Here is some recent news involving some of the Food Network shows:- The Food Network recently ordered 26 more episodes of Mystery Diners (Hollywood Reporter). The show averages over a million viewers per episode, so I guess someone is watching it. Just not me or most of the people who don't like where the network is going.
- For the next season of Worst Cooks In America, it looks like it will be Anne Burrell going against Bobby Flay again as Anne posted a photo of both of them at a recent casting (Twitter).
- Food Court Wars is coming back for another season and is currently casting (more info below).
Here are some upcoming shows that are casting if you are interested on being on the Food Network. Just know that we will probably complain about you or the show you are on.
- Food Network Star Season 10 is casting and has open casting calls coming up in San Antonio, San Francisco, Providence, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Chicago. You can also apply online and submit a video (Food Network Star Casting).
- Food Court Wars is casting two person teams within 100 miles of the following cities: Chula Vista, California, Hickory, North Carolina, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Kelso, Washington, Lewisville, Texas, Newark, California, Plano, Texas, Shreveport, Louisana, Sierra Vista, Arizona, Traverse City, Michigan, West Dundee, Illinois, and Zanesville, Ohio (Audition Rush). There have also been ads on Craigslist for casting.
- Food Network is casting for a new Home Cook show, where home cooks will be paired up with Food Network stars to compete in culinary competitions. There will be eliminations until they get down to the winner, who will win a cash prize. The casting calls are in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and New York City or you can send an email (FN Dish).
I love Mystery Diners! But more Food Court Wars? No thanks.
ReplyDeleteI used to like it before I knew it was all staged. It doesn't bother you? I couldn't get past it.
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, how do you define "real"?
ReplyDeleteSimple -- I googled them. Marrakesh (whose food looks spectacular) has three locations in Southern California. And Haus Murphy was also featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere on earth I'd like to see one restaurant that does very well and completely refuses to do any and all substitutions whatsoever. No extra pickle or cheese and no hold the onions. This is the way it comes on the menu. eat it and like it. Gonna b***h about diabetic and gluten free and allergies? Don't eat here. People will scream that that isn't customer service but I want to see some restaurant somewhere scream: quit b*tch**g. We're here to serve quality food, not make 11 pampering accommodations so you can feel stroked and special.
ReplyDeleteBefore you write this off, I have actually eaten in a good place that has bright yellow menu's that says right at the top: "The customer is NEVER right.(some exceptions.) " God love 'em for that. Too many customers don't DESERVE to eat in some restaurants.
If you look at he beginning of Restaurant Stakeout and Mystery Diners it is like free publicity for the restaurant with the specific description of the menu. I mean if we are talking about a problem why is the first several minutes describing the restaurant so important. Also this season it appears the problem start off as one person but is now someone else is discovered as the problem. In the first season it was always the initial target.
ReplyDeleteI can watch as entertainment for a comedy or a movie, or sci-fi but for cooking as soon as i know it's fake, within 2 months, if that, I stop watching altogether.
ReplyDeleteJim Deagle is another one. EVVVERYTHING is a catastrophic emergency with this guy! And I seriously question if so many of Robert Irvine's Restaurant impossible places were really that severely bad or thats it's just for tv drama. I hardly watch at all anymore. After 10 episodes it's just same ol', same ol'.
Food Network should think more about staying power. But to do that it takes believability.
There are quite a few restaurants like that, You are thinking like the soup nazi guy on Seinfeld right?
ReplyDeleteWe have restaurant here in the Atlanta area called The Vortex that supposedly serves the best hamburgers this side of heaven. It is rumored that the burgers take 30 mins from order to table and that the owner will refuse to serve you if you don't go so say "Good afternoon/evening Ms [insert name here]" before you place your order. To me that crap sounds like a nightmare. There are plenty of restaurants where the food is awesome and the service is superb. I don't believe that the competition is so thin that more than one or two places could afford to do what you are asking.
I'm not sure that kind of publicity is worth it. It always surprises me when a place would agree to be used in those types of shows.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Andrea. Glad there are places like this. I remember the soup nazi episode from Seinfeld. Funny. My place was actually nicer than that and better food. I just feel there really are much to many people in real life, who probably have nnoooo authority in their job, or simply bad self-esteem, and so by going to a restaurant and making 4 substitutions and accommadations, they can at last feel like they have some miniscule bit of power and they can inwardly gloat that people are doing it their way. Customers like that exist. Pathetic. And far too many of them. I have a good sense of humor and like most people but I really do feel America needs to get back to: "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone", and I don't just mean in some run down truck stop, either. Rock on!
