RORY E. SCHEPISI

Host/Chef/Personality

Rory Schepisi, known affectionately as the "Southern Yankee," is a chef, restaurateur, television host, competitor, promoter and cowgirl. In addition to appearances on her weekly cooking segment on the NBC affiliate in Amarillo, Texas, Rory owns and runs her restaurant, Boot Hill Saloon & Grill.

Traveling around the United States as a celebrity chef, host and guest speaker, Rory shares her knowledge of food, different cultures and cuisine with her fans and food enthusiasts. Rory recently appeared as a featured chef on The Today Show, hosted the popular Cadillac Culinary Challenge and spoke with esteemed chefs on a culinary industry panel in New York City.

Rory's best known as a beloved competitor on The Next Food Network Star, where she placed second on the reality show, but first in the hearts of fans across the country. Since the competition, Rory has appeared as the guest chef on TLC's show Homemade Simple and the Rachael Ray Show, holds the title of the Texas Restaurant Association's "Best Chef of the West" in 2008 and 2009, and her famous ribs landed the cover of Bon Appétit magazine.

Rory's career in television started when the New Jersey native landed a spot on the reality television program Popularity Contest on Country Music Television. The show was set in a small farming town in West Texas, where Rory planted roots after discovering her love for Vega and one of the local cowboys. The "Southern Yankee" was born, as Rory underwent her transformation from "city girl" to "cow girl," learning how to brand cattle, milk cows, break horses and rope steer along the way.

Rory is currently working on her first cookbook, The Southern Yankee, running her highly successful Boot Hill restaurant, traveling across the country as a brand ambassador and spokesperson for Certified Angus Beef, and of course, constantly brainstorming creative new hooks and ideas for her ultimate dream--a cooking show she can call her own.