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Q & A with Jill Cordes
Host of My First Place on HGTV and
The Best Of on Food Network
How do you eat for a living and keep in shape?
Jill: I make it a priority to work out, whether at home or on the road. There are a lot of things you can do that don't take a lot of time, like jumping rope in your hotel room for 10 minutes or going for a quick run in the morning. I find that running in a city is a great way to see it. When on my runs, I look for stairs to run up and down. It helps get your heart rate up FAST! Also, park benches are great for doing reverse push-ups. Basically working out has to be a priority for me because the job requires lots of good eating and I can't resist a good meal. Having said that, the crew and I try to eat in moderation. We share a lot of dishes and try to just get one dessert that we all split.
What are your favorite places?
Jill: There is something unique about everywhere I go. Whether it's the ranch wife in Nebraska who decided to open up her own restaurant; the kosher deli in the middle of Iowa; or a place in Alaska that takes you atop a glacier to dine, there is so much more to this country besides strip malls and sprawl. That's what we try and uncover-the many hidden gems out there. Sometimes it's in a dusty prairie town, other times it's in a place like New York City or Chicago. We tell the stories behind the restaurant and that's what makes the show so unique.
How many are in your crew?
Jill: There are four, including me. I have a sound guy, a photographer and a producer. We have traveled together for years and are really one big family (after all, we share forks!).
How do you shoot the show?
Jill: We typically go to one city and stay for 5-6 days and shoot a bunch of different restaurants, all of which fall into different categories. Then we go back home and write the pieces (we split it up between myself and my producers). From there my photographers edit the pieces, then ship them to the production company, Segue, in Philadelphia where the show is assembled and sent to Food Network for approval.
What else do you do besides The Best Of?
Jill: Well, while The Best Of is on a break, I have decided to take on another show. It's called My First Place and it airs on Thursday nights at 8, and Saturdays at 5 pm and 9 pm. The show revolves around telling the stories of first time homebuyers and the trials and tribulations they go through in getting their first place. We then bring in a designer who helps them to redo one of the rooms in their new home. The last day of shooting, we send the homeowners away for the day and we surprise them with furniture they didn't know they were getting, all kinds of accessories, curtains, you name it. They come back in and are completely FLOORED! We then, in a nutshell, "welcome them home!" For more information click here. For more information click here.
We shoot in a handful of cities each season, but we don't know at this time what the next round of cities are.
For more information on how you can apply to be on the show, click on the following links:
: "Moving Into Your First Place"
OR click here.
Do you have a question for Jill?
