The Next Food Network Star: Get Excited!

As the T.V. maven the summertime is usually hard for me. All my favorite shows are over, and let’s be honest, the summer doesn’t usually feature the cream of the crop programming. But there is one very redeeming quality: food shows!

First off, we have The Next Food Network Star on June 3rd. The next night Fox brings us another season of Hell's Kitchen and then a little over a week later, on June thirteenth, we have Bravo's Top Chef. Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday are going to be my favorite nights! Lucky for me, I finally got to taste some reality show food at The Food Network Star party. And let me tell you, the aura hasn’t worn off. I’m still the happiest girl ever and it happened almost a week ago.

I love Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef but as a Food Network junkie, and after having gone to the party, I must now freak out about my love of Food Network and its awesome reality show. I especially love the celebrity chefs because it is so easy to imagine standing next to any of the chefs and cooking with them in their kitchens. They’re so personable, but at the same time they light up every kitchen they’re in. For this reason there will be a lot of pressure on the contestants on The Next Food Network Star. They have to be the next Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, or Giada DeLaurentis, Emeril and that is a lot to live up to. But have faith my fellow Food Network lovers for the contestant pool is a good one. After the two-hour premiere, just like with any reality competition show, you’ll be able to pick out the few who will be eliminated in the beginning, the ones who will get close to the end, and those who are the real contenders.

I get a little into this so after watching my screener copy of the premiere (which so meanly cuts off right before they announce who’s going home!!!) my Food Network junkie buddy Andrew and I went through each contestant and discussed our thoughts. The next night we attended the party where we met the contestants (and Bobby Flay, Giada DeLaurentis, Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine - oh my god, still flipping out!), and got to try their food. Tasting Food Network food is a dream experience, but it’s so much cooler knowing that when I vote at the end of the season on the winner (all the viewers vote), I’ll actually be making my decision based on the food!) Okay, that’s a bit of a lie. I’ll base it mostly on personality and partly on the food, but either way, trying the food rocked.