Fix Me a Plate: An Insider’s Look at Our Series for Food Network
After two years spent exploring NYC’s food scene, season three of Fix Me a Plate, created with the Food Network, took our crew on the road to Philly. From sandwiches to carrots, they scoured the city to bring viewers the very best food that Philly has to offer. In this interview, we speak to the series producer, Matthew Slutsky, about what it was like to bring the new season to life.
1: What is Fix Me A Plate?
Fix Me a Plate is a digital series that we make for the Food Network. The show is hosted by chef Alex Guarnaschelli and has been watched by tens of millions of viewers online. We started filming this series back in late 2017 and have made 24 episodes so far. Fix Me a Plate is all about beautiful food and exploring the stories behind the people who make it.
2: How does season three differ from the first two seasons?
Our host, Alex, was born and raised in New York City, and the first two seasons were a peek inside the city that she knows and loves. We explored lots of restaurants — both old and new — and ate our way through one of the best food cities in the world.
For this latest season, we decided to take Alex out of her hometown and explore a new location. After some (fun) research, we settled on Philadelphia! Now, I happen to live in Philadelphia and am a big fan of exploring the food here, so I knew we would be able to make a very special show here. And, it was very special indeed.
3: What was the process like for finding this season’s restaurants?
It was a tyranny of choice! Philadelphia has so much incredible history and so many fantastic restaurants, so it was virtually impossible to choose only seven. We made a decision to highlight a couple of markets in addition to specific restaurants, which allowed us to feature more establishments. We ultimately chose our locations based on the quality of their food, their story, and the “how” they came to be, and we also made a big effort to feature a diverse set of chefs who reflect the population of the city itself.
4: Do you have a favorite memory from your time on production?
Producing a show like Fix Me a Plate is a challenge because there’s never enough time to do all the things you want to do. There were so many places I wanted to film and scenes I wanted to film that just didn’t fit in our schedule. That said, we always make time to eat. Like, a lot. Way too much. One of the most absurd memories from the shoot was at the Reading Terminal Market, one of Philly’s oldest indoor markets, where we were filming “beauty” shots of the famous Roast Pork sandwich. It was before 7 am (we start early!) and after filming, our camera assistant, Mimi, said: “hey, do you want to eat this sandwich?” I looked at her, looked at the clock, and decided that it’s not every day you get offered a piping hot roast pork sandwich. Despite it being earlier than when I typically eat breakfast, I grabbed that pork sandwich and savored every bite. Calories don’t exist during production, right?
5: What has been the most rewarding part of working on the series?
Owning a restaurant is a notoriously challenging endeavor. I have a deep respect for people who put so much effort into serving others — especially when that service is in the form of delicious food. Despite the fact that many chefs have become celebrities over the past few years, it’s still a sweaty, grueling, and oftentimes thankless job. Telling the stories and showing the heart that goes into creating such incredible food is extremely rewarding and something that I frankly have always longed to do. For me, helping to bring Fix Me a Plate to life is really a dream come true in so many ways.
6: What has it been like working with a legend like Alex Guarnaschelli over the past three years?
I’ve never met anyone as naturally curious and as intuitive as Alex. Yes, she’s an incredible chef and has immediate credibility walking into any kitchen. But, more than anything, she’s a storyteller at heart, and she has an uncanny ability to get people to say things they didn’t even know they were feeling. She could probably be a therapist or a talk show host, too. But, I’m just so grateful she’s hosting this show.
7: You produce lots of different projects in your role at Blue Chalk. Is your approach to something like FMAP different from the way you may approach a branded content film, for example?
Every production has its own set of challenges or goals but honestly, my goal is always the same: to find great characters that personify the story and to make sure those characters have an uplifting and memorable time telling stories. Plain and simple. Fix Me a Plate is fun because we get to play around with how to make the food look so good but at the same time — it’s all about the story and connecting the viewers to the storytellers.
The new season of Fix Me A Plate is now available to watch on the Food Network Kitchen app.
