Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is one of the
most recognizable Food Network shows.
Whether you're a big fan of Guy Fieri or more
of a Guy basher, you need to know the whole
story behind how Triple D went from practically
nothing to a flagship show for Food Network.
So how did it get started, how do they find
those funky locations, and what happens to
those food spots after the crew packs up and
leaves?
Here's everything you wanted to know about
your favorite foodie show.
We're rolling out!"
Guy Fieri and his frosted tips won Season
2 of Next Food Network Star, which led to
his own show, Guy's Big Bite.
Around that same time, David Page had an idea
for a program that would focus on, well, diners,
drive-ins, and dives.
The Food Network decided to give Fieri a shot
at hosting.
The pilot took 21 days to shoot and did well
enough to lead to a full season the rest is
history.
Have you ever been to a restaurant and thought,
"This place should be on Triple D!"
Well, there's a way you might be able to throw
your favorite local joint into the fray.
A fan site called FlavortownUSA has a section
for Triple D suggestions.
According to the site:
"When you recommend a restaurant to Guy Fieri,
it goes to his film crew and also gets promoted
to other fans on this site."
Or there's always the option of sending an
email to: story ideas at Triple D info dot
com.
But that obviously isn't the only way the
Triple D team comes up with filming locations.
One Denver restaurant owner told Thrillist
that producers had called a bunch of local
food writers to find a list of good places,
after which the restaurant essentially had
to sell themselves to the team.
The theme they're looking for is pretty basic:
something off the wall.
As Guy often says:
"If it's funky, I'll find it!"
You probably realized that Guy doesn't literally
roll up to an establishment, hop out, and
start dropping catchphrases and scarfing down
a meal.
Recording television programs takes time.
According to Heavy Table's behind the scenes
look at Triple D, a crew will arrive at the
chosen restaurant a few days or so before
Fieri to get some required close-ups and general
cooking.
When you notice that Guy is narrating the
chefs' actions during those 48-hour sequences
of smoking meat, it's because they already
filmed most of the prep work.
The shooting also follows a tight script,
but there's some improv.
That madcap, off-the-cuff weirdness is all
Guy doing his thing.
"This is what it's like when the huge weenie
starts to have a meltdown."
Should your restaurant make it on the show,
get ready for the wave.
Southern Soul Barbecue on St. Simons Island,
Georgia, didn't believe it when they were
warned of a 200% increase in business.
But it happened, and that's par for the course.
The allure of eating at a joint where Fieri
ate is huge, and being on the show comes with
a badge of honor of sorts.
But nothing in life is guaranteed, and even
a visit from the Frosted Tips Fairy can't
keep everything going.
A significant number of Triple D alums have
shuttered their doors.
Of course, that's out of Triple D's control.
But when you think about it, at over 260 episodes
and three restaurants per episode, around
780 restaurants made an appearance.
You're bound to have a few close down through
the years.
Calling David Page simply a producer is quite
an insult.
At minimum, he's the creator of Diners, Drive-ins
and Dives.
From the pilot episode of Triple D up to Season
11, Page served as an executive producer.
He came from a news background, has a couple
Emmys on his CV, and had a reputation for
being a bit… confrontational.
At one point, Fieri stopped taking Page's
calls and stopped showing up for voice-over
recordings.
Page was fired, and subsequently sued Food
Network and Fieri.
Food Network countersued to the tune of $1.5
million.
So, what happened?
The Food Network claims said Page was such
a jerk that working with him became intolerable.
Page said it was all Fieri's fault, because
he didn't show up to do his job.
As it usually happens in these situations,
the two sides settled and the show went on
without Page.
But gone was the original red '67 Camaro,
which was owned by Page.
But fear not : it was quickly replaced by
Guy's own '68 model.
Guy Fieri seems to love the food everywhere
he goes, but how can that be possible?
Some people think there's a Guy Code: tiny
little ticks, words, and reactions to tell
you what he really thinks.
If Fieri takes a big bite and immediately
starts talking about the decor of the place,
or the plates, or how tall the chef is, the
dish is probably really not good.
Occasionally, Fieri will actually prepare
the meal for the chef in a different way than
the chef did.
He's essentially saying, "Do it this way"
because he didn't like their way, or something
was missing.
"See I have my method.
Thai basil, jalapeños bean sprouts for sure
and a litte bit of lime.
And a touch of sriracha."
But if he really likes the dish there are
two stages of Guy nirvana.
The first is an extra bite.
If Fieri only takes one bite, there's a good
chance he didn't like the dish.
If he takes two, you can guarantee it's a
winner.
"Honestly, I could have 18 or 75 of these."
He'll suddenly start talking about how good
he feels while eating the dish.
If he takes it a step further, and he gives
"that look" that's an award-winning dish.
Those are the places you simply must try because
that's the top of the Triple D mountain.
"Mouth is starting to water already."
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