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Dallas’ Lisa Garza Goes to The Finals of Next Food Network Star

Posted on July 21st, 2008 9:19am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Food On TV

Fowl! I mean FOUL! The Selection Committee on The Next Food Network Star didn’t play by the rules—they put everyone through a grueling six-hour cooking competition and even though Aaron “Coke the Van” failed miserably, they did not send him home. Why don’t they just give him his own show right now and let me have my Sunday nights back?

First up: the promo competition. Each contestant had to record an on-camera, scripted promo in a different setting. Adam was put on stage with two showgirls. Bam! He hit it on his second take. Once again, Aaron–remember Rachael Ray and the Girl Scout–was put with a group of people to help keep him loose. When he looks at the camera he goes blank, so the producers have chosen to surround him with cheerleaders. Hometown gal, Lisa Garza, was taken to the wine wall at Aureole, strapped into a harness wearing a black catsuit, handed a cue card, and hoisted up four stories up the wine wall to heaven as she attempted to recite her script. (I’d like to see Paula Deen try to be a “wine angel.”) Put in the same situation, Aaron or Adam wouldn’t have had a chance. Stay with me, I’m on a roll.

The food challenge was to prepare a lavish, over-the-top monster Vegas-style buffet and feed it to 50 chefs from the Wynn and the casts from several Vegas shows. Sous chefs? No problem: squeal factor of 10 when old pals Kelsey, Jen, and Shane came back to help. Lisa picked Kelsey. Adam picked Shane. Aaron was stuck with sad-faced Jen.

The presentation? Lisa wrote a song and sang the introduction of her buffet. And despite the melodrama of the lost monkfish and the burned chops, she presented what was asked of her: a lavish, over-the-top monster Vegas-style buffet. Judges loved her.

Adam: Somewhat blew his intro—he was scattered and talked a lot about wood. But he also came through on the culinary-point-of-view front. Bone-in pork chop pleased even the coconut-clapping dudes from Spamalot. Judges loved him.

Aaron: You were handed another chance on a silver platter. Your intro about the forks in your pocket and eating disorders. Not funny. Not creative. There is not a worse act anywhere in Vegas, baby. And if your idea of a lavish, over-the-top monster Vegas-style buffet includes three pasta dishes, then you need to watch a few reruns of Las Vegas. Judges shouldn’t have loved him.

The Selection Committee didn’t have the rocky mountain oysters to kick Aaron back to Jersey. Which means, next Sunday, Lisa, Aaron, and Adam will go back to New York and compete for the final episode of The Next Food Network Star.

Adam, it will be yours.

37 comments

  1. Ugh!! Adam!!

    @ 9:37 am on July 21, 2008

  2. i can’t wait for lisa to fail. she is now my cryptonite. i don’t know why but i just can’t stand her. did anybody notice that “tramp stamp” tatoo she’s sportin’. stay classy, lisa.

    @ 9:47 am on July 21, 2008

  3. OMG, what a joke this last episode was. Total joke. Lisa should’ve flipped them the bird a long time ago.

    @ 9:51 am on July 21, 2008

  4. Adam’s got the charisma and the stage presence but he’s already produced his signature dish: smoked pork chops. Can he squeak by in the finale? Lisa knows her stuff. She just needs to relax! Aaron is lovable but cannot pull a win over these two in my opinion. Some of these “challenges” are entertaining but Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray have never had to be hoisted by cables in a complicated film shoot to qualify for their shows. As a viewer I am much less drawn to “personality” over talent or knowledge about food which is why I purchase Barefoot Contessa and Batali cookbooks over Paula Dean or Rachel Ray.

    @ 9:55 am on July 21, 2008

  5. I made the remark last night that I probably wouldn’t be watching anymore if it weren’t for Lisa. It was so uncomfortable watching Aaron that I left the room. It’s apparent that Lisa is the most capable when it comes to cooking during challenges on the show, but I think the judges will look past the performances up to this point and say that Adam’s personality coupled with his potential to cook on a pre-recorded show with plenty of prep will deem him the winner. I don’t think Lisa is compelling to the Rachel Ray lowest common denominator, and I love her for that.

