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Flavortown Food Fight - Season 1 - Episode 06: Cheese Day
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00:01Thank you, citizens of Flavortown.
00:03Our amazing town square, with its constantly
00:06changing lineup of eateries, has brought together chefs
00:09from across America.
00:10This town is no joke.
00:12We're in Flavortown, it's got to be out of bounds.
00:14It's wearing a headband to the game.
00:16Out of bounds, over the top.
00:18Today's chefs will also have to prove
00:20that they are masters of the ooey, gooey ingredient, cheese.
00:25Staying cheesy.
00:26Cheese Louise.
00:27I think cheese day is probably the best day.
00:29This is the cheesiest.
00:30I proudly proclaim this as cheese day in Flavortown.
00:43We've got two new chefs arriving,
00:45and hopefully they have a fondue attitude.
00:48Chef Isaac Toops.
00:50I've been nominated for James Mead Shortlist for Best Chefs
00:53South three times.
00:54I am chef owner of Toops Family Meal and Toops Meadery
00:57in New Orleans, Louisiana.
00:58I've got what it takes to make it to the top,
01:00to tackle Flavortown head on.
01:02I'm big, I'm bold, I come with the flavor,
01:05and I'm good looking.
01:06And chef, Jamie Tran.
01:08Walking into Flavortown, I'm seeing a red, shiny car.
01:11I was like, ooh, should I steal that car or not?
01:15I've received Eater's Chef of the Year.
01:17I got nominated for a James Beard Award.
01:19Being a Vietnamese American, I want to get that paycheck to go to Vietnam.
01:24I want to see where my parents came from and see where my roots are from.
01:28Hi, chefs.
01:29Hi.
01:30You both have incredible pedigree.
01:31You both have earned your right to come to Flavortown Food Fight.
01:35But you'll not only have to outcook each other, you'll also have to try and defeat our returning champion.
01:42And here he comes now, Chef Adam Greenberg.
01:44Hey, champ!
01:47Guy, I got to tell you, man, I've been sitting back here for a week.
01:49Thanks for the keys to the car.
01:51Having fun in Flavortown.
01:53We're back again.
01:54Let's go.
01:55For some people, it goes right to their head.
01:57You win one competition, you think you own Flavortown.
02:00You are the returning champ.
02:02By the way, next time you borrow the car, you need to fill it up with gas.
02:05Absolutely, of course.
02:06I am a Food Network Chopped Grand Champion, four-time winner.
02:09I've also beat Bobby Flay.
02:11I can adapt.
02:12I'm a chameleon.
02:13I can be anything you need me to be when it comes to cooking.
02:15But everything I do is for my wife and for my son.
02:18And if I win this time, we're going to just keep adding to that bank.
02:21Chef, how much money did you win last time?
02:23$20,000.
02:24$20,000.
02:25Yeah.
02:26So not only did you win round one, you won round two.
02:30Yep.
02:30And you got the bonus money of $10,000.
02:32That's right.
02:33Now let's break down the laws of the competition here on Triple F.
02:36There are two rounds in the food fight.
02:38The last chef standing will have a chance to earn a paycheck up to $20,000, which you so did.
02:44And return to Flavortown to defend their title and hopefully win even more money.
02:49So there's a special decree that must be followed today in Flavortown because this is Flavortown's first annual cheese day.
02:59Hi.
03:00Right?
03:02My heart dropped because I got eliminated on Top Chef on a cheese challenge.
03:08Not cheese again.
03:09I was like, cheese Louise.
03:11So the lineup for the eateries tonight in Flavortown, we have the sausage and hot dog carts, very small but
03:18mighty.
03:19The pantry is filled with bad boy brats, delicious dogs, and enough cheese to float the judge's boat.
03:25Then we have Funky Noodle, the Italian noodle shop known for its cheese and more cheese ravioli, where the Parmesan
03:32cheese flows like Chiazzi.
03:35Then we have Guido's Pizzeria, the dine-and-pie shop where our motto is, in crust we trust.
03:41Then we have Chez Penny, named after my mom.
03:43The fine dining restaurant with a real French attitude because, well, it's that good and the formage is infomidable.
03:49The question is, who's going to choose the first restaurant?
03:53And I've got a great little way to do that.
03:58Okay, let's decide who's going to pick which restaurant first with a little trivia test about cheese.
04:05Oh.
04:06This is a little cheesy, I agree.
04:08There are five cheese-related trivia questions on your whiteboard.
04:12Whoever gets the most right in 60 seconds is going to win control of Flavortown.
04:18It's really important to win and be able to control your own destiny, but I know Isaac was on Top
04:22Chef.
04:22That's some real tough chops.
04:24He's going to be real tough to beat.
04:26Ready, set, go.
04:28I want to be able to choose the Funky Noodle shop.
04:31It's a little bit more of my realm.
04:34I'm hoping to choose a Chez Penny because I've worked in fine dining for a long time under Emeril Lagasse,
04:38and I think I can go above and beyond with the cheese in that kitchen.
04:4220 seconds left.
04:43I think sometimes in competition, less is more, and in this case, the food cart.
04:47I love it.
04:49All right, chefs, time's up.
04:51Go ahead and hold your clipboard up.
04:53Okay, what type of cheese is traditionally found in a Cobb salad?
04:57I've got blue cheese, blue cheese cheddar.
05:00Blue cheese is correct.
05:01Well done.
05:02Second question.
05:03What popular cheddar-like cheese is named for the Wisconsin town where it originated?
05:09I have Wisconsin, which is a state, not a town.
05:13I have cheddar, which is, I think, a town, but in England.
05:17I've never been to Wisconsin, and I don't even know anything about Wisconsin, but I know how to eat cheese.
05:23And I have nothing.
05:25Nothing.
05:25All right, and the answer is Colby.
05:28Oh.
05:29All right, which soft Italian cheese is used to make tiramisu?
05:35I have marscapone, marscapone, marscapone.
05:39Everybody's correct.
05:40Next one.
