"Fine" Dining

Food from a furniture store? I'm joined by  Chris Grace  from NBC's  Superstore to tackle the largest furniture retailer in the world  IKEA  and their fabled  Swedish Bistro which happens to be the 6th-largest food chain internationally! "Coffee and a biscuit" was where it all began in Sweden Despite being what they're known for, the Swedish Meatball (which isn't even actually Swedish) didn't hit...

We come bearing gifts! Arctic Circle seemed like the best place to review with  Santa Claus in tow, so we took a road trip out to southern Utah to try it! The Good: the mini corn dogs were genuinely great, and Santa brightened a few patrons' days by having gifts for the children! The Not Good:  Someone complained to management about aforementioned gift-giving, and we had to cease, also not all the...

Road trip to Utah! What a get! This week, I had the honor of taking Santa Claus  himself to the restaurant that makes the absolute most sense to review with Kris Kringle:  Arctic Circle . If you don't know it, think Dairy Queen Grill & Chill. They do the dipped cone thing but more importantly, they claim to have invented fry sauce Not only do we get the history of this chain and fry sauce itself,...

I love CPK, but not for the pizza! California Pizza Kitchen  is such a favorite of mine, I'm surprised it took 70 episodes to get to it! My guest, comedian  Holly Brown is just as passionate about this chain as I am, so this was a great time The Good includes my favorite salad ever, Holly & my pasta dishes, & the vibes The Not Good: The BBQ Chicken Pizza, the pasta plate real estate, the complimen...

Viola Davis' favorite chain? California Pizza Kitchen has some truly fascinating claims - from pizzas innovated in their kitchen to being the first chain to outlaw smoking in their restaurants - I dive into all of it with comedian Holly Brown Holly used to work at CPK, which makes her the first former employee of the restaurant-of-the-week I've had as a guest on the show The Eat Deets will teach y...

No Nut November + the 69th Restaurant! Nice! Note: One of the mics wasn't working properly. It should sound fine, but Dana is a little quieter than I would've liked. Apologies in advance. Note #2: This was also recorded before the decision was made to shake up the show's format this season, so it's the final episode to contain "This Is Way Too Much," "What's Going On Over There?" and no super awes...

My 69th Restaurant! Nice! Note: One of the mics wasn't working properly. It should sound fine, but Dana is a little quieter than I would've liked. Apologies in advance. Sam's Hofbrau  is a strip club in Los Angeles that serves food, and I went with adult film star Ryan Keely  and  Dana Scarborough  of the  I Seduce the Dragon podcast to celebrate the 69th restaurant review on the main feed of the...

10 months on the waitlist, and well worth it! Casa Bonita is the definition of a dining "experience" with its hodgepodge collection of oddball acts and entertainment, but is it worth flying out of state to grab dinner? I break down this kitschy paradise with my guest, the hilarious Ify Nwadiwe  (Dropout TV, Um Actually, Maximum Film) in this week's review episode! The Good: Cliff divers are tremen...

As seen on South Park! Casa Bonita , an institution near Denver, Colorado blends the kitsch of a sprawling indoor theme park with Mexican food, and  Ify Nwadiwe  (Dropout TV, Um Actually, Maximum Film) is here to learn all about it with me The location that everyone knows and loves isn't the original Casa Bonita, which used to have locations in four different states The Secret Menu: Edible TV Show...

Season 3 is coming next week! Follow along for season 3 as I'm headed to a lot of fun restaurants! 11/6-11/13 Casa Bonita with Ify Nwadiwe 11/20-11/27 Strip Club Food with Ryan Keely & Dana Scarborough 12/4-12/11 California Pizza Kitchen with Holly Brown 12/18-12/25 Arctic Circle with Santa Claus   On top of that, I've got some new music to freshen things up, including a brand new opening theme so...

The End of Season 2! WingStreet is Pizza Hut's wing brand, and I hit one with my guest this week, actor  Rachel Bryant while we both dressed head-to-toe as horror icon Freddy Krueger What's Going On Over There with the pizza boxes replacing the glass on the broken door? Some kids at the Popeyes next door come out to threaten us (some might say it's Way Too Much) The employee had fun putting our or...

Part 1 of the season 2 finale! It's A Nightmare on WingStreet as I cover the history of when Pizza Hut & YUM brands incorporated wings into their menu, and I'm joined by prolific horror actor Rachel Bryant We spend the entire finale fully cosplayed as horror icon Freddy Krueger Rachel's primary experience with wings is watching other people eat them at Super Bowl parties Hear the history of Buffal...

