When Guy Fieri first showed up many people just didn’t know what to make of him. As he competed through the Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star and showed the audience and the judges that his sense of humor didn’t hide his ability to create incredible food. Upon winning, he was awarded his own Food Network show and platinum blonde, spiky haired, goatee wearing funny guy landed Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.
You just want the establishment to win the heart of Guy Fieri and it doesn’t matter which one of his catch phrases guy reaches for. You can’t help but pull for the couple who self manage a growing restaurant, despite that fact that it is constructed from two busses. You can’t help but want the 1986 classic Camero to pull up in front of the next about to be discovered gem hiding in the back of a small town.
These restaurants get Guy’s recognition on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives because they offer characteristics that set them apart from other diners and real world establishments. Whether it’s the food, the atmosphere, or the history, there is always a story to be told when Guy walks in the front door. As his loyal and happy fans we follow him with anticipation right through that front door as well.
Occasionally, Guy has found one or two dishes on the menu that hasn’t suited his tastes, but overall he is introducing the viewer to great little eateries that are never overpriced, perfect for the family, and has discarded the idea that food and stuffy clothing has to go together. Casual dining doesn’t have to mean food that doesn’t taste out of this world.
While it’s true that most of the establishments that are aired on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives deliver “off the hook” food that hits it “on like Donkey Kong” there have been a few places that Guy wasn’t so thrilled with the food. It’s refreshing to know that if you are loyally watching the show you don’t have to be worried about being driven in the wrong direction. An honest TV host?
There have been cooking shows and review shows, each of which has its points of interest and offers the viewer some valuable information. However, Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives is more of a travel-review-cooking show. Where else can learn the value of soaking tapioca in pineapple juice spiked with rum before you try your hand at whipping up a great pie or pudding specialty.
Being able to bring high quality, reasonably priced food to people all over the country is what Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives is all about, and Guy takes his mission very seriously. You will find maps, layouts, and reviews all over the internet as a tribute to the character that even the judges had doubted when he first walked onto The Next Food Network Star set.
Charming to watch, fun to be around, honest and witty, Guy Fieri has brought reality food television to a whole new level. Sure, he’s a little “off the hook” but isn’t that why we tune in week after week to watch him roam back in the kitchens of today’s neatest little eateries.
