156 replies to this topic

[CPP83]

I just caught the promo for this new show a few days ago and did not see a thread open for it yet.

Apparently Anne will be "helping" restaurants pick and choose from four potential head chefs each episode to run their kitchens.

Here is the link to the foodnetwork site: Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell

Really, am I the only one who is beginning to view Anne as the female Guy Ferrari? And it's not just the hair, though that doesn't help, but somehow she's managed to pull off hosting, judging, and appearing on nearly every single FN show on the roster.

I wonder if she'll teach the contestants how to make silly voices and over salt their food as well.

[clare 32]

Yeah, I know Anne likes to salt her food and her voices bother some people. But she is no way near as obnoxious as Guy Fieri. The same hair style, yes, but Anne is a teacher and an accomplished chef who likes to share her knowledge. Looking forward to this new show.

[Chrissytd]

So basically it's Chef Hunter.

[Maverick]

So basically it's Chef Hunter.

With four chefs instead of two. So I'm thinking Chef Hunter meets Chopped.

[Streya]

I get how she can be annoying to people with the voices, etc., but at least to me it still seems to be HER, that's just her personality. I don't feel that it's a charicature with her, not yet at least; so it's not annoying to me.

I'll probably give it a shot.

[AladdinSane]

@CPP83: Really, am I the only one who is beginning to view Anne as the female Guy Ferrari? And it's not just the hair...

@clare 32:Yeah, I know Anne likes to salt her food and her voices bother some people. But she is no way near as obnoxious as Guy Fieri.The same hair style, yes...

I believe i noticed in the previews that Anne is sans spiky Guy-hair™...

Perhaps she's maturing along with her FN status frequentus.

[Pache]

I kind of love Anne as a host. She seem real and fun. I don't like her hair, but personally, I like her hosting, cooking and training skills. Heck after she paired with Bobby Flay in Worst Cooks, I finally like him, and her interactions with Robert Irvine made me like him so good job Anne. I'll give this a try. She seems to care about quality, which is becoming rare on FN and she is who she is, so go her.

[CPP83]

I believe i noticed in the previews that Anne is sans spiky Guy-hair™...

I was not talking about the cut so much but the color really. That same, unnatural, blond that probably is mixed up using the same chemical compounds that produced acid wash jeans in the 80s.

I think this show has been done before, as mentioned above "Chef Hunter" was almost the same premise, except no one cared about it obviously. And as I said, in small amounts I think she's fine, but it just seems as if she's everywhere now, hosting, judging, competing, cooking, all of the above.

I miss the days when she was Mario's sous chef who was always making him pasta. She didn't talk very much then.

My main concern for this show, though, is that there is going to be the typical heavy handed, over the top, dramatic contestants that "need" this job or else their life is over, or they have a whole village counting on them to make enough money to dig a well, or something.

[sp23]

I really like Anne Burrell, spikey white hair and all, so I'm looking forward to watching this show. Although, yes, there are going to be sob stories out the ass on this one.

[MsLawDawg]

As long as Anne is not competing against someone herself, I like her. And I really see her as eliminating the sob story baloney, unless she's under mandate, as the "Chopped" judges are now. Quick question for anyone who's a fan of competitive cooking shows. Does the older guy in the extended promo look and sound like Frank from season 2 of Top Chef, who threatened to beat Marcel so badly his mom wouldn't recognize him over a pair of sunglasses (if I remember correctly)?

[Nightlark]

Quick question for anyone who's a fan of competitive cooking shows. Does the older guy in the extended promo look and sound like Frank from season 2 of Top Chef, who threatened to beat Marcel so badly his mom wouldn't recognize him over a pair of sunglasses (if I remember correctly)?

He looked familiar to me also, I thought maybe from Chopped. He's been around I know.

[jezebel97]

Frank Terzoli was from Top Chef Season 2

[xingcat]

Yep, it was Frank "The Bull" in this premiere episode. Luckily, he was as much a buffoon who thought too much of himself as he was on "Top Chef" and he managed to eliminate himself before the final round by not being able to do the simple task of making sure that his dish didn't cost more than the restaurant owner wanted to charge for it. Ass.

