Atlanta, GA  (RestaurantNews.com)  American Hospitality Furniture’s restaurant furniture will be featured on an episode of Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible show. The episode airs nationally on October 26th and will feature Chef Robert Irvine and his team’s challenge of turning around failing restaurants all across America. The premise for each show is that Chef Robert and his team travels to a struggling restaurant and rescues it within two days and a budget of only $10,000. On the first day, Chef Robert observes how the restaurant and its staff operate, and then he helps the staff to correct their mistakes while updating the menu. On the second day, the design team updates the look and atmosphere of the restaurant while Chef Robert takes his marketing to the streets and tells the community about the project. The final scenes show the grand opening of the restaurant and a closing statement by Chef Robert himself.

The head designer for the design team of the October 26th episode, Krista Watterworth, contacted American Hospitality Furniture about purchasing furniture for the show after viewing the company’s website, AmericanHospitalityFurniture.com. The company was able to quickly turn around the required quantity of furniture in time for the grand opening. American Hospitality’s PR team was present during the live filming of the opening, along with local business persons and politicians. The meal from the restaurant’s updated menu was delicious and the redesigned restaurant looked absolutely fantastic.

Krista and her design team deserved high marks for the amazing renovations they provided the restaurant. The before and after pictures of the restaurant seating, the restaurant tables, the bar, the walls, and the flooring can be found on the company’s website. American Hospitality Furniture continues to provide quality, affordability, and great customer service, and, with Restaurant Impossible, has cooked up a recipe for success in the restaurant furniture industry.

The editors of Food Network Magazine, the best-selling epicurean title on the newsstand, set out to find the best pizza in each state and now, in the September issue, they reveal the winners.

The winning pizzas, from by-the-book classics, like the sausage pizza at DeLorenzo’s in Trenton, N.J., to brash pies that break every rule, like the Mashed Potato pie at Portland, Maine’s Otto pizza and the Crab Rangoon pie from Fong’s Pizza in Des Moines, all have one important thing in common: They’re well worth the trip.

The magazine also quizzed the network’s stars on their pizza preferences: Duff Goldman loves anchovies, added after the pie is baked; Ellie Krieger likes a healthy, thin-crust, whole wheat pie with veggie toppings and Guy Fieri keeps it simple with olive oil, parmigiano-reggiano and rosemary.

“When we set out six months ago to find the greatest pizzas in America, we didn’t insist on thin crust, or red sauce — we didn’t even care if they were round. They just had to be awesome,” said Maile Carpenter, editor in chief, Food Network Magazine. “We found out that pizza is an even more sensitive subject than we thought, and there will be people who are surprised by our choices, but that’s the whole point: There’s no single best way to make it.”

The September issue of Food Network Magazine hits newsstands on August 9. To read more about the top 50 pies in every state, visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/50bestpizzas.

And the winners are:

• ALABAMA – The BLT pizza from Trattoria Centrale in Birmingham
• ALASKA – The Alaskan Salmon pizza from Capri Pizza in Anchorage
• ARIZONA -The Salsiccia pizza from Parlor Pizzeria in Phoenix
• ARKANSAS – The Stuffy Underdog pizza from Damgoode Pies in Little Rock and Fayetteville
• CALIFORNIA – The Wild Nettle and Pecorino pizza from Pizzaiolo in Oakland
• COLORADO – The Mais pizza from Pizzeria Locale in Boulder
• CONNECTICUT -The White Clam pizza from Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, multiple locations
• DELAWARE -The Saint pizza from Pizza By Elizabeths in Greenville
• FLORIDA -The Shortrib pizza from Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami
• GEORGIA – The “Yuppie” slice from Vinnie Van Go-Go’s in Savannah
• HAWAII -The Boquerones pizza from V Lounge in Honolulu
• IDAHO -The Wild Forest Mist pizza from Pizzalchick in Boise
• ILLINOIS – The Cheese pizza from Pequod’s Pizza in Chicago
• INDIANA – The Purple Pig pizza from The Rolling Stonebaker food truck in Beverly Shores
• IOWA – The Crab Rangoon pizza from Fong’s Pizza in Des Moines
• KANSAS – The Taco pizza from Wichita Pizza Company in Wichita
• KENTUCKY -The Pollotate pizza from Boombozz Pizza & Taphouse in Louisville
• LOUISIANA – The Pizzaletta from Cascio’s Market Bistro in Bossier City
• MAINE – The Mashed Potato pizza from Otto Pizza in Portland
• MARYLAND – The Flag pizza from Joe Squared in Baltimore
• MASSACHUSETTS – The Lobster pizza from Scampo in Boston
• MICHIGAN – The Naples Sampler pizza from Tomatoes Apizza in Farmington Hills
• MINNESOTA – The No. 7 pizza from Black Sheep Pizza in Minneapolis-St. Paul
• MISSISSIPPI – The Gumbo pizza from Tony’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in Gulfport
• MISSOURI – The Prosciutto pizza from PizzaBella in Kansas City
• MONTANA – The Best Pizza Ever from When in Rome in Bigfork
• NEBRASKA – The Classic Hamburger pizza from La Casa Pizzaria in Omaha
• NEVADA – The Mulberry Street from Metro Pizza in Las Vegas and Henderson
• NEW HAMPSHIRE – The Spicy Guacamole pizza from MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar in Nashua
• NEW JERSEY – The Sausage pizza from De Lorenzo’s in Trenton
• NEW MEXICO – The No. 3 pizza from Rooftop Pizzeria in Santa Fe
• NEW YORK – The Margherita pizza from Kesté Pizza & Vino in New York City
• NORTH CAROLINA – The Buffalo Chicken Pizza from Wingzza food truck in Charlotte
• NORTH DAKOTA – The House Special from A&B Pizza in Bismarck and Mandan
• OHIO – The Sunnyside pizza from Bar Centro in Cleveland
• OKLAHOMA – The Big Country pizza from Hideaway Pizza in locations statewide
• OREGON – The Pesto pizza from Dove Vivi in Portland
• PENNSYLVANIA – The Parma pizza from Osteria in Philadelphia
• RHODE ISLAND – The Summer pizza from Al Forno Restaurant in Providence
• SOUTH CAROLINA – The Pistachio Pesto pizza from EVO in North Charleston
• SOUTH DAKOTA -The Spicy Meatball and Sauerkraut pizza from Charlie’s Pizza House, Yankton
• TENNESSEE – The Belly Ham pizza from City House in Nashville
• TEXAS – The Hill Country pizza from West Crust Artisan Pizza Pies in Lubbock
• UTAH – The Roasted Corn pizza from Pizzeria 712 in Orem
• VERMONT – The Green Mountain Special from Parker Pie Co. in West Glover
• VIRGINIA – The White Mushroom pizza from Crozet Pizza in Crozet
• WASHINGTON – The Country Girl Cherry pizza from Solstice Wood Fire Café in Bingen
• WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Smoky pizza from Comet Ping Pong
• WEST VIRGINIA – The Grape Pie from Pies & Pints in Fayetteville and Charleston
• WISCONSIN – The Mac n’ Cheese pizza from Ian’s in Madison and Milwaukee
• WYOMING – The Thai pizza from Grand Avenue Pizza in Laramie

