The fourth season of the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 reality television series The Next Food Network Star

The Next Food Network Star

The Next Food Network Star is a reality television series produced by and aired on the Food Network in the United States that awards the winner his or her own series on the Food Network...

premiered on Sunday, June 1, 2008. Food Network

Food Network

Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....

 executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined by Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay

Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...

 as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early this year in Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

 and New York, New York. Aaron McCargo, Jr.

Aaron McCargo, Jr.

Aaron McCargo, Jr. is an American chef from Camden, New Jersey. He is best known as the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's reality television show, The Next Food Network Star....

 was announced as the winner on the season finale, which aired on Sunday, July 27, 2008. His show, Big Daddy's House

Big Daddy's House

Big Daddy's House is a cooking show on the American specialty channel Food Network. The show stars Aaron McCargo, Jr., the winner of the fourth season of the network's reality television series, The Next Food Network Star. The six-episode first season was McCargo's grand prize for winning the...

, premiered on August 3, 2008. In addition, runner-up Adam Gertler

Adam Gertler

Adam Gertler is an American cook, TV personality, and actor. As a contestant on season four of The Next Food Network Star, Adam Gertler was the runner-up....

 was given a show, Will Work for Food

Will Work for Food (TV show)

Will Work For Food is a Food Network show starring Adam Gertler, one of three finalists of the fourth season of The Next Food Network Star. The show premiered on Monday, January 19, 2009 at 8:30 PM EDT...

, which premiered January 19, 2009 and Kelsey Nixon

Kelsey Nixon

Kelsey Nixon is a chef who hosts the Cooking Channel series, Kelsey’s Essentials, which premiered November 6, 2010. She was one of the final 4 contestants in season 4 of The Next Food Network Star on the Food Network.-Personal and professional life:...

, who finished fourth, began hosting her show, Kelsey's Essentials, on the Cooking Channel

Cooking Channel

Cooking Channel is a television specialty channel that airs recurring programs about food and cooking, owned by Scripps Networks Interactive. It is a spinoff of Food Network, also owned by SNI, but focuses more on instructional shows rather than "reality style" and contest programming that Food...

 on November 6, 2010.

Contestants

(In order of elimination)

• Cory Kahaney
  Cory Kahaney
  Cory Kahaney is an American comedian. She competed in the first season of NBC's reality television show Last Comic Standing.Cory was a grand finalist and runner-up in season one of NBC's Last Comic Standing. She has had her own comedy specials on both Comedy Central and HBO...
  
  , 45 — New York, NY; Stand-up Comedian
  Stand-up comedy
  Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
  
  
• Kevin Roberts, 39 — San Diego, CA
  San Diego, California
  San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
  
  ; Radio Talk Show Host/Restaurant Owner/Author
• Jeffrey Vaden, 43 — White Plains, NY
  White Plains, New York
  White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
  
  ; Food Service Manager
• Nipa Bhatt, 35 — Victoria, MN
  Victoria, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 4,025 people, 1,367 households, and 1,141 families residing in the city. The population density was 575.4 people per square mile . There were 1,410 housing units at an average density of 201.6 per square mile...
  
  ; Marketing Manager
  Marketing
  Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
  
  
• Jennifer Cochrane, 32 — Woonsocket, RI
  Woonsocket, Rhode Island
  Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
  
  ; Chef
  Chef
  A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
  
  
• Shane Lyons
  Shane Lyons
  Shane Edward Lyons is an American actor and chef, best known as a regular performer on the hit Nickelodeon show All That. Shane was featured in one episode of Wizards of Waverly Place in 2008. He also played Kenny Bookwell in the first season of That's So Raven...
  
  , 20 — Colorado Springs, CO
  Colorado Springs, Colorado
  Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
  
  ; Private Chef/Actor
• Kelsey Nixon
  Kelsey Nixon
  Kelsey Nixon is a chef who hosts the Cooking Channel series, Kelsey’s Essentials, which premiered November 6, 2010. She was one of the final 4 contestants in season 4 of The Next Food Network Star on the Food Network.-Personal and professional life:...
  
  , 23— North Ogden, UT
  North Ogden, Utah
  North Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 15,027 at the 2000 census. North Ogden is on SR-235, three miles north of Ogden. It is a suburb of that city and is part of the Ogden –Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:North Ogden was...
  
