My Favorite Food Television Shows

These days, about the only TV I watch is food oriented shows and a few other things like Masterpiece Mysteries and Premier League football (Go Liverpool!). For me, this was a somewhat late development, as I have never, and am still not, one to watch the how-to-cook shows like Emeril and Rachael Ray.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

What got me started was stumbling across Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, which I still love.

Kitchen Nightmares - Gordon Ramsey

Then I ran across Iron Chef America, which I love still except for them screwing up the judging this season (worst judging so far of any season). Once I discovered Food Network, I wondered why Bourdain’s show was not on that network until I read that it originally was on Food Network

and got dumped (bad decision).

My favorite shows are the competition shows, so Bravo network comes in high on the most

Top Chef All Stars

watched list. Here are the food related shows I Tivo and try to always watch:

• 24 Hour Restaurant Battle
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
• Chopped
• Hell’s Kitchen (yeah, I know, but this one grows on you)
• Iron Chef America
• Kitchen Nightmares
• MasterChef
• Ramsey’s Best Restaurant (first episode was good)
• Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares (British version)
• The Next Food Network Star
• The Next Iron Chef
• Top Chef

Except for Hell’s Kitchen, the competition shows are for real, the chefs are treated with respect

Paula Deen - Gag Me With a Maggot

and judging is fair, even if I disagree, like last night’s Top Chef All Stars. Hell’s Kitchen is a bit over the top, but is entertaining and the best chefs seem to advance.

There are some food shows I really do not like, as well:

• Paula Deen (I gag every time she says “y’all” and I am Southern)
• Man vs Food
• Ace of Cakes (another obnoxious host)
• Chefs vs City
• Unwrapped (how can a food network promote crap like Twinkies? – foods are always shown as being made out of great ingredients, no mention of all the chemicals and bullshit that go into most factory foods)

Tags: 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Ace of Cakes, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Chefs vs City, Chopped, Hell's Kitchen, Iron Chef, Iron Chef America, Kitchen Nightmares, Man vs Food, MasterChef, Next Food Network Star, Next Iron Chef, Paula Deen, Ramsey's Best Restaurant, Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, Top Chef, Unwrapped