Food Network Magazine appeals to food lovers of all ages and culinary abilities, offering accessible recipes and tips, as well as unprecedented access to America’s favorite culinary stars. Every issue showcases great kitchen tools, food products, new restaurants and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the network’s most popular shows.

A new opening of a Five Guys Burgers and Fries causes visitors to line up for hours just for a taste. Other “better fast food” chains like Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill are stealing more traffic from casual restaurants like Applebee’s than from fast food giants. Customers are enjoying the combination of low prices, fast service and fresh ingredients.

Americans may be used to picking up nothing but a burger and fries at their favorite fast food joints, but beer and wine may soon be available too. Burger King locations in large towns like Las Vegas and Miami are now testing a “Whopper Bar” concept. Two South Florida Sonic restaurants will be adding alcohol to their menu as well.

Darden Restaurants, the parent company behind Olive Garden, is increasing the value priced menu offerings of the popular Italian food chain. Recent research demonstrated that the chain could capture more of the households with an annual income of under $60,000 by offering lower priced meals. They’re planning to maintain the same profit margins even with new menu items.

The founder of the Phillips Seafood Restaurants chain, Brice R. Phillips, has passed away at age 90. With the help of his wife Shirley he was able to open Phillips Crab House in 1956. The small restaurant grew into a chain of 19 locations and a line of retail seafood products. Their flagship store also constantly ranked highly in the top 100 highest grossing independently owned restaurants.

Two restaurants from Muskegon, Michigan have been featured on the Food Network’s new show “Outrageous Food”. Bernie O’s Pizza and Papa Bear’s Restaurant have both enjoyed increased business from the positive publicity. Customers traveled from neighboring states to try the incredibly hot Firebird pizza or the massive stuffed hash browns known as the Grizzly.

The Cheesecake Factory has announced that July is now National Cheesecake History Month. The restaurant’s Facebook page will share interesting stories and facts about the development of the famous dessert. The end of the month culminates with the National Cheesecake Day Celebration and the new Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Cheesecake.

Dairy Queen’s newest ad campaign features a commercial with Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton in a pinata. The commercial is part of the new “So Good It’s RIDQulous” concept. A DQ manager hits the pinata and Mary Lou Retton comes tumbling out of it. Retton was chosen for her iconic status and for being a Gen-X mother of four.

Benihana, America’s largest and most popular Japanese steakhouse chain, has announced the monthly Chef’s Special for July. Hibachi Shrimp & Chicken for Two will be available at the discounted price of $36. The meal includes five courses and drinks. Classic Benihana sides like onion soup, Benihana salad and hot green tea is all included.

The Wienerschnitzel chain turns 50 this summer just in time for National Hot Dog Month. The company is starting a “Chili Dog Days of Summer” promotion by sending the Wiener Wagon out to give away 5,000 free chili dogs. The truck will make 20 stops across Southern California in areas like Los Angeles and San Diego.

Pizza Inn is expanding in the Midwest again. The newest location for the chain opened in Springdale, Arkansas in a larger travel center. The location cooks full sized pizzas from scratch despite being part of the convenience store. The chain is now in three states including Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.

A little publicity goes a long way.

Business is strong at two Muskegon-area restaurants – Papa Bear’s Restaurant and Bernie O’s Pizza – thanks to appearances this month on the Food Network’s “Outrageous Food” series.

The attention has attracted new customers, providing a boost in an economy that has been less than kind to some restaurants.

“It has blown our business right out of the water,” said Robin McElfish, owner of Papa Bear’s.

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Wolfgang Puck’s newest restaurant, CUT, has added an interactive wine list accessed by iPad to the Las Vegas location. Wait staff hands customers an iPad that displays listings of all spirits, beverages and wines offered by the restaurant. Smart Cellar designed the software that helps both guests and sommeliers choose the best wine for each meal choice.

