Amy Finley, winner of The Next Food Network Star, hails from La Mesa, California, but the intro to her newish show, The Gourmet Next Door, was shot on a tree-lined block in Brooklyn, New York. In fact, I watched Finley’s crew shoot the intro from my own front stoop, so the show literally hits close to home for me.
I don’t mind that there’s nothing glamorous about this series, which seems to have lower production values than other Food Network cooking shows, but Second Helpings blogger Elisa Ung is concerned about Finley’s appearance:
Finley is cast kind of like a ground-level Giada. The judges often seemed concerned that Finley’s frequent ‘I lived in France’ talk would come off as too snobby, and the show seems to be taking great pains to glam her hair and makeup down, to the point of being unflattering.
Her nerdy dessert names, like Amy’s Freaky Good Apple Tart, also lack sex appeal, and she’s not all that graceful in the kitchen, but I kind of like seeing a TV cook who is a bit of a spaz. One anonymous reviewer of her tart recipe thinks she should be a bit more poised, though:
Amy looks so uncomfortable on the screen, disorganized, constantly shifting from one thing to another and always standing on her tiptoes. Obviously the counter and stove is too high for her, give her something to stand on.
Like Second Helpings, the Gastronomic Fight Club blog suggests that Finley might want to get off the “I lived in France” train. Since Finley seems so wrapped up with her stint in Europe, perhaps her own travel show would be more original and intriguing than her basic behind-the-counter cooking show?
I really wanted Amy to win and I have to say I’m a bit disappointed in her show. I realize she’s “green” and even Giada did not have a great on-camera presence when she first started, so I can’t blame her for some awkwardness.
I do agree that her hair and makeup look really weird. How can professionals make her look uber-tan and have her hair look dirty and Medusa-like. I don’t get it.
I watch about three eps and I wasn’t really that interested in making any of the recipes either.
I think a more interesting spin on her show might be showing the higher-end gourmet version of a dish (in France or other countries), and her simpler version of it for the home cook. Kind of like what fashion mags do when they have a designer look and then show a similar look with stuff from Target, etc.
Wonder how well (or not) it’s being received ratings-wise and if she’ll get more episodes.
This will sound really snarky, but her hair always appeared to be in dirty, unkempt coils. Nothing is different now.
I caught a few minutes of a her show this weekend and it was… just okay. Guy (last year’s winner) followed her with his show and he was much more at home in the show kitchen. Maybe it takes time to warm up to the cameras. A sense of humor helps also.
I won’t really know until the end of the first season.
But really, the best find they’ve got from “Food Network Star” is Guy Fieri. He’s amazingly good. Comfortable in front of the camera and quite engaging. Plus we know he knows his stuff.
I have checked out the recipes Amy has given so far on FoodNetwork – they look fabulous, and this weekend I am going to try the “Moroccan Chicken with Squash and Dried Plums.” However, I am also concerned about her TV presentations. She looks stiff and self conscious – I am worried she won’t last on the show if this continues. I notice that her Sunday show is not listed in upcoming events on Foodnetwork – I hope she is still on the network. It would be a shame if they do not give her a chance to develop her presentations. I think she has a lot to offer by way of cooking expertise and imaginative ideas.