Alex Vs America: Release Date, Episodes, And More - What We Know So Far

Long before she could have known that she would one day become a Food Network star in her own right, the celebrity chef, restaurateur, and author Alex Guarnaschelli wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of fellow chef Bobby Flay, she told People in 2018. These days, however, Guarnaschelli counts Flay among her closest friends. "He's amazing!" she added, acknowledging that perhaps her initial feelings reflected the teeniest bit of "jealousy." A lot has changed since then, of course, and today we learned that Food Network and the streaming service Discovery+ have ordered a new primetime cooking competition series starring Guarnaschelli (via Deadline). Ironically, its premise is not all that different from Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay," which, we should point out, Guarnaschelli has competed on and won. 

Produced by Lando Entertainment, "Alex vs America" will star 15 top-rated chefs from all around the U.S. as they try to out-cook Guarnaschelli. Here is everything we know so far about "Alex vs America," including its premise, who else we can expect to see on it, when it will be released, and more. 

"Alex vs America" will be a five-part series in which 15 highly accomplished chefs from all across the U.S. will be given the opportunity to compete not only against one another, but also against Guarnaschelli, according to a statement by Discovery+. Based on this information, "Alex vs America" almost sounds like a cross between "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay." However, the series is different in some key ways. 

First, each of the competitors will have been selected specifically because they specialize in one specific ingredient or dish, such as shellfish or chocolate. During each episode, groups of three, the members of whom are experienced in the same area, will be pitted against Guarnaschelli. The goal will be to determine who among the four chefs is the true master in that particular epicurean topic. During each episode, the four will compete over two rounds. At the end of each round, one competitor will be eliminated — and that could be Guarnaschelli.

Although a statement by Discovery+ describes "Alex vs America" as a cooking competition among 15 celebrity chefs and Alex Guarnaschelli, the structure of each episode is really a contest between Guarnaschelli and three chefs, all of whom are highly accomplished in a particular dish or ingredient. For example, the first episode features three culinary experts known for their mastery of shellfish — one from Hawaii, another from Louisiana, and the third from Maine. Over the course of the episode, Guarnaschelli will compete alongside these three cooks in two rounds designed to feature shellfish. At the start of each round, the chefs will learn what the challenge is and work together to decide on variables such as the time allotted. When time's up, there will be a blind tasting, which means that the judges won't know whose dish they are trying at any given time. Whoever cooks the worst dish will be sent home — even if that chef is Guarnaschelli herself.

Another of the five episodes will pit Guarnaschelli against three spice experts. "Their strategy picking ingredients could help them succeed, but will it be enough to wow the judges with their unique take on spice and go home with the win?" the press release teases.