Fame Bites goes inside the belly of the entertainment beast. We're dishing out where the celebrities are eating, what they're eating and who they're eating with.
Beginning January 17, Piers Morgan will preside over the nine o'clock weeknight slot where Larry King ruled the roost for 25 years. While everyone else is busy conjecturing about who Morgan's first guest will be, our interests lie elsewhere - like how the man eats.
We recently speculated from his Twitter stream that the British journalist knows how to wine and dine with the best of them - little did we know he could spit out vintners and vintages like Eminem at a rap battle. Turns out, growing up with parents in the restaurant business has its educational perks.
Who taught you to love food?
"Well, my parents ran a country pub in England when I was young, so throughout my formative years, food and the pub atmosphere were always around. They cooked for customers and both of my parents are brilliant cooks as a result of that - so, we were always eating extremely well, whether my mom or dad was doing it - they both were equally good."
Were you involved in the food process as well?
"When I got to be about seven or eight, I used to do the “bottling up," which involved re-filling the rows of empty bottles that have been consumed the night before. You know what a pub is like? It’s like an old-fashioned bar, so you go in and there’d be all the Cokes and tonics, and you’d refill all the beer bottles and stuff – I used to be school-age stinking of beer sometimes, which is a bit embarrassing but it was good – it sort of taught me to be, I think, quite convivial when it came to gastronomy. If you are living in a pub and everyone is eating and drinking all the time, you are kind of immersed into that world. So I like that – I’ve always loved pubs. In fact, I just bought one and it has really good food – we’ve got a great chef, and it’s doing really good pub food and it takes me back to when I was young."
So why now? Why did you decide to buy this pub, the Hansom Cab?
"Well, it was near where I live in Kensington in England - it’s a beautiful little pub and it was run down a bit. It was up for sale and my brother is a landlord and he’d run Guy Ritchie’s pub, The Punchbowl in Mayfair, which became the hottest pub in London – and he’d run that for a couple of years for [Guy]. And so we thought, why don’t we have a go ourselves?"
What type of food is going to be cooked?
"Classic British/English fare. Bangers and mash, hearty steaks, sticky toffee pudding."
British food has a bad reputation stateside.
"Really? We produce the best chefs in the world! Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White. The thing about Britain is that we know how to eat the right portions. I mean here, you just eat too much food. All of you! You just eat too much. So we, at least in Britain, just like the size of our country, we eat things smaller in portion. We just don’t eat as much. Come here and in about a week you’ve put on about eight stone!"
Do you think with people like Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver that British food has gone global?
"Totally. Nigella, Jamie, Gordon, Marco – they’re the best at what they do in the world. I’m not hearing many American chef first name superstars. Are you? Can you think of any? OK, you’ve got five seconds to think of a famous American chef by his first name."
Wolfgang. Oh, wait, he’s Austrian technically...
"Wolfgang is the only one exception, and exactly, he’s not even American. I know Wolfgang really well because I stay at The Beverly Wilshire in L.A. all the time, clocked up two years there, so I’ve eaten at his CUT restaurant about 160 times. And it’s the best steak in the world without any question. In fact, Elton John – I interviewed last week - said the same thing, as did Larry King, as did Regis Philbin. So - it is now officially the best steak in the world. Wolfgang is the only one, but I don’t think he’s even American. I think that this idea that British food sucks, I mean come on, we are the one who’ve got the famous chefs and there are brilliant restaurants in Britain."
Do you do the British Sunday dinner?
"Oh, there is nothing better than Sunday lunch. My favorite would be roast lamb. Roast pork with crackling apple sauce, roast lamb with some nice mint sauce and red currant jelly, roast turkey at this time of year, anything like that. A hearty roast, roast potatoes, lots of good British vegetables, grown in Britain. My dad’s got one of the most amazing vegetable gardens, and we just eat all the fresh produce from there. So going home to my parents is a real treat."
So do you cook the roast?
"God no – I can’t cook anything. I can cook spaghetti bolognese, which was my favorite meal as a kid. My mom was great at spaghetti bolognese, does a great Indian curry, made amazing sandwiches, including cheddar cheese and pickle sandwiches which have remained to this day one of my great favorites. I think you get weaned on these things and then live with it. Whenever I’m going home to my mother, and I’ve been through a particularly stressful time, she brings out cheese and pickle sandwiches and the spaghetti bolognese."
So is that your taste of home?
"Yes, love them."
On an unrelated note, why are British candy bars so much better than American candy bars?
"It’s true! The chocolate tastes better. Our chocolate tastes better than your chocolate. There’s nothing you can do about it - it’s just a fact. You do some things better than us but actually when it comes to chocolate, we are so far ahead of you. Yours tastes weak, sort of insipid - it’s not real chocolate. Ours is proper chocolate. You get stuck in a Jaffa Cake and you’ll know what we are talking about."
If you were advising a young lady or gentleman to woo their crush with a menu for seduction – what would you put on the menu?
"Right. You’d have to start with oysters. They have to be incredibly fresh – because you don’t want food poisoning. I think you start with a dozen oysters, just really top ones and you’ve got to have some Tabasco with that to add a bit of heat to the whole thing as you start.
Then I would say – you know what I would do? I would have one of those great big steaming towers of fresh shellfish. You get them at a place like Balthazar [in New York City]. So when my wife is over, we always have a lunch at Balthazar of Puligny-Montrache wine from Burgundy in France, they do some lovely ones at Balthazar, and we have this gigantic tower - it’s like the Empire State building and everyone stops and stares at you. It has crab, lobster, oysters, mussels, cockles, every type of thing you could want. It’s very seductive – that steaming tower of fresh shellfish. No woman would fail to be overwhelmed by it - but you’ve got to have the French Burgundy with it.
Can’t be any of that American wine otherwise you haven’t got a chance. You’ve got two hopes of success with American wine – no hope and Bob Hope."
What’s one item you can’t go a day without eating or drinking?
"French wine. Puligny-Montrache for white and any Bordeaux really of a good year - like 2005 Bordeaux, '95, '82, Château Latour '61. If I had enough money, and a lot of it will depend on the success of this show, I will venture to buy a cellar of Château Latour 1961, which is the single greatest bottle of wine ever made.
