Robin was on the Food Channel this evening

This may be old news, but tonight my wife and I watched an episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown on the Food Channel. In this episode, he went up against the Castro brothers in a competition to make the best Kentucky Hot Brown, a rich open-face sandwich with sliced turkey breast and cheese sauce. Although I had never heard of it before, this is a very popular, traditional sandwich in the Louisville area.

Near the end of this 30-minute show, two impartial judges were brought in to determine whose creation was best. One of these judges was ... Robin Garr.

Congratulations, Robin.

-- Clark

PS: The hometown team won the competition.

[Robin Garr]

This may be old news, but tonight my wife and I watched an episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown on the Food Channel. ... Near the end of this 30-minute show, two impartial judges were brought in to determine whose creation was best. One of these judges was ... Robin Garr.

Congratulations, Robin.

Thanks for posting, Clark! It was fun taping that show back in late April, although I was a little irritable that they neglected to notify me (or other local media), so there was no advance notice to build up a crowd. Kind of shooting themselves in the foot on Food Network's part.

The Hot Brown is named after the Brown Hotel, one of our older (but nicely restored) downtown hotels. It apparently was developed as a midnight snack after dance parties back in the 1920s. It was fun judging, and somewhat to my surprise, the fix was NOT in ... they kept the judges completely out of sight of the deliberations until they brought us in to judge, and I got no signal of any kind spilling the beans. Unless the other judge was in on the secret, they did it fairly.

If anybody else cares to look it up, it will be repeated a number of times. It was shown again last night at midnight and will also air at these times:

July 19, 2007 8:30 PM ET/PT
July 20, 2007 3:30 AM ET/PT
July 22, 2007 11:00 PM ET/PT
July 23, 2007 2:00 AM ET/PT

If you don't mind, I'll move this over to the Food forum, but will leave a marker here so folks in the Wine section can see where it went.

Nice gig there, Robin! Is Flay as much of an asshole as Eden suggested? Should The Stupids throw down a challenge?

[Robin Garr]

Nice gig there, Robin! Is Flay as much of an asshole as Eden suggested? Should The Stupids throw down a challenge?

I'm afraid I can't offer an Eden-style dissection this time. He reminded me a lot of some actors I've known ... quiet, subdued, almost shy, but when the camera lights went on he would instantly pop into character and become effervescent. At the end of the take he'd go quiet again. I was also surprised by how small he seems, maybe an inch or two below average height and almost skinny. But he didn't chew with his mouth open, and I can't honestly say he was unpleasant. More kind of detached, really, just a guy doing a job.

My mom loves the Food Network and usually watches this show. I'll have to alert her. How fun!

However, Robin, I worry that this has "outed" you for your restaurant critic role, as I am so sure that you are anonymous in Louisville and do secret reviews!

[Jenise]

Below average height? How funny, I would have guessed him to be 6'0" or 6'1". Maybe he swells up when the camera's on, too.

Perhaps he's mellowed with age!

[Robin Garr]

Below average height? How funny, I would have guessed him to be 6'0" or 6'1". Maybe he swells up when the camera's on, too.

Well, I'm a very average 5'10" and he looked small to me, but it was very crowded and an intense scene, so it's certainly possible that I misunderestimated his size. He was surprisingly skinny for a chef, though, prompting me to think immediately, "Geez, he doesn't look like he likes food."

Robin, wasn't there an earlier episode a couple of years ago from Louisville with a similar cook-off with Bobby Flay?

You weren't judging that one, but I remember some discussion about the episode. BBQ or soul food, if memory serves.

[Robin Garr]

I worry that this has "outed" you for your restaurant critic role, as I am so sure that you are anonymous in Louisville and do secret reviews!

That was a consideration, but I figured I'd go for it since I've been on the food beat in this town long enough that most of the restaurant community already knows who I am. (Ditto for The Courier-Journal's current dining critic, Marty Rosen, a good guy in spite of the fact that he's willing to work for Gannett Corp.)

