280 replies to this topic

[dreamy]

Will there be interest for yet another food competition show? Where do all of these chefs who keep populating the never-ending number of foodie shows come from?

Around the World in 80 Plates on Bravo.

Around the World in 80 Plates takes culinary competition to the next level as 12 chefs travel across the globe testing their skills and determination. In each episode, the contestants will travel to a different international city where they will learn the local customs, cultures, and cuisines as they participate in a gauntlet of culinary challenges. Ultimately, they will face-off in a kitchen takeover where they will not only recreate, but reinvent the menus for world-renowned restaurants and their demanding owners.

At least it will provide more guests for Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live.

[Actionmage]

This sounds like a more "civilized" No Kithen Required, yet a bit more boring. Nothing on eliminations, if the chefs are US-based or from everywhere, or if they come from across the spectrum of cooking, i.e., pastry chefs, head chefs, diner cooks,etc.

I might catch the first ep to see what's what, but if that release was supposed to get folks excited for a new cook-off, it didn't help, imo.

[Streya]

No Runway, no Top Chef... no SYTYCD yet.... I might have to watch this. I'm not a Cat Cora fan, but we'll see.

[nanobabes]

So is this taking place of Top Chef Masters? Isn't this usually the time of year TCM airs? As crappy as the last season was, I find that sort of disappointing.

I don't know much about Cat Cora, but I don't get the appeal of Curtis Stone. He's objectively pretty attractive and he's got the Aussie thing going for him, but I find his looks too generic and is otherwise pretty boring to me. He's not particularly charming and lacks any personality, I mean am I missing something? I think even Padma brings more to the table than he does.

[cwaldo]

I've been watching the commercials to this and a question about last season of Top Chef has been answered for me. They had some really stupid competitions where they had to go around on a bike in San Antonio, find ingredients and then find a restaurant where they could cook their food. Then in season finale they had to do a lot of stupid things like cook on a gondola, shoot plates to get their ingredients, and figure out out to get their ingredients from blocks of ice. It was pissing me off so much, because I thought, this is a cooking competition, not the Amazing Race. Well, I guess all that crap was a backdoor pilot for this show since its from the producers from Top Chef. Poor cheftestants, they were guinea pigs for this show. It makes me not want to watch it just because of that.

[PolkaDotty]

There's nothing more appetizing than watching a bunch of American chefs scarfing down food, drinking till they're snoggled, and stumbling through the streets of London like a bunch of Ugly Americans.

[Kathira]

Ugh. I want to see the chef with the worst dish to leave. Not this Survivor game-playing crap. This show is definitely not making it into my rotation.

[WaltersHair]

I turned in for the Top Chef producer angle. I have to say this is the first time I've watched a competitive cooking show and was not hungry in the least. Black pudding? Can Jehovah's witnesses eat that stuff?

Military chick bugs as does angry gay man.

[stinamaia]

I don’t like it so far. I don’t like the whole scheming and I don’t like the gimmick of these “challenges.” I guess this is what they were trying out with all the gimmicks on Top Chef last season. I want to get an idea of the cooking itself and the quality of the dishes produced.

[Maddingcrowd]

The show seemed too frantic to me and I want people to be eliminated by objective criteria, not Survivor style. I also think it is not interesting and unfair to expect the Chefs to create the exact same menu that tastes the exact same way it is always made in the pubs. The cool thing about the restaurant wars type challenges was seeing how create and interesting the chefs could be. Here they are trying to duplicate exactly something they haven't tasted (I know they tasted a particular dish from each place)and don't know what the ingredients are. I will give it another try but so far, just fair to me.

[Haveahabit]

I'm not a Kat Cora fan and I absolutely loathe Curtis Stone. However, I gave this show a try, anyway. I wish I had spent the time cleaning the bathroom. There's no way I'm wasting my time on these self-important douchebags and gross challenges.

[Magnitude]

Mmmmm... I don't know yet how I feel about it. It should be between the two worst dishes, then a vote. That was bull that Nookie dude brought up that other chick. Wasn't him who also said no to a dessert? He should have went for that alone. Oh well. And what was with the West Point chick not being able to navigate?

[nique]

I hate these shows where they have to shove food in their mouth. But at least they get to do it in awesome places.

[diorella78]

I'm more curious to see the places they go than anything else. The rest is too Survivor/Amazing Race for me.

[gosacstate]

One and done. Some of those people were odious. I want to see the cooking and preparation that goes into it. They wanted so badly to win the pub crawl that they didn't even eat the foods they would later cook. How is this a cooking show? Survivor with food, no thanks.

[phoenix780]

I was surprised that the eating parts weren't more chef-oriented. They could have, for example, had them taste the dishes and identify the ingredients. Or have them taste and have one chef from the team try to replicate the dish. So the whole first part of the show didn't make much sense to me. I don't even felt like I learned anything interesting about the local cuisine, or the contestants, during that segment. It'd be a kind of replacement for the quickfire, then the main challenge would require more creativity.

Then the rest of it...frantic is a good word. I was only half-watching, but I couldn't follow who cooked what, and what the judges were commenting on. All that stood out was that this looks to be a show celebrating ugly behavior, and it felt a bit...low quality. Add me to the list of those not really interested in seeing that. But, maybe this will help them clean up Top Chef (have all the weird challenges and vile contestants here instead).

[blakec73]

Cat Cora's dress in the commercials bugs me.... Show I don't know !!

[lambertman]

Sai turned me off the show for good at 10:02. Her "who would you rather" speech is right up there with the most obnoxious things I've ever heard come out of a human being's mouth.

