What’s in a restaurant? People, community, they found
More than food, their videos are about life
WATERLOO REGION — Two Waterloo Region boosters are showing their love for the local food scene by creating an online food show.
Restaurateur Nick Benninger, 39, and filmmaker Taylor Jackson, 32, are just two months away from launching, “Nick and Taylor Make a Food Show.”
In eight or so episodes, to be posted online weekly as of April 5, the two showcase some of their favourite spots for grub in the region.
“Taylor came up with the original body of it, which is to be half comedians in cars and half Anthony Bourdain show — and zero per cent Guy Fieri,” Benninger said with a laugh, referring to the hosts to two TV food shows.
Each episode begins with the two piled in the front seat of Benninger’s pickup truck. They introduce the restaurant they are headed to and discuss what makes it a fixture in the community.
At the restaurants they chat with employees and chefs and enjoy a meal with some good conversation.
The discussion “is always more about their place in the community, what they think about the community (and) what makes this place special,” said Benninger, who owns four restaurants in the region, including Harmony Lunch and Nick and Nat’s Uptown 21.
“It’s not meant to be a, ‘Go to this place and eat that food show,’ it’s meant to be (a) get to know the people who you probably already support.”
Benninger and Jackson hope the project will
increase awareness of the region’s food scene, which they believe is underplayed.
“There’s a huge amount of coverage in the local area about tech and about the downtown core and things like that,” said Jackson, adding that it’s time to boost the image of the talented people in the food industry.
“We really believe that we live in a region that has really amazing food options,” said Benninger.
Those who tune in can expect a mix of fine and casual dining, at both popular and less-known venues.
“We did a chicken wing march where we did like four different restaurants,” said Benninger.
They went for a more formal experience at the Bruce Hotel in Stratford and they also made room for fast, comfort food.
“We did another night crawl where we went to a bao place, a shawarma place, Pepi’s Pizza, we did Johnny Fresco’s for poutine — so we’re trying to make sure it’s a little bit of everything,” said Benninger.
“We had to have a very clean-eating January after filming all these episodes,” said Jackson.
You can watch the trailer for the show at https://igg.me/at/519-food-show or on their Facebook page.