    PS: Did anyone try to pause the scenes from next week and figure out who the winner is? I think I know who was on the receiving end of the hug in the confetti, but they could be trying to mislead the Tivo user. I’ll just be happy to have my Sunday nights back….

    @ 10:11 am on July 21, 2008

  6. Oh Nancy my love.

    Yes … Aaron bombed the main challenge last night… Lisa was good and Adam took top honors. But I think your angst over Aaron not being kicked off is related to your deep-down gut feeling that Aaron is a bonafide threat to Lisa winning the crown. Lisa is awesome and her culinary chops are the real deal but Aaron is just as talented from a culinary standpoint and has a warm, appealing presence in front of the camera (which Lisa does not). As the judges said during their deliberations … too many good weeks “in the bank” for Aaron to be sent home.

    Adam has been riding a good streak lately but I feel that it’ll come to an end during the championship.

    @ 10:12 am on July 21, 2008

  7. “Aaron is a bonafide threat to Lisa winning the crown?” Dude, I picked Adam.

    @ 10:15 am on July 21, 2008

  8. Bertski, ARE YOU KIDDING? Aaron is SO far from being “just as talented (as Lisa) from a culinary standpoint.” He says “coke the van” AND he doesn’t even know what a chipotle pepper is. Get real dude.

    @ 10:28 am on July 21, 2008

  9. Brad, i feel your pain. I didn’t have to go as far as you and actually leave the room during Aaron’s intro, but i did literally have to turn away from the televesion a few times until it was over. MY face was getting red! I was too afraid to see the looks on everyone’s faces. Another “coke the van” moment…sooooooo awkward. If he wins, i know i can’t watch his show. He seems nice enough, but i couldn’t stand the discomfort factor.

    @ 10:40 am on July 21, 2008

  10. Casie – I never kid about food :) Whatever measure you want to use we can use. Most recipes featured from the series – Aaron. The judges and the iron chefs all have commented that his food is spectacular (not good — but great).

    Aaron knows what a Chipotle pepper is he probably just didn’t know its historical origins (which I admit is a negative) but he knows how to use it – and believe me – he really knows how to make magic with Chipotle. French cuisine was never in his domain, he admits this and personally I think French inspired cuisine is overplayed in cooking circles.

    If you use the performances across the entire season as a measure – How can you not choose Aaron as the top culinary talent?

    @ 10:59 am on July 21, 2008

  11. Bertski — what show are YOU watching?

    @ 11:12 am on July 21, 2008

  12. ..loved it when the judges said….they should all three be on a show together…Aaron’s recipes, Adam’s personality and Lisa doing the cooking. hahah.

    In all honesty…i believe it will be Adam who wins..only based on he has the potential needed for cooking, and he also has a personality.

    @ 12:04 pm on July 21, 2008

  13. People of Dallas – please do a reality check.

    This is the FOOD NETWORK – not Fineliving or Bravo. The FOOD NETWORK. Home of the following

    Sandra Lee jamming a popsicle stick into a styrofoam lemon which she then sticks into an inverted dixie cup – which she has hot glued some pink rick rack to – and voila! It’s a centerpiece!

    Rachel Ray will screech her way through turning her tacozagna into a stoup by throwing it into the blender with plenty of EVOO.

    That creepy Ace of Cakes guy and his ganache covered designs. CAKES SHOULD HAVE FROSTING MAdE WITH BUTTER and CREAM CHEESE. WTF wants to eat ganache on a cake?????

    Guy Fieri stuffing some cheese laden fried substance into his spikey blonde head and calling it a travel show????

