Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Guy Fieri's big heart

Hugbacker.com has done a nice interview with Guy Fieri recently about his charitable efforts. Here are a few comments Guy Fieri made in the interview - read the full story here.

"If I was to the point where I didn’t have to work," Guy said, "philanthropy would be my biggest interest."

Guy commented on his family's work with a Mexican orphange. "For the past couple of years I’ve been cooking a benefit dinner down there too at a local restaurant; we raised money for the school system. It’s been awesome to be able to help out."

Guy Fieri also mentioned that Johnny Garlic's in Santa Rosa, CA, has long been community-oriented, sponsoring fund raisers for a variety of causes. "We got the first restaurant going, and one of the first things we did was make a decision to take a charity organization and give them the night." Kid Street Theater, baseball teams, soccer teams, a middle school cheerleading team and more have been recipients of efforts on the part of Guy's restaurants. "People really do want to help," he said.

The article states that Guy, together with a Sonoma County local DJ, Brent Farris, raised over $25,000 for Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Sonoma County which provides support to neglected and abused children.

Jess Dang, finalist from TNFNS season 2, with Guy Fieri at a Johnny Garlic's fund raiser

The Guy Fieri Foundation for Inspiration and Imagination is still in its initial stages. "... we want to create programs to generate opportunities for [children], so they can go after it. We want to empower them, get them thinking outside the box. We’ve got big aspirations for it."

Guy spent a day in Sacramento with California's Governor Schwarzenegger, formally declaring "the second Saturday in May [as] Cook With Your Kids day. Let’s take it national."


Related Posts:
Pork contest reminder and Charity benefits
Rock Fantasies, Pork Promos, Ribbon Cutting and Cook with your Kids
Guy Fieri - charitable works in Mexico

Monday, July 27, 2009

Guy Fieri heads to Boston, MA for Triple D

For June 2010 taping locations near Boston and in the New England area, click here.

Guy Fieri and the film crew for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives was spotted at Bartley's Burger Cottage in Cambridge, Massachusetts today. Guy is scheduled to shoot the show in the Boston area this week, July 27 through July 30, 2009.

Bartley's Burger Cottage - website
1246 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 354-6559
www.mrbartley.com
*Airs on the Food Network 11/23/09*

Here's Guy outside Mr. Bartley's with a couple of fans, barnable and paulajy.

Share photos on twitter with Twitpic

Typically the Food Network (or more specifically, Page Productions) looks for 6 or 7 locations in any one city. Sam La Grassa's is also on the list:

Sam La Grassa's - website
44 Province St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 357-6861
www.samlagrassas.com

Here's Guy taping outside La Grassa's in Boston.

Photo by Patrick Whittemore

And The Owl Diner is on the list too, which looks perfect for the show:

Four Sisters Owl Diner - (no website)
244 Appleton St.
Lowell, MA 01852
(978) 453-8321
(source)

On Thursday and again on Saturday, Guy's crew is scheduled to tape at Morin's Diner in Attleboro, MA:

Morin's Hometown Bar & Grille - website
16 S Main St.
Attleboro, MA 02703
(508) 222-9875
www.morinsdiner.com
Legacies episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
(source)

Click here to view a map all of the restaurants Guy Fieri has visited in the Boston, MA area. Or click here to see all the Massachusetts episodes.

Just an FYI, on Friday of this week, July 31, 2009, Guy Fieri is scheduled to be a guest on ABC's Good Morning America, 7am ET.

Other DDD locations in Massachusetts:
Kelly's Diner
Mike's City Diner
Charlie's Diner

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Car #36 results from the Brickyard 400

Ok, so Mike Skinner didn't win the race at Indy today, Sunday July 26, 2009 at the Brickyard 400. In fact, he finished in the pit - transmission issues.

But he got in 35 laps, and the car looked great!

Here are two pictures I found of car #36, sponsored by the brand "Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich."



I can only say that I think a couple of my design ideas were better. It totally needed El Fuego flames going down the side. And a skull in a chef's hat. With sunglasses on the back of his head. Holding Ergo knives. But they did well enough ... I suppose. (humor)

Tommy Baldwin Racing, if you're reading this, I'll only charge a nominal fee to design the hood of the car next time ....

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri sponsors Tommy Baldwin Racing of NASCAR
Pix from Infineon Raceway and dinner in Houston
At Infineon, in Texas and upcoming DDD taping in Ohio

Fab Crab (GI0606H) with video

Guy's Big Bite - Fab Crab - Aired: 7/26/09

Guy Fieri loves seafood especially crab. Today he packs as much of the crustacean's sweet meat as possible into his tender Crab Burgers topped with creamy, mustard-spiced Celery Root Remoulade. Alongside, Ragin Cajun Onion Rings and a peachy Georgia's Delight cocktail.