  ; Assistant Culinary Director —Fan Favorite
• Lisa Garza, 32 — Dallas, TX
  Dallas, Texas
  Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
  
  ; —Runner-Up
• Adam Gertler
  Adam Gertler
  Adam Gertler is an American cook, TV personality, and actor. As a contestant on season four of The Next Food Network Star, Adam Gertler was the runner-up....
  
  , 30 — Philadelphia, PA
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
  
  ; Food server —Runner-Up
• Aaron McCargo, Jr.
  Aaron McCargo, Jr.
  Aaron McCargo, Jr. is an American chef from Camden, New Jersey. He is best known as the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's reality television show, The Next Food Network Star....
  
  , 38 — Camden, NJ
  Camden, New Jersey
  The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
  
  ; Chef
  Chef
  A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
  
   —Winner

Contestant progress

center style="text-align:center">

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		9
Mini Challenge Winner	None	Aaron Adam Jennifer	Adam	Kelsey	Shane	None	None	None	None
Aaron	WIN	WIN	HIGH	LOW	LOW	HIGH	HIGH	IN	WINNER
Adam	IN	LOW	HIGH	LOW	LOW	HIGH	LOW	IN	Runner-Up
Lisa	LOW	WIN	WIN	HIGH	IN	LOW	LOW	IN	Runner-Up
Kelsey	WIN	HIGH	LOW	WIN	WIN	LOW	OUT		Fan Favorite
Shane	LOW	IN	IN	HIGH	WIN	OUT
Jennifer	IN	IN	LOW	LOW	OUT
Nipa	LOW	LOW	LOW	OUT
Jeffrey	HIGH	LOW	OUT
Kevin	IN	OUT
Cory	OUT

(WINNER) The contestant won the final challenge, was crowned The Next Food Network Star.

(RUNNER-UP) The contestant made it to the final challenge, but did not win, becoming a Runner-Up of the season.

(FAN FAVORITE) The contestant was voted the Fan Favorite for the season in an online poll.

(WIN) The contestant won that episode's Elimination Challenge.

(HIGH) The contestant was one of the Selection Committee's favorites for that week, but did not win the Elimination Challenge.

(IN) The contestant was neither the Selection Committee's favorite nor the least favorite. They were not up for elimination.

(LOW) The contestant was one of the Selection Committee's least favorites for that week, but was not in the Bottom 2.

(LOW) The contestant was one of the Selection Committee's least favorites for that week and was in the Bottom 2, but was not eliminated.

(OUT) The contestant was the Selection Committee's least favorite for that week, and was eliminated.

Week One: Star Quality

• Preliminary Challenge: Upon arriving at the Food Network Studios, the contestants were met by Alton Brown
  Alton Brown
  Alton Crawford Brown is an American television personality, author, actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show Good Eats and the mini-series Feasting on Asphalt and Feasting on Waves, and he is the host and main commentator on Iron Chef America...
  
  . He told them their first challenge was to explain their culinary point of view in one sentence on camera, with the option of using a prop. The Selection Committee later watched the videos made in this challenge. No winner was announced.
• Elimination Challenge: The contestants were paired randomly into the following five teams:
  • Nipa and Shane
  • Aaron and Kelsey
  • Lisa and Kevin
  • Adam and Jennifer
  • Jeffrey and Cory

Each of these teams was required to prepare three dishes (each contestant prepared one dish and the team prepared one joint dish) and presented them to the Selection Committee, as well as a group of current Food Network personalities including Iron Chef

Iron Chef America

Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...

 Masaharu Morimoto

Masaharu Morimoto

is a well-known Japanese chef, best known as the third Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show Iron Chef, and an Iron Chef on its spinoff, Iron Chef America. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food....

, Pat and Gina Neely, Sandra Lee, and Giada De Laurentiis

Giada De Laurentiis

Giada Pamela De Laurentiis is an Italian American chef, writer, television personality, and the host of the current Food Network program Giada at Home. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's Today...

.

• WINNERS: Aaron and Kelsey
• ELIMINATED: Cory (Eliminated for showing no personality)
• First aired:June 1, 2008

Week Two: FN Star On the Go

• Preliminary Challenge: Chef Robert Irvine
  Robert Irvine
  Robert Irvine is a celebrity chef who has appeared on a variety of Food Network programs, including Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, and Restaurant: Impossible.-Career:Irvine began his cooking career upon enlisting in the Royal Navy at the age of fifteen...
  
