Hi, there, I'm Guy Fieri,
and we're rolling out looking for America's greatest
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
This trip...
Look at this monster!
...it's cheese and meat...
Outstanding.
...you just can't beat!
Don't put this in front of me! That is torture!
We've got national-style nachos...
Well, you're not missing the hot part here.
...beefed-up bowls...
You're gonna have to pry this away from me.
Mmm!
...a dynamite dip...
You have got a ton of flavor in this.
...and a Southern mac attack
It is legit!
Plus Italian cooking at a New Jersey butcher...
It's like a holiday wreath in flavor town, folks.
...with a chef you can't forget.
I don't think in triple D history
have I've seen a young man like yourself.
You come down and see this guy, okay?
That's all right here, right now
on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!
[theme music playing]
So, I'm here in South Bound Brook, New Jersey,
which is about 45 minutes from New York City
to check out a meat market.
Well, it's not just really a market,
it's a meat market in kind of like a deli.
Well, it's not just that, it's run by a family.
Well, it's not just run by a family, it's headed up by a kid,
and he's not really just a kid, he's 18, he's a senior in high school.
Well, if you think this story is great,
I hear the food's even bette
This is Joe's Meat Market.
Eggplant parm over linguine!
We come to Joe's 'cause we want quality meats.
They got pretty much anything for everybody.
Penne market shrimp and chicken!
They do make the very best Italian in the whole area.
[Guy] That's Joe and Dolly LaCourte
who have gone full tilt at their restaurant
and meat market deli for 30 years,
and now their 18-year-old son runs the show.
This is crazy, walk me through it, boss.
I started when I was twelve,
and I bought the guy out when I was 18.
I was talking to the boss.
-[Joe] Oh. -[Dolly laughing] Yes.
-No, go ahead, I'm just kidding. -He is the boss.
He had a meat knife in his hand when he was 12.
Everyday after school, I used to come and just watch the cooks.
He wants to take over the family business.
[customer] Giovanni learned a lot from his father,
he makes everything fresh.
One market sloppy joe.
The market sloppy joe is amazing!
[customer] Turkey, roast bee corned beef, coleslaw,
the Russian dressing, three pieces of bread,
one of the best sandwiches you're gonna eat.
[Guy] What are we making first?
The brine for the corned beef.
We start with the hot water this is for the sloppy joe.
Isn't a sloppy joe typically tomato sauce and sloppy?
We do it a little different.
Pouring salt, sugar, and regular salt.
[Guy] So, that's not a pink salt?
-It's the same as the pink salt... -Right.
-...just not pink. -It's not pink.
Yeah, it's not pink, but it does the same purpose.
[Guy] Right, so this is gonna give it that red hue to the meat?
Yes. Pickling spice, smashed garlic,
chopped irons, add the meat and then the cold water.
[Guy] And that's gonna sit for how long?
Forty-eight days.
For 48 days?
[Giovanni] We put it in a pan, carrots, onions,
a little water, and we cook it at 500 for 3 hours.
Wrap it up, the next day it's ready for use.
Now we're gonna be making the turkey.
Parsley, garlic, white peppe paprika, olive oil.
-[Guy] You're just gonna give this a dry rub? -[Giovanni] Yes.
-[Guy] In what temp? -[Giovanni] 375 for 2 hours
And what are we gonna make next?
[Giovanni] Coleslaw, cabbage, carrots,
sugar, celery seed, salt,
white vinegar and mayo.
-[Guy] Next up? -The roast beef.
Good man.
[Giovanni] Salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and minced onion,
and then I just sprinkle it all on top, put it in the pa
[Guy] Get the water, we're gonna let this go how long?
[Giovanni] Two hours at 375
Let's make it happen, captain.
-[Giovanni] Rye bread, Russian... -[Guy] Whoa, slow down!
[chuckling]
Three pieces of bread, that means this thing is gonna go... [clicks]
[Giovanni] Coleslaw on, too, corned beef.
You've sliced it so thin it's only got one side.
Great color, great flavor.
[Giovanni] Turkey, the roast beef.
Dead man!
[Giovanni] Swiss cheese, toothpicks.
