Restaurant Impossible - Southern Grille of Ellendale Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Ellendale, Delaware to makeover Southern Grille of Ellendale. Southern Grille is a southern-style restaurant owned by Ronald White who is working too hard to be in so much debt.  The owner has bills piling up, including medical bills, and is supposedly one month away from closing.  Robert Irvine also sees flies and fly traps all over the restaurant which is unappealing to customers.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Southern Grille of Ellendale 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):



Positive Reviews:

• "Amazing breakfast. They also just finished a remodel and the inside looks very updated. Pancakes were huge and tasty as was the French toast. Great prices tA great stop as part of a beach trip down Rt. 16."
• "Today was my first time back since Restaurant Impossible did the makeover and the dining room looks fabulous, it now has a farmhouse feel with distressed flooring, bright white walls and farmhouse metal chairs, very nice. I just stopped in to pick up some stewed tomatoes & lima bean with dumpling soup to go so I didn't have a chance to look at the menu to see if there are any new additions but trust and believe that hubby and I will be coming back for dinner in a few weeks. The staff is very friendly and welcoming and the overall vibe of the place oozes Southern hospitality."
• "The food is always great. Lima's and dumplings are our favorite. Wait times can get a little long at times. Not a huge fan of the 5% service fee to use your credit card. We will return, but will bring cash."
• "The Food is terrific, great breakfast and the best biscuits and gravy I ever had!! Desserts are wonderful very reasonable! Love your lemon meringue pie!!!! Excellent!"

Negative Reviews:

• "Very upset that they did NOT keep the new menu or any of the recipes from Restaurant Impossible. We asked the owner's daughter that night of the taping if they were going to continue with Robert's recipes & she said, "Yes, the whole menu, you see tonight". What a shame they didn't, keep their word. Everything we all had was fantastic. We went tonight, what a huge letdown. Another Restaurant, going under ask for help, gets FREE publicity & FREE $10,000 make over & more FREE publicity when it airs & FREE professional Business Guidance & Professional Chef Training & Recipes AND the OWNERS, go right back to cooking the same ole same ole, with the same attitudes that put them in the "please help me situation", but thanks for putting all the cash, labor & publicity into my restaurant."
• "Unless you like finding surprises of the not-so-good kind in your food, I would highly recommend NOT going to the Southern Grille, Ellendale, DE. We ordered two pies, one chocolate meringue and the other lemon meringue, for a special occasion. A guest at the event found what she first believed to be a condom in her piece of pie. It turned out to be a rubber glove."
• "There isn't a lot of competition in the area so if you've never eaten outside Sussex County this place might be satisfying. But if you've ever been elsewhere, you'll have had better food and this place will only be kinda mediocre. This isn't a dig at homestyle/comfort food. It's 100% possible for homestyle/comfort food to be amazing! This place just doesn't get there. I think it's largely because the menu is too broad and unfocused. It's not possible for 1. all the ingredients to be fresh or 2. the cooks to be good at 70 different things. Narrow it down and really *nail* a few signature dishes (from fresh ingredients) and they might be on to something."
• "This restaurant recently underwent a renovation on Restaurant Impossible with Robert Irvine. The renovation did not help the quality of the food or the wait staff."
• "Redoing the restaurant doesn't mean the wait staff improved. Waited almost 15 min and no one came over to ask us for a drink order. People were seated 10 minutes after us and got waited on. 2 staff were standing around."
• "We went today because we were anxious to see the results of Mr. Irvine's remodel of the building & we were curious if service had improved. NOT. NOT. NOT."

*Reviews from Yelp, Tripadvisor


Other News and Links:

• The Restaurant: Impossible makeover happened in August 2019.
• This episode is available on demand from several cable companies before it airs tonight.
• Here is the Southern Grille of Ellendale website and Facebook page.
• Here are pictures of the new dining room from the Southern Grille Facebook page.
• The Southern Grille serves muskrat which was a food item featured on another Restaurant Impossible episode in Delaware at the Wagon Wheel.  The Wagon Wheel closed in 2014, and when they closed, The Southern Grill started serving it on Wednesday nights. (Link)
• This episode didn't highlight muskrat at the restaurant.
• A local article from 2017 said Ronald White has been serving a free Thanksgiving dinner to the community (about 700 people) for over 10 straight years.  He also "works full-time as a building chief at Milford Middle School, runs a small trucking business and is his blind wife's full-time caretaker."
• In 2018, Ronald White purchase The Hollywood Diner in Dover, DE and renamed it The Southern Grille Hollywood Diner.  That restaurant closed in mid-2019. (Link)
• There was no mention of this on the episode, but this could have been an additional source of debt.
• Here are the reviews for Southern Grille from Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Google.

Conclusion:

The reviews for Southern Grille since the Restaurant: Impossible makeover have been mixed with people liking the food and the new makeover inside.  There are a decent amount of complaints about service and long wait times to get food.  Some people also complained that the menu was long and Southern Grille didn't keep menu items from Restaurant: Impossible.  The update at the end of the show said sales are up 40%, Claire was still managing, the flies are gone, and Laymere is pursuing his other interests.


