Baron Ambrosia was a character played by international explorer Justin Fornal from 2006 to 2013. The character was a self-proclaimed "quaffer of culinary consciousness" and traveled around New York City, mostly in The Bronx, documenting various ethnic cultures and their indigenous cuisines, represented typically by the small food establishments (including restaurants,

food truck A food truck is a large motorized vehicle (such as a van) or trailer, equipped to cook, prepare, serve, and/or sell food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food; others have on-board kitchens and prepare food from scratc ...

street vendors A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...

, and

grocery store A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...

s) he visits. Baron Ambrosia appeared in Fornal's self-produced

video podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing. ...

''Underbelly NYC'', the

public-access television Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...

cable TV channel

BronxNet BronxNet is a public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable television network in The Bronx, New York, airing on multiple Cablevision and Verizon FiOS channels. BronxNet is located on the campus of Lehman College, and at a new studio, " ...

's ''Bronx Flavor'', and "The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia" on the

Cooking Channel Cooking Channel is an American basic cable channel owned by Food Network, a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (69%) and Nexstar Media Group (31%). The channel is a spin-off of Food Network, broadcasting p ...

. In 2012, Fornal won a New York Emmy (best on-camera talent: performer/narrator) for his portrayal of Baron Ambrosia. Fornal stopped using the character after the feature length film ''BARON AMBROSIA IS DEAD'' to pursue exploration and documentary film-making full time.

Character development

The Baron Ambrosia character first appeared in 2006 in the video podcast ''Underbelly NYC'' which was distributed through Liberated Syndication. The show reached a number No. 1 ranking under

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

culinary podcasts. Fornal produced, in total, eight episodes of ''Underbelly NYC''. In early 2008, Baron Ambrosia re-emerged in ''Bronx Flavor'' on

, a

Public-access television Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...

cable TV channel in Bronx, NY. Both series focus on Baron Ambrosia's adventures in food (mostly ethnic cuisines and restaurants that are not covered by mainstream media). ''Bronx Flavor'' focuses strictly on his adventures in the Bronx. In both shows, Baron Ambrosia involves local business owners, diners, and passers-by in comedic sketches. All ''Underbelly NYC'' and ''Bronx Flavor'' episodes are written, directed, and edited by Fornal. The show's following stems largely from its balance of education and humor. Each episode typically begins with the Baron describing a particular ethnic community and then focuses on its culinary heritage. The Baron will then hunt it down and get into a comical situation stemming from his obsessive personality and knack for over-indulgence. In May 2011 Baron Ambrosia began filming a special for the

entitled ''The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia.'' Cooking Channel's official description of the project appears on their website... ''Culinary adventure-seeker Baron Ambrosia faces banishment from his hometown of the Bronx after being accused of pie theft by Grandmaster Mele Mel. Challenged by an athletic duel, he takes to the streets of Newark, NJ in search of the famed Jersey Devil fajitas, said to bring super-human strength to anyone that consumes them. Along the way, he's distracted by other food delights Newark has to offer including Trinidadian roti, Italian hot dogs and Portuguese dry soup.'' On November 6, 2011 ''The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia'' pilot aired on the Cooking Channel. On June 1, 2012 Episode 001''The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia'' premiered on the Cooking Channel entitled "The Just Desserts of P.T. Barnum". ''After finding a treasure map hidden in a haunted carousel, Baron makes his way through Bridgeport, CT in search of P.T. Barnum's tasty treasure. With circus ghosts close on his heels, Baron explores the world of Peruvian ceviche, enjoys some Haitian oxtail, and catches a ride on a food truck filled with Jamaican jerk chicken.'' On November 2, 2013 Ambrosia premiered his first feature-length movie based on the Bronx Flavor series, "Baron Ambrosia is Dead". The movie screened on the lawn at the Andrew Freedman Mansion on the Grand Concourse and was free for the community. On October 5, 2014, Ambrosia appeared and served as consulting producer on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown episode on the Bronx. Bourdain referred to Ambrosia as, "an evangelist for introducing the manifold splendiferous delights of his mighty borough to the ignorant. He has a show on the TV, and throws parties where he serves creatures that would make Andrew Zimmern turn gray and slump unconscious to the floor. A showman, iconoclast, explorer, and gourmet."

