Phantom Gourmet
Encyclopedia
The Phantom Gourmet is a food-related television program
with reviews of New England area restaurant
s from an anonymous critic
. The show airs on WSBK-TV
in Boston, Massachusetts and WLWC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island
each Saturday and Sunday morning, with a half-hour episode composed of older clips followed by an hour-long episode (either new or rerun). In late spring of 2006, the company behind the show came out with its first Boston restaurant guide of reviews, entitled The Phantom Gourmet Guide to Boston's Best Restaurants.
s, a segment on determining the best grocery item of a chosen category(Top of the Food Chain), and a segment on recipe
s. The show also gives a Great 8 selection of restaurants that are the best in their category, and a Hidden Jewel that features a unique restaurant that people may not have heard of. At the end of each show, a Dish Worth Driving To award is awarded, which is a restaurant in the outlying areas of the Metro Boston area (though sometimes as far away as Rhode Island
or New Hampshire
).
Though not all ten criteria are necessarily used for every restaurant, the reviews rate the atmosphere, menu, appetizers, entrees, desserts, portion sizes, service, cleanliness, value, and location. Each element is rated is out of ten points, leading to final, though sometimes overlapping rankings of:
with host Billy Costa
. The show gained a cult following almost immediately and was given a Best of Boston
award by Boston Magazine
in 1994 for Best Talk Show. NECN broadcast the show for a decade.
In March 2003, the Phantom Gourmet made a deal with Viacom
to move the show to WSBK-TV
beginning on September 20, 2003, where it has been since. During the transition, the original host, Billy Costa began a new show TV Diner. The deal also led to the Restaurant Report Card segment of the show to appear on sister station WBZ-TV
's newscasts. The show was also added to WLWC
's programming schedule, bringing the show to the Providence, Rhode Island
area, where NECN had been largely unavailable.
, who then became the show's full-time and current host. Dave Andelman continues to run the company while also appearing as an unseen narrator during the restaurant segments and frequent on-air contributor. During special theme shows (usually ones that discuss more popular fare like chain restaurants and fast food), the two Andelman brothers are sometimes joined in a panel by other brother Michael. Their father, Eddie
, known for his annual "Hot Dog Safari" charity event, has also been featured on the show as an expert on hot dogs. Dave Andelman appeared on an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
as one of the local judges for a meatloaf throwdown which took place on Cape Cod.
-FM (96.9 Talk). It airs on Saturdays from 4PM-7PM local time.
Friday editions, and online at the Phantom Gourmet's website after each episode airs. The website also contains web versions of the Great 8, Top of the Food Chain, and Hidden Jewel segments of the television program.
to give the most trustworthy restaurant reviews the company can possibly give to their viewers. This is done because the producers believe that recognizable critics are given special service above what average customers receive, whereas concealing the Phantom's identity allows him a more accurate representation of what other customers experience. To this end, the Phantom Gourmet staff refuse to disclose the Phantom's name to the general public. The only clues that have been given are that he doesn't live in Boston or Providence and it has been stated that the Phantom is not an Andelman. On the June 3, 2006 show, host Dan Andelman conducted an interview with the Phantom, whose voice and identity were altered. They revealed that the Phantom's favorite food is pizza, and also that, despite the show's use of "he" to refer to the critic, the Phantom could still be a woman.
on Landsdowne Street. The Phantom's most critically acclaimed restaurants in Boston and the Greater Boston
area serve various foods at the event. Due to alcohol served, the gala is a 21+ event.
On May 2, 2009 the company hosted a new event, The Phantom Gourmet Wine & Food Phest at the Bayside Expo Center. The tagline for the event, which featured 30 wines and 30 foods and a giant purple dance floor, was “wine snobs need not apply.”
