| Baron Ambrosia | |
|---|---|
| Bronx Flavor character | |
| First appearance | Underbelly NYC |
| Last appearance | Bronx Flavor |
| Created by | Justin Fornal |
| Portrayed by | Justin Fornal, background: Dominican |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Quaffer of Culinary Consciousness |
| Occupation | food critic |
| Title | Bronx Culinary Ambassador |
| Archenemies | Bürgomeister Bürger The Queen of Westchester Lankey the Leprechaun Al Kajowski |
Baron Ambrosia is the alter ego of Bronx-based underground filmmaker Justin Fornal. The character is a self-proclaimed "quaffer of culinary consciousness" and travels around New York City, mostly in The Bronx, documenting various ethnic cultures and their indigenous cuisines, represented typically by the small food establishments (including restaurants, food trucks, street vendors, and grocery stores) he visits. Baron Ambrosia has appeared in Fornal's self-produced video podcast Underbelly NYC and currently stars in the public-access television cable TV channel BronxNet's Bronx Flavor. Both Esquire Magazine and Boing Boing have called Baron Ambrosia "The Ali G of Food."[1][2]
Contents |
The Baron Ambrosia character first appeared in 2006 in the video podcast Underbelly NYC which was distributed through Liberated Syndication.[3] The show reached a number #1 ranking under iTunes culinary podcasts.[4] Fornal produced, in total, eight episodes of Underbelly NYC.
In Spring 2008, Baron Ambrosia re-emerged in Bronx Flavor on BronxNet, a Public-access television cable TV channel in Bronx, NY.[5]
Both series focus on Baron Ambrosia's wild adventures in food (mostly ethnic cuisines and restaurants that are not covered by mainstream media). Bronx Flavor focuses strictly on his adventures in the Bronx. In both shows, Baron Ambrosia involves local business owners, diners, and passers-by in comedic sketches. All Underbelly NYC and Bronx Flavor episodes are written, directed, and edited by Fornal.
The show's following stems largely from its balance of education and humor. Each episode typically begins with the Baron describing a particular ethnic community and then focuses on its culinary heritage. The Baron will then hunt it down and get into a comical situation stemming from his obsessive personality and knack for over-indulgence.
In May 2011 Baron Ambrosia began filming a special for the Cooking Channel entitled The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia. Cooking Channel’s official description of the project appears on their website…
Culinary adventure-seeker Baron Ambrosia faces banishment from his hometown of the Bronx after being accused of pie theft by Grandmaster Mele Mel. Challenged by an athletic duel, he takes to the streets of Newark, NJ in search of the famed Jersey Devil fajitas, said to bring super-human strength to anyone that consumes them. Along the way, he’s distracted by other food delights Newark has to offer including Trinidadian roti, Italian hot dogs and Portuguese dry soup.
On Novemver 6th, 2011 The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia aired on the Cooking Channel.
On July 27, 2008 Baron Ambrosia appeared in The Bronx's Dominican Day Parade in his purple roadster the P-Rex to publicize the show.
In February 2009, Bronx Flavor received a New York Emmy Awards nomination.[6]
Baron Ambrosia appeared on the May 27, 2009 episode of Cash Cab, after two strikes Ambrosia won $800 on the "Double or Nothing" bonus question.[7]
The New York Times reported on Baron Ambrosia, Underbelly NYC, and Bronx Flavor on July 22, 2009, describing the current show this way: "flashy production numbers aside, at bottom Bronx Flavor is an effort to educate and entertain without pretension."[8]
Baron Ambrosia appeared as a featured speaker at the National Association of Broadcasters Sony Software User's Event on April 12, 2010.[9] Also in 2010, Sony used Baron Ambrosia to promote its Vegas Pro suite of video editing software.[10]
The New York Times reported on May 5, 2010 that "NYC Life will show the third season of Bronx Flavor on Wednesdays at 9 ... [after this, the] Baron will re-emerge with a new show, tentatively titled Spice Hunter NYC, which will allow him to tour all five boroughs in search of exotic flavors and crazier story lines."[11]
On Wednesday May 12, 2010, with BronxNet's consent, Bronx Flavor Season 3 was rebroadcast on NYC Life (a component of NYC TV).[12] NYC Life reaches all 5 boroughs as well as parts of Connecticut and New Jersey. As part of the campaign, NYC Life put Baron Ambrosia's face (along with other show hosts) on 103 New York City bus shelters. Footage from the show is also included in a preview reel of the network's new programming on small monitors in 13,000 taxicabs.
