24 Hour Restaurant Battle

• The complete guide to ribs of the world. — Serious Eats
• Richard Blais chats about his Top Chef All-Stars victory. — Eatocracy
• Would you eat these super spicy dishes? — Woman's Day
• Menu prices are on the rise. — Wall Street Journal
• Critic Michael Bauer names the Bay Area's top 100 restaurants. — The San Francisco Chronicle
• Food & Wine's Dana Cowin chats about the chefs who weren't named Best New Chef. — The Feast NY
• How to find and cook with morel mushrooms. — Huffington Post Food
• The next season of Scott Conat's 24-Hour Restaurant Battle debuts on Thursday, April 21. — Grub Street NY
• Paula Deen makes a hysterical appearance on Rachael Ray's daytime talk show. — Eater
• Amazing: a breakfast sandwich with a runny egg surprise inside. — Chez Us

The 10th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival wasn't just an opportunity to catch Rachael Ray cooking in person and chow down on exotic ingredients. It was also a great time to get to know our favorite chefs firsthand.

I was floored by restaurateur and Food Network chef Scott Conant. Not only is the Chopped judge and host of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle a wisecracking barrel of laughs, but he's also incredibly humble.

When I declared his polenta to be "the best polenta I've ever had," he quipped, "Then you need to eat out more." At the Scarpetta Miami bar, he made sure we were settled in with mojitos, then joined us for a chat. For the whole conversation, keep reading.

If "Restaurant Wars" is always your favorite episode of Top Chef, then Food Network wants you to pick its battle next. Premiering July 21 at 10 p.m. EST, with a special sneak peek July 18, 24-Hour Restaurant Battle pits two teams of aspiring restaurateurs against each other in a race to open an eatery in just one day. Diners and judges will decide whose formula has the most potential, with the winners taking home the funds to fully realize their dream. Just watching the trailer is stressing me out, which is probably a sign of a good show. Here's a preview:

With sometime Top Chef judge Scott Conant hosting, and Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson weighing in as a judge, 24-Hour Restaurant Battle seems like it's taking a stab at the Bravo show's success. Though we've been hearing more about the Food Network's new sister channel lately, I'm glad to see the flagship station serving up some new, creative fare too. Do you think you'll check it out?