Hungry Detective

Chris Cognac, The Hungry Detective, rolls the dice by leaving the touristy Las Vegas Strip behind to uncover the best food off The Strip. As Chris arrives in Vegas he lands at Ellis Island Casino and Brewery and discovers a back porch barbecue bargain platter for under $8. Next, Sean Griffin and Adam Soebel, two top chefs from Caesars Palace, lead Chris to an authentic Italian restaurant in a Vegas strip mall. Chris’s next lead takes him to Vegas’s Chinatown for some Thai lobster at Joyful House, a family run restaurant. Next, on the trail of some serious snacks, Chris meets up with two officers from the Las Vegas Police Department for dollar hot dogs and deep fried Hostess Twinkies at Mermaid’s Casino. Finally, Chris hits the jackpot when he stakes out Binion’s Ranch Steakhouse and tries lobster prepared a whole new way.

The Hungry Detective hits the streets of Philadelphia to track down the best off-the-beaten-path restaurants in The City of Brotherly Love. A hot tip from a cheese vendor in South Philadelphia’s Italian Market District leads us to Ristorante Mezza Luna for a tasty plate of gnocchi made with ricotta cheese instead of the traditional potato. Next, Chris follows some working guys down by the docks to Johnny’s Hots and samples Philly’s version of a surf 'n' turf—a hot dog with a fish cake on top. Hot on the trail of a cool treat we get a firsthand look at the gelato making process courtesy of Capogiro Gelato Artisans, then Chris follows his nose to Bitar’s Eastern Mediterranean Grill and sniffs out a chicken kabob special at a bargain price. Finally, Chris cracks the case of the best off-the-beaten-path cheesesteak at Steve’s Prince of Steaks.

The Hungry Detective investigates Atlanta to track down the best off-the-beaten-path restaurants in town. We visit Mary Mac’s Tea Room, an Atlanta institution, for some Southern classics like macaroni and cheese, Hoppin’ John, blackened catfish and fried green tomatoes. Next, Chris finds a reliable informant, local Atlanta police officer and barbecue spice rub manufacturer Rod Brown. Chris joins Rod on a ride along to Harold’s Barbecue for some down-home barbecued pork and Atlanta’s own Brunswick stew. Later, hot on the trail of a big breakfast, Chris heads to Ria’s Bluebird for a hearty brisket breakfast and a southern twist on soy, then a trip to a strip mall leads us to Panahar for naan bread and chicken tikka. Finally, Chris cracks the case of the best off-the-beaten-path fried chicken in Atlanta at Son’s Place, where the chicken is skillet fried.

The Hungry Detective, Chris Cognac, hits the streets of The Big Apple to crack the case of the best off-the-beaten-path slice of New York pizza at Bleecker Street Pizza, which is owned and operated by a former New York Police Department officer. During his investigation he also uncovers a meaty combo plate slathered with savory sauce at West Harlem’s Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, an unbelievable three-course steak dinner at an affordable price at the Upper Westside’s Fairway Market Café and Steakhouse, a mouth watering mixed-berry pancake breakfast at the Uptown Kitchenette—a hidden gem of a breakfast joint that caters to hungry students from nearby Columbia University—and some of the best burgers and shakes in town, after a trip to a locals-in-the-know stand called Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.

Chris Cognac investigates Washington, D.C.’s food scene on his mission to crack the case of its signature dish, or in this case dishes. Thanks to a hot tip from two soldiers Cognac uncovers Virginia baked ham served up on a Napoleon-style sandwich at Colorado Kitchen. The Hungry Detective’s investigation also leads him to another D.C. signature dish, crab cakes, at Hank’s Oyster Bar. Along the way his investigation also turns up legendary chili at a D.C. landmark known as Ben’s Chili Bowl, succulent shrimp dishes on the waterfront at Cantina Marina, and empanadas stuffed with unique ingredients at Julia’s Empanadas.

The Hungry Detective hits the streets of the Windy City as he cracks the case of the best off-the-beaten-path Chicago hot dog at a colorful restaurant on the north side known as Hot Doug's. During his investigation he also uncovers: delicious deep-dish pizza at the legendary Gino's East, with a little help from a Chicago detective; Gyro's and saganaki at Greek Island's, on a hot tip from the manager of a grocery in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood; a bargain steak dinner served up with several sides at Myron and Phil, a classic Chicago steak house that has been in business for 35 years; and down-home barbeque smack-dab in the middle of Chi-Town, courtesy of Calvin's BBQ.