    Paula Deen “I’m not your cardiologist honey” on a show with the Neely’s where she drowns ecverything in butter AND THEN the Neely’s pour a bag of crushed potato chips on their dish. (I am not making this up).

    I guess Mario can cook but he is so unappealing – he is always do redfaced that I am waiting for him to collapse in some sort of cardiac related spasm. I just picture him gasping and them just the hos legs in the air with the crocs visible over the stove.

    I love Alton, Ina and Nigella. But the rest of the programming is so lame. I usually just wath to keep up with the Rachel Ray sux website and the TVWOP discussions about semi-homade. So don’t expect culinary expertise to be a requirement. Maybe Ms. Garza should have tried for Top Chef instead.

    @ 12:05 pm on July 21, 2008

  14. Omigosh, wickedorchid! I totally agree with you. I love Alton, Ina and Nigella also, and I’m loving Anne Burrell and her new show. I want to watch someone I can LEARN from — not slapstick personalities. I almost cringe with the Neely’s bedroom humor and I’m so over Paula’s butter-in-everything-and-be-fat-like-me cooking. Lisa is the only one of these three I would watch because she is the only one with anything to teach.

    @ 1:39 pm on July 21, 2008

  15. Sorry Bubba, but regarding your fave Romulans boldly tatted Pucci behind (bet TG didn’t know Pucci made tatted behinds) — it can hardly be dismissed as a lowly ‘tramp stamp’ at all. Shame on you sir — how undignified.

    Don’t you know a good ol fashioned pimp-a-tizement when you see one? Her tat reads “Lisa Nimoy $400 Cookin’ School for Kids Now Open” and just below that (more near the right cheek) it simply says “Eat at Suze”. Now what’s wrong with that?

    I say give the Moaner Lisa a break — c’mon, admit it, at least she didn’t cry this week.

    @ 1:54 pm on July 21, 2008

  16. I watch food network because I am a “regular kind of person” who cooks “normal food”, the kind of foods that Aaron and Adam are both cooking on this competition. I watch alot of the shows on FN and must say that most of the recipes by Paula, Racheal and Sandra Lee are items I would and do actually make. It seems that most of the readers are just food snobs who are getting “Top Chef” and this competition confused. Food Network Star is about being a television personality, not a “top chef”.So you can “coke the van” the chef way all you want, but if you don’t have the personality (cough Lisa cough) to appeal to the regular everyday viewer of Food Network, then you are not right for the winner. I would much rather watch someone like Aaron or Adam because they are “real” and not trying to be some uppity chef and talking down to people because they own a restaurant in Dallas. I think the next show that Lisa needs to go on is “extreme makeover” … do something about that eye shadow…white is so out!!! Just because she is from Dallas does not make her the best cook! People, she burned pork chops!!!!!!!!! She couldn’t even make a decent mac and cheese!!!! Boys and girls, get over her…she is not a star!!

    @ 3:17 pm on July 21, 2008

  17. Wickedorchid, you are wickedfunny. You should get the Crenshaw award for blog humor.

    @ 3:40 pm on July 21, 2008

  18. Lisa has redefined the relocation of natural eyebrows. We haven’t cared for her artificially modified forehead as we are not fans of the Romulans.

    @ 4:00 pm on July 21, 2008

  19. Guy is the biggest example of how not being able to cook alters your career on FN. How can everything he eat be “awesome”? Isn’t the 30th time he’s been to a burger joint the equivalent of terminal velocity? I mean, a burger is only so good so many times so many ways. Nacho cheese and banana slices on top of 10 patties and bagel bread does not make a great burger. He knows it. We know it. Sandra Lee is a total MILF. Flay is full of himself. Iron Chef America blows. FN was much better when Cook’s Tour, Mario Eats Italy, Iron Chef (original), and that show where people were starting their own restaurants, were on. Paula Deen overdoes the accent. Down Home with Neely’s made FN politically correct so to speak. When was the last time there was a show (that wasn’t relegated to 6:30 am) that showed a recipe on screen? Long live Jacques Pepin.

