“This Old House,” “Fixer Upper” and “Property Brothers” are among my favorite home improvement shows. It’s exciting to watch the resurrection of a once-loved home into a structure that is cared for again.
Recently I have become a big fan of cooking shows and one in particular — so much so that I am contemplating a road trip.
Chef & The Farmer is the name of a restaurant located in Kinston, North Carolina, and it is approximately 1,434 miles from my front door.
I know the mileage and the time it takes to drive there (23 hours) because I seriously would like to dine and spend a night in Kinston.
The restaurant is the central backdrop to the PBS show “A Chef’s Life.” The half-hour documentary series follows chef Vivian Ward as she returns to her hometown in Lenoir County with her husband, Ben Knight, and their young twins, Theo and Flo.
Now in its second season, the show follows Vivian as she recreates meals from her childhood. These foods use the produce and livestock directly from area farmers. Vivian then puts her own twist on these dishes, and they are available on the Chef & The Farmer menu.
The blueberry barbeque chicken looks and sounds fantastic! It was the result of what to do with 500 pounds of fresh blueberries. Butterbeans led to the creation of the butterbean burger, and strawberries led to coconut cornbread strawberry shortcakes
The shows are interesting and don’t just involve cooking. The viewer gets to see the farms where the produce or the livestock used in the restaurant is grown.
Use of local farmers led to the introduction of one producer in particular — Warren Brothers. He and his wife, Jane, also operate a bed and breakfast called Brothers Farm Experience.
Brothers comes across as a funny type of guy, proud of his homegrown produce, and he often says he can cook better than Vivian can. The brother-sister rivalry is fun to watch and one with which I can identify.
I can also identify with the food that is prepared. I hope I am creating a memory for my own family that they like to duplicate. The rich family history Vivian gleans from a reluctant mom is priceless.
Watching one show in particular brought the realization to me I could travel to Kinston and eat at the restaurant. I feel like I have been invited. Sealing the deal was the possibility of staying in the bed and breakfast.
However, reservations for both cannot be done at the spur of the moment. The list is months long, a realization that has temporarily put the brakes on my spontaneous 2,868-mile road trip adventure.
But the brakes are only temporary.
In the meantime, I have picked up on a shopping destination to the Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas, a 1,294-mile drive from Kinston, North Carolina. Magnolia Market recently opened in a former grain elevator and is the idea of Joanne and Chip Gaines. The couple is the force behind “Fixer Upper.”
I don’t need a reservation to the Market (as I would to a restaurant). Best part is, it’s only 939 miles from my front door.