Appearances

On July 27, 2008 Baron Ambrosia appeared in The Bronx's Dominican Day Parade in his purple roadster the P-Rex to publicize the show. In February 2009, ''Bronx Flavor'' received a

New York Emmy Awards The New York Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honoring those in television and advanced media in the tri-state New York-New Jersey-Connecticut and New York State New York, officially the St ...

nomination. Baron Ambrosia appeared on the May 27, 2009 episode of

Cash Cab Cash Cab may refer to: * ''Cash Cab'' (British game show) * ''Cash Cab'' (American game show) * ''Cash Cab'' (Canadian game show) * ''Cash Cab'' (Japanese game show) * ''Cash Cab'' (Australian game show) {{disambiguation ...

, after two strikes Ambrosia won $800 on the "Double or Nothing" bonus question. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reported on Baron Ambrosia, ''Underbelly NYC'', and ''Bronx Flavor'' on July 22, 2009, describing the current show this way: "flashy production numbers aside, at bottom ''Bronx Flavor'' is an effort to educate and entertain without pretension." Baron Ambrosia appeared as a featured speaker at the National Association of Broadcasters

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

Software User's Event on April 12, 2010. Also in 2010, Sony used Baron Ambrosia to promote its

Vegas Pro Vegas Pro (stylized as VEGAS Pro, colloquially called ''Sony Vegas'') is a video editing software package for non-linear editing (NLE). The first release of Vegas Beta was on June 11, 1999. The software runs on Windows operating systems. Origin ...

suite of video editing software. ''The New York Times'' reported on May 5, 2010 that "NYC Life will show the third season of ''Bronx Flavor'' on Wednesdays at 9 ... fter this, theBaron will re-emerge with a new show, tentatively titled ''Spice Hunter NYC'', which will allow him to tour all five boroughs in search of exotic flavors and crazier story lines." On Wednesday May 12, 2010, with BronxNet's consent, ''Bronx Flavor'' Season 3 was rebroadcast on NYC Life (a component of

NYC Media NYC Media is the official public radio, television, and online media network and broadcasting service of New York City, which has been called the Media in New York City, media capital of the world. The network oversees four public television chan ...

). NYC Life reaches all five boroughs as well as parts of Connecticut and New Jersey. As part of the campaign, NYC Life put Baron Ambrosia's face (along with other show hosts) on 103 New York City bus shelters. Footage from the show is also included in a preview reel of the network's new programming on small monitors in 13,000 taxicabs. On May 14, 2010, ''The New York Times'' critic Ariel Kaminer reviewed ''Bronx Flavor'' saying, "In its own bizarre way, the show's humor is as unpredictable, and as specific to its time and place, as

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

was to

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...

of the late 1960s (fewer references to

Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel '' In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous E ...

, and more to bikini waxing)." On November 19, 2010 Baron Ambrosia started a ''Stomp Out Domestic Violence'' campaign by releasing a Public Service Announcement. On December 12, 2010 Baron Ambrosia received a proclamation from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. proclaiming him the official culinary ambassador to the Bronx. On December 30, 2010

premiered the first episode of 'Bronx Flavor Season 4' at the Paradise Theater on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. After the screening Grandmaster Mele Mel performed. February 17, 2011 Bronx Flavor received its second New York

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

Nomination. In March 2011, Baron Ambrosia was funded by Sony Software to travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti where he filmed the finale for Season 4. While in Haiti Ambrosia visited '' Le Ciné Institute'' in Jacmel and taught students how to edit with Vegas Pro Software. The story was documented in a project entitled ''Giving Voices''. On October 14, 2011 was elected to be a member of The Explorers Club. On November 6, 2011 Baron Ambrosia received a proclamation from Newark Mayor Cory Booker proclaiming him a culinary ambassador to the city of Newark. On April 1, 2012, Justin Fornal won the New York Emmy for "On-camera talent: Performer/narrator" for his portrayal of Baron Ambrosia. On June 2, 2012 Mayor Bill Finch of

