Tuesday, January 13, 2009

TGIF photo shoot

Found this while searching around for information on Ultimate Recipe Showdown.

Josh Rose photographed Guy Fieri for his TGIF images in late November, 2008. And a big thank you to him for making these images available.


Obviously the shot above doesn't suit for the energetic, frenetic image Guy is known for, nor what TGIF would be looking for to promote a you-should-be-seen-here eatery. But damn, it's a great shot. So much character.

See more at images from the shoot at behance.net. See creative commons for photo-sharing properties.

I like this one too. Something just makes me want to add a baloon above, "I'm gonna getchya." And I think, "yeah ok."

Sunday, January 11, 2009

More SOBE Wine and Food Fest tix on sale Monday



South Beach Wine and Food Festival Tickets, in Miami, Florida.

Several of the SOBE Wine and Food events are sold out, including the Barilla Interactive Lunch hosted by our man, Guy Fieri. Other sold out events are:

* Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachel Ray on 2/19
* Grand Tasting on Saturday 2/21
* Wining and Dining: A World View hosted by Andrea Robinson and Michelle Bernstein (2/21)
* Passage to India hosted by Madhur Jaffrey (2/21)
* Surf and Turks Presented by Turks & Caicos and Hosted by Clay Conley (2/21)
* Joe’s Big Chill: Claws and Cru (2/21)

The good news is that more tickets will go on sale tomorrow, Monday 1/12/09. At the time of this writing, I do not know if more tickets to Guy's event will be made available, but it'll be worth a lookee-see.

Even if they're not, I'd go just for the Burger Bash and the Grand Tasting. There are still tickets available for the South Beach Diet's Fun and Fit as a Family Featuring Kellogg's Kidz Kitchen. (more purposeful misspelling. Arg!)

To enter a sweepstakes for four free tickets (travel included) to Fun and Fit as a Family, click here. Entries must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 2, 2009.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

UNLV to award Guy Fieri for excellence in April

Guy Fieri is slated to receive the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence at the 35th annual UNLVino wine tasting event, set for April 16 - 18, 2009.

Touted as "the largest wine tasting west of the Mississippi," the event raises scholarship funds for the students of UNLV's Hotel Administration college. Alumni George Maloof Jr. and Glenn Carano will also be awarded.

Guy has often mentioned his appreciation to UNLV for providing him the education he needed for his chosen profession. He is also a member of Alpha Tau Omega, a leadership development fraternity.



And here's a link to a video interview of Guy's most recent visit to UNLV for their Chef Artist Dinner series, October 16 2008.

Guy Fieri in Atlanta, April 2009

Guy Fieri will be joined by other Food Network hosts Giada De Laurentiis, Paula Deen, and the Neelys in Atlanta, Georgia's Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, April 18 - 19, 2009.

Guy performs two shows in the Celebrity Cooking Theater
When: Saturday, April 18th
Times: noon - 1pm and 4pm - 5pm
Cost: $45 - $74.50 (advance); $50 - $80 (on site)

He is also scheduled for book signings
When: Saturday, April 18th
Times: 1:30pm - 2:30pm and 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Cost: $10 (advance); $12 (on site)

tickets

In October of 2008, Bob Tuschman (Senior Vice President, Programming and Production) had this to say about Guy's live shows:

Guy has wanted to do an audience show since he started on air. In fact, the show he pitched when he won The Next Food Network Star was called “Off the Hook,” but we changed it to “Guy’s Big Bite.” Last February, I sat in the audience at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (2008) and watched Guy as he tore up the house — a funny, electrifying, interactive cooking demo in front of hundreds of fans. I knew then he was ready. We taped a first season of (Guy Off the Hook), 6 episodes to test out the concept, so let me know what you think.

Here's a link to a video of Guy Fieri doin' his Live Thing at the Celebrity Food and Wine Expo in Des Moines, IA, November 2008.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Looks like Guy's heading to Mexico !

Guy Fieri mentioned in a recent interview that he'll visit Cabo to tape a grilling special for the Food Network with Sammy Hagar. But he didn't mention this:

Cabo Wine and Food Festival 2009
"Wine, Food, Fiestas and So Much More" - January 14 - 18, 2009.

Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas announces they proudly welcome Food Network star Guy Fieri as one the newest additions to a stellar line up for the 1st Annual Cabo Wine & Food Fest 2009.

The festival takes place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at Pueblo Bonito’s beachfront resorts and in their Siempre, LaFrida and Fellini’s restaurants. There will be wine and tequila tastings, Winemaker’s Dinners with award winning chefs, cooking classes and an exclusive Private Chef’s Table Dinner.