That's not toothpicks, that right there is like a saber.
[Giovanni] Put Russian on top.
It's a little messy.
Thank you, captain obvious.
[chuckling]
-Comes with a beach towel! -[chuckling]
[Guy] Could anybody eat a whole one?
Oh, yeah, they like it.
-You just help them to their car and let 'em sleep it off? -[chuckling]
I don't know what I like more about the sandwich,
that you guys are roasting all these meats and brining them or...
...the Russian is delicious slaw's got good crunch...
...doesn't overpower it, corned beef is out to lunch!
Roast beef cooked perfectly, turkey, delicious!
Really good Swiss cheese, thinly sliced.
When a cold sandwich can taste that good,
it's because you're using quality ingredients and doing it the right way.
-Thank you. -Impressed, buddy.
Market sloppy joe.
The Russian dressing, you can tell how fresh it is.
Two good buddies of mine, Brian and Jess.
It's exactly what a sloppy joe should be.
Covered with meat, this is a meal for a family.
Grilled-steak sandwich, table five!
We have the chief of police and the mayor of South Bound Brook.
The only thing bigger than the sandwiches is Joe's heart.
He takes care of our community, it's amazing.
[Guy] And it's no surprise it runs in the family!
Your mom told me you got detention in school for being late.
Yes.
And as opposed to sitting in detention hall,
you went to the culinary class
and broke down the kitchen and cleaned it.
And cleaned it, yes, correct.
I could help them because they've done a lot for me.
Yeah, he's for real. You got something else to show me?
The antipasto bread.
It's so stuffed that the bread on the top when it's cooked, it breaks apart.
There's so much meat and cheese on the thing, it's just awesome.
See you in a bit.
Where's your chain?
I left it at home!
Come on, I thought, I'm here with your pops,
we're rolling out!
-Let me borrow yours. -Yeah! [chuckling]
Welcome back, triple D,
hanging out in South Bound Brook, New Jersey
with the one and only Chef G at Joe's Meat Market.
Trust me, you'll learn more about this kid in the future.
Because he's taken over the decades-old butcher restaurant deli
that his parents have turned into a local landmark
If you say, "Joe's," everybody knows where to go.
It's just, like, a unique place that has everything
and anything that nobody else has.
Sliced antipasto bread ready!
[man] The bread has all your meats and the fresh cheese.
You have to have the side of marinara sauce.
[woman] It's just not something somebody just pulled out of a jar.
It's definitely homemade.
-[Guy] What's next, Chef? -Antipasto bread.
Okay, that's definitely and east coast thing
as soon as you call it antipasto.
-[Giovanni] Salami. -Oh, was that what I was snacking on.
Yes. [chuckling]
Pepperoni, prosciutto, and ham.
-Is this the same dough that we make for all the pizzas? -Yes.
Pizzas, calzones, strombolis.
I am bodied by stromboli.
[Giovanni] Stretch out the dough.
This is a different planet right now, folks.
Fresh-grated whole milk mozzarella.
I can tell because of how stringy it is.
-Yes. -Delicious.
[Giovanni] Our meats.
So, you guys are really strong on portion control.
[Giovanni] We aim to feed.
That should be on the bottom of the t-shirt buddy.
-[Giovanni] Now we close it up. -[Guy exhales]
Do we make 'em bigger than that?
This is, like, our normal size, but we could make it bigger.
So, the word that has an N and an O in it,
-how do you say that? -No.
Do you ever say, "no?"
Not really.
I just go with the flow. [chuckling]
-Best attitude in the world, kid. -Thank you.
Cut the bread.
[Guy] Just scoring it lightly lets the steam out.
It's gonna go off in the pizza oven.
[Giovanni] 550 for about 12 to 18 minutes.
[Guy] It's like a holiday wreath in flavor town, folks
This is what I hang on the door at the Fieri house.
And what are we gonna serve with it?
-Our homemade marinara sauce. -And what's in the marinara?
[Giovanni] Tomatoes, onions, oil, garlic.
salt, sugar, little crushed pepper,
oregano, water.
Once the sauce comes to a simmer for about an hour and a half,
I blend the sauce and it's ready for service.
