WHAT IS.. “EAT & ARGUE!”

They’re on opposite sides of the same issue, but can a good meal help settle their beef?  

It’s food for thought as guests say “Eat & Argue!” and dish out the facts!

WHY FOOD?

From The Last Supper to The State Dinner, food has played a key role in shaping history.  A good meal has also been instrumental in bringing different groups together; Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together for the first Thanksgiving, to President Obama offering up a “Beer Summit.”  Who can forget the classic dinner scenes in the “Godfather 1&2”?   How about “American Beauty” where, over dinner, Carolyn questions Lester over why he quit his job?  Comedian Steve Allen had a different twist on things when he invited famous people who have since passed away to sit down and “talk things over” a bite to eat with his award winning “Meeting of the Minds.”  The kitchen and dinner tables are usually the focal point of great discussions/debates with both family and friends, so it’s easy to see why Hollywood has made a mint on classics like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” and small screen hits like “Soul Food” and “Blue Bloods”. 

CONCEPT
Bring together two people who disagree on current events.  The issue is discussed in a dining room, (restaurant setting) with the host acting as moderator while sharing a meal. Mostly delving into politics, topics for discussion may include: Immigration, Gun Control, Climate Change, Health Care, Racism, etc. but it will be up to the host to make the show In-your-face, compelling, fun and informative. While the title of the show is designed to attract, the objective is for the average person to connect to the guests and hopefully come away with the feeling that people with opposing views can not only be civil towards one another, but perhaps work together in a divisive and chaotic world.   After conducting hundreds of interviews across America with people from all backgrounds, the overall consensus is people are looking for alternative viewing. In less than one month, the Facebook page of former Congressman Peter King, who appeared in the sizzle reel and pilot, received over 11K views with dozens of shares.  Demonstrating a distinct desire to see this kind of programming on the air.

About

Julian Phillips

Creator, Host & Executive Producer

“Eat & Argue!” is the culmination of my more than three decades in journalism, production and the culinary arts. I have taken every step of my journey as a recorder of history, with a determination to provide the very best information, knowledge and truth to a public far too busy to find it for themselves.

To those ends, and the divisive times in which we live, I believe “Eat & Argue!” is a program perfectly suited for this moment. I also firmly believe that PBS, which has always been on the cutting edge of innovative and thoughtful programming, is the quintessential fit.  I am a three-time Emmy Award Winner and nine-time nominee. I have interviewed several newsmakers including President Bill Clinton, Senator Chuck Schumer, Congressman Peter King, and leading conservative and liberal thinkers such as James Carville and Rich Lowry, to name a few. After years of working as a local New York reporter, anchor and talk-show host, network host and two years working for Congress as a Communications Director, I possess a vast rolodex of politicians and newsmakers I can personally call upon to appear as guests. I am a seasoned moderator who is personable, able to adlib, ask the tough questions and am quick on my feet.

I am also a celebrity chef, had success as a restauranteur with “The Sound Bite”, a news themed establishment with live jazz and blues in Hell’s kitchen NYC. I was featured in the show opening of The Tamron Hall Show, have appeared in cooking segments on numerous local news shows in New York and won awards for my recipes, “Best Wings in NY State”, Insider Food 2018; “Best Recipe”, Fave Foods of the Famous. As the creator of the Cajun, Southern, Italian fusion food concept, I have traveled as far as China to perfect my spice recipes. I am married to Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Barbara King and we reside on Long Island, NY.