Chefs vs. City is an American television show that aired on Food Network for two seasons from 2009 to 2010. The show stars chefs Aarón Sanchez and Chris Cosentino, who travel to different cities of the United States to challenge two local chefs to a variety of food-related challenges. The show was hosted by actor Ethan Erickson.
Show format
Each episode takes place in a major United States city. The show features two teams: two Food Network chefs (Sanchez and Cosentino) and two chefs from the featured city. At the beginning of the show, each contestant receives a backpack with certain instruments that they will use during the contest, and a dossier with information on their first stop. Each team is given a Ford Expedition to move around the city as they try to reach each stop ahead of the other team.
At each stop, both teams have to complete a certain food-related task before they receive a new dossier and advance to the next contest. Examples of tasks include eating a whole serving of an extremely spicy or very large dish, sampling and separating products, and cooking or prepping dishes.
After the final contest, the contestants have to race through a finish line together to win.
Of the show's twenty episodes, Chris and Aaron won in 14 of them, and lost in six.
Changes from season 1 to 2
During season 1, the competitors would have to run to the finish line. But, during season 2, they would drive to the finish line and then run. Also in season 2, the directions on the signs at the challenges got shorter. The first five season 2 episodes featured Chris and Aaron against fellow Food Network stars, who acted as the "City" representatives.
Controversy In 2014, Cosentino gave a talk at the MAD Symposium about how he regretted participating in the series. Most notably, he had gotten third-degree alkaline burns on his stomach lining as a result of the eating challenges, which he said took him five years to recover from, during which time he had to carefully monitor his diet. He also said that the show made him look "like a bully" when he and Sanchez beat the local chefs, and that the show's eating challenges glamorized overeating.Talk at MAD 4 Symposium
Season 1
EpisodeShow #DateCityCity ChefsWinner1CS0101August 7, 2009New York City, New YorkKelsey Nixon and Claire RobinsonChefs2CS0102August 14, 2009Las Vegas, NevadaStephen Hopcraft and Santanna SalasCity3CS0103August 21, 2009Boston, MassachusettsPeter and Robert DepesaChefs4CS0104August 28, 2009San Francisco, CaliforniaAnna Wankel and Melissa PerelloChefs5CS0105September 4, 2009Chicago, IllinoisGregg and Joey MorelliChefs6CS0106September 11, 2009Los Angeles, CaliforniaAmy Powell and Nino LinsmayerCity7CS0107September 18, 2009New Orleans, LouisianaAlfred Singleton and Stephanie BernardChefs
Season 2
EpisodeShow #DateCityCity ChefsWinner1CS0201April 18, 2010Miami, FloridaClaire Robinson and Sunny AndersonChefs2CS0202April 25, 2010Atlanta, GeorgiaRobert Irvine and George GalatiCity3CS0203May 2, 2010Savannah, GeorgiaJamie Deen and Bobby DeenCity4CS0204May 9, 2010Dallas, TexasAaron McCargo, Jr. and Adam GertlerCity5CS0205May 16, 2010Phoenix, ArizonaDuff Goldman and Geof ManthorneChefs6CS0206May 30, 2010Hollywood, CaliforniaDaisy Roman and David RosenbergerChefs7CS0207June 18, 2010Seattle, WashingtonCarrie Mashaney and Jason StrattonChefs8CS0208June 25, 2010Portland, OregonGabriel Kapustka and Ryan McMallenChefs9CS0209July 16, 2010San Diego, CaliforniaKari Rich and Steve PickettChefs10CS0210July 23, 2010Palm Springs, CaliforniaTony DiLembo and Thomas HoganCity11CS0211August 13, 2010Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaQuincy Logan and Chaz BrownChefs12CS0212August 20, 2010Baltimore, MarylandAnn Marie Langton and Thomas LooneyChefs13CS0213August 27, 2010Washington, D.C.Terrell Danely and Ryan GordonChefs
References
External links
Chefs vs. City @ imdb.com Eat Me Daily reviews Episode by Episode