Jernard Wells and his wife, Keena.Last Sunday on "Food Network Star," judge Bobby Flay told Atlanta chef Tregaye Fraser that this season's competition "was hers to lose."
But former Chattanoogan Jernard Wells - who's been one of the chefs on the Food Network show since the season began May 22 - says he isn't counting out Italian chef Damiano Carrara or Ana Quincoces, Cuban attorney and former "Real Housewives of Miami" star.
Wells, Fraser, Carrara and Quincoces are the Final Four on Season 12 of "Food Network Star," which airs at 9 p.m. Sundays. The winner will be announced on the July 31 show.
"When we started this competition, I really thought Joy Thompson (North Carolina restaurant and bakery owner) would still be in here with me," says Wells, who now lives in Atlanta. "Joy had great personality as well as she is a great cook. Right now I have to say the biggest competition is Damiano and Ana - not to discredit Tregaye because she has a unique quality about her as well.
"Damiamo has great skill when it comes to Italian dishes. You don't see a lot of Italian cuisine on Food Network except for Giada DeLaurentiis," says Wells. "Ana's still in this because they love Ana's food. When Ana came out of the gate, she was a top contender when it came to cooking great Latin America cuisine. Her problem has been bringing herself out on camera."
Wells doesn't say anything about his own chances for winning and is more concerned with his competition.
After moving to Chattanooga from Memphis, he opened Bon Appetite Bistro in 2009 in Ringgold, Ga. He also put his own spin on hot wings, patented the sauce and introduced the product to the area at Chattanooga Wing Co., which he opened in 2013. He has worked with Paula Deen and Tyler Perry and, in 2007, along with President Barack Obama, was one of the featured chefs at the 20th anniversary of Chicago's Real Men Cook event.
He currently lives in Atlanta, where he does contract services for several restaurants, offering help with setting up their menus and organizing their kitchen operations, among other tasks.
This season's chefs on "Food Network Star" have had their creativity tested with food mash-ups that pair unlikely ingredients (octopus mac and cheese, anyone?) NASCAR tailgating parties, team contests, and one challenge that only allowed flour, sugar and frozen foods as its ingredients.
"Cooking with frozen products was the toughest challenge," Wells insists. "That's something I don't like to do, and I don't do at all. I don't like using frozen foods. The triple berry biscuits I made didn't turn out like my wife's and I got a good chewing out when I got home."
But until last Sunday, Wells was coasting through the challenges; he had won three times (which means you absolutely will not be sent home at the end of that week's show) and had only been in the bottom three once in eight weeks. Using his self-proclaimed Chef of Love persona, the dad of nine children has repeatedly talked about the connection between food and romance in his presentations.
Flay made the on-air comment that he usually doesn't fall for such a gimmick, but that Wells could credibly pull it off - that is until Wells used his smooth-talking Love Chef persona during last week's presentation to guest judges Trisha Yearwood and Iron Chef Alex Guarneschelli. The over-the-top sexual innuendo made the judges uncomfortable and prompted Fraser to call it "food porn."
Although a contrite Wells apologized on-air to the judges, the chef was still in more hot water than a stewing chicken. It appeared he had cooked his last dish until finalist Erin Campbell backtalked Flay - which ensured she would be eliminated and Wells would advance to the Final Four.
"It's like swimming and you're in the 4-foot end, then suddenly you realize you are in the deep end and you've gone too far, and I didn't have a life raft to pull me out," Wells says, describing his emotions during the episode. "Once I saw the look on Trisha Yearwood's face, I knew it, and I apologized. I feel like I was invited to their house and I embarrassed or disappointed them (Flay and DeLaurentiis)."
The executive chef says he is already seeing how the show's high-profile exposure translates to more business. He's already gotten offers for television appearances, was booked to cater a wedding in Great Britain and has received offers from TV and film production companies.
"I had one ask if I ever considered being a Jamaican drug lord! I said 'No!' That was completely out of character," he says. "Others are for shows that would be on TV. After I mentioned my cookbook last week, '88 Ways to Her Heart,' it instantly sold 500 copies within 24 hours. When I go out in public, people know who I am."
After the Final Four are cut to three on tonight's episode, the trio will be joined the following week by one of the contestants cut earlier this season. Eliminated contestants have been competing in "Star Salvation" on foodnetwork.com for a second chance at the title. From those four chefs, three will be chosen to shoot a pilot and the winner will be selected after that.
"That's the ultimate goal - to shoot a pilot," says Wells. "Once you get to shoot a pilot, you get to show the world what you could do if you had your own show."
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.