New Canadian TV show You Gotta Eat Here! hops on the comfort food bandwagon
It looks like Food Network Canada is betting that comfort food, the culinary trend that refuses to die, has yet more staying power left. Tomorrow the network will launch You Gotta Eat Here!, a new show that will see host John Catucci heading to diners and greasy spoons across Canada to sample the food, talk to the owners and learn some tricks in the kitchen. The premise sounds like a Canadian take on the tremendously popular Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (we’re hoping, though, that Catucci will steer way clear of some of Guy Fieri’s frat-boy phraseology).
Catucci, an actor, singer and comedian, is a Toronto native, so it’s no surprise that he visits two local spots in the first season. Oddly enough, both segments will apparently feature modified bennies: Hadley’s will serve up its signature deep-fried “poached” eggs with homemade hollandaise, and Uncle Betty’s Diner at Yonge and Eglinton will show off a benny served on fresh doughnuts. While it doesn’t exactly cover the breadth of comfort options in the city (we’d have liked to see some shawarma or a little fried chicken, say), we’re sure the bennies will provide great food porn at least.
You Gotta Eat Here! premieres January 6 at 9 p.m. on Food Network Canada.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/culture/you-gotta-eat-here-premieres-tomorrow/&title=New Canadian TV show You Gotta Eat Here! hops on the comfort food bandwagon&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/you-gotta-eat-here.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_110601" align="alignright" width="320" caption="You Gotta Eat Here host John Catucci takes his comfort food seriously (Image: Food Network Canada)"][/caption]
It looks like Food Network Canada is betting that comfort food, the culinary trend that refuses to die, has yet more staying power left. Tomorrow the network will launch You Gotta Eat Here!, a new show that will see host John Catucci heading to diners and greasy spoons across Canada to sample the food, talk to the owners and learn some tricks in the kitchen. The premise sounds like a Canadian take on the tremendously popular Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (we’re hoping, though, that Catucci will steer way clear of some of Guy Fieri’s frat-boy phraseology).
Catucci, an actor, singer and comedian, is a Toronto native, so it’s no surprise that he visits two local spots in the first season. Oddly enough, both segments will apparently feature modified bennies: Hadley’s will serve up its signature deep-fried “poached” eggs with homemade hollandaise, and Uncle Betty’s Diner at Yonge and Eglinton will show off a benny served on fresh doughnuts. While it doesn’t exactly cover the breadth of comfort options in the city (we’d have liked to see some shawarma or a little fried chicken, say), we’re sure the bennies will provide great food porn at least.
You Gotta Eat Here! premieres January 6 at 9 p.m. on Food Network Canada. ){kind=link}
It’s Jan. 6 at 9 p.m.
Thanks jd. We’ve updated the post.
no prob
its on at 4pm today….
Come on…fries and gravy, eggs benedict!!! I am totally not interested in watching this show right off the get go this was my second attempt to try to force myself to watch, sorry but GUY got this one covered. The Host in not interesting and the menu items make me wanna start my own show!
Here’s hoping you got my first set of comments before my computer started acting up, if you did not, please let me know and I can repeat myself, the show sucks, really…fries and gravy! Come on, get real
Loved this show! The host is way more entertaining than Guy Fieri. It’s about time we had a show like this in Canada!
I like the concept of this show but, the host is so irritating. Won’t be watching it again.
Had the misfortune of catching the first episode. John Catucci is the Canadian equivalent Carrot Top. Brutally irritating. Genuinely unfunny. Channel turning obnoxious.
Anthony must be family! I agree with the rest of the responders that this was a poor take on Fieri’s show.
This show is a joke it’s the same as drivin dinners and dives guy is way better
Apparently there are only public food establishments on the East & West coast, Ontario and Quebec the rest of us in Canada must eat what we find on the ground. I might as well watch the American shows they are as relevant to me as this one since it only shows places 2-4000 kms. away. Very disappointing.
Didn’t catch the show but to avoid good eats in a place like Montreal just goes to show how little this guy (or whoever selects the establishments that are featured) knows about decent food! Quebec has some of THE BEST comfort food!!
I watched it. I liked it…..
Talking about the food and showing the coking process of the dishes is one thing, but how the hell are we suppose to experience it ourselves if we have no information on the location. Where the hell is it located on the atlas dumbcuff? The host is an absolute moron. He adds to flavor the show. Dum dum dum dum I know it’s in Canada, but Canada is a big country.
I’ve tried watching this on multiple occasions and I cannot stand the host. He’s rude, irritating and disrespectful to the chefs on the show. I’ve seen him swat away the hands of the chefs, and he just makes me not want to watch the show. I’m sorry but Food Network Canada dropped the ball on casting. He’s also kind of condescending to the dinners. He’s also not very good at describing what he’s eating. Two thumbs down on the host, but I’ll check on local eats from the episode descriptions to try some good eats.
Unfunny, annoying host who knows nothing about food or how it;s prepared. A poor and embarassing rip off of an American show. typically canadian. How did this guy get a TV show. My 11 year old thinks it’s awful.
Actually, Montreal did get noted on the program. I think that the Food Network and commercial food programming in general is more and more about entertainment and not much about serious cooking. If that’s what a person is after, there are the Saturday afternoon shows on PBS-the ones that I grew up watching. I still like them and manage to learn something. Fiera is sort of becoming another Bobby Flay, someone who dominated the network for too long. Yes, Fieri is a “real cook” but has maybe commercialized himself a tad much by going into even prime time tv game show hosting.
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SHOW! of course it is a spin off of D.D.D. with Guy Fieri but WOW tak’n it to Canada. Love the host, love the show. Note to Catucci…don’t overplay like Fieri…’out of bounds’, ‘killer’, ‘of da hook’, you get it! But please use other creative words to express the taste of your food…congrats on the show…will continue watching!