    @ 5:03 pm on July 21, 2008

  20. Terri – I get that you like the simplicity of the apporaches of some of the chefs. Please understand that Rachel Ray gets criticized for how unhealthy her concoctions are – this is a link to a comparison of her dish vs the Mickey D version as am example http://community.livejournal.com/rachael_ray_sux/. And Sandra Lee uses so many convenience foods that are chock a block full of additives, high fructose corn syrup and other nondesirable ingredients. And, Paula will tell you that she’s not your cardioligist – so just don’t take claims of “figure friendly” or “healthy dish” claims without a healthy degree of skepticism.

    @ 5:16 pm on July 21, 2008

  21. MikeinFrisco
    You are an inspiration. I’m going to have to do something for you. You stay put. Keep in touch.
    “Isn’t the 30th time he’s been to a burger joint the equivalent of terminal velocity?”
    Priceless.

    @ 6:54 pm on July 21, 2008

  22. I watched the show last night for the first time because I read about it here. THis is fun stuff. Not the show but reading this.

    @ 7:17 pm on July 21, 2008

  23. http://www.sector001.com/species/romulan.jpg

    @ 8:23 pm on July 21, 2008

  24. I thought it was a bit of a cop out to not select anybody to go home.

    @ 10:10 pm on July 21, 2008

  25. Just finishing watching this one and what happened at the end was exactly what I expected to happen – based on the promo of Tuschman saying “We’re going to do something we’ve never done before!”

    I’m not even sure why I watch this show at this point.

    Aaron deserved to go home, hands down. He was completely awful. The only reason to not eliminate Aaron at the end of this episode was if he was the one that they really want to put on the air with a show of his own. The only way that won’t happen now is if he failed miserably in the yet-to-be seen finale.

    Wickedorchid did a great job illustrating how Food Network panders to the lowest common denominator. If you look at the featured recipes from TNFNS on the FN website, most of them are from Aaron, followed by Adam. If you’ve been paying attention, Lisa is obviously the most talented chef (that’s why extremely talented Bobby Flay pulls for her), but they want food that is accessible to the average (i.e. basic non-cook) viewer. That’s grilled meats and comfort foods. Bobby Flay now only gets to flex his true talents on Iron Chef America (maybe a little on Throwdown, but not much).

    Additionally, the FN has made a major push this past year for the African-American audience with the additions of Sunny Anderson and The Neeleys. The multiple shows they now host and the massive ad blitz for each say as much. Aaron’s cooking style is definitely different from either of those and would add to that new “portfolio” to increase viewership in their newly targeted demographic. It’s purely a business decision that they are going to make here. Bottom line, increased number of viewers equals increased ad revenue. Which is why Aaron has received all of that extra coaching along the way. They really, really want this to work out with him!

    Adam is good on camera and Tuschman loves that, but he can only smoke or BBQ meats (who knows how much of that was Shane’s help in the kitchen), which they already have enough of on the network (as in just about everyone already on the network, including Flay). Yet another reason Bobby doesn’t think he should win. His winning of the last competition really threw a wrench in the panels’ plans as he was the one everyone expected to send home.

    Lisa is the one with the most talent who can teach us something new every week. But how many people will want to cook her food every day, such as her cassoulet? Probably a lot less than want to cook Adam’s pork chops or Aaron’s chicken parmesan.

    I feel that I’m in the minority, because I would rather watch Lisa’s show than either of the others. Not because she’s from Dallas, but because I want to learn something new every week and not watch the same old thing they have on every other show. That’s why I’m also a Barefoot Contessa fan. I definitely don’t watch her show for her personality (does she even have one?). Lisa is multi-dimensional and can bring so many different things to a show. The stiffness on camera can be smoothed out pretty easily (and has come a long way already from the start of the show). It takes years to amass the kind of cooking knowledge she has – something Aaron and Adam don’t have.

