Blog entries

Unsavory Adventures (The Hospitality Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:44:50 +0100

While New York may be the capital of cosmopolitan living in the US, Georgia is the capital of hospitality. So in this episode the crew of Unsavory Adventures heads out to Atlanta to get a taste of that good old southern hospitality, and a taste of some of the best hot dogs in the south.

Join us as we visit the famous Varsity Restaurant and Drive-in as we enjoy the flavor of the south and bump into a cast member of the Midlife Road Trip show along the way. - Ba...

Unsavory Adventures (The Brain Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:12:03 +0100

I read once that intelligence is acquired. So the crew of Unsavory Adventures headed out to Evansville Indiana for a Fried Brain Sandwich. Now, many of you have written me asking if I was afraid of getting Mad Cow Disease. I would never eat a cow's brain, don't be ridiculous. These sandwiches are made of pork brains, breaded and fried. The cook at the Hilltop Inn has been making these sandwiches for 18 years, and has never tried one.....

What did th...

A Taste of Paris

Debbie Frangipane — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:41:10 +0100

“Paris”, Hemingway once said, “is a moveable feast.” And while there are certainly plenty of wonderful restaurants in Paris, such as Ducasse and Le Meurice, when Barry and I go to Paris we love eating at the smaller cafes and bistros.

One of Barry's favorite cafe foods is the Croque Monsieur – a ham and cheese ...

Unsavory Adventures (The Fake Rib Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 01:37:04 +0100

Can you tell the difference between real southern ribs and fake processed meat pressed into the shape of a rib?

In this episode I travel with the Unsavory Adventures camera crew to Birmingham Alabama on a rib taste testing trip. Along the way we encountered a "rib sandwich" at a fast food chain. Oddly enough, the "meat" under the bun was shaped like a small rack of ribs, but it contained no bones. When we cut into the "meat", the inside resembled a grey ...

Unsavory Adventures (The Buffalo Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:14:13 +0100

Ever go out for a plate full of Buffalo Wings?

In this episode I head out in search of the truth behind these popular treats. Mesmerized by pretty waitresses in tight shirts, diners across the country are ordering these wings without ever asking questions about what happens to the animals left behind. Be warned: after watching this video, you may never eat another Buffalo Wing.

Morgan, the waitress at Boofalos restaurant was gracious enoug...

Unsavory Adventures (The Cowboy Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:12:44 +0100

Who doesn't like a great steak?

In this episode I head out to Colorado in search of a great steak made from Colorado beef. Along the way, I was roped into riding a mechanical bull, and met a friendly cow named Sweet Lips who, after scaring the "bull" out of me during the outtakes, turned out to be a mooving actress.

Sandi McKenna of the Midlife Road Trip Show plays the cowgirl and the ever patient co-star through countless retakes due to st...

Unsavory Adventures (The Duck Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:57:45 +0100

Ah, the days of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the Palace of Versailles, and the royal foods of the time!

In this episode the filming crew and I visit La Caille (I think that's French for "The Caille"), a spectacular French restaurant outside of Salt Lake City. They have recreated a French chateau, from the lofty meals of old to the bustier outfits of the 1800's, down to the ceilings which they imported from a bakery in France. Swans and ducks roam th...

Unsavory Adventures (The Mexican Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:20:35 +0100

Have you ever had trouble finding good, authentic Mexican food? I received a tip about a place in Phoenix, Arizona where the chef was nominated for the 2010 James Beard award for best chef in the southwest, quite an honor for a tiny restaurant in a strip mall on 16th in Phoenix. Turns out, her food is spectacular and worthy of the nomination, and possibly the award.

Upon my return to Florida, I sought to recreate one of her dishes at a fast food outlet named after a ...

The History of Tiramisu

Sallc Blog — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:34:16 +0100

Today (February 2010) I went to the town of Treviso, 20 minutes north of Venice, to discover the real story of how and where Tiramisu was invented. I had read a story on the internet that it was a creation of Alle Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso. I had also read, however, that it was invented by a chef now in Baltimore (Carminantonio Iannaccone), at his restaurant Piedigrotta in Treviso. Other stories had also pointed to Treviso, but to different restaurants. As my ...

Life Really is Peachy!

Debbie Frangipane — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:30:51 +0100

It's no big secret how much I love Twitter and this post is a direct result of twitter and perfect example of the wonderful things ripe for the picking!

While catching up with friends and chatting on Twitter not too long ago, I noticed that I had received a direct message. To my pleasure, it was f...