  , woke the contestants at 3:00 in the morning, and had them randomly separate into three teams:
  • Jeffrey, Kelsey, and Kevin
  • Aaron, Adam, and Jennifer
  • Lisa, Nipa, and Shane

In these teams, the contestants had to race to three locations in the New York area, where they were asked a culinary trivia question. If they answered their question correctly, they could select an ingredient and continue to the next location. If they did not, they had to perform a food preparation task before continuing and selecting an ingredient. These tasks included rolling dough for baguette

Baguette

A baguette is "a long thin loaf of French bread" that is commonly made from basic lean dough...

s and butchering a chicken. The first team to go to all three locations and meet Chef Irvine in a "secret location" would be able to go first in the Elimination Challenge.

• WINNERS: Aaron, Adam, and Jennifer
• Elimination Challenge: Using the foods they collected in the scavenger hunt (a loaf of bread, a type of cheese, and a cut of meat) as well as the ingredients provided for them, teams each had to prepare brunch for the Selection Committee, Robert Irvine
  Robert Irvine
  Robert Irvine is a celebrity chef who has appeared on a variety of Food Network programs, including Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, and Restaurant: Impossible.-Career:Irvine began his cooking career upon enlisting in the Royal Navy at the age of fifteen...
  
  , and 30 other guests aboard a moving M&E Railway
  Morristown and Erie Railway
  The Morristown and Erie Railway is a freight short line railroad based in Morristown, New Jersey. It operates freight rail service five days a week in Morris County, New Jersey and surrounding areas...
  
   train . The winners of the challenge were featured in an issue of USA Weekend
  USA Weekend
  USA Weekend is a national publication distributed through more than 800+ newspapers in the United States. It reaches 47 million readers in 22.6 million households every weekend. Awarded for its journalism and design, USA WEEKEND focuses on social issues, entertainment, health, food and travel....
  
  .
• WINNERS: Lisa and Aaron
• ELIMINATED: Kevin (Eliminated for serving poorly cooked food)
• First aired: June 8, 2008

Week Three: You. . . In a Jar

• Preliminary Challenge: Bobby Flay greeted the contestants in the Food Network Kitchens, where he gave them thirty minutes to prepare a dish representing their culinary point of view using russet potatoes
  Russet Burbank potato
  The Russet Burbank potato is a large brown-skinned, white-fleshed cultivar of potato. Luther Burbank developed the Burbank potato in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, U.S., in the early 1870s. In 1875, Burbank sold his farm and the rights to his potato, and moved to Santa Rosa, California...
  
  . Then they were given one minute to present their dish on camera, with the Selection Committee watching. The contestants' performance in this challenge was considered during the Evaluation, and so the winner of this challenge could not be eliminated.
  • WINNER: Adam
• Elimination Challenge: Following in the footsteps of such Food Network
  Food Network
  Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
  
   stars as Emeril Lagasse
  Emeril Lagasse
  'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...
  
   and Paula Deen
  Paula Deen
  Paula Deen American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates...
  
  , the contestants were required to create their own packaged food product, as well as a simple dish using this product. Then, they had to present it to fifty food buyers, the Selection Committee, and Martha Stewart
  Martha Stewart
  Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
  
  , who served as a surprise guest judge for this challenge.
• WINNER: Lisa
• ELIMINATED: Jeffrey (Eliminated for not having an appealing food product)
• First aired: June 15, 2008

Week Four: Being an Expert

• Preliminary Challenge: Tyler Florence
  Tyler Florence
  Tyler Florence is a chef and television host of several Food Network shows. He graduated from the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina campus of Johnson & Wales University in 1991...
  
   told the contestants they were required to create a sixty second video demonstrating a cooking technique using a product given to them only seconds before recording. The winning video was featured on the Food Network website, and the winner of the challenge was allowed to pick their ingredients first and serve first in the next challenge.
  • WINNER: Kelsey
• Elimination Challenge: The contestants were then met by Iron Chef
  Iron Chef America
  Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
  
   Michael Symon
  Michael Symon
  Michael D. Symon is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is seen regularly on Food Network on shows such as Iron Chef America, Food Feuds, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, as well as Cook Like an Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel...
  
