by Kylene Hamulak

 

"NYC On the Go"

 

I'm really excited about the second episode of Food Network Star when I learn the chefs are using New York City as their inspiration. The next Star Challenge is for the chefs to lead a "food tour" through the most iconic food neighborhoods in Manhattan for visiting tourists. In addition to preparing a dish based on a particular neighborhood, the chefs will also be leading tours through that area. Giada warns the chefs to make an impact with their food as well as their personality. (Already, you can almost see the smoke coming from Josh's brain, working in overdrive to plan out his shtick.)

 

Team Giada's neighborhood is Arthur Avenue, known as the original "Little Italy." My mouth is already watering. Team Bobby is headed to Harlem, and Team Alton is going to a traditionally Jewish neighborhood on the Lower East Side, and he explains to his team how important it is for them to soak up the kosher culture. (By the end of this episode, it's going to be equally as important for me to soak up some matzo ball soup.)

 

Team Alton begins assigning spots on their tour, and Martie jumps at Katz's Deli (because she ate there twenty years ago). Kossar's Bialys becomes Justin's destination, mostly because he knows what a bialy is (hint: DELICIOUS), Emily takes Streit's Matzos, and Judson gets "stuck" with Pickle Guys.

 

When the team takes a trip to visit the neighborhood, Justin is a little concerned about how to "rebel" against a bialy (which I feel like I can smell through my tv, by the way), Martie tells the Katz guys her entire family history, and Emily's handsome host shows us what Willy Wonka's factory would've looked like if he made matzo instead of candy. Judson is still whining about being in a pickle (see what I did there?), and I don't really understand why. I'm not even a chef, and I can think of, like, at least nine delicious ways to eat a pickle.

 

As they board their tour bus, the following dishes are on the plate:

Justin: Kossars Kaviar (bialy chips with caviar) - Judges praised Justin's presentation, while the tourists really enjoyed the dish

Martie: puffed pastrami - Judges thought her rambling had improved, and they also liked her idea of taking the Katz's dish and presenting it in a different way

Emily: matzo meatloaf - Emily loses her story a bit when she starts to feel as though she might vomit; judges note that her personality was lost, though they did like the dish

Judson: slawed pickles - Judges are disappointed that his magic wasn't there, describing his presentation as "a motivational speaker trying to sell us on buying something"; Alton also thinks he missed an opportunity to really get across the type of "flavor architecture" that he wants to be known for.

 

Next up: Team Bobby with soul food from Harlem. Michele immediately volunteers to take Sylvia's, Malcolm takes Casablanca (the butcher shop in Harlem, not the movie), and Eric agrees to go to Savoy bakery. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que becomes Nikki's destination, and Kara ends up with Melba's. Once again, the last one is complaining because everyone else got to "pick", and she doesn't know how to do soul food. Then maybe you should've volunteered a little quicker, huh?

 

The team's field trip starts at Sylvia, where Michele gets a quick lesson in their specialty - catfish. Which she doesn't eat, and will proceed to tell us like four times. At Dinosaur, Nikki is taste testing their famous sauces and finds one that she likes. Malcom is inspired by Casablanca (and Harlem in general), but Eric is having a bit of a tougher time choosing what to focus on at Savoy (mostly because he's so busy eating breakfast disguised as sampling). He lets us know, however, that he will be doing it all from scratch. Again. Well, color me shocked.

Then there's Melba's. Kara tells us - again - that she's not comfortable with this food, which happens to be chicken and eggnog waffles, and not even an interesting backstory about how the dish came to be is gonna change that. Not only does she not fry chicken, but she doesn't like chicken on the bone. Oh, and she prefers pancakes to waffles.