When I got this job, I actually bought my agent one. And we drank it – thousands of dollars. We drank it at CUT restaurant, supervised by Wolfgang, and it was absolutely memorable. You can’t beat French wine, it is the best in the world."
First time you had that wine?
"Marco Pierre White took me to dinner at the Mirabelle in London, and there were four of us and he ran off the bill at the end for the evening and it was 26,000 pounds - so about $40,000 for four of us. The food was 260 pounds, and the rest was wine. And we had Château Latour '61, Château Lafite '45 - all the great vintages. We had a 1911 Château d'Yquem, a pudding wine, which was the year his mother had been born which meant a lot to him – it had been a great year for Château d'Yquem. And he told me Johnny Depp had been in a few weeks before with Kate Moss, who was then his girlfriend, and he had raced outside with the bottle of Château d'Yquem 1911 and sprayed it over the photographers and it was 10,000 pounds a bottle. They’ve never tasted so expensive."
Greatest meal you’ve ever had?
"The greatest meal I’ve ever had was at a resort in the Maldives called Baros, and it’s a tiny island in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, one of many islands and they’re all these little resorts - I mean tiny, like half a mile wide. And we got a speedboat - it was the day Barack Obama became President, and so I decided to celebrate this momentous moment by getting a speedboat to about half a kilometer out to sea from the resort, so basically the middle of the ocean.
At a certain time of each month, a sand dune would appear – a huge sand dune, covering about 100 square yards, would rise out of the sea. And it would vanish at about midnight - you had ten hours and they used to do this dinner. So, this whole flotilla of speedboats whisked us out with chefs and waiters, and when we got there they set up all these poles with fire and the table in the middle. And you are in the middle of the ocean on a sand dune! And they prepared this amazing meal of just fresh shellfish, which they cooked in front of us and served to us with Puligny-Montrachet, and we just toasted Barack Obama’s momentous victory and I thought it couldn’t get better than this – twinkling stars and we are the only two people in the ocean. That was amazing."
You recently tweeted that you had breakfast with Christine O’Donnell?
"I did. I taught her how to make a cup of tea."
Would you teach us?
"I would - I promised to tweet it but the trick is to put the milk in with the teabag and the water. What Americans tend to do is they put the bag in the water and they try to assess the quality, but you can’t tell the color. If you put a dash of milk in, and you have to have milk in it, then you can see the color and play around with the bag until it resembles a tan leather color. Anything darker is too stewed, anything lighter is undrinkable."
Catch the premiere of "Piers Morgan Tonight" on CNN on January 17 at 9 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, read about Piers Morgan's long career in journalism, and check out "Piers Morgan Tonight" on Facebook.
Devna Shukla is an Associate Producer for CNN's AC360°.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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I like Mr. Morgan a lot. He's right about the food, and very right about Brit choc compared to the wax we call choc here. You could put a wick in the end of a Hershey's bar and it would light up like a candle. Pierce you forgot good ole Yorkie Puds. Seriously, Pierce does have a bit of an air of superiority, and at the same time, I see him as a fair, reasonable and a person I'd friend. He likes to rub elbows and drop names of the famous, yet, unlike many of us, he's had the opportunity to meet these folks and we have not. He's a dead pan at 9pm to replace Larry (and I liked Larry) it was the change and difference the hour needed. He's had some fantastic stars and interviews. He's growing into the US market and I hope he lasts as long as he remains viable.
No no no!!! That's just plain wrong. It takes ages to brew properly if you put the milk in first, and never quite goes right. You should be able to judge the strength anyway, and just add milk to the correct level. That person is a nut case (who is it btw?). The only excuse you can have for doing that is if you live in rural India, where they put the milk and tea in, and brew it all together. They have to boil the milk or they might get deadly food poisoning.
They were the only two people in the ocean? With all those waiters and chefs there with them, the only two people? I guess they are on the same level as bugs to him.
CNN has hired far too many Brits – are there not enough well-spoken, qualified North Americans to fill these positions?
He is not a likeable person. So, arrogant and full of himself.. And so unprofessional to announce that someobody is 'banned' from his show. Who does he think he is? No matter who he gets on, he sucks and there is no CNN for me between 9 and 10. When this hot celeb list that his people somehow managed to book will get thinner, the ratings will plummet...What am I saying... they are plummeting already. The Brits hate him..why on earth would CNN get him?
Larry King has an amazing personality, so open, honest, unasumming, very professional. How could CNN ever think this guy will be a match?.. Such an unfortunate choice...
I dislike Piers Morgan a lot. He SUCKS! He is awful!!! His interview (butt kissing) of Ricky Gervais was one ridiculous fawning of one limey to another........ He forgot about the job of interviewing, challenge the guest. I am over the British invasion from the nasty limey acts. There is a reason 4th of July is my favorite day!
Dude! You are starting off on the wrong foot by thinking that Madonna needs to apologize to you for whatever reason your panties are in a wad! Get over it! If you want people to hear what you have to say, make sense! Don't be hater. You are no Larry King!
don't worry piers, it will be quick and painless. i'm certain that cnn provided you with a nice, comfortable, golden parachute. yet another in a long line of the many blunders this network continues to make.
cheers old boy.
He's a douche and a no-talent hack. He's been fired at every newspaper job he had.
He's a douche and no-talent hack. He's been fired at every newspaper job he had.
I know it's been said, but I can't help putting my two cents in.
Piers, why on Earth did you "hop the pond" to join an American syndication if you indeed loathe all things American? How many times did you put down American products, services, and people in this brief interveiw? Please, take your attitude and go back to the U.K.
No one wants to hire him in the UK. Now we're stuck with this arrogant talentless hack. Don't like here, Piers? Then GET THE HELL OUT!
You can have him Americans, we don't want the douche back. He is going to fail hard on CNN no doubt.
I remember when CNN actually cared about news...Now it seems to be going the way of tabloid television, with Joy Behar leading the way. Nice job guys.
and i want to watch this why???
Piers Morgan is the most revolting guy on television. I am shocked that CNN would think that his show could be a success. Just looking at the this man turns my stomach and when he opens his mouth I throw up. We need and want a real American in that time slot and hosting the show. Not a Simon wannabe.