  , who said that each contestant had to select a fish (cod
  Cod
  Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
  
  , tilapia
  Tilapia
  Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
  
  , trout
  Trout
  Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
  
  , sole
  Sole (fish)
  Sole is a group of flatfish belonging to several families. Generally speaking, they are members of the family Soleidae, but, outside Europe, the name sole is also applied to various other similar flatfish, especially other members of the sole suborder Soleoidei as well as members of the flounder...
  
  , halibut
  Halibut
  Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...
  
  , mahi mahi, or arctic char
  Arctic char
  Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
  
  ) and use it to prepare two dishes. The first dish had to be an "accessible dish" which could be featured on the Red Lobster
  Red Lobster
  Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada, the UAE and Japan . It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market...
  
   fresh fish menu. The second dish had to feature a special ingredient selected at the beginning of the challenge (white chocolate
  White chocolate
  White chocolate is a confectionery derivative of chocolate. It commonly consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and salt, and is characterized by a pale yellow or ivory appearance...
  
  , cola
  Cola
  Cola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
  
  , coffee bean
  Coffee bean
  A coffee bean is a seed of a coffee plant. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. Even though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits - coffee cherries or coffee berries - most commonly contain two...
  
  s, marshmallow creme
  Marshmallow creme
  Marshmallow creme is an American food item. It is a very sweet, spreadable, marshmallow-like confection. Marshmallow creme and peanut butter are used to create a fluffernutter sandwich...
  
  , grape jelly
  Fruit preserves
  Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits and sugar, often canned or sealed for long-term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves today often involves adding commercial or natural pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used, as well. Prior to World War II, fruit preserve...
  
  , caramel
  Caramel
  Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
  
  , or fruit cereal
  Froot Loops
  Froot Loops is a brand of breakfast cereal produced by Kellogg's and sold in Hungary, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Germany, The Middle East, The Caribbean, South Africa, Latin America, Sweden and Finland...
  
  ). The winning "accessible" dish was put on the fresh fish menu at all Red Lobster restaurants and is still being served. For this episode, Michael Symon sat in for Bobby Flay on the Selection Committee, and Red Lobster
  Red Lobster
  Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada, the UAE and Japan . It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market...
  
  's senior executive chef, Michael LaDuke, served as a special guest judge.
• WINNER: Kelsey
• ELIMINATED: Nipa (Eliminated for showing no enthusiasm)
• First aired: June 22, 2008

Week Five: Enticing and Easy with Bon Appétit

• Preliminary Challenge: At the beginning of this challenge, Iron Chef
  Iron Chef America
  Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
  
   Cat Cora
  Cat Cora
  Catherine "Cat" Cora is a Greek-American professional chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America.-Early life:...
  
   greeted the contestants, and gave each of them a basket filled with a set of six ingredients. Using these ingredients, the contestants had to prepare a dish in thirty minutes which they would later need to describe on camera. However, at the conclusion of the cooking, Cat announced they would not be describing their own dishes, but that of another contestant. The winner was allowed to pick the dish they and their partner would be making in the Elimination Challenge, as well as assign dishes to other pairs.
  • WINNER: Shane
• Elimination Challenge: The contestants were randomly split into three teams:
  • Kelsey and Shane
  • Aaron and Adam
  • Jennifer and Lisa

In these teams, the contestants were required to recreate one of three classic dishes, Coq au Vin

Coq au vin

Coq au vin is a French braise of chicken cooked with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic.While the wine is typically Burgundy, many regions of France have variants of coq au vin using the local wine, such as coq au vin jaune , coq au Riesling , coq au pourpre , coq au Champagne, and so...

, Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington is a preparation of fillet steak coated with pâté and duxelles, which is then wrapped in puff pastry and baked...

, or Turducken

Turducken

A turducken is a dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey. The word turducken is a portmanteau of turkey, duck, and chicken or hen....