*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant: Impossible updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter

Holiday Baking Championship Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the Holiday Baking Championship season 6 finale where the winning baker will take home a $25,000 prize.  The three remaining bakers competing for the prize are Melissa Yanc, Sarah Wallace, and Jennifer Clifford.


The episode description for tonight states:

"Nothing beats waking up to the smell of a holiday brunch, so Jesse Palmer challenges the three remaining bakers to make a Christmas morning brunch using the classic holiday flavors of gingerbread, cinnamon and eggnog. In the final round, the bakers must create cakes that are plaid both on the inside and the outside. Judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale crown one baker the Holiday Baking Champion and award the $25,000 prize."

I will update this post with the Holiday Baking Championship season 6 winner after the episode airs and feel free to discuss the season/finale in the comments.

Continue reading to see who won Holiday Baking Championship season 6...

Buddy Vs. Duff Returning For A Second Season

Photo - Food Network

Food Network announced that Buddy vs. Duff will return for a second season which is scheduled to start in March 2020.  The first season was a ratings success and was a six-episode series.  The second season will have a few more episodes and will be an eight-episode series.

This might come as a surprise as both Duff Goldman and Buddy Valastro did not want to do another season.  From another post:

"Both Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman seem annoyed at how the editing of the show turned out. When fans asked if there would be another season, Duff responded, "I definitely do not want to do another one. This kinda nonsense is not my bag." Buddy also chimed in with, "Exactly this. One more week." When another fan had suggestions about season 2 of the show, Duff said, "There won’t be another season." and Buddy said, "That’s a hard NO on another season."

I guess since the show had the best ratings of 2019, their bosses had other ideas.  It should be interesting to see if the show is edited differently and if Buddy is portrayed as a villain again.

UPDATE - Discuss season 2 here.


The press release announcing the second season is below:

Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge Season 2 Winner

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season 2 finale of Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge.  The three finalists competing for the $25,000 prize are Eric Howard, Robin Song, and Christian Gill.

The episode description for tonight states:

Giada De Laurentiis challenges the three final chefs to make a dish that represents the person they're most thankful for, and they each have to incorporate a different type of squash. The chef who most impresses judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Carla Hall and Christian Petroni wins a critical advantage for the dinner round, when the chefs have to make the ultimate Thanksgiving feast. The final three chefs battle through hours of cooking until the best walks away with $25,000 and the title of Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge Champion.

I will update this post with the winner of Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge season 2 after the episode airs and feel free to discuss this season in the comments.

To see who won Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge season 2, continue reading..

Thanksgiving Live Returns To Food Network Via 'The Kitchen'

On Saturday, November 23rd at 11am, Thanksgiving Live will return to Food Network via a special episode of The Kitchen.

The episode description states:

From dry turkey to lumpy gravy, The Kitchen is offering advice on how to pull off the biggest meal of the year: Thanksgiving! Sunny Anderson, Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro and Geoffrey Zakarian are joined by Alton Brown and Alex Guarnaschelli to share their expertise and answer viewers' calls for help. They're also revealing time-saving tips and demonstrating some of their family recipes to make the holiday meal a success.

If you want to participate in the show, you can send in questions via the Food Network website and also through the Food Network Kitchen app.  You can also ask things on social media platforms such as Twitter by using the hashtag #ThanksgivingLive.

The last time Food Network had Thanksgiving Live was in 2013.  You may recall that was the year where Giada De Laurentiis cut her finger on live television and annoyed a lot of people during the episode.  Alton Brown has hosted over the years and he is back for this version on The Kitchen as well.

Feel free to comment on this post during and after this Thanksgiving Live episode, and if anything interesting happens on the show I will do another post.

Holiday Baking Championship Season 6

Photo - Food Network

The sixth season of Holiday Baking Championship airs on Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network.  This season is hosted by Jesse Palmer and the judges are Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Lorraine Pascale.  Ten bakers are competing for a $25,000 prize during this season which is eight episodes long.


The bakers competing for the $25,000 prize are:

• Geoffrey Blount - Myrtle Beach, SC
• Jennifer Clifford - Moultonborough, NH
• Kobe Doan - Boston, MA
• Janet Letendre - Malakwa, BC
• Devon Maciver - Claremont, CA
• Dwight Penney - Pittsburgh, PA
• Maria Short - Hilo, HI
• Cedrick Simpson  - Atlanta, GA
• Sarah Wallace - Boston, MA
• Melissa Yanc - Healdsburg, CA

The Holiday Baking Championship season finale will air on Monday, December 23rd and I will do another post about that episode before it airs.  Feel free to discuss season 6 of Holiday Baking Championship in the comments of this post. 

Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge Season 2

Season 2 of Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge airs on Food Network Sunday nights at 9pm ET/PT.  The series is four episodes long and six chefs are competing for a $25,000 prize with the winner being announced on Sunday, November 24th.