I tried watching this show but the host is too obnoxious and adds nothing too the show. I am not a fan of Fieri either but at least he has some background in the food industry and knows what he’s talking about.
Hi John Catucci
watched your show on the fraser park resturant in burnaby. had breakfast there today march 16 2012 it was the worst breakfast i have ever eaten potatoes over done eggs over don bacon not cooked enough i will never go back
I have watched the program few times , but the ‘background’ music is too loud and if you blink you do not see what is the location of the restaurant ! It would be nice to find out good eating places around here in To , but this type program does not do it ! UMS
I tried watching the show. The host is not funny, annoying and not fun to watch. You know you have a problem when a person groans when a show is being aired. I enjoy watching Triple D as its fun to watch entertaining and it makes you wanna try the food that they create. I grown when I see You Gotta Eat here is airing. 1/10 Great job Food Network Canada for producing a pitiful rip off of Triple D!
This guy is an idiot! Truly. He is not funny. He knows nothing about food. All he ever says is mmm oooh wow omg awesome wow. Such a terrible host! OK so how did he get this gig? Does he pay to be host? Yes, yes, I am angry. LOL He is THAT annoying!
I have tried but cannot tolerate a full episode because Catucci is so irritating. Could be interesting otherwise
Watched the show last night, saw a place called The Harbour Cafe in Hamilton,Ontario. Decided to take a 3 hour drive and have lunch there. When we arrived we were told a 15 minute wait, which was almost 50 minutes standing outside in the cold. Finally got inside, told they serve breakfast until 3 p.m. we could not order off a lunch menu. Had to share a table with other people, small, dirty place. Hydro went out, bathrooms were filthy, service was poor. The food wasn’t good either. We won’t be back…………very disappointed.
Drove from Mississauga to the Harbour Cafe in Hamilton, because the host oohed and aahed about the food there. We ordered the food they had made on the show, the turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, and my friend ordered the shepperd’s pie. What a disaster. The gravy was as thin as water, the mashed potatoes lumpy and no flavour, and the stuffing, hard and no flavour as well. Basically, the food was flavourless. The sheperd’s pie, tasted of too much HP sauce and the mashed potatoes were the same. The hydro also went out when we were there. Filthy place, decorated with remnants from the Salvation Army or Goodwill. We’ll never be back!! Is the host from this show kidding me?????
O.K.!!!,,,why is this John Catucci on this network, since he’s NOT a cheif? I’m not a cheif, I know good food when I see & taste, so can I have a show on network? He’s trying to copy “Triple D”, He’s not QUALIFIED!!!,,not a CHEIF!!!. I’m sure the network has much better people(CHEIFS)than this guy.PLEASE!!!!!!
would you please delete my contact info. off your list?!!!!
take my contact info. off your list!!!!
John Catucci does not belong on this show – or on televison at all – anywhere. Not funny, cringe-inducingly annoying. I would watch this show if it were not hosted by this unappealing idiot! If you watch the body language of people around him (guests and chefs) on a couple of episodes it’s like, “get this moron away from me!”
He does NOT sound Canadian at all! He has an American accent. Really takes away from the show.
I don’t find him to ‘interact’ well. He “acts” like he likes the food, instead of showing that he actually LIKES the food! He’s faking his enjoyment of the food. It’s sad.
John Cattucci fails to surpass Guy Fieri. John, a six year old could come up with better descriptions of the food you eat. The most heinous aspect of the show are the patheticly small bites John takes of the food he samples.
John Cattucci @ Half ass hipster wannabe foodie failure
Canadians love to bash Americans, the copy them. This guy is a clown. DDD should sue the producers of this show.
Absolute joke! what the hell does the Food Network think we are,a bunch of sad sap dumb asses. John Catucci has no busness on a program that is trying to promote some of our great eating places in Canada while admitting he knows nothing about cooking. He is imbearasing to watch,clutsy clumsey,fork bitting twit and always wearing a redneck plaid shirt. If the Network is try to promote the US Triple D’s by showing You Gotta Eat Here with Catucci as host, its working! Please give us something at least as good as Guy F.
learn to spell…the show is great.
i agree.
i agree with you.
I agree with u Tom. Looks like a Dork! hehehe
LOL! DDD is the original and has more “personality” than the Canadian version. Why even do a Canadian version of DDD, instead of just competing with DDD by creating something original. ..that’s an idea.
Please as I agree with you on your point but why are you talking about cheifs? This has nothing to do with cheifs…..unless you trying to talk about chefs….
At least the food that G.F. endorses is good.
I am so glad to see that I’m not the only one who feels this way !John catucci is a total joke ! He knows nothing about food ,makes terrible faces and it’s so obvious that he doesn’t even enjoy food the way us viewers do !! It actually angers me that Canada went and copied DDD but couldn’t even come up with a half decent host ! Maybe we should all write a mass email to the producers of the show and ask for a new host who actually knows what he’s talking about !!!! p.s – the guy is a pussy when it comes to spicy food !! its so tragic to watch!! I have yet to sit through more than five minutes of the show that’s how fake and annoying he is ! Dear food network producers..shame on u .Do your homework and hire someone who knows food !
Exactly he’s trying to be Guy Fieri wanna be if you ask me and he doesn’t really pathetic job at it and lately he’s been responding the same way that guy does after he tries something but at least guy has the decency to have food knowledge + generally finishes the meal where this guy certainly doesn’t what a waste him and his nerdy glasses and shirts just go back to sitting behind a computer or a video game where yet belongs lol