Bumbino's From Restaurant Impossible Has Closed

Bumbino's Italian Ristorante in Orange City, Florida, which was featured on season eight of Restaurant Impossible has closed.  The restaurant posted the following message on their Facebook page:

Photo - Food Network

To all our friends, Acquaintances,and Loyal Customers

It is time to say goodbye to all our customers. It is with much regret with the show Restaurant Impossible back firing on us the economy not getting any better for mom and pop businesses and with personal health problems it is very clear we are making the right decision. It has been a pleasure getting to know some of you personally!!!!! All we ask is that you be happy for us to be able to move on without such a heavy load on our backs.

Sincerely

Terry, Willie,Cappy, Bumbino(Talyor) and Laken

The message is kind of hard to understand, but it seems like they are saying the Restaurant Impossible visit backfired on them.  On their Facebook page a few months back, they were letting people know when their rerun was airing and congratulated Restaurant Impossible on their 100th episode, so it didn't appear they were upset with anything.

The Bumbino's episode aired at the end of April, so this closure is just four months after appearing on the Food Network.  Bumbino's is the first restaurant from season eight (2014) of Restaurant Impossible to close and the Restaurant Impossible Update page has been updated with this information.

Restaurant Impossible - Uncle Andy's Diner Update

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Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in South Portland, Maine to makeover Uncle Andy's Diner.  The owner Dave happens to be a stand-up comedian, and one of his problems is that he is more worried about telling jokes than the quality of food coming out of his kitchen.  His side gig as a stand-up comedian is also straining his relationship with his family.  As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Uncle Andy's Diner to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant Impossible):

Chopped Ultimate Champions Tournament Preview

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Tonight at 10pm ET/PT on the Food Network is the start of the Chopped Ultimate Champions Tournament.  The tournament has four groups of four competitors in the categories of Pros, Amateur Champs, Heroes, and Celebrities, and all of the competitors have won a previous episode of Chopped.  Each of the winners in these categories will face off against each other in the finals for a prize of $50,000 and a new car.

• The chefs in the Pro category are: Fatima Ali, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Lauren Kyles, and Tom Mckenna
• The competitors in the Amateur Champs category are: Dinah Surh, Elda Bielanski, Keith Young, and Marisa Biaggi
• The competitors in the Heroes category are: Diana Sabater, Paul Rut, Richard Fields, and Robbie Myers
• The celebrities competing are: Brandi Chastain, Carnie Wilson, Gillian Vigman, and Laila Ali

Usually the celebrities compete for a charity on Chopped, but I am not sure if that is the case for Chopped Ultimate Champions.  Most people will probably be rooting for the amateurs or heroes to win the prize for a feel good story, but it may be hard to beat the pros.

If you want to see the photos of all of the competitors to see if you recognize them, here is a slideshow with each of their pictures.

Wagon Wheel From Restaurant Impossible To Close

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The Wagon Wheel restaurant in Smyrna, Delaware, which was featured on season 6 of Restaurant Impossible will close on September 7th.  The restaurant posted the following message on their Facebook page:

GOODBYE & FAREWELL from the Wagon Wheel

It has been a remarkable experience to “Grab the Wheel” since Restaurant Impossible featured us on their makeover show over a year ago. In that time there have been many ups and downs. Most likely, you had never heard of the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, or if you did, the reviews may have been unfavorable. We set out to change this trend. We tried everything from social media and printed flyers to standing by the highway with a sign. All had limited results. Out of necessity we reached out to local artists and something strange happened. People started to come. With a limited staff and budget we didn't have much to offer but a place to shine, and shine they did.

Over the past year of comedy shows, open mics, acoustic nights, and full band shows, there has been a resurgence of business and interest in the restaurant. We would like to thank all of the artists and patrons that have made this possible. Your support is amazing, which also makes it difficult to say goodbye. But due to the owner's health conditions, we will be closing on September 7.

Although this is the end of the road for the Wagon Wheel, Don't be sad! Let's make these last few weeks a time to remember!

In an interview, Patty Gallegos' granddaughter also said, "My grandmother is almost 70. Over time it starts to wear you down because it’s stressful running a business and now she just wants to enjoy her life."

You may remember this episode of Restaurant Impossible because they were known for serving muskrat.  This will be the sixth restaurant from season six (2013) of Restaurant Impossible to close and the Restaurant Impossible Update page will be updated with this information once the restaurant closes.

