Our own Food Network star

Congratulations to Nipa Bhatt, former owner of the Gypsy Curry House in Chanhassen, who has just been chosen as a contender on the upcoming fourth season of "The Next Food Network Star," premiering June 1.

Bhatt, 35, who has been working as a marketing manager since GCH closed, was selected from 150-some applicants who tried out at the Chambers Hotel several months ago. While the show's producers weren't very articulate about why they selected Bhatt, ("she naturally brought something different to the table...she brought with her a warmth and passion that we all responded to..."), based on my experience dining at the GCH, I think she was a great choice, both in terms of her Indian-influenced cooking repertoire and her effusive personality. If Bhatt is able to impress celebrity judge Bobby Flay and beat out the other nine professional and amateur cooks, she'll star in her own six-episode series on Food Network.