05:42What burger out of Minnesota with a rhyming name is stuffed with melted cheese?
05:46I've got Juicy Lucy.
05:49I got Nada, and I got Nada.
05:51Correct.
05:52Juicy Lucy.
05:54And last but not least, monchego cheese is made from the milk of what animal?
05:59I get monchego cow, cow, and sheep.
06:03Congratulations.
06:04It is sheep.
06:05Two points.
06:06Two points, and congratulations.
06:08Control of Flavortown, our champ, Chef Adam, with three points.
06:12Well done.
06:12All right.
06:13So, you get to choose Flavortown Restaurant, where everyone is going to cook in this round.
06:17We have the sausage and hot dog carts, Guido's Pizzeria.
06:20We also have the funky noodle.
06:23And then we have Shea Penny.
06:25Chef Adam, what are you thinking?
06:27I hope he doesn't pick the food cart.
06:29I never worked in a food cart before.
06:35I'm thinking carts, man.
06:37Wah, wah, wah.
06:39I love a good hot dog.
06:40I love a good brat.
06:41I feel like I belong in a cart handing out food to people right now.
06:44Okay.
06:45Yeah.
06:45Let's go.
06:49Well, chefs, welcome.
06:51The sausage and hot dog carts are, well, they're every Flavortownian's favorite place to link up.
06:58Ba-dum-bum.
07:00I'll be here all week.
07:01And here's the food cart manager, the one and only Hunter Fieri, to tell you about the menu.
07:06Hi.
07:08Don't laugh at that.
07:09It's an outstanding outfit.
07:10When you're in Flavortown, you have to dress the part.
07:12Yes, you do.
07:13Yes, you do.
07:14Chefs, today we have a great menu item, the ultimate dog.
07:17Ultimate dog, to me, is just how ridiculous can you make it?
07:22Now, this ultimate dog will be featuring the classic topic for hot dogs, blueberry goat cheese.
07:29Wow, blueberry goat cheese.
07:31Never had it before.
07:32Just thinking about a hot dog or something like that, it just doesn't seem right in any weird way.
07:37Okay, so they've got to use the blueberry goat cheese, but they can also use any other kind of cheese
07:40you want.
07:41That's right.
07:42The dishes will receive a ranking of the five-star dish, earns $5,000, and control of Flavortown for the
07:49next cook.
07:50Four-star dish, $4,000.
07:52The three-star dish, unfortunately, that would be the end of your shift.
07:56You have 25 minutes to make your ultimate dog.
07:59We are in Flavortown.
08:01Come on.
08:01It is cheesy day.
08:0325 minutes, starts now.
08:05Go, go.
08:06Go, go.
08:07Oh, oh.
08:08All right, all right, all right.
08:11Flat top.
08:12Got a fryer.
08:14Got a silly little green apron.
08:16The hot dog cart is equipped pretty well, but I feel like a bear in a mailbox.
08:20Okay, sharp cheddar.
08:22Blueberry goat cheese.
08:23That's a dancer's name in New Orleans.
08:26Who knew?
08:28Where's the blueberry cheese?
08:30In Vietnamese cuisine, we don't really use cheese.
08:33I love cheese, but I just don't cook with cheese.
08:35It's not, like, my forte.
08:36Not too much cheese on my menu.
08:38It's a huge advantage to come back to Flavortown as the champion.
08:41I've already played the game.
08:42I know how it works.
08:44I know that you really want to focus on the theme first.
08:46Let's try this goat cheese.
08:48See how this tastes.
08:49Cheesy is cheesy.
08:50So, just make it cheesy.
08:51Make it fun.
08:52Oh, that's nice.
08:53Oh, a little sweetness to it.
08:55The Flavortown bus has dropped off.
08:57Jet Tila and Antonio La Faso.
08:59Look at this place.
09:01How cool is Flavortown?
09:03I feel like I've been transported to a whole other world.
09:06And here's the mayor himself.
09:07Oh, I'm texting you right now.
09:09What have you guys been doing?
09:10Did my hot dog boy give you a tour?
09:12Oh, my God.
09:12This is cheese day in Flavortown, by the way.
09:15I think cheese day is probably the best day.
09:17But I don't think there's a really easy story to tell when you've got blueberry goat cheese.
09:21You know what I mean?
09:22I know.
09:23That's Swiss.
09:24All right, Chef.
09:25What's on the menu?
09:26Chef, I'm doing an Italian sausage hot dog with chorizo, a slaw, and a gouda and blueberry goat cheese fondue,
09:36if you will.
09:36So first thing I'm doing, I'm just going to warm up some cream so that I'll be able to fold
09:40in some shredded gouda, along with that blueberry goat cheese, and make a nice cheesy sauce.
09:44But I don't want to overload it with too much cheese, because I wanted it to be, you know, elegant,
09:49even though we're, like, in a food cart.
09:51In Connecticut, we're really well known for our hot dogs.
09:53I'm a sports fan.
09:55Pops and I used to go to Fenway Park all the time.
09:57So I'm really excited about making some sort of version of a hot dog here.
10:02Good luck, buddy.
10:03Sounds awesome.
10:03Thank you very much.
10:04A sweet Italian sausage.
10:05It's going to balance really well against that goat cheese.
10:08All right, we're going to make three hot dogs.
10:10I brought $20,000 home for my wife and son last week.
10:13I hope to build on that paycheck, and, you know, you're in flavor town.
10:16I don't want to finish second.
10:17I don't want to win a little money.
10:19I want to win all the money.
10:20I'm dropping that in the fryer because I want to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
10:25All right, it's time to button up, roll them up, and smoke the competition.
10:28Okay, walk me through this.
10:29What's on the menu?
10:30All right, Chef, I got you a Wisconsin French dip.
10:34A Wisconsin French dip.
10:36A Wisconsin French dip.
10:37Now, you've heard of French dip.
10:38Yeah.
10:38But this is from Wisconsin, so I got a little blueberry goat cheese fondue with some charred
10:43and pickled jalapeno, habanera, and red onion.
