Behind the Scenes of Food Network Star, Season 13
See what Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and the finalists are up to between takes while on the set of Food Network Star.
Photo By: Zach Dilgard
Photo By: Zach Dilgard
Photo By: Zach Dilgard
Photo By: Eddy Chen
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Week 11: Together Again
After last week's brief reunion in Food Star Kitchen, the entire cast came together in New York City for a life-changing finale, and together they looked back on an epic season.
A Momentous Reveal
Jason was overcome with emotion upon learning that he'd earned the title of Food Network's newest Star.
Catching Up
Giada caught up with Rusty, who was named the first runner-up of the competition, just moments after the announcement.
Week 10: Finishing Touches
Bobby's team of stylists helped him get camera-ready on set.
Look Who's Here
All of the previously eliminated finalists returned to Food Star Kitchen for one final time, but ultimately only Cao, Suzanne, Addie and Nancy were randomly chosen to be sous chefs for the final four hopefuls.
Inspired Cooking
Rusty looked to his family to inspired his dish of boudin balls in this all-important final challenge.
Important Details
Cao went to work on Cory's dish, an expertly grilled branzino that would later wow Bobby with its flavor.
Familiar Surroundings
Eddie, who won Season 11 of Food Network Star, returned to his competition roots, but this time the pressure was off for him, as he joined the judges' table with Giada and Bobby.
Snack Time
Jason, Matthew and their sous chefs, Suzanne and Addie, came together to sample each other's dishes after time was called.
Careful Directing
Guy watched the monitors carefully and considered the best pieces of advice to offer Cory, Jason and Rusty as they filmed their pilots.
Tight Squeeze
Space was limited in the kitchen at Magee's, so Rusty and the crew were forced to utilize all available areas in order to capture the best moments for the pilot.
Honest Fun
Despite the stress of the pilot process, both Guy and Cory managed to let loose a bit and crack jokes between takes at Loteria Grill.
Easy Advice
Flanked by the crew members, Guy and Jason got to work on location at Monsieur Marcel.
Week 9: Food Truck Town
The finalists and crew members went on location with four local food trucks to bring their live segments to life.
Making Matches
Bobby and Giada paired game-day eats like nachos and sliders to create craveable combos for the finalists.
Shopping Trip
Tasked with combining loaded potatoes and hot dogs, Rusty grabbed a slew of spuds and started cooking them quickly.
Consolidated Coverage
With only four finalists left in the contest, the crew managed to focus their attention on just one part of the kitchen to capture the cooking.
Mission: Flavor
The addition of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce delivered bold smoky flavor to what would become Amy's sour cream spread.
Up Your Game Day
Complete with snacks, sports equipment and themed decor, the kitchen was transformed into tailgate central.
Serious Cheese Pull
There's no question that Matthew's chicken wing-inspired hand pies were filled with plenty of gooey mozzarella.
Selfie Action
Jaymee, Bobby and Jemele smiled for a quick shot between takes.
Critical Moments
With just a few weeks to go until a new Star in crowned, Bobby and Giada took their time debating this all-important elimination decision.
Week 8: A Ginormous Task
In keeping with the Ginormous Food theme in this week's Mentor Challenge, finalists drew straws — really, really large straws, that is — to decide who would pick first.
Raining Sprinkles
These colorful bites were just what was needed to add the final layer of whimsy to her frosted Dutch baby stack.
Burger Construction
Rusty's solution for a ginormous burger challenge? Making several regular-size burgers and mashing them together to form one over-the-top patty.
Shopping Essentials
Cory had yet to ditch his oversize straw at the start of the Mentor Challenge, even taking it with him to the refrigerator to grab the beef for his meatballs.
Valuable Lessons
After securing the win the Mentor Challenge, Amy enjoyed some one-on-one mentoring time with Bobby and Giada as her advantage.
Ready, Set, Go Live
This was the scene in Food Star Kitchen as Alex took her place to follow along with the finalists' live-stream demos.
Familiar Setting
Matthew quickly fell into the groove of a live-stream online broadcast, as he said he's used to doing similar work at home.
