Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Sunday, July 31, 2016
In a first in a reality show competition, two metro Atlantans were in the final two on "Food Network Star." And this is the first time the top 2 on the show were black.
Lithonia's Tregaye Fraser and Grayson's Jernard Wells both rode strong personalities and Southern fare to the finals.
In the end, Tregaye took home the prize, beating the self-proclaimed "Chef of Love," who touted the fact he was happily married with nine children. Tregaye, a caterer, will co-host "The Kitchen Sink" this fall.
Between Tregaye and Jernard, Tregaye relied more on her upbeat schtick, including words like "fleek" and "poppin'." The show did a video showing how many times she used those words. (Often!). Although her culinary point of view (fusion) was a bit vague, she was very consistent with her food and the Food Network nowadays cares more about personality than cooking anyway.
And just because Jernard didn't win doesn't mean the Food Network won't find a use for him down the road. They clearly liked him as well.
On Sunday night, Jernard held a watch party at Buckhead's Gordon Biersch. Six of his nine children were there, along with his wife and many of his friends and familiy. "There's no reason to be sad and disappointed," he told the crowd after the winner was named. 'When you're a ratings magnet, they still won't let you go."
Jernard is working on a burger food truck using the term he used on the show "Uncivilized" and is working on a clothing line with that name as well.
[I'm seeking an interview with the winner Tregaye. I'll post a new item about her tomorrow if possible.]
Damiano Carrara, the sexy Italian chef, came in third.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
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