My Current Netflix Food Show Obsession Is Like a Fever Dream Spin-Off of ‘The Bear’

I’m a sucker for food shows. From the classy styles of NetflixChef’s Table to Food Network reruns of Chopped and almost everything from Anthony Bourdain‘s TV repertoire (even ABC’s subsidiary competition series The Taste), it’s a safe bet that when shows like this are on, I’ll stop everything to watch them.

I’ll admit, though, food shows — for the most part — can be quite mind-blowing. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find a host who travels to exotic locations to explore the country’s culture and cuisine. On the other hand, novice chefs compete for a prize while a panel of judges waits to decide their fate.

I’m always on the lookout for something that disrupts the status quo and makes a big difference. Oh golly, have I found a recipe that ticks all those boxes, and then some?

Just Dash started in 2019 as a YouTube cooking show hosted by Matty Matheson. Before he became known as the Emmy-winning producer of The Bear, in which he also starred as the adorable kid Neil Fak, he was making a name for himself as a gonzo chef on the Internet.

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Matheson’s unique cooking series operated in a simple environment in its first two seasons: Matty stood in his small kitchen behind a small, but powerful kitchen island and made food “throw everything in a pot and see what happens” style. Note, the man has the knowledge to support this natural approach. He was the executive chef at Toronto’s Parks & Labor restaurant before launching his own restaurants, Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club and Prime Seafood Palace.

When The Bear left, Just Dash went on a long hiatus. Now, the show is back with a bigger budget, and in season 3, it has evolved into a chaotic cooking show. It’s a weirdly delicious food program that feels more like avant-garde performance art than anything educational.

Each episode is approximately 15 minutes long. I ate the whole season in one afternoon.

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There is a real Jackass style show in the series. The first episode finds Matheson in his new house, arguing with his wife, Trish, while the production team shoots everything remotely. He does not allow them to come in to do damage. So, they sit outside, photographing everything through the open window, while Matty makes a giant — and I mean, ridiculous — breakfast burrito.

Working on Trish’s behalf, Matty takes his team and Bear star Ricky Staffieri (he plays Theodore Fak in the series) on the road, where he cooks food in serious and funny situations. One episode finds him in a mobile RV cooking steak and shrimp in a trailer oven — something you should never do, for various safety reasons. And another, aptly titled Claw and Order, says he, producer Michelle Rabin and Staffieri play overworked detectives in a smoke-filled police precinct.

The police drama unfolds in a silly way, while Mattheson cooks crab risotto for the camera.

Mattheson’s goofy, good-natured, f-bomb-dropping persona keeps the show engaging, though I admit it can be an acquired taste, especially for those unfamiliar with the Canadian chef-turned-Emmy winner. That said, the dynamic between him and Staffieri continues the comic fun they first established together in the kitchen scenes in The Bear.

In fact, Mattheson’s interaction with everyone involved in the production is delightful, and you can tell that, for all the inefficiencies of the production, he really cares about what he’s doing and the people he’s doing it with. He’s looking sideways at the camera, which gave me major Andy Dwyer vibes, just added to his adorable man-child demeanor.

The extra will, won’t, between him and Rabin adds a surprising heart line to these episodes that keeps it riveting.

Just Dash isn’t a show that’s really going to teach you how to make a recipe, unless you really want to try hooking a hot plate to the tray in front of you on the plane for the purpose of cooking scrambled eggs and bacon. I suggest you don’t; that is illegal. That said, if you put a camera in front of a culinary maverick hellbent on doing that exact thing, I guarantee you I’ll watch the finished product.

Just Dash surprised me a bit with its combination of dark comedy and cinema-verité drama, and the only thing I’m disappointed about is that there aren’t any new episodes to reschedule. I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: Food shows are my proverbial comfort food, and I’m happy to say I’ve found a new favorite.