A Chef's Life

There are a lot of cooking shows, some instructional, some merely exist as platforms to display contrived drama. This show is real. Warts and all. Learning anything about the cooking process or generic intricacies of the restaurant business is secondary.

What allows this show to stand out in comparison to others is the lack of pretension. The interface of those on camera is fantastic and genuine. The viewer is being allowed a real glimpse into others' private lives. And Chef Vivian, via her narration, shares her personal thoughts and feeling as she displays a gamut of emotions, from happiness to sorrow.

It's real. Very real. I highly recommend it.

What an honest and interesting life. All fantastic recipes featuring home town produce, wine, meat, mixed with a great growing family story. This is real and not contrived or flamboyant production. From moonshine drinks to grape pizza the cuisine is great and filled with history of this quaint region.

Vivian, her husband and crew are educating and creating return customers with new and remastered classic meals. The wait staff is to die for. They work the room and get die-hards to try new entrées and drinks.

The struggle with the fire and trying to build a home adds enough drama to make this show intoxicating. We love this show

I just binge-watched Seasons 1 and 2 of this show.

I really like this show for its authenticity, highlighting living and cooking in eastern North Carolina.

You learn some history about these local ingredients and the people and personalities of those who produce/grow them.

The show is a great balance of food history, interpersonal relationships and cooking.

Of course this is a reality show so the interactions between the chef (Vivian Howard) and local farmers are somewhat staged, but the narration by Vivian is fantastic and interesting.

I really hope they produce more seasons.

I love the content of the show. It shines a light on southern cooking that has not often been seen. Vivian is an amazing and talented chef. However, she is not very likable. The way she treats her husband at times is particularly distateful, and she is somewhat narcissistic. I suppose that many chefs are this way.

A Chef's Life is as entertaining and realistic as reality TV can get. Vivian and Ben are natural on the screen and conversations are not contrived. This show is not only great for learning great recipes, but it is fun to watch because you actually care about the people. It is also a nice window into the lives of real people in rural North Carolina. The show does not, however portray these people as rednecks, hicks or stereotypes. All in all a binge worthy and entertaining watch.