Luke O'Neil to Film a TV Pilot in Somerville's Davis Square

A Boston-area journalist who recently wrote a book on dive bars in Boston is going to be shifting his focus from writing to television this week.

Grub Street Boston reports that Luke O'Neil is going to be filming a TV pilot today at Saloon in the Davis Square section of Somerville and tomorrow at the adjacent Davis Square Theatre. The show, which will be called Carousel, will be a talk show that features interviews with chefs, drink demos from bartenders, and live music. Luke mentions that it is not yet known which television channel it will be on, though it appears that the show will probably be on a regional New England station.

A writer for such publications as the Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Boston Phoenix, Stuff, Weekly Dig, and Boston Metro, Luke O'Neil published a book last year called Boston's Best Dive Bars: Drinking and Diving in Beantown that focused on down-and-dirty places frequented more by locals than visitors to Boston.

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Boston Will Apparently Not Be Home to Top Chef for Season 10

It appears that the possibility of a food-based reality show coming to Boston are quickly fading.

The Boston Herald is reporting that attempts to bring Top Chef to Boston have apparently failed, with the show likely coming to Seattle or Portland, OR, instead. The article mentions that there was not enough cash raised for the show to come to the city, nor was there a sufficient sponsorship deal. The office of Mayor Menino had no comment, according to the Herald.

Over the past winter, word had been going around that Boston might be able to bring Bravo's cooking competition show to the city for Season 10, with Portland being another top possibility.

The website for Top Chef can be found at http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef

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Joanne Chang to Be on The Today Show January 26, The Martha Stewart Show January 28

The owner and chef of a well-known trio of bakeries in the Boston area and an Asian restaurant in Boston's South End is going to be featured on two national television shows this week, three months after the release of her cookbook.

According to Grub Street Boston, Joanne Chang will be seen on the Today show on NBC Wednesday (January 26), making pop tarts on the show, and she will also be on The Martha Stewart Show on the Hallmark Channel Friday (January 28), making doughnuts on that show.

Joanne Chang's cookbook, called Flour: Spectacular Recipes From Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe, was released in October of 2010 and has been so popular that at times it has been difficult to find in stores. The book, which is more than 300 pages in length, features a variety of recipes for breakfast treats, cookies, cakes, pies, muffins, tarts, bread, and more.

More information on Joanne Chang can be found at the Flour link below.

http://www.flourbakery.com/staff.php?pid=703

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Casting Call for The Opener, a New Food Network Show

A new Food Network show called The Opener is currently in pre-production, and the people behind the show are getting ready to do some casting for it.

The Opener will be a documentary series in which Chef David Adjey (of Iron Chef and Restaurant Makeover) looks to help first-time restaurant owners open their dream dining spot. And according to an email sent to us, it can be nearly any kind of eatery, from a high-end spot to a casual place. First-time owners who are opening new restaurants between April and December of 2010 are welcome to contact the folks behind the show, and they did mention in an email that they are interested in featuring a Boston opening.

If you think you may be interested in a casting call for The Opener, contact Frantic Films via email at: theopener @ franticfilms.com

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Casting Call for 24 Hour Restaurant Battle (New Food Network Show), February 8, 2010

An open casting call is being held in Boston next Monday for a new Food Network restaurant competition series. On February 8, the television channel will be casting the first season of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle at the Lenox Hotel on Exeter Street in the Back Bay from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The Food Network people will be looking for two-person teams with pre-existing relationships (brother and sister, mother and son, husband and wife, etc.) who would like to prove that they can run a restaurant. One person will run the front of the house while the other will run the kitchen as a chef. All experience levels will be considered.

In each episode of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, two teams will face each other, having 24 hours to basically develop a restaurant, from concept to decor to food. Then the restaurant doors open with actual diners being served while a panel of judges decide which team shows the most potential for operating a successful restaurant. The winner will be awarded seed money to help them create a restaurant of their dreams.

For more information on the Boston casting call of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, please go to the link below:

http://24hourrestaurantbattle.com/

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