# Let's talk about Food Network **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 8, 2024, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281 "2024-05-08T22:40:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/1 "2024-05-08T22:40:20Z")
As a food lover and an avid home cook, I watch a lot of shows on Food Network. Primarily the competition shows, but some other stuff as well. Guy Fieri is the current king of the channel, and I know he has a lot of detractors out there. I personally don’t have anything against him and he seems to do a lot of good as far as promoting chefs and charity work. It’s obviously a big business proposition, but where it used to be sort of looked down upon, world-renowned chefs like Daniel Boulud and Eric Ripert have appeared recently as judges on shows. What is your opinion? What shows do you like, if any? ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/2 "2024-05-09T01:00:41Z")
but basically, FN has shows that showcase undiscovered restaurants that appeal to you and I, not some elitist food critic, so that’s why he gets so much criticism ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/3 "2024-05-09T01:31:31Z")
I absolutely love Food Network, but I think it has lost some its appeal for me. I haven’t watched it much lately, since it seems to have morphed into heavily featuring foodie game shows, instead of shows about actual cooking. And the new breed of Food Net stars seem to be more focused on being celebrities first, and good food second. And while we’re talking about Guy Fieri, I absolutely can’t stand him. He seems like he tries way too hard to be cool, and instead comes across as a douche. I absolutely loathe his frosted tips, and the sunglasses on the back of his head. And don’t even get me started about the way he shovels food into his mouth, and talks while chewing. It’s pretty safe to say I’m not planning a trip to Flavor Town. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/4 "2024-05-09T12:02:58Z")
> [@Deanna\_D](#): > > And while we’re talking about Guy Fieri, I absolutely can’t stand him. He seems like he tries way too hard to be cool, and instead comes across as a douche. I met Guy when he featured a friend’s restaurant on a show he does about dives. When he was just talking with us he seemed like a nice guy. When he put on his persona, he was an absolute jerk. We don’t really watch tv, but I managed to get a copy of the episode on DVD. It was interesting? The thing that really turned me off was him taking HUGE bites of food. Absolutely disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/5 "2024-05-09T13:47:14Z")
I used to watch the Food Network quite often. I loved the Kids Baking Championship, and all the other baking championships - spring, holiday, etc. In the last year, for some reason, I’ve lost track of them. I have so many other shows to watch. As for Guy, I can take him or leave him. I used to enjoy his Grocery Games show but haven’t seen it in quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/6 "2024-05-09T13:57:03Z")
I find Fieri annoying but he seems to be the poster boy for the Food network right now. I used to really like a show where they showed how different foods were made, like candies is one i remember. not a cooking show per se. My mom and I used to watch a lot of cooking shows together that she downloaded from the Food network but i dont see them anymore, it seems like Fieri all the time now. I did see a blurb for a possibly interesting show starting soon, american pastry makers go to France to learn French pastry and as far as I can tell Guy Fieri is not involved. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/7 "2024-05-09T17:45:10Z")
Yeah, I’ve read that in person, he’s actually very pleasant, and that’s not his on-camera persona. He does a lot of charity work as well- pandemic relief for restaurant workers, meals for first responders, and many other causes. As far as Food Network goes, I think I liked it best a while back, when it was _mostly_ but not entirely cooking shows, with a few competitions. Now it seems like it’s gone the other way- mostly competitions and restaurant type shows, with a few actual cooking shows that are on early in the morning. I always watched it to learn things by observation and/or learn concepts that I wasn’t aware of, but I don’t get a lot of that on Beat Bobby Flay or Guy’s Grocery Games, for example. They’re just reality competition shows that center around food, but not actually _cooking_ shows. Guy’s Grocery Games skates the closest, with the viewer getting to see somewhat how the competitors overcome the obstacles the show puts in their path. I’d love a show that shows where foods come from; not prepared foods like potato chips, but rather how a cow is butchered, how they make balsamic vinegar, how cheese is made and aged, etc… with a bit at the end about how that particular food is used and why. I also _loved_ Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy” on CNN. Shows of that type would be fantastic if they showcased all sorts of countries. Never could get into Anthony Bourdain’s shows- too sarcastic and too politically charged. Same thing with Andrew Zimmern; too many testicles and innards for it to be anything but kind of gross. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/8 "2024-05-09T17:48:50Z")
