Celebrity chef Bobby Flay and fellow Food Network star, Giada De Laurentiis are developing a new TV show in New York City, currently working-titled as “Flay’s Fillet” or “Giada DeLicious” or just “Gastro Garage”.
Sources indicate that “Gastro Garage” is a cross between “Live, with Kelly & Michael” and Emeril Legasse’s “Emeril Live” – so, the show pitches hot topics in between cooking segments appealing to ‘MasterChef’ quality cooks. What is interesting is that both shows it’s modeled after contain the word “live” in their title- suggesting that “Gastro Garage” is going to be very live, complete with kitchen accidents, which sadly, Giada is no stranger to.
The show’s format seems to be distancing itself from the dumbed-down cooking approach that Rachael Ray and the Barefoot Contessa have provided to viewers looking for cooking-meets-lifestyle TV shows, with dishes easy enough that even the Kardashians could master. “Gastro Garage” will be going after seasoned chefs that will know the difference between a whisk and a colander and don’t need to be told about either. Comparatively, another TV show “The Kitchen” currently provides the high road for gastro fans, but lacks the electricity that exists between Flay and De Laurentiis that clearly transfers to TV beautifully – well in the TV pilot at least.
The show celebrates the collaboration between Flay’s New American style to cooking and De Laurentiis’s classic Italian approach. In the recently shot pilot, some sparks did fly on the set, with De Laurentiis setting fire to the souffle and the fire extinguisher was needed to calm the flames and the stars’ nerves. It’s expected that guest stars on the show will include many of Flay’s and Giada’s celebrity friends including John Mayer, Drake, Tyson Beckford, and Matt Lauer.
It’s rumored that the show will operate out of Emeril’s old Food Network studio in the Chelsea Market- this being an ideal central location for TV audiences to travel to and a wonderful array of fresh produce available in the food market below the studio. When Flay “runs out” of black pepper, it’s anticipated that he will run down to the market with a camera and shoot the whole scene of choosing the perfect black pepper to adorn his culinary creation, all while talking lifestyle and politics. And all of it live.
No deal is in place yet with a production company, but it will almost certainly will be shot out of New York City given that the Flay restaurants need Bobby to continue to steer the ship; Bar Americain, Mesa Grill, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and his new NOHO project, Gato, all need the captain at hand. Giada lives and works in NYC and given that she has a family here too, she has no intention of spending weeks away in Hollywood shooting the show, even the cost savings to The Food Network are huge..
Giada has a huge following herself with her “Giada at Home” show on Food network, her Academia Barilla premium pasta line, and her huge food and homeware deal with Target. She won a daytime Emmy award in 2008 for outstanding lifestyle host and she has become a mentor to the Food Network’s other up-and-coming chefs. Originally trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, De Laurentiis famously cut her finger on a live TV show on Thanksgiving 2013 and then started feeling dizzy. She starting losing copious amounts of blood and passed out off-set. A couple of hours later she was all stitched up and ready to shoot the next show. She also has written a children’s book and loves to spend time with her husband, Todd Thompson, and her daughter Jade.
Flay is no stranger to TV either. As well as his Iron Chef appearances he did a stint on HBO’s Entourage where he played Mrs. Ari Gold’s love interest. His restaurant was also featured in the show. He reportedly received no payment for this appearance, but his businesses received a great deal of publicity.