The Next Food Network Star: Finale (season finale) - open thread

I have to lump myself in with the "would have preferred Jeffrey" people.

I find myself a bit surprised to say that -- all along I liked Melissa, was rooting for (and expecting) her to win every since about episode 3... but then seeing the two pilots in the finale, I realized that I preferred Jeffrey's pilot manyfold over Melissa's.

Is the "Ingredient Smuggler" title perfect? No (but as evidenced by Melissa's show's transition from "Kitchen Survival Guide" to "Ten Dollar Dinners," nothing in the pilots was final). But at the end of the day, the idea of taking an unknown ingredient and showing what can be done with it totally captivates me.

I doubt I can find Harissa at my local Safeway, but you know what? I'm intrigued by it, and am willing to travel all over my city, to the ethnic supermarkets and import stores, to find the stuff. Not just willing, but am planning to do so this weekend. If I don't like it, then fine, I don't like it. But I do want to try. Which is a heckuva lot more than anything I can say about Melissa's show.

Melissa was fake and her food was dull. My wife and I already do what she does and probably better. Jeffery would taught me something new, maybe I use it, maybe I don't, but at least there would be potential.

My guess is Melissa was set up to win from the start. Her "story" was concocted to feel like the "mom next door" ... who just happened meet her husband and learn to cook while living in France! The story is a fake as her smile.

I can not belieive Melissa won over Jeffery. She makes me unconfortable watching. She has no relationship w/ the camera. She make you feel on edge or out of place- like she is just going thru the motions. Rachel Ray has humor and passion. Arron Mccargo has personality and style. Do your 13 shows and make way for a real star.

From Week 1 I did like and root for Jeffrey. I thought he had a great personality, and he did win most of the challenges. As the weeks went on, I did think that Melissa did prove herself and made some nice dishes. I did feel that both Jeffrey and Melissa deserved to be in the finale. However, after seeing Melissa's family (the oldest just turned 4), I was quite surprised and felt like she lost her credibility. She always talked about how she made this and that for her girls. I didn't realize her girls were so young. I have a 4-year-old and she's a good eater, but there's no way she would eat some of the things that Melissa supposedly made for her "girls". FN you picked the wrong winner. I will not be watching Melissa's show.

I love watching the food network and have followed this for the most part from the start. I think Melissa and Jeff were the best two for sure. Jeff could be a little arrogant at times but was amusing. Very happy for Melissa and wish her the very best. Will be watching for her new show and maybe Jeff's in the future.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I didn't watch this season. However, from what little I did see, Melissa made my teeth itch. There's just something about her that's really offputting to me. I saw a few minutes of last week's episode last night, and wanted to reach through the screen and smack her when she was comparing herself to Julia Child. Needless to say, I won't be watching her show.

From what I'm reading here, I'd totally be into Jeffrey's concept. The grocery store isn't an insular little place anymore, and knowing what to do with all the new ingredients popping up would be a good thing. But as a longtime reader of Slashfood, I'm not surprised you'd rather stick with the familiar, Bob. ;)

Of course, I would've been into Debbie's concept too - I don't think they've had a decent Asian cooking show since Ming Tsai left.

I was glad to see that Melissa won! She was my favorite and I think she will be a great hit among home cooks everywhere! I am sooo tired of seeing Guy Fieri looking a HOT MESS with the dyed white hair and black roots and earrings acting as goofy as he looks; and Giada looking like she comes dressed to breast feed everytime she is on air (hanging all out of her clothes like she is starved for attention!) I mean, most of her audience IS housewives and we do NOT want to see THAT!!! Melissa seems down to earth, smart, and seems to have endless ideas that will be fun to hear about! Way to go Food Network!!! I think there was sooo much more need for her ideas and don't think Korean Food Recipes would have lasted more than a couple of weeks! (I was already tired of them after these weeks of seeing them!) Way to Go Melissa!!!

Perhaps I am the minority, but, though I watch the Food Network often, I very rarely cook what I see on the shows. I look to these programs to inspire my dishes, not create them. I will, in fact, be making a mint and sundried tomato mayonaise this week.

Jeffrey's idea was far more original and came with, in my opinion, more expertise. I hope that he will also get his own program, because I don't see the legs with her concept.

I'd say they went with safe, but not the best.

Melissa's concept is safe but deadly boring and a bit of a rehash of what they already have in Sandra Lee and others. Her pilot felt so overly familiar it could have been a clip from some show already on the air. The tips are fine, but they were no more inspired than the raft of information in places like Good Housekeeping and Gladd commercials.

Jeffrey's pilot was far more interesting and engaging. The judges gave it the biggest nod they could when they said it not only made them hungry, it made them want to go out and try what was being demonstrated. That's what keeps viewers coming back.

The title could use a little tweaking, but was headed in the right direction; it was the kind of concept their marketing and production people could have easily refined into some as memorable as the show itself. As for accessibility, it took exactly ten seconds on google shopping to find not only dozens of places to order his ingredient from, but the exact product used in the pilot was one of the first results returned. There's not really much that's hard to find and obtain in the age of the internet, just about wherever you are.

C'est la vie.

I understand why they chose Melissa. Though I think she is less talented than Jeffrey, she probably appeals to a larger percentage of FN's customer base, and her concept is marketable. It's also pretty dull in my opinion. I've seen shows that address what Melissa is trying to accomplish, and the internet is flooded with recipes that do just this.

Personally, I like Jeffrey's concept and even the title, 'Ingredient Smuggler'. I don't think it was really intended to suggest that one should go to foreign countries and illegally smuggle ingredients. Can I go down to Wal-Mart and purchase harissa? Probably not. A simple amazon search turns up several options though, so it's not as if it isn't accessible. I guess I'm in the minority here, but I was looking forward to Jeffrey's show and have no interest in Melissa's. I hope FN finds a place for him!