Bacon N Ed’s Owner to Compete on Food Network

Chef Ed Hardy, who owns and operates Bacon N Ed’s food trailer at Reston Station, also has another job: Food Network contestant.

Hardy will appear on the Food Network Show Kitchen Inferno on Wednesday night.

Kitchen Inferno, hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone, works like this: “Contestants try and “outcook” a chain of increasingly skilled chefs to advance. With each victory the contestants face a pivotal choice: Take the money and run, or risk it all for a chance to win up to $25,000.”

Hardy says he filmed the episode several months ago and is sworn to secrecy about the outcome.

The Food Network says this: Executive Chef Ed Hardy is on a fiery mission to secure $25,000 for his wife’s chocolate shop. But standing in his way are not only the Inferno’s celebrity culinary gladiators but also the only thing hotter than the Inferno — the mighty ghost pepper.

Game-show earnings or not, Hardy’s wife, Francoise Villeneuve, recently launched a confection line, Wiggly Leroux Confections. Many Wiggly Leroux items, including pumpkin spice marshmallows and brown butter sea salt caramels, are for sale at the Bacon N Ed’s truck.

Hardy launched Bacon N Ed’s at Reston Station, the plaza on top of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, in October. He cures the bacon onsite and adds it to a long list of speciality items for sale during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Hardy’s episode of Kitchen Inferno airs Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. It will re-air Thursday at 1 a.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m.

Photo: Ed Hardy at Reston Station/Courtesy of Ed Hardy