Gordon Ramsey is equally revolting. And his restaurants are mediocre, too.
Which restaurant? His restaurant in Dubai has to rank as one of the best I have ever eaten at.
As a Brit living in California I see the attitude of someone who hasn't spent enough time in the US to appreciate it. Average food at restaraunts in the US is better than the UK, but inventions like McDonalds, Burger King and Jack in the Box are terrible for you, and almost anything I have in an American diner is greasier than a traditional english fry up.
I don't drink wine (I know, I'm terribly uncultured) but the number of people I know who love New World wines tells me that Piers does not know what he is talking about here.
Where I live now it doesn't seem true but when I lived in the mid-west the number of super obese people was startling. I agree that the UK is following the same trend as the US when it comes to obesity but the number of super obese and extreme obese in the US, measured by the number of people going round Safeway in an electric scooter just cos they are fat, does seem a lot higher.
Many of the comments here seem to be as uninformed as Piers is – tit for tat is not becoming of anyone. Lets remember that our countries are friends and will be for centuries to come!
Can you imagine Piers on Bill O'Reilly's show. It might be the only opportunity in a lifetime one gets to agree with O'Reilly-neh, not even then. But it would be a clash of titan egos!
I just can't understand why the US has to import obnoxious when they have so much of their own, must be the accent thing???
Obviously, Morgan is a temp., he gives CNN time to look for a "proper" replacement for Larry. What a schmuck.
It will be interesting to see Piers on US television. I am sure he will find Americans uncultured Aholes and they will find him a cultured Ahole. They will both be correct and ironically the US is the only placed Piers could go to be considered a cultured as he is just an A hole everywhere else.
He worked for the world's sleasist newspaper rags for years followed by judging American Idol- what a classy resume. Even scarier he seems proud of it! He may fit right in?????
UK has the best chefs just like the best fashion designers are Afghan and most intelligent computer prgorammers are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I've been inspired. I'm going to make Shepherd's Pie for supper tonight.
Om nom nom....
The fact is Gordon Ramsey is on TV because he is a a young, good looking, screaming, maniac, ignoramus and Nigella because men just want to bite her. They are not there because they can cook-even if they can.
And as to England being known for great cuisine-give me a break. Piers listed his family pub fare-enough said! Nationalism is one thing but get real. Arguing culinary skills between England vs US is like a pedofile calling a serial killer a bad person--very relative at the least. And I say that as a Canadian knowing we are just as no better than either.
Is he really British? I'm French and like England a lot. I like British food, I'm a huge Gordon Ramsey fan, but really, Piers Morgan has got to be the most arrogant, biggest French ahole I've ever seen.
Seriously, I'm not into food but when I think star chef, the first name that comes to mind is Thomas... as in Thomas Keller, universally considered to be one of the world's top 3 chefs, an American.
Wines? French wines are the best in the world? Maybe for someone who thinks a wine's quality is determined by the sticker price. Here's a hint: some Texan wines blow anything from France out ot the water. They're truly one of America's best kept secrets, but you wouldn't want your snotty friends to find out you have anything good to say about a non-EU-compliant state like Texas, now would you?
CNN, you are tanking. Are you reading the comments from real viewers on here? No one likes Piers. And you wonder why Fox and MSNBC are above you...
Piers, dear: you would definitely change your opinion after eating Mario Batagli's magnificent creations. Do get off your high horse, and have him prepare a feast for you. And, invite him to be a guest on your darling little show; the rapport should be delightful.
"The thing about Britain is that we know how to eat the right portions."
If I had to survive on British food, my portions would be a lot smaller, too.
I am Canadian, and can still feel the pinch up here. And British chocolate? Cadbury's? What's he talking about? Insecure twit.
Lousiana crawfish and jambalaya, Georgia fried catfish, Texas BBQ, Tennesee pulled pork, NY deli ANYTHING, apple pie from about any state, Chesapeake Crabs, Maine lobster, Idaho potatoes. and on and on.
THIS country knows how to cook how to eat and BTW we feed the world!
British Pub food is unhealthy and is the reason that there are so many fat brits.
A sign by the pub's entrace: "We're serving swill today, bring your bucket."
First off Piers Morgan is a complete douche, and as an ordinary member of the British pubic (living in NZ) i apologize for palming him off to you.
But i would also like to stand up for British food. We have some of the best restaurants and chefs in the world. Perhaps typical English cuisine leaves much to be desired, but in 2011 i doubt you would find any "good" restaurant or cafe serving the sort of stuff you got in the 1980's.
Also i would like to say that the Indian food you eat in Britain is British food, the people running these restaurants are often second or third generation immigrants to the country. So yes Indian food is the most popular food in Britain, but its also cooked by British people.
I have been to the US a number of times, and i can say i throughly enjoyed the food there, particularly the Italian restaurants (not American), and the steaks (not exactly a new invention?). Also there are just as many huge people in the UK as in the US, so Piers is wrong about that.
So thats just me standing up for the British food culture, and i am sure if you went to any city in England you would be able to sample very good food.
Just me 2 cents
British food like a "fry up". Pure artery sludge. There are so many obese Englishmen with bad teeth that it is a national problem. Limey go home!
This man is a pompous fool who has just insulted and alienated his hopeful audience. The best thing that CNN could do with him is to show him his termination papers.
I grew up with a British mother who shoveled British food all my young years. I didn't discover good food until I left home. I travel as a road warrior and I have lived in the UK and elsewhere abroad and can categorically say that the UK food is amongst the worst in the world. Amongst my colleagues, we have a guideline: want good food in the UK, eat Indian. When I go to England, I get out of that backwards country as quickly as I can. In the mean time, I eat Indian, "filling station sandwiches" or pub food. The rest is garbage.
I'm no fan of American chocolate but English chocolate is worse. The EU prohibited England's Cadbury from calling their chocolate bare "chocolate" because it had too much garbage in it -including animal fat. They now call it "Dairy Milk". And as for French wine: it's inconsistent and 8 bottles out of 10 taste like ink or astringent. Now of course I don't spend thousands on a bottle and feel that people who do that are stupid -regardless of how wealthy they are. You can find beautiful Chilean, Australian and South African wines for under $15 a bottle. And American wines, though expensive, are the most consistent in quality and amongst the best in the world.
