David Burtka is a Broadway and TV actor, accomplished chef and caterer to the stars. Combining his culinary expertise and love of entertaining, David's throwing open the doors of his home, where every meal is an incredible event. From extravagant holiday bashes to casual, intimate evenings with friends to everyday home-cooked family meals, there's always something to celebrate. No gathering is complete without family and friends who will drop in, along with David's husband Neil Patrick Harris and their adorable twins Gideon and Harper. Be there as he prepares meals with the know-how of a Cordon Bleu-trained chef and all the fun, infectious exuberance and joy of a natural entertainer.
Michael Tusk is the chef/owner of Quince and Cotogna in San Francisco, California. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Michael traveled to Europe to gain experience in Michelin-starred restaurants of France and Italy. When he returned to the United States in 1988, he settled in the Bay Area and started working at the legendary Stars restaurant. After a year, he began his four-year tenure at Chez Panisse before spending six years with Chef Paul Bertolli at Oliveto in Oakland. Determined to open a place of his own, Michael left Oliveto in 2000 and opened Quince featuring Italian and French-inspired cuisine that celebrates the seasonal bounty of Northern California. Quince quickly became known as one of the city's top fine-dining destinations, and Michael gained notoriety for his relationship with local purveyors. The Tusks relocated the restaurant in 2009 to a historic 1907 brick and timber building in San Francisco's Jackson Square neighborhood, which gave them the opportunity to open a second restaurant, Cotogna, adjacent to Quince.In its new home, Quince has been awarded a three Michelin-star rating and four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle, and Cotogna has become a popular destination for rustic California-Italian cuisine. In 2011, Tusk was honored with the James Beard Award for "Best Chef Pacific."Michael's Restaurants Quince (San Francisco, CA) Cotogna (San Francisco, CA)
During Jeff's formative years as a Sandwich Prince, he worked at a deli working the meat slicer; his constant companions were corned beef, pastrami and lots of fresh rye bread. Classic deli fare really speaks to his sandwich soul and the folks at Fumare in Chicago's French Market know the language fluently. Jeff gets a tasty tour of some of Fumare's favorites, then heads home to put together his special take on that tart and cheesy creation, the Reuben. You can't be truly deli without coleslaw, so Jeff shreds up a fresh batch before slicing and stacking roast beef into a sandwich that reaches new heights of savory deliciousness. You want pickles with that?
Tyler Florence kicks off the race at a cattle ranch outside of Los Angeles, where he welcomes the seven teams with their first challenge. The ranch's cowhands need something to wash down their breakfast, so each team must hand-squeeze a pitcher of orange juice in order to receive their seed money and keys to their truck. The trucks then head out to shop and prep for their first day selling on the busy streets of Los Angeles, but Tyler calls with another challenge: a beef auction where each team has to create an original dish with the cut they win. The team that sells the least is sent home, while the other six head to the next city.