Chef John Sarich (a James Beard Award winner), Antonio de Livier (Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas Executive Chef) and Chef Michael Schlow round out the culinary line up for this year's Festival.

press release

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Guy Fieri interview at KSRO


KSRO The Drive

Guy stopped by KSRO radio in Santa Rosa for a brief 10-minute visit, full of energy, and even more full of information. Here are a few highlights *not* mentioned elsewhere in my blog:

*This interview was the Friday before Guy flew to Texas to begin shooting the 8th season of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We, out here in TV land, will begin seeing the 6th season of that show in February.

*Last year he was away, working, 210 days out of the year. Guy has just signed a 4-year contract with the Food Network, working 120 days this next year.

*Guy credits his managers and team members for maintaining the restaurants in his absence; credit goes first to his wife, family, business partner Steve and CFO Amy, empowering him to do the work he needs to do. They are now looking at Las Vegas and other large metropolitan areas to open new restaurants.

*Guy is writing 500 or 600 recipes a year now. (I'm lucky if I write 5 or 6)

*Guy has four shows on the Food Network, which he felt was daunting. There is some debate between which will go forward next year, Guy's Big Bite or Guy Off the Hook. (Oh, I have a preference!! I really do! Dare I even say?)

*Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is the #1 show on Food Network. (?!?)

*Guy is looking forward to going to Cabo Wabo soon (when?), to shoot a grilling special for the Food Network with Sammy Hagar.

*In March he'll shoot 30 shows in 10 days, at the Food Network Studios in New York.

*In May, Guy will go to Iraq in his second effort towards supporting American troops. They will fly into Baghdad and travel to 10 cities. He's ordering 5000 pounds of pork towards that effort. (unreal)

*Guy is forming the "Guy Fieri Foundation," with a goal of fostering kids imaginations and dreams with mentorship.

Full Interview:

Critique of TGIF tie-in with Food Network and URS-2

I found this to be a very interesting article - paraphrased here:

Pairing Food with Franchise - Tessa Wegert, Jan 8, 2009

When the show debuted last February, (TGI Friday's) announced it would be featuring the winning recipes on its menu for restaurant-going viewers to judge for themselves. The Friday's "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" menu is back. And this time, it comes with a nice selection of online media.

To promote its connection to the show, Friday's has established a presence on the Food Network site ....

Where Friday's could have done better is in its selection of page placements on foodnetwork.com. The chain has the "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" section covered with a sponsorship. That's a no-brainer. Given that its spokesperson-slash-Food Network chef also hosts two other unrelated shows, however, placing additional banners in those sections of the site would have been a stealthy move.

Like many TV chefs, Fieri has a big personality. Viewers will either love him or hate him, without much in between. And if they love him, they'll love him on his other shows as well. What a perfect chance for Friday's to expand its reach and up the odds of reaching potential customers by covering more Fieri-related pages.

Contextually, there's no connection between, say, "Guy's Big Bite" and the custom menu at Friday's. But Guy represents a common ground that's just as likely to be traversed by a new or already loyal customer as the site section that overtly promotes "Ultimate Recipe Showdown."

Guy Fieri is all over Texas, for DDD

Texas is all a-buzz this week with Guy Fieri sightings and DDD camera crews up, down and all around, with tapings starting Monday, January 5, 2009 and winding up on Friday the 9th.


Pictures from the shoot at Twisted Root Burger company in Deep Ellum, Texas.

First stop at Chef Point Cafe in Watauga TX, and Jamaica Gates, a Caribbean restaurant that opened last June, in Arlington. Read more at Star Telegram.

Next at Fred's Texas Cafe in Fort Worth's Cultural District, known for their Taco Cheese Fries and Beefsteak Ranchero, and at Louie's Pizza on North Henderson in Dallas. Read more at FW Weekly

And at Avila's Mexican in the morning and Twisted Root Burger in Deep Ellum in the evening.

*Update*
Click Here to view a map of all the Triple D restaurants in the Dallas - Fort Worth, TX area.

Family Favorites (DV0512)
Louie's (no website)
839 N Henderson Avenue, Dallas, TX 75206 - map
(214) 826-0505

Funky Joints (DV0601)
Chef Point Cafe - website
5901 Watauga Road, Wautaga, TX 76148 - map
(817) 656-0080
www.chefpointcafe.org

A Burger, A Bowl and a Slice (DV0604)
Twisted Root Burger Co - website
2615 Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75226 - map
(214) 741-7668
www.twistedrootburgerco.com

Who'Da Thunk It? (DV0606)
Jamaica Gates Caribbean Cuisine - website
1020 W Arkansas Ln., Arlington, TX - map
(817) 795-2600
www.jamaicagates.com

All Kinds of Classics (DV0609)
Fred's Texas Cafe - website
915 Currie St., Fort Worth, TX 76107 - map
(817) 332-0083
www.fredstexascafe.com

Mama's Cookin' (DV0613)
Avila's Mexican Restaurant - (no website)
4714 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX 75219 - map
(214) 520-2700

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

GuyFieri.com

I am sure anyone who is a fan of Guy Fieri has visited his website. I've noticed that the graphic layout has changed in recent months, and that many of the links have been 'under construction' for quite some time.

