This trip, Guy's visiting some families keeping it real in the kitchen. In Nashville, the husband/wife duo taking to the streets in their gourmet food truck with unique versions of the good ol' grilled cheese sammie. Around the corner in the Sylvan Park area of Nashville, a totally authentic Italian spot staying true to grandma's recipes with their namesake lasagna and lamb shanks. And in Kansas City, Mo., the sibling-owned Chinese joint sharing some of their family traditions with dishes like chili pepper wontons and firebird chicken.
The four remaining finalists try their hand at reporting live on location by visiting popular food trucks while Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay and special guest Sabin Lomac watch from the studio. Then, it's time for each finalist to partake in their own segment of a special called "Up Your Game (Day)," performing a demo of a special game-day dish while also tackling surprises along the way. ESPN's Jemele Hill and special guest Jaymee Sire watch the special with Bobby and Giada to help decide which finalist goes down in defeat.
Rashad Jones hangs out with three barbecue pit masters who are putting their own creative spins on traditional barbecue. First, he heads to Atlanta, Ga., where a chef is creating a fresh take on fried chicken and waffles as well as infusing his ribs with Pacific flavors. Next stop is Raleigh, N.C., where a quirky food truck is serving smoked duck and fig flatbread along with a killer brisket. Finally, Rashad is amazed by a chef who's smoking a piece of fruit to substitute for pulled pork and creating a spin on barbecued goat.
Three chefs turn to Chef Cliff Crooks for help getting to the next level. Melody put all her resources into turning her historic home into an event space with catering, but she's struggling to make ends meet. Mel, once the successful owner and operator of a food truck, decided to open a restaurant but discovered that running a restaurant is harder than she thought. Ryan is a line cook who has high hopes for becoming an executive chef. With only a few years of experience under his belt, Chef Cliff's boot camp may be the wake-up call Ryan needs!
Chef Cliff Crooks has his work cut out for him with three chefs in need of guidance. Dan was an executive chef 20 years ago, but he lost his dream job and had to start over as a line cook at age 53. His techniques are there, but his confidence is gone. Moe's food truck employs her entire family, but her "Messy Moe" nickname in the kitchen is spilling over into the rest of her business. Brandy is all over the place -- even forgetting to set the oven to the right temperature -- and her business is suffering.