Sam Zien
{{Short description|TV personality/cook, author}}
{{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 = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| occupation = YouTube personality, cook, author, restaurateur
| website = https://www.thecookingguy.com/
| channels = {{Unbulleted list|The Sam Livecast {{small|(2011)}}|Sam the Cooking Guy {{small|(2011–present)}}}}
| years_active = 2011-present
| genre = Cooking
| subscribers = 3.55 million (July 2023)
| views = 570 million (July 2023)
}}
Samuel D Zien (born August 7, 1959), known as Sam the Cooking Guy, is a Canadian-born{{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}} American television cook, YouTuber, restaurateur, and cookbook author, based in San Diego, California.{{Cite web |title=Sam The Cooking Guy: Recipes With Intentional Leftovers |url=https://www.ctpublic.org/show/seasoned/2020-12-10/sam-the-cooking-guy-recipes-with-intentional-leftovers |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Connecticut Public |language=en}}
Television career
Zien's career in television began after quitting his job as an executive for a San Diego pharmaceutical company.{{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}} 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. 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.
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.
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! The network was subsequently purchased by the Oprah Winfrey Network; Zien's show was not renewed for a second season.{{cn|date=July 2021}}
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.{{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 over 3 million subscribers by December 2021.{{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}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/samthecookingguy|title=SAM THE COOKING GUY|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24}}
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.{{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}}
In March 2020, Zien opened a second restaurant in the Little Italy Food Hall, called Graze by Sam. The restaurant closed May 2024.{{Cite web |title=Graze By Sam The Cooking Guy Restaurant Set To Close In San Diego's Little Italy |url=https://www.sandiegoville.com/2024/05/graze-by-sam-cooking-guy-restaurant-set.html |access-date=2025-05-03}}
Zien, in partnership with Grain & Grit Collective, opened a third also located in the Little Italy Food Hall, called Samburgers in 2021.[https://littleitalyfoodhall.com/event/samburgers-opening/ Samburgers Grand Opening Week], Little Italy Food Hall
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."{{Cite web |last=Cross |first=Jared |date=2023-03-23 |title=Incoming: Sam the Cooking Guy Opens Coo’s Coo’s Nest |url=https://sandiegomagazine.com/food-drink/incoming-sam-the-cooking-guy-opens-coos-coos-nest/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=San Diego Magazine |language=en-US}}
Zien announced in January 2025 that he was stepping away from the restaurant industry and would no longer a partner in Samburgers, Basta, or Not Not.{{Cite web |title=San Diego-Based Internet Celebrity Sam The Cooking Guy Bows Out of Local Restaurant Industry |url=https://www.sandiegoville.com/2025/01/san-diego-based-internet-celebrity-sam.html |access-date=2025-05-03}}
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
{{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
- "[http://www.thesamlivecast.com/peek/ What is The Sam Livecast?]," What is The Sam Livecast?, retrieved December 8, 2011
External links
- {{official website|http://www.thecookingguy.com/}}
- [http://health.discovery.com/fansites/sam-zien/sam-zien.html Just Cook This!]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov9k_yABNHU/ Sam the Cooking guy tells Kathie Lee and Hoda be quiet] at YouTube
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zein, Sam}}
Category:American food writers
Category:American public access television personalities
Category:American television chefs
Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States
Category:Food and cooking YouTubers