Images courtesy of Netflix
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The revival of Queer Eye on the Netflix streaming service earlier this year, sees the retro makeover format reworked for 2018. Five experts (all out and gay in their own ways) help an ailing straight man in all areas of his life – fashion, interior design, grooming, food & drink and culture.
French Canadian Antoni Porowski has attracted a strong following of fans, most notably for his sultry good looks and his puppy dog eyes, and not at all because of his culinary skills. On the show, Antoni helps men learn how to cook for themselves (often for the very first time) or how to entertain friends and family in a fun and casual way. Leaning heavily on nostalgia, and recipes from childhood, Antoni tries to give the person being made over a few basic techniques and hopefully, some confidence to tackle more advanced cooking.
Critics however have been quick to point out that Antoni is almost never seen actually cooking anything on camera. He was ridiculed for such laughable cooking tips such as how to cut open an avocado and how to melt cheese. With very little evidence of Porowski’s cooking talents, some industry experts remain sceptical if a restaurant venture will ever match the success of his other creative outlet, Queer Eye.
This week at a panel discussion in New York, Antoni let it slip that he is planning to open a restaurant in the city soon. He described it as a “fast-casual food concept restaurant”. It remains to be seen whether he will merely be the face of the restaurant or if he will have a direct hand in the menu formulation.
In the meantime, here is Food24’s take on the new Queer Eye offshoot – we’re calling it Cafe Sultry:
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