10:46And what kind of dog did you use?
10:47I used the pork frankenfurters.
10:49I'm a pork man.
10:50From South Louisiana, cochon de lais and pigs.
10:52Pig all the way around.
10:53I dig it.
10:54Well done.
10:55When I first moved to New Orleans, I begged for a job at Emerald's Restaurant, and I got one.
10:59And then I spent the next 10 years moving my way up, so I'm pretty well-versed in the
11:03basics, and I'm adaptable.
11:05When I taste the goat cheese, it's sweet.
11:07I need something to balance it out.
11:09Boston lager.
11:11Got a kicker opener?
11:16In traditional fondue, you warm up a little wine.
11:19In this fondue, I warm up a little beer.
11:21I'm a beer man, not a wine man.
11:23Yes, I'm nuts.
11:23No, I don't care.
11:24I melt that goat cheese in the beer.
11:26We are definitely not in Cajun country anymore.
11:28That is for sure.
11:3017 minutes.
11:31Chef Jamie, did you find enough delicious things in your pantry?
11:35Yes, I did.
11:36I see the spicy Italian sausage, and I quickly thought of, like, that spice and that blueberry
11:41goat cheese and making more of a Bundy-inspired dog.
11:45I have a bunch of caramelized onions.
11:47Okay.
11:47I'm pickling some cucumbers.
11:49An ultimate dog is a dog that has a lot more element and a lot of more ingredients.
11:55It's more fancy, I guess.
11:57A top dog wearing a tuxedo.
11:59There's a lot of flavor.
12:00Yes.
12:01And I'm trying to make a blueberry cheese sauce.
12:04My dad is a strict chef.
12:07I call him Popeye, because he has one eye.
12:09I learned the discipline and the technique through him, but the love of food came from my mom.
12:13It would mean a big deal to win.
12:16I want to go back and see where they came from and see their life before they went to the
12:21States.
12:21How are you feeling?
12:22I am feeling a lot of nerves, a lot of nerves.
12:25I'm intimidated by cheese, but I'm trying to get through this.
12:29Hopefully, just the flavors, everything goes well.
12:32All right, current champ.
12:34What's up?
12:34Current champ.
12:35How are you?
12:36What's going on, chef?
12:37I'm just finishing my sausage in the fryer to make sure it's cooked through.
12:41It's nice and crispy.
12:42I think it just comes down to flavor.
12:44Yeah.
12:44I'm really honored to cook for Jet Tila and Chef Antonia.
12:47So everything that's going on the plate needs to be perfect.
12:50Oh, man.
12:53Not those, though.
12:54The sausages are way too overcooked.
12:56I definitely can't use those.
12:5814 minutes.
12:59Not those, dawg.
13:00This is terrible.
13:01Never good to start something over.
13:02I'm here to defend my title, but now the target's on my back.
13:10I got to start my sausages over again?
13:12Not great.
13:13I'm going to actually reverse the process here rather than start on the flat top and cut them open.
13:18I'm going to fry them whole, and then later I'm going to split them down the middle and finish those
13:21on the flat top.
13:22Hopefully this works.
13:24I'm halfway through my cook.
13:25There's no time for it hurt.
13:26I like the idea of a crunchy slaw going on this hot dog.
13:31It's going to need a little heat to contrast that blueberry goat cheese.
13:34I want this to soften up a little bit.
13:36A little bit of play on a Chicago dog meets a Connecticut dog, if you will.
13:40To cook the chorizo, all you've got to do is just get it into a pot.
13:43I'm going to get the sweet Italian with the spicy chorizo, with that sweet goat cheese, and I think it's
13:48going to come together really nicely.
13:50All right, key with a hot dog, got to toast your buns.
13:52Got to toast the buns.
13:53We only had so many options as far as hot dog buns.
13:56I fell for the ultimate.
13:57I chose the largest one.
13:59Look at that.
14:00Nice and golden brown.
14:01That's a key to a good Connecticut hot dog.
14:03I check on the sausages again.
14:10Dogs are good.
14:11She did exactly what I wanted.
14:12They're going on the flat top anyway to finish.
14:15I like that.
14:16Last time I was here, I cashed a $20,000 paycheck, and you better believe I am coming for more.
14:22I'm here to stay, baby.
14:23I really like it here.
14:24The accommodations are beautiful.
14:26I get to drive guys' car.
14:28What else do you want in life?
14:29Hello, hello, my lady.
14:31We were just talking about the blueberry goat cheese, and there it is.
14:34I'm assuming that's what it is.
14:35God, I hope that's what it is.
14:36Is that or I can't read.
14:37How do you find the taste in everything?
14:40You know what?
14:40I'll be honest with you.
14:41I've hated goat cheese forever.
14:43Okay.
14:44During the early 2000s, I was working for Chef Emerald.
14:46Chef Emerald loves goat cheese.
14:48Yeah.
14:48Loves it, loves it, loves it, puts it in everything.
14:50So for the longest time, I had to eat so much of it that it became a thing.
14:54I'm like, ah, ah.
14:55So I still cook with it.
14:56I can still use it, but it's not my first choice.
14:58It's like, yeah, it's going to be interesting.
14:59How do you make the goat cheese like the star or prevalent or make it work?
15:05You know what I mean?
15:05So I'm actually thinking the opposite, is that goat cheese has such a strong, assertive flavor.
15:12Like, how is it going to sort of blend in with everything?
15:14Right.
15:14That makes sense.
15:15That's where I'm at with it.
15:16Because the goat cheese is so specific, I don't want to mix it with any other cheeses.
15:19But I do find a little bit of cheddar just to kind of balance it out.
15:23I'm going to mix that in, but we need something to counterbalance that sweet.
15:26All right.
15:27I've got a little triple Dijonese.
15:29Okay.
15:29I've got hot mustard, sweet mustard, and mayonnaise.
15:31I've got some habaneros, some jalapenos, some red onion.
15:34Kind of make almost an agro dulce with it.
15:36All right.
15:37So to counterbalance that sweet, I've got the hot and the acidic.