Atlantic Lottery’s Coasters are unique entertainment locations that seamlessly combine gaming opportunities and a friendly bar atmosphere. Buzztime, a leading producer of electronic bar games, is adding their specialty game devices to nine Coasters locations in New Brunswick, Canada. The company has even added a new game with French text to make Coasters customers excited about playing Buzztime games.

Saladworks, a national fresh tossed salad chain, has been named one of the top 10 Best Franchise Deals. This award was bestowed upon the company by QSR Magazine. A feature piece in the June issue of the magazine explains the many reasons for choosing Saladworks, including unit volume sales of over $800,000 on average and low start up costs.

Quiznos is developing a new partnership with the convenience store chain Hess to open over 50 new locations in Florida gas stations. Quiznos is expanding into joint positions like this one to take advantage of pre-existing retail spaces. Building new locations from the ground up wastes money and space if there is already a built, finished space ready for the chain’s newest location.

Projections developed by the National Restaurant Association show that restaurants will add 425,000 new jobs this summer. This would amount to a 4.6 percent increase over the job totals measured in March. Summer employment hasn’t been that high since 2007, the year before the current economic recession began.

Seasons 52, a chain restaurant that combines fine dining with a full service piano bar, has chosen the next location to expand. Kansas City will soon be home to a new restaurant in the Country Club Plaza Shopping Center. This will be the 24^th location for the Seasons 52 chain, and is slated to open in early 2012.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has been a East Coast favorite for many decades, but they’ve announced plans to greatly expand their current menu. New items will include a wide range of salads to offer deli lovers an alternative to their famous sandwiches. The salads are topped with the same freshly prepared meats as the sandwiches, as well as gourmet toppings.

Food Network’s “Outrageous Foods” will feature the Muskegon eatery Bernie O’s Pizza. This will be the second Food Network appearance for a restaurant in the town. The newest episode of “Outrageous Foods” showcases the Firebird, a 28-inch pizza topped with the spiciest ingredients including minced jalapenos, hot sauce, breaded chicken and an extremely hot chili powder.

The Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant in Oviedo is holding an anniversary celebration this Thursday. One lucky winner will walk away with a new 42-inch flat screen television. Customers can also win other prizes, including gift certificates and free food. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a $1 barbecue sandwich starting at 11 am and ending at 1 pm.

Brinker International is repaying stock dividends of $0.14 on June 30^th after a strong first quarter. The Board of Directors for the company has also freed up $250 million in funding to repurchase a large amount of the company’s common stock. The company operates over 1500 Chili’s locations and is a minority owner of Romano’s Macaroni Grill.

If you’re a fan of blazing hot food, served up in enormous portions, chances are pizza isn’t the first item that you look to for your fix.

But Addam and Heather Oliver, owners of Bernie O’s Pizza in North Muskegon, want to change your mind.

And they just might have the answer: a 28-inch pizza topped with breaded chicken, cheese, bacon, celery, ranch dressing, hot sauce, minced jalapeno peppers, and topped off with chili powder that’s estimated to be 300 times hotter than a jalapeno.

“You have to be able to eat a lot, and you have to be able to withstand the hottest pizza in the world,” Addam Oliver said of the pizza, known as The Firebird Challenge.

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Zagat has released their newest survey for New Jersey. Over 1,000 restaurants were rated by over 6,000 diners. Top winners include Red Bank’s Nicholas, which received an average score of 29 out of 30 points, and newcomer Picnic that received 27 out of 30 points. Anyone interested in reading the reviews can access them Zagat.com or read them in the 2011-2012 Guide.

The Zagat survey gave the Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant a great review. The restaurant, which is located in Montclair, New Jersey, was lauded for its unique menu of Ethiopian finger foods and cool, calm atmosphere. The homemade injera bread, a spongy flatbread, was singled out by reviewers as the restaurants best feature.

As summer arrives McDonald’s is reintroducing their popular Asian Salad. It returns this month and will be available nationwide until September. The salad features a bed of romaine Leninist topped with Asian inspired ingredients like edamame and a special low-fat sesame ginger dressing. Customers can also top their Asian salad with crispy fried or grilled chicken.

Boondocks BBQ & Grill may only have 12 tables, but they’re about to be featured on the Food Network. The popular show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives will visit the Boondocks Grill in one of the 15 episodes in their upcoming season, which begins next week. The owners of the restaurant aren’t sure which of the episodes they will be featured in.

Culver’s, one of the only fast food chains left in America still serving frozen custard, is now offering a new mini mixer size for their popular Concrete Mixer blended dessert. The concrete mixer blends your choice of any of Culver’s famous frozen custard flavors with a variety of interesting mix ins. The mini mixers size is designed for customers who can’t finish a larger size.

White Castle is adding a new menu item by topping their famous fries with bacon and ranch dressing. They are also adding two new sliders with the bacon and cheddar slider and the bacon and ranch slider. All three new menu items will only be available until July 2. customers can pick up coupons for these new bacon flavored items on Facebook or the White Castle webpage.

Luby’s is reintroducing three favorite entrées for the summer season at participating restaurants. Diners can once again enjoy the honey barbecue chicken, served with onion rings, or the mushroom chicken madeira with wine sauce and fresh mushrooms. The grilled Summer tilapia will also be returning accompanied by cheese tortellini.

Bagel lovers who are watching their waist lines should head down to their local Bruegger’s location to try the new Skinny Bagel. The bagel tastes and feels the same as any other, but it has 100 fewer calories. The recipe hasn’t changed – the chain found a way to cut their regular bagels that removes about a third of the center of the bagel without damaging the crust.

