Food Network Star (season 8)
The eighth season of the American reality television series Food Network Star premiered Sunday, May 13, 2012 and consisted of 11 episodes. The format for the eighth season changed to three 5-member teams, each coached by a Food Network host — Alton Brown, Bobby Flay or Giada De Laurentiis. This season viewers had the opportunity to follow the show or their favorite team on Twitter.
Contestants
Eliminated
'Runners-Up
Winner
Contestant Progress
Episode summaries
Week 1: Impossible Beginnings
The contestants were introduced and chosen by their mentors.- Star Challenge: The teams were challenged to each open a new restaurant in 24 hours, with $5,000 total to spend on food and decorations. Then, the teams had to present their restaurants to 150 guests, who would decide which restaurant they would like to go to, Robert Irvine, and the Selection Committee. The restaurants that were opened were Do South, The Tasting Space and Blu.
- *Winners: Team Bobby: Eric, Kara, Malcolm, Michele, Nikki
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Cristie of Team Alton, Josh of Team Giada
- *Producers' Challenge: Create a Mother's Day brunch item and present it to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Cristie
Week 2: NYC on the Go
- Star Challenge: The teams are each sent to one neighborhood in New York: the Lower East Side, Harlem or Arthur Avenue. Once there, they visit a classic restaurant and must integrate their signature item into a dish that they will present in front of the Selection Committee and a group of tourists on a moving bus tour of the neighborhood they visited.
- *Winners: Team Giada: Ippy, Josh, Linkie, Martita, Yvan
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Judson of Team Alton, Kara of Team Bobby
- *Producers' Challenge: Create a memorable dish with potatoes and present it to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Kara
Week 3: Dessert Chopping Block
- Star Challenge: The teams must compete in a Chopped challenge against the other members of their own team, making a dessert. One person from each team will be up for elimination.
- Ingredients:
- Team Alton: Hershey's Kisses, pancetta, graham crackers, kumquats
- Team Bobby: Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars, pineapple, pasta sheets, black lava salt
- Team Giada: Reese's Pieces, popcorn kernels, shredded coconut, grape soda
- *Winners: None
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Martie of Team Alton, Nikki of Team Bobby, Josh of Team Giada
- *Producers' Challenge: Create a dish inspired by the month's most frequently asked question: "If you don't have an outdoor grill, what can you make?" and present it to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Josh
Week 4: Fashion Week Food Makeover
- Star Challenge: The teams are asked to prepare "chic" makeovers of classic dishes for a Fashion Week show, and then to present them on-stage to the audience. Chopped host Ted Allen appeared as a guest judge.
- *Winners: Team Alton: Emily, Judson, Justin, Martie
- **Justin of Team Alton was voted by the audience and judges as the best makeover, and was awarded a $10,000 debit card.
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Eric of Team Bobby, Ippy of Team Giada
- *Producers' Challenge: Describe a pre-prepared dish of French Toast to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Eric
Week 5: Guy Live
- Star Challenge: The teams are asked to do a 10-minute themed presentation with Guy Fieri in front of a live audience. The themes were Halloween, Cooking for Kids, and Big Game Day. The each member of the losing team was up for elimination.
- *Winners: Team Giada: Ippy, Linkie, Martita, Yvan
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Team Alton: Emily, Judson, Justin, Martie
- *Producers' Challenge: Throw a dart at a state on a U.S map and create a dish inspired by that state and present it to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Judson
Week 6: Iron Chef Food Court
- Star Challenge: The teams are challenged to do a themed kiosk inside of a food court. After preparation begins, Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian delivered a secret ingredient: chicken livers, which one member on each team must use. The kiosks that were opened were Littler Italy , The American Sandbox , and Besa Me .
- *Winners: Team Alton: Emily, Justin, Martie
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Nikki of Team Bobby, Linkie of Team Giada
- *Producers' Challenge: Create a dish with the ingredient most frequently searched for on the Food Network website: chicken, and present it to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Linkie
Week 7: Meet the Press-ure
- Star Challenge: The nine remaining contestants are told that they will no longer be competing as teams and are asked to prepare one bite for the producers of hit news shows and the Selection Committee and do a 90-second presentation on how that dish represents them. One person from each team will be up for elimination.
- *Winners: Justin, and Martie of Team Alton
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Emily of Team Alton, Nikki of Team Bobby, Martita of Team Giada
- *Producers' Challenge: Create a burger that represents you and present it to camera in one minute.
- *Eliminated: Emily
Week 8: Deen Family Beach Party
- Star Challenge: The eight remaining contestants are asked to cater the South Beach Food & Wine Festival for 100 people, the Selection Committee, and Paula Deen and her family. They must make two spins on the same dish: one for adults and one for kids and tape 30-second videos that include a party-planning tip. One person from each team will then go to Target and shop for decór for the party. The bottom two people on one of the teams will be up for elimination.
- *Winner: Ippy of Team Giada. Ippy was cited by the judges as having the best food and presentation, and was awarded a $20,000 Target gift card.
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Malcolm, and Michele of Team Bobby
- *Producers' Challenge: Create a drink that reflects who you are and do a live one-minute presentation in the Pitch Room in front of the judges.
- *Eliminated: Malcolm
Week 9: Deliciously Unpredictable Demos
- Star Challenge: The seven remaining contestants are challenged to do a three-minute live cooking demo at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. They must create their signature dish and demo one step of it to a live audience and the Selection Committee. There is a twist, however; each demo is set up to have some sort of problem meant to test the contestants' main weaknesses. The bottom two people on one of the teams will be up for elimination.
- *Winners: Martie of Team Alton, Yvan of Team Giada
- *Judges' Least Favorites: Ippy, and Martita of Team Giada
- *Producers' Challenge: The contestants were asked to describe an ingredient in a live one-minute presentation in front of the judges, with emphasis on how that ingredient reflects them.
- *Eliminated: Martita
Week 10: Pilot Green Lights
- Star Challenge: The six remaining contestants are given three takes to do a 30-second promo of the show that they would like to have on the Food Network. Afterwards, the Selection Committee and a group of Food Network personalities viewed the promos and gave their opinion to help with choosing the three hopefuls to get a pilot. Only one person from each team would be able to move on.
- *Safe: Michele of Team Bobby, Yvan of Team Giada, and both Justin and Martie of Team Alton were allowed to move on. Justin was first announced as being safe, but due to the quality of their performances, it was announced that Martie would be allowed to tape a pilot too.
- *Final Challenge: The four remaining contestants returned to New York, where they consulted with their mentors before filming pilots for their upcoming shows.
- *Eliminated: Nikki and Ippy
Week 11: Finale: A Star is Born
- Reunion: The contestants return for a recap of the season; including special behind the scenes clips and commentary for the viewers to watch. Martie of Team Alton was eliminated early. In the end of the episode, Justin, from Team Alton was declared the winner, allowing him to join the ranks of previous Food Network Star winners.
- *Runners-Up: Martie of Team Alton, Michele of Team Bobby, Yvan of Team Giada
- *Winner: Justin of Team Alton
- *New Show: Rebel with a Culinary Cause