Let’s Talk About Socks, Baby: Sheltering at Home for Foodies

With the vast majority of us staying close to home these days, how we feed and entertain ourselves within our own four walls has become a predominant contemplation.

Be honest, when was the last time any of us actually put on shoes? Why would we, as most of us find ourselves spanning the spectrum of life’s pleasures without ever leaving home. Sure, challenging circumstances and a national pandemic have imposed this new reality on us for the time being, but for the purpose of this conversation, we’re focused on our insatiable appetite for the consumption of food-related content.

Mass hysteria for ‘Tiger King’ aside, our own television desires lay somewhere on the continuum between the sudden availability of free time to explore food-focused programming and our passion for such programming. With that in mind, we thought we’d share some recommendations of shows that we plan on returning to for additional episodes.

RESTAURANTS ON THE EDGE (Netflix): A newer entry, Restaurants on the Edge combines amazing views in such locales as Malta, St. Lucia, and Costa Rica with the efforts of a three-headed rescue squad to deliver a thoroughly heartwarming program. Vancouver, B.C.-based designer Karin Bohn joins forces with restaurateur Nick Liberato and struggling musician-turned chef Dennis Prescott to help breathe new life into fledgling restaurants, with the result simply being a great watch.

CHEFS A’ FIELD, GOOD CATCH (Prime Video): Released in 2019, season 1 of Good Catch is like the little engine that could. We had heard very little about the show before dipping our sock-clad toes in the water but were pleasantly surprised by what we found. As the show’s tagline, Sustainable Seafood Off the Hook, foretells, the mission is clearly to educate us, which it successfully does through the eyes of such acclaimed chefs as Kerry Heffernan, Gavin Kaysen, and Jen Carroll. We watched, we learned, we enjoyed. And we hope there’s a season 2.

SOMEBODY FEED PHIL (Netflix): Despite having never seen a single episode of Everybody Loves Raymond and as a result, having very little familiarity with the show’s creator & executive producer Phil Rosenthal, it took us all of about 30 seconds to become a huge fan of his. We love our food, but if there’s anyone who oozes as much joy for eating as Phil, we haven’t met that person yet. His joy radiates through the screen, making the show an absolute pleasure to watch. And with that as the jumping off point, humor ensues as Rosenthal traverses the globe, often connecting with famous friends, in search of culture & cuisine. Over the course of the show’s two seasons, Phil has giggled his way through such places as Lisbon, Bangkok, Dublin, and Cape Town, plus many more, providing us with hour-ish episodes that consistently entertain.

UGLY DELICIOUS (Netflix): Created, produced, and hosted by superstar chef David Chang, Ugly Delicious fits our definition of a guilty pleasure. Chang, owner of New York’s Momofuku Ko -recipient of two Michelin stars every year since opening in 2008 – projects a realness that makes both him and the show endearing. The chef takes us along on gastronomic adventures as his curiosity about variations on a food theme leads him to explore such standards as fried rice, tacos, and pizza, among others, through many different multi-ethnic lenses. Not only are we thrilled that season 2 is upon us, but we have a suggestion for David Chang the producer; create and produce an Ugly Delicious spin-off starring Sherri Chang, also known as Mamma Chang. She stole the show!

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These are just a handful of staples in our food television pantry, with plenty of great content for you to consume until we share some others. In the meantime, sit back, grab the remote, and binge. Just remember, no shoes required!

What are your favorite food television shows to watch? Share some suggestions in the comments or tag us with #FoodSided.