A stroke of luck gave Bob and Maria Burdette the name Boondocks for the BBQ & Grill they opened  the week before Christmas three years ago.

But it’s been hard work and attention to detail that’s responsible for their restaurant on State Route 60 just north of McConnelsville drawing patrons not only from Morgan County but also throughout the state and beyond.

The Burdettes recently got the news that their 12-table restaurant will be featured in a segment on the Food Network’s popular “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” show during its new season, which starts next week.

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Famous Dave’s of America, Inc. announced today that Famous Dave Anderson, BBQ legend and founder of Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que, along with Charlie Torgerson, Directory of Culinary, will be featured in Food Network’s Best In Smoke competition, a new four episode program that premieres Sunday, May 8, 2011.

Aric Nissen, Famous Dave’s Vice President, Marketing and R&D said, “Famous Dave’s is extremely proud that Food Network has recognized Famous Dave Anderson as one of six of the best BBQ masters in the country to compete in Best In Smoke. In fact, participating restaurants will be serving Blackberry BBQ Ribs and Blackberry BBQ Lettuce Wraps that were inspired by Dave from the Best In Smoke competition.”

Dave Anderson founded Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que in his quest to serve authentic, legendary pit BBQ to people across the country. ”Dave’s passion for BBQ is unmatched,” continued Nissen. ”Most people are surprised to learn that we have ‘scratch’ kitchens, using the freshest of ingredients and that we smoke, cook, and grill our menu items right there in the kitchen. Our BBQ is smoked for up to 10 long hours in smokers on site at each location. That is what makes all Famous Dave’s locations authentic BBQ joints.”

The Best In Smoke series premieres on Sunday, May 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Six of the best barbecue masters hailing from cities across the U.S. meet in New York City to face off for a $50,000 grand prize and the right to claim the title of Best In Smoke. Hosted by Bryan Caswell (season three contestant on The Next Iron Chef), this competition tests the competitors’ endurance and skill as they take on multiple challenges in a day with limited resources and cook for vastly different audiences.

From barbecue to desserts to single bite hors d’oeuvres, no food is off limits. Contestants show off their personal style and quick wit throughout the competition, but a final mad dash to three separate venues around Manhattan and Brooklyn will determine which competitor will be awarded the coveted title of Best In Smoke.  At the end of each week’s episode, viewers will learn which competitors advance to the next round of the competition.

Host Bryan Caswell kicks off the competition on the premiere show by challenging the six teams to create their best “single bite” for the judges. Once the clock starts, it’s an all-out scramble and the competitor who cooks up the best “single bite” wins immunity from elimination and joins the judging panel for the next round. Then, the competitors devise the ideal BBQ hors d’oeuvre for an upscale art gallery opening. The fate of the finalists hangs on the opinions of the gallery guests who decide which competitor is safe from elimination.

Famous Dave’s will use innovative social media to make the show more available to Guests and fans. Founder Dave Anderson and Charlie Torgerson will host an “After the Show ‘Que & A” on Monday, May 9, that will be live-streamed from a Minneapolis Famous Dave’s restaurant. The show will be hosted online on the Famous Dave’s website so fans from all over the world will be able to view the after show live at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Fans will be able to submit questions, and Dave and Charlie will answer them live, along with sharing special moments and behind-the-scenes insights. If Dave and Charlie make it to the next round, the live-streaming after shows will continue airing online on Monday nights.

With niches as specific as cake decorating already acknowledged with multiple shows (Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and TLC’s Cake Boss), it seems as though there couldn’t possibly be a facet of the food genre that TV hasn’t tackled yet, but the upcoming America’s Next Great Restaurant will attempt to challenge that notion. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay and Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells are teaming up with NBC to try and introduce an aspect of the restaurant business the viewing public hasn’t seen yet: the complete execution of a restaurant idea, from conception to grand opening.

Contestants from all over the country, with their own idea of what would make the next great, “fast casual” restaurant chain in America, will vie for an ultimate prize of having their concept brought to life with three startup locations in Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York City. Flay and Ells, along with chef and restaurateur Lorena Garcia and renowned Australian cooking personality Curtis Stone (The Biggest Loser, Take Home Chef), will serve as both judges and mentors to the top ten contenders throughout the season and, also, personally invest in the winning business model.

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Is your restaurant failing? Is the menu stale, the décor dated and the clientele smaller than the wait staff?

Then the Food Network wants you.

Representatives for the show “Restaurant: Impossible” are coming to metro Detroit to find locations for Season 2 of the new series, in which chef Robert Irvine spends two days and $10,000 to transform a sinking restaurant into — he hopes — a successful one.

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Charlotte NC’s legendary Penguin Drive-In, a regional culinary icon since 1954, will hold a grand reopening celebration Saturday, January 15th at 11 a.m.  The event will include live music, giveaways, and of course, fried pickles.

With its distinctive American Fare, The Penguin has been featured in such venues as The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The Original Penguin Drive-In has been a landmark in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood for over 57 years.  It is now operated by Big Game Brands, a Charlotte-based company seeking to expand the Penguin Drive-In’s brand throughout the U.S.  

“We are excited about bringing the Penguin’s unique brand of traditional American cooking back to the Charlotteans that have supported this restaurant for generations.” says Martin Sprock, Owner of Big Game Brands, “Over the next few years, even more people will have the chance to enjoy these classic local dishes through the growth of the Penguin brand to other cities.”