Andelman and his brothers have also taken over the longtime hot dog fundraiser that their father, sports radio talk show host Eddie Andelman
, had hosted for the last 19 years. The renamed Phantom Gourmet Hot Dog Safari was held on May 31, 2009 at Suffolk Downs. All proceeds went to the Joey Fund and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The Phantom Gourmet hosted the Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party at Suffolk Downs in East Boston June 26–28, 2009, and at MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut on June 19–21, 2009.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
with reviews of New England area restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s from an anonymous critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
. The show airs on WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV is a MyNetworkTV television station for eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that is licensed to Boston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter along the Needham and Wellesley town line southwest of the MA 9 and I-95 / MA 128...
in Boston, Massachusetts and WLWC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
each Saturday and Sunday morning, with a half-hour episode composed of older clips followed by an hour-long episode (either new or rerun). In late spring of 2006, the company behind the show came out with its first Boston restaurant guide of reviews, entitled The Phantom Gourmet Guide to Boston's Best Restaurants.
Show format
In addition to reviews, the show features interviews with restaurant owners and chefChef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s, a segment on determining the best grocery item of a chosen category(Top of the Food Chain), and a segment on recipe
Recipe
A recipe is a set of instructions that describe how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish.-Components:Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components*The name of the dish...
s. The show also gives a Great 8 selection of restaurants that are the best in their category, and a Hidden Jewel that features a unique restaurant that people may not have heard of. At the end of each show, a Dish Worth Driving To award is awarded, which is a restaurant in the outlying areas of the Metro Boston area (though sometimes as far away as Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
or New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
).
Though not all ten criteria are necessarily used for every restaurant, the reviews rate the atmosphere, menu, appetizers, entrees, desserts, portion sizes, service, cleanliness, value, and location. Each element is rated is out of ten points, leading to final, though sometimes overlapping rankings of:
- Phan-tastic Dining (~90-100)
- Gourmet Greatness (~80-90)
- Phantom Approved (~75-80)
- Phantom Mezza Mezza (~65-75)
- Phantom Flawed (~65 and below)
History
The program broadcast its first episode on June 26, 1993, on New England Cable NewsNew England Cable News
New England Cable News is a regional 24-hour cable news television network owned and operated by NBCUniversal serving the New England region of the United States. It is very similar to CNN in structure and style, but focuses more on regional news. The channel is also similar to Northwest Cable...
with host Billy Costa
Billy Costa
-Early life:Costa grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On a hockey scholarship, he attended college at Merrimack College for an English major. After transferring to Emerson College, he lost his scholarship and money, so got a job as a DJ at a local nightclub. He later joined the Emerson radio...
. The show gained a cult following almost immediately and was given a Best of Boston
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
award by Boston Magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
in 1994 for Best Talk Show. NECN broadcast the show for a decade.
In March 2003, the Phantom Gourmet made a deal with Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
to move the show to WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV is a MyNetworkTV television station for eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that is licensed to Boston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter along the Needham and Wellesley town line southwest of the MA 9 and I-95 / MA 128...
beginning on September 20, 2003, where it has been since. During the transition, the original host, Billy Costa began a new show TV Diner. The deal also led to the Restaurant Report Card segment of the show to appear on sister station WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
's newscasts. The show was also added to WLWC
WLWC
WLWC is the CW-affiliated television station licensed to New Bedford but which operates out of Providence and acts largely as a Rhode Island station despite its licensing. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 from a transmitter in the Ashley Heights section of East...
's programming schedule, bringing the show to the Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
area, where NECN had been largely unavailable.
The Andelmans
When Phantom Gourmet moved to broadcast television in 2003, CEO David (Dave) Andelman, who also was the show's second host on NECN, tapped WBZ-TV news reporter David Robichaud to serve as host (2003–2005) before turning the job over to his own younger brother, Feedback Forum segment host Dan AndelmanDan Andelman
Dan Andelman and his older brothers Dave and Mike Andelman are hosts of the popular WSBK-TV 38 show The Phantom Gourmet, as well as the WTKK Radio 96 radio show Phantom Gourmet...
