I love how Mike Judge concluded his King of the Hill series, one of Y&H’s all-time favorite sitcoms. It didn’t end with a death in the family, a herd of cattle stampeding down Arlen, or a Yankee invasion of Texas. It ends with Hank and Bobby Hill working together over grills, the smell of smoked meats enticing the cast for a final taste of Texas beef. Understated. Perfect.

The funny thing is, Judge didn’t even intend for the finale to be the finale.

Folkman (front) in his pre-Star days

Teddy Folkman, a fixture on our Best of D.C. lists, will soon have a chance to prove his worth to a wider audience. The chef at Granville Moore’s (and spanker of Bobby Flay) has been selected as one of ten finalists for the fifth season of The Next Food Network Star, which premieres on Sunday, June 7.

The winner of the contest receives his or her own Food Network show; four previous winners have already launched their own programs, including Aaron McCargo, Jr. (Big Daddy’s House) and Guy Fieri (Guy’s Big Bite). Whether or not Folkman becomes the next Food Network darling, the chef already has a protective layer of PR bureaucracy around; when Y&H tried to phone Folkman for comment, he immediately returned the call but said we needed to go through official Food Network channels.

Y&H dutifully did so and got only this canned, promotional quote,  allegedly from Folkman:

“Being on The Next Food Network Star was truly an amazing experience. It was intense, challenging, fun, chaotic, emotional and just one crazy roller coaster of culinary competition. I am proud to be part of what should be the best season yet.”

Blah, blah, blah, blah.

Y&H is thrilled for Folkman, but he also has some questions: What does Folkman’s appearance mean for Granville Moore’s both in the short and long term? And what does it mean for the other Joe Englert projects that Folkman has a hand in (lower in the story)? I’m still searching for answers.

Read More “Granville’s Teddy Folkman to Compete on ‘Next Food Network Star’” »