, each of which typically take extensive planning and preparation, preparing a version of it in 45 minutes that would be accessible to home cooks. As the winner of the preliminary challenge, Shane chose to make a variation of Beef Wellington with Kelsey, while assigning Aaron and Adam to cook Coq au Vin, and Lisa and Jennifer to prepare Turducken. After cooking, the contestants had to present their dish to the Selection Committee and the editors of Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit describes itself as "a food and entertaining magazine" and is published monthly. Named after the French phrase for "Enjoy your meal", it was started by M. Frank Jones in Kansas City in 1956...

 magazine, as well as Cat Cora, who participated in the Selection Committee this week. The winning recipe was featured in the August issue of Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit describes itself as "a food and entertaining magazine" and is published monthly. Named after the French phrase for "Enjoy your meal", it was started by M. Frank Jones in Kansas City in 1956...

.

• WINNERS: Kelsey and Shane
• ELIMINATED: Jennifer (Eliminated for not taking proper care of her food)
• First aired: June 29, 2008

Week Six: Into the Studio

• Elimination Challenge: Bobby Flay
  Bobby Flay
  Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
  
   announced to the five remaining contestants that they would each be doing a 4-minute cooking demonstration on the Rachael Ray Show
  Rachael Ray (TV series)
  Rachael Ray, also known as The Rachael Ray Show, is a talk show starring Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006....
  
  , in front of a live studio audience. He told them they had to prepare an innovative and nutritious meal that appealed to an 8-year-old Girl Scout
  Girl Scouts of the USA
  The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
  
  , and that had a main course, and at least one side dish. The contestants had time to talk with the Girl Scout on what they like to eat, and were also given 75 minutes to prepare the meal. Then, they would demonstrate the meal on the show, with the assistance of their respective Girl Scout. Rachael Ray
  Rachael Ray
  Rachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...
  
   served as a special guest judge for this episode.
• No winner was announced, although Adam and Aaron's recipes, the two that were the best received among the Selection Committee, were shown as the featured recipes on the show website.
• ELIMINATED: Shane (Eliminated for having the least appealing performance)
• Note: There was no Preliminary Challenge in this episode.
• First aired: July 6, 2008

Week Seven: Vegas Throwdown

• Elimination Challenge: The final four contestants were flown to Las Vegas
  Las Vegas, Nevada
  Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
  
  , where they were told by Bobby Flay
  Bobby Flay
  Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
  
   that they would be participating in a challenge modeled after his show Throwdown!
  Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
  Throwdown! with Bobby Flay is a Food Network television program in which celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenges cooks renowned for a specific dish or type of cooking to a cook-off of their signature dish....
  
   They were then assigned an opponent, and told they had to prepare "Vegas Style" versions of their own and their opponent's signature dishes in 75 minutes, while also answering questions from the Selection Committee, guest judge Paula Deen
  Paula Deen
  Paula Deen American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates...
  
   and Dayna Devon of Extra. Adam was paired up against Lisa, with each of them preparing a version of Adam's signature macaroni and cheese
  Macaroni and cheese
  Macaroni and cheese, also known as "mac and cheese", "macaroni cheese" in British English, or "macaroni pie" in Caribbean English, is a casserole consisting of cooked macaroni and cheese sauce...
  
   and Lisa's cassoulet
  Cassoulet
  Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat , pork skin and white haricot beans....
  
  , while Kelsey was paired against Aaron, each of them having to make a variation of Kelsey's chicken parmesan and Aaron's stuffed pork tenderloin
  Pork tenderloin
  The pork tenderloin is a cut of pork. It is often sold as prepackaged products by large grocery stores. They are available plain and flavored with a marinade....
  
  .
• No winner was announced, although Aaron's food was most well received by the panel. However, Lisa's cassoulet, and Adam's macaroni and cheese, as well as both of Aaron's dishes, were shown as the featured dishes on the show website.
• ELIMINATED: Kelsey (Eliminated for mentioning culinary school)
• Note: There was no Preliminary Challenge in this episode.
• First aired: July 13, 2008

Week Eight: Ultimate Vegas

• Preliminary Challenge: The contestants were met by Bobby Flay
  Bobby Flay
  Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
  
   and guest judge Guy Fieri
  Guy Fieri
  Guy Fieri is an American restaurateur, author, television personality, and game show host. He co-owns five restaurants in California and is widely known for his television series on the Food Network....
  