The contestants competing this year are:

• Eric Howard
• Jen Brule
• Robin Song
• Christian Gill
• Kelli Ferrell
• Mary Bass

Feel free to discuss this season of Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge in the comments and I will do another post for the finale where the winner will be revealed.

Halloween Wars Season 9 Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET on Food Network is the season 9 finale of Halloween Wars where the winning team will take home $50,000.  The two teams remaining are Buttercream Beasts (Cake - Beth, Pumpkin - Matt, Sugar - Angela) and Frosted Freakshow (Cake - Christine, Pumpkin - James, Sugar - Reva).

The episode description for tonight's episode states: "In the spine-tingling finale of Halloween Wars, the final two teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master have slaughtered the competition and are ready to face off in an epic showdown with actor Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things as guest judge. The team that can best turn a classic fairy tale into a terrifying scary tale is crowned Halloween Wars Champion and takes home $50,000!"

I will post the winner of Halloween Wars season 9 after the episode airs and you can discuss the episode/season in the comments.

Continue reading to see who won...

Halloween Wars Season 9

Halloween Wars season 9 airs Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network and has six teams competing for a prize of $50,000.  The season is five episodes long with the finale airing on Sunday, October 27th.

The teams competing this year are:

• Trio of Terror: Cake - Kristen, Pumpkin - Tator, Sugar - Froggie
• Hangry Haunters: Cake - Jarid, Pumpkin - Mike, Sugar - Rebecca
• Malicious Mavens: Cake - Hayley, Pumpkin - Lisa, Sugar - Kelsee
• Burned at the Cake: Cake - Brenda, Pumpkin - Chris, Sugar - Julian
• Buttercream Beasts: Cake - Beth, Pumpkin - Matt, Sugar - Angela 
• Frosted Freakshow: Cake - Christine, Pumpkin - James, Sugar - Reva

I will do another post for the season finale of Halloween Wars season 9, and feel free to discuss the season in the comments of this post.

Update - To see who won the season, see this post. 

Halloween Baking Championship Season 5

Halloween Baking Championship season 5 airs on Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network and this season has eight bakers competing for a $25,000 prize and a feature in Food Network Magazine.  This season is hosted by John Henson and the judges are Carla Hall, Katie Lee and Zac Young.

The contestants competing for the prize this season are:

• Brittany Lombardi - Pastry Cook, Bronx, NY
• Jess Eddy - Bakery Owner, Hartland, WI
• Jessica Brockway - Bakery Owner, Seattle, WA
• Jocelyn Jung - Bakery Owner, San Diego, CA
• Julie Montgomery - Pastry Instructor, Toronto, CA
• Karl Fong - Bakery Owner, Hercules, CA
• Peter Tidwell - Bakery Owner, Provo, UT
• Sheldon Taylor-Timothy - Home Baker, Toronto, Canada

Season 6 is six episodes long with the winner being revealed on the finale Monday, October 28th.  I will do another post for the finale, but you can comment on this post to discuss the season.

Worst Cooks in America Winner - Season 17

Tonight at 9pm on Food Network is the season 17 finale of Worst Cooks in America where the winner will take home $25,000.  The two remaining contestants competing for the prize are Adrian Read representing Team Bobby Flay and Juliann Sheldon representing Team Anne Burrell.

Adrian and Juliann will have to make a three-course meal in the finale and the episode description states, "The final two recruits return to boot camp to face one last Skill Drill. They attempt to create impressive dishes that require skills they've learned in boot camp while their mothers secretly watch from the next room. Next, chefs Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay teach their recruits how to make a three-course, restaurant-quality meal they'll have to recreate in order to impress a panel of culinary experts. Judges Vivian Chan, Martina McBride and Donal Skehan taste the dishes in a blind taste test to determine the winner of the $25,000 grand prize."


I will update this post with the winner of Worst Cooks in America once the episode airs and feel free to discuss the episode/season in the comments.

Continue reading to see who won season 17 of Worst Cooks in America....

Kids Baking Championship Winner - Season 7

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT is the season 7 finale of Kids Baking Championship with the winning baker receiving $25,000 and a feature in Food Network Magazine.  The three remaining bakers competing for the prize are Sophie Tate, Tarek Husseini, and Trevin Alford.

Tonight's episode has a space theme and the episode description states, "Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman are lost in space and challenge the three remaining bakers to create cakes that look like a spaceship, aliens or another planet. The most out-of-this-world cake wins, and only one baker will claim $25,000, a spot in Food Network Magazine and the title of Kids Baking Champion."

I will update this post with the winner of Kids Baking Championship once the episode airs and feel free to discuss the episode/season in the comments.

Continue reading to see the winner...

