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The quirky food and travel franchise "Food Paradise" is branching out to include worldwide gastronomic destinations not to be missed. Airing Wednesdays on Travel Channel, the hourlong "Food Paradise International" brings viewers to the most legendary and undiscovered hot spots to celebrate foods that might not necessarily be associated with those cities. " 'Food Paradise' domestic is really built on a successful franchise in which we thought of the foods that people love and how do you find the variations of it across the country?" executive producer Tina Nguyen explains. "And wherever you go, you'll meet these interesting people who put a twist on it and (have) lots of personality, a lot of robust food and inventiveness. And it just felt like an organic expansion of the franchise to take it internationally. And if you watch 'Food Paradise,' it's a lot of food categories that are relatable, so everything from barbecue to burgers to pizza. The category is very familiar but people have taken these food items to really fun and kind of wacky variations." Such as in the July 8 episode, "Steak Paradise," which visits such unlikely beef destinations as South Africa, Italy and Sydney – the location of a very high-end beef shop. "It's like the Gucci of steak merchandising," Nguyen explains. "And they showcase the best cuts of beef from around the world whether it's Japan, locally, and it's going into this jewelry shop of beef. So we feature how beef is celebrated, and not just the way it's made but like how it's cultivated and raised. ... "And then in Italy, there's this one chef who also is an artist, and the way he treats his beef is like the way he makes his sculptures. He's a sculptor as well. And so he runs his Agriturismo, which is both a farm and restaurant and lodge, he creates a sculpture on the ground and he also grows the meat on the location. So this really rich environment where it's art and meat and fire. It's very highbrow and yet very primal." For sheer wackiness, though, nothing tops the episode airing later this month, "Pizza Paradise," according to Nguyen. "Pizza is basically a container food. ... It's a blank slate," she says. "And you can fill it or you can top it in different ways. "The thing is when you look at pizza in Tokyo, (it is) a totally different rendition. It's got a fish-stock base and yams. It's a totally different idea and it's a different food experience but it delivers on the same idea that it's like this contained patty of goodness." Then, of course, there is the lamb and cheese pizza in London. "It's run by these two guys who are really tough guys ...," Nguyen says. "And their pizzas are delicate and exquisite and (have) what they call modern flair. Like, they'd combine the most disparate ingredients and the pizza looks delicate and they're big in flavor ... . I mean, London you think of beer and brats or bangers and mash – basic staples – and this is really delicate pizza." Other episodes look at fried foods in Paris, Barcelona and South Africa (July 15), and burgers in Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Paris (July 22). BY GEORGE DICKIE Sampling the exotic and the unusual on 'Food Paradise International' Tina Nguyen If fans of "Sex and the City" were guaranteed to like the movie version (the first one, anyway), why shouldn't it be the same for devotees of "Entourage"? Both HBO series certainly built bases of followers during their television runs, and though the aim of any film is to draw the widest audience possible, it's foolish for the moviemakers (especially if those are the same people as the TV-show personnel, as in these cases) to cater first to anyone other than those who already are "in the house." Writer-director Doug Ellin does that quite nicely with the "Entourage" movie, and anyone who sniffs at that can go right ahead and do so. The faithful will be quite content and happy to see actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his literal entourage – Eric, Turtle and Drama (fellow returnees Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara and Kevin Dillon) – up to their old tricks, with some mildly new twists, as they negotiate the business and lifestyle of Hollywood. Certainly, Jeremy Piven also factors in again as well in his multiple-Emmy-winning role as Vincent's former agent turned studio chief Ari Gold, who tries to make sure things stay on course with Vincent's directing debut. It's over budget, even with a budget of $100 million, so extra financing is sought from an oil tycoon (Billy Bob Thornton) ... whose son (Haley Joel Osment) then keeps watch that's too close for other's comfort. In and around that main plot are the other adventures of the central gang, generally revolving around their dealings with women – which should come as no shock to those familiar the TV "Entourage." It's fun to see such other returnees as Emmanuelle Chriqui, Constance Zimmer and Perrey Reeves, but make no mistake that this remains principally a boys' club. Like it or not, it is what it is. And what it is, is enough to draw cameos from all sorts of familiar faces, from Mark Wahlberg (who just happens to be a producer of both the TV show and the movie) and Liam Neeson to "Today's" Matt Lauer and football's Tom Brady. And they generally pop up in lavish Tinseltown settings, which looked good on television, but look great in a cinema (hat tip to cinematographer Steven Fierberg). No one justifiably can fault "Entourage" the movie for being more of what "Entourage" the series was. It's simply logical that's what it would be, and as a fantasy of what the Hollywood experience is to a relative newcomer, it continues to work as enjoyably as ever in its newest form. BY JAY BOBBIN 'Entourage' Page 8 July 6 - 12, 2015

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