Piers, they have a saying in German: "Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall." Look it up. You will experience it soon. In the mean time, I hope your next American chef host in New York or Beverly Hills spills an expensive bottle of French Claret on your new white shirt.
Good riddance.
Piers Morgan....just another celebrity with his nose in the air because that thinks he knows something about something, but really knows nothing about something. To bad I can't have dinner with him. Have him meet me at my favorite Restraunts and I'll show him just exactly who has the best steak, lobster, spaggetti, chicken..ect. Piers Morgan...just another celebrity to ignore.
Funny how the Uk is so superior but he is here making all this money. We are dumb enough to have him and he is lousy enough he couldn't make it there. Go back Morgan. If it were not for us crude Americans, you'd be speaking German and eating Kraut with your cheese and pickle sandwiich. What a pompous oaf he is. I hope he is off by June.
Well, you are all commenting, aren't you? Exactly what he wanted!
Piers Morgan is totally wrong. Both English and American cuisines suck.
English is to Cuisine as Government is to Assistance. Both spoken together are oxymorons. If you ever want to render a fine cut of beef tasteless, tough, and thoroughly forgettable, have an Englishman cook it. England's sole contribution to fine dining is Yorkshire Pudding.
I love it when the British pull the fat card, trying to shame us because of our obesity problem as a nation. That's when you need to pull the teeth card on the shocking condition of many Englishpersons teeth. You never play your best card first. It isn't like the only thing you see in England are gazelles (I lived there for 3 1/2 years). One of the most appealing things about British women was their pudginess (curves) and their randiness. And DON'T say: "Come here and in about a week you’ve put on about eight stone!". That makes it sound like just the gps coordinates make you fatter. You grow up in England, live there your whole life, learn not to make a pig out of yourself, then BANG! Go to America and the fat molecules just come flying at you, or, you forget to eat in such a civilized manner (like you have supposedly been doing since birth) and just line (queue) up at the slop trough just because you are stateside. Stupid person. And stop raving about English fucking chocolate. YES, Hershey's is complete crap. I am sure he thinks Cadbury make good choc......they don't. I think the US best showing is Ghirardelli dark but there are better foreign chocs.
This Pier guy sucks.. pompous ass. CNN, goodbye and onto Fox (which I should have done a long while ago.)
OMG – Arrogance we can handle – I even find it amusing. Plain ignorance is way less endearing.... Mr. Morgan certainly displayed plenty of ignorance about US based chefs. Let's see who we can name off-hand – Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Bobby Flay, Anthony Bourdain.... WOW – ol' Piers could not even name one top US-based chef when being interviewed specifically on food! Good research and prep... Piers baby – as I said, we can handle arrogance, but stupidity ... naw, not gonna work. I hope they have something lined up for you back at the Beeb.
You're naming a lot of celebrity chefs. Generally they are not as accomplished as great working chefs. Watch less TV and go out to fine establishments more.
Dover – you are absolutely right – some of the best chefs in US and (the world) toil away in relative anonymity. No question. I was thinking about very good chefs for the most part who do have name recognition here in the US and whom might have been mentioned. As for getting out to eat – alas way too much of my expendable income goes into that already!... Bon appetit!
Try heading to Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Montana or Oklahoma to a BBQ and learn what REAL food is and how to cook it. The reason British portions are so small is that no one can keep down very much.
Everyone should experience a BBQ in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Montana or Oklahoma. However, I must insist that they experience New York City deli as well. I recommend the hot pastrami.
best Chefs? then why does all the food over there suck haha
it doesn't take a great chef to boil hamburger until it turns gray.
HEY-YOOOOO!
Larry King was an emmense bore.
But, this guy – he's a jerk !
What's a "knob?
Annie – its the do-hickey between your boyfriend's legs.
Another British idiot who cannot stop talking about America this/America that. Yet,, the pinnacle of his career will bet the six or seven weeks he is on CNN here in the US. By ten weeks, he's off the air...guaranteed. Back to his gastro pub to munch on his civilized portions and spend hours talking crap on the people he longed to please, The Americans...
Piers Morgan is knob...
They have better TV personalities, but not food!
Typical arrogant British fop. I'll be surprised if you make it in Mr. King's slot for more than 10 months with that attitude.
When the discussion turned to American attitudes toward English food, his response was to insult Americans for their obesity. Yes, that problem does exist. How is that relevant to the quality of English food? Is this how he plans on conducting himself on his show? Is he really that unprofessional? (Attention, CNN, you just lost another viewer.)
I do agree, though, that England has produced the world's finest chefs. Anyone who could make English food edible is not simply a chef but a miracle worker!
Moron
Really? Interesting at best. When his 20 minutes is up here, he'll be begging for work in this country. And or the record, he won't be served in any one of my restaurants...unless of course he's willing to reneg and at least acknowledge chefs from around the globe and their contributions to the culinary world.
I watched Larry King because he portrayed how America really is.
He never said their was anything wrong with American food...lmao. He stated the truth.. You all eat way to much food. Your portions are over the top. He is not knocking the USA, so my question to all you Americans is this.. What is with all the anti British statements? lol
Heaven forbid someone who's not American isn't shouting from the tops of the Golden Arches how fantastic all things American are.
Odd he does not defend British food but attacks American eating habits.
The anti British statements are a bit off the mark...I think the point is if you are planning to make a big jump into a huge market, it's probably not a good idea to make constant statements insulting the audience. If an American performer went over to host a show on BBC and started his first interview by constantly insulting British people, you would probably feel the same way. It has nothing to do with nationality...it has to do with human nature.
We are a nation with an obesity problem so there was nothing insightful about his statements about us overeating. As for the anti-British statements, it's just tic for tat. If you want to bash us on radio in our own backyard, you can't really be surprise if there's a backlash. The point is that America, England or any other nation have good and bad (some more good and some more bad) and just leave it at that.