[Guy] Look at this monster!
Don't put this in front of me! That is torture!
[dripping]
Are you seeing that?
Those are tears from the angels in flavor town.
[chuckling]
[Guy] The dough is delicious, I mean...
...toothsome, not heavy,
just enough that it's holding it together.
This is a destination dish.
Quality cold cuts, fresh grated whole milk mozzarella,
house-made tomato sauce, cooked perfectly,
-it's spot on. It's really, really delicious. -Thank you. Thank you.
Two overstuffed antipasto breads coming out.
It lives up to its name, it was overstuffed.
The marinara sauce is just so delicate and sweet.
The flavors are amazing.
-Dynamite, right? -Absolutely.
[police chief] People trave from all over the state to come to Joe's,
and usually when you see the police cars out front,
you always wanna eat where the police are eating
'cause they know where the good food is.
Or slow down and see who's getting busted,
-and it's probably somebody from the triple D crew. -[laughing]
-It's usually what it is. -Whatever we have to do to get 'em here.
It's just, like, one of those staple places
that you're always gonna come back to.
I don't think in triple D history
have I seen a young man like yourself
that loves food, has the discipline to work hard,
has the discipline to learn.
As chefs, there's not much we can say to one another
or give or do to one another, except, Chef G, go big!
Thank you.
-That's one of mine. -Oh, my, beautiful.
-Proud of you. Good job. -Thank you. Thank you.
Next time you're in New Jersey, you come down and see this guy, okay?
Keep an eye out for Chef G.
Up next, Chef Maneet Chauha is with me in Nashville...
-They're animals! -[chuckling]
[Guy] ...for some down home comfort...
Delicious!
[Guy] ...stacked...
There's nobody that tries the salmon and doesn't go, "that's the bomb!"
...and macked!
That's about as good as a barbecue pulled pork and mac and cheese
as you can make happen.
Come on, Guy, we're here! Let's go, let's go, let's go!
I am never letting you drive again.
You said you were hungry,
that's why I got you here as fast as possible.
You almost killed us, we were sideways half the time.
You wanted to go to a place which had home-cooked food,
Southern food and delicious with a great story,
and I got you here.
This is Homegrown Taproom & Kitchen.
Bacon tomato burger up!
This is a really incredible, unique spot.
There's awesome beer choices.
It's home style.
Got meatloaf and mash, table 36.
Feels like a hug.
Like, comfort food and it just feels like everybody--
Come on down to the homegrown hug.
And that scratch-made love
is coming from owners Jennifer Starks and Robin Davis
along with Chef Angie Moreland...
Bringing the mac over!
[Guy] ...who are serving it up and this funky Nashville neighborhood joint.
How did this all start?
We just wanted to build a place where we wanted to hang out,
and we needed a craft beer mecca.
So, what are we making today?
We're making the Jackson sandwich.
[Jennifer] It's named after our friend Todd Jackson,
he died at, what, 40?
We were, like, "we gotta do something to honor Todd."
[waitress] Jackson up!
The Jackson is like a Philly cheesesteak.
From the roast beef to the hoagie that they put it on,
it's a home run every time you eat it.
Wrong day for you to be a vegetarian.
-What? -[Guy] Maneet just gave up meat.
When we walked in the door, she's like,
"I really hope that I don't have to eat any roast beef sandwiches."
-Never! -[Guy] It'll be okay.
Let's get into this, what are we starting things off with?
Uh, roast beef marinade.
We put in grain Dijon and then smooth Dijon.
Chopped garlic, salt, olive oil...
-[Guy] 'Kay. -[Angie] ...black peppercorns,
dry thyme, bourbon paprika
oregano, and don't ask me to say, "Worcestershire."
Isn't it Worcester? I mean, do you have to add the shire to it?
Nobody says, "Worcester."
Worcester! I say Worcester.
You are not gonna say, "now I'm gonna add Worcester to it."
Yeah, why not?
[Guy] Here we go.
Now we're gonna rub the top brown generously.
Like me putting sun block on when I go to the beach.
[Angie] And then it'll go in the oven at 300 degrees, 1.5 to 2 hours.
