Taste TV

Authentic Italian: 'Ciao House' sizzles under Tuscan sun

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Caroline Collacutt / TV Media
Gabriele Bertaccini and Alex Guarnashelli host “Ciao House”

Gabriele Bertaccini and Alex Guarnashelli host “Ciao House”

Get ready to say “ciao” (and “squisito”) when Food Network’s newest, Italian-inspired cooking competition show, “Ciao House,” premieres Sunday, April 16.

Hosted and judged by culinary masters Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini, the new show has a simple premise: a group of 10 up-and-coming chefs live together in a breathtaking Tuscan villa, where they compete against each other in both individual and team challenges in order to prove their mastery of Italian cooking.

Each week, one chef is voted off, while alliances, talents and taste buds are tested. The final two chefs will go head-to-head in a cooking duel, and Guarnaschelli and Bertaccini will ultimately decide who wins the life-changing grand prize: an immersive culinary education across Italy, where they'll train with renowned Italian master chefs.

Described by Variety as "'Big Brother' meets 'Under the Tuscan Sun'" (the 2003 film starring Diane Lane), this sunny cooking competition is set to be a one-of-a-kind experience, with each episode accompanied by its own immersive challenge.

“From real-life nonnas showcasing how they make pasta from scratch to a lesson with the head butcher of a three-centuries-old family butcher business, each challenge is accompanied by a local experience steeped in tradition,” Food Network said of the series in a new release. Chefs prepare truffle and wine pairings, visit an Italian cheese cave, and, in the high-stakes finale, construct a wild boar dish that incorporates all the lessons they’ve learned. 

In the premiere episode, our hosts welcome the hopeful chefs into the aptly named “Ciao House,” tucked away in Tuscany. The first challenge acts as both a measure of one's ability and as an ice-breaker, as the chefs are tasked with producing a plate that shows what Italian cuisine means to them — one that also demonstrates who they are as a chef. Two competitors receive what Food Network calls a “huge advantage” going into the next round, and one chef must say “ciao ciao” to the villa. 

The competitors are Omar Ashley from Avenel, New Jersey; Corey Becker from Brooklyn, New York; Saba Duffy from Framingham, Massachusetts; Trenica Johnson from Houston; Jess Mahoney from Los Angeles; Preston Paine from Dallas; Sarah Raffetto from New York; Justin Robinson from Atlanta; Natalia Rosario from Chicago; and Matt Wasson from Staten Island, New York.

Adventure awaits and flavors flourish in “Ciao House,” premiering Sunday, April 16, on Food Network and streaming the next day on Discovery .