Sam Zien: Difference between revisions

Sam Zien
Sam Zien
	Sam Zien (right) performing a cooking demonstration in January 2012
Personal information
Born	7 August 1959 (age 65); Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation(s)	YouTube personality, cook, author, restaurateur
Website	https://www.thecookingguy.com/
YouTube information
Channels	The Sam Livecast (2011); Sam the Cooking Guy (2011–present);
Years active	2011-present
Genre	Cooking
Subscribers	3.55 million (July 2023)
Total views	570 million (July 2023)

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 19:49, 4 October 2024

Samuel D Zien (born August 7, 1959), known as Sam the Cooking Guy, is a Canadian-born^[1] American television cook, YouTuber, restaurateur, and cookbook author, based in San Diego, California.^{[citation needed]}

Television career

Zien's career in television began after quitting his job as an executive for a San Diego pharmaceutical company.^[2] In 2001, after a poorly timed effort to begin a career in travel television which was derailed by the September 11 attacks, he switched his focus to a cooking show. He produced his own test screening and distributed the tape to local San Diego television stations.^[1]^[2] San Diego's then-Fox affiliate XETV-TDT offered him a two to three minute slot during its morning news program. The job was unpaid—a situation that changed after his work earned a Regional Emmy from the National Television Academy's Pacific Southwest Chapter.^[1]

In January 2005, Zien moved to County Television Network (CTN), San Diego County's public-access television, after CTN offered him a half-hour time slot on their station. His Sam the Cooking Guy show spread to other cities through agreements with sister cable companies; his work was recognized with more Regional Emmys and a book deal from John Wiley and Sons.^[1]

Zien's next break came from the Discovery Health Channel, where Zien signed a deal to shoot the first season of a series called Just Grill This!^[2] The network was subsequently purchased by the Oprah Winfrey Network; Zien's show was not renewed for a second season.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, Zien appeared on NBC's The Today Show in a segment with Kathy Lee Gifford and Hota Kotb. After being interrupted repeatedly during the first half of the segment, Zien suddenly spoke emphatically - "Please, can I talk? I watch the show every day, everybody has issues with a lot of chatter back here. Pay attention, one minute." A clip of the segment appeared on YouTube following its airing and in days had surpassed 2,000,000 views, with most commenters applauding Sam for his firm stance in the face of the NBC hosts.^[3]

YouTube channel

On May 23, 2011, Zien premiered The Sam Livecast, an Internet cooking show originating from his home kitchen. Three new episodes per week feature food-related and other subject matters. After 200 live episodes,^{[citation needed]} the production switched^[when?] to a live-to-tape format.^{[citation needed]}

After moving away from the live streamed format, The Sam Livecast transitioned into a YouTube channel under a different name - Sam the Cooking Guy - and experienced a surge in subscribers and views, reaching over 3 million subscribers by December 2021.^[4]^[5]

Restaurants

In July 2018, Zien opened his first restaurant - Not Not Tacos - a casual dining establishment featuring Zien's unique take on non-traditional tacos. Located within the Little Italy Food Hall in the Little Italy area of downtown San Diego, Zien serves tacos such as Korean Short Rib, Pulled Pork with Macaroni and Cheese, Seared Salmon, and Meatloaf.^[6]

In March 2020, Zien opened a second restaurant in the Little Italy Food Hall, called Graze by Sam.^{[clarification needed]}^{[citation needed]}

In April 2021, Zien opened a third also located in the Little Italy Food Hall, called Samburgers.^[7]

In 2023, Zien opened a fourth restaurant in the Little Italy Food Hall, called CooCoo's Nest. It is a fried chicken outlet with a "70's flair."

