The Next Food Network Star is back for their eighth season. This competition was divided into three producers: Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, and a personal favorite with Alton Brown. Each team leader chose five hopefuls to mentor and try to help win the competition.
The Teams
Team Giada (the cheerleaders):
Josh Lyons
Yvan Lemoine
Phillip “Ippy” Aiona
Linkie Marals
Martita Jara
Team Alton (the geeks):
Martie Duncan
Emily Ellyn
Cristie Schoen
Justin Warner
Judson Allen
Team Bobby (the jocks):
Eric Lee
Nikki Martin
Kara Sigle
Michelle Ragussis
Malcolm Mitchell
The Challenge
The challenge this episode was restaurant wars. Each team had $5000 to buy ingredients and decorate the space. They each had to make a dish and present it to the judges- Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson. Team Giada went with a Californian theme and named their restaurant “Blu”. They had an excellent presentation and were the best out of all three. Team Alton named their restaurant “Do South” and had a Southern flavor theme. Their presentation was all over the place and was the worst of the three groups. Team Bobby went with a flavor explosion theme with “The Tasting Space”. Their presentation was good but focused on the food rather then the event.
The Challenge Results
Each team had their ups and downs. The worst dishes were made by: Josh, Yvan, Martie, and Cristie. The best dishes were made by: Ippy, Eric, Michelle, Malcolm, Justin, Judson, and Emily. Overall the best team was Team Bobby as they had none of the worst dishes. Each person was critiqued individually the next day and it was officially decided that Team Bobby was the winner. As such they were safe from elimination.
It was decided that the bottom two were Cristie Schoen from Team Alton, and Josh Lyons from Team Giada. This was based on both their food and their presentation styles.
The Network Challenge
The two bottom contestants had to battle it out in a Network Challenge to decide who was going home. They prepared a Mothers Day Brunch dish and presented a one-minute television pitch. Josh Lyons made an egg frittata and nailed his pitch. Cristie made a healthy version of Scottish eggs. Her nerves got the best of her in the presentation.
The Elimination Results
While Alton tried his hardest to convince the judges Cristie should stay, in the end she was eliminated.
Do you think the right person was sent home?
