Sunday, May 18, 2014

America's Best Cook Finale - Winner Takes Home $50,000

Photo - Food Network
Tonight is the season finale of America's Best Cook, where the winning cook will take home a $50,000 cash prize.  The final four contestants will compete in three separate challenges, with someone getting eliminated after each one.  The judge that will be eliminating the contestants tonight is Bobby Flay.


Here are the final 4 contestants competing for the $50,000 prize and the team that they are on:
  • Marc Huebner - sales manager (Michael Symon)
  • Stephanie Goldfarb - social worker (Michael Symon)
  • Christina Verrelli - substitute teacher (Alex Guarnaschelli)
  • Ben Portman - financial adviser (Cat Cora)

Both of Michael Symon's finalists made it to the final episode, while all of Tyler Florence's contestants were eliminated.  Judging by the voting on the Food Network website, it looks like people are rooting for Christina to win.  The percentages for a poll on who people want to win America's Best Cook were: Christina - 47%, Ben 27%, Marc 16%, Stephanie 10%. 

So despite Michael Symon having two contestants in the final, it seems like people are rooting for them the least.  Who knows if people are rooting for the contestants or the mentors.

I will update this post after the episode airs with the winner of America's Best Cook.

Update is after the jump:


The first person eliminated was Marc, and then Ben was eliminated after a burger challenge.  This put Stephanie against Christina in the final challenge for $50,000, where they could make anything they wanted.  Stephanie ended up impressing Bobby Flay with her lamb dish and won the $50,000 grand prize, and Michael Symon's Midwest team.


Christina already won $1 million dollars and $10,000 worth of appliances in 2012 by winning the Pillsbury Bake-Off, so it is nice to see some prize money go to someone different.

The ratings for America's Best Cook were above average, so I would expect this show to be back for another season.

10 comments:

  1. So glad Ben didn't win. He looked like an idiot standing in front of the judges w/ his hand up. So clearly wanted the attention and for people to feel sorry for him. Also, never been impressed with Cat Cora as a chef and I wasn't surprised she sucked as a "mentor".

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  2. I am so disgusted that Stephanie "the recovering vegan" won. I couldn't stand her from the start. I was rooting for Christina and Alex.

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  3. The food network is all about cooking challenges... I really don't like it. I would rather watch the cooking chanel. It gives you more cooking shows. So u learn more things. I thinkt they need to change there ideas. All it is is reruns....that is no fun...I would love to work for the food network or any chef. I have been cooking since I was 5 years old and was taught by my italian grandmother. I missed my calling... may ellen nj

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  4. I'm a vegan myself and she annoyed the hell out of me with her "recovering vegetarian" schtick like that made her special or something. I feel like she only quit being veg because she didn't want to cook meat anymore or something. I might be bitter because I wanted Christina to win out of the two because Stephanie seemed whiny and annoying as hell.

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  5. It was annoying and pretentious. Like she should get a medal for making another conscious diet change?

    Sadly, her win was all too telegraphed too. The editing probably didn't help any, but still.

    I liked Christina and Ben.

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  6. I would have been happy with anyone except Stephanie winning. Couldn't stand her right from the start. I liked Christina but I was rooting for Marc.

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  7. She seems meat obsessed now - unlike any of her competitors or anyone else I've seen on these shows. It was kind of creepy. And she was creepy about how much she allegedly adored Michael Symon, until she didn't like his constructive criticism.

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  8. I liked Christina and Ben too. I wanted Team Alex to win.

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  9. Yikes...I hit "like" when I meant to just reply.
    Matt, I respect your opinions, but, in this I disagree...I liked Ben.

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