Photo: Host Justin Warner helps prepare a smoked pig at Pisgah Brewing with Micheal Moore of Blind Pig, as seen on Food Network’s Rebel Eats Special. Credit: Food Network.
When “Food Network Star” mentor Alton Brown picked Justin Warner to join his team, a match was made.
With his cooking technique compared to that of a mad scientist and his unconventional imagination reflecting his youth and passion for food, the 27-year-old Brooklyn chef quickly won over the judges—and viewers—and claimed the winning title.
The winner is usually given a series in the fall season. Previous winners like Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), Melissa d’Arabian (“Ten Dollar Dinners”), Jeff Mauro (“Sandwich King”) and Aarti Sequeira (“Aarti Party) are now some of Food Network’s most recognizable food personalities. But Warner and Food Network kept his fans waiting until now.
Diverging from original plans, “Rebel Eats,” which premieres tomorrow at 10 p.m. on Food Network, will only be an hour-long. The documentary-style special was “very minimally produced,” according to Warner. Some shots were even filmed on an iPhone.
“Armed with $300 in his pocket, a beat up car and a passion for unconventional food and eccentric people, Justin travels the back roads of the South to try everything from moonshine and bacon beer to BBQ in a jar and jelly fish pasta. Along the way, Justin meets the cooks and proprietors who, like him, march to their own beat through the world of food,” according to the press release.
To prepare for his soon-to-premiere special, Warner had agreed to an email interview with The Mirror.
Q: Your show was supposed to premiere this fall, but at the moment, Rebel Eats is a one-hour special. What caused the delay? Whose idea was it to change the original plans?
A: Like short ribs and kimchi, good things take time. We wanted to figure out the best way to package me for human consumption, and we had to think hard on that, go through half a dozen meetings, fly to LA twice, and all sorts of stuff. We discussed many ideas, and ultimately came to the same conclusion: For the best effect, we will attempt prime time.
Q: After watching episodes of the Next Food Network Star competition, how do you think you’ve grown since the beginning of the show?
A: Oh, I’ve calmed down considerably. I’m a little less angsty. I’ve learned to take criticism, ignore haters, all sorts of growth really. I’m still the same old kid. Maybe a little more patient. I know a lot more about TV and production and cameras and all the jargon they use on sets. That’s pretty fun stuff.
Q: Without giving away too much info about your special – what was your favorite part of the trip? How about something off-camera that we won’t be able to see?
A: There will be an homage to a very famous movie in the middle of the special. We shot the scene based off of a clip we pulled up on an iPhone. It’s pretty magical. For 12 days, aside from sleeping, everything was on camera. We intentionally over-shot so we can release a trickle of web content if we decide to.
Q: Do you have a specific audience in mind?
A: The hungry and the curious.
Q: Several media outlets have called you Alton Brown’s protégé … how does that make you feel?
A: It makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to.
Q; Obviously, you’ll hope a show will come out of this. Think positively: What will set “Rebel Eats” apart from others on Food Network (for example, Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”)?
A: It’s entirely different. This is a documentary of a road trip. It was very minimally produced. I decided where I wanted to go, who I wanted to talk to, and why. You will see rain on my show. Because it rained. We didn’t have a stylist or a hair and make-up team, so if I was having a bad hair day, well…. you’ll see that as well. America is ready for this. We give millions of views to YouTube and gritty videos every day. We can handle a special where portions were shot on an iPhone.
Q: What will you be doing the night of your premiere?
A: Having a glass of champagne and sitting next to my girlfriend with my dog. I’ll live tweet the heck out of it. Then I’ll go to my restaurant and screen the show for all my friends who don’t have cable.
Free on Saturday, March 30, at 10 p.m.? Be sure to check out “Rebel Eats” on Food Network.
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