There was a show with Jose Andres that was similar to the Stanley Tucci show. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/9 "2024-05-09T18:34:09Z")
I stopped watching after Good Eats. SALT FAT ACID HEAT and The Food Lab have both become very popular cookbooks in the last decade but the FN just pumps out competition shows. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/10 "2024-05-09T19:11:16Z")
Looks like it’s on Amazon; I’ll check it out! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/11 "2024-05-10T00:41:36Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Same thing with Andrew Zimmern; too many testicles and innards for it to be anything but kind of gross. Look for his Bizarro show **Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations**. More than makes up for the pig snoot. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/12 "2024-05-10T00:52:46Z")
> [@Deanna\_D](#): > > I absolutely love Food Network, but I think it has lost some its appeal for me. I haven’t watched it much lately, since it seems to have morphed into heavily featuring foodie game shows, instead of shows about actual cooking. And the new breed of Food Net stars seem to be more focused on being celebrities first, and good food second. This. I’m no foodie, but I used to watch a ton of Food Network by osmosis, as it was one of my wife’s favorite channels (and Alton Brown’s original _Good Eats_ was a favorite of mine). Actual cooking shows are relegated to mornings now, and prime time is all about competition shows, often with what appears to be staged drama, and chefs/hosts like Fieri and Bobby Flay, who have abrasive or over-the-top TV personas. (My wife still watches it on Saturday mornings, for the actual cooking shows, but turns the channel at 11am, when Fieri takes back over.) > [@kayaker](#): > > I met Guy when he featured a friend’s restaurant on a show he does about dives. When he was just talking with us he seemed like a nice guy. When he put on his persona, he was an absolute jerk. I’ve read similar things about Fieri before. it seems like he may be a super guy off-screen, but that on-screen, brash dude-bro persona is something I just can’t tolerate. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/13 "2024-05-10T01:17:09Z")
I don’t have cable anymore, so I no longer watch the Food Network (some of their shows are probably on some streaming service, but I don’t care enough to look for them). But when I did watch it, I did enjoy watching Diner’s, Drive-ins, and Dives. And I will admit I have gone to certain restaurants specifically because they were featured on that show. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/14 "2024-05-11T12:17:13Z")
so did you like Alton Brown? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/15 "2024-05-11T12:30:40Z")
Used to love Good Eats but haven’t watched Food Network in a while. Like most people, I imagine, if I’m looking for actual video instruction on how to prepare a particular dish I turn to YouTube. I’m a particular fan of Adam Ragusea (although lately he sees to be turning more toward general fitness content). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/16 "2024-05-11T17:07:29Z")
The Food Network is my emotional support background noise. I like “The Kitchen” and the seasonal baking championships. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/17 "2024-05-13T02:46:46Z")
I did/do. His show was really kind of instrumental in understanding a lot of what goes on when you’re cooking something. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/18 "2024-05-13T02:52:37Z")
> [@bump](#): > > His show was really kind of instrumental in understanding a lot of what goes on when you’re cooking something. And, with Brown’s background in producing television commercials and music videos, he did it in an engaging, entertaining way. IIRC, he himself described the idea for _Good Eats_ as “Mr. Wizard meets Julia Child.” ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/19 "2024-05-13T16:35:14Z")
I loved Alton Brown’s shows, as well. Learned a lot from them, and will still watch them sometimes. Can’t really stand Fieri, so if I’m controlling the TV, he’s not going to be on it. However, I do generally like the restaurants he visits, so if my wife’s watching it, I’ll gaze at a bit while I’m in the room. I haven’t watched a cooking competition show in quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281/20 "2024-05-13T16:50:40Z")
A few years ago he had an updated season of ‘Good Eats’ - showing the original show as it was and stopping it to make comments on updates/changes to whatever the subject was. There’s the vast empire of The Pioneer Woman (who I find annoying). But I’m tired of Guy Fieri and the endless BBQ tutorials on Food Network. How many ways can you cook a hunk of meat on a grill? The British Baking Show on PBS was always fun to watch. sometimes there are cooking shows on PBS in the afternoon I will take a look at. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-food-network/1001281.md?page=2)