The original Penguin Drive-In has been completely refurbished, but still features the classic dishes that have made it a favorite local eatery for dozens of years, including the Famous Penguin Fried Pickles and the Famous Penguin Pimento Cheese dishes.  For more information, please go to www.penguinrestaurant.com.

Between Hell’s Kitchen, Masterchef, The Next Food Network Star, Top Chef, and 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, it’s been quite the busy summer for reality food competitions. But just when you thought TV’s proverbial stove top was getting overcrowded, along comes The Great Food Truck Race, a delicious reality concoction sure to simmer in the late summer heat. Sort of a cross between Cannonball Run and Top Chef, The Great Food Truck Race follows seven gourmet food trucks—which serve everything from burgers to crepes, banana pudding to frog legs—in a cross country road trip from Los Angeles to New York, during which the restaurants-on-wheels must test their cooking skills and business savvy to outsell their competitors. Pretty innovative, right? Food Network staple Tyler Florence, who serves as “the host and the axe man” on the surprisingly exhilarating program, talked to EW about his new hosting gig and what kind of ride we should expect from The Great Food Truck Race, which premieres tonight at 10PM on Food Network.

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Since my new television show 24 Hour Restaurant Battle premiered about three weeks ago, I have quite a few people on Twitter and Facebook, as well as some customers and friends asking me the same thing:

“Is this really possible?”

It’s on the Food Network if you haven’t see it (or would like to). If you don’t know about it, the basic gist of the show is pretty straight-forward: two teams each open a restaurant from scratch in just 24 hours, competing against each other to realize their dream — opening their very own restaurant.

These contestants, or aspiring chefs and restaurateurs, are charged with developing a concept, executing it and everything that goes along with that: interior design, menu, budget, and of course, food. Each team is provided with help that they have to manage — just like a real restaurateur.

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Ask any restaurateur and he’ll probably tell you that opening a new eatery is so stressful that it can make strong men weep. And that’s with months, maybe even years, to plan it.

Now, imagine doing the same thing, from identifying a concept to putting food on the table for customers, in the span of a single day.

That’s the gauntlet thrown down for contestants on “24 Hour Restaurant Battle,” the new Wednesday Food Network series in which dueling two-person teams have just 24 hours to accomplish all that, with the finished product being evaluated by a chef, a restaurateur, a food writer and a public relations person.

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Producers from Food Network and The Next Food Network Star have done it again with their new show 24 Hour Restaurant Battle which premiers Wednesday, July 21st. There will also be a sneak peak episode airing on Sunday July 18th, after The Next Food Network Star. The show takes two teams of two, with or without restaurant experience, and pits them against each other to see whose restaurant will be a five star and whose will be an epic fail. The judges rotate through the season, including such illustrious celebrity chefs as Jason Denton, Geoffrey Zakarian and Marcus Samuelsson  of Top Chef Masters Season 2 fame. Today, host Scott Conant sat down to talk with Reality Wanted about what 24 Hour Restaurant Battle is really about.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the show.

A. Scott Conant: The show is essentially two teams of two that have to open up a restaurant in 24 hours. It is pretty interesting and a lot of fun! We have a huge space and we basically cut the space in half and each team opens a restaurant there on either side of the room. The teams create a concept, design a menu, design a room, they have a $4000 budget to create this, and then they are off to the races. It is like a race to the starting line because then you have to serve up to 100 people once the restaurant opens. It is a lot of struggle and fun, there are people who really nail it, and there are a lot of surprises, even for the judges.

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There’s yet another player in the reality television food competition: Food Network is set to premiere 24 Hour Restaurant Battle on Wednesday, July 21. The show features two teams of two who have to conceive, plan and open a restaurant in 24 hours — one team member takes the front-of-house duties like décor and service, the other is in charge of menu design, shopping and cooking. The winning team takes home a $10,000 prize and most likely, exhaustion.

Chef Scott Conant — a past guest judge on Top Chef and Chopped — will host. Each week will feature a rotating cast of judges joining Conant; regular appearances will be made by Time Out New York food critic Gabriella Gershenson, restaurant marketing and PR expert Alison Brod, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, Myriad Restaurant Group’s Drew Nieporent, Iron Chef America judge Karine Bakhoum and Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Together, the panel of judges offers three areas of expertise: restaurant marketer, restaurant reviewer, and restaurant investor.

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Scripps Networks Interactive, which also owns the Food Network, decided preemptively to create an edgier second eatery before a competitor could swoop in and steal its lunch, not to mention its viewers. Hence the Cooking Channel, which launches in high def on May 31 and will target the foodies in the 18-49 demographic.

The channel will debut under the supervision of Food Net vet Michael Smith and with the ministrations – and, no doubt, the minestrone – of David Rocco (host of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita), Chuck Hughes (Chuck’s Day Off), and a host of other hosts. The focus is food of all nationalities, ethnicities and varieties. Also on the menu are vintage episodes of The Galloping Gourmet and old Julia Child shows.

At an evening reception earlier this week during the Cable Show, passion, though not passion fruit, was much in evidence. Even the execs seemed like waiters at a Greek restaurant ready to break out in song. Smith, the channel’s General Manager, glowingly showed me program clips on his new iPad and even newer ultra-thin Sony Vaio. He’s an early adopter of technology, with insight worthy of a Stanford grad who crafted his own major in science, technology and public policy. It’s not yet clear what the channel’s own mobile strategy will be – perhaps “Arugula? There’s an app for that!” – though of course there’s a website.

