Hungry Detective Premieres!

[oneidaone]

Aloha Chris! We just got back from Chicago yesterday and there you were on our TV when we

ate pizza we'd frozen to bring home and ate watching the show! I had my birthday luncheon at

Greek Islands in Lombard and it is just as fabulous as the original location. When we lived there

we always went to the Greektown location or sometimes the Parthenon. I remember a character

"Petros the Happy Host of Halstead Street" from a long time ago. Anyway we had a really great

meal at Ditka's of all places as well. Enjoyed the show, keep up the great work! A hui hou

[Bombdog]

Looking through the schedule I see that the first two episodes (Vegas and Philly) are being re-run at 4 and 4:30 pm eastern today.

Edited November 23, 2006 by Bombdog (log)

[john b]

Chris, you're gonna have to go back and reshoot the Hot Doug's segment. Unless I blinked, I didn't see any sport peppers on his dog, so it was NOT an authentic Chicago style dog.

[sadie_siamesecat]

Just wanted to mention that my family and I caught the Vegas/Philly rerun as we were prepping for dinner. The chicken-fried lobster got the loudest "ooooooooh" from the crowd. In any case, we really enjoyed what we saw--I know I'm repeating others' comments here, but I so appreciated that you actually TASTED the food before reacting to it as opposed to (ahem) other FN hosts whose initials are RR.

I will write into FN and let them know as well. I really want to see the NYC episode. Happy travels!

[Chris Cognac]

Thanks....the Chicken Fried Lobster had everyone going "ahh" including Bob Tuschman who said that next time he is in Vegas he is making a beeline for Binions to try it...and thanks for e mailing the network....it helps, we really want a second season!

By the way...Houston is tommorow and my hometown of L.A. is next week...I have to do the voice overs this afternoon..

[srhcb]

Okay, I'm all set. I'm not going to miss anything this week!

I put the dinner dishes away, let the dogs out, and in, peed, and won't try to post and watch the show at the same time.

SB (unless it's really really important)

[jscarbor]

I'm watching the Houston show now and am a little disapointed you guys didn't get a hold of me I'll get over it. Anyway, Bubbas is good, Breakfast Klub so is Mais and Goode Co. Mandolas is solid gulf coast seafood, really one of my favorites in Houston

My one gripe is all those places with the exception of B Klub are pretty much on the radar screen imo, not what I would call off the beaten path?

All that being said, I think the show really made Houston look pretty good with the exception of the burger joint on the freeway(the look not the burger).

Edited November 29, 2006 by jscarbor (log)

[srhcb]

{commercial break}

That Bubba makes a fine looking burger!

We can get buffalo every now and then. They were quite popular livestock around here about 20 years ago. It took a really strong fence made of railroad tie sized posts to contain a buffalo herd. If one got loose on the highway and get hit by a car, well, the animal might walk away, but the driver of the car probably wouldn't.

Tuberculosis, or something likem that, wiped them out. A guy I know named Wild Bill had a job as killer at a slaughter .... (oops, commercial over) .... house that had to be specially certified to get a federal contract to destroy infected bison. Wild Bill reported that a 6 ft high, 10 ft long, 1 ton male buffalo can climb over a seven foot chain link fence.

Pretty good work with them chopsticks there Chris!

And, btw, I've always taken note of that nice "spring" in your step! We've seen a few shots of your feet, and I suspect those are foot-beat tested "cop shoes"?

THANX AGAIN! (a Two-Copper show!!)

SB (figures the burgers were the highlight of this episode! )(The Mustang convert was cool too)

[Chris Cognac]

The Mustang rocked, except when we had to shoot in it...w me driving, a camera guy in the front passanger seat, Sean Omalley the producer in the back, along w Rick Brush the sound guy next to him....

How do you guys think the Viet went over? We tried to stick w basics such as beef and shrimp...plus I love Pho...and Mais was pretty good...you didnt get to see us drink the iced coffee that was sitting on the table....its a bummer cause w 5 places, we have to cut out stuff to make it fit....

The burger story is great....you cant tell, but it started to pour rain when we were eating....so it was a 1 take shot...I was so glad that we didnt screw up cause we couldnt have re shot it.

Houston is a big city, but really didnt have a "tourist" section..in fact downtown was dead when we filmed those scenes....so it was almost hard to tell what off the beaten path was....what did you think of those city scape shots...I loved the time lapse one....what a pretty downtown!

oh and the Brisket....killer...serious smoke penetration!

L.A. (my hometown is next week) and its all my favorite places I have been eating at forever!

