Meliá Hotels & Resorts

Food Network takes a new mission with Dinner: Impossible in Puerto Rico

Food Network’s Chef Robert Irvine had a mission in Puerto Rico. His challenge? Overcome culinary obstacles and deliver a delicious meal for a Quinceañera (Sweet 15 party) with assistance of Chef Carlos Portela of Gran Melia Puerto Rico Golf Resort & Villas before his time ran out in the series “Dinner: Impossible”.

This half-hour primetime series, which tests the skills of one of the world’s most experienced and respected chefs with a new culinary feat each week has become one of Food Network’s hottest shows. In an average month “Dinner: Impossible” is seen by approximately 7.8 million viewers, this number includes 4.5 million of Food Network’s core audience of adults ages 25-54.

The Puerto Rico challenge, which was taped in Rio Grande on February 16-17, is scheduled to air on the Food Network channel the second week of July.

Chef Irvine and his sous chef David Britton as well as Chef Carlos Portela of Gran Melia Puerto Rico had six hours to prepare a Puerto Rican meal for 100 guests at Hacienda Siesta Alegre in Rio Grande.

Each week, Chef Irvine and his sous chefs are thrown a new culinary curveball and the team must figure out a way to solve their challenge before time runs out. He and his team have only six hours to devise a menu, shop for ingredients, and prepare a meal.

The production staff of “Dinner: Impossible,” the Quinceanera’s family as well as the Food Network chefs stayed at Gran Melia Puerto Rico for the taping.

This is not the first time Gran Melia Puerto Rico gets selected as a prime shooting location for U.S. programs. In 2004, the resort with its luxurious amenities and lush tropical gardens was the site for Bravo TV’s reality show Manhunt: Search for the Next Male Model, the Showtime concert of R&B Grammy winner Usher, Lifetime TV movie: Christmas in Paradise, among others.

Chef Carlos Portela is the Chef de Cuisine at Gran Meliá Puerto Rico and is responsible for assisting the Executive Chef in supervising the resorts 4 restaurants—Nami, Tempo, Café Soleil and Wet Pool Bar & Grill.

Prior to joining Gran Meliá Puerto Rico, Chef Portela held the position of Stage de Cuisine at Ramiro’s Taller de Gastronomía in Valladolid, Spain. During his one year tenure in Spain, Chef Portela learned the new techniques in molecular and scientific gastronomy.

Chef Portela was a member of the National Culinary Team of Puerto Rico in 2005, where he won the title of Chef-of-the-Year during the Taste of the Caribbean competition held in Miami, Florida.

Chef Robert Irvine has been cooking since he joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15. His wide-ranging culinary and entertaining experience has taken him all over the world, from cookng for dignitaries aboard the Royal Yacht, Britannia, to traveling across Asia as a consultant. He has prepared meals for The Royal Family, as well as four United States Presidents.

“Dinner: Impossible” is produced by Marc Summers Productions and Shooters Post & Transfer. The show was created by Brian O’Reilly of Purple Sage Productions.

Food Network has headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Knoxville. Food Network can be seen internationally in Canada, Australia, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Monaco, Andorra, Africa, France and the French-speaking territories in the Caribbean and Polynesia.

About Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts
Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca, Sol Meliá is the world's largest vacation company. More than half of the industry leader's hotels are located in cities and by far is the largest hotel chain in Spain as well as one of the most important in Europe . Sol Meliá's portfolio includes more than 350 hotels in 30 countries over four continents and it employs over 32.500 people in its Meliá, Me by Meliá, Tryp, Sol, Paradisus and Sol Meliá Vacation Club brands. For more information and reservation visit www.solmelia.com .