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Chef Teddy Folkman watches himself in an episode of The Next Food Network Star.
But unlike shows such as Top Chef, screen presence is just as, if not more important, than what comes out of the kitchen. From week to week judges noted, and Folkman often agreed, that he was awkward and unnatural in front of the rolling cameras. The moules frites wiz can be a gregarious presence as he walks around Granville Moore's, but he struggled in the show at the art of being himself. Presenting his DLT to the judges and a roomful of armed service men and women he was cooking for, Folkman stammered and resorted to reading notes off of his hand. While two competitors served what were effectively bowls of glue and mush and a third was on the chopping block for serving raw meat (when it wasn't supposed to be) in two previous challenges, it was the judgment that Folkman couldn’t be endearing enough on TV that sent him home early.
Folkman found his first slice of fame after beating Bobby Flay in a mussels smackdown at Granville Moore’s on H Street. Flay, who is the host of Next Food Network Star, said that watching Folkman on camera made him nervous
It was a season of ups and downs for Folkman. He won points in week one for assisting a fellow competitor and then refusing to “throw her under the bus” during questioning when asked if she was capable in the kitchen on her own. But he went on to have his integrity questioned during an argument about who deserved credit for a winning entrée. He made the meatloaf, his partner made the orange glaze. Orange glaze? Whatever! Now the only question is, will we see duck, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches on the menu at Capitol Lounge to go along with those $1 [off] drinks? They’d sure beat an order of poppers.
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I didn't see the episode, but if the DLT he made on the show is like the one offered at Granville Moore's, then it was rightfully praised indeed.
He vacillated between being a cold fish and a wreck on camera and he was an incredible jerk to his fellow competitors. I hate passive aggressive nonsense like his refusal to throw a competitor who he scooped eggs into a cup for under the bus. He really deserved to go last week after trying to impune his partner's integrity. Its TV Teddy we cannot taste the food. The food needs to look good and the presenter needs to be really entertaining. Take a page from Julia Child and combine whit and culinary chops in an appealing manner even if you bleed all over the chicken.
He got busted trying to throw fellow contestants (his then team mates) under the bus twice. IMO once should have been enough.
Bobby Flay is a poor sport, who can't handle a loss. No surprise he'd bring Teddy back on TV to even things out.
We watched each of the first three episodes with Teddy at the Capitol Lounge, and it was pretty clear that he was surprised by the way some of the events on the show were portrayed. If you've met Teddy, you're probably surprised, too.
Although he was very diplomatic in our follow-up interview with him yesterday, he did mention the editing and the show's need to tell a story. He took ownership for what showed up on TV, for sure, but it sounds like there was quite a bit we didn't get to see.
We posted our exit interview with Teddy over at Capital Spice this morning...hope you don't mind the link.
Whether or not editing had more to do with it than not, which I'm not totally buying, I think he came off looking a little scummy and over-the-top. That being said, they should have gotten rid of bug eye granola girl this week. You can work on someone's tv persona. Remember last year? They gave Aaron all season! But if you serve raw meat twice, you can't cook. Ultimately though, Teddy crashed and burned and that's why he's off the show.
Teddy's freakin' adorable, and very charming in person. But he was awful on this show -- it was clear after last week that there was no way he was going to win, so I'm glad they put him out of his misery before we had to watch any more his incredibly anxiety-inducing on-camera performances.
Ok, clearly Josh doesn't watch the show. Teddy definitely throws Melissa under the bus when he blatantly refuses to comment on whether or not he thinks she completed her own dish. (Even though all he did was help her spoon eggs into a bowl, WHICH HE OFFERED TO DO.)
ALSO, the meatloaf was conceptualized and flavored by Deb. All he did was form the loaf, twiddle his thumbs, and forget about the dessert he was supposed to make himself. It was ridiculous that he took credit for their shared dish when his own dish failed.
Throughout the show, Teddy just showed that he has a complete lack of integrity, is incredibly awkward, is prone to crying on camera, and is pretty much the last person I'd ever want to see with their own tv show.