-What are we gonna make next? -Brined onions.
Brined onions.
[Angie] Apple cider vinegar, lots of sugar,
black peppercorns, salt,
cumin seed, coriander seed, and just a touch of bay leaf.
Bring it to a boil, pour it over your julienned onions,
place the plate on top and let it sit overnight.
[Guy] So, when the meat's done roasting in the oven,
bring it out and let it cool
[Angie] Yes, and we can slice it on the slicer.
We can take a hoagie roll, we butter it, obviously.
Put a roast beef on,
the onions on top.
-[Maneet] Yeah. -[Angie] Do banana peppers.
Add our buttermilk cheddar and prepared horseradish.
Sear this for a minute, maybe. You just want it to be hot.
Full of steam helps.
-Mayonnaise our bun, put our meat on. -[Maneet] Oh, yes.
[Angie] It's served with a side of au jus.
That's our Jackson.
Oh.
-An animal. -[laughs]
You have got a ton of flavor in this.
The roast beef, of course, is really nice and tender.
The mustard in the marinade is prominent.
-The pickled onions and the horseradish cheddar... -Amazing.
[Guy] That hoagie roll, a little butter on top of it.
A little toast on the inside.
There's nobody that tries this sandwich that doesn't go, "This is bomb."
-Part of the proceeds go to Vanderbilt cancer research. -That's awesome.
-One Jackson. -Roast beef. Great roll. Au jus dip. Love it.
The peppers on there. Just, the combination of flavors.
It's the perfect sandwich.
Where'd you learn to cook?
Originally from my grandmother and my mother.
-That's a good place to learn. -I have no formal training.
That's good. Yeah, none of us do.
Well, I'm sorry. Some of us were leader of their class.
[woman] Pulled mac going out
I love the pulled pork mac and cheese.
With the pork barbeque on it, delicious.
-All right, chef. -This is the rub for our pork.
Brown sugar and white sugar.
Salt, ancho chili powder, bourbon paprika, cinnamon,
-garlic powder. -Cumin?
Mmm-hmm. Ginger, onion powder,
red pepper flakes for just a little bit of spice.
Rub our pork and we're gonna pour apple cider vinegar over it.
We'll wrap it with plastic and foil.
And it will go in the oven at about 250 degrees, eight to nine hours.
-Next up? -Cheese sauce.
You're going to start with a basic rue.
Butter, flour. Get all the clumps out.
Then we'll add our milk and heavy cream that we use.
Black pepper, salt. Once it's thickened...
-We'll start dropping in some of the shredded cheddar. -[Angie] Yeah, yeah.
And let it slowly melt in.
Okay. Barbeque sauce.
-It's a non-cooked barbeque sauce. -[Guy] Okay.
It starts with ketchup. I love my sugar.
I didn't see that coming.
Red vinegar, water, salt, black pepper, Worcestershire,
-hot sauce. -Just a touch.
-Bourbon paprika. Yes. -A lot of dry mustard, got it.
Let it set overnight?
Oh, you got sweet on there.
A little bit of vinegar coming through.
-It'll come through more tomorrow, the vinegar will. -Let's see it, chef.
Macaroni. We put some of the cheese sauce in.
-We're just wanting the macaroni to get hot... -[Guy] Got it.
...because the sauce is already hot.
-So we'll put it on here. -Is that a little dance you just did?
-Yes I did. I, it is. -Is that a macaroni and cheese sauce dance?
Macaroni in the bowl. How's my pork?
[Guy] Sitting in there in some of the au jus.
-Barbeque sauce on top. -I'm not hanging out with you anymore.
You bring me to places like this.
-Top it with smoked cheddar. -Won't fit in the car.
And some green onions for color and a little bit of flavor.
Dip and check.
Mmm.
You were right, the vinegar is standing out.
Yeah, and that's great 'cause it cuts through the cheese.
'Cause the cheese is so rich.
And what I also really appreciate is the scallions on top.
Little crunch, a little freshness.
-Dynamite dish. -[Maneet] Delicious.
[Guy] That's about as good of a barbeque pulled pork
and mac and cheese as you can make happen.