Cookbooks

Zien has written five cookbooks. All were published by John Wiley & Sons except this most recent book was published by Countryman Press:

Just a Bunch of Recipes (2008, ISBN 9780470043738)
Awesome Recipes and Kitchen Shortcuts (2010, ISBN 9780470467947)
Just Grill This! (2011, ISBN 9780470467930)
Sam the Cooking Guy: Recipes with Intentional Leftovers (2020, ISBN 9781682686027)
Sam the Cooking Guy: Between the Buns: Burgers, Sandwiches, Tacos, Burritos, Hot Dogs & More (2022, ISBN 9781682686881)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Amos, Joel D. (July 2006). "The Life Of Zien". San Diego Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-10-28. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
^ ^a ^b ^c "It's Sam the Cooking Guy!". Discovery Health Channel. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
^ Ripclawe (2008-07-25), Sam the Cooking guy tells Kathie Lee and Hoda be quiet, retrieved 2019-02-24
^ "Thesamlivecast YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com". socialblade.com. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
^ "SAM THE COOKING GUY". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
^ Woo, Candice (2018-02-07). "Sam the Cooking Guy Launching First Eatery in New Little Italy Food Hall". Eater San Diego. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
^ Samburgers Grand Opening Week, Little Italy Food Hall

Manna, Marcia, "Serving up TV success", San Diego Union-Tribune, November 22, 2006, retrieved November 10, 2008
Zien, S., "About Sam the Cooking Guy," Sam the Cooking Guy, retrieved November 9, 2008
"What is The Sam Livecast?," What is The Sam Livecast?, retrieved December 8, 2011

External links

[sdj-1] Amos, Joel D. (July 2006). "The Life Of Zien". San Diego Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-10-28. Retrieved 2013-12-27.

[discbio-2] "It's Sam the Cooking Guy!". Discovery Health Channel. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2013-12-27.

[3] Ripclawe (2008-07-25), Sam the Cooking guy tells Kathie Lee and Hoda be quiet, retrieved 2019-02-24

[4] "Thesamlivecast YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com". socialblade.com. Retrieved 2019-02-24.

[5] "SAM THE COOKING GUY". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-02-24.

[6] Woo, Candice (2018-02-07). "Sam the Cooking Guy Launching First Eatery in New Little Italy Food Hall". Eater San Diego. Retrieved 2019-02-24.

