Million Dollar Critic

Restaurant critic and man of the world Giles Coren will admit he knows very little about Toronto, and its rapidly growing food scene. So, he's made it the first stop on the Million Dollar Critic discovery tour of North America. Here to taste for himself, will he be surprised at the skill and attitudes of Toronto chefs? Will an encounter with controversial mayor, Rob Ford put Giles off his food (and the city) for good?

Giles celebrates his love of food, (and yes, all six Rocky movies) in a city known to the world simply as 'Philly'. He's here to discover whether the food scene is ready to step out of New York City’s shadow, and shed its blue-collar reputation.

Giles secretly wants to live the life of a southern gentleman, but, the mint juleps will have to wait. His million dollar mission in Charleston is to see if the city can live up to its much-hyped reputation as one of the most exciting places to eat in North America.

Amidst St. John's recently booming economy, its food scene has gone crazy. But, is its day of reckoning at hand? Giles travels to what he describes as "a rock in the middle of the Atlantic ocean" to determine whether the restaurants are anywhere close to being the real deal. Can he ever be convinced that Newfoundland is NOT the end of the known world? As he says: "The food better be worth the trip..."

Founded in 1636, Providence embodies a uniquely independent spirit. It's also noted for a restaurant scene so strong, it's leading the city out of recession. How can that be? Giles is here to find out if Providence’s food is really that good.

Giles has high hopes for "La Vieille-Capitale" as he's keen to discover a new kind of French cuisine. As one of the oldest European settlements in North America (1608), has the adventuresome spirit of Quebec's founders inspired an emerging food scene that impresses Giles?