Chris Cognac hits the streets of Houston to investigate the dining scene deep in the heart of Texas cattle country. The investigation leads to Bubba's Texas Burger Shack, Mai's, the oldest Vietnamese restaurant in Houston, the Breakfast Klub, Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen and Goode Company BBQ.

The Hungry Detective takes viewers for a ride-along on his beat, the Los Angeles South Bay area. First stop: Rizzo's Pizza, where Chris developed his passion for food flipping pies as a teenager. Next, Chris follows the trail of fishing boats to fresh and delicious seafood dishes at the San Pedro Fish Market, which overlooks the Los Angeles Harbor. Day two of our ride-along starts with a hearty Hawaiian breakfast at Gardena Bowl, a little cafe hidden in a bowling alley! Here Chris and a loyal Gardena Bowl regular enjoy Loco Moco, an egg, rice and hamburger patty dish smothered in brown gravy, and a Hawaiian Royal, an amazing combination of Portuguese sausage, pork, green onions and scrambled eggs served over a bed of rice and topped with teriyaki sauce. Next, Chris spices up his hometown tour when he heads to Hermosa Beach for authentic Cajun cuisine at the Ragin Cajun. Finally, Chris takes us to Los Paisas, a little family-run stand located in a Mexican market, for the ultimate authentic tacos made from pork, carne asada and chicken. `

The Hungry Detective hits the streets of Charleston to investigate Low Country cuisine and the best off-the-beaten path BBQ. He begins his investigation by tracking down Jeff Allen, the food writer for the Charleston city paper. With Jeff as his informant, Chris learns about a locals-in-the-know restaurant way off the beaten path called Bowens Island. Here Chris uncovers roasted oysters served on a shovel, and a local concoction of shrimp, crabs, sausage and corn known as Frogmore Stew. Next, Chris shows us how to stake out the suburbs for good breakfast bargains as he heads to the Mount Pleasant suburb and the Charleston Café. Here he finds a family-run restaurant serving up delicious breakfasts with Southern twists like shrimp and grits and Southern Benedict, a variation on eggs Benedict made with fried green tomatoes. While still in Mount Pleasant, Chris discovers the Boulevard Diner, another hidden gem featuring unique appetizers such as fried pickles, crab cake sliders and a sundae made from chili, cheese and sour cream. Next, while sightseeing, Chris gets a hot tip from a local rickshaw driver about Fig, an upscale restaurant that encourages patrons on a budget to come in just for dessert. Fig’s specialty? Carolina Gold Rice Pudding. Finally, Chris shares a hot tip: look for archived articles online that appeared in the city’s weekly paper. Objective articles written by bona fide food writers are a better bet than the paid listings often found in the back of local papers. He refers back to an article about Charleston BBQ entitled "Chucktown ‘Q" written by Jeff Allen. This leads Chris to the One of a Kind Smokehouse, which uses pecan wood to smoke their meat.

Hungry Detective Chris Cognac hits the streets of Beantown hot on the trail of the city’s best off-the-beaten path clam chowder. During his investigation a hot tip from a local fishmonger leads him to Daily Catch, an authentic family-run Italian seafood restaurant in Boston’s historic North End. Next, his search for Boston’s best sweets leads him to J.P. Licks, a local ice cream shop known for its creative concoctions, including ice cream made with Boston’s own Sam Adams beer. As his search for sweets continues, the Hungry Detective heads to Cambridge and follows the college crowd to L.A. Burdick, a coffee shop with a sweet reputation for its creative chocolate desserts, including a decadent brownie known as the Harvard Square. Hot on the trail of a great bargain, Cognac stays in Cambridge and meets up with a college food-blogger known as the Gentleman Gourmand. The Gentleman Gourmand takes him to Mary Chung, a true hidden gem serving up authentic Chinese food at a bargain price. Finally Cognac heads to Charlestown and the Warren Tavern and sniffs out a recipe for clam chowder almost as old as Boston itself.

Hungry Detective Chris Cognac investigates Miami, hot on the trail of one of its signature dishes, the Cuban sandwich. During his investigation he spots a lobster boat docked near a local fish market, hops aboard and is taken to Garcia’s, a waterfront restaurant run by the family who owns the fish market. After helping to bring in the daily catch, Cognac samples two of their specialties, conch and lobster thermidor. Day two of Cognac’s investigation begins with Arnie and Richie’s, a locals-in-the-know East Coast Jewish deli. Here he samples an egg sandwich on challah bread and shallow fried potato pancakes, known as latkas. Cognac’s investigation also includes tapas at a Latin American soul food restaurant called Canela, and the ultimate off-the-beaten path Cuban sandwich at Las Islas Canarias, an authentic hidden gem in a strip mall.