Food Network Related News and Links

Here is some recent news and links relating to Food Network shows and chefs/personalities:

• Giada De Laurentiis was on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon last night, and here is the video of her playing catch phrase again.  Last year she played and was terrible, and this year she loses and is obnoxious once again.  The 2nd video from last night is Giada doing a cooking demo. Also, today is Giada's 44th birthday.
• Alton Brown shared a picture (pictured right) on Instagram that said, "To be legal, all #cutthroatkitchen cash must feature this camera icon."  So if you thought the cash in the briefcase was real, it is not.
• Food Network's Trisha Yearwood will be releasing her first album in seven years (Link).  Also, the fifth season of Trisha's Southern Kitchen premieres on Food Network this Saturday.
• Nikki Dinki from season 9 of Food Network Star will be on a show called Junk Food Flip which will be on the Cooking Channel August 27th at 9:30pm (Link).
• Worst Cooks In America is casting for season 6 of the show, and it looks like it will be Anne Burrell against Bobby Flay again.
• A new show Food Truck Face-Off will premiere on the Food Network on October 2nd, and will be hosted by Jesse Palmer (Link).  Each week teams will compete for the prize of a food truck. 
• There was recently an article on Salon which said Guy Fieri destroyed the Food Network.  Allen Salkin (author of From Scratch: Inside the Food Network) sticks up for Guy Fieri in another article on Salon, and places the blame on management.

Restaurant Impossible - The Country Cow Restaurant Update

Photo - Facebook

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Campton, NH to makeover The Country Cow Restaurant & Bar.  The co-owners are a divorced couple, and there are horror stories of them cursing in front of diners and throwing pans in the kitchen.  However, when Robert Irvine arrives, everybody seems to be on their best behavior.  Robert then looks at "behind-the-scenes" footage to figure out the problems that need to be fixed.  As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about The Country Cow Restaurant & Bar to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant Impossible):

Justin Warner's Unique Ice Bucket Challenge Video

I am sure you have seen plenty of Ice Bucket Challenge videos, which are all over social media to raise awareness and money for the disease ALS.  Here is Justin Warner's unique Ice Bucket Challenge video where instead of just using water and ice, he uses "putrid" brackish water, dry ice, and rotten fish.


Justin was nominated by fellow Food Network Star contestant Martie Duncan, and he nominated Food Network Star judges Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, and Alton Brown.  I wonder if any of the judges will accept his challenge (or even know about it).

The Great Food Truck Race Season 5 - Spoilers and Preview

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The 5th season of The Great Food Truck Race premieres on the Food Network tonight at 9pm ET/PT.  This season begins in Santa Barbara, California and goes all the way across the United States ending in Key West, Florida.  There will be eight food trucks with three team members each, and all of the competitors do not currently operate food trucks.  Every team is provided a food truck to begin the race, and the winning team gets to keep their truck as well as $50,000 to help start their business.

The teams competing for the season 5 title are: Beach Cruiser (Venice, Calif.) Chatty Chicken Truck (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Gourmet Graduates (Providence, R.I.), Let There Be Bacon (Cleveland), Lone Star Chuck Wagon (Houston), Madres Mexican Meals (Norwalk, Calif.), Middle Feast (Los Angeles) and Military Moms (Fort Drum, N.Y.).

This season is seven episodes long and the stops along the race include: Santa Barbara, CA; Tucson, AZ; Austin, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; St. Louis, MO; Mobile, AL, and Tampa, Naples and Key West, FL.

As the food trucks advertise their locations on social media and local newspapers do stories on the race while it is filming, the order the food trucks are eliminated can be determined.  If you are interested in seeing which trucks are eliminated in each episode, and who the final two trucks are, continue reading.  Obviously it is a spoiler, but it just reveals the final two trucks and not the winner.

Restaurant Impossible - Pomona Golf and Country Club Update

Photo - Facebook

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Egg Harbor City, NJ to makeover the Pomona Golf and Country Club.  The Pomona Golf and Country Club has been open for decades and is a family run business currently being run by three cousins.  The country club is having trouble attracting a younger crowd, which is preventing them from making any profits.  Robert Irvine needs to come up with a new business plan to turn the country club around.  As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Pomona Golf and Country Club to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant Impossible):

Chopped Teen Tournament Finale - Winner Gets $25,000 And A Scholarship

Photo - Multivu

On a much lighter note, tonight at 10pm on the Food Network is the Chopped Teen Tournament finale.  The winners from each of the past four weeks face off against each other for the prize of $25,000 in prize money and a $40,000 culinary school scholarship.

The winners so far who will compete for the grand prize are as follows:

• First Episode - Jason Khaytin - Pennsylvania
• Second Episode - Dante Foggy - New Jersey
• Third Episode - Tommi Rae Fowler - South Carolina
• Fourth Episode - Sequoia Pranger - Oregon

The judges tonight will be Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Alex Stupak, and the contestants will be facing ingredients such as a sea creature in the first round and a classic kids' snack in the entree round.  So tune in tonight to see who will take home the big prize of $25,000 and a $40,000 scholarship.  I will update this post with the winner after the episode airs.

