All the Alaska restaurants featured in 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'
Is this a safe space, you guys? I have something to share. I don't know what it necessarily means, though. I don't think I have ever put on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." To be honest, when I first started writing that sentence, I wrote it as Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives. I get why fans of the show abbreviate it to DDD.
When I say I have never put an episode on, I mean that as in – I don't think I have ever gone to the Food Network app, typed in Guy Fieri and purposefully put on the show. It just happens to be on when you're in public, usually with no sound when you're at the nail salon getting a pedicure.
But today, I did. Out of DDD's 534 episode archive (damn), 24 Alaska restaurants get shoutouts. Some spots are no longer around (Zerelda’s Bistro, Bun Daddy and Lavelle's Bistro in Juneau, and Haute Quarter Grill in Anchorage). So our DDD-approved list has already been cut down to 20.
Of the 24 Alaska establishments featured on the show that are still in business, I’ve been to eight.
The first Alaska-specific segment was back in 2015 (season 23, ep 18) and mentions Big Daddy's BBQ & Banquet (BDBBQB for short). I’ve never been to BDBBQB, but all I can say is for the many times I traveled to Fairbanks and stayed at the Bridgewater Hotel, I never ate at BDBBQB — and it was literally right next door.
BDBBQB was never on my radar, but Pagoda Restaurant in North Pole was so good it was on Guy’s twice. He actually mentioned it in multiple seasons (24 and 32), with an entire episode dedicated to Christmas in Santa's neck of the woods. Other shoutouts include Country Cafe and The Elf's Den Restaurant and Lounge.
More Fairbanks eateries on the Mayor of Flavortown’s list – Jazz Bistro on Fourth, The Hungry Robot, Hari Om Cuisine of India, The Cookie Jar, Silver Gulch Brewing, Salty's On 2nd and Mein Diner Food Truck. Two spots in Fairbanks made it onto his top 5 DDD restaurants, specifically the churrasco from Jazz Bistro on Fourth and the pickle pizza from The Hungry Robot.
I crave [the pickle pizza], I think about it all the time, one customer tells Guy in the episode.
In season 30, we get an entire episode dedicated to Juneau, with V's Cellar Door, Pucker Wilson's, Forno Rosso and In Bocca al Lupo capturing Guy's frosted-tipped heart. Chef Beau Schooler's king crab pappardelle made it onto DDD's top 5 list.
You making all the pasta in house? Guy asks Beau.
We make all the pasta in house. We always have a gnocci, Beau says.
Love the jan-ock-ee, Guy jokes.
I love jan-ock-ee.
Gan-och-ee.
Gan-ooch-ee.
Two of Guy's six Anchorage recs made it onto his faves list, including Waffles and Whatnot and Haute Quarter Grill (rip).
Take me to flavortown, brother. Guy says to Waffles and Whatnot owner Derrick Green about their confused cousin chicken sandwich.
So for our house sauce, we're going to begin with some hot sauce, ranch, then that barbecue sauce. Honey. Derrick says.
Let's see it, bud.
Grill some cheese, chicken, maple syrup. Scoop up this side of cheese. Slap some bacon on there, garlic mac, spicy barbecue. Smash that down, finish that off with a little bit of hot sauce.
I'm actually scared. Can I phone a friend? Guy asks. I want to know how much this little piggy weighs. Two pounds! You think I need more of that in my day? I don't even know how to attack it. Do you pick it up? Do you have a pressure washer?
That's a bite, Derrick says.
Scared is a valid reaction. That sandwich lowkey looks sort of insane, but I want to try it nonetheless.
He also visited Seoul Casa (will you be my valentine, kimchi-rito? 💌), Originale and Ray's Place. Personally, I’m obsessed with their ginger chicken and beef broth.
(total watch time: 1 hour 6 minutes)
The Alaska idol for the 'Survivor 50' Challenge is at Chena Hot Springs
CBS has launched the 'Survivor 50' Idol Challenge, where immunity idols are hidden in each state. Alaska's idol location was revealed this weekend: Chena Hot Springs. Fans can solve clues and go to the location to take a photo with the idol, submit it to the 'Survivor 50' Digital Hub and be entered to win a three-day, two-night trip to Los Angeles to watch the live season 50 finale in-person. You'll automatically be entered into a random drawing against everyone else in Alaska that submitted a photo with the idol.
Idol hunters are supposed to arrive at Chena on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The upcoming season of 'Survivor 50' premiers on Feb. 25 — AK IRL will be hosting watch parties for each episode on Wednesday nights on Discord!
FAFO: Jill Zarin edition
OG Real Housewife of New York Jill Zarin found out this week that actions have consequences (at 62 years old). Not long ago, it was announced that five RHONY women were getting their own spinoff on E! called The Golden Life, including Jill. This has been something fans have been asking Bravo for for literal years. TLDR: The New York housewives got a full on reboot in 2021 following a different racist housewife's comments (from the one and only turtle timeeee 🐢⏱️).
During the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show, Jill went 0n a racist rant and posted it to her Instagram, commenting about how there were no white people in the performance and that she "[didn't] think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish."
It didn't take long for fans to go to E!'s social media accounts to ask if this is someone they want to employ. Family drama ensued. Zarin Fabrics, which is operated by Jill's late husband's family, posted a photo of Jill with a big fat, red X over her face, saying she has no involvement in the business. Her step-grandson did an ask-me-anything on Reddit about her. The next day, it was announced she was fired, already replaced and out the door before filming even started.
You're saying that deleting a video does not actually erase it from the World Wide Web?? News to Jill. She has since gone private on Instagram (with 635k followers).
Wait, Erika Kirk was on 'Summer House'?
This made me lol. Apparently, Erika Kirk (at the time she was still Erika Frantzve) made two appearances on Summer House, back in season 3, which was filmed summer of 2018. Carl Radke, one of the OG cast members was trying to set up fellow cast mem Jordan Verroi with Erika. She was on episodes 11 and 12 of the season.