How One Man Destroyed the Food Network

[MULTIZ321]

How One Man Destroyed the Food Network: Guy Fieri has Made Culinary TV into a Viewer's Hell - by Farsh Askari/ Salon.com

"It used to be full of chefs serenely baking in sunlit kitchens. But now I despise the network I used to love..."

I didn't want to hijack the other thread about Guy Fieri and Las Vegas, so I decided to post this separately.


Richard

 

[spirits]

My thoughts exactly

Here in Edmonton our winters can get pretty cold...so on Sat afternoons...after our housework was done my husband and I would sit down with our second cup of freshly brewed coffee, open the curtains to the sunny, bright, snow sparkling day and watch Ina, Ming and the other great cooking shows....we called it our food porn day (;
It was time to share the simple joy of watching great meals being made and inspiring us to go beyond the usual grilled cheese sandwich..although there is nothing wrong with grilled Canadian cheddar
It is sad that so many shows have been dumbed down and are pandering to the lowest common denominator......History Channel is another one that I tend to skip over.....Swamp People anyone
So thank god for PBS channels...a port in a storm....

 

[Fern Modena]

Sadly, this mirrors my thoughts, too.

Evidentally this is where the network wants to go. But it goes without me. I've found I like to watch Cooking Shows, not food/alleged foodie shows. So I watch Ina, and also Chopped, and the Top Chef franchise, which isn't even on Food Network (it is a Bravo show).

Fern

 

[SueDonJ]

Check out The Cooking Channel instead; for the most part it's what Food Network used to be. There's a link on the right to figure out which channels in your area cover it.

 

[stmartinfan]

I agree with the article. It's like Food Network has felt compelled to respond to the reality TV mania. Can't stand watching Guy or most of the others who are cornball "celebrities." I love great food, and the Food Network isn't where you'll see or learn about making it now.

 

[ricoba]

I think that Food Network has turned into more of an entertainment medium rather than strictly a cooking channel. Some people like it and others like the author of the piece cited don't.

What I found semi-perturbing about the article was the "high tone, Boston Brahmin attitude" the author. I'm sorry, as just a simple member of the "hoi polloi", I don't mind some entertainment with my food.

But having said that, I do like Ina and both hers and Giada's calming sunlit kitchens.

I have also been to a few of the "Triple D" places and certainly can't rave about most of them. My favorite is probably the Coffee Cup in Boulder City, NV.

Seems to me that one of the "crimes" of the Food Network is how it's helped spawn the overpriced and under delivering TV celebrity restaurants, like Guy's here in Vegas. I for one have no desire to head on over to the Strip to pay $18 for a breakfast, when I can just as easily get as good if not better meal for around $10-$12 or less at a locals place like Blueberry Hill or Village Pub or Ichabod's...

Just my two cents....

 

[pedro47]

I agree with the article. It's like Food Network has felt compelled to respond to the reality TV mania. Can't stand watching Guy or most of the others who are cornball "celebrities." I love great food, and the Food Network isn't where you'll see or learn about making it now.

Ditto on your observation of the today's Food Network and I also disliked all these low life reality shows.

 

[Fern Modena]

Having eaten at Village Pub, Blueberry Hill and Ichabod's, I echo Rick's sentiments.

Village Pub and Ichabod's (and also PT's and Steiners) are Taverns in Vegas-speak. They have a restaurant side and also a bar side , which has smoking and slot machines, but no food (and is walled off from the restaurant side). They are considered most like coffee shops are in other towns. Some of the best casual, low cost food in this area is found at taverns. Village Pub, a fairly large chain, is an off-shoot of Ellis Island, and carries their brews and root beer (also their not to be missed egg nog at Christmastime)

Fern

Seems to me that one of the "crimes" of the Food Network is how it's helped spawn the overpriced and under delivering TV celebrity restaurants, like Guy's here in Vegas. I for one have no desire to head on over to the Strip to pay $18 for a breakfast, when I can just as easily get as good if not better meal for around $10-$12 or less at a locals place like Blueberry Hill or Village Pub or Ichabod's...

 

[silentg]

The show that really annoys me is Man vs Food. I think that is on the travel channel. Watching someone eat or overeat is not my idea of entertainment. I used to watch Sarah Brown(?) who took vacations in places that I would like to visit. She always looks so happy!
Safe Travels!
TerryC

 

[Beaglemom3]

Ina Garten and America's Test Kitchen are my favorites as they are without the hype.

Have learned so much from these 2 shows.

The Pioneer Woman is good, too, but I do not eat beef or pork. Her other standard fare is to my liking.

 

[csxjohn]

I don't have cable so I don't get to see the shows too often, just when vacationing.

I like the Triple D show and Guy in it. When we travel we go to places he has had on the show if they are not too far away. He's done a few places here in Cleveland and one, the Parkview Nite Club is a place I go to just about every week and I totally agree with his assessment of the meals he show cased.

I figure if he's right on in a place I know, I'll trust him over Trip Advisor or Urban spoon. I've even seen MacDonald's get the highest rating on TA so that's not who I trust.

Anyhow, I saw in a thread about Hi where people were lamenting the fact that a food floor show was taken out of their favorite resort and now they have to travel to see it.

It seems some of us like entertainment with our food.

 

[bjones9942]

I like Rachel Ray. I find it entertaining to see if she can make it through her show without going so fast she falls to the floor in a heap of exhaustion.