Dolce Meets Saucy

Debbie Frangipane — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:08:52 +0100

Being from “The South”, I've grown up with certain foods associated with each holiday and for us Memorial Day is no different. In fact, for my family Memorial Day is sacred, as most of my family have served in one manner or another in many of the branches of the military. Our traditional day was filled with bar-b-que ribs, hamburgers, chicken ...

It's Not just For Diets Anymore!

Debbie Frangipane — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:50:29 +0100

Everybody raise their hand if you’ve used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I’m pretty sure you just raised your hand, didn’t you? Well, like most of you I also have used ICBINB, but typically when I was trying to cut those pesky calories and fat grams in such things as baked potatoes, toast, well, honestly that was about it. I was fortunate...

A cure for AIDS?

Debbie Frangipane — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:05:32 +0100

I received this message from Kevin Frost, the CEO of amfAR, just two weeks before our joint benefit dinner in NYC:

What if I told you that a man in Germany was cured of HIV? Well, it’s true—recently a man in Berlin was indeed “functionally cured” of HIV.
At amfAR, we call his extraordinary case “the Berlin patient,” and we’ve talked about it ...

Fast Food Venetian Style - Tramezzini

Sallc Blog — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:19:54 +0100

Over the past 40 years, fast food “restaurants” have sprung up all over Italy. While this makes it easy for the tourist to understand the menu, it deprives one of the opportunity to taste local fresh food, even if it is local fast food.

The Italians typically have very little for breakfast. In Venice, the typical fare is a brioche (apricot jelly filled croissant) followed by a shot of espresso. As lunch is generally eaten at 12:30 or 1:00, a small sandwich is eaten in betwe...

An Interview with the Top Chef of Cipriani

Sallc Blog — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:30:52 +0100

Cipriani's Venice – the name brings to mind the famous Harry's Bar started by Giuseppe Cipriani, and the Cipriani restaurants in Venice, New York, and London.

Behind these great restaurants is a great chef – Renato Piccolotto. Born in the province of Treviso, Italy, Renato got his start at 17 working for Guiseppe Cipriani in Asolo. He joined the kitchen at the Cipriani Venice in 1970. His 40 years of experience at Cipriani, including 20 years of spectacular dishes as execu...

Unsavory Adventures (The Filetto Fish Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:32:35 +0100

Have you ever gone out for seafood and been disappointed in the lack of freshness? Taste the difference as we find a way to get the freshest fish, straight from the water to our plate.

I prefer to eat seafood at Dalla Marisa in Venice, along Rio Cannaregio. But in this episode, I catch my own. Join me in search of the rare Filetto Fish. This headless, scaleless delicacy can be eaten straight out of the water (after you remove the hook). Grab your fishing tackle an...

The Best Restaurant in Venice?

Barry Frangipane — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:38:22 +0100

Tratoria da'a Marisa

Quite often, when stuffy restaurant reviewer types come to Venice, they will pick someplace like the restaurant at Hotel Danieli, Cipriani's, or Da Fiore as the “best” restaurant in Venice. While the last two are certainly wonderful restaurants, and deserve their worldwide acclaim, I w...

Unsavory Adventures (The French Toast Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:33:52 +0100

In this episode I attempt to make a gourmet breakfast out of fast food French Toast Bricks. Inspired by celebrated Italian chef Fabrizio Schenardi of Piemonte's French Toast, this meal is created out of simple ingredients everyone carries with them to a fast food restaurant. Well, I do, anyway!

So enjoy by clicking on the video above. Then leave me a comment here on my blog - What fast food chain should I visit next? Thanks! - Barry

For a re...

Unsavory Adventures (The Sundae Pie Episode)

Barry Frangipane — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:31:04 +0100

In this episode I attempt to make a gourmet dessert out of a fast food piece of pie. While it is nothing like Dolce Debbie's Ricotta Pear Torta, it is certainly better than the "out of the box" pie. (I had to eat three pieces to get this video right!) This was the episode where we introduced music to the video.

So enjoy the video, then leave me a comment - What fast food chain should I visit next? Thanks! - Barry

In Search of the World’s Greatest Baklava

Debbie Frangipane — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:23:25 +0100

As some of you know, I am frequently a guest on the syndicated show Daytime. While I was taping my infamous Christmas Tree segment, Lindsay asked if I would be interested in coming on and making baklava. Well, of course I didn’t hesitate to say yes, it’s always so much fun hanging out with Lindsay, Cyndi, Dave, Rob, Larry, April and the whole gang....