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

officially proclaimed June 2 ''Baron Ambrosia Day''. On June 12, 2012 a 20X80 foot billboard advertising ''The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia'' went up on the neon 'Welcome to the Bronx' sign on the Bruckner Expressway where the RFK Bridge enters the Bronx. Baron Ambrosia is the President of the Bronx Pipe Smoking Society which holds an annual small game dinner in the Bronx. Dishes served have included raccoon, porcupine, bobcat, coyote, skunk & beaver castor schnapps. All the meat is captured in the wilds of the Adirondack Mountains and is prepared by a team of chefs selected by Ambrosia. The events are invite only and are designed to introduce alternative protein sources as well as celebrate native eating traditions. The first dinner was held at the abandoned Bronx County Courthouse January 29, 2011. The 2nd annual dinner was held at the Latvian Society's Daugavas Vanagi House February 11, 2012 The third annual dinner was held at the Andrew Freedman Home March 3, 2013 On July 27, 2013 Baron Ambrosia became the first person in recorded history to swim the length of the Bronx using the Bronx River. He entered the water at Neried Avenue on the Bronx/Yonkers border and exited at Soundview Lagoon in the East River On July 19, 2014 Ambrosia launched his first product Płacz Brzozy Birch Sap Wine by hosting an illegal cave party and tasting in a partially submerged grotto. On October 8, 2014 Ambrosia became the first person to swim the width of Camden, New Jersey using the Cooper River. The swim was done to protest street violence and showcase the positive attributes of Camden. A lawyer representing Camden County threatened to have Ambrosia arrested if he attempted the swim on the planned date of October 11. Baron swam under cover of night to avoid detection by law enforcement.

Underbelly NYC episodes

1. Chimi Chimi Bang Bang Release Date: January 25, 2007
Culinary Focus: Chimichurri trucks of Washington Heights parked on Broadway between 175th and 181st Street.
Location New York City 2.

Cuchifritos Cuchifritos () or cochifritos refers to various fried foods prepared principally of pork in Spanish and Puerto Rican cuisine. In Spain, cuchifritos are a typical dish from Segovia in Castile. The dish consists of pork meat fried in olive oil an ...

of Love Release Date: March 11, 2007
Culinary Focus: 188 Cuchifritos Restaurant in the Bronx
Location: Bronx, New York 3. Battle of the Forbidden Fruit Release Date: March 12, 2007
Culinary Focus: In this break away episode Baron puts forth the possibility the

Durian The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...

was the true forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden.
Location: Vandcourtlandt Park Bronx, New York 4. Secrets of the Liberian Funk Release Date: March 14, 2007
Culinary Focus: The homemade Liberian foods of Eliza Smith (i.e. palm butter, fried pepper sauce, sweet potato greens, turborgee)
Location: Jamaica, New York 5. Ca Cuong City Release Date: April 19, 2007
Culinary Focus: The thoracic exudate of the

lethocerus indicus ''Lethocerus indicus'' is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Guinea.P. J. Perez-Goodwyn (2006). ''Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethoc ...

(giant water bug)
Location: Vietnam (various),Bronx, New York 6. Fruit Van Fantasia Release Date April 26, 2007
Culinary Focus: The mamey milk shakes and mavi sold at the fruit van located at exit 5 off the Bronx River Parkway 7. Viva

Pulque Pulque (; nci, metoctli), or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, a rather viscous co ...

Release Date: July 22, 2007
Culinary Focus: The sacred fermented juice of the Magey plant known as Pulque.
Location:

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

(various) 8. A

Latke A latke ( yi, לאַטקע ''latke''; sometimes romanized ''latka'', lit. "pancake") is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. Latkes can be made with ingredients ot ...

Lunacy Release Date August 12, 2007
Culinary Focus: the potato pancakes sold by Paul Schmuckler from his Briggs Avenue apartment.
Location: Bronx, New York

Bronx Flavor episodes

Season 1
1. The Purple Coffin Air Date: March 11, 2008
An introductory episode in which the Baron arrives in the Bronx after a five-year mission to exotic lands and is asked to be a culinary correspondent for Bronxnet Channel 67 2. Legend of the Bullet Proof Foot Air Date: April 4, 2008
Culinary Focus: The Jamaican curried cow's foot from Jamrock Cooking.
Location: Jamrock Cooking 3. Burek Mania Air Date: April 18, 2008
Culinary Focus: Albanian and Kosovoan Burek
Locations: Tony & Tina's Pizza, Dukagjini Burek 4. The Platinum

Paan Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts (also called "betel nuts") are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects. The practice ...

Don Air Date: May 2, 2008
Culinary Focus: The Indian aperitif created from the leaf of the

betel The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plan ...

nut creeper
Location: Dashi Bazaar 5. The Rites of Sandwich Air Date May 16, 2008
Culinary Focus: A mammoth sandwich named after Baron Ambrosia 6.

Fufu Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou ) is a dough-like food found in West African cuisine. In addition to Ghana, it is also found in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, t ...