Basically, what I do (and I believe Marty follows a similar approach) is keep as low a profile as I can - don't reserve in my own name, don't take freebies, don't out myself when I dine, in the hope that I can slip through without being recognized, keep a close eye out for signs that I'm getting non-standard treatment, and disclose it in my review if I believe that recognition inspired special treatment. Or at worst, bag the review.

Frankly, most major-market food critics are in a similar position these days. San Francisco's Michael Bauer being, purportedly, a particularly egregious example; John Mariani is said to be another.

Ruth Reichl's probably fictional stories of wigs and disguises to the contrary, the real point here is that professional dining criticism isn't a game, it is, or should be, a form of journalism, and the principles involved in doing it right aren't rocket science.

Pardon the sermon.

I also thought hardly anybody watches "Throwdown," but this seems to have been a naive notion ...

[Robin Garr]

Robin, wasn't there an earlier episode a couple of years ago from Louisville with a similar cook-off with Bobby Flay?

You weren't judging that one, but I remember some discussion about the episode. BBQ or soul food, if memory serves.

Bob, your memory for FoodTV trivia is amazing!

They went to Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, which is a wacky place with faux '50s decor. Not BBQ, not soul food, but what you might call a tongue-in-cheek diner designed as a playground for urbanites.

I didn't see the show, but I think one of the judges was Chip Nold, who writes or used to write about restaurants for <i>Louisville Magazine</i>, formerly the Chamber of Commerce mag.

How could one forget Paradise, Robin?

And Lynn was pretty unforgettable herself.

My wife and I saw this last night and I about flipped when I saw Robin. He's achieved a new level of celebrity for me, reminiscent of 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon!

My wife was mostly intrigued by the food, however.

My mom called me this morning to tell me she saw the show and that Robin comes across as "nice and interesting" and a "real teddy bear."

Hey, I finally got a chance to see this. While taking a break from winemaking, I flipped the channel and found Bobby Flay doing a "Throw Down" in Buffalo, challenging the Anchor Bar's chicken wings and when it ended, they showed the one with Robin judging the Hot Browns in Louisville. I said. "Hey, I know that guy."

Those of us on the other side of the world missed this momentous event ! So why hasn't anyone uploaded a clip onto YouTube for us ?

A lot of us on this side of the world still haven't seen it.

A lot of us on this side of the world still haven't seen it.

Here's a link with times of next showings.
Hot Browns

Thanks, Howie, but I don't have a television. I am hoping that a certain someone will send me a DVD of the show sometime soon. (You know who you are.... hint, hint! )

Thanks, Howie, but I don't have a television. I am hoping that a certain someone will send me a DVD of the show sometime soon. (You know who you are.... hint, hint! )

Or, next Thursday, after work, you could stop for a drink at your Spots Bar, where they have lots of TVs, order a sandwich and a beer and request that one of the TVs be put on the Food Network. Check your local listings and invite your friends!

A lot of us on this side of the world still haven't seen it.

Here's a link with times of next showings.
Hot Browns

I've already set my DVR to record the next airing!

[Robin Garr]

(You know who you are.... hint, hint! )

There ain't nobody in the hen house but us chickens!

Thanks, Howie, but I don't have a television. I am hoping that a certain someone will send me a DVD of the show sometime soon. (You know who you are.... hint, hint! )

Or, next Thursday, after work, you could stop for a drink at your Spots Bar, where they have lots of TVs, order a sandwich and a beer and request that one of the TVs be put on the Food Network. Check your local listings and invite your friends!

Cynthia in a Sports Bar? With a beer? Hmmm....I believe I'll go build a snowman in hell.

rwj

This was on my Tivo for a long time and I finally watched the show. I have met Mr. Garr, and in person he is just like he is when the lights and cameras are turned on...Personable, intelligent, articulate, well-heeled and a true Southern Gentleman.