    Mark my words, though, this is Aaron’s contest to lose and that will only happen if he bombed completely for a second week in a row…. which is very doubtful.

    @ 12:51 am on July 22, 2008

  26. Todd – Very interesting views and we feel that you are pretty much dead on right with your opinions.
    There’s so much about this show that I hate, I just can’t stop watching it now. God did I get sucked in around episode 2. Hehe. I should have turned the TV OFF when Iron Chef was over … Too late now. I thought that due to the demographics and target markets that the finalist would have been Nipa, Aaron or Jeffrey. We were shocked when Nipa was nipped, but throwing away the fish really pissed off some actual chefs, so that wasn’t right. But when Jeffrey bode farewell, we knew at that point that Arron will win, because food network wants another program to move in the direction that they are currently moving in, with marketing appeal. Nothing wrong with that, that’s business, and it’s not unlike the McD’s, and other burger joint heavily targeted ads lately. And that’s why they had to toss the rules out the window, because as badly as Aaron screwed up, with the heart wrenching ‘comedy’ stand up that made me pull a muscle in my stomach, bad quality food (hey it’s the F word, FOOD, what it’s all about), he was very plainly and clearly obvious as being who should have been cut. But now we can see that they don’t want to cut him, because as a for profit, business (not just an entertainment show) they have a plan they plan on following, regardless of the ‘rules’. Makes sense to us at least.

    Lisa? 1st thing my wife and I both thought is why is there a Vulcan or a Romulan on this show? We honestly thought it was a Star Trek related prank or joke, and it took a while to realize that this was supposed to be serious and doesn’t have anything to do with Star Trek at all. I mean, seriously, would people watch a show with, well… Sigh…. Call it “Out of this World cooking with Lisa I guess. Or maybe they could figure out how to actually show her ears so you can see that they are not pointed. Or something … Mercy.

    @ 5:53 am on July 22, 2008

  27. If Lisa would take Paula Dean’s popsicle stick out of her behind, she might have a future. Unfortunately, Martha Stewart has the lock on talking down to people…I feel sorry for her kids and their simple, refined palates at home!

    @ 11:56 am on July 22, 2008

  28. I LOVE Lisa and think it’s wonderful that she is educating her son to eat all kinds of foods. My son, who has restaurant experience and is a fabulous cook who eats everything, married a girl who could live on macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes and cold cereal. She has discovered caesar salad and we’re all thrilled. What is wrong with getting out of your comfort zone once in a while? I’m not going to make duck confit every day, but it’s nice to know how to do it if I want to. I already know how to make casseroles with canned soup and meatloaf and burgers and yes, mac and cheese. I watch this channel to LEARN something, but it’s getting harder and harder with their emphasis on personalities and politically correct ethnic balances. I think they really, really wanted Nipa to work out because she filled a void that wasn’t being met — and frankly, I was excited about learning to cook Indian food also, but she just couldn’t cut it. Lisa has style and class — she’s not a cookie cutter cutie, but she’s attractive in her own way and I think she has a lot more depth than has been shown. They edit these things to get the reactions they want from the audience.

    @ 12:41 pm on July 22, 2008

  29. Gypsybootz… in regards to nipa, you are correct. I think that is why they wanted to push JAG into the finals last year, even though he wasn’t the best finalist going in. Amy was the best and should have been in the finals originally, but they shafted her for JAG – and look where that got them….

    Nancy Nichols blogged last night that there will be a surprise from Lisa Garza on Monday. I’m hoping that my thoughts about Aaron are wrong and it’s to announce her new show!

    BTW, my programming guide tells me that the debut of the new show from the winner of TNFNS is Sunday, 8/3 @ 12:30pm CT, right after Down Home With The Neeleys and is airing in place of Guy’s Big Bite.

