TV Food Star Adam Richman Remembers His Sheepshead Roots

Adam Richman, the star of the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food and the Fandemonium, paid homage to his Sheepshead Bay roots in a recent New York Post report.

The 39-year-old Richman, who graduated Midwood High School, has been in the Hollywood limelight since 2004 when he made his acting debut in Joan of Arcadia. Besides acting, Richman’s interests fell with the world of cuisine, leading him to keep a journal of every restaurant visited dating back to 1995. On Man v. Food, Richman would enthusiastically engage in insane eating contests where he would tackle giant burritos and cram five fat-sandwiches from the famed “grease trucks” at Rutgers into his face in 45 minutes. (As a Rutgers grad, I cringed watching this video, knowing just how disgusting his attempted feat was.)

In the Post report, Richman remembered fondly the places in Sheepshead Bay that he loved to visit and commented on the evolving food scene in Brooklyn.

“I love the amazing new food scene and the cultural aspect, but often, the native Brooklynite in me yearns for the way things used to be,” Richman told the Post. “I guess I’m just protective of my home — like everyone is.”

Richman gave shout-outs to the now closed Pips Comedy Club (2005 Emmons Avenue) sharing a story of how he landed there with his prom date.

“I used to go to Pips to see comedians who were up-and-coming at the time — like David Brenner and Wil Shriner. That was where I asked my prom date to go with me to the prom. And yes, she said ‘yes,'” Richman said.

He also commented on his love for the roast beef sandwiches at Brennan and Carr (3432 Nostrand Avenue), appreciating their old-school approach to root beer.

“I’ve been going here since I was young. It’s also a place I visited for one episode of ‘Man v. Food.’ I was there with [borough president] Marty Markowitz, who also loves it. They’re known for their dipped roast beef sandwich. They still serve root beer in frosted mugs, and the waiters still wear jackets and ties. It was like that when my grandpa ate there,” Richman told the Post.

Richman also gave love to the closed Adelman’s Deli and his time as a youth at the Kings Bay Y:

Adelman’s Deli, formerly at 1906 Kings Hwy., at East 19th Street
“This is one of those delis that they just don’t make anymore. I remember when I came out of Yale, I decided to drive across country by myself for pilot season in LA, to take my shot at TV fame. Before I left Brooklyn, I made a point of going to Adelman’s to get my favorite sandwich — pastrami and corned beef on rye with Russian and coleslaw on it, along with fries and a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Rey soda. I knew I was about to go to the land of the thin and the high-cheek-boned, so I wanted one final taste of New York before I crossed the Rockies!”

Kings Bay Y, 3495 Nostrand Ave., at Avenue V
“They had after-school and summer programs that I used to go to when I was a kid. You could shoot basketball, and that’s where I learned to swim, too. They also had dances there where you could learn to talk to girls . . . or not to talk to girls, as the case often was.”I like Richman. Whenever his show came on TV, my girlfriend would cringe at all the food he was trying to inhale and make me change the channel but I always got the impression that Richman was a down-to-earth and funny guy. And, with his love of Sheepshead, obviously he’s got good taste.