Not a bad little series. Each episode Rick Stein visits a different part of Europe and does a fair share of cooking and eating out, there's also a chance do some sight seeing and to talk to local people about what food means to them. Each episode is roughly one hour long.
The episode on Iceland was very interesting to me because I didn't know much about their diet. Other cities covered include Vienna, Bologna and Bordeaux. This isn't dramatic tv by any standards, it won't make you laugh your head off or weep with sadness, it's just designed to tickle your taste buds a little. There's no real thread running through the series either unlike when Rick does a trip around the Med or through France where there's a sense of continuity in what he finds, here it all feels a little disjoined. I suppose that's also one of the strengths of the programme too, showing us the great variation in European cuisine. From what I've experienced globalisation is definitely leaving its mark on Europe but this programme is still keen to stress that local restaurants cooking traditional recipes are still popular. I'm sure some of the restaurants and bars featured will benefit quite a bit from increased interest from tourists.
Rick as a presenter has lots of enthusiasm for the food he explores and the places he visits, he nearly always manages to stay open minded yet still have a joke when trying new things. I can't fault the presentation of the series.
The episode on Iceland was very interesting to me because I didn't know much about their diet. Other cities covered include Vienna, Bologna and Bordeaux. This isn't dramatic tv by any standards, it won't make you laugh your head off or weep with sadness, it's just designed to tickle your taste buds a little. There's no real thread running through the series either unlike when Rick does a trip around the Med or through France where there's a sense of continuity in what he finds, here it all feels a little disjoined. I suppose that's also one of the strengths of the programme too, showing us the great variation in European cuisine. From what I've experienced globalisation is definitely leaving its mark on Europe but this programme is still keen to stress that local restaurants cooking traditional recipes are still popular. I'm sure some of the restaurants and bars featured will benefit quite a bit from increased interest from tourists.
Rick as a presenter has lots of enthusiasm for the food he explores and the places he visits, he nearly always manages to stay open minded yet still have a joke when trying new things. I can't fault the presentation of the series.
