Lubbock’s ‘Next Level Chef’ Angie Ragan opening mobile eatery
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) — Lubbock chef Angie Ragan is opening a new mobile restaurant nearly a year after she joined Gordon Ramsey’s “Next Level Chef” on Fox. Her next project, Salt by Angie’s Cuisine Lorry, a high-end mobile restaurant, is something she says Lubbock has never seen before.
“I want to be able to roll to an event. I want a mobile eatery where it’s my food. It’s high end. It’s something special. You don’t get that every day,” Ragan said.
The Cuisine Truck is a mobile gastronomy that customers can rent for events. She says it’s more of an experience than just a meal, complete with a large tent, seating area, and gourmet dishes that are ready the moment customers order. She also plans to use it as a way to tell others about her tricks in the kitchen.
“I like to show people my hacks. I like to show how I develop my recipes and why my flavors are the way they are. So I’m starting to shoot videos for what I’m serving on the truck – it will be featured on Instagram. So you’ll be able to see what I do and how I do it, and then come and try it,” she said.
Ragan’s next-level dishes and take-it-or-leave-it personality got her through to the semifinals in Next Level Chef. She brought several new skills and memories home to the Hub City.
“First a lot of PTSD, a lot of emotion, I just watched it again. I think I have the nerve to watch it again before season 2 comes out. But it’s so much fun and of course they’re doing a great job,” Ragan said. “I was shocked at what was left out. I’ve had a few accidents that y’all didn’t see. I dropped a big, huge glass of panko and splattered it all over the floor.”
If she’s in a hurry now, she can’t carry her chef’s coat to the grocery store unnoticed.
“I love talking to everyone; I love hearing what they think of the show, their favorite episode — the Hummer episode really brings people together,” she said.
In this episode, several other contestants mistakenly left a lobster up for grabs, giving Ragan the opportunity to create a dish Ramsay would praise highly. With the confidence she had going on the show and Ramsey’s approval, she’s ready for Cuisine Lorry’s soft open Thursday from 11am to 2pm in the Trinity Church car park.
She hopes the high-end eatery will inspire young people in Lubbock to pursue their dreams.
“There is a saying for our kids and for our teenagers: One can only dream as far as the eye can see. And that’s always gotten to my heart, and that’s why I want to bring things that we don’t normally see,” Ragan said.
Following the premiere of Next Level Chef season 2 in February, Ragan is free to film more competitions. She says you may be seeing her on Food Network or Netflix soon.
“I hate losing but more competitions in my future. I’ve got some wins to go on TV,” she said.
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