 

Here's how Team Bobby's tour went:

Malcom: ribs with beans and rice - Everyone is impressed by Malcom's presentation for this challenge, and his dish goes over really well, too

Michele: catfish sliders - Like Emily and Judson, the judges are disappointed in how flat Michele seemed; her diners don't like catfish any more than she does, calling it dry and flavorless

Nikki: BBQ shrimp - Judges note her smooth presentation, but think it was a little impersonal, and one of the tourist describes her as forgettable; Bobby mentions that the dish was good, but didn't really say much about what Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is

Eric: cheese turnovers - No one has much to say about Eric's presentation, but his turnover gets rave reviews; Eric thinks he nailed it

Kara: chicken and waffles - The judges were very disappointed that she did not share the backstory on her dish and called her presentation "fine - and that's not a star"; one tourist says her dish was his least favorite, comparing it to frozen food

 

Last but not least, Team Giada decides which parts of Arthur Avenue will go to which chefs. Yvan jumps for Mike's Deli, Ippy gets Arthur Avenue Trattoria, and Consenza's Fish Market goes to Martita. After Peter's Meat Market is spoken for by Josh, Linkie ends up at Palumbo's Pastry Shop. FINALLY, the last chef won't get to complain about being last...except she does. Because she's never made cannolis.

 

Even more than their competitors, Team Giada seems both excited and inspired by their visit to Arthur Avenue and the locals (and food!) they encounter. I was too - so much so that I had to pause to get a cheese stick.

 

Boarding the bus, here's how Team Giada did:

Yvan: mozzarella antipasti - The judges (and I, and probably most of the rest of the world) are totally charmed by Yvan, but they think his simple plate was TOO simple; Giada questions whether he has "the culinary chops"

Ippy: eggplant zuppa - Strong showing again from Ippy, as the judges like his "unforced nature"; his dish gets equally good reviews from Giada

Josh: sausage and peppers - Josh brought a story about Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro for his presentation. And then he told it for like fifteen minutes (according to Giada). They thought it was better than last challenge, but his dish was too basic.

Martita: Italian ceviche - Judges loved Martita and her dish

Linkie: ricotta cheesecake - Giada thinks she redeemed herself, both in presentation and dish; judges agree that she also had the best story

 

When it comes down to The Network, we learn that Team Giada has won the challenge. Up for elimination from Team Bobby is Kara, while Judson is at risk from Team Alton. Their Producers Challenge is to take the potato and, in 40 minutes, prepare a memorable dish that they will have one minute to pitch to The Network.

 

Kara decides to make a twice-baked potato that was her mother's dish for every special occasion. Judson is making a potato-encrusted salmon, bringing his New Orleans style into the kitchen.

 

As Alton coaches Judson on his presentation, he warns him not to be a spokesperson - to just talk to him. When the camera rolls, Judson says he feels good about his presentation. Bobby, meanwhile, is encouraging Kara to have more fun, but she isn't as confident as Judson when her filming is done.

 

In the Pitch Room, Kara's "Nostalgic Cooking with Kara" gets mixed reviews from The Network. The dish is good, but not memorable. She presents a great package, but has to be careful not to be "too cheery".

 

Judson's dish has a similar review - they like the dish, but they don't think it meets the challenge, as the potato isn't the star of the dish. We also find out that Judson works as a corporate consultant in addition to his catering company, and The Network criticizes him for bringing too much corporate into his cooking.

 

Then Judson starts crying to show how passionate he is. As The Network deliberates, it seems they're choosing the lesser of two evils, as neither chef has given them what they're looking for. Their choice is based solely on potential and which gamble is more likely to pay off.

 

And that chef is....Judson. Kara is going home.

 

So at the end of Episode 2, Team Giada is the only one in tact, with both Team Bobby and Team Alton down one chef each. I can't say I'm surprised. Superficial or not, Judson definitely presents as more likely to have the skills, story, and potential grow in the competition, but he's going to have to find a way to deal with it the next time he doesn't get his way. He's a chef - he should be able to make some lemonade from lemons!

 

 

Food Network Star airs Sundays at 9/8c on Food Network.

 

(Image courtesy of Food Network)