, who then became the show's full-time and current host. Dave Andelman continues to run the company while also appearing as an unseen narrator during the restaurant segments and frequent on-air contributor. During special theme shows (usually ones that discuss more popular fare like chain restaurants and fast food), the two Andelman brothers are sometimes joined in a panel by other brother Michael. Their father, Eddie
Eddie Andelman
Eddie Andelman is an American sports radio talk show host. He has worked over 40 years in sports talk radio in Boston and has appeared on over 100 sports stations all over the country.- Career :...
, known for his annual "Hot Dog Safari" charity event, has also been featured on the show as an expert on hot dogs. Dave Andelman appeared on an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
Throwdown! with Bobby Flay is a Food Network television program in which celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenges cooks renowned for a specific dish or type of cooking to a cook-off of their signature dish....
as one of the local judges for a meatloaf throwdown which took place on Cape Cod.
Radio
In 2008, The Phantom Gourmet discontinued the radio segments that aired on WBZ-AM each morning at 10:56 and each weekend afternoon at 2:56 and 3:56. This version had been on the air since 1995, and usually consisted of an audio version of a Restaurant Report Card, although at times a Great 8 segment has appeared on the station. (Ironically, as a result of corporate mergers, WBZ radio is now co-owned with WSBK and WLWC.) A "Phantom Gourmet" radio show debuted on April 7, 2007 on Boston's WTKKWTKK
WTKK is a New England commercial talk radio station, first broadcast out of Boston on 96.9 FM beginning in 1999. It can be heard in eastern Massachusetts, the northernmost area of Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine...
-FM (96.9 Talk). It airs on Saturdays from 4PM-7PM local time.
In print & online
The Phantom's report cards also appear in print in the Boston HeraldBoston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
Friday editions, and online at the Phantom Gourmet's website after each episode airs. The website also contains web versions of the Great 8, Top of the Food Chain, and Hidden Jewel segments of the television program.
The critic
The term Phantom Gourmet is also used to describe the critic who reviews for each of the above programs. According to the website, the Phantom "pays his own way" and dines under a disguiseDisguise
A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, costume or other ways. Camouflage is one type of disguise for people, animals and objects...
to give the most trustworthy restaurant reviews the company can possibly give to their viewers. This is done because the producers believe that recognizable critics are given special service above what average customers receive, whereas concealing the Phantom's identity allows him a more accurate representation of what other customers experience. To this end, the Phantom Gourmet staff refuse to disclose the Phantom's name to the general public. The only clues that have been given are that he doesn't live in Boston or Providence and it has been stated that the Phantom is not an Andelman. On the June 3, 2006 show, host Dan Andelman conducted an interview with the Phantom, whose voice and identity were altered. They revealed that the Phantom's favorite food is pizza, and also that, despite the show's use of "he" to refer to the critic, the Phantom could still be a woman.
Special events
Every fall, the Phantom Gourmet Food Festival is held near Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
on Landsdowne Street. The Phantom's most critically acclaimed restaurants in Boston and the Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
area serve various foods at the event. Due to alcohol served, the gala is a 21+ event.
On May 2, 2009 the company hosted a new event, The Phantom Gourmet Wine & Food Phest at the Bayside Expo Center. The tagline for the event, which featured 30 wines and 30 foods and a giant purple dance floor, was “wine snobs need not apply.”
Andelman and his brothers have also taken over the longtime hot dog fundraiser that their father, sports radio talk show host Eddie Andelman
Eddie Andelman
Eddie Andelman is an American sports radio talk show host. He has worked over 40 years in sports talk radio in Boston and has appeared on over 100 sports stations all over the country.- Career :...
, had hosted for the last 19 years. The renamed Phantom Gourmet Hot Dog Safari was held on May 31, 2009 at Suffolk Downs. All proceeds went to the Joey Fund and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The Phantom Gourmet hosted the Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party at Suffolk Downs in East Boston June 26–28, 2009, and at MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut on June 19–21, 2009.