Restaurant Impossible - Madison Street Retro Diner

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Muncie, Indiana to makeover Madison Street Retro Diner.  Madison Street Retro Diner is owned by Rita Watkins and her health is impacting her ability to run the restaurant.  Rita's daughter Melissa can't seem to step up to the plate to take over the restaurant.  The food at Madison Street Diner is some of the worst food Robert Irvine has ever tried. He will need to motivate Melissa and give her the skills necessary to take over the restaurant and make it successful.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Madison Street Retro 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):

Restaurant Impossible - Besse's on Clear Lake Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Tomahawk, Wisconsin to makeover Besse's on Clear Lake.  Besse's on Clear Lake is a small-town steakhouse that has been open for over 30 years.  The restaurant is supposedly one month away from closing and Robert needs to remind owner Brenda about her passion for the business to help get it turned around.  Brenda has no concept of her finances and the staff has not been properly trained.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Besse's on Clear Lake 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):

Kids Baking Championship Season 7

Food Network's Kids Baking Championship season 7 airs on Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT.  Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman are once again the mentors and the winning baker will receive a $25,000 prize and a feature in Food Network Magazine.  The kid bakers (ages 10-13) competing on this season are:

• Trevin Alford (Washington, IN; age 13)
• Tori Church (Nashville, TN; age 12)
• Sophia Elrod (Nashville, TN; age 10)
• Tarek Husseini (St. Louis, MO; age 13)
• Taylor Pusha (Roanoke, VA; age 12)
• Dharma Sabapathy (Austin, TX; age 11)
• Brady Stewart (San Angelo, TX; age 12)
• Sophie Tate (Stansbury Park, UT; age 12)
• Brooke Waters (Selma, AL; age 11)

The season is almost halfway over and the winner will be revealed on Monday, September 16th.  I will do another post about the show before the season finale. Feel free to discuss this season in the comments section as several people have requested somewhere to comment on this season.

UPDATE - Here is the post with the Kids Baking Championship season 7 winner. 

Restaurant Impossible - Al's Seafood Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Essex, Maryland to makeover Al's Seafood.  Al's Seafood is a family-owned business that has been around for over 60 years and is in danger of closing.  The owner Chad and his sister Cara need to get their finances in order and stop wasting food.  They also need to inspire their staff and be willing to make changes to make Al's Seafood succeed.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Al's Seafood 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):

BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season finale of BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon where the winner will get their own web series and bragging rights.  The final two contestants competing for the win are Lee Ann Whippen with Bobby Flay and Susie Bulloch with Michael Symon.

The episode description states: "The competition started with eight of the world's greatest barbecue pitmasters, and it's down to the final two. Bobby Flay and Michael Symon transform from mentors to sous chefs in a barbecue battle for the ages. But when the sun sets on Star Hill Ranch, only one competitor can walk way with their own digital series and lay claim to the title Master of 'Cue."

I will update this post after the episode airs with the winner of BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon.  After this episode, there will also be a new episode of Beat Bobby Flay and the series premiere of The Flay List, which is a show Bobby Flay is doing with his daughter Sophie.

Continue reading to see who won:

Restaurant Impossible - Rosie's Diner Update

Photo - Twitter

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in North Chemsford, Massachusetts to makeover Rosie's Diner.  Rosie's Diner is co-owned by Rosie Gauthier and her daughter Bridget who opened the restaurant in 2005.  The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and Robert Irvine is tasked with making a "run-of-the-mill" diner stand out among all of the other diners in the area.  The restaurant is outdated, and Rosie and her daughter are almost out of money and options.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Rosie'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):

Restaurant Impossible - Mike Audia's Restaurant - Catering

Photo - Twitter

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Nutter Fort, West Virginia to makeover Mike Audia's Restaurant-Catering.  The restaurant is owned by single dad Mike Audia and the restaurant has a confused identity.  While Robert Irvine is there, he finds a dirty restaurant and unappetizing food.  Robert will need to implement one of the biggest transformations ever to make sure Mike Audia's restaurant can be successful and he doesn't lose his restaurant and home.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Mike Audia's Restaurant - Catering 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):

Worst Cooks in America Season 17

Photo - Food Network

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season 17 premiere of Worst Cooks in America.  This is the third season of Worst Cooks in America this year and this season has Bobby Flay returning to mentor against Anne Burrell.  There are fourteen cooks competing for the $25,000 prize and looking their 15-minutes of fame, who are listed below with their occupation from the Food Network site:

• Idriss Alison (Bronx, New York) - Transformational coach
• Jonathan Beyer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - Opera singer
• Sharon Grant (Dallas, Texas) - Minister
• Terry Grawey (Peoria, Illinois) - Certified hypnotist
• Nina Kharoufeh (New York, New York) - Single Palestinian
• Gina Lam (San Diego, California) - No occupation given
• Kayla Longstreth (Firestone, Colorado) - Dance teacher, professional dancer
• Mercedes "Sadie" Manda (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) - College student
• Karma Ann Moody (Hayesville, North Carolina) - Bridal shop owner
• Adrian Read (Bronx, New York) - Zumba instructor
• Juliann Sheldon (Charlotte, North Carolina) - Professional cheerleader
• Peter Smerlas (Waltham, Massachusetts) - Construction worker, rapper
• Father Adam Young (Cranston, Rhode Island) - Priest
• Laith Wallschleger (Tampa, Florida) - Former professional football player

This season will be eight-episodes long and the finale will be on September 22nd at 9pm.  I will do another post for the finale, but feel free to discuss this season in the comments.

