Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America's most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia.
Packed with Guy's iconic personality, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives follows his hot-rod trips around the country, mapping out the best places most of us have never heard of. From digging in at legendary burger joint the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, California, baking Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or kicking back with Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich from Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama, Guy showcases the amazing personalities, fascinating stories, and outrageously good food offered by these American treasures.
good fun book December 2, 2008 guido is off the hook,good cook,good host and put a pretty damn good cook book together,thats it!
Diners, drive inns and dives November 30, 2008 Great book w/lots of charm in each article on each restaurant and a good assortment of recipes. The show this book is from is what made me start cooking!
More than just a recipe book! November 25, 2008 I have dozens and dozens of cookbooks and recipe books and have never spent as much time "reading" any of them as I did this one! Guy Fieri's personality simply shines as he takes readers into each of the restaurants - the owners, chefs/cooks, clientele and menu are discussed together with colorful descriptions of the food and the atmosphere at each. I've flagged the pages of several, hoping to experience the flavors for myself! This book is fun for everyone, not just those who enjoy cooking, and I give it an A+!
Interesting Profile of American "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" November 21, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-in's and Dives is a very interesting concept for a book, adapted from his hit show. Each restaurant is profiled with some history and claim to fame. The book is sorted by part of the USA, rather than the type of meal. The photos are of the restaurants and owners, not of the recipes in the book.
In the back, the book lists all the recipes by breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. and also lists all the restaurants profiled along with their addresses and a checklist, if you manage to make your own road trip. There are a few places profiled within 2 hours of our house that I'd have never known about without this book, and definitely will try to venture out and try those places the locals love and others may not know about.
Recipes are adapted from the restaurants and include items such as: Cap'N Crunch French Toast, Lobster Quesadillas, Pork & Sweet Potato Empanadas and Chunky Monkey Pancakes. Lots of comfort food items but you'll also find some surprises like Pho and ahi tuna burgers.
One thing I would have liked to see (true for any cookbook) would be photos of the recipes. However, this book isn't primarily a cookbook, the recipes are more a "bonus" to the content profiling the diners & dives. It's more of a travel book / slice of Americana for food lovers. I recommend the book for anyone who loves Guy's show, road-tripping or eating at diners, drive-ins and dives.
A little disappointing ... November 20, 2008 8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I really wanted to LOVE this book, I really did. I'm such a huge fan of Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" television show, and I've been hoping he'd come out with a cookbook containing recipes featured on his shows.
I'm a sucker for great road food, and often go out of my way to try a "hole in the wall" diner. Guy has traveled the US highlighting exactly the kinds of places I love to visit. His show on Food Network is loads of fun. No one can describe food like Guy, with his blend of humor and killer adjectives.
The humor doesn't translate all that well in print, and the jokes just aren't that funny. But I didn't get this book for the jokes -- I got it for the recipes.
The recipes that are included are OK -- but if you're a fan of the show, don't expect to find very many of the dishes Guy spotlighted. There are a few (the Cap'n Crunch French Toast from the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, for example), but the bulk of the recipes are "new."
It was more than a little frustrating to read about the wonderful dishes in Guy's descriptions of the restaurant, only to find few recipes for any of them. While each establishment is represented by a recipe, almost none of the recipes are described in the narrative.
For example, Baby Blues Bar-B-Q in Venice, CA -- Guy waxes rhapsodic over the "killer mac and cheese made from four cheeses" and "grilled corn with chipotle-poblano butter and cotijo cheese sprinked on top." The featured recipe: sauteed okra. Huh?
That's not to say these are not GOOD recipes -- in fact, most of them look pretty darned tasty. And if your expectations don't include recipes for dishes featured on the show, these will be just fine.
As a travelogue, it's probably OK, too. And maybe that was its intended purpose, rather than a "cookbook." Or maybe it can't really decide what it wants to be.
But if you're like me, you might be a little disappointed that the dishes included in the book are NOT the ones that made your mouth water when you watched the show OR read about them here.
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