  , who told them they would be taping scripted 30-second promos in iconic Las Vegas
  Las Vegas, Nevada
  Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
  
   locations. Aaron's promo featured him on a casino floor with gamblers, Adam's promo featured him on stage with showgirls, and Lisa's promo featured her rising up a shaft by cable, speaking her lines on camera at each level she reached. No winner was announced.
• Elimination Challenge: The contestants then had 6 hours to create an extravagant, lavish buffet for the Selection Committee, Guy, the chefs from the Wynn Casino, and a group of Las Vegas
  Las Vegas, Nevada
  Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
  
   entertainers, with the assistance of one of three previously eliminated contestants (Kelsey, Shane, or Jennifer). After a lengthy debate, the Selection Committee announced that for the first time ever, they would be taking all three contestants back to New York for the finale, due to the difficulties they had selecting someone to eliminate.
• No winner was announced, although Adam's smoked pork chops were considered the best dish of the challenge, and were shown as the featured recipe on the show website.
• ELIMINATED: None (Nobody was eliminated because the judges liked all three contestants enough to keep them all in.)
• First aired: July 20, 2008

Week Nine: Finale

• Elimination Challenge: After returning to New York City, the final three contestants learned that they would each be creating a fully produced, 4½ minute pilot presentation for their own respective TV show, with accomplished producer Gordon Elliot, as well as a complete production crew. First, each contestant had to conceive a pitch and present it to Gordon, who would then give them feedback and help them mold their idea into a TV show. Lisa came up with three different pitches: Beautiful Basics, Pure and Simple, and Fashion Feast, each of which merge her straightforward approach to cooking with either fine dining, organics and green living, or high fashion, respectively. With Gordon's advice, she chose to pursue the Beautiful Basics pitch, as he felt both of the other ideas were too inaccessible for home viewers. Adam created an idea titled I'm Always Hungry in Philadelphia, in which viewers talked to him by webcam
  Webcam
  A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
  
  , asking him to "spice up" one of their boring, old recipes, or to prepare his interpretation of a certain dish. Gordon liked the idea, because he thought it separated him from the other finalists. Lastly, Aaron thought of a concept called Too Bold and Flavorful, in which he prepares food with big, bold flavors, while also showcasing different types of herbs and spices. He also came up with an idea called Leftovers not Forgotten, which was about re-using leftovers, but Gordon quickly dismissed it, favoring Aaron's first idea, which together they renamed Big Daddy's House. Soon after being perfected, the selected pitches then went into production on the set of 30 Minute Meals
  30 Minute Meals
  30 Minute Meals is a Food Network show hosted by Rachael Ray. Her first of four shows on Food Network debuted in the fall of 2001. The show specializes in convenience cooking for those with little time to cook. The show is recorded live-to-tape, with Ray doing almost all preparation in real time...
  
  . While filming, each contestant had a few problems, but with the help of Gordon they were then able to fix them and continue filming.
• Finale Presentation: At the beginning of this prerecorded segment, Bobby Flay
  Bobby Flay
  Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
  
   introduced the final three contestants to a live studio audience, which included their friends and family members and the previously eliminated contestants. The three fully finished pilots were then shown, after which the Selection Committee privately discussed each contestant's highs and lows in the challenge. After making a final decision, the Selection Committee returned to the main studio, where Bobby proclaimed Aaron the Next Food Network Star.
• The Next Food Network Star: Aaron McCargo, Jr.
  Aaron McCargo, Jr.
  Aaron McCargo, Jr. is an American chef from Camden, New Jersey. He is best known as the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's reality television show, The Next Food Network Star....
  
  
• ELIMINATED: Adam and Lisa
• Note: This episode was the most-watched telecast in Food Network
  Food Network
  Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
  
   history.
• First aired: July 27, 2008

Early announcement of winner

Food Network

Food Network

Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....

 made an error on July 24, 2008, in which the winner, Aaron McCargo, Jr., was inadvertently revealed on the show's website. His profile on the site, videos of his winning moment and of the production of his series, Big Daddy's House

Big Daddy's House

Big Daddy's House is a cooking show on the American specialty channel Food Network. The show stars Aaron McCargo, Jr., the winner of the fourth season of the network's reality television series, The Next Food Network Star. The six-episode first season was McCargo's grand prize for winning the...

were available for viewing. When you visited the runners'-up profiles, their exit interviews and failed pilots

Television pilot

A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...

were also available.