For the remaining chefs on "The Next Food Network Star," crunch time is now extreme crunch time. Bobby introduced them to the winner of a previous season, Guy Fieri, who explained to them what their next challenge would be. They were told that they would be delivering the lines in a 30-second pre-written promo that would explain each person's show. Each contestant would be shooting at a different Vegas location and would be directed by either Bobby Flay or Guy Fieri.

Lisa's promo was at the famous wine tower at Mandalay Bay. While suspended from cables, Lisa had to deliver a separate line on each level. She had a lot of trouble getting the timing right, and she felt like she was back in school not being able to do it. Aaron's location was on the floor of Planet Hollywood. He was a little nervous at first, but after a couple tries he nailed his lines (especially the second one which was longer than any of the other's). Adam's promo at Jubilee at Ballys involved walking the stage and delivering his lines with two show girls on his side. He blanked a bit when it came to having to remember both steps and lines.

Their next challenge involved creating a lavish, over-the-top buffet at Tryst Nightclub for not only the committee but also the Chefs at the Wynn and some of the entertainers. On top of cooking their dishes, they would have to be entertaining the crowd they were serving.

Lisa was ready because she does a lot of catering. Adam decided that now was his chance to bring out his smoking abilities (going as far as rigging his own smoker out of a wok and aluminum foil). Aaron decided that since it is Vegas he would go with steak. Lisa left the supermarket after accidentally dropping some of the fish she was planning on using. Each chef got the help of former contestants Shane, Kelsey and Jennifer. Lisa picked Kelsey, Adam picked Shane, and Aaron got Jennifer.

Lisa wasn't used to the ovens they had, so her pork chops came out nicely done on the inside but completely black on the outside. Aaron picked three pasta dishes, but none of his food seemed to be "lavish" or "over-the-top". Adam was feeling good about his dishes but he didn't have any inspiration for when he presents his dishes to the crowd.

Lisa went up to the microphone and began singing about her dishes. Bobby was laughing at her. Aaron went up and tried to joke about how he has an eating disorder, but no one laughed at him. He bombed. Adam wasn't sure about how to follow up with that because he didn't prepare, but he did fine.

Everyone swarmed the buffets to be served, and instantly there were favorites. Everyone was already put off by Aaron's presentation, and it was also apparent that people weren't a fan of the fact that he had three pasta dishes in his "lavish" and "over-the-top" buffet. Lisa's pork became a problem when Guy's piece was over cooked, but Bob Tuschmann's piece was perfect. The Chefs from Wynn were impressed with Adam, which was something he needed given that he hasn't shown real food knowledge.

At judging, the selection committee was impressed by Aaron's promo shots, stating that he was relaxed. However, Aaron took a huge risk presenting his dish to the audience, and they also felt that his dishes were not over-the-top enough and that there were too many pasta dishes.

Lisa had the hardest of the three promos, and Bob Tuschmann thought that her biggest challenge was herself. Her singing was a huge risk that paid off, and her food looked like what she is capable of except for the pork.

Adam had fun with his promo and brought the best of his humor to the video. His presentation started great, but it died by the end. His pork was tender, and Bobby thought the pizza was tasty. His pork won the overall favorite dish, and he felt proud of what he did. Bob Tuschmann said he settled all question about whether or not he could cook, and Adam was glad because he's had concerns about whether or not he really belongs in the final three.

They were waiting for a verdict in the courtyard at Caesars. Bob was worried about whether or not people will tune in to watch Lisa each week. Aaron's performance was heartbreaking, but his final take in the promos was a hit. The selection committee was worried that Adam doesn't fit the bill for a Food Network Star. They were having trouble picking who to go home, because each contestant excels in one area but flops in others. In the end, they decide that they are all staying and going back to New York to compete in the final episode. Next week is their last chance to compete.

Story by Kristin M. Koltz
Starpulse contributing writer