ReplyDeleteYou got it. The waitress asks for their order and their cell phone goes off right and of course "i really have to take this". Later, "this fork is dirty", even if it isn't. Then, only after they get a new fork, does the customer say "and could you bring me some ketchup?" After they get that, they'll say: and could you bring me some more salad dressing? and my special needs kid needs a high-chair, and this drink was made wrong. It has vodka instead of gin, even if it doesn't really. But they are "in charge" and they are in their glory because you are cow-towing to them and you don't, well then, that just isn't good customer service. So now they wanna speak to the manager (why not? Might as well go-the-distance, right?)....Later that night or the next day at work 'round the water cooler, Joe Customer will brag that "by God, I wasn't gonna go for and I sure gave 'em a piece o' my mind, yesserie!" This is where I'd like to push a button and have them fall into a trap door of alligators. sigh. I wonder if this corresponds to some psychological disorder. Narcissism? Something else? Customer service is one thing. Customer abuse is another. Wipe yer feet! hee hee
ReplyDeleteMight be a good idea for a new show. Customers from hell.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying and to some degree I do agree. However, from what I understand, the restaurant business is very tough. The margins are small. I just don't think very many places can get away with refusing service before word got around that they have bad service (and with the internet, it happens quickly and often) and go down the drain.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I fully agree that there are certain characters that for some reason believe good service means degrading waitresses. That's just wrong.
Hurray. Kudos to you for being willing to disagree a but and say so. I am grateful for this sort of back n forth online Far too many people stop cold at the very first anything-less-than-total-unity-agreement but to me it isn't anger or putting anyone else down at all. It is just open-sharing and making an effort to understand other poster's.
ReplyDelete"Challenging" need not be heated at all (and ours wasn't). I am always grateful when anybody writes MORE than just: "I agree" (and no reasons or further commentary whatsoever) or says: "that sucks" (with no reason why or saying how or in what way. About as informative as mud). Of course, many will simply justify their hopelessly uninformative half-sentence-long post in the name of "being concise". Gads! I hope I never live to see the day when all of society's conversation becomes 6-word "Texts". ..So...thanks again. carry on!
LOL,yeah I grew up pre-internet and I am a chatterbox, the whole having to type it up thing doesn't seem to have slowed me down at all. ;)
ReplyDeleteCheers!
The Home Cook show sounds like it might be fun to watch. I'd liked the idea of Food Court Wars but wasn't overly fond of the series itself. It just seemed dull, and there are too many cry stories - like this is charity and not about cooking and business sense. Hopefully, it improves this time around.
ReplyDeleteI watched 'Mystery Diners' until the most recent episodes, but the acting got worse and worse and more outrageous - it's just dumb now.
ReplyDeleteJim Deagle? It's William (Willie) Jack Degel.
ReplyDeleteThe staging was always there, but in more recent episodes, it's become more blatant, and the nature of the employees' "crimes" has become more exaggerated and unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteNot just the acting, but the nature of the employee transgressions.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. See, I've forgotten already because I've stopped watching. That guy freaks out over everything. I suppose he has to. Otherwise, it might not seem like he's really needed.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. And that's likely the beginning of the end for that show. In the hunger for Ratings, and another season, networks resort to shock-value. But it becomes so extreme that very few will believe it. Then the audience starts knocking the show as it's just more hype and no credibility. The beginning of the end.
ReplyDeleteThe only way this show could be any more fake (although albeit, possibly more entertaining) is if they dressed in vintage wear and took their routine to Downton Abbey. "Oh THAT guy doesn't have the Spanish Flu; he's drunk!" "Wait, they're - they're running a SOUP KITCHEN with your inventory? THAT'S STEALING!"
ReplyDeleteI actually think and hope that home cook competition paired with experts may be interesting... with so many crappy competition shows coming out they need something thats actually practical and interesting. I like the idea of amateur chefs being mentored by professionals but in a better way than how 'Worst Cooks' does it.
ReplyDeleteIts funny because i personally dont think that the last season of Food Network Star was as horrid as most people are making it out to be, but I do think it was cheaply edited.. i know many didnt like the fat they brought in so many people whove appeared on other shows but really that was one of most memorable casts whether you liked them or not. I will not be surprised if we get another season of chefs or cooks we have seen before. I just wished they would mix up the format and get rid of this whole POV thing because it shouldnt matter or if they persist on the POV aspect(which they will) then be more open-minded to different types of shows and quit with these redundant POVs like BBQ or Family Style(like why does it always have to be a cooking show why cant someones POV pitch be like a competition format for a show theres probably better ideas out there than the horrible competitions theyve been coming up with)