You've got the barbeque pork mac.
It's rich and creamy. The pork is incredible.
-Then the barbeque tang. -It is legit.
I'm a huge fan of this place. It's my home away from home.
Outstanding. I mean, really good.
-Scratch food. Locals food. Good job. -Thank you.
[Guy] Coming up, we're sticking to Nashville...
This is exactly the kind of place that people want from Triple-D.
...for some killer carne asada...
-Ridiculous. -[Guy] ...and nachos with a hot chicken bite.
I can't chew with my mouth fast enough, by the way.
[Guy] So I'm here in Nashvil on the south side of downtow
in an area known as "Pie Town."
I guess it's 'cause the neighborhood's shaped like a pie, but anyhow,
here to check out a joint where a dude had a catering company
and, well, pandemic hits, loses 90% of his business,
but he adapts and overcomes, as we do in the restaurant business,
and opens up a taco joint to keep everybody working.
This is Pie Town Tacos.
If you can drop me two grilled fish.
Pie Town's just different. It has that unique flavor to it.
Tofu rice and bean bowl.
The guy's got a Pie Town Tacos shirt on,
you think he might like the place?
-Do you work here? -No, I don't work here.
-You just have the shirt? -You got to be a big fan all the time.
[Guy] And that fanbase began with Jason Crockarell' catering company,
which has been a national staple since 2006
-Y'all doing all right? -[Guy] But it wasn't until 2020,
that he took on tacos.
Covid hit. You know, our business went down.
And so, we've got all these people we love and care abou
We got to keep them working
So we opened it up and start selling some tacos.
Here's your Al Pastor tacos.
I love this sort of food. I love nachos and tacos
and bowls with rice and bean
Carne Asada bowl, up.
Today I tried the Carne Asada bowl.
The meat was awesome.
They have a red sauce and a green sauce.
So if you want something a little bit more mild or more spicy...
-[Guy] All right, what's first? -Carne Asada spice.
-[Guy] This is all coming together for the bowls? -[Jason] Yep.
Beef bouillon crumble, guajillo chili, some onion powder,
black pepper, cumin.
And this is just going to go onto a carne asada grind?
[Jason] Yeah, we got some diced chuck.
Where'd you learn Mexican food?
My wife's family's from, uh, Chihuahua, Mexico.
-Okay. -There you go. A little tie-in there.
-[Guy] So, this marinates? -[Jason] We actually vacuum seal it, 24 hours.
Then we cook it on the flat top for about three minutes on each side.
-Next up. -[Jason] Some poblano puree
that we're gonna turn into some green rice.
-[Guy] Hit it. -Vegetable oil going in there, yellow onion,
poblano peppers, roasted garlic.
So, let this caramelize a little bit.
-[Jason] And then we'll puree it down. -[Guy] Okay.
[Jason] Chicken stock. Poblano puree.
[Guy] Drop in the basmati.
[Jason] It's going to take about 15, 20 minutes to cook.
[Guy] When's the, uh, cilantro go in? After we're cooked?
-[Jason] Yeah. -All of this going on here
in this little munchkin kitchen.
Yeah, man. That's how you got to do it.
-What's our next step? -We got to cook some beans.
Beans it is.
Vegetable oil going in here. Yellow onion, diced tomato,
-serrano pepper. -Serrano verses jalapeno?
-[Jason] It's got a little more kick to it. -Oh, there's no question.
Some garlic, cumin, diced green chilies,
chicken stock, water and add in our black beans.
-All right, how long are these going to go? -25 to 30 minutes.
[Guy] What's the last thing we're doing here?
Salsa roja. We serve it with all the bowls, all the tacos.
Or you can do the salsa verde.
[Guy] What's in the salsa verde?
[Jason] Tomatillo, serrano, some caramelized onion, a little bit of vegetable oil.
Puree it up and you're ready to go.
All right, let's hit it. Roasted tomato,
-guajillos without steeds and sems. -Yeah.
-Seeds and stems. -Steeds and sems?
-Steeds and sems. -Yeah, whatever he said.
Some more gold chili, garlic in there, and chicken stock.
