If you love a reality cooking competition, you’re in luck. There is no shortage on the Food Network, Netflix, Hulu, Bravo, and Fox—to name a few. Contestants compete to be “Top Chef,” “MasterChef,” or “Iron Chef.” They vow to “Beat Bobby Flay” and avoid being “Chopped.” The settings are “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Last Chance Kitchen,” and “The Final Table.”
Chefs come around the world to test their skills, and Delaware has been well-represented thanks to the talents of several chefs—some of whom have competed on multiple programs. However, you don’t need to cook on camera to earn Delabrity status. In 2024, Matt Kern of One Coastal made it to the James Beard Award finals, which catapulted him into the national leagues.
Dana Herbert
Dana Eugene Herbert can’t stay away from the studio. The John Dickinson High School graduate was a 2010 champion on TLC’s “Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker.” Guest appearances on Food Network and Cooking Channel programs followed. In 2024, the Desserts by Dana owner appeared on Hulu’s “Cookie, Cupcake, Cake” and “Cake Toppers,” both hosted by Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Any regrets? “On ‘Cake Wars,’ we had an amazing Round 2 cake that would have smoked the winner,” he recalls. “But no one got to see it because during Round 1, we had some issues with the ovens; it killed us.”
Undoubtedly, casting agents appreciate Herbert’s relaxed persona; he effortlessly trades witticisms with judges and competitors. However, he also delivers the goods. Herbert graduated from the University of Delaware’s hospitality program and Johnson & Wales University, where he received an associate degree in baking and pastry arts.
Named among the top 10 cake artists in America by “Dessert Professional,” Herbert casts a wide net for clients. He’s created confections for customers in New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey from his Bear shop. Clients have included former President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden; Oprah Winfrey; and Ice Cube.
As for his next celebrity move, he wants to turn the tables. “I’m looking to get into judging,” he explains.
Robbie Jester
Like Herbert, Robbie Jester is comfortable before a camera. He is the grand prize winner of the grueling “Pressure Cooker” on Netflix, which isolated contestants in a “Survivor” meets “Top Chef” setting. The chefs were competitors and judges.
Jester, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, has also won “Guy’s Grocery Games” and his shrimp scampi “Beat Bobby Flay.” Most recently, he appeared on “Chopped—Battle Italiano: Tuscany,” which was the most fun of his experiences. “I actually love creating something beautiful from the weirdest ingredients,” he explains. “My father was known for being able to do that, and it reminded me of him.”
His father once owned the Kitty Knight House, and today, Jester is a consultant at Deep Blue at Kitty Knight. The whirling dervish of delicious delights also owns In Jest Events, a food truck, and Pizzeria Mariana in Newark. Plus, the father of one creates veggie-forward kids recipes for Nemours.
The enthusiastic competitor values authenticity—what you see is what you get; sometimes, that involves tears. “I’m a heart-on-the-sleeve dude and embrace it, but the amount of memes and subreddits from ‘Pressure Cooker’ about me crying are a bit much,” he says.
If he had that competition to do over, he’d ensure his finale food was so on point that no one could dispute his grand prize. It’s an example of his perfectionism and drive. Next, he has his eyes on Netflix’s “American Barbecue Showdown,” “24 in 24,” and “Top Chef.” “Each one is so different, and I like navigating the nuance of each experience,” he says.
Dru Tevis
Meet Dru Tevis once and you won’t forget him. For one, his distinctive topknot hairstyle inspired celebrity chef Carla Hall to dub him the “Dru-nicorn.” The mustachioed chef’s warmth and gentle good nature add to the appeal.
After graduating from New York University, the Westminster, Maryland, native spent the summer before film school in Rehoboth’s hospitality industry. A trip to Italy fueled his interest in desserts, and he began making them for his restaurant employer. Tevis enrolled at the French Culinary Institute, now The International Culinary Center, in Manhattan and was class valedictorian. After working for several coastal restaurants, he found a home with SoDel Concepts and Southern Delaware Brewing.

During the pandemic, Tevis made it through the casting process for the “Holiday Baking Championship,” which aired in 2022. Family, friends, and co-workers gathered at Thompson Island Brewing Co. to watch Tevis win the grand prize.
Tevis was a bundle of nerves during and after the filming. “The pressure of knowing that everyone you know will see it is always there,” he explains. “Messing up reflects poorly on your skill set.” Hearing “I know you will do well” from loved ones didn’t help.
The avid gym buff would prefer to do “Survivor” over a baking show—he’s applied at least 10 times. Until then, the most interesting opportunity was closer to home. He spoke at the Southern Delaware Tourism luncheon in 2023. “I never imagined that room full of people would be looking forward to hearing me talk about my career, experiences, and success,” says Tevis, who overcame public speaking jitters. “It was humbling.”
Hari Cameron
When Hari Cameron enters a room, you know it. The bespectacled James Beard Award-nominated chef crackles with an energy that ricochets around the space. His colorful personality and attire made him a favorite on “Snack vs. Chef,” where he competed in the finals, and “Beat Bobby Flay.” (Many argue that his macaroni and cheese was superior to Flay’s winning version.)