Insider Convo
Bobby and Giada shared their real-time reactions to finalists' live-demo presentations with each other as they watched the performances unfold.
Week 7: The View from Here
This was the scene as the mentors bellied up to finalists' work stations to taste their Mentor Challenge offerings.
Team Photo
The mentors and guest Anne Burrell posed for a quick selfie on stage.
Taking It In
With so much on the line, Amy's team of David and Cory surveyed their Round 1 dish after an intense 30-minunte challenge.
An Epic Match Up
Can one chef do the work of three people in an hour? That was the task at hand for Bobby, who, of course, rose to the challenge.
A Helping Hand
Lucky for Bobby, Giada was ready and willing to help as he sweated it out in the kitchen.
Heavy Load
Production equipment is notoriously unwieldly, so when they're not filming, the camera operators set down their gear between takes.
Prime Seating
Safe from elimination, Rusty, Matthew and Jason watched as eager spectators as Amy, David and Cory faced off against Bobby.
Triple the Challenge
Bobby appeared exhausted after executing a series of dishes in only 60 minutes.
Week 6: Mentor Spotlight
Giada and Bobby's main camera was front and center as they revealed the potato-focused Mentor Challenge.
Close-Up Coverage
It took multiple camera operators to fully capture finalists' moves in the kitchen.
All Ablaze
It took just a splash of bourbon to Jason to find himself with a scorching flame in his pan.
Finishing Touches
Matthew grated a blanket of cheese atop his mashed potatoes, which he served to the judges in the first challenge.
A Prime View
Bobby and Giada could watch finalists' Mentor Challenge demos both on the TV in front of them and live from the kitchen.
First Come, First Serve
Finalists made a mad dash to the fridge at the start of the Star Challenge in the hopes of grabbing their preferred protein.
Smile Big
Cory hammed it up for the camera as he worked on a component of his gumbo offering.
Welcome to Summer
When the finalists weren't mingling with the mentors, they chatted with the party guests who visited them in the park.
Week 5: Close Watch
On location at a local grocery store, the crew were forced to keep up with the finalists as they made their way around the store.
Fast Friends
For the second time in five weeks, Cory and Rusty found themselves on a team together, and it appears they were pretty happy with to be there.
Taking It In
Guest Hannah Hart and the mentors couldn't help but laugh as they watched finalists' videos play on screen.
Meaningful Mentoring
Giada and Bobby sat down with Matthew and Addie for one-on-one chats about their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for growth in the contest.
A Well-Lit Kitchen
Take a peek at the roof of the studio. It takes dozens of carefully placed lights to bring the space to life.
On-Set Reveal
Sunny and the mentors found themselves cracking up in the kitchen as they revealed the dishes and products tucked beneath the cloches.
Fired Up
A few flames were no match for David, who quickly took command of the fire.
Time for Touch-Ups
Between takes, the mentors congregate on stage for quick hair and makeup fixes.
A Packed House
Audience members gathered in Food Star Kitchen to watch finalists' live demos.
Technical Difficulties
Amy struggled to get to machine to turn on, so much so that simply gave up and moved on from that step of her demo.
Honest Reaction
Cao wasn't exactly thrilled as she listened to feedback from the mentors.
Week 4: On-Set Antics
Giada took her place in the kitchen as she filmed a video segment for the finalists.
Roughing It
The crew did their best to relocate all the camera and set equipment from the cozy comforts of the studio to a muddy field in the wilderness.
Taking Inventory
The teams were quick to dig through their coolers to find the entirety of the ingredients they'd have access to.
Quick Check-In
The judges visited Rusty at the campfire to gauge his progress as the challenge unfolded.
Selfie Time
Andrew snapped a shot of himself and his fellow judges during a brief break in filming.
Let's Go Glamping
Complete with strung lights (and plenty of cameras), the lodge at the "glamping" grounds was decked out for a series of family dinners.
Celebrations
The team of Jason, David and Cao came together for a group hug after learning of their victory.