Inferno Air Date June 2, 2008
Culinary Focus: West African cuisine in particular soup and fufu
Location: Sankofa Restaurant 7. The Giffiti That Keeps on Giving Air Date: June 13, 2008
Culinary Focus:

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian ...

cuisine and the aphrodisiac known as giffiti
Location: Garifuna Star 8. The

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

of Endorsements Past Air Date: June 27, 2008
Culinary Focus:

Thai curries Thai curry ( th, แกง, translit=kaeng, ) is a dish in Thai cuisine made from curry paste, coconut milk or water, meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, and herbs. Curries in Thailand mainly differ from the curries in India in their use of ing ...

Location: Siam Square Restaurant 9. A Cheesecake Odyssey Air Date: July 11, 2008
Culinary Focus: Cheesecake
Location: S & S Cheesecake Season 2
10. The Agony of Flavor Part 1:

Pasteles ''Pasteles'' (; singular ''pastel''), also pastelles in the English-speaking Caribbean, are a traditional dish in several Latin American and Caribbean countries. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, ...

Pandemonium Air Date: August 25, 2008
Culinary Focus: The Puerto Rican tamale known as a pastel
Location: Pasteles by Noemi
11. The Agony of Flavor Part 2: Purgatory Pate Air Date: September 5, 2008
Culinary Focus: the healing Haitian beef patties of Vodou Mambo Rose Carline
Location: Jamaica, Queens 12.

of Love: Platinum Edition Air Date: September 19, 08
Culinary Focus: A re-release of the Underbelly episode of the same name with new scenes and extended plot.
Location: 188 Cuchifritos 13. The Legend of Van Cortlandt Park Air Date: September 26, 2008
Culinary Focus: The carrot cake and other various bake goods of Lloyd’s Carrot Cake.
Location: Lloyd’s Carrot Cake 14.Night at the Bodega Air Date: October 10, 2008
Culinary Focus: The products that can be found and purchased in various Bronx bodegas
Location: The Vargas Deli
Special Guest:

Grandmaster Melle Mel Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961 in The Bronx), better known by his stage name Grandmaster Melle Mel (or simply Melle Mel) () is an American hip hop recording artist who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of Grandmaster Flash and the Furiou ...

15. Friend or

Phở Phở or pho (, , ; ) is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (), herbs, and meat (usually beef (), sometimes chicken ()). Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street stalls and restaurants co ...

Air Date: October 24, 2008
Culinary Focus: Vietnamese cuisine, in particular, the soup known as Pho.
Location: World of Taste Seafood and Deli 16. Quantum of Chimi Air Date: November 7, 2008
Culinary Focus:

Chimichurri Chimichurri () is an uncooked sauce used both as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. Found in Argentinian, Nicaraguan and Uruguayan cuisines,Joyce GoldsteinThe mysterious origins of chimichurri ''San Francisc ...

Hamburger
Location: El Rincon De Los Taxistas Chimi Truck 17. The Chitlin' Rapture Air Date: November 21, 2008
Culinary Focus:

Soul food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...

Location:Berzet's Soul Food & Fillet of Soul Seasonal
18. Bronx Flavor Christmas Spectacular Air Date: December 24, 2008
In this half-hour black & white ode to the Christmas films of the 1950s, Baron Ambrosia
must get together $300,000 before midnight Christmas Eve to save the Bronx Orphanage from a
greedy developer who wishes to convert it into a coffee shop for

yuppies Yuppie, short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly-mobile professional", is a term coined in the early 1980s for a young professional person working in a city. The term is first attested in 1980, when it was used as a fairly neu ...

. Season 3
19. The

Vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...

Sauce Vendetta Air Date: March 1, 2009
Culinary Focus: Italian Food
Location: Ann & Tony's Restaurant 20. The Liberian, The Pepper and the Pestle Air Date: April 5, 2009
Culinary Focus: Palm Butter
Location: Aunty Nana's & the Water Street Market in

Monrovia Monrovia () is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia’s total population. As the ...

Award:Best Comedy/Documentary 2009 New York Independent Film Festival 21. The

Corned Beef Corned beef, or salt beef in some of the Commonwealth of Nations, is Salt-cured meat, salt-cured brisket of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called "corns" of salt. Sometimes, sugar and sp ...

Confidential Air Date: April 24, 2009
Culinary Focus: Irish Foods
Location: An Beal Bocht & Prime Cut Meats 22. A

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar, He ...

