Next Food Network Star Finalist Brad Sorenson smiling while wearing a light blue shirt and black apron

Next Food Network Star Finalist Brad Sorenson smiling while wearing a light blue shirt and black apron

Eliminated Week 8

 

Brad, 25 (Austin, Texas), began cooking at age 17 and moved quickly up the culinary ladder, graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. At the age of 22, Brad opened Black Creek Bistro as executive chef, which became a top new restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Brad recently relocated to Austin, where he works at ASTI Trattoria.

 

Food specialty: Fresh, preferably local ingredients cooked with creativity. I like to use different techniques to make food people are comfortable with but presented in a fun way. My food is definitely influenced by my experiences in the world of professional kitchens.

 

Favorite restaurant: Torchy's Tacos, Amy's Ice Cream and all the great barbecue in Austin.

 

Three foods you can't live without (other than bread or water): Without very much consideration, bacon would be the one thing I would miss the most if outlawed. There would be riots in the streets. Bacon, cheese, mushrooms.

 

Food you won't go near: Raw onions and ranch dressing

 

Weirdest thing you've ever eaten: A 100-year-old egg in culinary school

 

Interests and hobbies: I love cooking even when it's not for work, and I like coming up with fun new dish ideas. I read a lot, love watching movies and am almost always listening to music. Beatles music is one of my favorite things in the world, plus the Rock Band game is incredibly fun. I'm usually hanging out with my little brother Alex, my sidekick. I just recently started hiking in Austin, and it's a lot of fun. Basketball is another favorite of mine — playing and watching.

 

Favorite Food Network chef: Alton Brown and Bobby Flay

 

Favorite shows (don't have to be on Food Network): Iron Chef (original and America), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Psych, Good Eats and anything on Discovery or Animal Planet.

 

Favorite food destination: I've always wanted to eat a meal at El Bulli in Spain. The preparation and thought that goes into the food there is something I have always wanted to experience.

 

Culinary inspirations: I get a lot of inspiration for food from talking to other people. I have worked for some great chefs and with a lot of amazing people. One of the biggest inspirations for my feelings about food comes from my family; our dinners would make anyone want to cook for a living.

 

Three people, alive or dead, whom you'd like to invite to a dinner party, and what culinary delights would you prepare for your guests: John Lennon, Frank Sinatra and Albert Einstein

 

I would have to cook food that I wouldn't have to pay too much attention to, because really it would be all about the conversation. Lennon loved cornflakes so he would be easy to make happy. For Sinatra and Einstein I would make good pasta with red sauce. There would be Italian sausage, good fresh mozzarella and some fresh herbs along with plenty of red wine.

 

Favorite books: Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, The Flavor Bible & Culinary Artistry (Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg) and Herman Hesse's Siddhartha

 

Favorite movies: Tombstone, The Boondock Saints, The Hangover, Caddyshack and most James Bond movies with Sean Connery

 

Why do you think you should be the Season 6 Food Network Star: I should be the Food Network Star because I can teach people to increase their level of cooking in a relatable, fun way. The journey I have taken from culinary school to being a chef in restaurants has helped me develop a knack for cooking and teaching others. Food is an amazing thing; it gives you the ability to share a part of yourself with others. I definitely love it and want to share my passion with others.