The same applies when I was (and am) trying to veg out in front of the TV. Sometimes I want to watch something predictable, formulaic, and warm...… And the perfect person and show that defines all 3 is....Triple D!
Show: Diners, Drive Ins and Dives
Network: Food Network
Star: Guy Fieri
Times: Various, but usually they have Friday evening/night marathons from 3 pm - midnight
Yes, I know it's fashionable to make fun of Guy Fieri as not a "real" chef. That's fine. But he is entertaining (for a while) and this show is the perfect filler for those nights when you are waiting for your sons to come home from work or a movie night that should have ended at 10:30 but now it's 11:30 and the parents of the host haven't kicked the kids out yet....
OK, enough editorializing. Guy was born in Columbus, OH - I did not know that! - but ended up on the West Coast as a kid. He went to UNLV to major in restaurant management, and quickly rose in the SoCal dining scene. He won a contest on the Food Network for "The Next Food Network Star" in 2006 and Triple D was born in April, 2007.
There's been 26 (!) seasons of the show and 260 episodes. You all know how this goes. In 30 minutes, Guy visits 2-3 out-of-the-way, local restaurants featuring good food. The pattern of the segment goes like this:
- Guy drives up to the restaurant in his trademark red convertible
- Montages of diners eating there are interviewed - "Oh, this place is soooo good!"
- We meet the head chef
- The head chef prepares 1 or 2 of his signature dishes
- Guy watches and provides humor and puns while the chef cooks
- Guy sticks his finger in the bowl and licks it while still cooking
- Dish is finished, Guy samples it in the kitchen. "Off the hook!" "Wow!" "Speechless!"
I haven't seen an episode yet where Guy is indifferent to the food. There had to be a SNL skit of DDD where Guy tries the food and says "Meh. There's better food down the street".
Guy and Triple D has done an episode with Blue Ash Chili here in Cincinnati; it's a Cincinnati chili place that serves alcohol. For those of you not in SW Ohio, you have to try Cincinnati chili just once. Should have fed it to Leland when he visited in February.
Triple D has also gone to a Pho place downtown; that's now on my list of places to try. Pho Lang Tang is supposedly the best in town. I have loved Pho ever since I went to Saigon in 2012.
No writeup of Guy Fieri would be complete without a comment about his restaurant he opened up in 2012 in Times Square; the New York Times reviewed it, and the review was called "the most scathing review in the history of the NYT". Something tells me Guy was not going for the Upper West Side audience.
OK, let's get an off the hook review this week and have our defense show up against the Bucs. If they do, we will win and get back to .500 after 7 games.
On to these games:
Arz 23, Den 16. I think Denver's defense is overrated and I don't trust Keenum on the road. I see the Cards rallying at home in prime time....what?
LAC 23, Ten 20. I really like Vrabel. He is doing a lot with nothing. This is the kind of team that the Chargers always slip up against. I don't see Lynn matching wits with Vrable. Look for lots of fakes.
NE 26, Chi 20. Really disappointed in the Bears D last week vs the Dolphins. If the Pats can protect Brady a bit, they should be able to move the ball and pull out a win.
Ind 27, Buf 20. Our good friend Derek Anderson is back! I have no faith in the Colts D to stop him, and I like the Colts O too much here.
Jax 27, Hou 13. This is it. The Jags have too much talent to be messing around. They need to stop the Texans D, and being at home, Bortles will play well and move the ball through the air.
Mia 27, Det 24. Not sure if Detroit's D can shut down Brock. It is possible, however, that Brock will shoot himself in the foot. Look for a shooutout here.
Min 23, NYJ 20. Boy, the Jets play well at home, and could take advantage of the Vikes' poor pass D. Do I trust Cousins on the road? Not really....
Phi 30, Car 27. I have stated here numerous times that the Panthers D is awful. Philly should move the ball with ease. However, I don't think the Eagles are back to full effectiveness yet on D.
Bal 24, NO 23. I'll pass on wagering on this game and just watch. Is the Ravens D really that good? Can the Ravens score enough to win against a good offensive team?
Was 23, Dal 20. Let's not get carried away with the Cowboys just yet. Got a nice spot last week. The Cowboys are a weaker version of the Panthers on O, and the Skins stopped them last week.
LAR 27, SF 23. I think the MNF loss will strengthen the NIners, and this is the Rams' 3rd road game in a row. I see a close game here.
KC 31, Cin 20. KC was clearly nervous under the lights at NE last week in the first half; those jitters will be gone this week and I see a blow out.
Atl 30, NYG 20. I don't know. I feel the Giants have one more good game in them here, but Atlanta is just as desperate and can score pretty much at will.
Best bets: 12 of them. Last week: 7-5-1; overall: 40-41-3
Arz +1.5 (L)
Ten +6.5
NE -2
Jax -3.5
Mia +3
Det/Mia over 46.5
Car/Phi over 45
Was +1
SF +9
KC -6
Cin/KC under 57.5
Atl -4
Supercontest: Last week: 3-2; overall: 16-12-2
Arz +1.5 (L)
Ten +6.5
Jax -5
Was -2
SF +9.5
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