Cameron caught diners’ eyes at Nage as the executive chef. He left to open a(MUSE.) in Rehoboth Beach, known for creative cuisine and molecular gastronomy. Cameron left the daily grind to be a research and development consultant for food companies and culinary equipment manufacturers. He and his brother, Orion, own Grandpa (MAC), a quick-casual restaurant with fresh pasta.
Cameron writes, films, hosts podcasts, and teaches for Culinary University. He’s so busy he hasn’t created a website. That’s not an issue. “I’m a natural connector,” he says. When Cameron is not traveling for work, he’s in the kitchen at The Chef’s Table at Touch of Italy in Rehoboth Beach, which hosts one-off multicourse dinners and cooking classes. As the facilities’ culinary director, he helps guide the programming.
Like Herbert, he’s interested in being a TV show judge—or host. Being a contestant doesn’t hold as much appeal. “I can make more money per hour by being a consultant than driving to New York and filming a show,” he says. Being a well-known but broke chef gets old, he quips.
Jesus Gordiany
Jesus “Zeus” Valentino Gordiany is a long way from Puerto Rico, where he was born, and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, where he grew up. But the chef feels at home in the kitchen of Benvenuto, the Milford restaurant honoring Tuscany. He’s equally at ease on “What’s Cooking Delmarva,” a program on WBOC-TV’s “DelmarvaLife.”
Gordiany moved to national TV for Season 21 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” which stars the acerbic Gordon Ramsay. As one of the older contestants, he quickly had enough and removed himself from the competition. His explanation went viral: “Look, it’s hard. It’s called ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ for a reason. This heat here, it was just something I didn’t want a part of.”
The chef had enough experience and confidence to know when to fold. He entered the hospitality industry at 13 and worked the line at age 15. A graduate of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, he worked in Philly’s finest: Circa, Striped Bass, and Le Bec-Fin.
While working for BK Specialty Foods, he created menus with a portion-cost analysis and helped open restaurants for company clients. Gordiany developed close relationships with clients, including Lisa and Walton Johnson, and he moved to Milford to join Benvenuto, which showcases the Johnsons’ love for Tuscany.
He feels good about his choice to depart “Hell’s Kitchen.” “The show is not geared to highlight talents,” he explains. “It is geared to ridicule contestants. This is why people tune in—to see how badly they are treated.”
He’d prefer to do “DelmarvaLife” and, if possible, a travel food show that educates viewers.
Matt Kern
Love kept Matt Kern in coastal Delaware after his employer closed the Rehoboth Beach restaurant where he worked. Although he’d relocated from the Lehigh Valley, he stayed, in large part because he’d met wife-to-be Karen, a Lewes native.
Today, his passion for area purveyors’ products helps fuel his creativity at One Coastal in Fenwick Island, a destination for visitors and locals along the Culinary Coast. He’s equally dedicated to mentoring his team and students and giving guests a memorable experience.
If you’ve tasted his food, you know why Kern was nominated twice for James Beard’s Best Chef in the mid-Atlantic region while working at Heirloom in Lewes. He was a semifinalist. In 2024, he made it to the finals in Chicago. (Harley Peet of Bas Rouge in Easton, Maryland, won.)
The chef started working in restaurants at age 14. He developed a passion for sustainable cuisine at Bolete in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The term “field greens” has a literal meaning.
Kern moved to Rehoboth Beach when Pennsylvania restaurateurs purchased a place. When that closed, he worked for several area hospitality groups before gaining fame at Heirloom. Kern purchased One Coastal, which was already a farm-to-table restaurant. However, he’s currently pursuing his dream of opening a larger space that further supports sustainability—and has parking.
The odds are it will be south of the Indian River Inlet bridge, where property is more plentiful. Between his search and running One Coastal, he’s too busy for TV. It’s OK if he doesn’t get another nomination—but it would be nice.
“Being a good husband and dad comes first,” he says. “I’ll be the best chef I can be with the time left.”
Crystal Ashby
Turning a hobby into a profession isn’t unusual, especially when the pandemic disrupted the status quo. However, the love of cooking also brought Crystal Ashby to the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend area, and she’s happy it did.
Raised in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Ashby and her husband, Steven, moved in with Delaware family when they lost jobs. Although they found new opportunities working for the state, child care costs were soaring. Ashby decided to stay home and open a catering company, Crystal’s Comfort Food. When the couple opened a storefront, they chose Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, to garner support from friends and former neighbors.
Crystal’s Comfort Food had just debuted when Ashby earned a spot on “The Great Food Truck Race,” a Food Network competition. The producers supplied and outfitted seven trucks for teams of three. In each episode, competitors created a dish using a key ingredient and tried to outsell the others.
While Ashby didn’t win, she earned enough Philly press to bring people to her store. Then came COVID-19. Ashby closed the Lansdowne location, which couldn’t successfully weather pandemic restrictions, and opened in Middletown. She closed in late 2024. She notes that rising costs are challenging for a casual independent business with an affordable menu.
Crystal’s Comfort Food is still catering, and she’s looking for locations near Townsend. She hopes to add a food truck or trailer to take to the many new communities in the area. As for “The Great Food Truck Race,” it was “interesting,” she says. “They have to Hollywood it up a bit.”
In short, take cooking competitions with a grain of salt.
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