The Next Food Network Star

The Next Food Network Star
Logo for the third season
Format	Reality, Cooking
Presented by	Marc Summers (Seasons 1-2, season 3 finale)
Judges	Bob Tuschman Susie Fogelson Bobby Flay Giada De Laurentiis
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	45
Production
Running time	90 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Food Network
Original run	June 5, 2005 (2005-06-05) – present
Chronology
Related shows	Party Line with The Hearty Boys Guy's Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives The Gourmet Next Door Big Daddy's House Will Work for Food Ten Dollar Dinners Kid in a Candy Store Aarti Party Outrageous Food United Tastes of America Sandwich King
External links
Website

The Next Food Network Star is a reality television series produced by and aired on the Food Network in the United States that awards the winner his or her own series on the Food Network. Beginning in season seven, the title was shortened to Food Network Star.

Season one

Summary

The first season of The Next Food Network Star series was taped in February 2005, and was composed of five episodes premiering on Sundays at 9 PM in June 2005. Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh were the winners of the first season. These two Chicago area caterers host a show called Party Line with Dan & Steve, now titled Party Line with The Hearty Boys, which premiered on September 18, 2005. The runner-up, Deborah Fewell, was chosen to host a special on food at beaches, Surf N Turf, which aired in June 2006. Michael Thomas is the recurring chef on The Tyra Banks Show. Susannah Locketti has made an appearance on The Tony Danza Show, and is also an on-air chef for Publix grocery stores in the southern United States.

Finalists

Finalist	Age	Hometown	Place
Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh	42 and 40	Bellmore, NY and Wayne, NJ	Winners
Deborah Fewell	32	Los Angeles, CA	Runner-Up
Hans Rueffert	32	Jasper, GA	3rd
Susannah Locketti	33	Plymouth, MA	4th
Eric Warren	52	Los Angeles, CA	5th
Michael Thomas	36	Venice, CA	6th
Harmony Marceau	30	New York City, NY	7th
Brook Harlan	24	Columbia, MO	8th

Season two

Summary

The second season of The Next Food Network Star series was taped in December 2005 and began airing in March 2006. Guy Fieri was announced as the winner on April 23, 2006, beating Reggie Southerland. Guy's Big Bite premiered in June 2006 and was picked up for a second season in 2008 and remains in production. Originally intended as a one-hour special, Fieri's second series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, premiered April 23, 2007. Guy's third series, Ultimate Recipe Showdown, first aired on February 17, 2008, co-hosted by Marc Summers. Guy's newest show debuted on the Food Network on September 14, 2008. Called Guy Off The Hook, it is similar in concept to Emeril Live, but allows guests to come up on stage and participate in the cooking.

Guy has appeared with Dinner: Impossible chef Robert Irvine, and with Paula Deen in Paula's Party in 2007; and as a guest judge in subsequent seasons of The Next Food Network Star. He is also host of NBC Network's Minute To Win It.

Fourth-place contestant Nathan Lyon began hosting his own series, A Lyon In the Kitchen, on the Discovery Health Channel in March 2007.

Finalists

Finalist	Age	Hometown	Culinary P.O.V.	Eliminated
Guy Fieri	38	Santa Rosa, CA	"Off the Hook" California Cuisine	Winner
Reggie Southerland	39	Los Angeles, CA	Modern Soul Food	Runner-Up
Carissa Seward	33	San Diego, CA	Simple Food for Entertaining	Week 6
Nathan Lyon	35	Los Angeles, CA	Healthy and Seasonal Food	Week 5
Andrew Schumacher	26	Brooklyn, NY	Cooking Techniques	Week 4
Evette Rodriguez	35	Port St. Lucie, FL	Latin Cuisine	Week 3
Elizabeth Raynor	32	Sausalito, CA	Simple Mediterranean Cuisine	Week 2
Jess Dang	24	Menlo Park, CA	Asian Cuisine	Week 1

Season three

Summary

The third season began on June 3, 2007, and the winner was announced on Sunday, July 22. In season 3, judges narrowed the field down to 2 with 1 or 2 contestants going home weekly. Once the field was down to 2, the viewers picked the winner. Marc Summers(host of the first 2 seasons) only returned for this season's finale. Bobby Flay would host subsequent season finales. During the season, the contestants lived in a shared house in New York City. The contestants' challenges included cooking concession food for a NBA game (with guest Darryl Dawkins) to a mini version of Food Network's Iron Chef America (with guest judges Bobby Flay and Cat Cora). The Selection Committee consisted of Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson along with one guest. Guest judges included Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis, Duff Goldman, season two winner Guy Fieri, and Robert Irvine. Additionally, Paula Deen and Rachael Ray participated in contestant challenges, and Bobby Flay also played a role in the guidance and selection process. Amy Finley was chosen by America as The Next Food Network Star on July 22, 2007. Her new show The Gourmet Next Door premiered on October 14, 2007 and ran for six episodes. Finley later declined to continue with the series, citing relocation to France for family reasons.

