Not everyone can afford fancy restaurants, but, thankfully, you can tag along and feel like you’re in the know about fine dining just by keeping up with the food-centric content on Netflix. Here are eight gems to watch.
Haven’t binge-watched all three seasons of this Emmy-nominated series yet? The Netflix original is the ultimate in food porn, featuring renowned chefs like Francis Mallmann and Dominique Crenncooking up mouthwatering dishes and divulging secrets about their restaurants.
Most people associate Nathan’s Famous with the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. This doc strips back further layers of the brand, which has been a Coney Island favorite since 1916. It’s a wonderfully warm, informative and interesting look at the original location of what’s now an international hot dog chain.
Directed by David Gelb—who oversaw several episodes of Chef’s Table—this gorgeous film follows Jiro Ono, an 91-year-old sushi master and owner of Tokyo’s Sukiyabashi Jiro. The 10-seat sushi bar, which has three Michelin stars, is located in a subway station.
In this deep dive into Chinese food in America, King Corn’s Ian Cheney takes an in-depth look at the man, the myth and the menu favorite. The stunning visuals and palatable, easy-to-digest historical info will have you reaching for that stash of take-out menus in no time.
⑤ Somm
You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy this film—but you do need to be one if you plan to be a master sommelier. This doc shadows four men working to achieve that very status, which few earthly souls ever attain.
If Phil Rosenthal doesn’t look familiar, it’s because he’s usually working behind the scenes. But this 2016 James Beard Award winner proves that the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond is just as entertaining on-screen as he travels the world to sample new foods.
Anthony Bourdain has a few binge-worthy food shows; this James Beard Award and Emmy winner combines cooking with science, travel and history. Just know he’s not actually the main focus; instead, he narrates the stories of rotating chefs, including David Chang, Sean Brock, Magnus Nilsson and Gabrielle Hamilton.
It may not be as appetizing as the others on our list, but Morgan Spurlock makes something bad something awesome—so awesome, in fact, that the film was nominated for an Oscar. And although it may be difficult to watch at times, the doc offers an enlightening and entertaining look at the filmmaker’s 30-day fast-food binge.