a call from his wife last night when he got eliminated (on the first show I might add). When it was announced on the line everyone started cheering.

[Norm357]

I really miss the Food Network, when it was about the food.

Game shows and reality TV bore me to tears.

[Kajikit]

I watched it... It's too soon to make any judgement on the contestants except that as we were reminded they're not looking for someone who can actually run a kitchen and COOK - they want a 'personality'. I'm reserving judgement for a later stage... but for now none of them look like a standout.

Oh, and when Patrick was eliminated I was like 'who's he?' - he didn't seem to make any impression on me at all, which took some effort And that wedding cake that 'won' was absolutely and utterly boring. All those cake decorating ingredients available and all it took to win the challenge was a piping bag?! And that blonde who was supposed to be running the wedding reception and didn't even buy enough food for fifty? What a ditz!

Edited June 4, 2007 by Kajikit (log)

[WiscoNole]

This thread just goes to show that people will complain about absolutely everything. Even when they don't know what they're talking about (the wedding was not vegan, there were just a decent number of vegetarians there. Big difference.)

Yes, most of them are not the greatest chefs. That's what makes it so entertaining. The wedding cakes were terrible, for the most part. I can't believe I-lived-in-Paris-and-you-didn't won that competition. She just put a bunch of blue dots on it! I loved laughing at the garbage that the Brazilian (Victoria?) was putting out. I also couldn't believe how terrible Rory is at, well, everything, considering she went to the CIA. I guess some people just don't have it, no matter what kind of training you get.

My favorite is definitely JAG. He seems to be a pretty cool guy and I can picture him having an entertaining show. He also seems to be at least decent in the kitchen. Bobby said everything he made so far was "really good".

[WiscoNole]

Oh yeah, and if I was on Colombe's team and she came back from the store with $1500 left over...well let's just say the BLEEP guy would've had a long day.

Edited June 4, 2007 by WiscoNole (log)

[Luckylies]

I like Colombe. I think she'll win. It's not her fault her entire team sucked.

Can't polish a turd.

Her dessert was lame.

[kathryn sossen]

Oh Brother- I can't believe this- between this and top Chef 3; I'll be laughing my A** off and drinking wine all summer

[rconnelly]

So why do these people look familiar?

The "I've been to France you haven't" woman looks familiar. did dhe win a Food Netrok Challenge? And the Salmon like a fish...he looked so familiar as well. Their info on FN doesn't say much....

I hate when that happens.

[weinoo]

Patrick Rolfe is one of my sous chefs actually. The man is utterly useless in every sense of the word. The man spends all day standing around, looking important.

One of my co-workers got a call from his wife last night when he got eliminated (on the first show I might add). When it was announced on the line everyone started cheering.

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So why is he working in your restaurant?

[Kent D]

I'm not watching it, because the last time I watched, the annointed ones had their show dumped on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. That doesn't make you a network star, it makes you filler across from the infomercials.

The direction that the Food Network seems to be taking is the same wretched path that ruined MTV and VH1 and now the History Channel. Yesterday the HISTORY channel was running something about the science behind "Star Wars"? WHA?

I still watch FN for some entertainment like "Feasting on Asphalt" and "Hungry Detective" and "Diners Dives and Drive Ins", but I can't in good conscience watch woefully unqualified persons compete to host a cooking show when they're not even qualified to work the grill area at a neighborhood "Denny's".

[WiscoNole]

I'm not watching it, because the last time I watched, the annointed ones had their show dumped on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. That doesn't make you a network star, it makes you filler across from the infomercials.

The direction that the Food Network seems to be taking is the same wretched path that ruined MTV and VH1 and now the History Channel. Yesterday the HISTORY channel was running something about the science behind "Star Wars"? WHA?

I still watch FN for some entertainment like "Feasting on Asphalt" and "Hungry Detective" and "Diners Dives and Drive Ins", but I can't in good conscience watch woefully unqualified persons compete to host a cooking show when they're not even qualified to work the grill area at a neighborhood "Denny's".

←

Uh...Guy has a show at a very nice time slot on a week night.

I can't believe how much some of these Food Network people are trashed. Most of them went to either the CIA, J&W, or LCB, yet they can't work at Denny's?

I hope that I'm not as hoity-toity after I graduate from culinary school.

[Chris Cognac]

I watched it for a few mins last night....that is the extent I will be able to comment on it....and to answer WiscoNoles comment about trashing of Food Network people....its amazing, the anonamity internet let people say really mean and cruel things without thinking of what the person on the receiving end feels...I mean its brutal....but enough said....I am gonna watch hells kitchen tonight...Donkey!!

Edited June 5, 2007 by Chris Cognac (log)

[Old Timer]

I watched it for a few mins last night....that is the extent I will be able to comment on it....and to answer WiscoNoles comment about trashing of Food Network people....its amazing, the anonamity internet let people say really mean and cruel things without thinking of what the person on the receiving end feels...I mean its brutal....but enough said....I am gonna watch hells kitchen tonight...Donkey!!