[GeoBQn]

I like the idea of the chefs going to different countries to learn about local cuisine. I didn't like the idea of challenges involving wolfing down local cuisine without having time to really savor the food and figure out what makes it good. That's what I expect to see on Amazing Race or Fear Factor, and I hope it's not a regular thing. It doesn't fit with a cuisine-focused show. (Also, I have an extreme fear of vomiting and was constantly worried that was going to happen during the pub crawl.) I also thought the scheming over eliminations was pretty vile and it's going to make it difficult for the teams to work together.

The only chef I'm rooting for is the one that cooked in a sorority house and compared himself to Mrs. Garrett.

[taalsi]

Her "who would you rather" speech is right up there with the most obnoxious things I've ever heard come out of a human being's mouth.

My thoughts exactly, like she's all that. Damn her for making me say it would be Paula and Rachael over her. I wished she'd thrown Nigella in there and it wouldn't have been a question at all. And that's coming from a straight woman.

Nookie, what an ironic name because I can't imagine him getting much. He's an ass and can't get off my screen fast enough.

Loved it when the guy "changed" the name of the pub and everybody was pissed about it.

Edited by taalsi, May 10, 2012 @ 7:26 AM.

[NYGirl]

I don't know about you guys but I got nauseous just watching them eat. They were so disgusting..eating peas without a fork ..using their hands. Closeups of their chewing the food.. ugh. I had such high hopes for this show as it reminding me of the Amazing Race.

[xingcat]

I really thought this would be the show for me. I love The Amazing Race and Top Chef, and this seemed a combination of both!

Instead, it had the worst qualities of both. There were the obnoxious chefs who have overblown egos, the stuff-your-face-and-don't-puke challenges of TAR, and two wooden hosts who weren't there to do much.

I do think there's a show somewhere in there that could be salvaged. If this were truly about going to destinations, trying local cuisines, and working with those flavors, that would be something. But right now, re-creating fish and chips after wolfing down several plates of it the night before? Not inspiring.

[xaxat]

Whoever thought of starting off the show with a half hour gluttony should be fired. I thought the really big chef looked disgusting running around in his sweat soaked t shirt, then I realized that it was beer/backwash that he had spilled on himself during the challenge and that made it even worse!

[Rickster]

I'm reserving judgement after the first episode. I'll watch a couple more, if only for the scenery

I didn't like the idea of challenges involving wolfing down local cuisine without having time to really savor the food and figure out what makes it good. That's what I expect to see on Amazing Race or Fear Factor, and I hope it's not a regular thing. It doesn't fit with a cuisine-focused show.

I'm guessing they did the race thing because a pub crawl seemed typically British. I'll wait to see what they do for the "quickfire" portion in subsequent episodes.

I did think they could have been more focused on creative food, since the concept of gastropubs is exactly to do more creative dishes than found in the normal pub. So I was disappointed that most of the food was sort of plain. SInce I didn't see any buckets of pigs blood, I'm assuming the black pudding was store bought, so all they were doing was cooking it and putting it on a plate. I don't think that would pass muster with Tom C.

Like most everyone, I'm bothered by the elimination process. I may have to turn off the show during that portion. I also thought it could be better edited.

IMO they would have been better off showing us a tour of Borough Market, which is a great place, rather than fat guys running around the streets.

[dreamy]

I was underwhelmed, and didn't think much of the contestants, so far. I'll give it another shot, though.

I had higher expectations of this. Too bad.

[ObstinantGirl]

Sai turned me off the show for good at 10:02. Her "who would you rather" speech is right up there with the most obnoxious things I've ever heard come out of a human being's mouth.

I completely agree. And, FWIW, this was presented as a family-friendly show in the previews, so my 14 yr old son was watching that part of the show with me & my husband. Very nice.

And....sorry for the confusion, it always takes me awhile to really figure out who's who on these shows...is she the same person who was in the Army? If so, that aspect of her persona is really winning, too...the bossy/know-it-all "because I was in the service" thing she had going. Bleh.

Not many likeable people on this show, the setup of:

the show with a half hour gluttony

wolfing down local cuisine

a show celebrating ugly behavior, and it felt a bit...low quality

...yeah, all of that & more.

[VirginiBound]

I don’t like it so far. I don’t like the whole scheming and I don’t like the gimmick of these “challenges.”

I like the idea of different countries and having to cook for regular diners. I hated the race. I thought it lacked a "respect for the food." And if there ever was a show for Spike, this would be it. I wonder if he qualifies?

[Kali12]

"Cat Cora and Curtis Stone host a group of talented chefs in a competition that travels around the world."

What was wrong with the real description: "Cora and Stone host this show with some of the least appealing people you've ever seen on television as they eat and drink too much, run, argue, sweat (and occasionally have to cook) in a lot of fabulous locations that you barely get to see."

[Nightlark]

Cat Cora's dress in the commercials bugs me.... Show I don't know !!

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lambertman
Sai turned me off the show for good at 10:02. Her "who would you rather" speech is right up there with the most obnoxious things I've ever heard come out of a human being's mouth.

It made me ashamed for all women, every where. Maybe I overreacted? Also as a straight woman I'd also take Paula or Racheal over her. And Paula would make me a dessert, after.
And does Cat Cora have a sylist? If so he/she should be fired. That black and white dress is hideously unflattering. And her new hair isn't doing her any favors either.
All my own opinions.

[my3guys]

I so wanted to like this show. Unlikable contestants and thank you for confirming my feelings of disgust for Cutis Stone. Cat I am so disappointed. Could not even watch the whole show. Bravo really needs to figure out their viewers, this is an insult.