No, he's not knocking the USA; he's just making a blanket statement about all Americans being obese. He is knocking the USA and furthermore, he is not answering the question about American attitudes towards English food. Maybe he can't. His show is off to an auspicious start.
Wow – I see some of the comments here and most of you really need to get out more (as in, out of the continental US) and spend more than the equivalent of $10 for dinner. The UK has FANTASTIC restaurants and their comfort food – when prepared properly – is lovely. That said, however, it seems that Mr Morgan can do well in his new situation to also undertake a bit of learning stateside: There are amazing chefs here and equally if not more amazing restaurants. I will meet him at one of Batali's places – or Keller's in CA – any day of the week so he can partake a good portion of crow along with his main meal. I am hoping these were somewhat careless comments or at least taken out of context with a limited, currently provincial view of the US which will broaden with time and experience. I wish him the best in his new show.
True, some do have go out more...and some are only limited by their experiences, or by a (genetical) lack of curiosity. My experiences in Great Britain have always been quite unique and wonderful. Trying different types of regional cooking makes it all the better. British chefs are rarely pompous and arrogant, but then again some American Chefs, along with a few French Chefs, have a claim to the title of "arrogantes"..
Typical arrogant englishman, hope the americans realise not all people from the UK are like this...its an embarrassment to have him represent the UK, please remember we have scots,welsh and irish here also!
Typical jock..... Get over yourself pal...
Thats right, we all feel the same, keep your advice to yourself...pal
Can we not get rid of this guy soon enough? He's another pretentious English charlatan. Please go home and server out your jail sentence for fraud like a real gentleman scumbag.
Just another British know-it-all celebrity butthole making an American buck by shooting off a bunch of dumb controversial comments.
Yeah, because no butthole Americans do it...
At least we had an empire. I can't say I have heard of an American Empire.. Can you? Your nothing but a nation of obese fat bas*ards, with bad teeth..
Bad teeth????? LOL! You got us beat there by a milestone, bub! America "is" an empire and its dominance has been felt globally over the past half century. We don't need to pretentiously called ourselves an empire.
Looking in the m irror are you Dave? I have a copy of the Independent with a Front Page feature article about the obesity problem in Britain because of your propensity to eat fatty foods like fry ups. THey call it a national epidemic. And bad teeth is a hallmark of the British. Coiuple with your poor national health system, you're near third world. The empire died before we bailed you out of the Germans the first time. We should have left you on your own the second time and you'd be speaking deutsch and eating schupfnudln und kraut instead of bangers and hash.
What is bangers and mash?
Sausages and mashed potatoes. Pretty good actually.
This limey is an a-hole! You mean to tell me they couldn't find an AMERICAN for the job?
Then go back home bitch.
can't stand this guy at all.. good job CNN !
Sounds like your typical run of the mill limey douchebag
On his first show he shoul have Dr. Sanjay Gupta remove that bug that's stuck up his arse.
You're high the best British food is Indian Curry or Chinese take away. The Brits have not evolved past 16th century Fish and Chips. This is a country with food so poor and so bland that they could never understand the burger. It was only after McDonald's got there did Britain finally enter the 20th century with food that had some bit of taste and provided its first public rest rooms.
McDonalds...yeah...
America's way of trying to make the rest of the planet as fat as they are.
Um...the Brits weren't eating fish and chips in the 16th century. The potato wasn't even introduced to Britain until 1580; the potato wasn't widely cultivated in Britain until 1660; and fish and chips weren't invented until 1858.
To those of you rattling on about 'great American chefs'...most of the names being tossed around all recieved their training and polished their skills in Europe.
Just saying...
Of Morgan's two chef picks, Marco Pierre White trained in England....under French born chefs (the Roux brothers, Koffman, Blanc). Ramsey worked for Roux as well, then went to Paris to train. So, your "just saying" kinda fades into the irrelevancy.
@Loogin Most of them were not trained in England though, and certainly not to make English food.
I have been to London many times, and the best food there was without a doubt Indian food. English food is bland, and lacks any semblance of taste
Geezus, Americans....
The point was you're so called 'great American chefs' weren't trained on home soil. I could care less where his picks were trained.
Venture out of the single wides and cross the pond. Don't even hit a higher end place, just walk around at lunch or dinner and go into a busy pub. Anything you find there is head an shoulders above...well, above what? Cracker Barrel?
It's your, dumbass, not you're...and that's not the point...he talks about British chefs with the view that British chefs are the best in the world. If you want to make the argument that British culinary schools are the best in the world, feel free. Most of the world's top chefs are trained in France, regardless of where they are originally from...so mindlessly insulting Americans seems more of an inferiority complex rather than a logical argument.
Blah blah we're American and are the blabitty blah best at everything blah...
Inferiority complex? Are you even a little for real? Look at how instantly butthurt you got over my little post. Seriously. Another 'special' thing about the bulk (yes, word chosen carefully) of Americans...you're all so friggin high and mighty on yourselves the second anyone takes you down a peg you're blowing head gaskets, blood pressure meters, and warheads left and right.
Run along to be now little one. Don't forget your cheeseburger for your nighty night snack.
HAHAHAHA...look how easy I got you all riled up. That was so easy it was a joke. All you had to do was form a logical argument and the best you could come up with is run along little one....lol...idiot.
Oh and by the way I spend half my life in London...
And mind you, I never said a word about how great Americans are...you implied that...read my post again...I said nothing about how great Americans are....you read into that and went nuts...I guess Nigella's cooking is something we should consider healthy....
while in England on biz I had the occasion to sample some of the local fare – all types of cuisine. The best food in England was not English food and was not prepared by an Englishman. there idea of grilling was to toss frozen grass fed beef on blazing fire – a quick call to the States had a Care Package from Omaha Steaks on it's way via over night FedEx.
It was a simple path to converting them to real food – I even filled in at pub on weekends and made cheeseburgers American style – with American beef. Let's hope the misguided Mr. Morgan does better replacing an icon then he has done as a food critic. Simply put he is an idiot ...... I give his show three months
I have spent a lot of time in London, Leeds and Manchester un extended business trips...I could never get used to the boiled Cauliflower, Potatoes and the occasional Carrot with the worst pot roast in the civilized world. After about the third day a Hard Rock Café Hamburger and a COLD Bud was my salvation. Pub Grub is the only way to go for decent food in London. Who are these Brit chefs he is touting?...Never heard of them....Batali, Lagasse, Gaida deLaurentis, Mrs. Deen, Cat Cora..etc... can sling hash with the best in the world. If England is so great why is this clown over here?
