It seems that Utahns are everywhere on reality TV shows this year, including the Food Network.

Earlier this year, three Utah women cooked competitively on the "Ultimate Recipe Challenge," with Amparo Alam of Syracuse taking home a $25,000 grand prize. Now there's a Utah finalist on the upcoming season of "The Next Food Network Star," which begins airing June 1.

Kelsey Nixon, 23, a Brigham Young University graduate from North Ogden, will compete for a shot at her own six-episode Food Network show. In her video profile on the Food Network's Web site, www.foodnetwork.com, Nixon says, "I'm a sweet little Mormon girl from Utah who loves to cook."

Although the show attracts a much smaller audience than the millions of viewers tuning in to watch David Archuleta on "American Idol" or Marie Osmond's turn on "Dancing With the Stars," last season's "Next Food Network Star" was that network's highest-rated, most-watched series ever.

The finalists are put through a number of challenges to test their culinary chops and star charisma. New this year, fans can also vote for their favorites on the Food Network's Web site.

A Food Network press release describes Nixon as a freelance food writer and culinary instructor. As a BYU broadcast journalism major, Nixon created a cooking show called "Kelsey's Kitchen." In her Food Network bio, Nixon writes, "Unlike most girls in college, I spent my money at the grocery store rather than the mall."

She interned with with ABC Ch. 4's "Good Things Utah" and Martha Stewart Living, and earned a culinary degree with the Kitchen Academy in California.

From Deseret News archives, I found that Nixon was a 2004 Sterling Scholar runner-up in dance. A 2006 Provo Herald article about "Kelsey's Kitchen" noted that Nixon was named North Ogden's Little Miss Cherry Days at age 8. That piqued my interest because it happens that I was a judge for Little Miss Cherry Days about 15 years ago. Hmmmm. ... Did I have have a hand in crowning a future Food Network star?

Coincidentally, Guy Fieri, who won "The Next Food Network Star" in 2006, will be in Utah this week, shooting semgents of his show, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" at local eateries.

The Food Network's filming schedule includes stops at Ruth's Diner, the Burger Bar, Moochie's Meatballs, Lone Star Taquiera and Blue Plate Diner. They will finish on Friday at Pat's Barbecue, owned by Patrick Barber.

The shooting marks a big week for Barber, since it's also the restaurant's sixth anniversary. Barber said he's a Food Network "junkie" and is looking forward to meeting the flamboyant Fieri, known for his spiky bleached-blonde hair.

"We're going to cook together, and they will be filming anything and everything about my operation," Barber said. "They'll see all the customers coming in, the music and the atmosphere. Fridays here are always insane, and we want even more insanity when Guy's here."

Barber said he was contacted six weeks ago about being on the show.

"I think everyone out there must have e-mailed them about us," he said. "I've been on the barbecue competition scene for 15 or 16 years, and I've gotten proficient enough to think that people think I'm the best there is in the state of Utah."

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E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com