[7] Samburgers Grand Opening Week, Little Italy Food Hall

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Infobox YouTube personality
 | name          = Sam Zien
+| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|8|7|df=y}}
 | image         = US Navy 120124-N-KR503-033 Sam Zien, also known as.jpg
 | image_caption = Sam Zien (right) performing a cooking demonstration in January 2012
-| birth_place   = Canada
+| birth_place   = [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]
-| occupation    = YouTube personality, cook, author, restauranteer
+| occupation    = YouTube personality, cook, author, restaurateur
 | website       = https://www.thecookingguy.com/
-| channel_name  = Sam the Cooking Guy
+| channels = {{Unbulleted list|The Sam Livecast {{small|(2011)}}|Sam the Cooking Guy {{small|(2011–present)}}}}
 | years_active  = 2011-present
 | genre         = Cooking
-| subscribers   = 2.87 million (June 2021)
+| subscribers   = 3.55 million (July 2023)
-| views   = 375 million views (June 2021)
+| views   = 570 million (July 2023)
 }}
-'''Sam Zien''', known as '''Sam the Cooking Guy''', is a Canadian-born<ref name="sdj">{{cite web| last=Amos | first=Joel D. | url=http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/july06_2.html |title=The Life Of Zien | publisher= [[San Diego Jewish Journal]] |date= July 2006| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20061028015931/http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/july06_2.html| archivedate=2006-10-28 | accessdate=2013-12-27}}</ref> television cook, [[YouTube]] personality, [[restaurateur]], and [[cookbook]] author, based in [[San Diego, California]].{{fact|date=March 2021}}
+'''Samuel D Zien''' (born August 7, 1959), known as '''Sam the Cooking Guy''', is a Canadian-born<ref name="sdj">{{cite web| last=Amos | first=Joel D. | url=http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/july06_2.html |title=The Life Of Zien | publisher= [[San Diego Jewish Journal]] |date= July 2006| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061028015931/http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/july06_2.html| archive-date=2006-10-28 | access-date=2013-12-27}}</ref> American television cook, [[YouTuber]], [[restaurateur]], and [[cookbook]] author, based in [[San Diego, California]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
 ==Television career==
-Zien's career in television began after quitting his job as an executive for a San Diego pharmaceutical company.<ref name="discbio">{{cite web| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071014004213/http://health.discovery.com/fansites/sam-zien/bio.html| archivedate= 2007-10-14| title= It's Sam the Cooking Guy! | url= http://health.discovery.com/fansites/sam-zien/bio.html|publisher= [[Discovery Health Channel]] | year=2007 | accessdate=2013-12-27}}</ref>  In 2001, after a poorly timed effort to begin a career in [[Travel documentary|travel television]]&mdash; that was unfortunately derailed by the [[September 11 attacks]]&mdash;he switched his focus to a [[cooking show]].  He produced his own [[test screening]] and distributed the tape to local San Diego television stations.<ref name="sdj"/><ref name="discbio"/>  San Diego's then-[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[XETV-TDT]] offered him a two to three minute slot during its morning news program.  The job was unpaid—a situation that changed after his work earned a [[Regional Emmy]] from the [[Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Television Academy|National Television Academy's Pacific Southwest Chapter]].<ref name="sdj"/>
+Zien's career in television began after quitting his job as an executive for a San Diego pharmaceutical company.<ref name="discbio">{{cite web| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071014004213/http://health.discovery.com/fansites/sam-zien/bio.html| archive-date= 2007-10-14| title= It's Sam the Cooking Guy! | url= http://health.discovery.com/fansites/sam-zien/bio.html|publisher= [[Discovery Health Channel]] | year=2007 | access-date=2013-12-27}}</ref>  In 2001, after a poorly timed effort to begin a career in [[Travel documentary|travel television]] which was derailed by the [[September 11 attacks]], he switched his focus to a [[cooking show]].  He produced his own [[test screening]] and distributed the tape to local San Diego television stations.<ref name="sdj"/><ref name="discbio"/>  San Diego's then-[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[XETV-TDT]] offered him a two to three minute slot during its morning news program.  The job was unpaid—a situation that changed after his work earned a [[Regional Emmy]] from the [[Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Television Academy|National Television Academy's Pacific Southwest Chapter]].<ref name="sdj"/>
 In January 2005, Zien moved to [[County Television Network]] (CTN), San Diego County's [[public-access television]], after CTN offered him a half-hour time slot on their station. His ''Sam the Cooking Guy'' show spread to other cities through agreements with sister cable companies; his work was recognized with more Regional Emmys and a book deal from [[John Wiley and Sons]].<ref name="sdj"/>
-Zien's next break came from the [[Discovery Health Channel]], where Zien signed a deal to shoot the first season of a series called ''Just Grill This!''<ref name="discbio"/> The network was subsequently purchased by the Oprah Winfrey Network and not renewed for a second season
+Zien's next break came from the [[Discovery Health Channel]], where Zien signed a deal to shoot the first season of a series called ''Just Grill This!''<ref name="discbio"/> The network was subsequently purchased by the Oprah Winfrey Network; Zien's show was not renewed for a second season.{{cn|date=July 2021}}