Preposterous Air Date: May 31, 2009
Culinary Focus: Jewish Foods
Location: Liebman's Delicatessen 23.

Roti Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...

Express Air Date: July 5, 2009/
Culinary Focus: Guyanese & Trini Cuisine
Location: Lai's Roti & Coconut Palm 24.

Joe Bataan Joe Bataan (also spelled Bataán) (born Bataan Nitollano; November 15, 1942) is a Latin soul musician from New York. Early life Joe Bataan was born Bataan Nitollano and grew up in the 103rd Street and Lexington Avenue part of East Harlem in New ...

Stole My Girlfriend Air Date: August 2, 2009
Culinary Focus: Southern Mexican Cuisine
Location: Xochimilco Special Guest:

25. A Hunts Point Haunting Air Date: October 6, 2009
Culinary Focus:

BBQ Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

Location: Mo Gridder's BBQ 26. End Game I: Saving City Island Air Date January 1, 2010
Culinary Focus: Seafood
Location: Lobster House & The Black Whale
Special Guest: Chef Michael Valentino Proietti 27. End Game II: The Bling of Fire Air Date February 7, 2010
Culinary Focus: Jamaican Cuisine
Location: H.I.M

Ital Ital, also spelled I-tal (), is food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement. It is compulsory in the Bobo Ashanti and Nyabinghi mansions, though not in the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The word derives from the English word "vital", w ...

Rasta-rant & Barry's Jerk Delight
Special Guest:

Sal Abbatiello Sal Abbatiello is an executive in the music business. Abbatiello created and produced the freestyle, urban/dance-pop trio, The Cover Girls, whose hits include " Show Me" and "Wishing on a Star". Abbatiello is also the owner of Fever Records F ...

Seasonal
28. Thankschriskwanzaakah Air Date: November 29, 2009
To deal with the slumping economy the government combines all the winter holidays. Awesome Mart CEO and greedy slickster Belvedere Washburton buys the holiday so he is the only one who can sell the official dish...Laturgogoosamel! After the cursed meat turns all Bronxites into

zombie A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...

shoppers it is up to the Baron to save all the holidays from certain destruction. Season 4
29. Culinary Nonesense-ness Air Date: January 4, 2011
While Baron Ambrosia is in maximum security prison, a national television network hires a hipster look-alike named Brian Andozza to hijack the show. The network renames the show Bronx Flava and attempts to give it an aloof mean-spirited edge. New host Brian gets more than bargains for when he visits Bate African Restaurant on Melrose Avenue and the Bronx Pop Soda Company in Little Italy.
Culinary Focus:

Guinean Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Cuisine
Location: Bate African Restaurant & Bronx Pop Soda Company 30. Correctional Festivities Air Date: July 25, 2011
While Baron Ambrosia is locked up in a ‘maximum security prison for incredibly stylish super villains’ he documents the unique recipes that have evolved in prison culture. After breaking into the prison kitchen, Ambrosia and fellow inmates show how to create some notorious favorites. The menu includes jailhouse burritos, pruno, as well as a surprise dish that may hold the secret to Baron Ambrosia’s escape.
Culinary Focus: Prison Recipes 31. Baron Ambrosia Is Dead Premiere: November 2, 2013
This feature-length film picks up where the series left off. With the help of an old lover name Gata, Baron ambrosia escapes from prison. With a huge reward on his head he finds he can trust no one. Using a sacred Bangladeshi pepper he attempts to escape death and flee to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Culinary Focus: Haitian, Dominican, and Bangladeshi Cuisine.