On May 14, 2010, New York Times critic Ariel Kaminer reviewed Bronx Flavor saying, "In its own bizarre way, the show’s humor is as unpredictable, and as specific to its time and place, as Monty Python was to Oxbridge of the late 1960s (fewer references to Proust, and more to bikini waxing)."[13]
On December 12, 2010 Baron Ambrosia received a proclamation from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. proclaiming him the official culinary ambassador to the Bronx.
On December 30, 2010 BronxNet premiered the first episode of 'Bronx Flavor Season 4' at the Paradise Theater on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. After the screening Grandmaster Mele Mel performed.
February 17, 2011 Bronx Flavor received its second New York Emmy Nomination.
In March 2011, Baron Ambrosia was funded by SONY Software to travel to Port Au Prince, Haiti where he filmed the finale for Season 4.
On November 6, 2011 Baron Ambrosia received a proclamation from Newark Mayor Corey Booker proclaiming him a culinary ambassador to the city of Newark.
1. Chimi Chimi Bang Bang Release Date 1/25/2007
Culinary Focus: Chimichurri trucks of Washington Heights parked on Broadway between 175th and 181st Street.
Location New York, New York
2. Cuchifritos of Love Release Date 3/11/2007
Culinary Focus: 188 Cuchifritos Restaurant in the Bronx
Location: Bronx, New York
3. Battle of the Forbidden Fruit Release Date 3/12/2007
Culinary Focus: In this break away episode Baron puts forth the possibility the Durian was the true forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden.
Location: Vandcourtlandt Park Bronx, New York
4. Secrets of the Liberian Funk Release Date 3/14/2007
Culinary Focus: The homemade Liberian foods of Eliza Smith (i.e. palm butter, fried pepper sauce, sweet potato greens, turborgee)
Location: Jamaica, New York
5. Ca Cuong City Release Date 4/19/2007
Culinary Focus: The thoracic exudate of the lethocerus indicus (giant water bug)
Location: Vietnam (various),Bronx, New York
6. Fruit Van Fantasia Release Date 4/26/2007
Culinary Focus: The mamey milk shakes and mavi sold at the fruit van located at exit 5 off the Bronx River Parkway
7. Viva Pulque Release Date 7/22/2007
Culinary Focus: The sacred fermented juice of the Magey plant known as Pulque.
Location: Mexico (various)
8. A Latke Lunacy Release Date 8/12/2007
Culinary Focus: the potato pancakes sold by Paul Schmuckler from his Briggs Avenue apartment.
Location: Bronx, New York
Season 1
1. The Purple Coffin Air Date: 03/11/08
An introductory episode in which the Baron arrives in the Bronx after a five year mission to exotic lands and is asked to be a culinary correspondent for Bronxnet Channel 67
2. Legend of the Bullet Proof Foot Air Date: 04/04/08
Culinary Focus: The Jamacian curried cow's foot from Jamrock Cooking.
Location: Jamrock Cooking
3. Burek Mania Air Date: 04/18/08
Culinary Focus: Albanian and Kosovoan Burek
Locations: Tony & Tina's Pizza, Dukagjini Burek
4. The Platinum Paan Don Air Date: 05/02/08
Culinary Focus: The Indian aperitif created from the leaf of the betelnut creeper
Location: Dashi Bazaar
5. The Rites of Sandwich Air Date 05/16/08
Culinary Focus: A mammoth sandwich named after Baron Ambrosia
6. Fufu Inferno Air Date 06/02/08
Culinary Focus: West African cuisine in particular soup and fufu
Location: Sankofa Restaurant
7. The Giffiti That Keeps on Giving Air Date 06/13/08
Culinary Focus: Garifuna cuisine and the aphrodisiac known as giffiti
Location: Garifuna Star
8. The Ghosts of Endorsements Past Air Date 06/27/08
Culinary Focus: Thai curries
Location: Siam Square Restaurant
9. A Cheesecake Odyssey Air Date 07/11/08
Culinary Focus: Cheesecake
Location: S & S Cheesecake
Season 2
10. The Agony of Flavor Part 1: Pasteles Pandimonium Air Date 08/25/08
Culinary Focus: The Dominican/ Puerto Rican tamale known as a pastel
Location: Pasteles by Noemi
11. The Agony of Flavor Part 2: Purgatory Pate Air Date 9/05/08
Culinary Focus: the healing Haitian beef patties of Vodou Mambo Rose Carline
Location: Jamaica, Queens
12. Cuchifritos of Love: Platinum Edition Air Date 9/19/08
Culinary Focus: A re-release of the Underbelly episode of the same name with new scenes and
extended plot.