15:40All right.
15:40Sounds good, chef.
15:41All the flavors are there, all the components.
15:43Confidence, eight minutes to go.
15:45Pretty damn good.
15:46The Toopsis have been cooking Cajun food for 300 years when we immigrated to South Louisiana.
15:50Very proud of our name.
15:51Even though I've won a bunch of things and I've got a bunch of accolades, winning would
15:55mean, especially to my family, that I can still compete with the best of the best.
15:59But I need to win this round so I can cook at Shea Penny.
16:02It's a fine dining concept in a French restaurant, and I think it can go above and beyond in that
16:07kitchen.
16:07Hello, chef.
16:09What's happening?
16:10I'm with these boys.
16:12I'm always around boys.
16:13A sausage fest.
16:15I know I'm giggly and stuff, but I also like this in the kitchen sometimes.
16:19I give the mom's fear.
16:20My dad, he was a general in the Vietnam War.
16:22My dad's little training sessions came in handy.
16:26I grew up with eight other siblings.
16:29Definitely had to defend myself a lot.
16:31I'm going to make pickles just so this has some acid.
16:34Okay.
16:34Pickled in just a little red wine vinegar.
16:36Yes.
16:36And then I'm going to melt a little bit of cheese.
16:38It's cheese day, so I wanted to add that little nutty swish cheese into it.
16:42I'm just going to raw dog this.
16:45But I want my blueberry goat cheese sauce to be smooth, so I tossed it in the blender.
16:51And then I saw the mustard, and I wanted that mustard in there because you need something
16:56to cut down on the sweetness.
17:01Mmm, it tastes good.
17:02It's redemption time.
17:04Four minutes, four to go.
17:06Get a nice toasted bun down.
17:08We're going to put our sausages on there, and then some of that goat cheese gouda sauce right
17:12over the top.
17:13Cheese up to the heat.
17:14We're going to get the slaw, the pickled peppers, and we're going to highlight that blueberry
17:18goat cheese by putting a little bit on top of the slaw.
17:21Origami skills don't fail me now.
17:23I got my toasted bun.
17:24I slather my triple Dijon sauce on there.
17:26I add my wiener.
17:27I put my sauce on the side.
17:29My hands will stop shaking.
17:30I'll be great.
17:30Even though this is a hot dog dish, you've got to put some elements on it to make it
17:34look nice for the judge.
17:36Two minutes.
17:37Judges are hungry in the park.
17:40Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
17:43I put the spicy Italian sausage, then I added the blueberry goat cheese sauce, caramelized
17:49onions, and then I start adding the crunchiness of the shallots and the garlic, and I crumbled
17:55the blueberry goat cheese to reinforce that flavor.
17:58At the very end, I finished it off with the jalapeno.
18:01This is the cheesiest.
18:0220 seconds, chefs.
18:04We've got 20 to go.
18:05Going down to the wire here.
18:06Going down to the wire.
18:07Putting a little fried garlic for texture and flavor.
18:10Five, four, three, two, one.
18:15All right, I'm done.
18:16All set.
18:17I'm the pass.
18:18Everybody's done.
18:19Fantastic.
18:19Good job, chefs.
18:20You guys okay?
18:21Yeah.
18:22All good.
18:22How you doing?
18:23I'm all right.
18:24We're alive.
18:26I'm alive!
18:29All right, chefs, congratulations.
18:30How was it cooking in your food cart?
18:32It was intense.
18:33Yeah.
18:33No, actually, it's not a tent.
18:34It's a cart.
18:36It's a little...
18:37Chef Jamie, you were the first one to be plated and in the window.
18:40You're first.
18:43Hi, you guys.
18:44Hi.
18:44Chef Jamie.
18:45Hi, Chef Jamie.
18:46Howdy.
18:47Howdy.
18:47Howdy, dogs.
18:50Tell us what you made, chef.
18:51I made a bambi Italian sausage with the goat blueberry sauce with kind of mustard in there,
18:57the hot mustard.
18:58I pickled some cucumbers just to have that acid in there, kind of like a bambi with the
19:02hot, fresh jalapeno.
19:03And then I did a crispy shallot and the garlic for like that.
19:08And then caramelized.
19:09Wait, what was that?
19:10Wait, for what again?
19:12Okay, got it.
19:13And caramelized onion.
19:14Like sizzle.
19:17Every texture has its own sound bite.
19:20I don't know how to talk.
19:22All right.
19:23Thanks, Chef.
19:29I think the entire structure of the dog is perfect, right?
19:32It is.
19:32I love the onion, the jalapeno, the cucumber on there.
19:35I like the crumble of the blueberry goat cheese.
19:38I think that's actually perfect.
19:40Yeah.
19:40You know, I think as a over-the-top dog challenge, I think it's uber successful.
19:44And I think it eats like a bambi, right?
19:47Yeah.
19:47It's like a very light bun.
19:48It's brioche.
19:49It's really light.
19:50The dog itself is really well executed.
19:52But I don't get enough cheese.
19:55I get the blueberry goat cheese without question.
19:58But I think the cheesy part to me is being distracted by all of the vegetation.
20:02But overall, great job.
20:04I'm a moonwalk it out.
20:07Cheese.
20:08Oh, my God.
20:11Chef Isaac, you're up next.
20:13It's important to win this round because the thing I don't want to do is cook in that
20:17noodle restaurant.
20:18There's zero pasta in my restaurant.
20:20That's obviously the last place I want to go.
20:22What's up, Chef?
20:23Hello.
20:23How are we doing today?
20:24How are you?
20:25I have got a blueberry hot dog dip.
20:28Okay.
20:29Okay.
20:29You've heard of the French dip.
20:30Yes.
20:30That's been done.
20:32This is the blueberry hot dog dip.
20:33So we have a pork frankfurter, a butter toasted brioche.
20:37We have a triple mustard mayo sauce.
20:39I caramelized some habaneros, red onion, and jalapeno to counteract that blueberry sweetness.
20:45Amazing.