I think Piers is simply misunderstood. He was saying Americans can't whine like Brits. We may whine more, yes. But great whines are all about proper breeding.
Can’t be any of that American wine otherwise you haven’t got a chance. You’ve got two hopes of success with American wine – no hope and Bob Hope."
Really? I guess our wines go along with all the beautiful British wines quaffed around the world! It's unfortunate that, a person I thought might have a bit of intellectual free thinking and open mindedness, is going to be preaching to we Americans and our ineptness in everything. Thanks CNN! Picked a REAL winner!
Precious little bloke ain't he?
CAN any of these chefs prepare a proper plate of country sausage gravy with hot, buttermilk biscuits to pour it over? I say thee, "Nay"! I'll take any of them on, any time. Smart money says I'll win, too.
When I visit a country, I try their food, not go to Mc Donalds. They should make the drinking age 18 in the US.
I give his show 6 months
Traveled extensively and London is one of my favorite cities to visit but the traditional English food is pretty bad; however, Indian food (the "national dish") is particularly good there. As for his comments about American wine I am not sure where to start, especially with respect to red wine. His convictions are so strong about an argument he seems to be on the wrong side that I can't figure out why he would be so overtly rude unless his beef he really about Americans and everything that comes with it – including food, chefs, and wine.
England and Holland have the best chefs as they are all imported from other countries!
Haggis and horse droppings are English Classics.
Potatoes and cabbage the Dutch specialities.
Good food and the UK, what an oxy – moron!!! Yuck! All Piers has to offer is a british accent and arrogance! Getting pretty sick of all the brits who are commentating shows now! Have you noticed in influx of junk shows with british accents? And on CNN too?
Piers isnt popular at all in the Uk where he is thought of as a upper class twit and on that subject I think the same of him as Ian Hislop ( have I got news for you). on the subject of food every country has great food and every country has real awful food you just have to know where to look. Id recomend Melbourne Australia for some of the best Greek food in the world (and Seattle Washington).
Let's go by last names in the States, which are more recognizable: Bourdain, Keller, Besh, Bayless, Lagasse, Colicchio, Batali, English, Dufrense, Des Jardins, Love, Moonen, Henderson, Waters. Is that enough names for you Piers?
The most ridiculous thing CNN has done in a long time, is hire a pasty, pale Brit to take over the King's seat. This show is going to bomb big time, curious viewers will tune in the first few days but this guy is the worst pick. His growing up in a pub does not make him a Gourmet Chef. Bangers and mash is wieners and mash potato -yuk.
Britian has the best douchbags in the world.
Italians have Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini, but the average Italian drives a Fiat. England has some celebrity chefs (do not confuse celebrity status with mastery), but the average English citizen eats worse than anyone else in Europe, and I mean any other nation, bar none.
Like I needed another reason not to watch this show . I use to watch Larry King all the time. But since CNN decided to give the time to that British piece of garbage I will do something else with this time every day.
If the UK has the best chefs then you should head on back there. How stupid is CNN to put on a Brit who insults us. CNN you can't afford to lose anymore viewers.
Wow. What a way to win over a new audience–insult the country and then make some ridiculous claim that British food is much better than American. Have you ever seen a cooking show that focuses on British "cuisine"? I never have. Maybe that's because it's awful. Of course, why would anyone want to subject good food to the ravages of most British choppers anway? I'll bet Joan Rivers will be subbing for this clown within two weeks.
You know, after watching AGT, I really appreciated his honest opinions towards the contestants. After reading this, I realize his attempts at judging were probably scripted. I've traveled the world, and without a doubt, food in the UK is at the bottom of barrel.
Share your honest opinion next time Piers if you would like people to value your efforts.
The fact is he made is claim to fame by being the insulting Englishman. It's his "angle" that gets him noticed. And in this case a lot of notice, as his show just takes off. He made headlines (or did CNN do this on purpose?) And you all are taking notice. It's just a promotional gambit. Doubt he cares about chefs in Britain or America.
I doubt Cnn would want half of their audience to hate their new host. It just happens he is an idiot. Too bad they didn't notice a little earlier. Oh and his accent is annoying as can be.
Britain has the best chefs just like the brits have the best teeth....just saying.
He is a pompus arse and I will not watch his show.
I'm amused by a number of things: Americans on here getting touchy about someone pointing out that half of us are roughly the size of elephants, this Piers fellow forgetting that almost as many Britons are roughly the size of elephants, and the notion that British cuisine is anything special. Good times.
QFT man, too funny.
The UK as the best chefs AND they have the best dentists.
How does this fatuous comparison between ordinary American food and Continental Cuisine in any way vindicate the British for their murderous assault on the culinary arts? Yes, do compare our wines with a $10,000 bottle of French wine and find them lacking; compare thyself to a mollusk and do not be discouraged that the mollusk is easier to look at, easier to listen to, and makes better company for dinner. Twit.
I am not an American and I like Britain; however the British food is ridiculously bad and a few TV cooks won't change that. When in UK eat Italian, Indian or middle-eastern. He remembers the mismanaged meat his parents fed him and he still thinks that is food. Sad little fellow!
Who the heck picked this guy to take Larry Kings place? he is a pompus ass. The show won't last
What kind of a moron trying to garner ratings in America insults Americans?
Granted, it's pretty well-known American can over-eat ..... but, why would you needlessly put that out there when it certainly can't HELP you?
Pretty dumb, Piers. Cheers mate.
Why did CNN ever give a show to this pompous baboon? Were there no Americans here in the USA qualified to fill Larry King's slot? I will not, under any circumstances, watch this insidious, rude, arrogant idiot. I give his show 2 months before CNN pulls the plug.
Douche.
Yes, the best chefs came from France, India and Italy. As for British Food, there are not too many ways to boil blotting paper.