Location: 188 Cuchifritos
13. The Legend of Van Cortlandt Park Air Date 9/26/08
Culinary Focus: The carrot cake and other various bake goods of Lloyd’s Carrot Cake.
Location: Lloyd’s Carrot Cake
14.Night at the Bodega Air Date 10/10/08
Culinary Focus: The products that can be found and purchased in various Bronx bodegas
Location: The Vargas Deli
Special Guest: Grandmaster Melle Mel
15. Friend or Phở Air Date 10/24/08
Culinary Focus: Vietnamese cuisine in particular the soup known as Pho.
Location: World of Taste Seafood and Deli
16. Quantum of Chimi Air Date 11/07/08
Culinary Focus: Chimichurri Hamburger
Location: El Rincon De Los Taxistas Chimi Truck
17. The Chitlin' Rapture Air Date 11/21/08
Culinary Focus: Soul Food
Location:Berzet's Soul Food & Fillet of Soul
Seasonal
18. Bronx Flavor Christmas Spectacular Air Date 12/24/08
In this half hour black & white ode to the Christmas films of the 1950s, Baron Ambrosia
must get together $300,000 before midnight Christmas Eve to save the Bronx Orphanage from a
greedy developer who wishes to convert it into a coffee shop for yuppies.
Season 3
19. The Vodka Sauce Vendetta Air Date 3/1/09
Culinary Focus: Italian Food
Location: Ann & Tony's Restaurant
20. The Liberian, The Pepper and the Pestle Air Date 4/5/09
Culinary Focus: Palm Butter
Location: Aunty Nana's & the Water Street Market in Monrovia
Award:Best Comedy/Documentary 2009 New York Independent Film Festival
21. The Corned Beef Confidential Air Date 4/24/09
Culinary Focus: Irish Foods
Location: An Beal Bocht & Prime Cut Meats
22. A Passover Preposterous Air Date 5/31/09/
Culinary Focus: Jewish Foods
Location: Liebman's Delicatessian
23. Roti Express Air Date 7/5/09/
Culinary Focus: Guyanese & Trini Cuisine
Location: Lai's Roti & Coconut Palm
24. Joe Bataan Stole My Girlfriend Air Date 8/2/09
Culinary Focus: Southern Mexican Cuisine
Location: Xochimilco Special Guest: Joe Bataan
25. A Hunts Point Haunting Air Date 10/6/09
Culinary Focus: BBQ
Location: Mo Gridder's BBQ
26. End Game I: Saving City Island Air Date 1/1/10
Culinary Focus: Seafood
Location: Lobster House & The Black Whale
Special Guest: Chef Michael Valentino Proietti
27. End Game II: The Bling of Fire Air Date 2/7/10
Culinary Focus: Jamaican Cuisine
Location: H.I.M Ital Rasta-rant & Barry's Jerk Delight
Special Guest: Sal Abbatiello
Seasonal
28. Thankschriskwanzaakah Air Date 11/29/09
To deal with the slumping economy the government combines all the winter holidays. Awesome Mart CEO and greedy slickster Belvedere Washburton buys the holiday so he is the only one who can sell the official dish…Laturgogoosamel! After the cursed meat turns all Bronxites into zombie shoppers it is up to the Baron to save all the holidays from certain destruction.
Season 4
29. Culinary Nonesense-ness Air Date 1/4/11
While Baron Ambrosia is in maximum security prison, a national television network hires a hipster look alike named Brian Andozza to high-jack the show. The network renames the show Bronx Flava and attempts to give it an aloof mean spirited edge. New host Brian gets more than bargains for when he visits Bate African Restaurant on Melrose Avenue and the Bronx Pop Soda Company in Little Italy.
Culinary Focus: Guinean Cuisine
Location: Bate African Restaurant & Bronx Pop Soda Company
30. Correctional Festivites Air Date 7/25/11
While Baron Ambrosia is locked up in a ‘maximum security prison for incredibly stylish super villains’ he documents the unique recipes that have evolved in prison culture. After breaking into the prison kitchen, Ambrosia and fellow inmates show how to create some notorious favorites. The menu includes jailhouse burritos, pruno, as well as a surprise dish that may hold the secret to Baron Ambrosia’s escape.
Culinary Focus: Prison Recipes