NJ chef Britt Rescigno's magical run ends on Food Network's 'Tournament of Champions'

This Jersey Shore Cinderella story has come to an end.

During the semifinals on the April 9 episode of the Food Network's "Tournament of Champions," Tuckerton Chef Britt Rescigno lost to New York City's renowned Maneet Chauhan 87 to 80.

Rescigno is "the giant slayer," said Guy Fieri during the episode. As a No. 8 seed on the show's fourth season, she took down champions Tiffani Faison and Jose Garces. Chauhan is a former "TOC" champ, winning the belt in season 2.

“(Rescigno) has been the Cinderella story of Cinderella stories," Fieri said. "From a No. 8 seed taking out heavy hitters all the way and making it to the Final Four.”

In the other semifinal, California's Mei Lin took on Jet Tila (also from California). In the final, Lin took home the coveted "TOC" belt and $100,000 prize.

In an interview on Monday, April 10, Rescigno, who now lives in Seattle, said she was shocked by her achievements.

“Who would ever think that someone from New Gretna would be doing what I’m doing right now?" she said. "For me, it’s being able to show people that small-town kids can really do something in life.”

Judges Nancy Silverton, Ming Tsai, Cat Cora, Lorena Garcia and Daniel Boulud had to make a hard call, when both Chauhan and Rescigno decided to create Asian-inspired dishes.

The randomizer decided their protein: whole kanpachi, a fatty fish otherwise known as Yellowfin. They had celtuce (aka Chinese lettuce or stem lettuce) for produce, a Himalayan salt block, and the meal needed to be deconstructed.

Chauhan made a kanpachi confit with sweet spices, celtuce chutney and dhokla (Indian steamed savory cake or cornbread), while Rescigno made deconstructed kanpachi fried rice topped with herbs and sesame salad.

“I totally went to my roots,” Rescigno said on Monday, as one of the dishes she’s known for is crab fried rice. “Fried rice is one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world."

"It's this beautiful bomb of umami that is just going to be perfect in this dish," Rescigno said during the episode. “I want to have all the components of what a good fried rice is, cook them separately and then layer it so that when you do eat it, it’s a roundly deconstructed bite.”

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Judges devoured her dish, with Silverton calling it "craveable," and Boulud saying it was "an explosion of flavor [that is] fresh, bright, exciting."

Recisgno has had success on the Food Network prior to "Tournament of Champions."

She won "Chopped" in 2019," "Beat Bobby Flay" in 2022 with her grandmother's chicken and dumpling recipe, and "Guy's Grocery Games" in February — with Chauhan as a judge.

Rescigno held residency at Beach Haven's Delaware Avenue Oyster House for three years. She is now bolstering her solo pop-up kitchen called Crow, and taking time to travel, network and expand her Food Network future.

At the end of the semifinals, Rescigno left the stage with pride, thanking the crowd.

"If I'm going to go out, that's who I'm going out to," she said during the episode, about Chuahan. "I took down some big dogs and I mean, Maneet is scary. She's scary, but she knows the game ... I'm still learning, and that's ok.

During the episode, Fieri bid the underdog a bittersweet adieu.

"I cannot help sitting here with the biggest smile on my face that the world gets to know you," he told her. "You're an exceptional person, an amazing chef and the great thing is, we will see you next year."

Indeed, Rescigno has been invited back to "TOC" next season.

“This isn’t the first time they’ve seen me on TV, and it’s certainly not the last," Rescigno said. "Let’s keep this sexy food going.”

Her fan base has only continued to grow.

“I gained (15,000) followers in two months,” she said. “I want [my fans] to know how grateful I am.

“This entire process has been a crazy roller coaster, and I know they’ve been on the ride with me.”

Her fans fuel her to keep being the best she can be, she said.

“My life has changed forever," she said. "There’s no going back. There’s only going forward, and now that I have such a fan base, they are the ones pushing me to want to be better, to make the best food I can."

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com.

Parts of this story have previously been published.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ chef Britt Rescigno ends Tournament of Champions run