On Wednesday, May 9, the show “Around The World In 80 Plates” premiered on Bravo TV, hosted by chefs and food experts Cat Cora and Curtis Stone in London, England. The show follows 12 chefs as they race for 40 days across 10 countries, including England, China, France, Italy, Argentina, Spain, Thailand, Morocco, the United States, and Uruguay, to test their skills and dedication.
Each episode contestants travel to a new city, where they learn about the culture, customs, and cuisines. Throughout the show, contestants compete in teams in two different competitions, “The Course” and “The Takeover,” racing around the city performing difficult tasks to win the “Exceptional Ingredient” that will help them in the final challenge, which is a test of their teamwork and customer service skills, as well as their knowledge of the local dishes, where they are judged on their ability to run a local restaurant. Each week, the losing team is required to eliminate one of its members, who is sent home. During the first episode, contestants worked with their teams to serve british diners at an authentic Gastropub.
Among the chefs competing in the competition are Avery Pursell, 32, Sherman Oaks, CA; Chaz Brown, 29, Voorhees, NJ; Clara Moore, 30, St Louis, MO; Gary Walker, 40, Chicago, IL; Jenna Johansen, 36, Denver, CO; John Vermigilo, 27, Chicago, IL; Keven Lee, 34, Chatsworth, CA; Liz Garrett, 33, Los Angeles, CA; Nick Lacasse, 33, Chicago, IL; Nicole Lou, 33, San Francisco, CA; Sai Pituk, 31, El Paso, TX; and Steve Postal, 36, Cambridge, Mass.
World-renowed restaurateurs and celebrity chefs like Jose Andres, Nigella Lawson, Narda Lepes, Wolgang Puck, and Alvin Leung will serve as the shows Food Ambassadors each week to provide the competing chefs with advice and insight into the local food culture of each location. Hosts Curtis Stone and Cat Cora have each of their own successful careers as chefs and entrepreneurs. Stone can be seen in his series “Take Home Chef” on the Discovery Networks TLC, as well as the resident chef on shows like “The Biggest Loser” and “The Today Show.” Cat Cora is a contributing editor for O, the Oprah Magazine, and she was the first and only female Iron Chef on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America.
For more information visit the show’s website. Episodes air every Wednesday at 10/9 c. Don’t miss the next episode, airing next week on June 13.
Posted by Melanie Figueroa
06/07/12