    @ 1:21 pm on July 23, 2008

  30. Has Guy’s Big Bite been canceled?

    At this point, I’d be happy if any of the final three won. I like them all.

    @ 3:55 pm on July 23, 2008

  31. I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been canceled….

    @ 4:00 pm on July 23, 2008

  32. Was out of town for 3 weeks – love my TIVO. Had a FN mini marathon on Monday night – fun!

    Cannot believe they didn’t boot Aaron. Not surprised that all you Lisa Haters didn’t mention how she saved Aaron’s butt during the throwdown competition. Aaron talks like he has marbles in his mouth. He’s seems like a nice guy, and obviously has some skill, but enough to carry a cooking show?

    As for Adam, he certainly is comfortable on screen, but cooking chops? How many episodes of “smoking meat” does one need to watch in order to learn that skill? I will give him points for the Lobster Mac n Cheese, although it’s not something I would make more than once.

    I,like many of the previous posters, watch the Food Network cooking shows for education and inspiration. What’s wrong with dressing nice and putting on makeup; setting a pretty and interesting table, and then serving beautiful and delicious food and wine on it for family and friends? I agree with Lisa that food doesn’t need to be dumbed down for children. I have always exposed my two sons to everything from Sushi to Foie Gras, and every ethnic food imagined. They are now 22 and 18 and have extremely sophisticated and adventurous palates. It drives me crazy to hear people talk about their finicky eaters at home – please; where do they learn that?

    My vote is for Lisa.

    @ 11:30 am on July 24, 2008

  33. Lisa lost people —- relax. The prayers have been answered!!!

    And if you want, you can view her exit interview here until The Foodnetwork realizes they screwed up and preposted content.

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_nf/text/0,2495,FOOD_20096_68004,00.html

    @ 10:27 pm on July 24, 2008

  34. Yep, they realized the huge mistake and took it all down. They took down Aaron’s “winning it all” video clip, as well as Lisa & Adam’s exit interviews where it was pretty obvious they had both been crying. They took down all three bio pages. They took down the Episode 8 Judges stuff – Bob’s Blog, Susie’s Vlog and all 2,800+ comments. All of it’s gone. And the “vote for fan fave” page says the finale will be aired August 8th. Uhm, coulda fooled me – everyone I know says it’s this coming Sunday July 27th.

    I’ve officially given up on Food Network. Absolutely atrocious. Complete debacle. Horrific unprofessionalism.

    Lisa, you’ll have my vote for life.

    @ 9:12 am on July 25, 2008

  35. Well the certainly was anticlimactic. I can’t believe how badly TFN screwed up by pre-releasing the results of this season. I’ve been blogging in TNFNS judges blog, and I was on last night when the results were leaked. Wow, I bet the sponsors are livid! I know the bloggers were last night. This morning I see that all of the comments have been deleted, as well as the finalists videos.

    I am a Lisa fan. She will be fine. She has a great many successes that she can point to, and a very bright future. I know we have definitely not heard the last of Lisa Garza. In the mean time, I understand Suze has been booked solid for the next several weeks, and Lisa will have much to do in light of her newly energized celebrity status. I can’t wait to see what she and Gilbert come up with next.

    Not to take anything away from the winner of the series, Aaron McCargo, Jr. He seems like a nice guy, and his food looks good. He has a great deal of work ahead of him, and his challenge will be to maintain his momentum. I wish him the best.

    @ 9:54 am on July 25, 2008

  36. People this is an old link:

    post new comments
    HERE. Thanks. NN

    @ 10:09 am on July 25, 2008

  37. adam is the REAL WINNER , … HE DOESN’T
    TRY HARD … HE BLENDS WITH THE CAMERA LIKE A REAL CELEBRITY … HE’S CHARMING AND HE’S
    JUST A NATURAL … HE SHOULD HAVE WON TO
    BEGIN WITH ! Aaron ??? … he’s warm … but , he tries too hard .

    @ 8:51 pm on January 5, 2009