IT’S FOODIE FACEOFF

Lansdowne couple faces off with food truck hopefuls in new season of Food Network’s ‘Great Food Truck Race: Gold Coast’

LANSDOWNE » Seven teams of aspiring food truck owners will go head-to-head with larger-than-life backdrops and big-money opportunities on the new season of “The Great Food Truck Race: Gold Coast,” premiering Thursday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network. And a lucky Lansdowne couple will be among them.

Due to confidentiality contracts, Crystal and Steven Ashby, owner of Crystal’s Comfort Food at 7 Lansdowne Ave., can’t say how they fared on the show, but according to Crystal, “being on the show was a dream come true.”

Hosted by Tyler Florence, each episode features the teams rolling up to a new city as they race to face new challenges, cook incredible dishes and, as always, try to outsell the competition over six episodes, with the winning team taking home the $50,000 prize. The Great Food Truck Race kicks off in Los Angeles, with stops in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Las Vegas.

“Tyler Florence deftly leads these aspiring food truck owners on an action-packed and exhilarating road trip with stops along the California Gold Coast, giving viewers what they have come to love about ‘The Great Food Truck Race’ – high-stakes action and big personalities,” said Courtney White, president of the Food Network.

The race begins in the food truck capital of the world, Los Angeles. Tyler

greets the seven teams by challenging them to cook and sell luxury versions of traditional food truck fare. From private plane hors d’oeuvres to champagneinfused dishes, the teams will have to bring their skills to the next level to move on to the next city. In another episode the trucks visit Las Vegas, as the teams get creative on the casino floor when they must spin the “protein roulette” wheel, while later putting their service skills to the test for an in-suite dining challenge on the strip. And in the finale, the final two food trucks meet again in the city of angels, as Tyler brings both teams to a winery where they are forced to pull out all the stops, knowing that one team will have to close its doors forever and one will walk away with the grand prize.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Lansdowne’s own Crystal’s Comfort Food team, left to right, Crystal Ashby, Steven Ashby and Aleeyah West, recently participated in ‘The Great Food Truck Race: Gold Coast,’ premiering Thursday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/ PT on Food Network.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Crystal’s Comfort Food in Lansdowne is famous for its homemade soul food and wings, which come in a wide variety of flavors. Their tag lines are ‘It’s good for the soul’ and ‘It’s soul good.’ Pictured is their awardwinning Sweet & Spicy