Photo - Food Network

The first contestant eliminated was Sequoia, followed by Jason.  Tommi Rae and Dante battled it out in the dessert round, and Tommi Rae Fowler won the $25,000 and a $40,000 scholarship to culinary school.  Congrats to her!

Also, everyone else left with a $1,000 gift certificate to Foodnetwork.com

 

Food Network Star Lenny Mcnab Controversy - Will His Past Cost Him?

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Lenny Mcnab was just crowned the season 10 winner of Food Network Star, and there is currently a lot of outrage on message boards and in the Food Network blog comments section because of things Lenny has posted on the internet in the past.

Lenny had a crude Youtube video, which was recently removed by someone after people started talking about it.  Lenny also has a past with calling into the Ron and Fez show (currently on Sirius Radio) and is a frequent poster on multiple Ron and Fez forums.  Lenny's comments on those forums are also vulgar, and he even makes a derogatory comment toward Food Network's Ree Drummond.  Finally Lenny has a photobucket site with more videos that could be considered offensive.

Here is a rundown of some of the comments, videos, and controversial things that Lenny has posted on the internet in the past:

WARNING - A lot of bad language below and NSFW videos due to language.

Winner Of Food Network Star Season 10 Announced Tonight

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Tonight at 9pm on the Food Network is the season 10 finale of Food Network Star.  All of the contestants and judges are back together to reminisce about the season, and the winner of the season will be revealed.  The final three contestants who were up for America's vote were Luca Della Casa, Nicole Gaffney, and Lenny Mcnab.

The poll on this website to see who people were voting for was very close between Luca Della Casa and Lenny Mcnab.  Lenny led the poll with 42 percent of the people voting for him, while Luca was close behind with 38 percent.  Judging by this, Lenny is the favorite to win tonight, but with the vote being so close, and the way it seems like they edited the show in Luca's favor, maybe Luca will come out on top.

So, tune in to the Food Network tonight to see who wins Food Network Star, and look for an update on this site.


UPDATE - The winner of Food Network Star was Lenny Mcnab.

The poll on this website to predict the winner is now 3 for 3.  Whether Lenny gets a show or not remains to be seen, but there is a lot of controversy surrounding him.  More on that tomorrow...
 

Georgia Boy Cafe From Restaurant Impossible Has Closed

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Georgia Boy Cafe in Hagerstown, Maryland, which was featured on season seven of Restaurant Impossible has closed.  On August 8th, they posted the following on their Facebook page:

"Georgia Boy Cafe at Park Circle would like to thank the City of Hagerstown for their years of continued support. Without the blood, sweat, and tears of the community, Georgia Boy Cafe could not have survived for as long as it has.

Despite the best efforts of everyone, the time has come for Georgia Boy Cafe to close its doors at Park Circle for one last time on July 31, 2014. This is not the end of Georgia Boy Cafe, but the beginning of a new chapter at a new location to be determined in the future. 

Over the years, Chuck and Montez have both worked 100 hours weeks trying to keep Georgia Boy Cafe the go-to place in Hagerstown. They have worked tirelessly in the community to promote Georgia Boy Cafe and Hagerstown in general. They have put every ounce of themselves into keeping the Park Circle location open. 

As Georgia Boy Cafe closes its doors for the final time, Chuck and Montez will be taking a few days off to recover from years of hard work and dedication. They won't be on vacation, sitting around eating chips and watching television. They'll be hard at work, planning and preparing for the next phase of Georgia Boy Cafe.

In the meantime, Georgia Boy Cafe will still be catering event throughout Washington County. Georgia Boy Cafe's website will continue to be updated with news and information about the relocation process, as well as where we'll be so long-time customers know where to go for our famous fried chicken. 

Thank you to each and every one of you who made Georgia Boy Cafe at Park Circle possible. Georgia Boy Cafe, Chuck, and Montez look forward to seeing you soon at the new Georgia Boy Cafe, coming soon to Hagerstown."

It remains to be seen if they open in a new location, but only time will tell.  This is the third restaurant from season seven (2013-2014) of Restaurant Impossible to close, and the Restaurant Impossible Update page has been updated with this information.

Sweet Tea's From Restaurant Impossible Has Closed

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Sweet Tea's Restaurant in Pineville, North Carolina, which was featured on season five of Restaurant Impossible has closed.

On July 20, 2014, they posted the following message on their Facebook page:

It is with a very heavy heart and great sadness that we are closing Sweet Tea's. This was the hardest decision we have ever had to make. We loved that our customers became our friends and our employees our family. We will miss everyone terribly!

Also, their website is no longer active and you get a domain name error when visiting.  This is the ninth restaurant from season five (2012-2013) of Restaurant Impossible to close, and the Restaurant Impossible Update page has been updated with this information.