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Giving back is in fashion at this year’s Salute to Excellence gala benefitting the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) youth development programs.  This annual fundraiser showcases some of the restaurant and foodservice industry’s biggest names, and this year will feature specialty fashion show TREND, spotlighting style in foodservice apparel and gear from this year’s National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show exhibitors.  Decked out in cooking couture, models will walk the catwalk emceed by Food Network’s star Ted Allen.
 
“It is thrilling to be a part of such an exciting and original event,” said Allen, host of the culinary competition series Chopped. “The restaurant and foodservice industry is an environment that fosters innovation and creativity, and this fundraiser supports the future leaders of the industry while mixing trends in food and fashion – an inspiring combination.”
 
The NRAEF’s annual Salute to Excellence draws more than 800 of the industry’s most influential and inspiring individuals together to support NRAEF’s programs, including the ProStart program and the NRAEF Scholarship Program. In addition to the newly installed fashion show, achievement plays a big part in the evening as the NRAEF recognizes outstanding students, educators and a slate of industry legends as its 2010 honorees: S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A; Ferdinand Metz, CMC;  Dr. Jerald Chesser, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Alice Elliot, The Elliot Group; and Denise Fugo, Sammy’s.   

“It is our privilege to host Salute to Excellence and spotlight our industry’s top stars,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF.  “Ted Allen’s participation in the TREND fashion show brings a new level of excitement and originality to this year’s event in support of our efforts to strengthen the industry’s prosperity, prominence and community involvement.”

Now in its 23rd year, Salute to Excellence celebrates the current and future leaders of our industry. This event is made possible by the generous contributions of founding partner The Coca-Cola Company, as well as Ecolab, Inc., Rich Products, Sweet Street Desserts, Tim Hortons USA, Georgia-Pacific Professional, Kellogg’s, Procter & Gamble Professional, American Express, Livebookings, and Nation’s Restaurant News.  Special thanks to our 2010 TREND sponsors: Chef Revival, ChefUniforms.com, ChefWorks, Crocs Professional Footwear, Dansko, Dickies Occupational Wear, and Shoes for Crews.

Tickets for the Salute to Excellence may be purchased individually or by a table of eight. For more information or to purchase tickets online, please call (312) 715-5384 or visit http://www.nraef.org/events/salute.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2010 will be held May 22-25, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The event attracts tens of thousands of attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcases more products, services, innovative ideas and other growth opportunities than any other industry event. For more information, visit the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show.  

As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) enhances the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The restaurant and foodservice industry comprises 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees, making it one of the nation’s largest employers. The NRAEF is focused on working with the Association to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation by providing the valuable tools and resources needed to educate our current and incoming employees. For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org.

Aria Kagan never imagined herself cooking for a living, even though she worked in her parents’ Wisconsin café and loved the family atmosphere.

But now, the 30-year-old Hollywood resident could have her own cooking show on the Food Network.

Kagan, a single working mother, auditioned for the network’s “The Next Food Network Star” last summer after friends encouraged her to follow her dreams. After two auditions in Atlanta and one in New York, hours of interviews to showcase her personality, and cooking demonstrations on how to make tortellini from wonton wrappers, she made the cut. Kagan and 11 other “chef-testants” will battle it out on the reality cooking show in which the last chef standing wins his or her own cooking show on the Food Network.

“I’ve always wanted my own cooking show,” Kagan said. “If you want something really badly, then you just have to go for it and chase your dreams.”

Kagan’s interest in cooking began at 17 when her mother brought her to a farmer’s market for the first time. The freshness of the ingredients inspired her to start her culinary career. She received her associate degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and started working in restaurants right after.

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There’s more food TV than ever to chew on — shows featuring barbecue tips, chef smackdowns, easy Italian dishes, sailor-mouthed kitchen bosses, diner dispatches and cakes that look like race cars.

Want more? Or maybe the better question is, need more?

The Food Network is betting on it.

The Cooking Channel debuts next month and, like its well-established sister channel, it will offer 24-7 food programming. Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay and a few other Food Network stars will pull double duty on the new channel. But executives with Scripps Networks Interactive, which owns both channels, say the Cooking Channel will have a different flavor, one with more emphasis on international cuisines, drinks, food culture and advanced cooking techniques.

One executive likened the relationship between the two channels to a major movie studio and its indie-spirited niche film division.

“The tone and the style and the feel that we’re going for is a little grittier, a little younger, a little more contemporary,” Bruce Seidel, the new channel’s senior vice president for programming and production, said.

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Delaware North Companies and Food Network, one of the most popular lifestyle networks on television, have entered into a partnership to develop new menu, restaurant and retail concepts for the global hospitality and food service provider’s locations across North America.

Delaware North operates at sports stadiums, entertainment complexes, parks, resorts and airports, including marquee locations such as the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey, Delaware North-owned TD Garden in Boston, Los Angeles International Airport, Kennedy Space Center, Yosemite National Park and The Queen Mary.

In the first phase of the multiyear agreement, Food Network is creating signature dishes for suite menus as Delaware North’s Sportservice division introduces the partnership to its Major League Baseball clients. Sportservice operates concessions and premium dining at more than 50 sports and entertainment venues in North America.

Sportservice’s chefs will be introducing the Food Network-branded menu items at several ballparks in the coming weeks after Opening Day, including at the Cleveland Indians’ Progressive Field, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Busch Stadium, the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ballpark and Rangers Ballpark at Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers.