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I don't assume it is all the contestants fault, but I don't understantd the rationale behind this series.

Does FN really think viewers (especially professional chefs) wish to see a housewife or auto mechanic be given a gig on their network?

For most of us in the industry, cooking is a passion encompassed with pride in our work.

We are driven by the love of what we do.

I see nothing but fear among the contestants.

No passion, no drive, and certainly no confidence.

The only bright spot is the guy called "JAG".

You can tell he's been in the trenches a time or two.

[Kent D]

I watched it for a few mins last night....that is the extent I will be able to comment on it....and to answer WiscoNoles comment about trashing of Food Network people....its amazing, the anonamity internet let people say really mean and cruel things without thinking of what the person on the receiving end feels...I mean its brutal....but enough said....I am gonna watch hells kitchen tonight...Donkey!!

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I like YOUR show...

[Kent D]

Uh...Guy has a show at a very nice time slot on a week night. 

I can't believe how much some of these Food Network people are trashed.  Most of them went to either the CIA, J&W, or LCB, yet they can't work at Denny's?   

I hope that I'm not as hoity-toity after I graduate from culinary school.

←

I was talking more of the two committed gentlemen who won together and got a painfully difficult to watch "how to entertain" show.

[Marky Marc]

Patrick Rolfe is one of my sous chefs actually. The man is utterly useless in every sense of the word. The man spends all day standing around, looking important.

One of my co-workers got a call from his wife last night when he got eliminated (on the first show I might add). When it was announced on the line everyone started cheering.

←

So why is he working in your restaurant?

←

We have all been asking ourselves the same question for quite some time now.

[divalasvegas]

Well I watched it too and I have to say that I got into it to my surprise! There were quite a lot of hilarious moments IMHO, made all the more hilarious in that they seemed completely unintentionally so. For instance, I cringed when the woman who made the dessert for the wedding told the Dinner Impossible chef that she was making a cobbler--to be served in a martini glass--and explained that it would have a both a bottom AND a top crust. The chef said something to the effect of "well, then that would be a pie, wouldn't it?" She replied, "no it's a cobbler.... this is what I do chef, this is what I do!" And the chef dryly replied "and I don't?" Too funny.

I was kind of pulling for the Brazilian lady, she seemed very sweet and sincere, but alas she too got the ax.

I think JAG is my favorite so far also and has indeed "been in the trenches" since he's a former Marine. Do you think Food Network will go out on a limb and actually have a person of color hosting a show for a change? That would be refreshing since I believe I read here elsewhere that the powers-that-be at FN were trying to avoid using anyone with a "foreign" accent or "too ethnic." (JAG is Latino, BTW with a cool NY accent.)

The whole coming way under budget for a wedding reception for 100 people was just ridiculous, but I was so totally annoyed by the bride complaining that all of the vegetarian dishes were "just side dishes" and not what she wanted. Sorry, but any couple dimwitted enough to hand over their reception to a reality tv show with a bunch of folks who've never worked together and who have only six hours to shop for and prepare the food deserve every gagtastic bite they get. I thought a lot of the food looked pretty good considering the restrictions the teams had to deal with.

I think I'll keep watching.

[Old Timer]

Aside from Jag, the only "chef" I would watch from that group would be Tommy.

He carries himself like a Soprano's wanna be.

He could do an Italian themed show and pull it off nicely.

Too bad the "Dinner And A Movie" concept is already taken.

Tommy would be a natural for that show.

The others are merely cokkie cutter versions of everything the FN already has.

[Reignking]

Who previously won this show, and do they currently have shows? I've never seen it...

[chezcherie]

the hearty boys won the first one

dan

steve

and had a show about entertaining..i think it was just one season, but repeats constantly?

guy fieri won the second season, and has had a cooking show, and apparently has a second (non-cooking---another road food show) on or about to debut.guy

[WiscoNole]

Guy's new show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" is pretty good. Monday nights at 10 eastern.

[ray goud]

You asked:

Did anyone bother watching this tripe?

I reply:

NO

Ray

[theisenm85]

I watched it. When I see this stuff, I try to look for stuff that might be actually useful. The only people that I enjoy watching at this point are duff and Irvine. While Flay may have the "new yorker" attitude, I just don't see him talking about the food that much, and especially not in an academic way. As much as the tips that Duff and Irvine gave might be self evident, and even pedestrian to the people on these boards, I did learn something, and at least they weren't bull shitting.

I'm gonna watch again, but only because I enjoy reality tv about subjects I like. =D

I know I'll like Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef more though. Hell's Kitchen is just hilarious, on any number of levels. (I love Gordon Ramsay though), and Top Chef seems to have the most integrity of the three, but the drama queens of last season totally put me off.

[laurelm]

Top Chef seems to have the most integrity of the three, but the drama queens of last season totally put me off.

I completely agree, Top Chef the dishes are inspiring usually. Last season was too much drama though, not enough cooking.

Hells Kitchen I watch for the pure fun and see it as more restuarant ownership challenges versus true cooking ability.