Legendary restaurateur and hospitality entrepreneur Robert Earl has a lot on his plate these days. Figuratively and literarily.

His travel food documentary series, Robert Earl's Be My Guest, just kicked off its second season on the Cooking Channel. The program features Earl as he travels to eaters all around the globe-from four-star restaurants to food trucks, trying out a variety of unique and delicious recipes. Along the way, he meets with cooks and chefs, learning just how they whip up food and questioning what makes it palette-worthy in the process. And according to Earl, most of the dishes tend to be worth the trip.

People React Over Chinese Restarant Owner's Arrest

"I've put on about 14 pounds and I'm convinced the people that do these shows generally take one mouthful then spit it out. I'm eating the entire dish," Earl told Enstars in a recent interview.

Earl, who was once named one of Time Magazine's "Most Influencial People in America," claims his show is a must-watch for viewers looking for recommendations of places worth visiting.

Lo Bosworth Dishes On Her Love For Food

"In most of the cities that we've covered, we're just enjoying some wonderful food and particularly good produce at the moment," the 63-year-old said. "Particularly good meat supplies at the moment and we're just experiencing some very interesting places."

Earl made a name for himself in the theme restaurant and casual dining industry. He’s the CEO and founder of Planet Hollywood, the show biz-themed chain of eaters famous for featuring movie memorabilia and celebrity investors, and the chairman of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

And while that might be more than enough for anyone else to bite off and chew, Earl’s adding more food business to his schedule as a reoccurring panelist on Food Network’s recently launched Food Fortunes, a show in the vein of Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den but with a culinary focus. Earl and other veteran investors are pitched food-related business ideas and products, from kitchen gadgets to unique recipes, by entrepreneurs in need of fresh capital and hoping that they’ll invest.

"I'm a deal junkie so I'm loving this opportunity," Earl explained. "I'm starting to see lots of businesses that I'd like to invest in and it's fun and it's very focused and there are other shows that are already very famous in that genre and they are more generic that one day they can be a restaurant business, but the next day they could be in the steel industry or in the jewelry industry."

One of Earl's favorite parts about Food Fortunes is that he isn't the only one who gets a say in what business is worth looking into; an in-studio audience votes the quality of a product, trying out and munching along with the Earl and the other panelists.

"The audience gets the same food as we get and we get to ask their opinions first before we make the economic decision," Earl said. "So whether it's tasting a new cuisine or testing some wild crazy idea, we're getting some true input--not just our own opinions, but the consumers' opinion."

So with a successful career setting up restaurants worldwide, his own show documenting gastronomic explorations and escapades along with a new role judging food ventures, one has to wonder: Does Earl have any favorite type or style of cuisine to nosh on?

“I don't think you can beat Italian cuisine,” Earl demurred, just before admitting his most stunning food palette preference: dishes from his home country, England.

"I'm a huge fan of British cuisine, which most Americans are shocked by,” Earl said. “But we have really good chefs back home in England and some wonderful products that they cook.”

Well, if you say so Mr. Earl…

Robert Earl's Be My Guest airs on Mondays at 12 p.m. ET on the Cooking Channel. Food Fortunes airs on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on the Food Network.

[Editor's Note: A previous version of this piece referenced Earl's presence on Time's "25 Most Influential Americans" list. In fact, Earl was featured in that magazine's "Most Influential People in America" list and the text has been changed to reflect that.]

Tags
Television, Food network