Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

This is a pretty fun and interesting show. Guy Fieri gives the viewer a well rounded assessment of what he saw and ate while he was out and about. I like how Mr. Fieri does his thing – he is always positive and never says anything bad about any establishment. I can only assume the intent is to leave hard-core opinions up to the diner to decide. Additionally, I have gone to a few of the eateries mentioned and some have been excellent before and after his visits and others have not fared so well. In particular - there is this favorite lunch spot we all go to while working in Florida. Before Guy showed up, the food was pretty good, nothing to write home about - but the ambiance was really very cool. After Mr. Fieri showed up, ate and left – the food quality went down as the prices went up. This is actually a very rare case. Are all Guy's 'hot spots' like this? No way. This is the only flippity-flop experience I ever had. All the other places I have frequented (that Guy also visited) – continued to practice what brought him there in the first place. Quality local food at quality local prices. Good Show and I will continue to watch as an avid fan.

that are thinking of attending a live event: Went to the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival sponsored by the Food Network. This was the worst event I ever attended.

With a name like "Guy Fieri's Cheesesteak Battle", I assumed 2 things: (1) It would be a "battle" like iron chef or chopped and (2) Guy Fieri would actually be there...like a host or MC. Neither of which were true.

Event was outside in 90 degree heat, it was muggy and started raining. You had to wait in overcrowded lines for cheese steaks and walk through grass which turned to mud. My wife and her heals didn't appreciate this at all.

We paid $80 a ticket because we thought we were going to a 3 hr event/show, INDOORS, with FOOD NETWORK QUALITY CHEFS...NOPE. Cheesesteaks were from sub-par establishments and chain restaurants. Lee's Hoagies had the best steak and it was a 6 on a scale of 1-10 for anyone who has ever been to Philly.

We left after an hour and a half so maybe Guy eventually showed his face. I don't really care, it was an awful event that took advantage of Guy's fans by attaching his name to it. I had come to expect more from the Food Network brand.

If you are looking for Julia Child, this is not the show for you. Guy Fieri, the host of the show, visits diners, drive-ins and dives, just like the title says. These places feature down-home cooking, bar food, truck-stop standards, Cajun recipes, Southern dinner table traditions, NJ diner menu items, etc. In short, they feature comfort food. What is comfort food? According to Wikipedia, comfort food is "food which provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to the consumer and is often characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, and simple preparation." In short, the show features food that is comforting as well as delicious. Guy travels from the Atlantic to the Pacific and highlights restaurants that have a reputation for comfort food. He visits the kitchens and a few menu items are prepared in toto with us, the food-loving public, watching.

Guy has a style all his own, but the show's emphasis is on the food, which is usually mouthwatering. As HGTV is to home remodeling and buying, DD&D is to food preparation and consumption.

Watching the restaurant customers chow down on the food is both satisfying and tortuous, because you want to partake yourself. Watching the food preparation gives the viewer a vivid concept of the subtleties of the recipes, and some of them are not simple despite the definition of comfort food.

This is enjoyable viewing for anyone who appreciates finding those hidden treasures of delightful dining that are somewhere in every small town and big city.

I concur with those who have expressed criticism of the host. But, it is his show, so the viewer has to put up with him.

What really stands out, though, and makes this series amazing, is the enormous variety of restaurants, recipes, and dishes. Even though I'm a carnivore, even the Vegan dishes look good. I wonder where the chefs get all the ingredients; I've never seen some of them. The dedication and effort the owners put into their establishments is admirable.

I have two questions:

How many days do they stay at the site? No way can he eat that much in one sitting.

How many restaurants are visited and bomb out, because the food stunk?

Touring America's restaurants the only way Guy Fiery knows how - by introducing you to the families who prepare it & the cultures that inspired them to do so. Making food fun is what Guy does best.