Any fans of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives?

If traveling and wanting to check places out, check in with the below site [not the official site]. It's a case where the fans did the necessary work that no one else was going to do.

http://www.flavortownusa.com/

It's a show that would be much improved by the host being put out to pasture... he's annoying, overloud and unfunny. His own restaurant was panned in one of the most amusing critic pieces I have read recently :

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-guys-american-kitchen-bar-in-times-square.html

That said, I like the concept of visiting, even non-critically, easy eating places like the show has.

I like the shoe well I like allot of cooking shows especially the old pbs ones Julia child's was IS THE BEST.
I don't particularly like Guy as a host but ddd is still a good show.

Quote: whatme

I don't particularly like Guy as a host but ddd is still a good show.

I've grown to like Guy. Could be that someone else had the idea, does all the work, etc, but I get the feeling he participates and could even be critical. He certainly doesnt ruin the show for me, as I thought he might when I first set eyes on him.

When he hits the gas in his old sportscar driving scenes, and you hear that engine rev up and purr, you have to love it and suspect there is some class underneath all that somewhere.

PS: I had seen that restaurant review, Cesspit. A case of trying to expand too fast and losing control of the product, I think. He has a greedy side it seems.

Ramsay has done the same, so it's not an uncommon problem. Though Ramsay's failures have been less panned (and probably less god-awful, but still not the fine dining you'd expect from his name). I find it amusing the Ramsay does Kitchen Nightmares, but he's hardly a glowing success recently in the restaurant business himself.

I love the show, and have read both DDD books. I used to take notes during the show and duplicate the recipes at home, but now they're all available online. Guy is personable, but wears on me with the constant repetition of phrases like "I could eat that on a flip-flop!" and "Catch the xxx train to Flavortown" and "Do you know the Hunch? This is how you do the Hunch." But he's not nearly as annoying as Adam Richman on Travel's Man vs Food. That guy ruined that show for me.

Ever wonder if Guy drives around in that Camaro everywhere? The books say there's several cars, both '67 and '68, and they borrowed one locally for Hawaii episodes. I'm a watch fanatic, so I noticed his Breitling Montbrilliant, and Doxa GMT, among others.

Amusing the see how DDD focuses on great little restaurants that do it right, and other shows like Restaurant Impossible, Restaurant Stakeout, Mystery Diners, Health Inspectors, and Ramsay's Hotel Hell all focus on owners who haven't a clue in running things. Perhaps these owners could take a lead from the places on DDD?

Shoot, just join Roadfood. Jane and Michael Stern are the godparents of the form, the first edition of the book was published in the '70s.

Quote: TheCesspit

It's a show that would be much improved by the host being put out to pasture... he's annoying, overloud and unfunny.

He is pretty far down on my list of the hosts of these type of shows. Andrew Zimmern , Anthony Bourdain or Steven Raichlen are all much more interesting.

My friends and I looked up a place (4 Kegs Sports Bar in Las Vegas) that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, to try the Stromboli. It was great. I appreciate the show because, I would never have come across the place on my own.

I enjoy Guy as host. I think he brings energy and enthusiasm that keeps things moving, without the drama, criticism of food and mostly people, and the impossible deadlines that are at the core of the other shows.