-[Guy] You ready to build this? -Yes, sir.
Green rice, black beans, carne asada right up on top.
Patilla cheese, cilantro, pickled veg, some lime, you're ready to go.
-Is this how you're going to control my eating? -We're trying to pace you.
That is some of the most flavorful carne asada.
The sauces on the side are the real kicker.
You get a really rich pepper, tomato, acidic.
You get a little spicy.
The right balance of beans to rice to meat.
A little vegetable factor there.
You're going to have to pry this away from me.
Ridiculous.
Carne asada rice and bean bowl.
The carne asada, I honestly can't get enough.
The green rice, the flavors are just awesome.
This is a locals kind of joint?
-Yeah, absolutely. -Absolutely. And very sharable.
I'm usually just about taking.
And not so much of the sharing.
Like, you see what she's having right there.
[laughs] You want that.
Oh, no. I was talking about what she was having.
Oh, wait! [laughs]
Everything on the menu is great and the hot chicken nachos are just to die for.
Hot chicken nachos, up.
[man] This is like the Grand Ole Opry of
queso and Nashville hot chicken all combined. It's amazing.
-[Guy] What's up next? -We're going to make the queso for the hot chicken nachos.
A little vegetable oil, butter, onion in,
garlic, kosher salt, cumin.
Flour. Cook off that rue.
Green chilies, chicken stock, half-and-half.
[Guy] You'll start dropping the cheese in little by little.
[Jason] Melt it in there, the goodness
-going over the top. -Right.
-Nachos-- -Was that going, was that going over the top?
Yeah, that's the...
Culinary sounding. "That's going over the top."
-What's our next step? -Hot chicken spice.
Guajillo chili, some arbol.
Well, you're not missing the "hot" part here.
Now, we use the pequin chili, cayenne, onion powder,
garlic powder, kosher salt and some sugar.
[Guy] And we're going to bloom this in that hot oil?
[Jason] Brings out all of that flavor
-out of those spices. -[Guy] Yep.
And how are we dredging that chicken?
-Chicken breader. -Chicken breader.
-Don't you all know chicken breader?
-Everybody knows chicken breader. Come on. -[Guy] Come on, now.
[mouthing]
[Jason] Flour, cayenne pepper, black pepper, kosher salt,
a little bit more of that guajillo chili, garlic powder,
onion powder, milk powder is a binding agent in there for the chicken.
We'll add water to it to make a wet batter.
So, we'll go wet, dry...
-Dry or... -Dry, always does.
-I like the way this guy rolls. -Yeah.
Chicken wing is fried up.
That spice that we bloomed earlier.
Full-hot Nashville hot chicken style.
[Jason] Tortilla chips, queso.
Okay, so are you going to put that on--
"Queso" I here you brother.
Throw that hot chicken right over the top.
Cotija cheese, chopped cilantro.
[Guy] And that's all she wrote.
-[crew laughing] -No? Hey.
You look good. No, you got a little hanger there.
Ah, hanger. A little hanger.
-Okay. -I don't think you can
ever say "a little hanger" and ever have it sound good.
Those are good chips.
Great texture. Amazing crunch.
The cotija's perfect. Good cheese sauce.
I can't chew with my mouth fast enough, by the way.
When you tell people in Nashville
that they're getting Nashville hot chicken nachos,
you got to deliver it.
Legit, my friend.
We have some hot chicken nachos.
[Guy] How legit is the hot chicken?
I mean, it's the best you can get, right there
as far as the spices and everything.
Best queso in town. It's just delicious.
Hot Cauli's in the window.
Pie Town is catering my wedding. That's how much we love it.
What a wedding.
I can't wait to come back.
This is exactly the kind of place that people want from Triple-D.
Everything is scratch-made. Everything is cheffed.
-I mean, this is what the whole show's about. -Awesome.
So was this a great road trip or what?
But don't you worry. I've got plenty more joints to find all over this country.
I'll be looking for you next time on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
[muffled] You can tell we don't like it.
[unintelligible]
[mummers]
You can tell.
Maneet told me "Don't let me eat all that sandwich."
So I'm not gonna. I'mma hold her back.