Sweet’s Eisenhauer Heads to NYC for Newest Cooking Battle

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Eisenhauer

Worcester’s own Chef Alina Eisenhauer of Sweet Kitchen and Bar is heading to New York City to make her next appearance.

Already a staple of the Food Network – appearing on shows like Cupcake Wars, Chopped and Sweet Genius – the Great Barrington, Massachusetts native is set to make her next appearance on the network.

“I am definitely excited to be on a Food Network show again,” said Eisenhauer. “It is just an all around great experience. It is fun, it is good for business, and I think that the competition aspect of it pushes me to be better at what I do.”

Although not able to discuss the specifics due to contracts with the Food Network, Eisenhauer says that filming will be on Wednesday and Thursday.

Television Competitions

While certainly a stressful environment to be a part of, Eisenhauer loves televised cooking competitions. While brought together to compete, competitions are a great networking opportunity with many chefs coming together.

Eisenhauer says that while she knows what show she is going on, she won’t know the parameters of the competition until she arrives. While she does try to mentally prepare for the competition and plan ahead to the best of her ability, she prefers not to over think the event, preferring to let her skills guide her through.

“I thrive under pressure,” said Eisenhauer. “The competitions are crazy but fun. I get a little bit of nerves before the event but when the competition starts, I just put my head down and give it an ‘all or nothing’ attitude.”

A Future in Television?

If you enjoy seeing Eisenhauer on your television then get excited because you may be seeing even more of her in the future.

In addition to her upcoming filming for the Food Network, Eisenhauer is working on voiceovers for a television show that would feature the Worcester chef as the host.

“I am currently working on a food and travel show where I take a look at food and culture in an area with a focus on surfing,” said Eisenhauer. “We already shot the pilot in Puerto Rico. The show would look at everything from low end to higher end food in a given location. In addition I will spend time with local surfers to talk with them about some of their favorite spots, both for surfing and food.”

The show’s producers have already received an offer from PBS to broadcast one season of the show. Although excited, they are still shopping the show around to find a potential major network for more funding and exposure. Regardless of where the show lands, Eisenhauer is just excited about having a show.

“It really is a fun and interesting project,” said Eisenhauer. “The thing that I like about this show compared to competitions is that I am essentially being paid to be on vacation. Shooting the pilot in Puerto Rico was one of the best trips I have ever been on. I got to meet a lot of local farmers and chefs and discover new cultures and flavors.”

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