20:46Thank you so much, Chef.
20:47Appreciate it.
20:53The brilliance of this is kind of like the faux cheesy that you did with that mayonnaise
20:59Dijon mustard because it mimics like a cheese sauce, if you will.
21:03But it's tangy.
21:04It's bright.
21:05It's pretty darn delicious, right?
21:07Okay.
21:07And I think blueberry goat cheese was a success for you.
21:11You get acidity from it.
21:12You get the sweetness from it and just enough salt.
21:14So it's not this like overly funky sauce and it works really well with that snappy dog
21:19and all this accoutrement.
21:20But remember, this is cheese day.
21:22This isn't screaming cheese.
21:24No.
21:24Legitimate concern.
21:25I want more hot dog.
21:26Like, am I crazy to want two links in one bun?
21:28It's not crazy at all because it's supposed to be an ultimate dog.
21:31Yeah.
21:31It's an ultimate dog challenge.
21:32It's a really good dog.
21:34It's the ultimate dog.
21:35And I think what's lacking is that protein to bread problem.
21:37Yeah.
21:38Got you.
21:39Thank you, chef.
21:40Appreciate you.
21:40Thank you, guys.
21:41Judges said not enough meat.
21:42My restaurant's called Toops Meadery.
21:45I never hear that you don't have enough meat.
21:47All right, champ.
21:48Last but not least, go get them.
21:50Based on what I saw from both other chefs, I feel really good about mine.
21:54I think it's a five-star dish.
21:55I've got an ultimate dog for you today.
21:58We have sweet Italian sausage, chorizo, a blueberry goat cheese gouda sauce that went over the chorizo.
22:04Then we've got a slaw with some habanero, some pickled peppers.
22:08There is a little cucumber in the middle there, a la the Chicago dog.
22:11There's some crispy garlic on there.
22:13And then some more crumbled of the blueberry goat cheese on top.
22:16Enjoy.
22:21The flavors are super dynamic.
22:23I love this sort of chorizo ragu that went over the sausage.
22:27I thought that was really smart because you're getting, like, the beautiful flavors of spicy Italian sausage and that sort
22:33of smokiness element of the chorizo.
22:35So that's wonderful.
22:37I really like what you did with the blueberry goat cheese.
22:40You actually turned the blueberry goat cheese into, like, a slaw dressing.
22:43So it's got the tanginess.
22:44It's got the sweetness to it.
22:46And then when you mix, like, the peppers that are pickled, that actually becomes a really delicious slaw.
22:51My issues are you took a sausage, you hammered it, so you pulled all the fat out of it.
22:55Right?
22:55So when you pull all the fat out of it, there's not a lot of moisture in here.
22:59Right?
22:59I'm missing all the guilty pleasures.
23:01I think it needed more of that cheese sauce in it because everything ate a little dry.
23:06Right?
23:07I mean, all delicious flavors.
23:08I just think we needed a little bit more of that fondue.
23:10Great.
23:11Great.
23:12Thank you for the opportunity to cook for you both.
23:13Thank you very much.
23:14Appreciate you.
23:14I should have focused more on cheesy, but I think I put together a really nice ultimate dog.
23:19Judges.
23:20Yes, Chef.
23:20Did everybody give us an ultimate dog?
23:23Not everyone gave us an ultimate dog.
23:25There was one person that we felt gave us an ultimate dog.
23:28And I think sometimes fine dining chefs are crippled by their fine dining background.
23:32Right?
23:33And they don't always remember how to go backwards.
23:35But you worked at a hot dog stand.
23:38I worked at, yeah.
23:38Where you wore the outfit and it looked like Hunter's shirt.
23:41Correct.
23:42And you did the-
23:42Stopped lemonade.
23:43Yes, you did.
23:44Eat corn dogs.
23:45You worked at that.
23:46Yeah.
23:46Let's talk about cheese.
23:47Did everybody give you cheese?
23:49Everyone struggled with cheese.
23:51With all the cheese that you provided, the chefs did not utilize that cheese.
23:55But they did lean into the blueberry goat cheese.
23:57That was prevalent.
23:58It was forward.
23:59So nobody shied to that.
24:01Nobody shied to blueberry goat cheese.
24:03All right.
24:03So here's what I need from you, judges.
24:04I need the five-star dish, which will win $5,000 and take control of Flavortown.
24:09Heard.
24:10That's crazy.
24:10They get to choose the next restaurant that everybody will cook in.
24:12Yeah.
24:13Okay.
24:13I need the four-star dish, which will get $4,000 and also get to still compete.
24:18Unfortunately, I need the three-star dish.
24:20And that chef, their shift will be over.
24:21Heard.
24:22You got it, Chef.
24:26Chefs, we asked for the ultimate dog.
24:28We asked for you to highlight and recognize the blueberry goat cheese.
24:33I should have amped it up more.
24:35I am worried that that mistake will send me home.
24:38The judges rank the dishes from the three-star dish to the four-star dish to the five-star dish.
24:43I'm here to get the five stars, baby.
24:45I'm here to defend my title.
24:46And I want to add to my paycheck.
24:48The chef that scores the five-star dish is...
24:58Congratulations, Chef Jamie.
25:00Ooh!
25:01Well done.
25:03I didn't think I was going to get the five stars, but definitely learned from that round
25:08that I need to make sure the next round I am showing them a lot more cheese.
25:13Gentlemen, it's been an honor and a pleasure to have you cook here in Flavortown Food Fight.
25:17Unfortunately, only one chef continues on in the competition to battle against Chef Jamie.
25:23The chef that will be moving on with the four-star dish is...
25:32Chef Isaac.
25:34Congratulations.
25:35Thank you, Chef.
25:35Congratulations.
25:36Chef Adam, listen, it was a pleasure to have you.
25:39You are our one-time champ.
25:42You won $20,000, but now your shift is over.
25:45Thank you, Chef.
25:46Great having you.
25:47Chef, thank you.
25:48Congratulations.
25:48It's unfortunate to lose, of course.
