Season 1

In the world of food and wine, waiters are the true unsung heroes. Working the front lines between picky diners and primadonna chefs, they are the foot soldiers of fine dining. Come along for the fun as Glutton for Punishment host Bob Blumer runs off his feet at a busy brasserie in New York City, training in the classic French style. Once he's mastered it, Bob prepares to compete against the city's finest in NYC's annual Waiter's Race -- held, appropriately, on Bastille Day! His challenge is to run three blocks and back carrying a tray, two wine glasses and a carafe of water, without spilling a drop. And his reward is to prove that he can take the heat...in and out of the kitchen.

"Flair bartending" is the practice of entertaining guests, clientele, or audiences with the throwing/juggling of bar tools (such as shaker tins) and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. It's actually a dangerous task due to the risk of glass breakage! Host Bob Blumer sets to work learning this special form of showmanship, then prepares to enter an International Flair Competition in Las Vegas, the "mecca" of flair bartending. Bob's challenge: Woo the judges with the technique, flow and creative flair of his routine, while making actual drinks -- and all in just three minutes flat. And his reward? The opportunity to learn from the world's best flair bartenders...and of course, tasting all the drinks!

Conquering a 26-mile marathon is a grueling test of stamina that few people are capable of tackling. But what about a full-fledged marathon that includes runners in costume, 22 wine-tasting stations and an oyster bar along the route? If you didn't know such a thing existed...it does. It's the Médoc Marathon, a raucous, wine-soaked run that takes place every fall in the heart of France's legendary Bordeaux region. And host Bob Blumer's challenge is to remember that even though this unique event may seem like a party -- at least that's what the other 8000 runners seem to think -- it is still a race, and a long one at that! But Bob discovers the payoff is worth the work, as he enjoys a whirlwind tour through some of the world's finest wineries, and gets the chance to win his weight in first-growth Bordeaux.

Oysters are loved throughout the world, but before you enjoy them, you have to get past that shell. Oyster shucking can be hazardous, and it requires practice to do it just right without mangling the prized oyster or losing a finger. In this episode, Bob will learn the technique of oyster shucking before traveling to the Oyster Festival in Urbanna, Virginia, and entering the Oyster Shucking Competition. Speed is only one element of the competition. Presentation is the other. Bob’s challenge is to crash the world of elite shuckers and become a contender in just one week. His reward? To walk away triumphant, and with all ten digits intact.

Benihana is a chain of classic Japanese restaurants that elevates tableside preparation to performance art. Benihana chefs serve up a colorful variety of dishes directly in front of diners using a combination of razor sharp knives, a red-hot grill, sleight of hand and witty banter. Most trainee chefs spend four months in the shadows of the kitchen just learning to chop – Bob’s challenge is to master all the skills necessary to become a Benihana chef in a mere week. He will be inducted into the Benihana experience by a seasoned chef, Michael Tan, but in the end he’ll be on his own in front of a 600°C grill and a hungry audience. His challenge is to master fancy knife work, clever patter, juggling and the all important onion volcano. His reward? Knife skills worthy of a samurai warrior and fresh ideas for bringing drama to the dinner table.

Bob Blumer loves spicy foods. The hotter the better (at least that’s what he thinks.) Like a vigilante gunslinger in a western movie he’ll journey to the hot, dusty heart of the hot chile empire: Hatch, New Mexico. Located in the plains of the Rio Grande, Hatch is a chile-head’s Mecca. Bob will work in the fertile fields of the surrounding Hatch Valley picking chile peppers in a 40°C heat discovering enough new varieties and various tastes to satisfy a steady throng of new converts. And then he’ll go further. Bob’s challenge is to prove that he really can take the heat by entering the hot chile-eating contest. He’ll be going head-to-head with some extremely big guys who see their ability to eat insanely hot chiles as proof of manhood. His reward? Survival, and everything he needs to know to make his very own hot sauce.

Cycling is Bob’s second favorite activity after eating. And the two actually go very well together - a high energy bike ride can burn up to 1000 calories an hour, making an intense bike trip a perfect complement to the excesses of a gourmet traveler. Inspired by the greatest cycling event in the world, the Tour de France, we’ve designed a bike trip/food adventure that will test Bob’s stamina and indulge his love of rich sauces and stinky French cheese. His challenge is to train with a veteran of the Tour de France and attempt to conquer one of the most mythical and challenging sections of the Tour – the high altitude ‘cols’ of the Alps culminating in the arduous and legendary pinnacle of Alpe d’Huez: eight vertiginous miles climbing 5839 feet through 21 painful hairpin turns. His reward? A nonstop, guilt-free gourmet feast of artisan breads, cheeses, sausages, raclettes and fondues from the Alpine region.

Good old-fashioned, high fat, cholesterol-laden barbecue is all the rage. Drawn by hugely popular barbecue cook-offs from New York City to the wilds of Texas, hundreds of teams travel the continent hauling trailers loaded down with massive cookers and hundreds of pounds of pork butt, pork shoulder, beef brisket and chicken hoping to win big. With their own secret rubs and sauces at the ready, they set up camp and nurse their meats through 18 hours of sleepless ‘low and slow’ cooking. It takes a team of devoted meat maniacs headed by a fearless Pit Master to pull off the array of juicy meats required at competition. Bob’s challenge is to apprentice with Pit Master Fast Eddy and then to lead his own team in the Open Competition. His reward? Barbecue boot camp at the side of a master – and a chance to see the sun rise over Kansas City through a coal-fire haze…two days in a row.

Bob is passionate about wine. He has toured many of the world’s renowned wine regions, tasted countless bottles, and earned the right to be considered a wine aficionado among his friends. But what happens when he is put to test by assisting in the harvest of 17 acres of precious grapes, for the maker of Germany's finest Rieslings? Intense periods of backbreaking work will test Bob’s patience and skill, as well as his body. Prüm’s grapes are harvested late in the season, when the air has already turned crisp. While the physical efforts help warm the bodies of pickers, so does the glühwein – heated, spiced wine, that they are sent as a reward (or a bribe?) during their long shifts. This and the gourmet food prepared as an incentive to the workers will help get Bob through the severe labour. His reward? Delicious insights into the intimidating world of wine and the knowledge to back up his strong opinions.

Urban legend has it that ’s famous dark brew, Guinness beer, has all the nutrients and vitamins one needs to survive, so culinary kamikaze Bob Blumer decides to go to Dublin to personally test the truth of the story. Consuming nothing but Guinness and water for an entire week, Bob will challenge his hunger pangs, his will power, and the fortitude of his liver.

This week, Bob faces his toughest challenge yet: mastering the lost art of making hand-pulled noodles. This labour intensive technique involves folding, twisting and stretching dough until it separates, as if by magic, into perfectly equal noodle strands. It’s so difficult that only a handful of chefs still do it. Bob will have just one week to learn this complex technique, which most chefs take years to master. At the end of the week, Bob will fly to Hong Kong where he will step into the shoes of the noodle chef at the Lanzhou hand-pulled Noodle King restaurant.

Breakfast line cooks are like the marathon runners of the kitchen; the toughest and fittest who put in an intense and sustained effort throughout each shift. Up since before the roosters, line cooks prep for hours – their shift half-done by the time the door sign is turned from closed to open. They cook for patrons who are perhaps the most ravenous and demanding of any they will face. Bob’s challenge will be to first of all be accepted into the tight ranks of the breakfast line and then just to keep up with their finely honed skills. Can Bob can handle the heat, or will he get kicked out of the kitchen? If he makes it through a busy shift, cooking for hundreds of patrons, his reward will be the relief of knowing that he can hold his own in such a demanding position, for the hungriest of diners.