Food Network is arguably the most successful, popular source for cooking entertainment. Having bred some of the most famous food personalities in the world, including Ina Garten, Rachel Ray, and Guy Fieri, it’s known for its engaging, informative cooking shows and competitions. But per one massively famous chef from the network, it wasn’t always the high-quality programming viewers have become accustomed to today. In fact, he actually hated one of his earliest programs.
Bobby Flay, the iconic Iron Chef, restaurateur, and more recently, host of mega-popular shows such as “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” recently sat down with Chef David Chang for “The Ringer” to discuss his impact on the culinary world. But as Flay and Chang discuss the innovation in food TV, Flay delves into how hard it was and how much he hated filming his earliest Food Network show — Grillin’ & Chillin‘.Founded in 1993, the media moguls who created Food Network had no clue how big their humble cable channel would become. In the early days, it was mostly the classic, instructional cooking shows, such as the short-lived “Emeril & Friends”, featuring Chef Emeril Lagasse. That’s where the 1996 classic, “Grillin’ & Chillin‘”, hosted by Flay and fellow Chef Jack McDavid, comes in. As simple as the title suggests, the two would grill up different foods and, well, chill. But for Flay, per his interview, filming this show was anything but.
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Grillin’ & Chillin’ Was Recorded Live On Tape
Sans the massive production budget shows like “Chopped” or “Guy’s Grocery Games” have today, “Grillin’ & Chillin‘”, was filmed on an actual live tape. There were no editors or fancy food styling, it was all up to Flay to not only cue commercials but to time the food he was preparing to sync up with the live taping. From prepping the food to grilling and plating — it was all happening in real-time. A far cry from the seamlessly shot and edited cooking shows on channels like Netflix. Despite Chang claiming he loved the show, Flay proclaims, “You loved it because it was so bad,” per “The Ringer.” As Chang goes on to describe, the present-day magic of food television has, in a way, removed an important element from viewer experience — being able to watch real, talented chefs actually cook. “That first generation of Food Network were people that could cook,” Chang said. Not to knock the current cast of extremely talented Food Network personalities, but in 1996, Flay didn’t have the power of editing and on-set food stylists to plate the dishes they have access to today. He had to make it happen all on his own, from start to finish. Yes, Flay may be a popular personality in the food world, but his roots on even his most hated show prove just how talented of a chef he really is.
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