Reminder! - Throw Down with our host on now!

Food Network, 8:30.

*flipping frantically!*
Thanks for the heads up!!

Crap... *looks for a re-run*

Yeah, it's the same episode, but I figured a lot of peeps missed it and didn't remember it was on.

saw it last night for first time, good show...

Robin, I was wondering, did you and Todd really know who prepared which hot brown? I know you both probably knew the Brown hot brown or am I incorrect? There was no mention by either judge of the french toast base on the show, was this noticed? That would have given it away most likely that the one with french toast was Bobby Flay's.

[Robin Garr]

saw it last night for first time, good show...

Robin, I was wondering, did you and Todd really know who prepared which hot brown? I know you both probably knew the Brown hot brown or am I incorrect? There was no mention by either judge of the french toast base on the show, was this noticed? That would have given it away most likely that the one with french toast was Bobby Flay's.

Good questions! I can't speak for Todd, but I was absolutely clueless. They invited the judges (and, I'm told, the Castros) without telling us that it was a Throwdown. I was told that they wanted advice and background information for a show about the Hot Brown. The Castros seemed genuinely surprised when Flay showed up. And Todd and I had to wait in a back room, out of sight, and couldn't watch the prep or filming at all. They brought us out only at the end and presented both Hot Browns with an air of great secrecy.

From my standpoint, the competition was definitely fair, and in fact, I was leaning briefly toward voting for Flay's Hot Brown because the Castro's version was made on toast points with the crusts cut off, which seemed way too froo-froo ladies-who-lunch style for an honest Louisville Hot Brown.

I think Flay's French toast concept got lost in the execution, because under the cheese sauce you couldn't really tell that the toast had been tinkered with.

Ultimately, I think Todd and I both agreed that the end difference was in both flavor and texture. The Castros used better bread (French toast or no), and Flay's bacon, in spite of all his yakking about how great it was, was way over-smoked to the extent where it tasted like licking the bottom of a cold fireplace.

But as bad as I make it sound, both Hot Browns really were good, and while they looked a bit different because of assembly, there wasn't a huge difference between them. Really, if you think about it, there's not much to play around with in a Hot Brown.

That's cool to have your analysis. You looked nice and professional Robin. I wish they had got something in about you being a food critic.

Also, wonder if this site has got any hits from the mention on the show?

[Robin Garr]

That's cool to have your analysis. You looked nice and professional Robin.

Check's in the mail!

Also, wonder if this site has got any hits from the mention on the show?

Not so's you'd notice. I've found that with the WineLoversPage.com, which gets fairly frequent media mentions, when a site has sufficient traffic, any media mention - even in major media - doesn't really make enough of a blip to show up. I'm sure we got a few thousand hits from people who heard the site name (never mind Flay's mangled version , but bear in mind that this is the largest circulation foodie publication in the Louisville region, with more restaurant-related traffic than the CJ or anybody else. A few thousand extra visitors makes for a nice week, but it doesn't really spike the overall numbers.

I seriously keep missing this show, although I know what the elusive Robin looks like I still wanna watch it. I guess I will try to catch it sunday.

Yeah, it's the same episode, but I figured a lot of peeps missed it and didn't remember it was on.

I mean I've missed it everytime now. Gotta look for yet another rerun.

I really should just put Throwdown on the season pass on the DVR....

Excellent ThrowDown...Those Castro Brothers displayed a great sense of humour along with a great Louisville Hot Brown...I loved the line (when talking about their Filipino roots) about them cooking fish heads at night... LOL...I can relate to that because I also have some Filipino roots...Pinoy Power!!...

Robin, You may have been justified to give Bobby Flay a "BeatDown"...I could have swore that I heard Bobby Flay call this website "LOUISVILLE BITES.COM"...

I pretty much could tell after tasting the dishes who was who; plus the odds would make me 50% correct. Honestly the dish came down to the bread and bacon. The French toast was sliced so big it over massed the mouth to the point that all you had was smoke and bread; especially since the bacon was not added to the sauce. It was more like a play on a hot breakfast club sandwich than a hot brown. The Castro Bros. bread was thin. You had the texture and flavor of bread, but it do not destroy the other flavors. I felt the French toast dish was trying to be something and hot brown was something.

It was a great experience...

When is the Iron Chef going to air, any word? I really wanna see that one.

[Robin Garr]

When is the Iron Chef going to air, any word? I really wanna see that one.

Food Network seems desperate to shoot itself in the foot when it comes to getting media publicity. They promised, promised, promised to tell me in advance before this Throwdown aired <i>so I could get them a lot of advance local publicity and bring a crowd</i>. They just plain didn't do it, and apparently they didn't notify other local media either.

I've tried and tried to get information on Iron Chef from their publicity people, and all I get is form replies from low-level flacks. "It'll happen when it happens."

sounds like they really don't care