Cooking Channel Premieres New Series OFFBEAT EATS WITH JIM STACY Today

Chef Jim Stacy is known for doing things his way, whether it is his clever takes on traditional foods or his famous corndogs - the Fryinstein Monster and The Bananas Foster Corndog. Now Cooking Channel takes viewers inside the head of this eccentric trailblazer with Offbeat Eats with Jim Stacy, premiering tonight, October 17th at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT. Join Jim through six half-hour episodes as he celebrates America's roadside rebel chefs, the people who create quirky eateries that are off the beaten path and serving up deliciously offbeat food and experiences.

"Jim Stacy is one of a kind, with his larger than life presence and personality," said Michael Smith, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Cooking Channel. "Jim is the perfect guide to take viewers on this offbeat journey, experiencing dishes and locations they would never know existed in their own backyard."

Throughout the series Jim's travels take him to some of the most unique and adventurous spots around, in places you would least expect, from Oakland to Boca Raton to Falls Church, Virginia. Some of the fun he experiences includes a restaurant in Seattle with circus-like décor that serves carnival-inspired dishes; a Louisville fan-favorite destination that is one part old-school arcade and one part gastro-pub; and a restaurant in San Francisco's Mission district that includes an indoor mini-golf course. Not to be missed a trip to North Carolina, as he visits an upscale French bistro that happens to be located in a gas station. For Jim, it is all about the people he meets and the nostalgia he encounters along the way. From hidden local gems to restaurants doing surprising new things where you least expect it. Offbeat Eats is a roadmap to restaurants that are a little hard to find but always worth the journey.

Jim Stacy is a self-trained cook that marches to the beat of his own drum. He's done it all: run landmark bars, revamped a historic drive-in movie theater, built the South's most famous corndog truck, and created one of Georgia's hottest new restaurants, Pallookaville Fine Foods. Jim has always been a champion of those who think a little differently from the status quo. Famous for his eccentric tastes, Jim has appeared on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO and Destination America.

Offbeat Eats with Jim Stacy is produced by School of Humans.

COOKING CHANNEL (www.cookingchanneltv.com) is an entertainment brand dedicated to today's passionate food lover. For food people, by food people, Cooking Channel is the answer to a growing hunger for more content devoted to food and cooking in every dimension from global cuisines to international travel, history and unconventional how-to's. Cooking Channel is part of the media portfolio of Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also includes Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), and GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY (www.gactv.com).