Food Network reaches nearly 100 million U.S. television households with popular lifestyle programs, including Iron Chef America, Chopped and Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, and superstar chefs Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and others. Its Web site, www.foodnetwork.com, attracts nearly 10 million unique visitors each month. Food Network Magazine, with a subscriber base of 1.25 million, is considered one of the most successful magazine launches of the 21st century.

“At Food Network, we are all about feeding people’s passions in fun and interesting places,” said Sergei Kuharsky, general manager, new business enterprises at Scripps Networks, a division of Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), owner of Food Network. “This partnership with Delaware North Companies allows us to spread our table wider, and deepen Food Network’s relationship with viewers who have always wanted to taste what they see us serve up on TV, online and in the magazine.”

Delaware North will build and operate the concepts, while Food Network will provide training, brand standards and marketing support. All food, beverage and retail concepts developed as a result of the partnership will carry the Food Network brand.

“We are thrilled to be working with Food Network, the brand that connects millions of people to the excitement and joy of preparing, learning about and enjoying food,” said Dennis Szefel, Delaware North’s chief administrative officer. “Food Network has the depth of culinary expertise to help us develop new and unique food and beverage concepts and experiences for the millions who dine at the special places where Delaware North operates.”

Delaware North’s Travel Hospitality Services division is already working with Food Network “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto to create Skewers, a unique Asian dining concept for airport travelers. The division operates dozens of national and regional brand restaurants and shops at more than 20 major U.S. airports.

About Delaware North Companies

Delaware North Companies is one of the world’s leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States with revenues exceeding $2 billion annually and 50,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.

About Food Network

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and averages more than 9 million unique web users monthly. In its first year Food Network Magazine doubled its rate base and passed the one million circulation mark. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (http://www.gactv.com/) and Cooking Channel, is the manager and general partner.

The Food Network featured several quick-service restaurants in two episodes of the Unwrapped series Monday night.
 
During the Fool-Good Foods episode, the show focused on Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s secret spice blend and its special frying technique. The blend includes onion, garlic, spices and capsaicin hot chili peppers. The chicken pieces are tumbled in the spice mixture, then marinated for at least 12 hours.
 
Marshall Scarborough of Popeyes also demonstrated the making of the brand’s Big Easy Chicken Bowl, which features layers of pulled chicken mixed in Cajun-style gravy, red beans and seasoned rice, all topped with sour cream, shredded cheese and Louisiana Hot Sauce.
The chain goes through 12 million pounds of flour each year to batter its chicken. Also used in a year: 5 million pounds of rice and 20 million pounds of red beans. Its restaurants sell 30 million biscuits annually as well.
 
Although not the focus of the segment, the location where the episode was filmed gives a good look at the chain’s new prototype and logo.

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Former employees of top chef Bobby Flay’s restaurants are finally getting a serving of justice.

The Food Network star has agreed to pay $800,000 to workers who allege they were cheated out of wages and tips while working at his popular Manhattan eateries.

Flay denied any wrongdoing, but in court documents said he would rather settle with the workers than go to trial.

When reached by phone, Eli Zev Freedberg, the attorney representing

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With his bleached, spiky hair, Guy Fieri doesn’t look like the business type. His style is more bowling shirt than Brooks Brothers suit, more hang-loose than buttoned-up. But that suits his public just fine.

Fieri gets paid to cut up for the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and the results are paying big dividends. Fieri is part of a growing phenomenon known as the “rock star chef,” who can fill large venues with foodie fans. It may look entertaining, but it’s also a serious business, and Fieri, 42, is highly driven, as evidenced by the red ’67 Chevy Camaro Super Sport convertible he uses on the Diners show.

Fieri was already a successful restaurant owner when he won the reality TV series The Next Food Network Star in 2006. Since then, he’s become host of three Food Network shows and written two cookbooks based on his experience on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. In addition to extensive travel and live appearances, he still owns five restaurants in northern California.

Fieri didn’t create the “Triple D” concept, he says, but going into a mom-and- pop restaurant and sharing their stories on TV is “truly a gift.” As a small-restaurant owner himself, he knows the marketing budgets are small and the recognition on TV a huge opportunity. He doesn’t choose the locations, but he does vet the food. After all, some places may be dumps aspiring to be dives.

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Thirteen of the nation’s most acclaimed chefs battled it out for a “good cause” at the fourth annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival’s Burger Bash hosted by the Food Network’s Rachael Ray.  In addition to their skills at the grill, their potato prowess was tested during the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) Side Dish Challenge.  The IPC, a Silver Sponsor of the Festival, enlisted 13 of the Burger Bash participants to go the extra step and prepare a prize-winning Idaho® potato side dish.  The Grand Prize was a $5,000 donation to Florida International University made by the IPC on behalf of Chef Mark Zeitouni.

This renowned group of culinary experts quickly slipped into friendly competition mode as they prepped, peeled and presented their Idaho® potato sides to a panel of judges.  The judging team included Frank Muir, IPC President & CEO; Don Odiorne, IPC Vice President, Foodservice and none other than nationally syndicated TV personality Art Ginsburg, aka “Mr. Food.”  ”This evening’s side dishes once again reminded us of not only the passion and talent demonstrated by these chefs but the breadth of ideas for serving Idaho® potatoes,” said Frank Muir.  ”Tonight was no exception.  All the participating chefs deserve a round of applause.  After we visited all 13 booths, where we conducted our sampling and scoring, we awarded the Grand Prize to Chef Zeitouni for his Homemade Tater Tots.”  

