Best Food Show?

[Clonefan32]

I liked Dinner: Impossible more. It had some more creative challenges, and was kind of off the wall.

The restaurant one is OK, but if you check for updates on those restaurants, almost all of them quickly revert back to their old ways and end up closing a few weeks/months later. I watch that one and think about bad effects of pride over and over.


I love the creativity on Chopped. That sounds like a nearly impossible challenge that they (sort of) pull off every time.

Next Food Network Star is pretty good, but you can see that the selection is made early on. For this season, Justin and Marty have been pretty far ahead of all these people the entire time, but the teams conveniently narrowed down so that each star would have a contestant making a pilot (or 2, for Alton).

That is why I'm not a huge fan of Restaurant Impossible. He shows up, builds some stuff, paints the walls, creates a menu that is probably too fancy and upscale for the town the restaurant is in...and in doing so has fixed years of in-fighting and $250,000 in outstanding loans. Not sure I buy it.

It always bothers me too that he comes in and tells them they can't used canned and frozen foods, as if they are doing it because they think it tastes good. I imagine the reason they're not using fresh foods is because if they did they wouldn't be able to pay the mortgage on the building. Also, they probably don't always cook fresh because they can't afford to pay 12 cooks, like you see on the show. Of course every restaurant want's to serve a great gourmet menu, but most can't afford it.

 

[3TrueFans]

I liked Dinner: Impossible more. It had some more creative challenges, and was kind of off the wall.The restaurant one is OK, but if you check for updates on those restaurants, almost all of them quickly revert back to their old ways and end up closing a few weeks/months later. I watch that one and think about bad effects of pride over and over.I love the creativity on Chopped. That sounds like a nearly impossible challenge that they (sort of) pull off every time. Next Food Network Star is pretty good, but you can see that the selection is made early on. For this season, Justin and Marty have been pretty far ahead of all these people the entire time, but the teams conveniently narrowed down so that each star would have a contestant making a pilot (or 2, for Alton).

That is why I'm not a huge fan of Restaurant Impossible. He shows up, builds some stuff, paints the walls, creates a menu that is probably too fancy and upscale for the town the restaurant is in...and in doing so has fixed years of in-fighting and $250,000 in outstanding loans. Not sure I buy it.It always bothers me too that he comes in and tells them they can't used canned and frozen foods, as if they are doing it because they think it tastes good. I imagine the reason they're not using fresh foods is because if they did they wouldn't be able to pay the mortgage on the building. Of course every restaurant want's to serve a great gourmet menu, but most can't afford it...

I think if the way they were doing it worked they wouldn't need to be on the show.

 

[cybsball20]

A couple of shows he has broken down the cost and proved that fresh is cheaper. The main difference is that fresh takes worse and canned/frozen works better for lazy people.

 

[ThatllDoCy]

I am a huge Rick Bayless fan. his food is excellent. I make a Ranchero recipe of his that is out of this world. Giada is a lot of fun to watch for obvious reasons, but my wife and I make some of her recipes and they are easy and tasty. Anthony Bourdain is great, but I agree it is not really a cooking show, more of a travel show.

 

[CyBer]

My favorite part about Giada's show is how she's like No accent-no accent-no accent-no accent-Italian Cheese-no accent- no accent- no accent- no accent- Obscure Pasta Type- no accent- no accent- no accent- Salty Cured Meat- no accent- no accent- no accent...

Spag hetti

Ree cota

Pro shoot o.

 

[ThatllDoCy]

A couple of shows he has broken down the cost and proved that fresh is cheaper. The main difference is that fresh takes worse and canned/frozen works better for lazy people.

This is true. The other is having the ability to control cost and the flow of food through the restaurant. The kitchens and coolers are usually disgusting with rotting food sitting around. This will send cost through the roof and shut you down. If you are having to make everything, do cognizant food orders and track freshness you avoid this issue. You actually have to care for the food.

 

[CycloneErik]

I think if the way they were doing it worked they wouldn't need to be on the show.

And yet they argue with him.......

Anyone who calls a number that they advertise by saying "if you have a failing restaurant, call us" needs to keep their arguments with him quiet.

It doesn't work out in the end, anyway, since the place close. Still, if someone's there to help, don't tell them that their help isn't good enough. Be thankful, accept some advice and move on.

 

[CyBer]

Even though it might not be a food show and could be staged I like the mystery diners show, funny stuff.

 

[3TrueFans]

And yet they argue with him.......

Anyone who calls a number that they advertise by saying "if you have a failing restaurant, call us" needs to keep their arguments with him quiet.

It doesn't work out in the end, anyway, since the place close. Still, if someone's there to help, don't tell them that their help isn't good enough. Be thankful, accept some advice and move on.

