The Secret Life Of

They brought a new way of dining to a generation of automobile-loving Americans. They evoke memories of poodle skirts and roller-skating waitresses. Today, you can get anything there from a juicy cheeseburger and fries to hot dogs, crab sandwiches and even a Hawaiian plate lunch! Join host Jim O?Connor as he drives his way to Dallas, the city where they all started, to New Jersey for a drive-in where crab sandwiches are all the rage and to the far reaches of Waikiki Beach where a local drive-in serves hamburgers next to ahi.

The Irish Pub is a neighborhood place where the regulars come to eat, drink and be merry. They?re a place where hearty, home cooked comfort food has become as much a priority as hand-crafted ales and stouts. Join Jim O?Connor as he samples a bit of tradition and some shepherd's pie, Irish stew, corned beef and fish and chips.

In these restaurants, juicy steaks and coconut prawns are not only dining, they?re theater. Once inside a theme restaurant, you?re in for not only an exciting eating experience, but much, much more. How did they start? You might be surprised! Join host Jim O?Connor as he traces back the origins and digs into the future of Theme Restaurants.

Tex Mex is a vibrant, highly spiced cuisine known for its generous use of meat, beans and cheese. Ingenious combinations of these ingredients produce nachos, chili, tacos, chimichangas and fajitas. The name itself blends its two areas of influence: Texas and Mexico. Join host Jim O'Connor as he ventures to the Lone Star State for a taste of history loaded with spicy ingredients.

Roadhouses are the roadside cafes, saloons, taverns and inns providing respite and good grub for weary travelers. They can be off-beat, down-home, or down right delicious. Join Jim O'Connor as he takes to the highways of Montana, Oregon and New Jersey . . . steaks, ribs, bean soup and more!

Everyone's heard of "dinner and a movie," but how about "dinner at a movie"? While the traditional popcorn is still America's favorite cinema snack, some of today's movie theaters offer far more than conventional munchies. Whether you fancy a hamburger with a horror film or a cr?me brulee with a comedy classic, host Jim O'Connor will trace the evolution of America's award-winning movie treats.

In our busy lives we often have so much on our plate, we don't have time to spare, much less time to cook. But like clockwork, we all get hungry, and to ensure that our food is still filling, nutritious and delicious, we turn to many time-saving measures and kitchen shortcuts that help bring meals to the table lickety-split! Modern technology meets the sophisticated palate when Jim O'Connor explores the delicious varieties that are available for diners in a hurry.

Your eyes may tear and your face may twitch, but everyone loves sweet and sour candy. It started as a kids' favorite, but now it's the rage with adults too. It comes in hard candies, jellies, lollipops, powders and even liquids. Host Jim O'Connor puckers up to try some time-tested favorites and the wildest of the latest creations.

It's a style of eating and cooking as old as the American West. From giant rib eye steaks to Texas style BBQ, or just a good ol' pot of beans, cowboy food was just the thing needed before hitting the range. Host Jim O'Connor saddles up from Texas to California to explore the surprisingly delicious world of cowboy food.

Being on a diet used to mean simply eating less to lose weight, but today's diets satisfy the dining urge by offering a range of delicious alternatives. From indulging in all the beef and chicken you want to enjoying delicious vegetarian meals, diets offer new perspectives in how to eat healthy, lose weight and feel great. Host Jim O'Connor tightens his belt to examine the history of weight loss and alternative diets.

Cheese is one of the most varied and subtle foods in the world. In taste it can be bland, buttery, innocuous, rich, creamy, pungent, sharp, salty or lightly delicate. Cheese can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a dessert, and it pairs beautifully with everything from hamburgers to fruit. But cheese by itself is only the beginning. It's also an essential ingredient to traditional dishes and to new, innovative creations. Jim O'Connor unseals the mysteries behind the most universal of foods: cheese.

It has become an American phenomenon. Burgers, bratwurst, ribs or kabobs? Just fire up the grill and let the cooking begin! Jim O'Connor explores the rivalry between the fans from East Coast to West as he digs up the origins of the time-honored tradition of the tailgater.

Meat roasting over an open fire. Warm chocolate and gooey marshmallow on top of a crispy graham cracker. Flapjacks and bacon in a skillet. Nothing is more satisfying than eating outdoors. But what are the secrets to eating out on the range without a range? Jim O'Connor puts on his boots and apron to explore traditional campground foods and some surprising new twists for dining in the wild.