Finalists

Name	Age	Hometown	Eliminated
Amy Finley	33	San Diego, CA	Winner1
Rory Schepisi	31	Vega, TX	Runner-Up
Joshua Adam "JAG" Garcia	25	Havelock, NC	Withdrew1
Paul McCullough	36	Los Angeles, CA	Week 6
Adrien Sharp	29	Jackson, MI	Week 5
Michael Salmon	53	Brooklyn, NY	Week 4
Tommy Grella, Jr.	34	Methuen, MA	Week 3
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine	29	New York, NY	Week 3
Nikki Shaw	38	Oakland, CA	Week 2
Patrick Rolfe	33	Seattle, WA	Week 1
Vivien Cunha	40	Hermosa Beach, CA	Week 1

^Note 1 : Amy Finley was eliminated Week 7, and the original finalists were Rory Schepisi and Joshua "JAG" Garcia. After the final elimination episode was aired, evidence came to light that JAG had lied about both his culinary training and his military service, representing both as more extensive than they actually were. Food Network allowed him to withdraw from the competition and reinstated Amy Finley, who was voted The Next Food Network Star.

Season four

Main article: The Next Food Network Star (Season 4)

Summary

Season four of The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 1, 2008. Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson are joined by Bobby Flay as the selection committee for this season. Each new episode aired on Sundays at 10:00 PM EDT. For this season, the viewers no longer received the chance to vote for the winner; producers instead made the final decision. This led to an error by FoodNetwork.com, which briefly posted the winning moment video on their website three days before the finale aired. The winner for the fourth season was Aaron McCargo, Jr. His winning show idea, Big Daddy's House, first aired August 3, 2008. Finalist Adam Gertler was soon hired to host a Food Network show called Will Work for Food, which debuted on January 19, 2009 and was cancelled after one season. He now hosts the Food Network show "Kid in a Candy Store" which is currently filming its second season. Kelsey Nixon co-hosts a web show on food2.com (a Food Network sister site) and also appeared in the premiere of Chefs vs. City in 2009. In 2010, Gertler and Nixon became co-hosts of The Next Food Network Star After Party, a half-hour recap/interview show following that night's episode of Star, on Food Network's sister station Cooking Channel. Nixon stars in Kelsey's Essentials, a program on kitchen and cooking basics for The Cooking Channel that began in November, 2010.

Finalists

Name	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Eliminated
Aaron McCargo, Jr.	36	Camden, NJ	Chef	Winner
Adam Gertler	30	Philadelphia, PA	Food Server	Runner-Up
Lisa Garza	32	Dallas, TX	Restaurateur/Designer	Runner-Up
Kelsey Nixon	23	North Ogden, UT	Assistant Culinary Director	Week 7
Shane Lyons	20	Colorado Springs, CO	Private Chef and actor	Week 6
Jennifer Cochrane	32	Woonsocket, RI	Chef	Week 5
Nipa Bhatt	35	Victoria, MN	Marketing Manager	Week 4
Jeffrey Vaden	43	White Plains, NY	Food Service Management	Week 3
Kevin Roberts	39	San Diego, CA	Radio Talk Show Host/Restaurant Owner/Author	Week 2
Cory Kahaney	45	New York, NY	Stand-up Comedian	Week 1

Season five

Main article: The Next Food Network Star (Season 5)

Summary

Season five of The Next Food Network Star premiered on June 7, 2009. Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson were joined by Bobby Flay as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early this year in Miami, Florida and New York, New York. Melissa D'Arabian was declared the winner on August 2, 2009 with the title for her show being Ten Dollar Dinners. Her show premiered on August 9, 2009. On August 17, 2009, Food Network announced Jeffrey Saad would return in a series of online videos based on his pilot, now called "The Spice Smuggler." The program premiered with four 4-1/2 minute videos featuring one spice and a recipe incorporating it. Saad was named the national representative for the American Egg Board. In November, 2010, Saad will debut in a new show for The Cooking Channel currently titled United Tastes of America, which explores multiple aspects of traditional American food. Finalist Debbie Lee has carried her "Seoul to Soul" concept to the streets of LA, opening a lunch truck Ahn-Joo, featuring a range of Korean food.