I

[moosnsqrl]

I hadn't been to Houston in forever, so I really enjoyed last night's installment. I did notice the photography seemed more arty than some previous cities. All of the food looked good enough to send me to bed hungry (again) save for the waffles and wings - a combination that has always baffled me, although there is a chicken and waffle chain in Orange Co near you, if I'm not mistaken.

Mai's food looked great. My office, until this summer, was within a mile of about 5 pho shops and I didn't realize how much I missed it until I watched you slurping away happily. I need to revisit the urban core!

Looking forward to seeing you in your natural habitat next week (and having been forewarned, I'll try to make something for dinner that incorporates ajo so the sense that I'm missing out on something great might be lessened).

[Joann]

"How do you guys think the Viet went over? We tried to stick w basics such as beef and shrimp...plus I love Pho...and Mais was pretty good...you didnt get to see us drink the iced coffee that was sitting on the table....its a bummer cause w 5 places, we have to cut out stuff to make it fit...."

Totally correct on the way you said "Pho"-loved the details. Wrapping your own Summer Rolls????? How cool is that The garlic beef sent me running into the kitchen (right after the show) It hit a 9 on the hunger scale. Beautiful.

The iced tea and iced coffee are so much part of the meal but understandably, not very photogenic.

Keep hitting the ethnic places...........the palate of a city is in the heart of the people.

Chris: How about putting those shirts up on e-Bay as a fund raiser? I'm ready to bid on that hot pepper number

Edited November 29, 2006 by Joann (log)

[Kevin72]

Loved seeing two of my favorite Houston haunts, Mai's and Goode Co., profiled. Mai's really set off a craving for my wife and I and I guess we'll make a run there next time we're in town.

Never ran across Bubba's, oddly, and it looks like it was near where I lived at one time (err, not under a freeway).

When you were prowling Rice Village before going to Mandola's Seafood, there was a brief moment when I though maybe you'd hit Kahn's, a great deli with great reubens. That would have hit the trifecta for me. Alas. Maybe next time?

[dangerpirate]

I watched this last night and he visited 5 restaurants. The show bills itself as finding resaurants off the beaten path. I think they did a decent job. Here's the recap.

* The show began with the hungry detective basically dismissing downtown. Understandable, if a bit unfair.

* the first restaurant he visits was Bubba's Texas Burger Shack, accompanied by the editor of http://texasburgerguy.blogspot.com/ The detective got the Double Border Buffalo cheeseburger. What's the point of getting buffalo if youre going to smother it in mayo and cheese.

* The next restaurant was Mai's. The owner and her daughter were on the show, instead of that guy is is ALWAYS working there. It was cool to see the kitchen, where they have 8 woks working. Big operation. The detective ate with a Vietnamese-American cop and had: Pho Gai and Bo nuong xa

* Breakfast Klub for breakfast: chicken wings and waffles, obvs.

* Tony Mandola's for lunch. Gumbo and a shrimp Po Boy.

* Goode Company Barbecue for the last visit. He got the brisket & sausage plate with sides (looked like baked beans) & raved about the bread. raved about the brisket too and gave an interesting look at their kitchen.

[LDLee]

Tuesday night, saw the Houston episode of The Hungry Detective. The producer must have drawn a vertical line through downtown, picked locations west of the line and did not want to stray too far outside the Loop. Kudos for featuring Mai's instead of the usual Vietnamese suspect, Kim Son. Also visited three other good choices -- Bubba's Texas Burger Shack, The Breakfast Klub and Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen. To me, Goode Company Barbecue was the one uncreative selection. Overall, good selection of reasonably priced restaurants highlighting the diversity of cuisine. One question, how can you visit Houston without eating Mexican?

[srhcb]

I watched this last night and he visited 5 restaurants. The show bills itself as finding resaurants off the beaten path. I think they did a decent job.

I think this has been the attraction of Hungry Detective so far. Aside from our affinity for the host himself, the premise of a regular guy, in this case a cop, simply looking for good places to eat seems to make show work.

The fact that Chris is so affable, and obviously relishes the task, is a bonus!

SB (thanx for the link and reminding me to check out texasburgerguy)

[jscarbor]

You know, you never know what kind of production requirements there are on something like this but I suggested some different more exciting places then what they went to. Still, I don't have a problem with any of the places they are all good really. I would have taken them to some places a Cop may go to while on the beat? Say the east side of town for breakfast at Los Corrales where they provide machacada to many of the restaurants in town. Then over to the Original Ninfas for decent enough legendary food then to Thelmas for dinner for que and catfish.