I visited GuyFieri.com today, and found that the majority of links and pages have been updated and are now working.

... including ...

A link to a full, updated and interactive map of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I'm not too proud to say that with the encouragement of husband and friends, I played a part in making that happen. Thank you Mr. Hoekenga!

Here are a few of my comments on what else I see on that website.
1. Buy Gear: Good that the gear is there; I'm sure it appeals to many, but I won't buy any of it. Sorry Guy!
"Kulinary Krew" - it is a pet peeve of mine when people purposefully misspell words. Blame it on an over-exuberant 7th grade English teacher, and I'm too old to change my pet peeves. I similarly refused to send my children to a nearby daycare called Kids Kastle for the same reason. The word "krew," I could understand if it was spelled "krewe," a group with hereditary membership whose members organize and participate as costumed paraders in the annual Mardi Gras carnival. "Culinary Krewe" I would buy.
"Knuckle Sandwich" - a euphemism for a punch in the face. No thank you.
"Food Fite" - Misspelled, more violence. Thank you, but I'll decline.

2. Get to know Guid: Good page, nice bio, my kids have fun changing his look. But as much as I snooped around, I found no "inside 'dish' on yours truly, the people in my Krew, some of the people I meet."

3. G-TV: looks new. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives font doesn't match the other two shows, but look at me being picky. And where's Ultimate Recipe Showdown? It's current, hot and missing from his website. I should also think this is where some video should be. Pick some favorite clips off You Tube and embed. Right? Maybe even change up the videos once a month, just to keep things fresh.

4. Food: I like this. I like this a lot. So far the once-a-month recipes are a cocktail and two veggie dishes. The cocktail I get, but veggies from Guy? Let's hope February's installment is a meat dish, big n bold cooked low n slow. Perhaps he can try Dorable's Pot Roast! haha

5. Email Sign Up: Under Construction?

6. Contact Us: Perhaps the site's page most in need of development, of which Hoekenga Design and Guy are well aware. At today's writing, the Guest Book hasn't been updated in two months. Why? They are just plain too busy to approve the multitude of posts. And that's too bad. If a fan takes the time to compose a thoughtful comment and submit it, only to see day after day that comment hasn't posted after several weeks go by, one loses hope. And faith. And that's sad.

I think it may also be helpful for a brief explanation of what an "agent" is and does, and what a "press inquiry" is. Those in the biz know, but the rest of us do not.

7. Events: Nice! And new too, I believe. Incomplete, however, as I see Rock Fantasy Camp is missing. And websites for more information on these events would be handy too.

8. Media Kit: Lovely. Something I'll never need, but nice to have it there.

Were I in charge of the world (heaven forbid) I would add one more page to GuyFieri.com. I would call it "Show Me Your Grill!" - a place where fans could upload pictures of their perhaps brief meeting at a restaurant, book signing or elsewhere. I see these all over, on MySpace, personal blogs, Facebook, all over. Fans would love to know that he's seen the result of that quick flash of bulb. And I think, were I Guy, I'd want to see that too, the pride, the joy and happiness showing in the faces of these fans. hmmm?

Speaking of all over, there are currently 5 "Guy Fieri's" on MySpace and 2 "Guy Fieri's" on Facebook. Real, any of them? Bah.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Let The Good Times Roll (GI0513H)

Guy's Big Bite - Let The Good Times Roll – Aired: 1/4/09

Guy Fieri's no-utensils-required menu features crispy, golden-fried chicken egg rolls and refreshing, light shrimp spring rolls. Two dipping sauces plus a ginger-mint lemonade make your dinner a rolling good time!

Chicken Avocado Egg Rolls - recipe


Springing Shrimp Rolls - recipe


Elixir G Minty Lemonade - cocktail recipe


Keywords:
ginger, chicken breast, cabbage, egg roll, avocados, sweet chili sauce, shrimp, maifun noodles, jicama, peanut butter, Elixir G, mint

Related Guy Fieri Recipes
Appetizers
Cocktails with liqueur

-> more on Guy's Big Bite <-