India? You have a taste for dog?
Paul,
Once you stop smoking whatever you are smoking, read up a little bit.
Koreas and Chinese eat dogs, not Indians.
Well, that really makes me want to watch his show! Maybe he can find a new way every show to insult his host country. Nasty, pompous little man! One more reason to avoid CNN1
Headline should read...."Fame Bites...Piers Morgan Sucks!"
Morgan's entire career reads like the worst of our industry, a career opportunist who went from being a writer to an editor-in-chief long before he'd actually plied the trade long enough to be of any journalistic value - which is why he was an editor at tabloids where actual value in journalism has never been an issue.
Disgraceful. And to boot, he's a knob. I agree that English chocolate tastes better, but if he did a little research, he'd find out they actually use less cocoa and dairy in their chocolate than here. Seems we both like the taste of waxy fillers.
What a knob.
Yeah, he's right. ...he really should just go back!
I'm a Brit who's lived all over the the US in the last 40 yrs. Who picked this pompous ass to follow Larry King? It is an insult to Larry – it would have been better to just play music in his time slot. The man talks nonsense – but maybe that's his intention – (we Brits are hooked on irony). Also I agree with Kumar, Indian food is the staple takeout in the UK. And the fish and chips are much better now in Rhode Island than they were in Blighty when I was growing up – and you get to read the newspaper, rather than eat from it.
Someone who lived his life in Japan would say likewise of Japan, as well as someone from Hawaii, or the Cajun, or Bombay, or Paris, or Shanghai, or Jakarta, or Papua New Guinea, or ... etc.
what a douche, jeremy clarkson should have knocked him out
That says it all. I love Jeremy Clarkson and he should have knocked Piers Morgan's already bad british teeth out of his face. Clarkson wins, put Top Gear on CNN and I bet you would get the most viewers ever.
British pub grub and best chefs in the world comically do not go together. I'm happy for the Brits that they have discovered fine cuisine, courtesy of other cultures in the last 2o years or so. We can thank the Brits for many treasures in art, literature, music and philosophy, but Piers, food isn't one of them!
I love British food (I lived in London), but no American Chefs? REALLY?? Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, Bourdain, Batali, Trotter, Dufresne, Grant Achatz, Stitts and there was this one I think her name was Julia. I can go on and on SERIOUSLY as both an American and a cook, I am insulted.
England has the best chefs? Get real. They have some of the worst food in Europe... not anywhere near the same league as France, Italy or even Spain.
I say he lasts a year tops. He's no Larry King.
Wow, just a little one-sided there Piers. He wants names of great "American" chefs? Ok, how about James Beard, Michelle Bernstein, Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Emeril Lagasse, Kerry Simon, Cat Cora, Todd English and the list goes on and on. Even many famous British chefs reside in the states and own restaurants here. This guy knows nothing of the culinary world. Serving warm beer and meat and potatoes during his young life hardly qualifies him as an expert on food.
Bobby Flay is ok for an American taste. No offense! He was even struggling to win on IronChef.
Out of the 1 billion+ speakers of the English language, is this the best they could find ? Are we suckers for those pompous twits who insult us with a phony Oxbridge accent ? Note- (1) The most popular cuisine in Britain is Indian not English. (2) At least on 2 occasions on AHGT show, this scholar from the land of Shakespeare and Stephen Hawking used "lightyears" as a unit of time !!! No kidding. Simon Cowell did the same once on American Idol. Larry King would be spinning in his ... well.... easy chair.
This man has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. To simply dismiss American wine is ignorant at best, and his complete lack of knowledge of the entire American culinary industry is downright offensive. Also, Mr. Morgan, you're not really doing your country a great service by name dropping Nigella Lawson (who is not even a chef) and leaving out chefs such as Fergus Henderson who actually worked to improve the British culinary scene. If we're just going to throw celebrity names out there, then the Americans have Anthony Bourdain, Todd English, and Mario Batali, not to mention Grant Achatz, Daniel Patterson, Charlie Trotter, and Jeremiah Tower. No good American chefs? You, sir, are out of your eurocentric mind.
Poor Piers is shooting himself in the foot before his show even airs. There's nothing like alienating your audience to bring on a quick cancellation.
Any of the thousands of U.S. BBQ Pitmasters would put the best British chef to shame.
Out of the 1 billion+ speakers of the English language, is this the best they could find ? Are we suckers for those pompous twits who insult us with a phony Oxbridge accent ? Note- (1) The most popular cuisine in Britain is Indian not English. (2) At least on 2 occasions on AHGT show, this scholar from the land of Shakespeare used "lightyears" as a unit of time !!! No kidding. Simon Cowell did the same once on American Idol. Larry King would be spinning in his ... well.... easy chair.
My best meal in England was pub food, fish and chips were very good, Kidney Pie was OK, bangers and mash was just OK too. If I ever return, it will be pub food for sure.
British people always believe they have a great cuisine.
I just nod and smile.
What can you do? They've grown up with it.
Piers Morgan is a joke, no one likes him in Britain, and no one will like him here.
Unfortunate, Pier's has a refined pallete and yet such bad taste
So, you're going to insult your 'future audience'. Well done. Yes, he's rude. And why do I want to watch a rude host? Anyone?
My best meal in England was at an Italian restaurant. Cio.
Enjoyed immensly three long trips to England in the 80s-90s, EXCEPT for the food. Almost starved to death. Singularily the WORST FOOD IN THE WORLD !
Things have changed since then ... but of course it depends where you go and you can literally find the best and worst food in the world there!
Morgan, you have got to be kidding me! The food in the UK is tasteless...Sausages and potatoes-bland blah and that is the best they have...What is the UK known for? No good dishes have ever come from the UK
I would say his show will last till March. I have just sent a quid for a wager with a London tout on that governor.
PS. How the heck did he get this gig. CNN is sinking fast.
Everytime I see something about Piers Morgan, it's another douchebag comment. Seriously, why did CNN hire this guy and fire Lou Dobbs?
My British friend boils beef and seasons lightly with salt and pepper. Hardly gastronomic. American chefs like Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz would give any British chef a run for their money.
