Who won 'Next Food Network Star'?

Mesa started the show focused on healthy food. He was, as he noted, often on a roller coaster. Some weeks, he was great. Other weeks, he was awful. And often times, he'd get tongue tied in front of the camera. His food also lacked consistency and he'd get really emotional at times. Once he focused more on his Latin roots, his point of view solidified and became more appealing.

And after a rough start on the final challenge, he put together a decent three-minute pilot that the test audience liked.

"Herb may have created the roughest of the three pilots," said Bob Tuschman, a Food Network executive and judge. "But he may have the most potential in terms of big personality. A huge heart. Huge energy. And a hugely interesting point of view. The question is: do you take the gamble on him because the reward could be great?"

The answer appeared to be no. But that doesn't preclude the network from working with him down the road.

Mesa, in an interview Monday afternoon, said he wasn't upset by the results. He liked both Aarti and Tom and actually thought Tom's pilot was the best.

He was well aware of Aarti's front-runner status from day one. "She was good," he said. "I just had to step up my game to win. I needed to be better."

Overall, he felt the show also portrayed him fairly. "The good, the bad and the ugly. They showed Herb," Herb said, referencing himself in third person.

He hosted a party at Via restaurant and bar in Buckhead, drawing 200 people, he said. His mom and friends, though, roasted him when they found out he lost. "You made us come and you didn't even win?" they teased him.

He isn't sure what his next step is but he will continue to pursue a TV career. "A lot of things will happen," he said. "Good stuff."

Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.