25:50I really think it was super close between Isaac and I getting the three or the four.
25:54Maybe he just went a little harder on the cheese.
25:57So they both did a better job.
25:58They both deserve to move on.
26:01Congratulations, Chef Jamie.
26:02You have paid $5,000 towards your final paycheck.
26:05You have paid $4,000 to your final paycheck.
26:07But you only get to collect your paycheck if you win the next round of competition.
26:12There's a chance for you to make another $5,000 and some bonus money.
26:16But the chef that doesn't win goes away with nothing.
26:20You have the five-star dish.
26:21You get to pick which restaurant you're going to cook in.
26:23Your remaining choices tonight are the Fantastic Guido's Pizzeria, my hands-down favorite.
26:28Then we have Funky Noodles, where the noodles are always flavorful.
26:31And then we have Chez Penny, named after my mom.
26:34Fine dining restaurants, so high-end that the frog legs, well, they're required to wear pants.
26:40So there you have it, Chef.
26:41You got the five-star dish.
26:43You get to pick which location.
26:46If it was you, what would it be this time?
26:49Chez Penny, for sure.
26:50Okay.
26:52That's his idea.
26:53What's yours?
26:54Isaac is a strong competitor.
26:56He is a very talented chef.
26:58So I'm going to do something I'm more familiar with, and noodles are definitely something I'm familiar with.
27:04It's the Funky Noodles.
27:09All right, chefs, to the restaurant.
27:12Let's go.
27:16Chef, step up, step in, and I hope you win.
27:19Welcome to Funky Noodles.
27:21And here is the funkmeister of fun himself, our head waiter, Hunter Fieri.
27:26Look at that outfit.
27:27That's the most normal outfit he's got.
27:29The most normal outfit I've had.
27:32Chefs, welcome to Funky Noodles.
27:34Today on the menu, we have a nice special, cheesy pasta.
27:39I love cheesy pasta because it definitely tastes good.
27:43Cheese, cheese, cheese.
27:46Now, in this round as well, you have an opportunity to make some extra money in your paycheck.
27:51So we have three items here that you can upsell.
27:54First one being skimorza for an extra $2,000.
27:59Skimorza?
28:00Skimorza?
28:01Skimorza.
28:01What's a skimorza?
28:02It's a cheese.
28:03Okay.
28:04Oh, it's fantastic.
28:05And this is cheesy pasta.
28:07Doesn't mean you can't use other cheeses.
28:09But if you use the skimorza, it's going to want to be the highlighted cheese.
28:13Okay.
28:14The second option is camellini beans.
28:16And if you use those, you get an extra $3,000.
28:18And last but not least, for an extra $5,000 in your paycheck, you can use eggplant.
28:25Eggplant I can work with, but now we've got eggplant, beans, cheese, noodles, a lot of
28:31things going on, a lot of things to think about.
28:34Now, so far, Chef, you've got $5,000.
28:37You have $4,000.
28:38Whoever wins this, you could have a possibility of walking out with $19,000 or walking out with
28:44$20,000.
28:45And one of you will get the chance to be the champ and come back and defend the title.
28:49But remember, you only take home the money that you make with a winning dish.
28:54Your dishes need to be in the plate-up window in 30 minutes.
28:58First one to plate up is the first one to serve.
29:01One of you is going to be the new champ of Flavortown.
29:04You ready?
29:05Ready.
29:06Yes.
29:0630 minutes.
29:07Welcome to Funkin' Noodle.
29:08Let's go.
29:08Here you go.
29:09Play that Funkin' Noodle, white boy.
29:11Play that Funkin' Noodle.
29:14All right.
29:14I'll work here.
29:15You know, Guy gave us some good advice.
29:17Drop the hammer on the theme, you know.
29:19Skimorza.
29:20Brown once didn't have enough cheese in it, so we got more cheese.
29:23I didn't want one cheese.
29:24I didn't want two cheeses.
29:25I wanted five cheeses.
29:26Yeah, okay.
29:27I just got one of all the cheeses.
29:29Let's see.
29:30Even though it's an Italian noodle shop, I am planning to still use the Asian flavorings
29:36in my dish.
29:38Isaac, what are you making?
29:39I am going to grill this eggplant.
29:41Mm-hmm.
29:42I am going to make tomato anchovy sauce.
29:45Okay.
29:45Okay.
29:46Then I am going to float some burrata mozzarella right in the middle of a pasta and then bake
29:50that off, somehow incorporating the cannoli beans.
29:52I am not there yet.
29:53So I don't work with a lot of pasta.
29:54I am a Cajun chef.
29:55But I worked for Chef Elmo Lagasse for 10 years doing fine dining.
29:58So I am going with my culinary instincts.
30:00I use all the knowledge of the basics and my knowledge of cheeses to make this dish as
30:04a whole.
30:04I would just like to say that I'm concerned that you guys are dropping pasta at 27 minutes.
30:09I'm just giving mine a par blanche.
30:10I'm going to pull it off later and finish it in the sauce.
30:12I would be nervous making pasta in front of Antonia.
30:15You know, it's nerve-wracking having anybody watch you cook but having Antonia right up
30:19in there.
30:20I'm not going to be able to make a lot of mistakes today.
30:23Oh.
30:25Just shot olive oil in my face.
30:28I got olive oil in my eye.
30:30I'm trying to wipe it out.
30:31But I got no time to do this.
30:32I can't see in one eye.
30:33I'm literally flying blind over here.
30:35This dish is a little out of my comfort zone.
30:37So I really hope I pull through.
30:39I hope you guys caught that.
30:41What a rook.
30:45I got olive oil in my eye.
30:47But luckily I got the other eye.
30:49I didn't express anything in that one.
30:50So no excuses.
30:52Hilarious.
30:55Even though I didn't have Asian ingredients, I do know noodles.
30:58And I want to get the rigatoni going.
30:59Are you normally doing Italian-style noodles?
31:03Uh, I usually do Asian-style noodles, to be honest.
31:06How many Asian noodles have cheese in them?