Oh Blimey Piers! I watched you as a judge, while I always respcted your judgementsbut did not appreciate your typical British ruidness. I hope you will learn American Etiquette and be more polite and jolly. Larry's shoes are pretty hard to fill.
Well, I guess I'm getting a whole bunch of new reasons to not watch a show I was already not watching. Nice work.
Can't name any American chef's eh? Ever hear of Bobby Flay? Ever hear of Emeril, every hear of Julia Child? Get over yourself. And just so you know, most of the English chefs don't cook much English food, they cook French, Italian, Asian etc. foods, not English food, because it is AWFUL!
Don't forget Alice Waters, an icon. And Paul Prudhomme, another icon for regional cooking. I've eaten in London at some top restaurants and found them boring. As for French wine, I think two blind tastings against CA wines settled that one.
Anyone who has EVER dined in England will tell you that the food is extremely bland, if you're lucky. This guy is a douche!
Bobby-decent but not great cook. How many Michelin stars? Zero. Emeril is a jerk, but he can cook-he ran Commanders Palace for many years-one of the best restaurant in the USA if not the world. Julia is sadly, dead. Paul Prudhomme is a great cook-ran Commanders Palace before Emeril. Another great American chef is Thomas Keller, of the French Laundry.
Yes, Piers is being a bit pompous, probably an act to get attention, but he has a lot of good points. English food has come a long way in the last 20 years. Anthony Bourdain, who knows a lot about food-his favorite restaurant in the world is St. John in London-I have eaten there and the food and service were impeccable. It's on Bourdain's list of places you should eat at before you die.
Bourdain yet another pompous twit........
One restaurant does not make up for an entire country of bland food. Indian food is very popular there but native English cuisine is not that good.
This is the most ridiculous statement ever. If you have the evidence that is fully correlated, then state it. My guess you are using your imagination or basing it on ridiculous assumptions. No wonder we kicked you British out of America in the 1700s.
Except for Whitney Miller! Ya'll don't have a MasterChef like her!
If he is trying to sound like a pompous jerk, he is excelling beyond the wildest expectations.
I know. As I was reading, I thought maybe he is trying to be sarcastic? Because if you are trying to get an American audience to watch your new show, you might want to tone it down a bit.
What you both said !!!
Tip for you, Mr. Morgan. When hoping to replace a veritable legend and win over an American audience – probably best not to insult us a bunch of times. Just sayin'.
Piers, You and Gordon Ramsey are Idiots. What Gordon does on TV, would not be legal in any Hotel in America. I have been to England, the Food & Service SUCKS.
dude, seriously, you're a friggin caterer (no joke, google this guy). last time i checked gordon ramsay had 12 michelin stars while you yap "healthy living" in thomas keller and alice white's back yard. good chefs don't announce themselves as CHEF so and so on an internet message board. you reek of insecurity and steam tables. as for service, when's the last time an american server bid you a "cheers"? mostly wannabe actors and models who believe they are entitled to 20%... lest you forget this is the land of red robin (strike 1), olive garden (strike 2) and taco bell (big strike 3). ass clown, shoemaker, wannabe, you can ehrlich my balls
check that, alice waters not white. whoops
British and good food go together like oil and water. Morgan and CNN.....
That's not an insult. He is just pretty much telling the truth.
He is a moron.
I agree with you entirely. Piers (I used to like you) you are acting like a pompus A**. Watch it! It will backfire.
We have travelled a lot in the UK, we are not so sure about the quality of the food. Since Mr Morgan likes so much in the UK maybe he should go back. We will not be watching him.
and who is this character? a judge from a singing show? and now he's replacing larry king? way to go cnn.
I'm British live in California and completely agree with Evil Grin and others, i cannot stand English people like this with their noses in the air like they cant stand the stink of where they are.
Pretty much every comment he made in this article was insulting not only to Americans but to real, kind, polite British people.
I apologise for this freaky British reject; i highly doubt he'll last long.
I like many British people.. (Ricky Gervais is awesome), but this unbelievably pompous / arrogant attitude the British seem to possess these days is getting out of control.
For the record, Britain has nearly the same obesity rate as America these days (Australia is getting close too), so they have no place to constantly rag on about how fat we are and that we eat too much. I'm not overweight, so I'm not personally offended, but it's just ridiculous and short-sighted.
Also, when I visited England a couple years ago I didn't even realize that Britain had a reputation for bad food. Alas, I quickly realized that just about all the food over there is both terrible and overpriced. Can't comment on the chocolate that Piers is so fond of, but seriously, get over yourself.
Finally, I'm just now learning that this guy is replacing Larry King. I wasn't a huge fan of Larry, but I can't believe CNN thought this was a good idea. He's a chef, not an interviewer. If I was Larry, I'd be offended by the choice.
Piers a chef? Uh, google this guy. If he's a chef, I'm turning in my toque. And Piers, the UK's getting fat like the rest of us–yours is the place that gave us the Full Grill breakfast, bangers & mash, while your northern neighbors gave us all haggis.
C'mon, pal. Fact is, the UK's rapidly becoming better known, culinary-wise, for Tikka Masala. There is some great food in the cities and some noteworthy chefs (you named a few). But to suggest that the many, many world-class chefs from the US don't measure up? I guess, when you're in the US, you subsist on pickle and Cheddar sandwiches then.
Hey, you Americans seem to the rest of the world as loud obnoxious braggerts who think your country is the best at everything...and when it's pointed out that that's not the case, you become like a child with a temper tantrum The truth hurts doesn't it? Grow up.
Piers is entirely correct when he says Britain has the best chefs. What he misses is that you have to pay the most $$$ for them. The average food in the UK is far below that of the US, but the best food in UK surpasses all.
Americans insult brits all the time – so it's kind of fair enough. What's more annoying is the constant references to ridiculously expensive experiences that no one reading this will ever have the means to experience. It shows a remarkable lack of watching CNN – the channel he works for – or just an ability to ignore it; because anyone watching the news on any given day in the last 4 years would notice that millions of people have no job and no money and no home and they don't want to hear about your $40,000 dinner or fleet of servants taking you to a sand bank. Nor will they be much inclined to watch you and feel like you in any way represent things they might care about.