“I am always on the lookout for great tasting recipes that use readily available and low-cost ingredients, like Idaho® potatoes.  Once again, these top-notch chefs over-delivered in this year’s Side Dish Challenge and elevated the Idaho® potato, to ‘celebrity food’ status,” said Mr. Food.  ”It’s important to stay inspired in the kitchen and be reminded that there are endless cooking options with great-tasting, healthy ingredients.  The dishes I tasted tonight are a testament to America’s culinary creativity.”  

“The Homemade Tater Tots are really a simple dish – easy to prepare, healthy and delicious. It’s basically an Idaho® potato cake mixed with shallots and green onions,” said Zeitouni. “Idaho® potatoes work especially well for the Tater Tots because of their high solids content – more potato, less water – they are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.”  

Chef Zeitouni received special kudos from Mr. Food, who after he tasted the Tater Tots, exclaimed “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

In addition to the Side Dish Challenge, IPC hosted a tropical themed booth, serving freshly cut Idaho® Potato Parmesan Fries with savory dipping sauces under the supervision of Chef Todd Downs, President of Food Sense in Fort Wayne, IN.  Students from Florida International University assisted Chef Downs who served hundreds of hungry Burger Bash guests.

The side dishes were judged on a five-point scale for each of the following criteria:  Use of Product, Originality, Presentation and Flavor.  The side dish with the highest total score captured the Grand Prize.  Other participating chefs included

• Govind Armstrong – 8 Oz. Burger Bar    
• Jonathan Bennett – Moxie, The Restaurant and Red, The Steakhouse
• Sean Brasel – Meat Market
• David Burke – David Burke‘s Primehouse
• Thomas Connell – Bistro One LR at The Ritz-Carlton
• Gabriel Fenton – Bourbon Steak
• Stephanie Izard – The Drunken Goat
• Jake Linzinmeir – X Cafe
• Michael Lomonaco – Porter House New York
• Tim Love – Love Shack
• Olivier Muller – DB Bistro Moderne
• Laurent Tourondel – BLT Burger

For consumer and foodservice recipes and tips, visit www.idahopotato.com

The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is a national, star-studded, four-day destination event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities.

The Idaho Potato Commission is a state agency that is primarily responsible for expanding the markets for Idaho®-grown potatoes through advertising, promotion and research. The Commission also protects the use of the “Idaho®” potato and “Grown in Idaho®” seals, which are federally registered Certification Marks that belong to the IPC. These Marks ensure that consumers are purchasing potatoes that have been grown in the state of Idaho.  For more information visit www.idahopotato.com.

Have you always dreamed of running your own restaurant? Does your wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, partner or friend share that dream?

Do you make restaurant quality meals at home and want to show that you can take it to the next level? Are you a pro in the kitchen while your teammate is a star in the front of the house?

If so, keep reading for your chance to prove you have what it takes to run a restaurant AND the potential to win a case prize!!

WHERE WE’LL BE:

We will be holding open calls in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Washington D.C. Check out our “Open Call Information” page for detailed information.

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

Two person teams with pre-existing relationships: Husband & wife, ex-husband & wife, father & daughter, mother & son, newlyweds, brothers, sisters, twins, cousins, best friends, etc.

The Skills to Run a Restaurant: Applicants may have no restaurant experience, a ton of restaurant experience, or some combination of the two. One member of the team will be the chef and run the kitchen and the other will run the “front of the house,” so all we ask is that you have the skills to, as a team, actually run a restaurant.

Personality that Pops: Are you and your teammate charismatic and outgoing? We’re looking for lots of energy and charm!

Over the past several weeks, Food Network has been introducing us to the “Worst Cooks in America.” These are people with no knowledge of what to do (or even what instruments to use) in a kitchen, and over the course of the show they receive guidance from Chefs Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan.

What’s on the line? For the two chefs, it’s all about reputation. The winning cook from each “team” will create a dish of such a high degree that a panel of judges will believe it was done by the professionals.

Now that the competition is near the end, I recently talked with Chef Anne (who also appears on “Iron Chef America” and hosts “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef“) about her experiences dealing with such novice cooks.

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• Chef Magazine
• Chef Educator Today
• Le Chef – France

Last Saturday afternoon at the Cooper Square Hotel on the Bowery, some 60 staffers sat down for a marathon tasting orchestrated by the chef Scott Conant, who will soon open a new restaurant called Faustina there. Amid the aroma of fresh paint, the whine of a circular saw, and the sight of artisans applying silver gilt to various surfaces, Faustina’s waiters and dishwashers sampled olive-oil-poached sardines, veal porterhouse steaks and tajarin pasta with tomato and sea urchin (which Mr. Conant described as “sex in a bowl”).

“I feel like I’m a contestant on my own Food Network show,” Mr. Conant said, referring to “24 Hour Restaurant Battle,” a new program he hosts that allots competitors precisely one day to whip up a new restaurant, from concept to menu to décor.

This is the era of high-velocity restaurant makeovers, where noteworthy establishments are born, or reborn, in the time it takes to make a batch of crostini. In September, Ed’s Chowder House rose from the ashes of a steakhouse, Center Cut, which had closed less than a month earlier. In San Francisco, the Australian chef Luke Mangan’s restaurant, South, closed shop on Dec. 19 and will reopen in February — minus Mr. Mangan — as Marlowe, a “friendly neighborhood” bistro. Meanwhile, a Guinness record nomination is in order for the Tasting Kitchen in Venice, Calif., which managed to open all of six days after taking over from the A. K. Restaurant Bar + Grill last summer.

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• Restaurants That Work: Case Studies of the Best in the Industry
• The Restaurant: From Concept to Operation
• Design and Layout of Foodservice Facilities