9/27/06
9:00 AM
Foodar
America's Amusingest Food Videos
Bill Buford's profile of the Food Network in this week's New Yorker will no doubt hearten snobby foodies. Buford, a man steeped in Tuscan lore and a lifetime of good cooking, naturally finds the network's tarted-up tomatoes and "sales-rep personalities" appalling. But there's another kind of food-o-vision that he doesn't mention: the burgeoning genre of DIY video and podcasts. Here's a representative mix of what's out there.
• This dizzying bit of cinema vérité — typical of Off the Broiler, Jason Perlow's compulsive photo-and-podcast site — documents a Brazilian Independence Day celebration in Newark, replete with open pits of grilled meat and plenty of caiparhinas. (Perlow's camera does swerve away from the booths, rather conspicuously, to capture a pair of pretty women walking by.) [Off the Broiler: "Brazilian Independence Day Celebration in Newark NJ"]
• Famous Fat Dave, a.k.a. the Hungry Cabbie, provides a video tease for his popular five-borough food tour here. He swerves from dumplings in Chinatown to spumoni in Bensonhurst, with many stops in between. [YouTube: "Famous Fat Dave's Five Borough Eating Tour"]
• The widely recognized, restaurant-specific videos at Savory New York are a little slick, with a certain advertorial feel, but the direct access to chefs like David Chang and Daniel Boulud more than makes up for it. In our favorite, Zak Pelaccio describes his chile crabs and fatty duck — and talks up the "rock and roll" energy of Fatty Crab. [Savory New York: "Fatty Crab"]
• Like all of Gothamist's "videos of the day," the ones about food are a mixed bag (the editors don't produce the vids themselves). But the bag's worth reaching into, if only for the chance to pull out something like this hilarious Hoboken sandwich epic, centering on legendary dairy and sandwich shop Fiore's. [Gothamist: "Hoboken Italian Tuna Adventure".]
We hope — or at least, expect — that the creator of this Katz's Deli promo clip has gone on to the fame and glory of mainstream TV-commercial directing. Frenetic, funny, and effective, it most certainly deserves more than its 184 (at press time) views. [YouTube: "Katz Deli"]
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