Food and TV again....

I love food and TV, and really adore great food TV. I've found three great Canadian examples so far, more to come I'm sure.

Chuck and Danny's Road Trip is a buddy show that features two Montreal chefs, Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles, as they travel across Canada by RV and discover local (sometimes unusual) ingredients and the interesting (sometimes unusual) folks who gather, prepare, hunt and create them. Kelp Gin cocktail, anyone? 

After two days of exploring the local food scene, they invite all the people they've met back to their campsite for a feast. The show is heavy on adventure and personality, light on traditional "stand and stir" cooking-show shots, and more info about the ingredients and many of the recipes can be found on their website.


Next, imagine a show with many of the features you like about "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" - small restaurants with lots of personality, local charm, great backstories and friendly cooks - and substitute a charmingly nerdy, regular Canadian guy in place of, y'know..... "Guy."  The B-roll entrance shots typically show the flannel-clad host strolling up the sidewalk and walking into the restaurant rather than roaring up in a red convertible with his bleached tips wagging in the breeze.

John Catucci hosts "You Gotta Eat Here!" and the title is basically the theme of the show. Actor/comedian Catucci visits family-friendly eateries and local diners with great dishes and nice people and makes you want to visit each and every one. Fortunately, on the website, you can search by location for the restaurants that have been featured on the show. 

Bonus feature:  Catucci often has to adjust his glasses in the kitchen sequences, so I can relate.



A small startup network called Makeful is the new Canadian home of "Three Chefs, One City." This is a slower-paced, more thoughtful show. Each episode offers an exploration of a major city through the stories of three top rock-star chefs in that area. It's not 'try this at home'- more like a way of touring an exotic destination (episodes feature Rio, Paris, Hong Kong, etc) through its high-end culinary scene. Think Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" but sans Bourdain's penchant for late-night streetmeat. Definitely not as proletariat as YGEH! but thoughtful and accessible in its own way and exquisitely photographed.