Crab burgers with Celery Root Remoulade Slaw - recipe



Rajun' Cajun Onion Rings - recipe


Georgia's Delight - cocktail recipe

Keywords:
crab, kaiser rolls, Remoulade Slaw, red onions, Bacardi, Canton ginger liqueur

Related Guy Fieri Recipes
Main dishes with shellfish
Side dishes with vegetables
Cocktails with rum

-> more on Guy's Big Bite <-

Friday, July 24, 2009

Guy Fieri sponsors Tommy Baldwin Racing of NASCAR

Tommy Baldwin Racing is going to have Guy Fieri as a sponsor.


Guy Fieri will sponsor TBR's #36 Toyota at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Sunday, July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, IN. Recall that Guy Fieri is a car fanatic and a fan of NASCAR in general. His logo will be on the hood of the TBR Toyota Camry.
"I was Grand Marshall at Infineon Raceway and had an amazing time. When this opportunity came up, I jumped on it. NASCAR is an amazing way to promote my (Knuckle Sandwich) brand, and I look forward to supporting Tommy's efforts to continue to build his organization. We all have to start somewhere and what Tommy has done this year, I really admire." - Guy Fieri
Tommy Baldwin, owner of Tommy Baldwin Racing would like to see this relationship grow into a marketing win-win-win. “We think there is a great opportunity for food companies with strong brands to be associated with Guy, TBR and NASCAR racing as a whole,” Baldwin said. "I respect what Guy has been able to accomplish in his career and know that our new relationship is just another recipe for success.”

Pluff Mudder, of FoodNetworkFans.com writes, "I know Tommy, he was the crew chief for a couple of years for my friend when he drove a Cup car. It expensive to own and operate a Cup team (especially these days and times) and Tommy's been having a tough time with sponsorship because he's one of the "little guys" who owns just one team unlike the big guys like Roush and Hendrick. Thanks to Guy for helping him out."

Mike Skinner (Susanville, CA) will drive the Toyota Camry in Sunday's race. Skinner, currently ranked 55th, will make his 259th start this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has 10 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-five and 38 top-10 finishes over those starts. He also earned the 1995 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship for Richard Childress Racing.

The Brickyard 400 will be televised live Sunday, July 26th beginning at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN and will be broadcast live on IMS Radio.


Just out of curiosity, if you were to design the hood of a Guy Fieri racing car, what design would you use?





Haha! Enjoy your weekend.
-----------------------------------------------------------

By the way and totally off topic, I think that the upcoming Houston episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives are going to be (please, please pardon me for this ...) off the hook. I have received literally thousands of hits on all of my Houston-oriented posts. The interest is bordering on obscene! And I mean that in a good way.

Houston fans and foodies, here's another article, an interview with Guy Fieri, with many mentions of his experiences in Houston, Texas - www.dailycomet.com

Related Posts:
Pix from Infineon Raceway
At Infineon, in Texas and upcoming DDD taping in Ohio
Fun with the Shelby Cobra

Guy Fieri is headed to New York in August

Guy Fieri is scheduled for a cooking show live performance at the Seneca Niagara Events Center at Niagara Falls, NY, Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $25, $35 or $55, available on Ticketmaster.com. All ages welcome, but under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Moreover, if you play the slots from July 13 through August 16, you can win a Grand Prize of $3,000 cash, tickets to be on stage with Guy and a private meet & greet.

You must be at the casino on Sunday, August 16 at 4 p.m., to be one of the three people to choose a prize from their Prize Board.

The Tonawanda News reports that the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives crew will tape at:

Pizza Junction - website
1269 Erie Ave., North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 692-6366
www.pizza-junction.com
*airs 1/11/10*

General Manager Ryan Fleckstein said he got a call from producers of Food Network’s show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives last week, completely out of the blue. “They said they had over 100 viewer e-mails telling them if they ever come to Buffalo to go out to our place,” Fleckstein said.

The camera crew will visit Pizza Junction, which has won the People’s Choice award at Pizzafest for four of the last five years, August 11 to 13, 2009 for footage of the kitchen and dining areas. Then Guy Fieri will shoot his segment between August 24 to 27, 2009.

Fleckstein said they’ll be closing Pizza Junction for the three hours it will take to film the kitchen segments showing how the food is made.


Also, just a reminder that Guy Fieri is one of many celebrity chefs who'll be at the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival July 30 through August 2, 2009, proceeds from which benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. There are still tickets available for Guy's $1000 family dinner - what're you waiting for! :-)

Related Posts:
Win tickets to Atlantic City
Food & Wine Fest in Atlantic City July 30 - Aug 2
Upcoming Events with Guy Fieri

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Piston ring is 'so munee,' for Guy

In a blog post from June 22, 2009, Final words on Guy Fieri at the Shoreline , Carlos Lovato commented:
I met Guy at the book signing. I gave him one of our 12:1 piston rings. He loved it, you can see it in some of the photos you have on his left middle finger. I have a great picture of the moment I gave him the ring. His expression is priceless. He gave me a postcard of his with his endorsement "Carlos, Da ring is so Munee! Guy" I would like to share the pics. You can see the ring at www.sinners-inc.com.