Maybe the best milkshakes in the game! Cook Out is a staple of North Carolina, and I got to sit with host of the Astonishing Legends podcast, Scott Philbrook  and try the burgers, hush puppies, and milkshakes that make them famous The Secret Menu Category: Spooky Restaurants A liminal space with Cheerwine decor What's Going On Over There with the handwashing station on the customer side of the ord...

Coming to you from Greensboro, North Carolina this week! I'm cross-country again as this week I'm covering the beloved Southern burger chain  Cook Out with host of the Astonishing Legends podcast, Scott Philbrook Scott talks his history with Cook Out from back when he was in college, as most locations are open until 3 in the morning Learn the history of Cook Out and their expansive menu that sells...

Septemburger 2024's final stop! I cap off a jetsetting Septemburger with the spot I barely had to go a mile to get to, Shake Shack . One of my go-tos in this this bracket, and I was graced with the presence of hilarious comedian Jen Kober The origins of the place were unclear at the time of filming, but I ultimately learned that the original Shake Shack was called I

Septemburger 2024's most upsetting stop! I'm in Las Vegas this week to hit the nearest  White Castle to me with Vegas native (and host of the Visit Vegas Places podcast) Coyal Harrison and is  not a good meal Apparently the White Castle slider was literally created in a moment of frustration when the founder couldn't quite figure out how to do meatballs, so he squashed it, put it on a bun, and cal...

Septemburger rolls on! Formerly of Tastemade, producer  Raj Rawal joins me to talk about a restaurant he's very passionate about: In-N-Out Burger The Eat Deets tackle everything from the founder's untimely passing in a plane crash and the struggles with substance abuse of the sons, to In-N-Out's brand loyalty with 7-Up surviving a rift with Pepsi The Secret Menu Mini-Game:  Vehicular Goodies An in...

Your chance at $500 is here! Septemburger is once again upon us, and this time I've scoured the nation for 8 fast food burger chains to compete in the annual contest I'm joined by a slew of guests: my own  Dad , I Think You Should Leave 's  Steve Moulton , and my friends  Kellie Baldwin ,  Herbert Amaya , and  Ashley Robinson Click here for a direct link to the Septemburger 2024 Bracket Google For...

Even the name sounds mediocre! I'm joined once again by Two in the Cooler podcast host Andrew Canada to hit up a chain that was a staple of his childhood: Perkins   Restaurant & Bakery Perkins has a dingy atmosphere that acknowledges you'd rather be elsewhere What's Going on Over There with advertising the arrival of Dr. Pepper to your menu, and then only serving Mr. Pibb? (This one really upset M...

I traveled to New York, New York for this one! From the Two in the Cooler podcast, host  Andrew Canada joins me this week to check out  Perkins   Restaurant & Bakery , a chain that I flew across the country to New York City to try, and he flew down from Buffalo to meet me there Originally "Smithy's Pancake House" before changing their name and expanding across the region, Perkins' backstory is one...

The sushi at Houston's is an unexpected masterpiece! Houston's Restaurant aka Hillstone is one of the higher-end experiences I've had for the podcast, and That Was Wild podcast's Adam Macias joined me on his own birthday to dine there with me The art choices in here were bold (arguably Way Too Much) and their light fixtures straight up looked like a certain Pokémon I straight up misinterpreted the...

A chain with 15 different names! Houston's Restaurant aka Hillstone aka 13 other things is one of the more upscale chains, and  Adam Macias from the  That Was Wild podcast joins me to learn interesting facts about this restaurant Houston's will let you BYOB without charging a corkage fee, and they are  very proud of this The Secret Menu: Bougier Restaurants Houston's is currently embroiled in a la...

We eat the chicken sandwich that caused chaos upon launch! Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen makes it clear that you're not supposed eat it there . But I powered through with my guest, stand-up comedian  Sierra Katow Popeyes goes overboard on the signage in the store, outside the restaurant, and on the door What's Going On Over There with the complete silence inside the establishment? The chicken sandwich...

The stories from the sandwich launch are wild! I went to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen with stand-up comedian Sierra Katow , but before reviewing the place we have to go over the franchise history The Eat Deets unveil founder Al Copeland's master plan to charge the company a "spice royalty" after he was ousted from leadership The Secret Menu: Villainous Treats Beyoncé has a "free Popeyes for life" sit...

A new Worst Restaurant in America is crowned! A restaurant so bad, I don't think my Dad (my guest this week) will ever let me live it down:  Shoney's Buffet soups shouldn't have such a thick skin over them that the ladle rests on top...right?? What's Going On Over There with Shoney's thinking they deserve their own food truck? The service team surprises me with a little extra cook time on my steak...