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We're following Guy to some 'good eats'

July 12, 2008 12:16 am

BY KATHERINE SHAPLEIGH

My sister introduced me to Guy. He's not my type, with his spiky bleached hair and tattoos. But I quickly realized I'd follow him anywhere.

Guy Fieri is host of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

Even if you haven't caught the show, you've probably seen him in the new commercials for T.G.I. Fridays restaurants.

He travels the country, featuring eateries with made-from-scratch food, colorful characters and unique style.

My sister and her husband got hooked, and now we're fans at my house, too.

Fieri has a big personality, and the combination travel show/cooking show/comedy revue is addictive.

It's fun to go along for tours of "Seaside Eats," "Off the Hook," "Route 66," "One of a Kind," "American Cookin'," "Retro" and many others.

HOP ON THE BUS

Our introduction to the show was the "Something Different" episode on Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, W.Va. It's housed--I am not making this up--in an old school bus.

I'd never, ever have the nerve to stop, much less eat, at a place like that on my own. It sounds like a great place to get food poisoning.

I have nothing against colorful regional restaurants--I love them. But when I'm traveling, I need some kind of confidence booster to convince me I'm not making a big mistake with my time, money and health.

With places like Psycho Suzie's Motor Lounge in Minneapolis, Minn.--a "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" "Viewer's Choice" feature--who wouldn't want a little reassurance?

Once Guy and his crew go into a place, meet the owners, film the kitchen operations and talk to satisfied regulars, a visit seems like a much safer proposition.

let the tour begin

It didn't take us long to decide we wanted to visit some of the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" restaurants.

We recorded the shows, then made note of restaurants within striking distance. We went to the show's Web site--foodnet work.com/food/show_ dv--for more research.

We're making a real effort to conserve gas this summer, so our "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" tour is off to a slow but delicious start. (We're also counting calories, so that's tempering our pace, too!)

FIRST STOP, RICHMOND

My family of four piled into my sister's van with her family of three. We've been doing this for years on weekends and on trips because we realized--long before gas prices hit the stratosphere--that we could cut our transportation tab in half by splitting it.

We made the short drive to Richmond to The Village Cafe at 1001 W. Grace St., near the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.

The long, narrow restaurant is in a cheery, well-maintained old building. On the Saturday we were there, we found a nice crowd of families and students but there was no wait for a table.

We ordered an $8.25 Village Stromboli, with ham, salami, green peppers, pizza sauce and mozzarella. We knew, thanks to Guy, that the dough and sauce are homemade. It was yummy--and large enough for two.

Our group shared an order of onion rings, since they'd looked mouth watering on the show. They did not disappoint, and neither did the apple pie à la mode.

Shakes are another specialty at The Village Cafe, which has an impressive list.

The first stop on our tour was a fun change of pace, and definitely delivered.

LUCKY IN KENTUCKY

West Virginia and Kentucky aren't exactly "easy on the tank," but we were passing through to visit relatives. We checked our route, of course, for any "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

We'd be passing right by the West Virginia location of Hillbilly Hotdogs, but I brushed off my husband's suggestion that we stop with the excuse that it wouldn't be right to try it without my sister's family.

Full disclosure--a hot-dog place on an old bus still scares me a little, even with Guy's seal of approval.

We did try Smokey Valley Truck Stop in Olive Hill, Ky.

The pumps are still there, but the place no longer sells gasoline--the owners stopped once they realized the diner was pulling in enough money on its own.

We stopped in last month and realized we'd been there before. Before we were fans of the show, we stopped at Smokey Valley because our youngest needed a restroom. My husband escorted her inside and reported back that the place was packed and the food looked good.

"No way," I'd said at the time. So here we were again, giving the place a shot.

It's a red-topped, squat building--a typical truck-stop diner. Inside, it has a dark-paneled vibe. People seem to know each other there, and we felt curious eyes on us at first. We settled in and found the other diners friendly.

We shook our heads at the amazingly affordable prices--about a third to a half lower than what we're used to seeing--as we ordered iced tea, ham biscuits, grits, a hamburger and other items. It tasted as if my late great-grandmother were back in the kitchen. It's a "real Cracker Barrel," we decided.

Then we ordered the main attraction, the homemade coconut cream pie. It was whisked to our table, looking slightly lopsided. We dipped our spoons in and realized it was still warm from the oven. The meringue wasn't stiff, it was soft and fluffy and tasted of sugar and other good things. Bits of toasted coconut sat on top.

Even our 10-year-old, who despises coconut, had to like this pie. Weeks later, we're still shaking our heads over how good it was.

what's next

We have a couple of places on our list. Next up is the Virginia Diner in Wakefield. It's popular for its ham biscuits and peanut pie.

We also want to get to the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, which is beloved for breakfast foods including Cap'n Crunch french toast with berries and cream. Another favorite is Guido's Savory Meat Roll--biscuit dough with sausage, pesto and cheese. Mmm.

There's also Dott's Back Inn in Richmond.

So many "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," so little time!

Katherine Shapleigh: 540/374-5461
Email: kshapleigh@freelancestar.com