Guy Fieri wearing Carlos' 12:1 piston ring at the Shoreline Amphitheater, Mt. View, CA. 6/13/09

Well, Carlos wrote back to me with his terrific photograph! Here's what he wrote:
Hi Dora,

You run a very nice blog. I check it to see what Guy's up to more than his site. [Haha! thank you. ~D] I just noticed the comment you left. Sorry I didn't respond sooner.

I went to the show just to meet Guy. I only had battery life for one picture. This picture was taken the moment that I gave it to him. The ring is in the shape of an automobile piston. He says to me "Dude you don't know how much this ring is me!" And I replied "Yes I do that's why I'm here." When (he) signed the card and told me he doesn't do this for everyone. He signed it "Carlos, Da ring is so Munee! Guy!" He thanked me, reached over the table gave me a hug, and said he would definitely get back to me for more jewelry.

Thanks,
Carlos

www.sinners-inc.com
Guy Fieri's reaction to Carlos' piston ring

What a priceless expression! And thank you Carlos! For being so thoughtful and for sharing.

Click to enlarge

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri at the Tahoe Golf Tourney
Guy Fieri at the Shoreline Amphitheater
Guy Fieri is grillin' with fans

Guy Fieri raves about Cleveland, win tickets to Atlantic City

Joe Crea from Cleveland.com caught up with Guy Fieri to get his thoughts on the recent "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" visit in Cleveland, Ohio last week. Fieri will go back to Cleveland in November for the 2009 Fabulous Food Show. Funny article - Crea describes Guy as a mega-madman. :-)
"Man, it was off-the-hook," Fieri said, on a break from filming two shows -- simultaneously -- at his home in California's Sonoma Valley. "It's not that often that after I leave a place, with all the stuff running through my life and through my head, that a week later great things still come to mind."
"The Parmageddon [sandwich] you get at Melt [Bar and Grilled] is incredible -- I still think about it, one of the best sandwiches ever, and Matt [owner Matt Fish] is truly crazed!

"You've got some history there -- so when we went to Sterle's [Slovenian Country House], come on! That place is a fortress, and there's so much nostalgia behind it as well. Good food in a neat old building.

"Momocho! Wonderful! I also like that it's atypical -- outside-of-the-box Mexican, 'mod Mex' he [chef-owner Eric Williams] calls it.

"And down-home, homemade food at Lucky [Lucky's Cafe]. There's so much real energy behind it!" (Dig: Fieri talks in exclamation points, at a pace so exuberant his tempo can't be captured by anyone shy of a jazz percussionist.)

Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, Ohio and occasionally visits his aunt, Polly Barrett, and cousins, the Langermeiers, who live in the Rocky River-Westlake area. "Every time I go to Cleveland, I've had a nice time," he says. ... It's just an awesome, awesome city. You guys have killer restaurants. I know you're known for the Indians, the Browns and the Cavs and the Rock and Roll Hall -- but you've got to be known for fantastic eateries."

------------------------------------------------

You can win passes to the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival.

Dara Bunjon of the Examiner.com has five passes, each good for two guests, giving you access to the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival’s Grand Market for Saturday, August 1st or Sunday, August 2nd. The Food and Wine Festival starts Thursday, July 30th.

Here are the contest rules:

1. Find the story she wrote previously about Atlantic City.(not the contest announcement) [here ~D]
2. Send her an e-mail at ACFood&Wine@diningdish.otherinbox.com naming her friend in the story and the title of the story.
3. Put your complete mailing address in your entry.

"I will draw the five winners on July 24th and the passes will be mailed to you via the event organizers."


Related Posts:
Guy Fieri finishes up round of DDD joints in Cleveland
Tickets on sale Monday for Fabulous Food Show, OH
Food & Wine Fest in Atlantic City July 30 - Aug 2

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Photos and video from the golf tourney at Tahoe

For more photographs from the 2009 American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, including Michael Jordan and a majority of the celebrity golfers, click here.

Wife Lori and Guy Fieri maneuver his monster cart, which has a stereo, lift kit, big tires and is equipped with nitro.

Right-hand man Kleetus Cox and Guy Fieri make Pork En Fuego Saturday during the 2009 American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.



Related Posts:
Guy Fieri at the Tahoe Golf Tourney
Guy Fieri appearance in Tahoe, July 18, 2009
Fieri may participate in B.R. Cohn Charity Events in 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

More on the set of Guy's Big Bite

The FN Dish has a lengthy post about the set of Guy's Big Bite - a Behind the Scenes look at Guy's Big Set.


