Nessa Higgins and Andrea Day Boykin share a passion for great food and delicious crepes. Just a year ago, these two friends decided to make and sell their crepes out of a vintage Avion trailer in a parking lot in Austin, Texas. Their quirky restaurant, called "Flip Happy Crepes" is now a true culinary destination. Critics say their crepes are the best in America! To celebrate, Nessa and Andrea are hosting a party for their friends and family, cooking up their best-selling sweet and savory crepes. Little do they know that Bobby Flay is going to pull up in his own trailer, and challenge the ladies to the Ultimate Crepe Throwdown. Will Bobby master the skill of flipping and filling and folding, or will the Flip Happy duo have the home-court advantage? One thing's for sure: only one team will walk away flippin' happy!
Diana Barrios Trevino is a celebrity in San Antonio. A chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, Diana is a Tex-Mex master whose culinary claim to fame is her shredded chicken puffy taco. Diana thinks she has been chosen to star in an episode of a new Food Network show about Southwestern food called "North of the Border." What she doesn't know is that Bobby Flay is going to crash her taco fiesta with a throwdown challenge that will decide who is the true titan of Tex-Mex. Will Bobby's unusual flavors win over the judges or will Diana's shredded chicken take the taco trophy?
Nigel Spence grew up in Jamaica. When he moved to the US he brought with him his love of Jamaican cooking and his talent for creating amazing Jerk food, including a mouthwatering Jerk Ribeye Steak. Nigel interned briefly at the Food Network on shows like Bobby Flay's "Hot off the Grill" before opening the Ripe Restaurant & Bar in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., just north of the Big Apple. It wasn't long before Ripe was packed with hungry customers, and his Jerk Ribeye reigned supreme. Now Nigel thinks he's starring in a new Food Network show called "Melting Pot Masters." Little does he know that the chef he once worked for is going to crash his backyard barbeque and challenge him to a Jerk Ribeye Throwdown! Does the Iron Chef know how to work the Jerk, or will his former student become the master?
She's a Food Network superstar, and loved by millions -- Paula Deen currently reigns as the Queen of Southern cuisine. For years Paula has been cooking delicious comfort food on "Paula's Home Cooking." On her new show, "Paula's Party," she invites a wide array of guests over to Uncle Bubba's Oyster House in Savannah Georgia for an unbelievable night of fabulous food, funny stories and fantastic surprises. For this year's Black and White Ball themed episode, Paula has invited Bobby to be her Guest of Honor! What Paula doesn't know is that Bobby will immediately return the favor with a surprise invitation to his own Country Fried Steak Throwdown! Can this Northern Grill Master beat this Southern Queen? It's Fry or Be Fried in this ultimate Throwdown challenge!
The small town of Rockland is located on Maine's rugged coastline-and is known far and wide for its delicious pies. In the heart of the aptly nicknamed "Pie town" is the Berry Manor Inn, which claims to have the best of the best. And the bakers behind these fruit filled delights: Janet and Alice, the mothers of the inn's owners. These "Pie Moms" believe they have been selected as guest stars of a Food Network special called "Pie A la Road." With at least 100 years of experience between them, they are true masters of the oven. The only problem: when it comes to baking, they don't agree on anything. Can they come together to bake a pie that will beat their surprise competitor, Bobby Flay?
Mitch and Dawn Weiss run The Lobster Dock in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Though they sell a lot of lobster, their crab cakes have been getting accolades from customers and critics alike. Mitch says it's the Maine waters that give his crab cakes their amazingly delicate texture and their sweet and super fresh flavor. The Weiss's are gearing up to throw the party of the season for what they think is a new Food Network series called "Summer Celebrations!" What they don't know is Bobby Flay will be crashing their party and challenging them to a Crab Cake Throwdown! Will it be the Weiss's traditional Crab Cakes or Bobby's spruced up Blue Corn Crab Cakes that win over the crowd? One thing's for sure: This Crab Cake Throwdown is sure to be the summer's Maine event!
