All Over Albany

Ric Orlando back on Chopped

Ric, listening to host Ted Allen, during his first appearance.

New World chef Ric Orlando will be back on the Food Network show Chopped Tuesday night as part of its champions tournament (he won during his first appearance on the show). From the blurb for the ep:

One spot left!! Four returning champs compete to see who can secure the very last place in the Grand Finale champions' contest. With their minds on the $50,000 grand prize, the chefs open the appetizer baskets to find something fishy and something fizzy. Approaching the Chopping Block, the competitors know that serious errors in execution could mean the difference between moving on and going home after just one course. Then in the Entrée Round, will a gamy meat be a game-changer for the three remaining competitors? And when the two finalists find a Tex-Mex staple and a Thai condiment in the mystery basket, the judges must ultimately decide if the sweet fusion creations are championship caliber.

As Ric told us after his first appearance, competing on the show is an intense experience. Watching the first couple of these "champions" eps, it does look like the competition is at a different level -- in large part because the contestants have a better sense of what to expect and they're not thrown off their game as easily. So, it should be fun to watch.

The episode runs Tuesday at 10 pm -- then Wednesday at 1 am, and Friday at 8 pm.

By the way: Clips from that first episode in which Ric appears are now on YouTube.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Behind the scenes with Chopped champ Ric Orlando
+ Did Ric Orlando get Chopped?

Yep, New World Bistro Bar in Albany, at which Ric is chef/consultant, has advertised on AOA.

screen grab: Food Network