Other places that are unique would be Dona Tere for tamales, gthe hong kong mall for vietnamese/cajun crawfish, tampico....

All in all the show was good representation of the city.

[Chris Cognac]

Lots of factors go into deciding where to shoot....the willingness of the restaurant owner being #1...you would be suprised, but we are turned down sometimes on our offer to shoot....and another problem is some of the smaller more ethnic place dont know what the food network is....also, we need good "on camera" guests like the girl at Mai's and Levi Goode....

I would love to be able to walk into some dive and start shooting, but alas its not that easy....also everyone on camera has to sign a release....

Its a lot easier to write about it then to film it, as I have found out now....I used to love writing my stuff for the paper...just go in, eat then write....no lights, cameras....or lawyers!

Glad you guys are enjoying the show...keep your fingers crossed that we get a second season!

[MarketStEl]

Glad you guys are enjoying the show...keep your fingers crossed that we get a second season!

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With this kind of feedback, why wouldn't you?

As it seems that the Food Network has an inexplicable affinity for my original hometown, I imagine that it's only a matter of time before you do a Kansas City episode.

[Judd Icious Hand]

I would love to be able to walk into some dive and start shooting, but alas its not that easy....also everyone on camera has to sign a release....

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I have enjoyed your show alot. Good stuff.

If I were to toss my 2 cents into the ring, I would love to see more stuff edging towards the above. As you said though, thats easier said than done, but a show getting a bit closer to that would be fascinating.

More authentic off the beaten path kinda places without the contrived "hey come on back and let me show you how we make it" Food Network schick and you'd have one of the best food shows going. It's close, but the fluff cheapens it in that Barefoot and Jeffrey kinda way.

Otherwise, good luck on re-upping on season 2. I will include some positive feedback on the show in an email I am sending over to the Network.

Edited November 30, 2006 by Judd Icious Hand (log)

[Chris Cognac]

Thanks...the e mails really help as the network reads them all....I know a lot of people TIVO the show due to its late time slot....but TIVO does not factor into ratings and such....The network has said they got a lot of feedback from viewers. I think we will be able to explore a bit more if we get more episodes....We did manage to get ethnic into most episodes...in fact L.A. is almost all ethnic...

I think you will like L.A.. it was fun to do a show on my home, and its off the beaten path thats for sure....I think its the most "divey" show we filmed....although before Bowen Island in Charleston burned down that would have been my 1st place dive....

[Kim Shook]

Chris, we really enjoyed this one. Had a friend visiting from FL and made him watch, too. He travels a lot and hopes to have one of those burgers someday!! They were......awesome !

[srhcb]

Introduction: I have really great expectations for this "home town" episode!

Segment #1. I think that guy eating at the Fish Market stole one of your shirts!

Segment #2. At least alligator doesn't "taste like chicken"?

Segment #3. Looks like you've done a bit of bowling? No Spam?

Segment #4. Those were some mighty fine looking tacos, unlike anything I've ever seen before! (although I'm one of those who thinks cilantro tastes like soap )

Segment #5. Nice toss! It really is like riding a bike? I'm gonna steal that cut up bread stick idea too! (with due credit given)

Conclusion: Either the segments have to be cut back to three, or the show needs to be lengthened to 60 minutes.

THANX SB

[Chris Cognac]

I know...its really fast....in fact I tasted all 3 tacos..the asada, al pastor and carnitas...feel free to let them know you want more time or less places...we could easily make a 60 min show w the footage we have....The bowling alley..funny story...I suck at bowling and was supposed to say, I came here to eat, not bowl for obvious reasons...but then I hit a strike and went with it....

[srhcb]

I know...its really fast....in fact I tasted all 3 tacos..the asada, al pastor and carnitas...feel free to let them know you want more time or less places...we could easily make a 60 min show w the footage we have....The bowling alley..funny story...I suck at bowling and was supposed to say, I came here to eat, not bowl for obvious reasons...but then I hit a strike and went with it....

←

Maybe three or four segments per episode would be better than an hour show? Even another 2-3 minutes at each location could squeeze in a lot more information. But I suppose the segments are edited to coincide with commercial breaks.

btw: Just maybe your toe was over the line when you threw that strick?

SB (and where was the obligatory cop guest shot? The guys at the station were bashful?)

[franktex]

Hey Chris-

Unfortunately I missed the Houston episode, but a couple friends saw it, and said you were sipping on a cold Saint Arnold at Goode Co.-is that true? I work for them here in Austin-always great to have 'product placement' on a great TV show!

Cheers!

Frank