talktojen As a North Carolinian, I can honestly say this show makes us all proud. Vivian takes southern food from her childhood and locals and elevates it to a superior level, showing that she is a great chef. It is not some fake reality show that uses a script. Vivian is very real and funny, often laughing at the craziness of it all. She will make you cry sometimes, and you will feel like you can't get enough of it. I am astonished by people who say she can't relate to people or is boring. That is crazy. Yes, she and her husband don't the perfect relationship, but who does?? At least its not some sugar coated crap that shows a fake view of the world. It is an honest portrayal of the south and I think the song lyrics in the theme say it all: Why cant you see yourself as beautiful as I see you"..

BlackJack_B PBS' A Chef's Life is half cooking show, half "real reality T.V." show. Unlike most reality T.V. cooking shows, this isn't some made-up story about a restaurant opening but a legit opening. Problem is see, they clearly have scripted events occur during the program that anybody with a brain can see a mile away.The focus is on Chef Vivian Howard, who sounds like a female Dr. Phil. She has a North Carolina drawl and many of the people she interacts with have that distinct accent. She and her husband Ben Knight worked in New York (don't know if that's a work or not) and then claims her parents will allow them to open their own restaurant if they open it in Eastern North Carolina (?) which she says she was finished with in the intro. Most of each show is about the travails of getting this restaurant open with a mix of fact and BS. 5-7 minutes are spent showcasing her cooking prowess.Much of the show consists of the boring and dull comments of Chef Vivian in front of a camera. She certainly knows how to doll herself up but she has the personality of a rock. She also seems to come off as somebody with a superiority complex and her husband is pretty much forced to do her bidding as he clearly doesn't wear the pants in this family.I would recommend one episode just so you can hear that unique voice of hers but other than that, it's a good cure for insomnia. Anyway, I'm sure she will script a good ending for her little enterprise.

BardonLake True to the show's title, this series centers around the life of Chef Vivian Howard. Unfortunately for the viewer, Chef Howard is not a terribly endearing personality. Restaurant staff and Chef Howard's husband are subjected to a whole host of petty quibbles, nasty looks, and an overall moody temperament, none of which makes for terribly good television. In fact, it's quite distracting from what otherwise might be a good program. Likewise, Chef Howard's encounters with "the locals" seem rather contrived and the mutual lack of comfort ekes through more than the culinary and cultural content. Many of the locals seem take to Chef Howard about as well as former Confederates took to Carpetbaggers after the Civil War; it's terribly awkward. Overall, the show seems to lose itself in Chef Howard's uncanny inability to relate to her husband, coworkers, and community, rather than truly immersing itself in Carolina culture and "exploring the south one ingredient at a time."

peacecreep An interesting little show about a couple running a restaurant in North Carolina. The better parts focus on southern ingredients and their preparation, the rest is about them rebuilding their restaurant after a fire. These sequences play as awkward portraits of a marriage on the rocks as they bicker and complain about each other to the camera. A lot of the scenes with locals seem forced and slightly uncomfortable, as it appears Vivian and her cameras annoy them. The film making is simple yet competent and the photography is nice to look at. I certainly appreciate the honesty of it. Chef Vivian definitely has some great recipes and cultural heritage to share but the emphasis on the stressed out relationship gets in the way.