UPDATE - To see who won this season, here is the post with the information.

Restaurant Impossible - Chez Olga Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Grand Rapids, Michigan to makeover Chez Olga.  Chez Olga is a struggling Caribbean restaurant that has an outdated dining room, a bland menu, and a terrible kitchen.  The restaurant is also hurting the relationship of the mother and daughter who run the restaurant.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Chez Olga 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):

BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon Season 1

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the series premiere of BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon where Bobby Flay and Michael Symon will mentor eight barbecue pitmasters.  The series will only be four episodes long and in each episode Bobby Flay and Michael Symon will compete in the first challenge alone, with the winner receiving an advantage for his team in the second round. The team members will compete against each other in the second challenge with one person from each team going home.

The pitmasters competing on the show include:

• Carey Bringle
• Joe Pearce
• Kevin Bludso
• Lee Ann Whippen
• Lynnae Oxley-Loupe
• Phil Johnson
• Susie Bulloch
• Tuffy Stone

The judges on the show are Moe Cason, Chris Lilly and Amy Mills.

There are some pretty big names competing, but as far as I can tell the prize is only a digital series to the winner and bragging rights.  I figured I would a post about this season as there has been a lot of promotion for it and people will want to talk about the competition.  I will do another post before the finale of BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon so the final episode can be discussed as well.

UPDATE - See who won BBQ Brawl season 1.

Great Food Truck Race Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT is the season 10 finale of Great Food Truck Race where the winning food truck will take home a $50,000 prize.  The final two trucks competing for the prize are NOLA Creations and Brunch Babes, which you would have known early if you read the spoiler post.

Tonight's episode is in Key West, Florida and the episode description states:
"Tyler Florence meets the final two food trucks as they go head-to-head in sunny Key West, Fla. A spiny lobster, a key lime challenge and an unexpected visitor galvanize the teams to give it their all in the final push. In the end, one team closes the doors of their food truck and one walks away with the grand prize of $50,000."

I will update this post with the winner of season 10 of Great Food Truck Race after the episode airs and you can discuss the episode in the comments.

Continue reading to see the winner.....

Restaurant Impossible - McLanks Family Restaurant Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Columbia, Missouri to makeover McLanks Family Restaurant. McLanks Family restaurant is owned by Sheila Lankford and her five adult children help run the restaurant.  They all fight constantly, and the fighting is ruining their relationships and also hurting the restaurant.  Robert will need to fix their relationship as well as the restaurant if McLanks wants to succeed.



As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about McLanks Family Restaurant 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):

Molly Yeh To Host Hanukkah Cooking Challenge - Now Casting

Yesterday Food Network put out a press release which said Molly Yeh signed an exclusive agreement for new episodes of Girl Meets Farm and multi-platform content.  The new season of Girl Meets Farm will premiere on Sunday, September 8th at 11am ET/PT and the themes include new mom life, Oktoberfest, Halloween, Midwest potluck, Friendsgiving and party bites.

Today Molly Yeh posted on Instagram, "do you flip a first class latke? sling a superior sufganiyah?? @foodnetwork’s new ~HANUKKAH COOKING SHOW~ is casting right now!!!! i’ll be hosting (know of any good hanukkah themed ugly sweater dresses?!) and it’s going to be the best party ever! send an email to the address above for more details on how you can apply to compete to be the hanukkah cooking champion and make your bubbie proud!!! spread the word!!! "

On the second picture, you will see the email address she was referring to is [email protected] and the show is called Hanukkah Cooking Challenge (possibly a working title).

Food Network has had Christmas-themed series in the past, but I think this is the first Hanukkah-themed series.  As they are casting now, look for filming to start soon and the show to air later in the year with a finale in December around Hanukkah.

Restaurant Impossible - Josephine's Cooking Update

Photo - Twitter

Tonight on the season 15 premiere of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Chicago, Illinois to makeover Josephine's Cooking.  Josephine's is a soul food restaurant that is co-owned by Josephine Wade and her son, Victor Love.  After being open for over 30 years, the restaurant is supposedly one month from closing.  Robert must motivate Victor to take over the restaurant from his aging mother.



As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Josephine's Cooking 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):

Worst Bakers in America Season 2 Discussion

Worst Bakers in America season 2 airs on Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network.  This season has Jason Smith and Lorraine Pascale as the mentors and there are eight contestants hoping to take home the $25,000 prize.  Jason Smith is a new mentor this year as Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale were the mentors in season 1 of Worst Bakers in America.

Season 2 of Worst Bakers in America is five episodes long and the first episode aired on July 15th, despite an earlier press release that said it would premiere July 22nd.  The ratings for the first episode were well below the ratings received for season 1 of the show, but season 1 was on Sunday nights vs. Monday nights for season 2.

