Food Network at Cinghiale

The blue-and-white Food Network flags on Lancaster Street this afternoon were a giveaway. What’s going on? I asked a guy with a camera crew hanging around Cinghiale. He turned out to be the producer of Chefs vs City.

The show pits Food Network chefs Aarón Sánchez and Chris Cosentino against two local foodies—in this case, chefs Annmarie Langton and Thomas Looney, both of Helen’s Garden—in a race around a particular location to find the most interesting, challenging food places.

The day-long, multi-stop sprint around Baltimore in the sweat-producing 90-degree heat came to Cinghiale for one of the challenges. A sign out front read: Prepare egg ravioli, make no mistakes, you’ll have to start over, if any yolk breaks.

The show’s executive producer described the program as a culinary Amazing Race and Iron Chef challenge. The TV crew couldn’t speak on the record, though. I have to get in touch with the Food Network’s PR machine for more answers.

But it was fun watching the teams pull up to the curb in Suburbans, jump out, and run to the restaurant owned by Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf. Each group of two had to read the challenge out loud. (I did overhear that they had been to Bertha’s, too.)

After the Cinghiale competition, they had to race to the finish line at the Welcome Center at the Inner Harbor.

As soon as I get more details from New York, I’ll let you know when the Baltimore show airs. Chefs vs City can be seen at 9 p.m. on Sundays.