Calling all Guy Fieri fans! I got to eat like I was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for my second episode of Experimental Eats with Food Network. I hopped around to three spots Guy has visited on DDD in New York City to taste the meals for myself. I can see how he totally has a DREAM job! Watch the full episode here.

We started the day at Pies ‘n’ Thighs in Brooklyn for their chicken and waffles. The name of the restaurant made me smile off the bat – how cute is it?! The signature dish we were there to try consisted of two pieces of fried chicken with two buckwheat waffles topped with cinnamon butter & blueberries. I’m a huge fan of sweet and savory, so the dish hit the spot for me!

For lunch, we ventured to Bunker, a Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn. The colorful aesthetic made it feel like it was somewhere Guy would 100% hang out. While he was there, Guy tried the Bánh xèo, a Vietnamese pancake with shrimp, bacon and bean sprouts. It tastes like a cross between a pancake and a thin, crispy omelette, which had me laughing because Guy always says he does not like eggs! The presentation of the Bánh xèo was gorgeous and you wrap it in lettuce with fresh herbs, and dunk it in a sauce.

Last but not least, for dinner I had a cheeseburger from Brindle Room in the East Village. I am not exaggerating when I say this was one of the best burgers I’ve EVER had. The restaurant uses a 70/30 blend of meat/fat (instead of 80/20), so the burger was incredibly juicy and luscious. That melted cheese and caramelized onions made it all the more over-the-top good. I don’t hang out in the East Village too often, but I’ve added this spot to my favorite places in NYC map to go back!

Beyond just eating the food, it was so insanely fun to be in Guy Fieri-mode all day thinking about his catch phrase slogans and even wearing his matching sunglasses! Audree Lopez, aka Simply Audree Kate and my dearest friend, outfitted me again from head to toe to match the #DDD vibe, and you can see how rockin’ it all came together in the episode.

I would cry laughing watching the outtakes of this episode because I went full out trying to impersonate Guy Fieri’s slogans and trademark energy on the streets of the city! 😂 I was wearing an orange and yellow button up shirt, Guy’s glasses and trying to hold in my laughter on camera. (Perhaps that’s not as embarrassing as me jumping around like The Rock, but it’s up there hah!) Maybe one of these days I’ll see if our editor can pull together a blooper reel for fun!

Anyway, I hope you guys love the episode! I’m so grateful to everyone who helped make this possible, especially our producer, Charlie. Please comment away on Food Network’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram TV posts and feel free to tag @GuyFieri while you’re at it ;)

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela