Oh, what a year 2012 has been, and what things have been captured on film. While China built an army of noodle-making robots, everyone in Portlandia was getting nostalgic for the 1890s. Will Ferrell shilled for Old Milwaukee (but it was kind of a secret?), Emeril Lagasse took a super badass turn on Treme, the wine buyer at Costco compared wine to toilet paper, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog tried to get a hot dog in Chicago, and, of course, Jiro dreamed of sushi. Here now, in no particular order, the top 19 food videos on Eater this year.
A Real Actor Reads an Olive Garden Yelp Review
Mocking Yelp became a professional activity when the Real Actors Read Yelp series hit YouTube. Below, a particular gem.
Will Ferrell's Stealthy Shill For Old Milwaukee
Will Ferrell started doing a bunch of Old Milwaukee ads in mid-size cities in the Midwest (and later in Sweden), and he didn't tell anyone about it. They just aired. Surprise.
The Trailer For Jiro Dreams of Sushi
The film Jiro Dreams of Sushi had some seriously crazy sushi porn.
A Rap Parody Take Down of the Cocktail Scene
The people who brought you "Whole Foods Parking Lot" released this rap parody of the mixology hype. Take note of the fake drinks, including Chewbacca's Jacuzzi: "Kashyyyk champagne, muddled slim jim, carbonite rinse."
The Plating of Lamb 86 at Alinea
Grant Achatz and the crazy kids at Alinea in Chicago filmed themselves plating Lamb 86, a dish with 86 separate components.
Eat It, Don't Tweet It
Next time you think, "it's unthinkable to dine out and not record it/Want the world to know I can fucking afford it," remember this tale.
Emeril Lagasse Is a Total Badass on Treme
In the epic Anthony Bourdain-written scene, Emeril explains that there are two choices: stay small and risk closing, or expand.
China Is Building an Army of Noodle-Making Robots
Thousands of them. You must submit and eat the noodles.
The Mind of a Chef's Insane 'Kimchi Party' Demo
Ever wanted to learn how to make Kimchi? Might as well learn it from an totally nuts Kimchi Party, right?
Conan's NYC Stereotypes React to Hurricane Sandy
After Hurricane Sandy, Conan O'Brien collected a bunch of New York stereotype character actors in LA to react. "Hey Hurricane, who's gonna deliver all of dese pizza pies?"
Parody iPhone Promo Mocks Camera-Toting Food Paparazzi
An awesome "leaked" promo video for the iPhone 5 by comedian Adam Sacks that mocks the hordes of "food paparazzi" that just can't help themselves.
Costco's Wine Buyer Doesn't Think Wine Is Different Than Toilet Paper
The most powerful wine buyer in the world, Costco's lead wine buyer Annette Alvarez-Peters, told CNBC she didn't think wine was any different from toilet paper.
A Restaurant Critic Gets Tortured on Bob's Burgers
The world's #1 rated animated television series about hamburgers took on restaurant critics. It wasn't pretty.
Lewis Black Slams the "Artisanal" Food Trend
"These people are pissing on our legs and telling us it's champagne," said comedian Lewis Black on the Daily Show as he ripped into the trend of corporations using the bullshit word "artisanal."
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's Epic Visit to Chicago's Wiener's Circle
Jack McBrayer of 30 Rock went to Chicago's infamously hostile hot dog stand Wiener's Circle. Somewhat predictably, things don't go so well the first time around, so McBrayer brings backup when he returns: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
The Dream of the 1890s Is Alive in Portland
From Portlandia: "Remember the '90s, when everyone was pickling their own vegetables and brewing their own beer? People were growing out their muttonchops and waxing their handlebar mustaches? ... Belts didn't really exit yet, everyone wore suspenders. Everyone used to carve their own ice cubes."
On the Simpsons, Hipsters Take Over Springfield
On the Simpsons, hipsters invaded Springfield and brought all the modern trappings of their super-trendy lifestyles. In a search for an authentic town, Terrence and his wife (voiced by Portlandia's Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein) bring their artisanal donut trailer Devil Donuts.
SNL's Guy Fieri Responds to the NYT Review
After the scathing New York Times review of Guy Fieri's Times Square restaurant last week, there was speculation Bobby Moynihan might dust off his flame shirt and do his Guy Fieri impression on Saturday Night Live. While a segment didn't air, they did shoot a Weekend Update sketch during dress rehearsal that was later released online.
Louie's Awesome Homage to Russ and Daughters
On the latest season of Louie, Louie C.K. was out on a date with Parker Posey in New York City, and she took him to Russ and Daughters, the venerable purveyor of smoked fish and caviar. And they chow down, hard. Heavy on the food porn, it's just a great one-minute poem to a landmark New York institution.
Honorable Mentions
· Food shot into space: Frozen yogurt, a hamburger, a pizza, a hot dog, and sushi.
· Noma Chefs Harvest Ants By Hand
· Anthony Bourdain Rips Into Guy Fieri's NYC 'Terror-Dome'
· A Preview of Ferran Adrià's BulliPedia
· Mario Batali on Iron Chef's 'Skinny Little' Actress Judges
· David Chang's Harvard Talk on Momofuku's Scientific Pursuit of Umami
· Eight Explosive Deep-Fried Turkey Disaster Videos
· A Supercut of Every Top Chef Elimination Ever
· A Short Film About the Ice Program at the Aviary
· Jeopardy's Chef Category Totally Stumps Contestants
· SNL's Stefon on Halloween Nightclubs and Summer Clubbing
· Wild Food Porn From Albert Adrià's 41º
· Parks and Recreation Tackle Soda Tax Hysteria
· A Café Owner Stands Up to Riot Police in Madrid
· Jon Stewart Takes on Papa John's Obamacare Pizza Pricing
· Ruthless British Ice Cream Truck War Caught on Tape
· Watch 30 Rock's Parody of Top Chef's Restaurant Wars
· An Insane NSFW Film on Vancouver's Sandwich Nazi, Salam Kahil (Note: the only reason this excellent video is in the Honorable Mentions category rather than being embedded is because the video has been pulled until January. Please, in January, go check it out. It's worth it.)
· All Year in Eater 2012 Coverage [-E-]