Unlike the author of the article, I don't find the slow, sun-drenched platters exciting either. Giada and Ina make me want to grab a handful of barbiturates and join them in sleepyland. I want facts. Give me a good teaching episode with Alton Brown (there have been a couple). Give me someone planting tomatoes, harvesting them and making a great sauce - wait, that's PBS's 'The Victory Garden'. Give me an education while entertaining me. Don't show me travel to exotic places where they just eat bugs and pig bung. Show me the regional food AND HOW IT'S PREPARED. Shame on Anthony Bourdain (and I know he jumped the Food Network ship) - You're a chef ... why aren't you showing us how to make that amazingly spicy hot-pot? I'd watch 'The Chew' if it wasn't geared towards people that seem to have absolutely no cooking knowledge (I like Carla).

America's Test Kitchen. I like this one. My PBS channel went to airing that other show they have though - Cook's Country. I don't like it. Ever since watching Ma & Pa Kettle movies I've had a fear of gingham. After watching Cook's Country I have nightmares where Marjorie Main is yelling at me while waving a wooden spoon!

It's all just disappointing and a big reason that my getting rid of cable was an easy choice.

 

[Passepartout]

I agree that Fieri and the search for the next chef, and the driving bass and drum beat have run me off from HGTV. The PBS Create channel is enough to give me my food prep fix.

Jim

 

[am1]

The show that really annoys me is Man vs Food. I think that is on the travel channel. Watching someone eat or overeat is not my idea of entertainment. I used to watch Sarah Brown(?) who took vacations in places that I would like to visit. She always looks so happy!
Safe Travels!
TerryC

I have watched Man vs food a little and one season of Top Chef. No interest in others at all.

 

[Karen G]

movie recommendation for all you foodies

Since so many people in this thread are into food/cooking/restaurant recommendations, I thought I'd recommend a movie you might enjoy: The Hundred-Foot Journey with Helen Mirren and some really good Indian actors. My husband and I loved it.

 

[Beaglemom3]

Since so many people in this thread are into food/cooking/restaurant recommendations, I thought I'd recommend a movie you might enjoy: The Hundred-Foot Journey with Helen Mirren and some really good Indian actors. My husband and I loved it.

Thanks. Have wondered about this movie.

"Babette's Feast" is another foodie favorite. Also, "Tampopo". "Chocolate", too.

 

[DaveNV]

I used to watch Sarah Brown(?) who took vacations in places that I would like to visit. She always looks so happy!
Safe Travels!
TerryC

Samantha Brown. She was great.

Dave

 

[Beefnot]

Since so many people in this thread are into food/cooking/restaurant recommendations, I thought I'd recommend a movie you might enjoy: The Hundred-Foot Journey with Helen Mirren and some really good Indian actors. My husband and I loved it.

And the classic "Big Night"

 

[ricoba]

I agree that Fieri and the search for the next chef, and the driving bass and drum beat have run me off from HGTV. The PBS Create channel is enough to give me my food prep fix.

Jim

I watch the "Next Food Network Star", simply because I like the entertainment factor. But other than Fieri, I can't name a single winner of the contests nor can I think of any of the winners shows. Which I guess shows it's all simply flash in the pan entertainment in pursuit of the quick and easy buck for the network.

 

[ricoba]

Having eaten at Village Pub, Blueberry Hill and Ichabod's, I echo Rick's sentiments.

Village Pub and Ichabod's (and also PT's and Steiners) are Taverns in Vegas-speak. They have a restaurant side and also a bar side , which has smoking and slot machines, but no food (and is walled off from the restaurant side). They are considered most like coffee shops are in other towns. Some of the best casual, low cost food in this area is found at taverns. Village Pub, a fairly large chain, is an off-shoot of Ellis Island, and carries their brews and root beer (also their not to be missed egg nog at Christmastime)

Fern

Didn't mention PT's because I've never been to one, but do like Steiners.

But you have to find out which pubs have walled off restaurants. I know our local Village Pub at Flamingo and Pecos doesn't have the walled off restaurant, so I don't go to that one.

 

[Fern Modena]

I didn't know that not all the pubs had walled off bars. All the ones in my area do. I thought they did (it is the bar, with the smoking and the slots which is walled off, not the restaurant part). Does your PT's have a kitchen and a bar? And smoking? If it does, I wonder how they manage not to have a walled off area.

Fern

Didn't mention PT's because I've never been to one, but do like Steiners.

But you have to find out which pubs have walled off restaurants. I know our local Village Pub at Flamingo and Pecos doesn't have the walled off restaurant, so I don't go to that one.

 

[ricoba]

I didn't know that not all the pubs had walled off bars. All the ones in my area do. I thought they did (it is the bar, with the smoking and the slots which is walled off, not the restaurant part). Does your PT's have a kitchen and a bar? And smoking? If it does, I wonder how they manage not to have a walled off area.

Fern

Good question.
I know the Village Pub by us labels itself as smoker friendly whereas the Village Pub in Henderson and others are labeled family friendly, plus smoker friendly, meaning separate eating area. The link is from the VP website.

I had lunch at the Steiners out on Lake Mead a couple of times and I like the food, but you eat in the bar with the smokers. Also the Blue Ox has the same bar/food service situation. Again, I like the food there, but you do have to put up with smoking.

I don't know how they get around the walled off rule, but I think that rule has changed a bit over time.

 

[Fern Modena]

They must have changed the rule to No Smoking if Children are admitted, at least that is what it sounds like.

Fern

 

[ricoba]

They must have changed the rule to No Smoking if Children are admitted, at least that is what it sounds like.

Fern

I read somewhere that the rules had been loosened, but I am not 100% how or when??????

 

[tashamen]

Check out The Cooking Channel instead; for the most part it's what Food Network used to be. There's a link on the right to figure out which channels in your area cover it.

Sadly, we don't get this channel. It looks good!