Food blogger Ali Khan is on a sweet and savory journey to discover some of the best deals on the best dishes in cities across the country on Cooking Channel’s Cheap Eats, premiering on Thursday, April 21st at 10pm ET/7pm PT. With 12 hours in each location and only $35 to spare, he must find the biggest, most delicious, bang for his buck for breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner. Ali follows his appetite to spots in Albuquerque, Austin, Boulder, Charlestown, Chicago, and Miami to chow down on some of the most flavorful and affordable fare in each destination, meeting the local chefs along the way.
“Cheap Eats takes viewers on a budget-conscious culinary tour of the country seeking out great taste for a good price,” said Didi O’Hearn, Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network & Cooking Channel. “Ali Khan is the perfect guide, with his talent for uncovering unique eateries, known only to the locals, rivaled only by his ability to find fantastic deals.”
In each of the six half-hour long episodes, Ali visits a new city to prove that great food does not have to break the bank. Before diving into his plate, Ali gets a lesson from the talented chefs on how to make the delicious dishes, uncovering the ingredients and techniques used to prepare them. From dishes that are just as impressive as the Chicago skyline, to mouthwatering meals in Boulder that are just as magnificent as the Rocky Mountains, to sizzling snacks in Albuquerque that are just as hot as the desert, Ali uncovers the finest flavors and tastiest local delicacies for the best price.
On the premiere episode, Ali reveals some of the best offerings in Austin. First, he enjoys Migas Tacos at a popular roadside stop. Then, he gets schooled on authentic Texas BBQ, before embarking on a buttery journey in baking. Last but not least, he caps off the day with the ultimate Bayou experience that tastes homemade. Ali starts that day with shallow pockets of only $35, but he leaves satisfied with a very full stomach!
For more Cheap Eats across the country fans can visit CookingChannelTV.com/CheapEats for the best places to eat, as well as Ali’s favorite cheap burgers. They can also follow Ali as he takes over @CookingChannel Instagram the day of the premiere, and can connect to the conversation on Twitter using #CheapEats.
As the son of South Asian immigrants, Ali Khan learned to embrace exotic cuisine at a young age. It was inevitable that his passion for food shaped his professional career, and led him to become BlackBook Magazine’s Senior Editor of Los Angeles Dining and Nightlife Guide at age 26. In addition, Ali dedicated his writing skills to several popular lifestyle websites, including Urban Daddy, LA TACO, and was a regular contributor to You Gotta Eat This. In 2015, Ali launched the successful blog series Bang For Your Burger Buck. His passion for all things epicurean combined with his B.A. in Theater Studies from University of Southern California led him to Food Network, where he has appeared on Grill It with Bobby Flay, Best Thing I Ever Made, and on a forthcoming episode of Chopped Junior. When Ali is not traveling the country to discover Cheap Eats, he resides with his wife and son in Austin, Texas.
Cheap Eats is produced by Sirens Media, A Leftfield Entertainment Company.
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Crunnchyroll presents ‘BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense’: You’re not twinking!
‘Knock at the Cabin’: Puttin on your boogie shoes!
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
An Askewed View Episode 7 Jay And Silent Bob Reboot