Some have requested to have a post about Worst Bakers in America season 2 so they can discuss the season, so here it is.  I will also do another post for the finale and the winner of Worst Bakers in America season 2 on the night it airs.

UPDATE - It looks like Worst Bakers in America was moved to Saturday at 2pm, possibly due to low ratings.

Food Network's Upcoming New Series and New Programming

Discovery put out a press release this week detailing some of the upcoming new series that will premiere on Food Network this summer.  Some of the highlights are below:

Two new series featuring Bobby Flay

• BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon, starting Thursday, August 1st and The Flay List, which he shares the spotlight with his daughter Sophie, starting Thursday, August 22nd.  Bobby will also return to compete against Anne Burrell on a new season of Worst Cooks in America on Sunday, August 4th.  

More cake/cupcake series:

• World Cake Championship, premiering Monday, July 1st where five sugar artists compete for over $30,000 in cash. 
• Cupcake Championship, starting Monday, July 1st at 10pm 
• Holiday Baking Championship: Christmas in July on Monday, July 8th
• Worst Bakers in America with Lorraine Pascal and Jason Smith on Monday, July 15th.
• Kids Baking Championship on Monday, August 12th 

Other New Series:

• Supermarket Stakeout hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli on Tuesday, August 13th
• Family Restaurant Rivals, hosted by Valerie Bertinelli on Monday, August 19th, which sounds like it could be the same as Family Food Showdown.
• Daytime show Delicious Miss Brown with Kardea Brown on Sunday, July 28th at 11:30am

Also, Restaurant: Impossible returns with new episodes on Saturday, July 20th and there will also be Restaurant: Impossible Revisited episodes where Robert Irvine returns to restaurants he renovated in the past.  Alton Brown's Good Eats will finally make its return to Food Network on Sunday, August 25th at 10pm.  There are still no signs of Food Network Star.


The full press release with details is below.  Are you looking forward to any of the new series?

Best Baker in America Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season 3 finale of Best Baker in America, where the winner will receive a $25,000 prize.  The three remaining bakers competing for the prize are Eric Keppler, Jeffrey De Leon, and Joshua Livsey.  On tonight's episode they have to create a grown-up version of a brownie sundae and then a chocolate fireworks cake.  The episode description from Food Network states:

"The pressure mounts in the chocolate-themed finale as host Scott Conant challenges the three remaining bakers to create grown-up versions of a brownie sundae. Then the Master Challenge is to make a Happy Birthday USA chocolate fireworks cake to celebrate July 4th! The elaborately decorated cake for 100 people must feature fireworks-themed chocolate and sugar decorations, three types of chocolate and two types of macarons with salty snacks as the featured ingredient. Bakery owner Elizabeth Chambers joins judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid to choose the winner of the title Best Baker in America."

Based on the discussion throughout the season, it seems that people think Joshua is going to win, but think all of the bakers are likable.  I will update this post after the episode airs with the season 3 winner of Best Baker in America and you can discuss the episode in the comments.

Continue reading to see the winner...

The Great Food Truck Race Season 10 Preview and Spoilers

Photo - Food Network

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season 10 premiere of The Great Food Truck Race. This season is along the Atlantic coast and will have nine food truck teams who are competing to win a $50,000 grand prize.  This year there are stops in Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Daytona Beach, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and a finale in Key West.


The food trucks competing are:

• Baby Got Mac (Los Angeles)
• Brunch Babes (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Frank N Slides (Boise, Idaho)
• Madea Made (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
• Make It Maple (Montpelier, Vermont)
• NOLA Creations (Atlanta)
• People’s Fry (Nashville)
• Rolling Indulgence (Dayton, Ohio)
• Sol Food Collective (Los Angeles)

More information about season 10 of The Great Food Truck Race and the teams competing can be found in the press release and on the Food Network site if you are interested.

When filming The Great Food Truck Race, the food trucks advertise their locations on social media (which are later removed) and local newspapers do stories on the race while it is filming. This makes it possible to determine the order of elimination down to the final two trucks. If you are interested in the final two trucks for this season, continue reading. Obviously it is a spoiler, but it just reveals the final two trucks and not the winner.

Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season finale of Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition.  The celebrities that competed on this season included: Jim J. Bullock, Morgan Fairchild, Tonya Harding, Jonathan Lipnicki, Taryn Manning, Alec Mapa, Kym Whitley and Jimmie Walker.  The final two competing on the finale are Tonya Harding representing Anne Burrell and Alec Mapa representing Tyler Florence with the winner receiving $25,000 for their charity.

The description for tonight's episode states: "In the final week of boot camp, mentors Anne Burrell and Tyler Florence want to remind their celebrity recruits just how far they've come. After watching a highlight reel of their not-so-finest moments, the final two celebrities are asked to recreate their baseline dishes using all the techniques they've learned over the past six weeks. For the final challenge, the two finalists must create a three-course meal for culinary experts Leah Cohen, Zac Posen and Melba Wilson, who decide which celebrity takes home $25,000 for the charity of their choice."