 In 2008, Zien appeared on NBC's [[Today (U.S. TV program)|The Today Show]] in a segment with [[Kathie Lee Gifford|Kathy Lee Gifford]] and [[Hoda Kotb|Hota Kotb]]. After being interrupted repeatedly during the first half of the segment, Zien suddenly spoke emphatically - "Please, can I talk? I watch the show every day, everybody has issues with a lot of chatter back here. Pay attention, one minute." A clip of the segment appeared on YouTube following its airing and in days had surpassed 2,000,000 views, with most commenters applauding Sam for his firm stance in the face of the NBC hosts.<ref>{{Citation|last=Ripclawe|title=Sam the Cooking guy tells Kathie Lee and Hoda be quiet|date=2008-07-25|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov9k_yABNHU|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref>
 == YouTube channel ==
-On May 23, 2011, Zien premiered ''The Sam Livecast'', an Internet cooking show originating from his home kitchen. Three new episodes per week feature food-related and other subject matters. After 200 live episodes,{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} the production switched{{when|date=March 2021}} to a live-to-tape format.{{fact|date=March 2021}}
+On May 23, 2011, Zien premiered ''The Sam Livecast'', an Internet cooking show originating from his home kitchen. Three new episodes per week feature food-related and other subject matters. After 200 live episodes,{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} the production switched{{when|date=March 2021}} to a live-to-tape format.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
-After moving away from the live streamed format, ''The Sam Livecast'' transitioned into a [[YouTube]] channel under a different name - ''Sam the Cooking Guy'' - and experienced a surge in subscribers and views, reaching almost two and a half million subscribers by December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/thesamlivecast|title=Thesamlivecast YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com|website=socialblade.com|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/samthecookingguy|title=SAM THE COOKING GUY|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref>
+After moving away from the live streamed format, ''The Sam Livecast'' transitioned into a [[YouTube]] channel under a different name - ''Sam the Cooking Guy'' - and experienced a surge in subscribers and views, reaching over 3 million subscribers by December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/thesamlivecast|title=Thesamlivecast YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com|website=socialblade.com|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/samthecookingguy|title=SAM THE COOKING GUY|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref>
 == Restaurants ==
 In July 2018, Zien opened his first restaurant - ''Not Not Tacos'' - a casual dining establishment featuring Zien's unique take on non-traditional tacos. Located within the Little Italy Food Hall in the [[Little Italy]] area of downtown San Diego, Zien serves tacos such as Korean Short Rib, Pulled Pork with Macaroni and Cheese, Seared Salmon, and Meatloaf.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sandiego.eater.com/2018/2/7/16986424/sam-the-cooking-guy-not-not-tacos-little-italy-food-hall|title=Sam the Cooking Guy Launching First Eatery in New Little Italy Food Hall|last=Woo|first=Candice |date=2018-02-07|website=Eater San Diego|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref>
-In March 2020, Zien opened a second restaurant in the Little Italy Food Hall, called ''Graze by Sam''.{{clarifyme|date=March 2021}}{{fact|date=March 2021}}
+In March 2020, Zien opened a second restaurant in the Little Italy Food Hall, called ''Graze by Sam''.{{clarify|date=March 2021}}{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
+In April 2021, Zien opened a third also located in the Little Italy Food Hall, called ''Samburgers''.<ref>[https://littleitalyfoodhall.com/event/samburgers-opening/ Samburgers Grand Opening Week], Little Italy Food Hall</ref>
+In 2023, Zien opened a fourth restaurant in the Little Italy Food Hall, called CooCoo's Nest. It is a fried chicken outlet with a "70's flair."
 == Cookbooks ==
-Zien has written four cookbooks, all published by [[John Wiley & Sons]]:
+Zien has written five cookbooks. All were published by [[John Wiley & Sons]] except this most recent book was published by [[Countryman Press]]:
 *''Just a Bunch of Recipes'' (2008, {{ISBN|9780470043738}})
 *''Awesome Recipes and Kitchen Shortcuts'' (2010, {{ISBN|9780470467947}})
 *''Just Grill This!'' (2011, {{ISBN|9780470467930}})
 *''Sam the Cooking Guy: Recipes with Intentional Leftovers'' (2020, {{ISBN|9781682686027}})
+*''Sam the Cooking Guy: Between the Buns: Burgers, Sandwiches, Tacos, Burritos, Hot Dogs & More'' (2022, {{ISBN| 9781682686881}})
-== Notes ==
-{{reflist}}
 == References ==
 {{more footnotes|date=December 2013}}
+{{reflist}}
 * Manna, Marcia, "[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061122/news_1mi22sam.html Serving up TV success]", ''[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]'', November 22, 2006, retrieved November 10, 2008
 * Zien, S., "[http://www.thecookingguy.com/about/ About Sam the Cooking Guy]," ''Sam the Cooking Guy'', retrieved November 9, 2008
@@ Line 60: / Line 64: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Zein, Sam}}
 [[Category:Living people]]
-[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
 [[Category:American male chefs]]
 [[Category:American food writers]]
@@ Line 66: / Line 69: @@
 [[Category:American television chefs]]
 [[Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States]]
-[[Category:Emmy Award winners]]
+[[Category:Regional Emmy Award winners]]
 [[Category:Food and cooking YouTubers]]
 [[Category:People from San Diego]]
+[[Category:1959 births]]

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	United States