New Orleans is the home of Muffaletta -- a sandwich made with Italian meats, cheeses, and a special olive salad -- and no place delivers the Muffaletta better than Serio's Deli. Owners Jack and Mike Serio are now ready to present their three-generations-old recipe to Food Network, for what they think is a TV special on deli sandwiches called "Order Up!" Little do they know that a Throwdown is on the menu, and Bobby Flay is working on a Muffaletta of his own. Will the Serio brothers distinguish themselves as Muffaletta Masters, or will the Iron Chef give them a hard time in the Big Easy? It's a Mardi-Gras atmosphere for the ultimate sandwich showdown!
Do blondes really have more fun? In this episode, Mark Ballard and Tom Finney, the founders of Sugardaddy's Sumptuous Sweeties in Columbus, Ohio, think that Food Network has chosen them and their tempting Tahiti Blondie for a new show called "Sweet Surrender." These masters of mail-order munchies have perfected the blondie -- a brown sugar-based cousin of the brownie -- but they have no clue that Bobby Flay is ready to stir up some trouble with a blondie of his own. Will Bobby rise to the occasion with beautiful blondies and perfect mail-order packaging, or will Mark and Tom's tasty treats and tasteful presentation be too much for the Iron Chef? It's a contest of style and substance, on Throwdown!
Every good Italian claims their grandmother made the best meatballs, and Mike Maroni, owner of Maroni Cuisine in Northport, N.Y., is no exception. For the last six years Mike has been serving up the 100-year-old recipe to please modern palates, blending family secrets and cutting edge twists to create the perfect meatball. Mike thinks he has been selected to host a dinner for the Food Network's new show called, "The Family Table." What he doesn't know is that an extra plate is being set for Bobby Flay! Will Bobby's Meatballs have what it takes to bring down a century of tradition, or will Mike's Meatballs continue to stand the test of time? It's up to our judges to decide in this Throwdown.
Julia Reynolds runs The Ice Cream Man in Greenwich, N.Y., making fresh premium ice cream every day from her arsenal of close to 300 mouth-watering recipes. Julia always has a line out the door of people screaming for her decadent ice cream sundaes -- scoops and scoops of ice cream, drizzled with sweet sauces and topped with crunchy nuts and a cherry, of course. Julia's ready to treat the Food Network and a crowd of customers to her most sought-after Sundae: The Banana Bucket. Little does she know that Bobby Flay is coming, to taste the best Sundae in town, but also to challenge that title -- in the ultimate Ice Cream Sundae Throwdown! How will Julia's sweet hometown favorite fare against Bobby's brand new tooth-tingling concoction? Watch and find out!
Bove's Cafe in Burlington, Vt., transports you back fifty years when classic, down-home Italian-American restaurants were the talk of the town. Mark Bove and his family keep tradition alive by offering customers delicious food made from recipes that have been handed from one generation to another. The dish that gets customers lining out the door is Bove's Lasagna, piled high and smothered in their famous sauce. Mark thinks that he's going to teach his lasagna tricks to hungry students at the University of Vermont for a show called "Food For Thought." What Mark doesn't know is that Professor Flay is showing up to teach a little lesson called Throwdown! How will Mark's classic dish fare against Bobby's gourmet bounty? Tune in and see who will become the head of the class!
Nothing brings people together like a mouth-watering Thanksgiving turkey, and Renee Ferguson of Geneva, Ill., is the ultimate turkey expert. This former Butterball Talk-Line "Call Girl" and author of "Talk Turkey to Me," thinks she is making turkey and dressing for a Food Network Special called "Talkin' Turkey." What she doesn't know is that Bobby Flay is working on his own version of the perfect bird. Will beating the Iron Chef be gravy for this queen of turkey or will Bobby gobble up the competition? One thing is for sure, this will be a Thanksgiving Throwdown to remember.
Johanna Rosson from Macomb, Ill., has a unique talent as a nationally recognized gingerbread artist. She can recreate just about any building and every detail -- all in edible, homemade gingerbread, decorated with sweet icing and colorful candies. Johanna thinks the Food Network has tapped her to star in one of its holiday specials and is ready to show a crowd in Springfield the tricks of her delicious trade. But just as the gingerbread cools and she's ready to create her masterpiece, Bobby Flay surprises her with a Gingerbread House Throwdown. You may think Bobby's out of his league on this one, but wait until you see what he's making! In the end, it's up to the judges to decide who has got the best looking, best tasting gingerbread house in town.