Guy Fieri tapes episodes for Guy's Big Bite twice a year at the Food Network studios at Chelsea Market in New York City. It takes three days to install the set props in the studio, ten days to shoot twenty episodes and another three days to tear everything down, pack it up neatly and put it away in storage.
"Food Network’s prime shooting space, Studio A, is home to more than just Guy’s Big Bite. Other shows, including 30 Minute Meals and Iron Chef America, are taped here, too." - FN Dish
Mark Dissin, vice president of production and the show’s executive producer, asked Guy what he wanted on his set. “I sat there and rattled off all this stuff – a pool table, a pinball machine, a big-screen TV – and I showed up and it was all there!” Guy says. Production designer Amelia Battaglio took cues from real-life bachelor pads to pull the whole look together.

“You gotta say something about Fender! For my birthday, they got me a sick $12,000 guitar,” a custom Presidential Select Stratocaster.
"While he’s not bad on the keyboard and drums, he’s going to stick to cooking for a living." - FN Dish
The sixth season of GBB was taped in late March, 2009, when a few changes were made, requested by Guy: pullout recycling bins and an extra-deep sink to hide dirty pans while he’s cooking, a built-in storage for squeeze bottles (for oils, vinegars and other cooking liquids), knives, salt, pepper and garlic. And, “I told them: ‘I want one big-@$$ cutting board!’ ” And he got one: The 4 1/2-foot-long board sits flush with the counter.


Design director Wendy Waxman hits flea markets and eBay to hunt down any dishes she thinks are “gutsy and weird.” That means skulls, snakeskin, spiders or any big, bold prints. “There’s a fine line between flashy and too flashy,” she says. “With Guy, you want to be right on that line.” Due to bright studio lights, Wendy has to find dishes that don't give off a glare.

Guy owns eight cars. Designers incorporated the car theme into the set with old hubcaps, license plates and grilles, and Guy’s now-famous Viking fridge with a racing stripe, a vinyl sticker. No word on what the number 05 represents, if anything. However, The Next Food Network Star, Season 2, the show that shot Guy Fieri to fame, was taped late in 2005. So could the 05 possibly stand for '05?

The area next to Guy’s kitchen is what you might picture for a Fieri-family rec room, with bumper pool table, Ron Jon surfboard and 42-inch TV.
"And the best toy of all is the 1970s Drop-A-Card pinball machine, which still works. Some crew members went a few rounds between takes, but no one was able to top Guy’s high score: 8,408 (out of a possible 9,999)." - FN Dish
Guy's Big Bite - Tune in Sundays at 11am/10c

More from the FN Dish on Guy Fieri:
Guy’s Set Tour - September '08
Off the Hook Sighting - October '08
Backstage with Guy - December '08
Guy Gives the Scoop on URS - January '09
Guy Fieri’s 3lb Burger - January '09 (video from David Letterman show)
“Starr” Lessons - February '09
Ready, Set? GO! - April '09
Guy’s Big Set - April '09
Behind the Scenes with Feimster - May '09

Related Posts:
Inside information on Guy's Big Bite set
Guy's Big Bite nominated for a Daytime Emmy
Guy's Big Bite season six premiers on Sunday

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The BourbonBlog interviews Guy Fieri, about ... bourbon!

Click the link below to listen to a podcast intervew from The BourbonBlog.


Related Posts:
Guy Fieri, on Holiday Comfort Food and Burgers
Guy Fieri to attend the Kentucky Derby
Guy Fieri at the Oaks Bourbon Brunch

There Will Be BBQ (GI0612H) with video

Guy's Big Bite - There Will Be BBQ - Aired: 7/19/09

Guy Fieri gives grilled chicken a flavor upgrade with his sweet-spicy mango barbecue sauce. Custardy corn pudding packs in fresh kernels and roasted poblanos, and is baked til bubbly under a blanket of flaky breadcrumbs. Plus a Mango Elixir.

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken - recipe


Poblano Corn Pudding - recipe


Fresh Mango Elixir - cocktail recipe



Keywords:
mango, chipotle peppers in adobo, chicken thighs and drumsticks, poblano peppers, sharp white Cheddar, corn, Panko breadcrumbs, vodka, mango juice or mango nectar

Related Guy Fieri Recipes:
Main dishes with chicken
Side dishes with vegetables
Cocktails with vodka

-> more on Guy's Big Bite <-

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Guy Fieri at the Tahoe Golf Tourney

Guy Fieri was interviewed by Phil Weidinger at the American Century Championship golf tourney in Stateline (near Lake Tahoe), Nevada, July 18, 2009.

PHIL WEIDINGER: I don't know that we need to introduce you.
GUY FIERI: I'm telling you, I sometimes question who I am.

PHIL WEIDINGER: When is the last golf tournament you've worked at?
GUY FIERI: I was at the PGA tournament in Mississippi for the Viking Classic, and I cooked with the chairman of PGA and the governor of Mississippi.

Got a free round of golf and a pardon. So it's not often that you get that in the same day.

PHIL WEIDINGER: Good day. We're not going to have the heavies with you out there today, we'll have the people out there with you cooking on No. 17. What will you be cooking out there?
GUY FIERI: We had to make a real decision about what we're going to be doing. We're out here, in some heat, in Tahoe, a lot of factors. People need to eat on the fly, no pun intended. People need to be able to do it.

We were thinking of a pasta dish. We had to look at the elements, what we had to cook with. My buddy Irvine was here last year. He has done some cooking, had a preview about what was coming up.


We'll do a dish called Pork el Fuego, pork on fire. We take a pork tenderloin with some garlic and onions and peppers and tomatoes, deglaze it with some tequila and lime juice, serve it on a ciabatta roll. It will melt in your mouth. Humongous flavor. It was a dish I made actually for Jay Leno when I was on the Tonight Show. (Dirty P, at right. ~D)

They said this is going to be one of the last cooking segments that Jay has. Can you bring the heat? Can I bring the heat? So I brought the heat. And I think this stage, I think they've repaired the stage now-- just kidding.

PHIL WEIDINGER: Out on 17. I'll understand you'll cook for some of the players. As they come by they'll have some bite-sized shots.
GUY FIERI: We're going to be taking care of -- being that we're on the 17th, we're almost at the end. Those that are in the real competitive streak at that point I imagine will probably blow by. But those that are playing their game like I play, oh, they'll probably be looking for cold beer as well.

PHIL WEIDINGER: We'll try to help them there.
GUY FIERI: Load up a cooler on the back of the monster cart.

PHIL WEIDINGER: Tell us about the monster cart that you just drove through the front gate in. Give us the blow by blow on this one.
GUY FIERI: It's built by a place called Smitty's, Smith Carts in Rohnert Park (website). And when I started looking at different golf carts, I said: I want this in a cart. I want that in a cart and started putting the ideas together. I'm a yellow fan. I have a yellow Corvette and yellow Jeep and Lambo. All my cars are yellow.

I said: I want something yellow. And I want it lifted because I'm into monster trucks.
Can you really do all that really that fast? So I wanted to have my monster cart, and I wanted to have it that big, and wanted a big lift kit and big tires.

Did you get it all? (Laughter).



So a little ADD. I get sidetracked once in a while. Bring it back to the shiny bell. What happened, I wanted all these things. I sat there with Ed Smith and I said, "Here's the list of things I would like to have on the cart. You tell me if this is possible. Stereo, lift kit, big tires. And I want it yellow. And I want it flamed. And I want tattoo artwork in it. And I want the seats to look like baseball glove, leather, and blah, blah, blah, and went on and on. And my final thing I want on it is I want it to be board and I want it to have nitro on it.

And he looked at me and he said, "I think we can do that." With no hesitation at all. So it took him about three months to build it. The first time I used it was when I was the Grand Marshal of NASCAR at Infineon. And it's a kick. And actually here's the funny thing about it, it's licensed to be on the road. That's scary.


PHIL WEIDINGER: The sheriffs have no problem letting you through the front gate.
GUY FIERI: They weren't too interested in me hitting the nitros button and cranking the tunes. Has a big stereo and sub woofer and all that and had to dial it back for -- I don't know why people want it quiet when they golf. Me -- I call it the Happy Gilmore style, if you can make a little noise so I'm not so on edge and shaking, it would be better.

PHIL WEIDINGER: Tell us, in the last couple of years you've rocketed to stardom. How many different shows are you on with the Food Network and tell us about some of the things you're doing?
GUY FIERI: Well, I have four different shows on the Food Network. My main show which everybody knows me by "Diners Drive-ins and Dives" where we tour around the country, visit funky joints all over.

Just got back from Cleveland. Oh, my gosh, if you haven't been to Cleveland recently, go to Cleveland. Some killer, Momocho's, Melt, Lucky's Cafe, some of the bomb -- off-the-hook joints.

My cooking show is called "
Guy's Big Bite" and I have a studio live cooking show called "Guy Off the Hook" and then I'm the host of the another show, culinary competition against home chefs called "The Ultimate Recipe Showdown."

Between those four, I also have five restaurants in California. Just a couple in Sacramento and a couple in the wine country. Three called "
Johnny Garlic's." Two are called Tex Wasabi's. And Tex Wasabi's, if you understand the golf cart and understand me and shorts and the chef coat, you'll understand that Tex Wasabi's is southern-style barbecue and sushi together again for the first time.

I also have two great boys, Hunter and Ryder, 13 and three. They're both down here with me. I was at a big event last night. Flew on a plane this morning to be on time to do this gig.

We have about 100 pounds of pork that we're getting to ready to make about 400 sandwiches. I brought my Kulinary Krew up here. We all run together with the Kulinary Gangsters, which everybody, that's a nice name.

So my whole crew is up here. They're out at the 17th cooking it up, and we're going to go make fire. Oh, we brought our T-shirt gun. You can't go to an event like this without loud music, lifted golf carts, spiky hair, sunglasses and a T-shirt gun.


So what we will be figuring out is whether or not we can launch one of the Pork El Fuego sandwiches out of the T-shirt gun. So stand by for that.


PHIL WEIDINGER: Have you been to any of our diners or dives here in Tahoe?
GUY FIERI: I haven't been here yet. I come up here to go skiing. My son and I snowboard. We were up here last year. And we've eaten, we've eaten at quite a few places. But I traditionally like to see that the places are recommended from the viewers. That's probably about 90 percent of the locations we go to.

People go to
www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives, and there's a place that says "Tell Guy Where to Go" (DDDinfo@mac.com) meaning places to visit. That's how the majority of them come about.

If you have any, we'd love to hear about it. For me, the real tough thing is when I have to go to a place I like to go to, oh, Tahoe, maybe we can just go there in the winter and shoot the show and I could snowboard and we can do that. Please, make the restaurants open around December-ish.

PHIL WEIDINGER: Where did the concept come from?
GUY FIERI: It came from our executive producer, crazy guy named David Page, who is an award-winning producer that won Emmies from Beirut and all kinds of, Berlin Wall, the whole thing.

He came up with the idea. He pitched it to Food Network. Food Network says, "Great, we'll take it." He said, "Okay, I've got my host ready and everything, we're ready to shoot." They said, "No, no, no. You're not going to use your guy. We have the guy we want you to use."

He said, "Oh, great is it Bobby Flay?" "No." "Is it Emeril?" "Not so much." "Rachel Ray?" "No, I don't think so. It's the guy that won the contest."

And he said he just saw all his hopes and dreams go down when it was me. Because I had won the show called "
The Next Food Network Star." Kind of like American Idol for Food. Four years ago.

I was doing "Guy's Big Bite." I was cooking. Food Network knew they wanted me to do some other stuff, but they didn't know what. This dude calls me up and said, "What days are you free in August?"


I sent him my schedule. Sends me back an e-mail. I'll take them all. He took like 17 days, 12 days, whatever it was; who's counting. I don't like getting the facts right in the middle of a good story.


So anyhow, we go to New Jersey. I roll out of the car service, taking the red eye from California. I come out. I've got a tank top on and board shorts and flip-flops, and he looks at me and he says: "Is Guy with you?"


And I said, "I am Guy." And he goes, "Oh, okay. Do you have anything else you could wear?"


So I reach in my bag, and I pull out a bowling shirt. And I throw it on. It's all wrinkled. I go, "How's this?"

"Okay." He said, "Here's what I want you to do. I want you to go inside this diner here," the
Bayway Diner in Linden, New Jersey. "Go interview this guy. Here's the questions I want you to ask."

And I'm just (snoring), "Uh-huh, I'll do all that."


I walk in. Next thing you know I'm serving coffee, flipping eggs, talking to the customers, talking to Mike the owner, going back and forth. It's crazy.


And he walks in finally after about 10 minutes. He goes, "Cut!" Jumps in front of the camera.
He goes, "Come here." Takes me outside. "What was that?"

"What was what?"


"The thing in there, the talking and the cooking and the moving and laughing and everything. I wanted you to interview the people. What was that part?"


I said, "I'm a restaurant dude. Restaurants, that's how we handle things. And that's what I think I'm doing."


He goes, "Can you do that again?"


"Can I do that again?" I said, "Oh, dude, I do that all day long."


He goes, "We have a winner!" And that was it, man. And then the show blew up. It's been the number one show on Food Network for about a year and a half, two years.


PHIL WEIDINGER: Where does the jewelry come from?
GUY FIERI: The bling. I get this at Blings R Us. Easy payment plan. I also got a blender with it.

No, the rings are my sons'. This is my son Hunter's ring. My son Ryder's ring. So my deal is I'll wear these rings until they're old enough to receive them, mature enough, mature enough to receive them.


And this is my wedding ring piston. There is a jeweler called 101, Room 101 down in Los Angeles
(no website), makes jewelry for rockers. I said, "I'm a culinary rocker. Got any jewelry?" So this right here is kind of my logo, the skull chef. And that's about it. And a bunch of tattoos.

PHIL WEIDINGER: This is the 20th anniversary of the Celebrity Championship --
GUY FIERI: Fitting I should be here.

PHIL WEIDINGER: -- and I can guarantee you we've entered a new edge with Guy Fieri. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it.


Related Posts:
Pix from Infineon Raceway
Pork En Fuego - as seen on The Tonight Show
Guy Fieri finishes up round of DDD joints in Cleveland
Interview with David Page

Tickets on sale Monday for Fabulous Food Show, OH

Guy Fieri will be joined by Sandra Lee, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence and Michael Symon at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland, Ohio, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13-15, 2009 the International Exposition Center. Tickets go on sale Monday, July 20th

Fab Food 2009 will include three major stages: the Main Kitchen Theatre, Taste of the Neighborhood (spotlighting Northeast Ohio culinary talent) and the 400-seat Culinary Celebration Stage. There will also be a Grand Tasting Pavilion, live demonstrations by chocolatiers and candy makers, demonstrations and 200 exhibitors.

One-day tickets are $25. Two- and three-day general admission tickets, which include entry to the show plus one celebrity chef performance, are $45 and $65, respectively.

Guy Fieri performs on Saturday, November 14 at 11:00 am, 1:45 pm and again at 5:45 pm. The 1:45 show has a VIP meet & greet immediately following the demonstration. Each exclusive VIP gourmet package includes:
- Guaranteed seat front and center within first two rows for selected chef performance in the Main Kitchen Theatre.
- 'Behind the scenes' meet & greet autograph reception with celebrity chef post performance.
- and more. Click here for more on the VIP package.



More information at www.fabulousfoodshow.com.

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri appearance in Tahoe, July 18, 2009
Food & Wine Fest in Atlantic City July 30 - Aug 2
Celebrity Food Show, Anaheim CA

Friday, July 17, 2009

HGTV borrows Guy Fieri for Beef Braciola

Guy Fieri makes a guest appearance on HGTV Showdown this weekend, where two design teams battle side-by-side, making over the same room for a couple whose decorating styles differ.

The episode airs on HGTV
July 19, 2009 - 9:00 PM e/p
July 19, 2009 - 1:00 AM e/p

Check the "Clash of the Kitchens" episode page for upcoming airings.

Guy will make a savory Beef Braciola while designers Vern Yip and Angelo Surmelis make over an outdated kitchen. Braciole are simple thin slices of beef pan fried in their juice or in a light amount of olive oil. It is, probably, one of the simplest dishes in Italian cooking. This looks to me like classic Fieri food.

Enjoy.

Braciola Guid Style With Rustica Pomadora
Courtesy Guy Fieri

For sauce:
1 tablespoon grape seed oil, or olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil (prefer Muir Glen)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (hold until very end)

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil, saute garlic briefly, add red pepper flakes, add in tomatoes and let simmer while preparing meat.

For braciola:
4 top sirloin steaks (½” thick)
salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon grape seed oil or olive oil (in all)
2 cups crimini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon capers, drained
4 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped, (in all)
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
8 pieces prosciutto, very thinly sliced (3″ x 4″)
2 mozzarella cheese sticks, sliced in quarters, long way
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Special equipment: gallon size resealable bag, meat mallot, kitchen twine, crock pot (optional)

Salt and pepper sirloin, place in plastic bag, one at a time. Pound with flat side of mallet until ⅛” thick. Can hold up to light in bag to see where thick parts are. Set aside.

Remove tomato sauce to hold warm (can be placed in crock pot on simmer or low). Wipe down pan, heat to med high and add in 1 tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon oil. Add mushrooms, sauté until lightly browned, add in pine nuts, then add in shallots, sauté for one minute more then add in capers and half of parsley. Combine panko crumbs, oregano and granulated garlic and add to mushroom mixture, lightly toast and remove from heat transfer to small plate. Wipe out pan.

Cut 8 pieces of kitchen string to 14 inches.

Place pounded sirloin on work surface, place one piece of prosciutto, one-quarter piece of the cheese and 3 tablespoons of the filling. Rolling towards you, fold over meat and tuck in ends. Truss with string. Repeat. Heat remaining oil in pan, add in rolls and brown well on all sides. Cut strings off carefully (unless using crock pot method, then leave string until right before service).

Add tomato sauce back to pan (or add rolls to crock pot if you chose this method) and simmer for 10 minutes, add in basil ( or if crock pot method, hold basil and leave on low for 1-2 hours, add in basil right before service). Plate by putting sauce on plate, slicing braciola into 3-4 pieces on diagonal and laying on sauce, garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.


Yield: 2 to 4 servings (8 rolls)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Interview with David Page

What follows below is an excerpt of an interview from Heavy Table with David Page, founder of Page Productions and executive producer for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It's a fascinating article, and I encourage fans of the show to read the full article; link below.

David Page and Guy Fieri

... I had done a food show for them at an annual festival that takes place in Branson, MO. And I had done an hour for them on, of all things, diners with Al (Roker, of the Today Show). With a lot of thanks to Al for having gotten me to the food side, I started pitching the Food Network a lot of things, which they kept turning down until this happened.

When Food Network commissioned it, I said, “Well, do you want to look for a host?” and they said, “Well, yeah, but we think we have this guy we’ve been trying to figure out what to do with him in prime time, if he can do prime time.” I said, “Who?” They said “Guy Fieri.” And I said, “What’s a Guy Fieri?” And they said that he won The Next Food Network Star contest and I did not let on that I wasn’t really sure that that contest existed.

And I went to the website and I looked him up and I saw this spiky-haired guy in shorts and I went, “Oh my God, I’m dead.” ‘Cause I had never seen him on television and I thought, “What are they doing to me?” And then we were going to shoot a one-hour special and I couldn’t get a hold of him on the phone. We have a summer house on the Jersey shore and he finally called me back as I was walking into a market.

So my first conversation with him was, “Hey, can I call you back? I’m walking into the fish market to buy dinner.” First thing he said to me was, “Well, what are you making?” And I said, “I’m making cioppino.” And he said, “Well, what are you going to use for fennel?” And I said, “Well, I don’t know because I can’t find any fresh. There’s nothing on the island so I guess I’ll use fennel seed.” He said, “That won’t work. Here’s what you do. Go get some Sambuca. It’s the same flavor profile.” So I went home. I don’t know if I called him before or after the cioppino. I think it was after because it was really good. And we started talking and then he said to me, “You know, how much time do you need?” And I said, “Well, what days do you have?” And he sent me his calendar and I said, “I’ll take them all.” And we went out and shot the special.

(...)

We will plan a trip to a given geographical location, generally based around a city. In each of those locations the intent is to visit seven restaurants. When we’re on the road, it’s two full crews: two camera guys, two sound guys, two production assistants, two producers, as well as the driver who takes care of the car. So what we’ll do is send the crews in several days ahead of Guy. Each crew will shoot a full day at each of their locations. All or most of the close-up shots, the beauty shots, a lot of the atmosphere of the place, and it gives the producer and crew the opportunity to, what I say, smell the place. Get a feel for it, because we’re very, very good in the research department, but still you can be surprised. And to be candid, we have gotten to town and canceled places because the key to the show is that they have to meet that bar.

But logistically, the crews will shoot ahead of time. Guy will then come in and do his visit to each of these restaurants, which is half a day at a time. He’ll do two restaurants a day for three days and one restaurant either on the day he arrives or the day he leaves, which is plenty of time for him to do everything we need to do. And then after he’s done, that leaves a half-day for a crew to pick up anything, you know, if we caught an audible in the field, if Guy said: “Hey I’d like to do that instead of this.” And that amount of shooting is surprisingly high for a show like this, but we really take all the time it needs to shoot every step and every process, make sure we have all the beauty shots we need, make sure we have spent enough time getting the personality, the characters, so it’s pretty intensive. Guy’s amazing. Guy’s able to walk into a place, strike up a relationship, a friendship. Guy just loves hanging out with and cooking with other chefs.

Guy Fieri and David Page
(...)

This has to be handmade food. If it’s hamburgers, it better be handmade hamburgers. It better be done from scratch. It better be made right. And it better be good. And more than that, the whole place has to be like that. It’s not like we want to walk into a joint that has 75 percent frozen Sysco pre-prepared product, but they make two specials a week that will knock you on your butt. That’s not good enough. We just booked seven places in Houston. I was talking with the researcher today; he looked at 80 joints to get seven. That’s not unusual for us. The reality is we’re incredibly discerning about what it takes to get on the air and the first thing it has to have is real food because that’s the soul of the show.

See also: Page Production's Website - www.pageprod.com
And specifically, check out www.pageprod.com/television, a list of upcoming specials produced by David Page for the Food Network, featuring Guy Fieri.

Related Post, Site and Article:
Frequently Asked Questions about Guy Fieri
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode guide
Star Tribune interview, with video

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Guy Fieri finishes up round of DDD joints in Cleveland

Here's a great article about Guy Fieri's visit to Momocho in Cleveland, Ohio: http://clevelandfoodie.blogspot.com. (thx for the tip, Buckykatt!)

Here are the places I've heard about from the Cleveland area:

Momocho - website
1835 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 694-2122
www.momocho.com
*airs 3/22/10 - Twists and Traditions, episode 809*

Geraci's Restaurant (no website)
2266 Warrensville Ctr Rd., Cleveland, OH 44118
(216) 371-5643
*airs 11/16/09*

Melt Bar and Grilled - website
14718 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 226-3699
www.meltbarandgrilled.com
*Premieres 2/8/10* By Request

Lucky's Cafe - website
777 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 622-7773
www.luckyscafe.com
*Airs 10/12/09*

Sterle's Slovenian Country House - website
1401 E 55th St., Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 881-4181
www.sterlescountryhouse.com
*airs 1/11/10*

Click here to view a map of all the Triple D restaurants Guy Fieri visited in the Cleveland, OH area.

Fan with Guy Fieri

Monday, July 13, 2009

Kansas City Impostor ... again ??

This man was passing himself off as Guy Fieri at a Kansas City BBQ contest recently. Look familiar?


So for those of you who think you've spotted Guy Fieri in Kansas City, do be careful. The real Guy Fieri has frequented K.C., so it very well may have been him. But then, perhaps not. The real Guy is usually surrounded by crew, friends and family. Look for a big crowd.

There is also a Guy Fieri impersonator in Las Vegas. Guy Fieri sightings, beware!

Related Post:
Guy Fieri impostor interviewed on live tv