Tony Shalhoub, like his Big Night co-star Stanley Tucci, now has his own food-centric anthropological series where he travels the world discussing delicious delicacies. On paper, this new series, which airs on Sundays on CNN, feels stale and unappealing as a piece of white bread. It feels so been there, done that, and begs the question — can we come up with another idea that doesn’t pull from Anthony Bourdain’s legacy?
However, much like how Tucci in Italy used food as a Trojan horse to discuss real world problems (e.g. gay marriage and adoption, cultural identity, the rise of conservative political ideology, the importance of immigrants in Italy), Breaking Bread uses the baking of bread (and bread-based delicacies) to investigate communities and how bread connect them to their past, establish them in new lands, and propels them into the future.
And Shalhoub is the perfect person to explore this.
No, it’s not because he played the fictional sleuth Adrian Monk. It’s because of his sincerity as a host. While Bourdain and Tucci were not shy about their passion for food, they are incredibly cool cats. Bourdain’s silver-haired ’70s punk rock swagger and Tucci’s sharp-dressed intellectual aura radiate undeniable supercoolness (not a word) that makes them someone the audience looks up to as a host, guide, teacher, and gourmet guru. Shalhoub, on the other hand, does not have the coolness factor of either, but he has this pure, unadulterated sincerity. His nerdiness for bread makes him our comrade in carbs. He’s on the journey right there with us as we all discover the stories, the heart and the legacy that each bread-centric location brings at the same time.
The premiere episode has the actor in New York City, where he currently resides. After sojourning to his favorite bakery with Lin Manuel Miranda, he makes his way to The Village for Irish soda bread and scones at Mary O’s. Up to this point in the episode, everything is essentially “Wow, Tony Shalhoub really likes bread.” This works only to a certain point, because as charming and engaging as the 72-year-old Emmy winner is, the premise starts to wear thin. It’s not until he walks into this hole-in-the-wall Irish bakery that we get to the literal heart of the series.
This segment of the episode touches upon how the owner nearly lost the pub due to COVID but after being convinced to sell scones and soda bread online, the pub was not only saved, but allowed for the opening of the shop. However, it’s not this “phew, they saved the business” story that makes this segment so important. No, it’s the letters the owner received from customers during the pandemic about how important these baked goods were. They evoked memories of the family that had passed, of better times, and how their taste inspired hope and provided comfort. It’s from this moment forward that the series reveals what it’s about – how the simplest food (bread) – can be loaded with history, love, community, and hope. That’s what sells this series. This message with the pure sincerity of its hosts make this more of a story about bread as opposed to “have food, will travel.”
It’d be unfair, if we didn’t mention just how beautifully this series is filmed. Never has bread looked so sumptuous. Every time a knife cuts into a freshly baked loaf of bread, you’ll find yourselves drooling.
Tony Shalhoub Breaking Bread is a wonderfully emotional, fun, and breezy hour of television. It’s like a warm croissant with a cup of tea on a rainy day — but in television form. It’s the type of little show that can allow you to find hope and comfort in a world bombarding you at every turn.
