Debbie Lee, 39, a restaurant consultant from West Hollywood, Calif.
- Good: Warm, bright, hearty laugh, fun Ina-voice
- Bad: Culinary mis-statements, marketing speak
- Food: Excellent! Curry pork with red wine, prosciutto cream sauce
- Quick Take: She reminds me of Margaret Cho – funny, gutsy, warm. But she delivered some culinary information that was just wrong. Can she convince me she has the depth of culinary knowledge and technique to survive at the top of the food world?
Eddie Gilbert, 29, a sous-chef from Manhattan Beach, Calif.
- Good: Smart, articulate, passionate about food, handsome, cocky
- Bad: Cocky (it could go either way), a little hard, didn’t show a lot of humor
- Quick Take: Eddie describes himself as a rebel, but he was also a successful executive in corporate America. He’s clearly a very smart guy and definitely loves food. But is his cocky surfer-dude personality for real – and will that be exciting or tiresome on television?
Jen Isham, 29, a sales manager from Orlando
- Good: Sarcastic humor, bone dry, funny! Rosy cheeks (why’d I write that?), Housewife 2.0 (her joke)
- Bad: Housewife 2.0 (good thing or bad thing?)
- Food: Good, not great
- Quick Take: Looks like Sandra Lee and shares a desire to help homemakers get food on the table. She calls herself “housewife 2.0.” Funny and dry. Cute. Can she convince me she has enough culinary expertise to speak to millions of viewers?
Melissa d’Arabian, 40, a stay-at-home mom from Keller, Texas
- Good: Mom, funny, resourceful, laughs at self, Sara Moulton-like, solid home cooking, high energy
- Bad: High energy (frantic?), too scattered, not sure she’s a culinary authority, is she cut out for this?
- Quick Take: Melissa was immensely likeable and good humored about the challenges of raising four kids under the age of 3 (some twins). She worked as a live-in cook to put herself through grad school. Will this homemaker be out of her league?
Michael Proietti, 27, an executive chef from the Bronx, N.Y.
- Good: Memorable, bright, funny, unpredictable, confident, excellent food
- Bad: Scattered, tough, bitchy, too over the top
- Quick Take: After the final auditions, Michael just missed making the top 10. But a few days before we started taping, one of our finalists dropped out. We put Michael in, and I’m glad we did. He’s quick witted, funny, daring, and is an unapologetic “big” character. I wonder if his “I’m so outrageous” act will get old, and if he’ll be able to find depth underneath it to avoid becoming a cliché?
Brett August, 32, an executive sous chef from New York, N.Y.
- Good: Kramer (from Seinfeld), a character, funny, off-kilter, energetic, big personality
- Bad: Not TV-ready, odd duck, what is his point-of-view?
- Quick Take: He’s got an odd-Kramerish appeal, but there’s a sweetness underneath his brash New York exterior. Something about him gets everyone in the room laughing and talking. Will Brett be a breakout character on the show, or will people say “what were they thinking?”
Jamika Pesoa, 29, a personal chef from Atlanta, Ga.
- Good: Strong, unflappable, gorgeous! Some cute stories. Best food.
- Bad: Newscaster voice (not a compliment, I mean flat, nasal, fake), former marketing exec. and feels it, too controlled.
- Quick Take: A lot of promise here. Probably the best dish we’ve had in three days. But can she lose the marketing speak (she’s done too many Power Point presentations) and lose her control to be an authentic personality?
Jeffrey Saad, 41, owner of real estate brokerage firm in Los Angeles, Calif.
- Good: Handsome, charming, warm, dad, confident cook, very good food
- Bad: Low energy, too relaxed, mild. Competitive enough for show?
- Quick Take: Jeffrey charmed the room. He knows his stuff and can really cook. But is his easygoing west coast personality too mild to ever stir up a passionate following?
Katie Cavuto, 29, a chef/dietician from Philadelphia, Pa.
- Good: Energetic, confident, fun, former gymnast, strong point-of-view, knowledgeable
- Bad: Will “healthy” work? Her eyes pop (not a compliment) on camera. Too competitive?
- Quick Take: Katie is likeable, warm, fun and has Rachael Ray-like energy. But can she tame her hyper-competitiveness and find a new and appealing way to sell ‘healthy’ to a wide viewership that may not want it?
Teddy Folkman, 32, a chef/restaurateur from Alexandria, Va.
- Good: Excellent chef, (he beat Bobby Flay in the “Mussels” challenge on Throwdown with Bobby Flay), charming, smooth, dimpled smile
- Bad: Memorable? Does he have a star personality? A chef without a distinctive point-of-view
- Quick Take: I remember really liking Teddy when he was a guest on Throwdown. His cooking stood out during the auditions, and he definitely has a polished self-aware charm – which could be too self-conscious. Can this good looking chef quickly find a persona and point-of-view to propel him though the competition?
