Nowadays, Netflix seems to be more prevalent than basic cable as the “Cord-Cutting Generation” continues to rebel against the big entertainment providers. This is no different in my house, as the TV is either on for video games or that black screen with the big, bold red letters: “NETFLIX”.
The wife and I have undoubtedly seen a number of great movies and shows through the service that has exploded over the past 5 years. (Way-back machine tangent: Anybody, remember the “Qwikster” catastrophe that almost killed Netflix? You could’ve bought ‘Flix's stock in October 2011 for around $8. My Google search of NFLX show the current price to be $267 - Woof!) However, there is one show that I continue to recommend to friends and family alike...
Chef’s Table is by no means another background cooking show you hear blaring from the living room TV. Created by David Gelb, who has done a handful of other films (i.e. The Lazarus Effect), the series dives into the best restaurants of the world and shines a spotlight on the chefs that created them.
As that synopsis may not be compellingly original, allow me to persuade you just a bit more: First, this series is shot in a way that every scene could be on display at an art museum. The cinematography is out of this world. Purely breathtaking, or maybe in light of all the food porn the series captures, "utterly mouthwatering" may be the better turn of phrase. Personally, I didn’t realize how much of a cinematic nerd I was and how badly I yearned for great cinematography until I saw the legendary True Detective. Chef’s Table is the food version of TD, at least in it’s impressive camera work. (No murder, cults, or brooding Rust Cohle, sadly.)
In case the picture above doesn’t hint at the series’s appeal enough, then trust me when I tell you that Gelb really did create an emotionally intriguing show about the best chefs in the world. The pilot to Chef’s Table features Italian Chef Massimo Botura, and if the awe-inspiring, intimate shots of Modena, Italy don't grab you, Botura’s unbelievably kindhearted, likable soul certainly will. And from Massimo, it just keeps getting better as the series continues!
The series does a great job of not conveying an inflated, lofty version of these chefs, but instead, shows us their struggles and personal trials that make them far more relatable than you would initially assume. Thankfully there’s none of that stereotypical culinary arrogance that we have seen glimpses of on TV and in our own lives. You know the type: Chef Bighead says, “Food is religion and thus, as a chef of a restaurant, I am quite similar to the Pope”.
Lastly, as I alluded to above, Chef’s Table takes you around the entire world from Italy to Russia to France to Brooklyn to wherever the top restaurants are found. And even better, Gelb has no issue with taking the camera far into the countryside of whatever nation that restaurant may reside. In turn, you are left with unbelievable, HDR shots of Amazonian flowers, Japanese Cherry Blossoms, and Andes Mountain summits.
Three seasons deep and ranging from 6 to 10 episodes per season, there’s still plenty of time for you to immerse yourself in beautiful landscapes, plentiful food porn and tales of endearing chefs all before Season 4 drops on April 13th. Just prepare yourself in advance, hunger for both food and travel will ensue.
Hit me up with any feedback! Happy watching and keep on steem’n!
