Sailing on a boat, scouting for restaurants on land.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Comedian Aziz Ansari is branching out yet again, with the debut of his brand-new culinary web series entitled “Food Club.â€
Ansari’s “Food Club†is a mockumentary series, and the culmination of Ansari’s long-held desire to host his own food-based show. To help him with the show, Ansari recruited two other comedians: Jason Woliner, who co-starred with Ansari on the MTV show “Human Giant†back when Ansari was still an up-and-comer, and Eric Wareheim, from the “Tim and Eric†comedy duo.
The series’ inaugural episode premiered on YouTube this past Monday, April 15, and follows the trio as the sail around on a boat, looking for land-based restaurants to dine at – something which Ansari and company clearly have a lot of fun with. The series will feature the three hosts visiting various restaurants, which serve all kinds of food, and judging the quality of it.
If the food meets their rigorous standards, the Food Club awards the establishment with one of its plaques, a comical rendering of Ansari, Woliner, and Wareheim standing on a pier declaring how good the food is. All the restaurants that they visit are in the Los Angeles area, where the show is produced.
Ansari, who has done his fair share of traveling over the past few years as his career hit the stratosphere, is a legitimate foodie in his own right. And even though his show takes place in L.A., Ansari loves food from all around the world. Ansari will be in New Orleans on April 21 for a show, and in an interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, said that he may be looking forward to the city’s food more than the comedy.
“The food there is awesome, so hopefully I don’t eat too much and end up waddling on the stage,” Ansari said. “I’m happy to be coming back.â€
Between his new food show and his constant comedy shows, Ansari is an incredibly busy man. He’s still a regular on the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,†on which he plays Tom Haverford, and pops up in Hollywood comedies every year, too. Some of his more notable roles have been in 2009’s Funny People, 2011’s 30 Minutes or Less, and last year’s This is the End, one of the biggest comedy hits of the year.
Ansari also makes frequent appearances on live television, hosting awards show like the MTV Movie Awards. Additionally, Ansari is working on a book about modern dating, for which he signed a publishing deal worth $3.5 million last year. He also purchased a nearly $3 million house in L.A.’s in-demand Los Feliz neighborhood in December.
Below is the first episode of Ansari’s “Food Club†(some material may be unsuitable for younger viewers):