IFMAGNY provides members with a tour of Food Network studio

The IFMAGNY program committee outdid itself recently by providing members and guests the opportunity to tour the TV studios and offices of the Food Network at 75 Ninth Ave., and then provide a marvelous dinner at 202 at Chelsea Market. About 75 members and guests were delighted by the informative Food Network staff who served as tour guides for the 45 minute tour of the facilities. One highlight of the tour was the kitchen stadium where the Iron Chef and other shows are often filmed and where up to two-hundred spectators are accommodated in the audience both at floor level and in the balcony. When we toured, the studio was broken down and we learned that the kitchen is built from scratch for each show. All the stoves, ovens, countertops and appliances are installed in the 5,000 s/f "black box" studio depending on the show. In another smaller studio that was full of cooking and prep activity, the group watched celebrity chef Anne Burrell instruct some apprentices on how to make a vegetable dish that looked amazingly delicious. The group also learned that the Food Network uses locations around the country to film many of their shows. After the tour, the group retired to 202 at Chelsea Market where a wonderful buffet with cocktails was served in the unique 202 environment of a Nicole Farhi clothing store combined with a gourmet restaurant. 202 is named after Farhi's original London restaurant and was the perfect ending to a great Food Network evening. John Poblocki is principal of Real Estate Cost Strategies, LLC and IFMAGNY PR committee member, New York, N.Y.