Food Network Makes Divine Visit to Greenwood
August 19, 2009
By FELICIA KITZMILLER
Index-Journal Staff Writer
Greenwood, SC - A surreal adventure into the land of national television continued for local barbecue team Divine Smoke this weekend as Food Network returned to Greenwood for more filming.
Dennis and Debbie Dill and David Hord, who together make up Divine Smoke, were chosen as one of four teams to be followed during the Festival of Discovery in July for an episode of Food Network Challenge with Keegan Gerhard.
The show features small-town cook-offs to world class competitions from all over the country. While most of the filming was done during the festival, the network decided to gather some more casual footage of each of the teams cooking and entertaining at home as an introduction to the episode, Debbie Dill said. |
Debbie and Dennis Dill prepare brisket for during for a recent gathering of friends. (Staff photo by T.M. James)
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“This is how we got started,” she said.
So Saturday afternoon, the Dills and Hord invited 30 or so friends to what has been affectionately dubbed “The Hord House” for a feast of ribs, brisket, sausage, salmon, wings and all manner of appetizers and side items.
Dennis Dill said he was a little nervous when he heard about what Food Network wanted to do, but the people were so easy to work with he quickly fell into his routine and almost forgot the camera was there.
“I thought it would be, but it’s not a big deal at all,” he said.
The people at Food Network have been easy to work with all along, and Saturday’s filming session was just another example, Debbie Dill said.
"They have been super nice. Steve, the cameraman here today came down with his family and he was saying earlier he's going to try to get his daughter to eat a rib. She won't eat ribs. They are just average everyday people who, yes they have a network name behind them, but they are just as excited as we are," she said.
The more casual atmosphere of Saturday's filming was also a return to their roots for all of the team members. The Dills and Hord said they got started with their passion for cooking having large barbecues for friends.
Hord said he really started to get into cooking while building his house.
"We'd work out here all weekend and eat at night. Since the house has been finished we've pretty much constantly been having people over and entertaining," he said.
While they understand that being on Food Network is huge, the team members said it won't be really real until they see themselves on TV this spring.
"That's a blessing in itself," Dennis said. "We've lived all our life fighting for whatever it is we fight for and to see ourselves on TV will just be awesome."
Debbie Dill said the real impact will probably come after the show airs.
"No one knows what this is going to do for u down the road. One day it may lead to us doing more catering," she said.
Making their passion for cooking a full-time gig is a dream for the Dills.
"I thought last year when we made it to the Jack Daniels Invitational, which is like the Superbowl of barbecue, that was making it big. It seems like anything can happen," she said.
Hord, who joined the team two years ago, said the experience has been awesome.
"It will definitely help with name recognition of the team," he said.
Hord said in watching Food Network Challenge he has seen several of the teams Divine Smoke has competed against, and in some cases out-performed, feature on the show.
"I know we deserve the exposure," he said.
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