Finalists

Name	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Culinary P.O.V.	Eliminated
Melissa d'Arabian	40	Keller, TX	Stay-At-Home Mom	"Kitchen Survival Guide"	Winner
Jeffrey Saad	42	Los Angeles, CA	Restaurateur/Food Consultant/Recipe Developer/Chef	"Ingredient Smuggler"	Runner-Up
Debbie Lee	39	West Hollywood, CA	Restaurant Consultant	"From Seoul to Soul"	Week 8
Jamika Pessoa	30	Atlanta, GA	Personal Chef/Businesswoman	Caribbean Cuisine	Week 7
Michael Proietti	28	City Island, NY	Executive Chef	"Global A Go-Go"	Week 6
Katie Cavuto	30	Philadelphia, PA	Personal Chef & Dietician	Healthy and Green Cuisine	Week 5
Teddy Folkman	33	Alexandria, VA	Restaurant Owner/Executive Chef	"Gourmet Bar Food"	Week 4
Eddie Gilbert	30	Los Angeles, CA	Apprentice Chef	Traditional dishes simplified for the home cook	Week 3
Brett August	32	New York, NY	Executive Sous Chef	Simple food for the home cook	Week 2
Jen Isham	30	Orlando, FL	Sales Manager	"Housewife 2.0"	Week 1

Season six

Main article: The Next Food Network Star (Season 6)

Summary

The sixth season of the series premiered on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson were again joined again by Bobby Flay as judges; in addition, Giada De Laurentiis served as an on-set mentor. On July 17, 2010, a post-competition recap and discussion show premiered on The Cooking Channel. Shows were filmed in Los Angeles, California. On August 15, 2010, Aarti Sequeira was declared the winner, and her new show Aarti Party premiered on Sunday, August 22, 2010 and features American style cuisine with unique Indian flair. Season 2 of Aarti Party is scheduled to premiere in December. The Food Network also signed runner-up Tom Pizzica to host a new show called Outrageous Food, which premiered in November 2010.

Finalists

Name	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Culinary P.O.V.	Eliminated
Aarti Sequeira	31	Los Angeles, CA	Food Blogger	"Aarti Paarti"	Winner
Herb Mesa	41	Atlanta, GA	Personal Trainer/Personal Chef	"Cooking Con Sabor"	Runner-Up
Tom Pizzica	32	San Francisco, CA	Unemployed Chef	"Big Chef"	Runner-Up
Aria Kagan	30	Hollywood, FL	Private Chef	"Family Style"	Week 9
Brad Sorenson	25	Austin, TX	Professional Chef	"Culinary Quest"	Week 8
Serena Palumbo	31	New York, NY	Attorney	"Serena's Trattoria"	Week 7
Brianna Jenkins	30	Atlanta, GA	Caterer	"Sexy and Fabulous Flavors"	Week 6
Paul Young	32	Chicago, IL	Waiter	"Blue-Collar Dollar"	Week 5
Darrell "DAS" Smith	28	Los Angeles, CA	High School Culinary Teacher		Week 4
Dzintra Dzenis	44	Austin, TX	Private Cooking Instructor		Week 3
Doreen Fang	38	Los Angeles, CA	Caterer/Cooking Instructor	"Simply Complex"	Week 2
Alexis Hernandez	40	Clarksville, IN	Part-time food Writer		Week 1

Season seven

Main article: Food Network Star (season 7)

Summary

The seventh season of the series premiered on Sunday, June 5, 2011. The show is an elimination based show where every week one contestant is eliminated. Season seven winner Jeff Mauro's show "Sandwich King" premiered on Sunday, August 21, 2011.

Finalists

Name	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Culinary P.O.V.	Eliminated
Jeff Mauro	32	Chicago, IL	Corporate Chef	"Sandwich King"	Winner
Susie Jimenez	31	Carbondale, CO	Catering Company Owner	"Spice It Up"	Runner-Up
Vic "Vegas" Moea	36	Las Vegas, NV	Executive Chef	"Mama's Boy"	Week 11
Mary Beth Albright	38	Washington, DC	Food Writer and Blogger	"Sunday Supper"	Week 10
Whitney Chen	28	New York, NY	Chef	"Four Star Flair"	Week 9
Jyll Everman	31	Glendora, CA	Caterer	"Jyllicious Bites"	Week 8
Penny Davidi	39	Los Angeles, CA	Restaurant Owner	"Middle Eastern Mama"	Week 7
Chris Nirschel	28	Hoboken, NJ	Sous Chef	"On the Line"	Week 7
Orchid Paulmeier	38	Bluffton, SC	Restaurant Owner	"Asian Persuasion"	Week 6
Justin Davis	31	Minneapolis, MN	Food Blogger	"The Flavor Factory"	Week 5
Justin Balmes	32	Marietta, GA	Fishmonger/ Butcher	"Kitchen Workshop"	Week 4
Alicia Sanchez	33	New York, NY	Young Adult Culinary Teacher	"Alicia's Guilty Pleasures"	Week 3
Katy Clark	34	Long Beach, CA	Food and Fitness Company Operator	"Simply Fabulous"	Week 2
Juba Kali	29	New Orleans, LA	Research Chef	"Cuisine Made Simply"	Week 2
Howie Drummond	40	Highlands Ranch, CO	Radio Host	"Basic and Delicious"	Week 1

External links

• Official website
• The Next Food Network Star at the Internet Movie Database
• The Next Food Network Star at TV.com