Michelle Ragussis, chef at The Pearl in Rockland, has made it through to the final round on “Food Network Star,” competing against three other chefs who have successfully taken on all the challenges show hosts Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis have thrown their way.
Ragussis joins fellow competitors Martie Duncan, Yvan Lemoine and Justin Warner to battle for votes from the viewing public as to who will end up with an original Food Network series. The four will shoot a pilot episode for their proposed series, and all week leading up to Sunday’s episode of “Food Network Star” people can vote online at foodnetwork.com.
Ragussis, who has pitched a show called “My New England” to the network, showcasing her love of New England cooking and seafood and her Italian-Greek heritage, has made dishes ranging from Steamed Mussels with Chorizo and Fennel Broth, to Stone Crab Stuffed Lettuce Cups. She’s currently spending her summer cooking at The Pearl, located right on the Rockland harbor front, where’s she’s making many of the dishes you might end up seeing on her Food Network show – if she gets the most votes. The show airs at 9 p.m. Sundays on the Food Network.
To see a video of Ragussis in action, you can check out an exclusive visit the Bangor Daily News made with the chef back in June.