I liked the two final chefs, and I thought the competition was nicely focused on food. I liked the first iteration of this show, and I think I'll like it just as much after watching the first episode of this version.

[CPP83]

Well that was quite the average showing for me. It really was just Chef Hunter but with host Anne B, and she basically didn't do much. I know the owners are supposed to be making the final decision, but Anne really just seems as if she's taking up space and not much else.

I also thought that, much like Chef Hunter, none of the chefs tonight probably should have gotten that job. And how many times did the winning chef have to remind us that he was unemployed and broke? When did being an idiot who quits his job without having a backup ready to go make you a good choice to be a head chef?

I don't know if they intend to do something different with the show's format for future episodes, but unless they really can find some personalities that aren't boring, broke, or total ass hats this show isn't worth the bother to watch, imo.

[FriedButter]

Yep, it was Frank "The Bull" in this premiere episode. Luckily, he was as much a buffoon who thought too much of himself as he was on "Top Chef" and he managed to eliminate himself before the final round by not being able to do the simple task of making sure that his dish didn't cost more than the restaurant owner wanted to charge for it. Ass.

That was fun to watch. Especially the elimination part. I can't stand Anne Burrell but I had to watch to see if Frank made a fool of himself. Thanks for not disappointing me Frankie. And I couldn't stop laughing at his new Snidely Whiplash moustache. Did he mention where he's cooking now?

[Cattykit]

So I'm thinking Chef Hunter meets Chopped.

That was my immediate impression as well. Guess they thought they needed Anne Burrell instead of the chef hunter whose name escapes me. But does anyone really believe Anne went through hundreds of resumes and pulled out these four? Just felt there were several phony moments, such as when the owner said, "I can't make up my mind," and Anne said, "Well, you have a minute while I go get the guys." As if an owner would make such an important decision as an executive chef on the spur of the moment. Does the owner ever get to say, "I don't want any of these bozos?" They didn't on Chef Hunter and I guess they don't here. FN must cough up a good sized hairball for them.

I thought Frank was one of the riders on the All-Obnoxious Chopped bus. I didn't care who won as long as it wasn't him.

Couldn't help but think, as Anne was playing Ted Allen in the kitchen, about how she basically ran him over when he tried to interview her during her Chopped All-Stars run.

[CPP83]

Does the owner ever get to say, "I don't want any of these bozos?"

If only, I know I would. When you have to pick between barely competent and hardly competent, what kind of a choice is that?

[xyzzy]

The winner's twitter feed makes it look like he's still unemployed.

I wasn't bowled over by this show and I like Anne Burrell. The format is too much of a hybridization of other shows and the production quality is pretty weak.

[sp23]

I liked the show enough that I'll watch again, but then I really enjoy a lot of these chef competition shows, so it doesn't have to be all that great to get me to watch. And I was actually rooting (if fairly pallidly) for the chef who won, if only because he at least had his shit together a bit better than the other one.

[CPP83]

According to the show's website, the winner is still employed at the restaurant and doing well the owner claims, he is very happy with his choice.

[Mlle Poilane]

What a letdown! I liked Chef Hunter, but I don't like watching it again with a different cast of characters. I'm surprised Anne took this show. It's old hat. I liked Anne on "Secrets" because I think she did a good job of teaching, but in this show, she pretty much just yells. Much as I did like Anne, she's wearing thin for me. I hate her hair now, and especially on this show, I thought it was a mess. Yes, Anne is definitely beginning to be another Guy. Any time the FN wants a loudmouth (Worst Cooks, etc.) it seems they hire Anne for the job.

Anne Burrell has a lot of talent as a chef and a teacher. I feel that this show does nothing to highlight her talents. And when, oh when, is the FN going to give us more cooking shows instead of more restaurant re-do's and chef hirings? I watch it for recipes and how to prepare them.