A Careful Conversation
Melissa and Giada chatted intently as they debated who to send home this week.
Prepped and Posed
Giada took her place in the studio to smile for an impromptu shot.
Making Do
A minor blender blunder didn't stop David from executing his cauliflower puree.
A Crowd of Cooks
Cao, Jason and Addie headed straight for the stove to work on their courses for the upcoming dinner.
Team Effort
As orders for Cory's tuna dish flowed in, Rusty and his fellow teammates put together plates in a hurry.
Tight Squeeze
Space was at a premium in the production kitchen behind the scenes.
Feeling Fine
Bobby let his signature swagger shine during a brief break in filming the experiential dinner.
Director's Cut
Team captain Amy took a load off while watching her teammates execute their video segments.
What's So Funny?
We only wish we knew what these two were laughing about.
Tense Moments
The tension in Food Star Kitchen during deliberation was palpable, even through the camera monitors.
Week 2: On Location
The crew traveled with the finalists to the French grocery store to capture all the action.
Making Do
With such a tight space in the kitchen, finalists were forced to utilize any and every available spot in order to store and prep their ingredients.
Honest Reaction
It seems that Addie wasn't exactly thrilled with all pieces of table decor.
Prepping Matters
Nancy, Cao and Matthew took their time readying their table as they set up their tablescape.
Team Hugs
Toya and Nancy came together for a quick embrace in the kitchen before moving on to their presentations.
Welcome, Guests
The elegantly adorned ballroom inside the Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles hotel was an ideal space to host the finalists.
All Business
When guests weren't flocking their table, Jason and Rusty put their heads down and worked on plating their offerings.
Mixing and Mingling
As the guests approached them for samples, Toya and her fellow finalists dished out their plates and quickly chatted with the crowd.
Setting the Scene
In true Beauty and the Beast fashion, guests could help themselves to roses as they made their way around the expansive space and tasted finalists' plates.
Week 1: Mentor Scenes
The finalists weren't the only ones who'd be smiling for the cameras. Bobby and Giada too posed on stage for a quick snap.
A Hearty Welcome
Giada and Bobby kicked off Season 13 in grand fashion by bringing the competitors to the elegantly adorned Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.
Familiar Surroundings
"It's like being at home," Matthew said of returning to the same kitchen where he competed in Comeback Kitchen (twice) and Season 11 of Food Network Star.
Prep Work
Addie went hands first into a bowl of greens as she worked on a garnish for her BLT sandwiches with salmon.
The Plantains That Weren't
Despite his best efforts, Blake's mixture of pureed plantains didn't pan out as he'd hoped, and he was forced to abandon that element of his shrimp dish.
One-on-One Coverage
A cameraperson stood opposite Suzanne to cover the competitor's prep work as she executed her Middle Eastern-inspired stuffed tomato.
Glam Team
During a brief break in filming, Giada sat for a quick hair touchup.
A Dark Entrance
During a brief break in filming, Giada sat for a quick hair touchup.
A Light Atmosphere
Though the finalists were likely full of anxiety as they endured their first evaluation, Bobby and Giada tried to keep the atmosphere positive with plenty of smiles on set.
Moving Forward
As the finalists who were deemed safe prepared to exit the kitchen, they congratulated each other and thanked the mentors for their feedback.
Early Farewell
Blake's fellow competitors Nancy and Toya came together to console him after he was ousted from the contest after just one week.
Want More Food Network Star?
Check out Food Network's Food Network Star headquarters for more insider coverage of the competition, and read exclusive interviews with the finalists and mentors. Plus, get Star-powered recipes for every occasion.
Contestants Amy Pottinger and Cory Bahr talking to teammates while shopping for ingredients for the Star Challenge Be Our Guest!, as seen on Food Network Star, Season 13.
Contestants Matthew Grunwald, Coadan Tran, Addie Gundy, Jason Smith and Amy Pottinger plate their dish, Hawaiian Garlic Butter Prawns w/ Grilled Pineapple and Pickled Serranos, for the Star Challenge Experiential Restaurant, as seen on Food Network Star, Season 13.
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