Judging by the comments on this site and on Facebook, a lot of people will be rooting for Alec Mapa.  It seems that people have a problem with Tonya Harding even being a contestant on the show, and now she is in the finale.

I will update this post with the winner of Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition after the episode airs and you can discuss the season and episode in the comments.

To see who won Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition, continue reading..

Best Baker in America Season 3 Discussion

Season 3 of Best Baker in America premiered last week and airs on Food Network Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT.  This season is once again hosted by Scott Conant with permanent judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid on each episode.  The special guest judges who will appear on episodes this year include: Florian Bellanger, Elizabeth Chambers, Valerie Gordon, Shinmin Li, Nancy Silverton, Sherry Yard and Zac Young.

The nine bakers who will be competing for the $25,000 prize are: Yolanda Diaz, Joshua Livsey, Julie Franceschini, Eric Keppler, Edet Okon, Michael Russ II, Marian Mulero, Jeffrey De Leon, and Casey Renee.  The baker eliminated on the first episode was Casey Renee, so there are eight bakers remaining.

Best Baker in America is seven-episodes long and the finale will air on Monday, June 24th with a July 4th theme.  I know people requested to have a post about Best Baker in America season 3, so here it is.  As always, I will do another post for the finale and the winner of Best Baker in America season 3.

Has Food Network Star Been Canceled?

Like clockwork every year, Food Network has a press release in April detailing the newest season of Food Network Star that will start in June.  In more recent years, they actually had Comeback Kitchen start in May, where a previous contestant would get to compete on the newest season of Food Network Star.  April has passed, and we are into May without any indication there will be a 15th season Food Network Star.

There is also other evidence that Food Network Star is not coming back such as The Great Food Truck Race starting June 9th on Food Network at 9pm ET/PT.  This is the time slot that Food Network Star usually had, so it seems The Great Food Truck Race has replaced Food Network Star on the schedule this year.  The Great Food Truck Race has usually premiered in late July/early August in the past.  The press release about the June programming on the channel also doesn't contain any mentions Food Network Star.

JS Casting, which is the casting company that has cast seasons 3-14 of Food Network Star, still has the season 14 application on the website, and there are no signs of a season 15 application.  So, it isn't clear if they ever cast season 15 of the show.

Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay usually post things on social media when they are filming Food Network Star, which is usually in March, but there were no Food Network Star postings on their social media this year in that time frame.

Who knows if all this information means Food Network Star has been canceled, but it definitely isn't airing at its normal time.  It also seems that the show hasn't been cast or filmed.  Food Network Star always had great ratings for Food Network, so you would expect them to keep making the show.  As the show got into the later seasons, it seemed like the show was still being produced for the ratings and not to find an actual "star" with there not being a guaranteed prize/show for the winner.

I will update this post with more information regarding Food Network Star being canceled or not if it can be confirmed either way.  Even if it is canceled, there is a chance for it to come back later like Food Network did with Restaurant: Impossible.  Restaurant: Impossible was canceled in 2016, but brought back to Food Network this year.

Restaurant Impossible - Copper Steer Steakhouse Update

Photo - Twitter

Tonight on the season finale (there will be another season) of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Safford, Arizona to makeover Copper Steer Steakhouse. Copper Steer Steakhouse is owned by Parrish and Maureen Blasius who were the ones that built the restaurant.  The restaurant has "turned into a nightmare as they started losing money with no clue how to turn things around."  Robert Irvine and Tom Bury said this is the largest renovation and demolition they have ever done on the show.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Copper Steer Steakhouse 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):

Spring Baking Championship Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT is the season 5 finale of Spring Baking Championship where the winner will take home a $25,000 prize.  The three remaining bakers competing for the prize are Cory Barrett,  Karina Rivera, and Saber Rejbi.

The episode description for tonight states: "The pressure mounts in the Spring Baking Championship finale as the three remaining bakers celebrate Mother's Day. For cocktail hour, the competitors must make Mom two different baked items inspired by mai tais, mojitos or mimosas. Then they use flavors inspired by Mom's favorite coffee drinks to create cakes featuring their Mother's Day gifts, like an edible box filled with Mom's favorite candy. One baker wins the title of Spring Baking Champion and takes home the $25,000 prize."

I will update this post once the episode airs to reveal the winner of Spring Baking Championship season 5.  In the season 5 discussion post, it seems that people in the comments think Cory is going to win, but we will see.

Continue reading to see the winner....

Restaurant Impossible - Incredible Cafe Update

Photo - Facebook

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in San Diego, California to makeover Incredible Cafe.  Incredible Cafe is a family-owned breakfast and lunch cafe that has been open for about 20 years.  While Robert is there, he finds a filthy kitchen and owner Liz Song is supposedly in crippling debt.  He will need to reignite her passion in hopes of turning the restaurant around.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Incredible Cafe 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):

Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition Discussion

Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition airs on Food Network on Sunday nights at 9pm ET/PT.  As previously announced, the celebrities competing on the show this year are: Jim J. Bullock, Morgan Fairchild, Tonya Harding, Jonathan Lipnicki, Taryn Manning, Alec Mapa, Kym Whitley and Jimmie Walker.