[BC1795]

FFN (Fucking Food Network)wants to turn their kitchen stars into Gordon Ramsay wannabes. Ugh! I too thought Ann was better served in the kitchen as a teaching guide. Now that she's gone from kitchen (I think) There is simply no one on the channel that I enjoy watching cook -- That goes for you too, Mrs. Garten.

Who's next?

Alton Brown host of "Chili Battles"?

Giada D'laurentis & Aunt Raffi hosts of "Lasagna Wars"?

Bobby Flay host of "If you Don't Grill This Right, I'm Gonna Fuckin' Kill You!"

[CPP83]

"If you Don't Grill This Right, I'm Gonna Fuckin' Kill You!"

*snort* Now see that is a show I'd watch in a heart beat. But I agree with you that FN knows how to take generally likable people and turn them into the more groan worthy, boring, pretentious, and overexposed personalities on television.

I really think that this show, in particular, is not suited for Anne's skills. She's not teaching anyone, she isn't really directing or advising or explaining her own spin on how to run a kitchen, she's just there to point out the obvious mistakes and yell a lot. How helpful.

[MsLawDawg]

Well, I guess Frank hasn't changed a bit, which I guess is why I could detect that was him in the commercials.

And I couldn't stop laughing at his new Snidely Whiplash moustache. Did he mention where he's cooking now?

He really swept that question under his atrocious mustache and mentioned that he was a "consultant". I'm thinking for maybe a Dodge City restaurant that re-enacts a duel from the Old West. It just proves the adage that reality show contestants never go away; they just switch to a different channel and show. He's still arrogant, and he's still a shitty chef.

It's official. Anne has gotten on my last nerve with her screeching. I loved "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef", but it's been steadily downhill with each season of "Worst Cooks", "Next Iron Chef" and her stank attitude on "Chopped Champions" last year. She is a very sore loser. This is Chef Hunter 2.0, but Anne is not an improvement over the original.

[clare 32]

I like this show. I'm glad the young guy won the first episode's head chef job at that Mexican restaurant. There's something to be said for someone hungry for a job and with determination gets the job done. He couldn't make a taco from scratch but Anne encouraged him to do his best. The rest of his food was very good and he worked hard to handle the kitchen, so he won and is still there as the head chef.

[GrrlPower]

Yeah, I know Anne likes to salt her food and her voices bother some people. But she is no way near as obnoxious as Guy Fieri. The same hair style, yes, but Anne is a teacher and an accomplished chef who likes to share her knowledge. Looking forward to this new show.

This. I love Anne despite the hair and voice because she is the only respectable person on FN who isn't putting on a fake persona and seems to actually respect food. Also, she's a good teacher without being egotistical or preachy.

BTW: still bummed that Anne wasn't the Next Iron Chef. The format of that show may be best for her.

[MoeBee]

This show seems somewhat fake to me. Either it's done after the fact, ala House Hunters, and the restaurant has already hired the "winner", or it's completely made up. Why would the owners hire the guy from last night's show when he literally walked out during service?

[MsLawDawg]

Why would the owners hire the guy from last night's show when he literally walked out during service?

Good question, since you also could hear him audibly crying behind the Mens' Room door during the walk-out. That would give me pause that the pressure might be too much. I also think it's odd that Anne jumps in and helps some chefs the night of their debut, but not others, or am I mistaken here?

[Tunia]

It's official. Anne has gotten on my last nerve with her screeching.

Yeah, that was way over the top. Even her countdowns were so overdone as to be difficult to listen to - borderline manic!

It was hysterical, tho, to watch her waddle across the street at full tilt during the challenges, but somehow I missed the reason it was necessary for them to go from Point A to Point B, crossing and re-crossing the street as they were. What was up with that?

The more I see of Anne, the less I like her.

[Linky Loo]

It was hysterical, tho, to watch her waddle across the street at full tilt during the challenges, but somehow I missed the reason it was necessary for them to go from Point A to Point B, crossing and re-crossing the street as they were. What was up with that?

They own both restaurants. The mesquite grill is across the street and they wanted to offer that on the menu in both places. Or they wanted to set up a contrived obstacle. But no, they'd never do that.