31:08Ha!
31:09I'm looking for Flavor Town to give me a five-star trip to Vietnam.
31:12Remember, if I win.
31:13I would like to take that vacation and just go to Vietnam and do, like, a food tour around
31:18Hue, where my mom's from.
31:19Are you using any of the scamorza?
31:21Yes, I'm going to make a cheese sauce.
31:23Mm-hmm.
31:23Mm-hmm.
31:24And then I'm going to toss the pasta on it.
31:26Can I borrow your grater?
31:27Go ahead.
31:28Go ahead.
31:29I got dings from the last shift for not putting much cheese, so I'm going to put so much cheese.
31:34These guys are going to overdose on cheese.
31:37So I wanted to add more cheese to it.
31:40It's a lot.
31:42The question I would ask you, right, like, just because we want something cheesy, and even
31:47though we said there wasn't enough cheese in the last cook, can you overcheese?
31:53Why did I do that?
31:56One of these chefs, after this round, walks with all of the prize money that they earn,
32:02and if you lose, you can get nothing.
32:04Right.
32:04And Isaac is swinging for the defenses because he's got that upsell.
32:08Mm-hmm.
32:08So will it pay off?
32:10Yeah, yeah, yeah.
32:11Cantolady beans, they don't have a ton of flavor, so I add some salt, add some veal stock
32:15to them, puree them up with the marscarpone.
32:17I am flying by the seat of my demented pants.
32:20I have never done this dish.
32:21I'm just kind of going, so I'm mixing some burrata with the cantolady.
32:25Cantolini's.
32:28Cantolini beans is one of my all-time favorite beans.
32:30Mm-hmm.
32:30Big time.
32:30And you think about how well they cream up.
32:32Mm-hmm.
32:33And they cream with cheese.
32:34And the thing is, is this could be built with a cheese and then a cheese.
32:38Yeah, right.
32:39Oh, yeah, cheese!
32:45Way better than I thought I was going, babe.
32:47I like the savanness of the beans and the creamanness of the burrata.
32:49Needs a little kick, though.
32:51You know, the judges know what they're doing.
32:52They've done competition.
32:53They've done judging.
32:54A little South Louisiana love in this.
32:56So if the judges liked my dish, it would be fantastic.
32:59Another notch on my belt.
33:00Another thing that I know I can do.
33:02I'm thinking I'm going to wrap these up in basil mozzarella, then give them a good bake.
33:09Skarmosa.
33:10Skarmosa cheese never worked with it before, never had it.
33:13It tastes like almost a concentrated mozzarella that's been smoked.
33:17So I know it needs to pair with something that's slightly sweet, slightly salty.
33:21So my tomato sauce is a great way to go about it.
33:23Chefs, you have ten minutes to be plated in the window.
33:26Ten minutes.
33:27Ten minutes.
33:27Yes, chef.
33:28My noodles is spaghetti with Skarmosa.
33:30Winning $20,000 would be fantastic.
33:33Take my kids on a little French trip.
33:35Really get that French background and French heritage ingrained in our soul.
33:39I'm saying cheesy.
33:40Guy and the judges, they were looking for big, bad, cheesy goodness.
33:44So cream sauce has provolone and gorgonzola dulce.
33:47This is what I'm going to put over my eggplant.
33:50Gorgonzola.
33:50All right, that's five cheeses.
33:52So that's probably not a cheese that I would have paired together.
33:56When you have gorgonzola in something, that's all you have.
33:59That's all you can taste.
34:00Lots of cheese.
34:02What are you making, Chef Jamie?
34:03I'm going to make like a spicy eggplant to go on top of my...
34:07Rigatoni?
34:07Uh, yes.
34:08Very nice.
34:10Eggplant is one of those things that could really be polarizing in this dish.
34:14We're asking for cheesy.
34:15They could go too heavy with the eggplant, making an eggplant dish.
34:19Whatever they do, they've got to be able to taste it, and they've got to be able to see it.
34:23So with the eggplant, I'm going to make a spicy eggplant with a cannellini beans.
34:28I'm going to make a spicy chili oil on top of it.
34:31I'm going for the Asian spice in there.
34:34Woo!
34:35Yeah.
34:35There's some heat.
34:36Wow.
34:37Calabrian plus chili pepper.
34:39All right.
34:40Where did I put those plates?
34:42Four minutes!
34:44I add in my noodles.
34:46I cut some mozzarella and salamander so I can get a nice melty cheese pull.
34:53Can I borrow some of that heat?
34:55Yeah, go ahead.
34:56Slot it right over.
34:56And it kept on getting, like, less and less time, and I heard a tick-tock, tick-tock in
35:01my head.
35:01It feels like pressure.
35:03It feels like you're a pressure pot going...
35:07Chefs, two minutes to go.
35:09Yeah, I need to start plating up.
35:10I'm pretty confident in this dish, but I don't even have everything on the plate.
35:13I start with a regular round plate.
35:15I don't want the plate to shine.
35:16I want the food to shine.
35:17Beans go at the bottom, eggplant on the side, pasta to the other side, and then sauce right
35:22over the top.
35:23One minute, chefs.
35:24My plate is hot.
35:26Once I notice my mozzarella melted, I add in my spicy eggplant.
35:31It's a master of my domain, but I felt the pressure of the time.
35:36Five, four, three, two, one.
35:41Very nice, chefs.
35:42We're done.
35:45The olive oil is still in my eye.
35:48Congratulations.
35:49Great final round.
35:53Chefs, congratulations.
35:54Chef Isaac, you ready to rock and roll?
35:56I'm ready to rock and roll.
35:57Go get him, chef.
35:58I feel a lot better going into this competition.
36:00than I did on the hot dog competition.
36:02But at the end of the day, I'm only doing what I know how to do.
36:05Everything else, up to the judges.
36:07Better apron this time?
36:08I actually liked your apron before.
36:10It was very, like, cheerleader shop.
36:12So underneath, you have the base, which is the pasta bagioli.