Smitty's From Restaurant Impossible Has Closed

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Smitty's Restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, which was featured on season six of Restaurant Impossible has closed.  Last week they posted on their Facebook page, "Unfortunately smittys has closed. We thank everyone that has come in to eat after all these years. We greatly appreciate your patronage."

Also, on their website, they have the following message:

To our Valued and Unforgettable Smitty's Customers:

It has been a pleasure serving you all these years. But, the inevitable has occurred.
Our lease has expired and, our landlord has given us no choice but to move out due to the fact that he has increased our rent by 25% plus tax.
Thank you for your support throughout the years. You all will be missed dearly. It is with a heavy heart that we hope our paths cross again one day in the future as we say Goodbye.

God Bless,
Gus & Family
Smitty's Restaurant

You may remember Smitty's because of the roach problem they had during their episode.  The restaurant suffered from bad reviews, and also had numerous bad restaurant inspections.  This is the fifth restaurant from season six (2013) of Restaurant Impossible to close, and the Restaurant Impossible Update page has been updated to show this.

Restaurant Impossible - Paul's Bar and Bowling Update

Photo - Twitter

Tonight on Restaurant Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Paterson, NJ to makeover Paul's Bar and Bowling.  Paul's is a bowling alley/bar/restaurant that has been open since 1929, and has been on a downward spiral for the past eight years.  Robert is there to help renovate the bar and bowling alley, and he needs to get their business up to date.  As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Paul's Bar and Bowling to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant Impossible):

Food Network Star Voting - Poll

For the past two years, a poll on this site to see who people are voting for has correctly predicted the winner of Food Network Star.  The first year the poll was up, Justin Warner received 66% of the vote and ended up winning, while the second year the poll was up, Damaris Phillips received 72% of the vote and ended up winning.

This year the finalists are Lenny Mcnab, Luca Della Casa, and Nicole Gaffney, and I think this vote may be a little closer than the past years.  Answer the poll question below to let us know who you voted for or would vote for, and we will see the percentages each finalist gets.

As a reminder, this is not an official vote, so if you want to actually vote, here is the link to the Food Network site that has the official voting.  You need a Facebook account to vote online, or you can call in your vote.

Food Network Star Season 10, Episode 10 Elimination - Final Three Determined

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On tonight's episode of Food Network Star, the final four contestants each shoot a promo for the show they want on the Food Network.  They get advice from Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, and Bobby Flay, and their promos are then judged by Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson.

Bob and Susie pick three finalists that will create a pilot of their show, and Robert Irvine is there to help direct their pilot.

Bob and Susie decided to eliminate Sarah Penrod after watching all four of the 30-second promos.  Luca Della Casa, Nicole Gaffney, and Lenny Mcnab created their pilots and are now up for vote to be the next Food Network Star.

A poll will be up shortly on this site to see who everyone is voting for to win Food Network Star, and similar polls have predicted the winner the past two years.  UPDATE - Here is the link to the poll.

Restaurant Impossible's Tom Bury Gets Married

Photo - Twitter

Last night at the Bonnet Island Estate in Long Beach Island, NJ, Restaurant Impossible's handyman Tom Bury married Erin Hilgedick, who is a producer on Restaurant Impossible.  Many people from Restaurant Impossible were at the wedding including Robert Irvine and his wife Gail Kim, producer Marc Summers, and designers Taniya Nayak and Cheryl Torrenueva.

Tom and Erin got engaged in October of 2013, and producer Marc Summers responded to the news with, "About freaking time! Did he build that ring himself? I want to produce the wedding, assuming I am invited! Great news! The first marriage out of RI staff. Matt hired Tom, I hired you! New series?!"

Congratulations to Tom and Erin!

Food Network's August 2014 Programming Highlights

Here are some of the highlights of the Food Network programming scheduled to air on the channel in August:

• The remaining episodes of season 10 of Food Network Star, where a winner will be crowned.
• The finale of the Chopped Teen Tournament on Tuesday, August 12th where the winner gets $25,000 and a culinary scholarship.
• Another season of Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off premieres Sunday, August 17th at 8pm.
• Another season of the Great Food Truck Race premieres Sunday, August 17th at 9pm.
• The start of the Chopped Ultimate Tournament on Tuesday August 26th.  The tournament has four groups of champs - professionals, amateurs, heroes, and celebrities.  The prize is $50,000 and a new car.
• A Guy's Grocery Games episode with Food Network All-Stars featuring Cat Cora, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy and Marcel Vigneron on Sunday, August 10th.
• New primetime episodes of Beat Bobby Flay, Cutthroat Kitchen, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy's Grocery Games, Mystery Diners, King of Cones, Restaurant Stakeout, and Restaurant Impossible.
• New daytime episodes of Barefoot Contessa, Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction, Giada at Home, The Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman

The press release with episode descriptions and air dates is below: