Hey, I'm Guy Fieri, and you know what I need?
I need you riding shotgun.
I'm on my way to Flavortown.
This is Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives.
This trip...
-Ay, ay, ay. -Adiós, mijo.
[Guy] ...get ready for the whacky...
What is going on?
...wild...
That is crazy.
...and unexpected.
I did not see that coming.
We've got a head-turning spot in New Jersey...
You know I can hear you yelling through your television.
...a mind-bending menu in Cleveland...
In the warehouse of fun.
...and family recipes in California...
That's the next level.
Dynamite.
...launch into a whole different dimension
-Look at her all shy, like, "Oh, who, me?" -[laughs]
"Who, me? Did I make something that's completely ridiculous and out of bounds?"
That's all right here, right now, on Triple-D.
-[door closes] -I'm here in La Quinta,
which is about 30 minutes from Palm Springs, California.
And I'm looking for this place,
I gotta tell you something, it was not easy to find.
But I hear it's well worth it,
because if you're looking for homemade, scratch-made,
real-deal Mexican with a twist,
they tell me this is the place, Chula Artisan Eatery.
Get these eggs going poached here.
This restaurant is absolutely amazing.
It's an alternative to, like, traditional breakfast-lunch places.
I have the Chula fritters.
What makes the food here so good?
The different spins she puts on it.
[Guy] And the chef doing the spinning here is Katherine Gonzales,
who didn't have to go far from home to find her inspiration.
I'm using recipes from Mom,
and then I kind of infused it with some of the things I learned.
Mom's Red Chili chilaquiles.
The chilaquiles are fantastic, I could eat those every day.
The meat is so tender, the sauce is complex and flavorful.
-[Guy] So, what are we making? -My mom's chilaquiles.
We're gonna make the rub.
-Salt, garlic powder, paprika. -Paprika.
Onion powder, and cumin,
and it's gonna go on the pork cushion.
-[Guy] Braising liquid. -A little bit at the bottom, yeah.
Go in the oven, 250?
[Katherine] Whatever the oven's working at during the day.
-It just goes in there, you can't wreck it. -Yeah.
-Next step? -Red chili.
-Red chili? -California chili.
Okay, California chili. I know my chili.
-Yeah, you do know your chilis. -Oh, come on now.
Break off the stem.
The seeds, when we dump 'em, we save 'em.
We make our chili oil.
So, we're going to rehydrate these? A little warm water.
[Katherine] Leave them on the stove an hour.
And put them into the blender.
Little bit of that water that we cooked them in.
Hot tub of Flavortown.
Then just a little bit of water to thin it out.
Crushed Mexican oregano.
Cumino, onion, the garlic, and the salt.
-Next up? -We're gonna make date and onion jam.
Grapeseed oil, sweet white onion,
dates, add sugar to this,
-and water. -All that precise measurement that goes on here.
[Katherine] You like that?
And an immersion blender that's gonna get messy. I'll be back here.
That's like culinary napalm.
Sugar and dates, a little sticky-burny.
-[Katherine] We're gonna let it cook down. -All right.
-So now we're gonna make my mom's chilaquiles. -Okay, so...
-Okay. -So...
-Okay, so. -[both] Okay, so. [laugh]
[Katherine] Okay, I got you. Grapeseed oil.
Sweet white onion, our house-made corn chips.
-Put the red chili sauce on top. -Right.
And then the pulled pork.
Should call this dish "Next of Kin."
You're gonna be calling mine.
Green onion, queso fresco.
What avocado slicing is that method?
Here, how many are we giving?
We're giving it, like, three.
-Ay, Guy. -Ay, ay, ay!
Adiós, mijo.
Do the microgreens,
-chili oil on. -That you made from the seeds that you kept.
[Katherine] Yep. And a little bit of onion jam.
For the wrong people, there'd be an egg on this.
[Katherine] There would be an egg on that.
Going for a personal best right now and it's so hot.
[poorly imitates plane noises]
-Actually, that was more like a piggy. -[laughter]
The chili sauce, it's silky, lot of chili flavor.
You do this really dynamite pork,
you go a little bit extra with that.
The chips are nice and crunchy.
The jam is just that kind of that funky little twist that makes it yours.
That's the next level.
Dynamite.
Chilaquiles are in the window.
The chilaquiles are amazing.
The sauce is wonderful with them.
This is like grandma's authentic Mexican food.
Just if grandma came back from a raging weekend.
It's kind of an open secret that if you want good food, you come to Chula.
[Guy] What's the name come from?
It means 'beautiful'. My mom used to call me Chula when I was little.
I call Chula my daughter.
-Chulita, my little Chula, my beautiful-- -Aww.
-Do you speak fluent Spanish? -Yes, I do.
[Katherine speaking Spanish]
It's different from other Mexicano restaurants.
They just take it up a notch.
And a green chili Monte Cristo.
The Monte Cristo's really good, I love it.
It's deep-fried, it has ques in it, it has bacon,
green chilis.
If you're open to interesting flavors, this is gonna just absolutely blow you away.
[Guy] All right, what are w into next, chef?
Green chili and apple wood smoked bacon Monte Cristo.
Oh, so the old traditional Mexican Monte Cristo's gonna be happening.
-[Katherine] We're gonna roast Anaheim green chilis. -Okay.
Am I putting them on while you're spinning?
If you can do that, you and I can take this to Vegas, I swear.
-There you go. -[giggles]
-In the oven, 500. -[Katherine] Yes.
-Do you typically make your tortillas? -Yes.
White flour here, kosher salt,
coconut oil, put a little water in there.
[Guy] All right, so once we knead it, how long are we gonna let it rest?
-For, like, an hour. -[Guy] After it rests, we'll roll it out.
-Mmm-hmm. -[Guy] Got it.
Now, while that's working what are we getting into?
The batter
-for the-- -What's the batter?
We can talk about it.
-Okay. -[laughter]
[Katherine] Potato flour, white rice flour,
brown rice flour, crushed oregano,
onion powder, garlic powder,
-some pimenta. -Do you want me to hit you for the beer?
[Katherine] Let's hit it with the beer.
-What else we got? -Gonna make a quesadilla.
[Guy] Look at that thing. A manhole cover.
[Katherine] Jack cheese,
-chopped up... -[both] ...apple wood smoked bacon.
Portion issue around here.
[Katherine] Chopped green chilis.
-We roast it. -Bring the whole family down.
[Katherine] Flip that here, and we're gonna dredge it into the batter.
What is going on?
Into the fryer.
I did not see that coming.
[Katherine] Look how beautiful it is.
So if a quesadilla isn't enough, let us batter it for you and then fry it.
-[Katherine] Onion. -[Guy] There you go, that'll health it up.
Queso fresco,
jam, because it's gotta have the sweet and salty.
-How's that? -I don't know how it is, 'cause it's ridiculous.
I don't eat many dishes, as a chef,
as a person, as the host of Triple-D that kick my butt.
But I have to be honest with you, this is a close match.
One, the portion is just ding-dong.
Two, make it a tortilla, ding-dong.
-Three, the amount of cheese you put in it, ding-dong. -[giggles]
It should be illegal.
The strawberry jam is a must-have.
You've gotta cut it a little bit with some of the sweetness.
The green chili's awesome.
But the fact that you make that beer batter so thick,
but not heavy, this is ridiculous.
And it's outstanding.
-Thank you. [giggles] -Look at her all shy, like, "Oh, who, me?"
"Who, me? Did I make something that's completely ridiculous and out of bounds?"
Green chili Monte Cristo!
It's crunchy, and then on the inside, it's nice and soft.
The strawberry dipping sauce just tied the whole ribbon together.
Huevos rancheros in the window.
Which is better, the breakfast or the lunch?
-I usually choose lunch. -I do breakfast.
-You do breakfast? -Mmm-hmm.
Aren't you a good team?
It's just such a beautiful experience.
It's scratch-made, it's real-deal,
and it comes from that crazy mind.
She becomes your friend, you're gonna need a gym membership.
-[laughs] -And a good attorney.
Up next, I'm hitting up Cleveland
with my buddy, Iron Chef, Michael Symon.
[in Italian accent] I'm gonna take this to Flavortown.
[Guy] For a sandwich that's more than a mouthful.
-[stammering] G-A, B, B, O, L... -[laughs]
[Guy] And surf and turf
you just gotta taste to believe.
One of the most whacked out thing I've ever seen on Triple-D.
Chef Michael Symon, I am glad you know all the cops in Cleveland.
Come on, dude, I hit that hole shot headed sideways.
Oh, you're killing me. All right, where are we?
[Michael] We're in Detroit, Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.
About 500 feet from the lake.
-Oh, that's why it's so warm. -Feel the breeze?
-[Guy] Yeah. -[Michael] Really talented young chef here.
He's killing it with, like, cheffed-up diner food.
[Guy] Cheffed-up diner food
On Triple-D? Perfect!
This is Good Company.
Full Mushroom in the window, runner!
I just can't say enough about how good this place is.
Blows your tastebuds out of the water.
And our pecorino wings.
I like anything that Brett makes.
Oh, you knew him before he got here.
I'd follow him anywhere.
[Guy] That's because chef and owner Brett Sawyer
has built a reputation in other joints around town
and brought those culinary skills to this concept.
[Brett] We took all the simp food of a diner
and made it much more difficult.
[Guy] Just cheffed the entire thing.
[Brett] Gabagool's ready.
Gotta have the gabagool.
It's like the perfectly built sandwich.
The gabagool meat was full of flavor.
The bun's just dreamy.
-So what are we making today? -[both] Gabagool.
How do you spell gabagool?
G-A-B-B-O-L-aah...
Do you know who Christian Petroni is?
-I do, yeah. -So, Petroni is one of my favorite chefs,
and gabagool is his favorite thing in the world to say.
Live, we learn, and we gabagool.
-[laughs] -We have a house-made copa.
We take chili flakes, pulverize them first.
Pink salt, white sugar,
brown sugar, and kosher salt.
Mix it nicely, we'll add this to the pork shoulder,
and cure it for two weeks.
-Then we pull it out and we... -[both] ...rinse it.
[Michael] It's starting to firm up, it's beautiful.
-We're gonna make a new seasoning? Fantastic. -Mmm-hmm.
Black peppercorns, aniseed, and chili flake.
Pulverized, but still a little chunky.
Liberally rub it all the way around.
Right to the oven.
Three hours, at 150 degrees Fahrenheit, full steam.
[Guy] When it's done, let it cool, slice it,
and then heat it for service.
-Yep. -All right, chef, what are we making next?
Our Company sauce.
Whole eggs, yellow mustard,
lemon juice, kosher salt, sugar, MSG.
[Guy] There you go.
-When we were coming up... -MSG was in Chinese food and it gave you a headache.
[Michael] Now everybody's comfortable with the MSG.
Celery salt, and some white vinegar.
Oil, slow drizzle.
Let's go to... [slows down] ...slo-mo.
And then we throw the capers in.
There you go, chef.
-[spoon clangs] -[both laugh]
That's really delicious.
-I love that caper kick. -[Michael] Get that little salty briny pop at the end.
-We gonna make the bread? -[Brett] Yes, sir.
Milk bun, hoagie.
So we start with our poolish.
-You're poolish, aren't you? -I'm poolish, and Italian, and Greek.
[Brett] Milk, whole eggs, mixture AP and bread flour,
honey, kosher salt.
So, the poolish, do you make this ahead of time
and it kind of just ferments a little bit?
It's always in the cooler.
Dry yeast, let that go until it starts to pull away,
and then we add our unsalted butter in.
Portion it off,
rest them, add the egg wash, and poppy seed,
and then we let them proof.
Bake it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.
-All right, chef, let's see it. -Bun is done,
nice and toasted, mayonnaise up top,
Company sauce,
house-made Italian dressing, we dress our shrettuce with it.
-[Guy] "Our shrettuce"? Gosh, that's a great name. -Yes.
Gabagool, pickled peppers, and white American cheese on it.
There we go.
[Michael] Oh, wow, dude.
-Oh, wow. -What is going on?
-[Michael] Both of us said we're not mayo guys... -Yeah.
...but the mayo's working.
As is that Good Company sauce.
The milk bread is insanely good.
[Guy] The meat, I mean, that's legendary.
I love that you go in with the American cheese.
It's nice and creamy and silky,
but then the pepper's got a good bite to it.
If you didn't have the shrettuce in there, you'd be overwhelmed.
[Michael] This is delightful.
[in Italian accent] Bada-ding, I'm gonna take this gabagool to Flavortown.
Now, see, we're bringing out the Italian side of him.
-Thank you. -Outstanding.
Plating gaba.
It's hard to say no to a sandwich called the gabagool.
For as fun as it is to say, it even tastes better.
The Company sauce is great, it's peppery, it has a little bite to it.
And it's real sloppy too,
so there's no way to eat it and still be ladylike.
-Yes. -But it's worth it.
[Guy] How do you describe the restaurant to people?
Well, I just tell people it's the best burger and wings in town.
-It's a staple. It's a neighborhood spot. -[laughs]
Whether you walked in off the streets,
and just hopped down at the bar,
or you brought all your friends out, it's Good Company.
I know you gotta have more up your, well, you don't have sleeves...
-Absolutely. -...but what are we gonna do?
-Next, we're gonna do-- -Ah, wait, don't tell us, don't tell us,
'cause if you tell us, and then he's gonna start talking,
let's just go to commercial.
We're going to clean Symon up, we'll be back, hanging out in Cleveland
with Chef Michael Symon and Good Company. See you in a bit.
-You want to have the rest of mine? -No. [laughs] I'm good.
-Nothing like just getting, grabbing out big ol' lumps-- -No.
-Of butter. -I have dreams about this at night.
Yeah.
[laughter]
Here we are in Cleveland at Good Company,
hanging out with the one and only chef Michael Symon.
And I called and I said, "Tell me all the great places to go," and he says,
"Come to Good Company."
It's just so different than any other restaurant in the city.
[waitress] And the plum chicken.
-Favorite thing on the menu? -Surf and turf.
[Brett] We got two surf and turfs ready.
It's a shaved steak sandwich, the jus has the lobster flavor into it.
I could've sworn that there was lobster on the sandwich,
I kept looking for the lobster.
-What are we into next? -Our surf and turf.
We start with a certified angus beef tri-tip.
-I see the turf, but where's the surf? -[all laughing]
We serve it with a lobster beef au jus.
And I'm the crazy one.
[Brett] Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder,
onion powder, garlic powder, dry rosemary.
[Guy] How long's it going to sit on that?
Twenty, thirty minutes.
Cook that in our oven, eight minutes at 500 degrees.
Then we turn it down to 350 degrees,
and cook it for an hour.
Chill it, slice it on our deli slicer for service.
-Okay, chef. -Now, we're gonna make our duxelles.
Nice fatty mushroom spread.
You don't get to say nice fatty mushroom spread very often, do you?
-[both laugh] -It just has a ring to it.
[Brett] Butter, add our shallots, garlic,
sundried tomatoes.
Sundried tomatoes actually break it up a little bit.
Yeah, nice little acidic bite in there.
Tarragon, parsley, mushrooms,
salt, white vinegar, and red wine.
Cook it for about hour, hour and a half.
This is the time where we're gonna see lobster shells come out, huh?
-Yes. -I am dying to see this.
We're going to start with the beef bones. Rub these with tomato paste.
[Michael] I love that little trick.
-[Guy] In the oven. -[Brett] 350.
-[Guy] Don't roast. -Bones in the pot.
Our lobster bodies.
This is the weirdest thing I've seen.
-[Brett] Black peppercorns, bay leaf. -Water.
Bring it up to a boil, turn it down to a simmer, and let it reduce overnight.
In the warehouse of fun.
So now we're gonna make our béarnaise sauce.
-Start with our tarragon champagne vinegar reduction. -Okay.
Champagne vinegar, shallots,
tarragon, bring it up to a boil.
-Hit it on simmer. -[Guy] Let this reduce down.
-Strain it out. -Whole eggs,
some more yolks, salt, chilis,
our tarragon reduction,
and we're gonna use our stem blender.
And then we have our melted butter,
give that a slow drizzle.
-[Guy] Béarnaise is done. -Time to build it.
-Fantastic. -Favorite part of the day.
-[Brett] Milk bun. -[Michael] Oh.
-[Brett] Very generous with the duxelles. -Oh, you let that reduce.
[Brett] Tri-tip, red onions,
our tarragon chili béarnaise.
-Top it off. -The Pirates of the Caribbean sword
-to cut it with. -[Michael giggles]
And then here comes the lobster beef jus.
I can't wait for this one.
Whoa.
-The sandwich is spectacular by itself. -Before you dip it.
Right, right, right.
-[Michael] The beef flavor's through the roof. -[Guy] That is crazy.
[Michael] The lobster really comes out.
I cannot believe how much lobster flavor's in there.
[Michael] It is full-on surf and turf.
One of the most whacked out thing I've ever seen on Triple-D.
-Amen, dude. -Yeah, two for two, brother.
[Brett] Plating surf and turf.
It's a really good cut of beef, and it's so tender.
The hot jus sauce is to die for.
-It's the most unique sandwich I think I've probably ever-- -I'm going to give you unique.
[Brett] Celery root!
[man] I have brought friend from out of town many a time here.
It's the spot to go to.
You're a gangster, I love your city.
What a destination for great food.
And I think that you're one of the founding fathers of making that happen,
but way to step up to the plate.
-Thanks, chef. -I gotta come back here for another run at this thing.
-[laughter] -After I push the car home back to Cali.
Coming up, blown up bar bites in Highlands, New Jersey.
So what you could've made simple, you made way more difficult.
Like top-notch tacos...
That's a mighty, mighty Mojo right there, buddy.
...and sauced-up wings.
Got any beach towels? 'Cause I'm gonna need one to clean up.
So I'm here in Highlands, New Jersey,
right on the Shrewsbury River, which, on the other side of that
is the Atlantic Ocean.
To check out a joint where two buddies came up with the idea,
they want to do a sports ba and restaurant.
They needed a name. Well, th came up with, like, a hundre different names
until one stuck. Oh, it's unique.
And the food better be grea with a name like this.
Welcome to The Chubby Pickle.
Here you go, pork chop.
This is not your hotdog and hamburger joint.
[Brian] Cream cauliflower for B1.
It's a local hometown bar.
It has entertainment, it has great food.
[Guy] Which is exactly what Adam Slavin
and Craig Andrews were going for when they opened this place over a decade ago
But then there was that whole name thing.
Let's just talk about the elephant in the room.
How'd you come up with the name?
We just wanted it to be memorable.
Love it or hate it, nobody forgets it.
Give me a chicken taco and a beef taco.
You backed the name up, is the food fun?
The food is fun. The joint is fun.
[Guy] What kind of food are you doing?
We just wanted to pull things from different parts of the country, from wherever.
[Guy] And chef Brian McGaki is pulling it all together in the kitchen.
[Brian] Korean chili wings up.
The Korean chili wings are unbelievable.
It's got a nice twang to it,
you know, it's very good.
All right, what are we making first?
-[Brian] Korean chili wings. -Okay.
-Put some salt and pepper. -For seasoning, that's it?
Yeah, fry them in the deep fryer partially for eight minutes.
-Next up? -Korean chili sauce.
-Garlic, ginger, lime juice. -[Guy] Good amount of that.
[Brian] Then I add the honey.
What did you call me?
-[laughs] -We just met, chef.
I crack myself up.
Next add gochujang, Korean chili paste.
[Guy] It's the bomb.
-Sesame oil. -Just a touch though, just a...
-I got you, chef. -Thank you.
It's like therapy.
[hums]
[humming] Mix it up faster.
All right, now you're humming.
[humming] Now I got it.
[Brian] Next I'm gonna add the puree that we just made.
All right.
You can put that on anything you want.
-We put it on cauliflower too. -[Guy] Delicious.
-What are are going to serve it with? -Blue cheese dressing.
-Got it. -Blue cheese into the blender.
Champagne vinegar, buttermilk, salt,
coarse ground black pepper,
onion powder, garlic powder.
To finish the blue cheese dressing, I'm gonna add sour cream,
mayonnaise, blue cheese.
Whisk it, add the puree.
Then I add some Worcestershire.
And that just gets better in a day or two?
-[Brian] Exactly. -And the other one is the aioli?
[Brian] First, I add the ginger puree,
scallions, garlic,
mayonnaise and a little bit of salt and pepper. Puree it.
Double fry on the wings,
-so you get them really nice and crispy. -[Brian] Yep.
-So we're gonna glaze the sauce on the wing? -Yeah.
'Cause you got all that honey in there, they caramelize.
Black sesame seed. Korean chili wings.
So what you could've made simple, you made way more difficult.
-[laughs] -You made every sauce,
you double fried the wing, and then you cooked the wing one more time in a sauté pan.
And if you think I'm picking one of those wings up
right now, you are completely out of your mind.
Way hot. I'm protesting.
We're unifying and standing together.
You know I can hear you yelling through your television.
[camera man laughs]
It's a great wing. It's a tender wing.
Honey, gochujang, sesame oil balance, perfect.
Trust me, you don't need the dipping sauce on these,
but both are dynamite.
Tons of blue cheese in this one, a lot of garlic in that.
There is no way you are gonna handle this with just one napkin.
Got any beach towels?
'Cause I'm gonna need one to clean up.
Chili wings coming up.
They hit the right balance between flavor
crispiness, so you get that little bit of crunch when you bite into it.
What do you think of the wings?
Amazing. Like a savory and a sweet.
All right, this is my good friend, Mary-Anne.
Finally I get her on Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives
-[laughs] -How far do you live from here?
About 45 minutes, never knew this joint was here.
It would be the kind of place you blow by.
[Mary-Anne] I would say this is a food place with a great bar.
It's also a major hub for this town.
It's a great part of the community.
It's a lot of fun.
We're tacos up.
Tell me about the Mojo taco.
So it's like a barbecue pork, smokey, really good.
And the slaw on top of them has a kick to it.
So now make a Mojo marinade from Mojo pork tacos.
It's really, like, a Cuban thing.
-Parsley. -Cilantro, got it.
Garlic cloves.
-I use dry oregano for this. -I'm not going to hold it against you.
[Brian] Orange juice, lime juice.
Grapefruit juice? Sour orange is what's typically used,
but if you don't have sour orange,
the grapefruit's a nice kick.
-[Brian] Salt and pepper. -[Guy] Blend this up.
-That's it. -That's a mighty, mighty Mojo right there, buddy.
It's gonna be very salty.
It's what you need, though,
because if you look at that boneless butt, it needs all that salt.
Let is rest and then marinate it for at least 24 hours.
[Guy] How long's it gonna go in the smoker?
-[Brian] 8-10, something like that. -Okay.
-And now the final steps. -Apple jicama slaw.
-Could be jicama-- -Apple.
-It's your choice. -[Guy] Granny smith?
I picked this one up when I was in the marines.
Thank you for serving our country, my brother.
-And then the dressing is? -Apple cider vinegar, brown sugar,
crushed red pepper, coarse ground black pepper, garlic cloves.
Simmer that for about 45 minutes.
So this is just kind of a vinegary, briny sweet.
-It also serves as, like, a sauce for the taco. -Right.
I also add a little bit of cilantro at the end.
And for service, we're gonna bring that pork out.
Pull it. We gotta make sure it's good.
I'm over here doing the work, and you're sitting there snacking in the back.
It needs a little salt. And them we assemble.
This is like you come from Cali char on a tortilla.
Apple jicama slaw.
I want the juice to drip into the meat.
Cilantro on top. The house-made pico that we made.
[Guy] Pork's got great flavor.
Not too much smoke where you don't taste the marinade.
I think a little bit of that pico on top of it was great.
The slaw is dynamite.
It's got great crunch to it, but it's got good vinegar.
It's got a good sweetness.
Love it with the flour tortilla.
That Mojo taco is legit.
-[chef] Mojo pork tacos. -It is good. Nice and tangy.
The pork just melts in your mouth.
The coleslaw adds, like, a nice texture to it.
The owners, the staff, they're tremendous.
They make you feel at home.
I keep telling them, "Keep up the good work,"
these guys, you know.
Fun name, seaside bar, makes good food.
You can tell that you really care about what you're doing.
All these little steps that you're taking
really shine through.
That's it for this week, but don't you worry.
I'll be looking for more joints all over this country.
I'll see you next week on Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives
I tell you guys, I don't interview better blondes than me.
-I tell you every time. -[laughs]
-Okay? Jeez. -I don't know, you might be lighter than I am.
You're killing it, though, and it looks way better on you.