36:16To the side, you have eggplant stuffed with burrata.
36:19On top of the eggplant, you have a gorgonzola and provolone sauce.
36:23The spaghetti is scaramusa, tomato paste, olive oil, and veal stock.
36:27Underneath, you've got cannelloni beans with burrata and hot sauce.
36:30The Louisiana heat.
36:31I didn't want to try not to hide the flavors of the cheese.
36:33At the same time, I wanted the cheese to shine and really just smack you in the face.
36:39I think the use of eggplant in your upsell was brilliant.
36:43You cut it to perfect thickness.
36:44You hammered it so you have the pliability, but you still have the texture of the eggplant.
36:48Okay.
36:48Spot on.
36:49The bucatini with the scamorza is delicious.
36:52Your cannellini bean.
36:54I love this kind of treatment where you made it into a sauce, right?
36:58I think, though, with the cheeses, it's lost on me.
37:01What throws the entire dish off is the use of the gorgonzola.
37:06Totally.
37:07I gotcha.
37:07So when you take gorgonzola, which is funky and pungent, and you combat that against scamorza,
37:14we lose the scamorza.
37:16All right.
37:17I appreciate it.
37:17Thank you, guys.
37:19In terms of cheese day, I think he knocked it out of the park.
37:21Oh, 100%.
37:21I think every cheese in the refrigerator is in this dish.
37:23All right, chef.
37:24Okay.
37:25Big deep breath.
37:25You got this.
37:26You got this.
37:26I don't know what to expect, and I don't know what the judges are going to think.
37:31Hi, chef.
37:32Hi, Jamie.
37:32I definitely got the cheesy down, but any minute mistake can just send you packing.
37:38So I made a rigatoni, a rigatoni, and then I made it a sauce, and then I folded in some
37:45mascarpons for the creaminess, and then ricotta to go with the pasta.
37:48Then I folded in the scamorza.
37:49And then I took mozzarella, and I salamander it, and it went, but I like spicy, so I did
37:58do the eggplant and beans, like a condiment, kind of like a chili topping.
38:03Yeah.
38:03Chef, you did a really great job on hitting cheesiness.
38:07The pasta has chew to it.
38:09It's enrobed with a really nice cheese sauce.
38:12Yeah, I'm really obsessed with that eggplant, Calabrian chili, cannellini beans.
38:18I see throughout great texture.
38:20It adds texture of the eggplant, but the miss is the scamorza.
38:26And not that you had to use it, but you did use it, right?
38:29The scamorza is kind of overtaken by fresh mozzarella.
38:32Okay.
38:33And I think they're all very neutral cheeses, which is great with that chili and that eggplant,
38:37but a little more of the scamorza would have really had that thing throughout.
38:40Okay.
38:41Thank you very much.
38:44You know, she did so much work here to make it really unctuous and decadent, but I think
38:48she missed the vote on that scamorza.
38:50Agreed.
38:51I got cheese happy.
38:55I don't know what I got saddled with here, folks.
38:57Uh, chefs, here's what's going to happen.
38:59I'm going to go talk to the judges.
39:01One of you two will become the new champ of Flavortown.
39:04Yes, chef.
39:05Yes, chef.
39:05I don't know what to think right now, so I'm definitely waiting on what the judges think.
39:12I feel confident about my dish.
39:13I felt a lot better.
39:15I know it's going to taste good.
39:16Is it going to taste better than Chef Jamie's?
39:18We'll see.
39:19Did we get cheesy pasta?
39:20We got the most cheesy pasta I've ever had in my entire life.
39:24Both dishes.
39:25Let's talk about Chef Isaac.
39:27Best eggplant use, period.
39:30However, then Chef Isaac came in with the Gorgonzola Dolce, which I thought overpowered the scamorza.
39:40Let's talk about Chef Jamie.
39:42Cheesiness knocked it out of the park.
39:44I think her pasta was cooked really well.
39:45But the con on her dish was the lack of scamorza.
39:50She used very neutral cheeses, and she just didn't put it on the train.
39:53She could have leaned into it heavier.
39:54Yeah, correct.
39:55Got it.
39:56All right, judges, there's big money on the table.
39:59But first and foremost, I need to know, who's the five-star dish?
40:06Well, chefs, congratulations.
40:08I think you did a fantastic battling it out in Flavortown.
40:11You've made dishes that celebrated cheese all competition long.
40:16Unfortunately, only one of you will receive the big paycheck for your efforts and become the new champion of Flavortown.
40:23Chef Isaac, this would give you an opportunity, Chef, to win $19,000.
40:29Chef Jamie, if you were to win this round, you'd be walking out with $20,000.
40:34The chef who prepared the five-star winning dish and is the new champion of Flavortown Food Fight is...
40:48Congratulations, Chef Jamie!
40:58Chef Isaac, this was too close to count.
41:01And I will tell you what, your daughter's got to be proud of their dad coming out here to compete.
41:05And we'll look forward to seeing you again.
41:08Thank you, Chef.
41:08Chef Isaac, thank you very much.
41:10You know, I'm disappointed I walk out of here without a win.
41:13But that's the nature of the game, you know?
41:15Got to play to win.
41:18Congratulations!
41:18Congratulations!
41:19$20,000!
41:21There's our champ!
41:23$20,000!
41:25And that's real cheddar.
41:26I am super proud of myself.
41:29I got my Regentson on that down cheese.
41:31I was so happy.
41:33Chef, what do you do with the money?
41:35I want to go to Vietnam.
41:36I want to see where my mom and dad were born.
41:38I want to go back and see where they're from, because I know they miss home.
41:41I just want to see where my roots are.
41:43I think it's really neat.
41:44You know, you are so energetic and enthusiastic and comical and voices and noises and all of
41:50that.
41:51But deep down inside, you really are a family girl.
41:53The good news, you're leaving with $20,000 with an opportunity to come back next time
41:58and win even more money.
42:00I like money.
42:01Congratulations, Chef!
42:02Congratulations, Chef!
42:03Congratulations, Chef!
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