Main Street Bakery's Mignano on Food Network's 'Fat Chef'

Main Street Bakery’s Michael Mignano will make yet another appearance on Food Network. This time it’s as a participant in the reality show “Fat Chef,” a program about obese chefs whose love and passion for food contribute to life-threatening weight problems. The show premieres Thursday at 10 p.m. on Food Network.

Mignano and 11 others spend 16 weeks trying to lose weight and develop new healthy lifestyles through diet and exercise, with the support of therapists, trainers and nutritionists.

For Mignano and the other contestants, the support is designed to help them “defeat their abusive relationships with food and become healthy,” according to Food Network’s promo.

Before “Fat Chef” went into production in October 2010, Mignano, 36, at 6 foot 2 inches, weighed nearly 500 pounds and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, according to Huffington Post. 

"You have this abundance of food all around you," he told Huffington Post. "You're doing parties, you have weddings. There's always a lot of food left over. You're constantly tasting, working late hours, eating late."

He’s now down to 400 pounds, and is shooting to whittle down to 250 pounds, according to Huffington Post.

In September 2011, Mignano appeared as a contestant on Food Network’s “Sweet Genius.”

Interviewed by, it was noted that he has gained recognition in his industry as the youngest executive chef at The Pierre in New York City, a baker at Bouley Bakery and Balthazar, and whose graham cracker, macadamia, cashew, chocolate ganache, Rice Krispies, dark chocolate, Hawaiian sea salt candy bar was touted by Oprah.

So, why, he was asked, dabble in reality television?

“I’m thinking of the next step,” he says. “I need to get on the Food Network.”

Looks like he hit that mark.