So far there has been one episode and the celebrity eliminated in that episode was Jimmie Walker.  I had multiple requests to do a post about the Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition so people could comment on this season, so here it is.  It seems like a lot of people have a problem that Tonya Harding is on the show this year.

This season is seven episodes long and the season finale will be on June 2nd where a celebrity will win $25,000 for their charity.  I will list the eliminations in this post and will do another post for the finale of Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition as well.

Continue reading to see the order of eliminations:

Restaurant Impossible - Filomena's Italian Kitchen and Market Update

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Costa Mesa, California to makeover Filomena's Italian Kitchen and Market.  Filomena's Italian Kitchen and Market is owned by Linda Johnsen and despite a clean kitchen, organized dining room and allegedly good food, she hasn't been able to pay herself since opening.  Linda and Robert Irvine butt heads during the makeover and Robert Irvine has called it the most explosive day 1 of Restaurant Impossible in the history of the show.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Filomena's Italian Kitchen and Market 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 Orders More Restaurant: Impossible Episodes

Restaurant: Impossible returned to the Food Network last week after an almost three year hiatus.  This season is only four episodes long and the expectation was that Food Network would look at these as a test run to see if they wanted to order more episodes.  After only one episode airing, the Food Network announced that they have ordered an additional eight-episodes and filming has already started.

The season 14 premiere episode that aired on Saturday, April 20th was the highest-rated Saturday night Food Network telecast since 2015.  An article about the premiere episode stated that Restaurant: Impossible was picked up for an eight-episode 15th season, so it appears Food Network made the decision to renew the show even before they saw the ratings.

The episodes filming now should air sometime in the summer and we will have to wait to see if they keep Restaurant: Impossible on Saturdays or move it to another night.


The press release from Discovery is below:

Restaurant Impossible - Rosie's Cafe Update

Photo - Twitter

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, Restaurant Impossible returns after being off the air for about three years.  This is the first of four new episodes that will air on Food Network on Saturday nights.  This episode has Robert and his crew visiting Rosie's Cafe in Escondido, California.  Kaitlyn Rose owns the restaurant and it is described as ugly and disorganized.  She has the passion to run the restaurant, but lacks the experience needed to make it successful.


As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Rosie's Cafe 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):

Buddy vs. Duff Winner Crowned Tonight

Tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season 1 finale of Buddy vs. Duff where Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman will battle it out for bragging rights.  Going into the finale tonight, Buddy and Duff are tied with a cumulative score of 212 to 212 and tonight's episode description states:

"For the finale, pastry chefs Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman head to the Food Network Kitchen to create their most heartfelt and monumental creations yet -- chocolate desserts to conceal engagement rings for two surprise proposals. For the final cake-off, Buddy and Duff create jaw-dropping science- and space-themed cakes for Philadelphia's prestigious Franklin Institute. Street Science host Kevin Delaney presides over the wild festivities as Buddy and Duff lay it all on the line with their showstopping masterpieces."

This season has caused quite a bit of controversy with the way the editing has been done for the show.  Many people have been complaining about the way Buddy Valastro acts on the show and are actively rooting against him in the finale.

Before the season aired, Buddy Valastro told Delish.com that he and Duff became good friends during the filming of the show.  Buddy and Duff are also very vocal on their Twitter pages (Buddy's Twitter, Duff's Twitter) in responding to fans of the show.

If you are wondering if there will be another season of Buddy vs. Duff, it does not look likely despite the show getting good ratings.  Both Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman seem annoyed at how the editing of the show turned out.  When fans asked if there would be another season, Duff responded, "I definitely do not want to do another one. This kinda nonsense is not my bag."  Buddy also chimed in with, "Exactly this. One more week." When another fan had suggestions about season 2 of the show, Duff said, "There won’t be another season." and Buddy said, "That’s a hard NO on another season."


I will update this post after the episode airs with final score and the winner of Buddy vs. Duff.

Continue Reading to see the winner:

Spring Baking Championship Season 5 Discussion

Spring Baking Championship season 5 with Clinton Kelly as host airs on Food Network Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT.  The contestants that are competing on this season are: Cory Barrett, Jessica Colvin, Kevin Dillmon, Marqessa Gesualdi, Jordan Kanouse, Tracey Marionneaux, Riccardo Menicucci, Saber Rejbi, Karina Rivera, Kendra Stephens.

We are pretty much at the halfway point in the season and so far the contestants that have been eliminated are: Kendra Stephens (episode 1), Jessica Colvin (episode 2), Kevin Dillmon (episode 3), and Jordan Kanouse (episode 4).

I know people wanted me to get a post up so you could discuss the season, so here it is.  The finale of Spring Baking Championship season 5 will air on Monday, May 6th with the winner getting $25,000.  I will do another post about Spring Baking Championship when the finale airs.

UPDATE - Here is the season finale post which reveals the winner.