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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Midmorning With Aundrea - August 28, 2020 (Part 2)

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Midmorning With Aundrea - August 28, 2020 (Part 2)
Midmorning With Aundrea - August 28, 2020 (Part 2)

(Part 2 of 2) Mo Rocca chats with "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" host Guy Fieri.

Tv host and restaurateur guy fieri is well known for showing us what's cooking in out-of-the-way places around the country-- which means he has lots to share with mo rocca: everything about guy fieri, it seems, is big.

From the way he talks & & to his love of tattoos& guy fieri: 01:50:18 // this was the last one.

I got my star on the hollywood walk of fame.

& to his success on television &.

From show intro: "i'm guy fieri, we'r rollin out, lookin for america's favorite diners, drive-ins and dives" as host of food network's diners drive-ins and dives since 2006 he's taken his cherry red camaro to joints across america & mo rocca: 00:56:22 how many places have you hit so far, roughly?

Guy fieri: 00:56:26 give or take, 1,300.

In santa fe a few years back he ran into acting legend gene hackman.

But it's the eateries themselves that get top billing here.

Mo rocca: 01:10:40 why do these places matter?

Guy fieri: 01:10:44 //a lotta these mom and pop joints are the fabric of the community.

You know, these are places the kids got jobs, these are places where you got engaged, these are places where you had your great memories, these are places that you went and got a gift certificate as a donation to your kid's soccer team.

The triple-d effect, as it's known, on these establishments is real.

In 2008 fieri dropped in at alcenia's in memphis, tennessee & betty joyce chester- tamayo is the owner & now it's tempting to make all sorts of assumptions about fieri.

Mo rocca: 01:18:12 what do people think you eat?

Guy fieri: 01:18:15 fried cheeseburger, hotdog-- corndog-- pretzels covered in cheese.

Mo rocca: 01:18:23 and that's not what you eat?

Guy fieri: 01:18:24 no, not at all.

01:19:02 // veggies are my game.

Love salad.

Love spaghetti squash.

Love-- love all the whole grains.

Big farro fan.// this isn't so surprising when you consider his upbringing: born guy ferry - he changed his last name to fieri to honor his immigrant grandfather - he was raised in the small northern california town of ferndale, by parents he describes as hippies.

Guy fieri 00:16:24 we drove a van.

And they had a hide of leather.

And they made candles.

Leather shop// "how much mor hippie can you get than that?"

As a teenager he operated his own pretzel cart.

When he was twenty-six his parents mortgaged their home to help him open his first restaurant.

In 2005 he was encouraged by friends to audition for a reality show.

Mo rocca: 01:12:46 i am told that your audition for next food network star just wowed people// because you were so easy and natural on camera.

Guy fieri: 01:13:12 i'll tell you what a lot of it is - you talk to people the way you wanna be talked to.

He says he didn't expect to win.

Guy fieri// 01:17:34 and you know, i'd never been to new york.

And i'm standin' with all these chefs.

I'm like, "oh, boy, thi is gonna be an adventure.

This-- here we go."

And it was.

It was a great-- it was a great adventure.

He did win and it's been quite the ride ever since.

He's been parodied on saturday night live & & actress melissa mccarthy said she based her oscar- nominated turn in bridesmaids on fieri& áábut there's also been less flattering attention, including a scathing 2012 new york times review of his now closed times square restaurant.

Negative press about fieri inspired this defense from stand-up comedian shane torres.

Shane torres: he goes around the country to small businesses and gives them free advertising on a national platform on a weekly basis// but because his hair looks like he was electrocuted while drinking mountain dew, people act like we need to saw his head off and put it on the internet.

But over the years the knocks have been drowned out by praise for fieri's big - make that huge - philanthropic endeavors.

He's raised money for intellectually disabled chidren.

He's received the make a wish foundation's highest honor.

And during the california wildfires of recent years, he served thousands of meals out of the same mobile kitchens he's using to feed hospital workers now.

But wait, there's more & mo rocca: 00:31:53 how much money have you helped raise for out-of- work restaurants workers?

Guy fieri: 00:31:59 i think we're just on the cusp of 24 million.

ááworking with the national restaurant association educational foundation, fieri co-created the restaurant employee relief fund to aid those left jobless by the pandemic.

Guy fieri 00:34:25 // and so i started sending out personal video messages to all the ceos that had any connection to the restaurant association.

Pepsi, coke, cargill-- keurig, dr. pepper, you name it.

Guy fieri: 00:34:55 // i'm standin' right here and i'm doin' it, my wife my kids are sittin' here havin' dinner and they're like, "you're reall losin' it."

Guy fieri: 00:36:00 and so anyhow-- the next morning we have a conference call.

And-- they said, "pepsi just sent u a million bucks."

I' not kiddin' ya, i had to pull over to the side of the road.

// so far forty thousand restaurant employees have been given five hundred dollar grants.

Eric ripert: 00:07:58 personality.// 00:08:05 //and a big heart.

And the last time i s-- i saw him, actually, he gave me a very warm hug.

ááeric ripert is the co-owner and chef of the world renowned le bernardin in new york.

Eric ripert// he has this incredible persona that-- that-- magnetic.

If you're surprised to hear the triple michelin star winning chef singing the praises of the star of triple-d, don't be& eric ripert: 00:12:53 analogy-- you have musicians who play jazz, classic music, pop music, hip hop-- you name it.

//fine dining probably is closer to classic music and what guy is doing is probably closer to-- pop music in a sense.

At fifty-two, this married father of two is respected as never before.

But not to fear: he's still one boisterous guy.

Mo rocca: 00:39:45 surprised yourself at how successful this has been?

Guy fieri: 00:39:56 i wanna-- i wanna be very-- mature and tell you, "no, i'v always had this in mind that it would be like this."

An then i'll tell ya, like the little kid, 2 2 conference call.

And-- they said, "pepsi just sent u a million bucks."

I' not kiddin' ya, i had to pull over to the side of the road.

// so far forty thousand restaurant employees have been given five hundred dollar grants.

Eric ripert: 00:07:58 personality.// 00:08:05 //and a big heart.

And the last time i s-- i saw him, actually, he gave me a very warm hug.

ááeric ripert is the co-owner and chef of the world renowned le bernardin in new york.

Eric ripert// he has this incredible persona that-- that-- magnetic.

If you're surprised to hear the triple michelin star winning chef singing the praises of the star of triple-d, don't be& eric ripert: 00:12:53 analogy-- you have musicians who play jazz, classic music, pop music, hip hop-- you name it.

//fine dining probably is closer to classic music and what guy is doing is probably closer to-- pop music in a sense.

At fifty-two, this married father of two is respected as never before.

But not to fear: he's still one boisterous guy.

Mo rocca: 00:39:45 surprised yourself at how successful this has been?

Guy fieri: 00:39:56 i wanna-- i wanna be very-- mature and tell you, "no, i'v always had this in mind that it would be like this."

An then i'll tell ya, like the little kid, "i'm out of my mind.

We'll be right

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