Cake Boss

Reality food shows seem to be all the rage right now. For example, Food Network has Dinner: Impossible, Ace of Cakes, and, Food Network Challenge. Fox has Hell's Kitchen. Bravo has Top Chef, Top Chef Masters and coming soon to TLC: Ultimate Cake Off. And that's just naming a few.

The show I really like is Cake Boss, also on TLC. Here you won't find any executive chefs from some fancy restaurants you'd never be able to afford - even if you could make a reservation - using big, fancy culinary terms that make cooking seem more mysterious than it really is. You also won't find a bunch of Generation X, Y or Z pseudo-slackers churning out artistisan cakes. There's no pretentiousness here. It's just the ongoing adventures of Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ, who just happens to be a kick-ass 4th generation cake maker.

Cake Boss is a refreshing look at the day-to-day operation of a small, family owned and operated Italian Bakery. Buddy's family works with him behind the scenes and each character is authentic in that no one seems to be putting on a show for the sake of the camera.

The cakes, though, are the true stars of the show and the cakes that Buddy and his crew make are simply incredible. One of tonight's episodes had Buddy and crew making a Chinese dragon cake (the end result was exquisite). Another episode saw Buddy and crew make a zombie cake to help celebrate the Asbury Park Zombie Walk. In another episode Buddy and crew built a 400 pound Indricotherium cake. It's truly amazing to watch each cake come together throughout the course of each show.

And what would a television show be without drama? Every episode also features some sort of tension within the group (which some people find as amusing as seeing the finished cakes). Tonight someone left a big vat of cannoli cream out in the 90 degree heat. A few weeks ago someone dropped a finished cake down the stairs. And a couple weeks before that, some bitchy bridezilla came in to see her cake before it was done. When she didn't like what she saw, she wrecked the cake with colored icing and made Buddy make her a new cake...the day before her wedding!!!

In the end, Cake Boss is a fun look at a local bakery that employs an engaging cast of characters who turn out some of the most amazing cakes you've ever seen. If you can't find Cake Boss on TV you can find and watch full episodes on TLC's website. It's definitely worth your time.

5 out of 5 stars