Local chef competes on Food Network

Ready to head to Flavortown? You can do just that and watch a local chef compete on a new program on Food Network hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Taylor Frankel, executive chef at Slope Room at Gravity Haus Vail is competing against other chefs in “Flavortown Food Fight” on May 13.

Frankel is no stranger to the reality chef challenge-style shows, she has competed on “Alex vs. America,” where chefs attempt to take down “Iron Chef’s” Alex Guarnaschelli, a feared and accomplished competitor. She also appeared on the Food Network’s “Chef Grudge Match” in the summer of 2025 with fellow Vail Valley chef Maria Busato. That cooking competition was housed in a boxing ring complete with a live audience surrounding the chefs as they created a dish during a set amount of time.

So, you can say, the people at the Food Network have Frankel’s number.

“To be called in for any Food Network show is great, but then to be called to be on one of Guy Fieri’s shows was so cool because in the last few years, he’s created all these very competitive shows like “Tournament of Champions,” and just to get into that ecosystem and get in front of him, I’m super excited about. I still can’t believe it,” Frankel said.

Frankel said she grew up in Boulder with parents who loved to cook and watched the Food Network all the time.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

“I would always sit at the counter every night and watch my mom cook and watch the Food Network while I pretended to do my homework. So yeah, I learned everything from her and the Food Network,” Frankel said.

The premise of Flavortown, which, as all Guy Fieri fans know, is his signature catchphrase representing anything bold, comfort food flavors in the culinary world, is to challenge chefs from all across America in his fictitious town set up with different restaurant concepts. From food trucks, bistros, ethic specialties to fine dining, the chefs never know what’s coming at them in this changing landscape.

“One of the things Guy wanted to highlight is that chefs have to work in a lot of unusual spaces,” Frankel said. “Most restaurants are set up as a disadvantage to cooks and chefs. They’re small. They’re in basements. They’re in tight quarters. A lot of the restaurants in Flavortown had weird setups and the fast-casual restaurants were shaped like a horseshoe. So, you had to run around a ton and that highlight the chef’s adaptability and athleticism and shows how we keep it all going.”

Each episode kicks off with a skills challenge and trivia with the chef who wins that picking what type of dining concept the chefs will work in. Frankel said she brushed up on all sorts of techniques, methods and recipes before the filming, which happened in December.

“We literally had no idea what we were walking into. You never know if you’re going to have to make desserts, for example,” Frankel said. “So just memorizing recipes and just going through all your old notes to bring different dishes back to your brain and just memorizing spice blends, that’s what I did to prepare. I was making pâte à choux which is a French pastry dough that can make a variety of things like Parisian gnocchi, churros, gougères and that is good for a sweet or savory dish.”

Frankel said it was such a great experience because Fieri spent quite a bit of time with the chefs, explaining the rules and why he wanted to do a show like this and highlight the versatility that chefs have.

“He was so personable and he just loves chefs and wants to contribute to our livelihood. We were just hanging out with him and the judges before we competed and you feel like a family,” Frankel said. “I just love being around these people, I just click with other chefs, it is a bond that’s hard to explain. You have so many shared experiences.”

How far does Frankel last in Flavortown? Watch the episode of “Flavortown Food Fight” on the Food Network this Wednesday or you can stream it the next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.

Frankel will be watching for the first time on Wednesday, too.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking waiting for the episode to come out because you don’t even know how the show’s going to be presented and edited, you have no idea,” Frankel said. “It’s been a long five months waiting. The first time anyone else sees it is when I will see it, which is the scariest part.”