The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia

Pilot Episode Air Date: November 11, 2011
Accused of pie theft, Baron Ambrosia faces banishment from the Bronx if he can't defeat Grandmaster Mele Mel in a duel... of pull-ups. He takes to the streets of Newark, NJ in search of Jersey Devil fajitas, said to bring super-human strength to anyone that consumes them. Along the way, he's distracted by Trinidadian roti, Italian hot dogs and Portuguese dry soup Season 1
1. The Just Desserts of P.T. Barnum Air Date: June 1, 2012
After finding a treasure map hidden in a haunted carousel, Baron makes his way through Bridgeport, CT in search of P.T. Barnum's tasty treasure. With circus ghosts close on his heels, Baron explores the world of Peruvian ceviche, enjoys some Haitian oxtail, and catches a ride on a food truck filled with Jamaican jerk chicken. 2. Scent of a Baron Air Date: June 8, 2012
In order to woo the lovely Tsarina, Maiden of the Sea, Baron must gather all of the greatest fragrances that Brighton Beach, Brooklyn has to offer. First stop is Pirosmani, where he captures the seductive scent of Georgian lamb stew. But just when he thinks he's got it made, he finds his nemesis Burgomiester Burger is stealing recipes from all of the best local restaurants. With Uzbek noodle soup and Russian meat pie still on his list of fragrances to gather, Baron must figure out how to defeat Burgomiester, save the restaurants... and still have time to win the girl. 3. Oh, Little Witch of Bethlehem Air Date: June 15,
Something is amiss in Bethlehem, PA. After a long, foodless journey, Baron and his trusty camel find themselves in a town where the people are fearful and the restaurants are closed. A hungry Baron searches out El Salvadorian pupusas, only to learn that an evil witch, Dona Sofrito, has cursed the town. Any restaurant unwilling to satisfy her endless appetite will get turned into Radical Taco, a soulless fast food joint. Baron gathers strength from a Syrian raw meat dish, and in the end, must face Dona in the ultimate showdown, armed only with his wit, stew burgers, and a very powerful cheese. 4. The Stomach Rumble of Baltimore Air Date: June 22, 2012
Ah, to be young and in love! Baron and his best girl, Shanaye, couldn't be happier... until Shanaye's jealous ex-boyfriend, JW, gets out of jail. Baron is oblivious to the threat, engrossed in Ethiopian specialties and Korean soup – but JW is out for blood. JW finally catches up to the lovebirds as they enjoy BBQ Bill's infamous ribs, and it's time to settle the score. BBQ Bill sets up a game of crab roulette, and Baron and JW go head to head in a deadly crab-filled battle for the love of Shanaye. Special guest star John Waters. 5. Croquet Challenge of Compton Air Date: July 6, 2012
It's a beautiful day on the field of the Compton Croquet Club, when Baron and friends are rudely interrupted by greedy land developer Phil Badaxster, who threatens to turn the entire city into a giant parking lot. Baron and Badaxster enter into the ultimate croquet challenge – with Baron fighting to save the community. Badaxster whacks Baron's ball out of the park... but the game's not over yet. Baron follows his ball all over South LA – tasting some fried turkey soul tacos in Compton and Indonesian delicacies in Bellflower, before finding his inner Samoan warrior in Long Beach. 6. East Bay Investigations Air Date: July 13, 2012
While visiting his friend, Private Investigator John Law in Oakland, CA, Baron gets roped into a film noir detective story like no other. A beautiful woman with a mysterious note leads Baron and John on a chase for her missing husband. Of course, Baron is more interested in his investigation of the Filipino delights and killer soul food and pie than he is in finding the kidnapped hubby. Can the crime-solving duo of Baron and Law do manage to get to the bottom of the mystery? It seems to be more twisted than they thought... 7. Werefox of Phoenix Air Date: July 20, 2012
Baron heads to Phoenix, AZ to ask a Native American Chief for his daughter's hand in marriage. He soon finds that the village is being harassed by a hungry "Werefox." Baron goes off in search of a food delicious enough to convince the "Werefox" to leave the village in peace. Swedish "Flying Jacob" and Native American fry bread may do the trick.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Baron Ambrosia
Official site
Bronx Flavor
on

)
The Baron Ambrosia – Celebrating Bronx Cuisine
on Slashfood.com
In Pursuit of the Baron Ambrosia Part 1
an
Part 2
on The Plugg
'Alter ego' explores borough's culinary culture
via the

Riverdale Press Founded in 1950 by David A. Stein and wife Celia Stein, ''The Riverdale Press'' is a weekly newspaper that covers the Northwest Bronx neighborhoods of Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights and Van Cortlandt Village, as w ...

Ambrosia Brings the Heat
via The Meridian (

Lehman College Lehman College is a public college in the Bronx borough of New York City. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within CUNY in September 1967. The college is named after Herbert H. Lehma ...

student newspaper)
blog
via ''

''
on seriouseats.comon firstwefeast.comMan swims length Bronx river
via

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

Alter egos American experimental filmmakers American television personalities Cuisine of New York City People from the Bronx Cooking web series Comedy television characters American male characters in television Food reality television series American restaurant critics American male non-fiction writers American non-fiction web series