If you are a complete failure at what you do, call us now, we want to put you on tv in front of the world!

 

[ISpyCy]

I have enjoyed HK before, but when trying to watch this season it seems like the only reason any of the cooks were choosen was for the drama of it...To me it seems to be less about who is the better prepared for the job and more about the in-fighting of the teams. (I understand that there needs to be some drama...but ugh)

Agreed. I remember noticing this, I believe, in Season 8 where a contestant made it to the semifinal round that really didn't deserve to be there...and every season since then has had that one contestant who is a decent cook, but causes so much drama! Every time said person is up for elimination and they are saved, I think to myself, "if they didn't have his/her drama, this show would lose ratings, which means they would lose money...and they just can't have that!"

 

[Daserop]

any show with a good looking host.

 

[Acylum]

America's Test Kitchen.

 

[dtISU]

Saturday morning Giada was making a dessert that required A LOT of whisking....I couldn't look away.

I don't understand how she never spills anything into the canyon (if you know what I mean.)

 

[erikbj]

Good eats = classic!

Diners Drive Inns and Dives is really good

I enjoy Iron Chef America

Bruch with Bobby Flay is really good (might just be on the Cooking Channel though)

Chuck's Day off is good too.

 

[Cyclophile1]

Watching and not flipping channels while it's going (as much) is my personal standard for how much I am into a show. Chopped is the one which keeps me watching the most consistently - I love the creativity displayed, the contest formula and I pick up cooking ideas by watching as well, so it has an educational angle as well.

Dinner Impossible - (when it was on) I really liked the concept and I generally like Irvine quite a bit. The challenges were interesting and venues were cool. It also is not a serial which requires that I will have watched last two episodes to know what it happening in tonight's show. Self-contained works best for me since I never know if I will be able to watch from week to week (I know Tivo!, but it's a time sink not Cyclone sports). Restaurant Impossible is a pale imitation and probably isn't going to run a long time since viewers will eventually tire of the same formula. I like Irvine enough to watch this, but it's getting tired and played out in my mind.

Iron Chef I used to watch quite a lot, but I'm a little jaded since watching 'Next Iron Chef' and I thought it was pretty clearly rigged to get Zakarian to the end. A lot of puzzling voting off of some awesome chefs left me feeling like they had asked Zakarian if he wanted to be the next Iron Chef and they then built the show around their decision despite some flops dishes by him and some other outstanding chefs bumped early for no clear reason. I enjoyed the previous Next Iron Chef where Forgionne won much better.

Further down the list are Food Star and Top Chef.

Next Food Network Star - I like the contest environment, although it has seemed like the judges have their favorite one or two that they are managing to the end stage and the rest of the cooks are basically filler. I learn nothing about food or cooking from these folks 90% of the time, so it's more drama than food in a way.

Top Chef I like as well and it's a bit more food focused rather than finding an entertainer who can cook a little. The first few seasons I enjoyed but I can't consistently watch from week to week so the serial nature can be a negative, which Food Star has against it as well. It's a positive for some others but not me personally.

Below that are the traditional cooking shows where Food Star X is hanging out making things in his/her kitchen. These I find too boring to deal with for more than 5 minutes.

 

[Cycho1]

PBS has some decent shows. America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country uses a scientific method to find the best way to do a recipe. Mexico: One Plate at a Time w/ Rick Bayless is also a good one if you like authentic Mexican food.

For the best chef cleavage check out Nigella Lawson:

 

[CYdTracked]

I like BBQ Pitmasters, learn some good techniques watching that show. Would love just to spend a day or so with Myron Mixon and get some good stuff out of him as supposedly he's possibly the top competition BBQ in the country.

As for food competition showed I love Chopped. Amazes me what dishes those chefs can make in under 30 minutes out of some strange ingrediants sometimes.

 

[oldman]

America's Test Kitchen.

Yeah, we watch that one quite a bit also. Some good tips.

 

[dmclone]

Americas test kitchen

I like watching no reservations but I think it's annoying that he goes out his way to eat gross things and then acts like he likes them.

 

[CarolinaCy]

Actual Food Show: I've always liked Man vs. Food. I've eaten at a couple of the restaurants that Adam had been to and found them to be pretty good. Haven't done any of the challenges that he's done, but that may be a stretch for me.

Reality Food Show: Hell's Kitchen. Not only is it entertaining to watch, but the format has been virtually unchanged since Season 1.

The problem with Hell's Kitchen is that it's not even remotely believable. I mean, some of these contestants are executive chefs at hotels, country clubs, etc. and they want me to believe that they don't know how to cook pasta or can't cook chicken past stone cold raw. Sorry, not buying it for a second. It's just like any other "reality" show - made up drama for the sake of ratings.