He’s known as the Mayor of Flavourtown and the custodian of low pretense, good eats..Now you can add Calgary to the list of Guy Fieri’s presiding municipalities..That’s because his famous red Camaro was spotted cruising local diners and drive-ins — and possibly a few dives — this week after he came to Cowtown to film an episode of his long-running 'Triple-D' food television show..Social media was abuzz with sightings, showing the man and his ripped ride at various locales in Bowness, 17th Ave. SW and Mission with camera crew in tow..Although the ‘Donkey Sauce’ inventor has been to Calgary at least once before during the 2019 Stampede, it was his first ride into Wild Rose Country as Triple-D host since the show first aired in 2007..After 648 episodes, what took him so long? No surprise to local foodies, by all accounts he liked what he saw and tasted.. Guy Fieri in CalgaryGuy Fieri was in Calgary. .But it wasn’t junk food the self-professed burger maestro was chowing down on, but some admittedly exotic ethnic eats Calgary has come to be known for..His first stop — appropriately enough — was First Street Market, a decidedly delicious Vietnamese spot near the Central Memorial Park..It was followed by Heaven Restaurant and Bar on 17th, a Venezuelan lunch spot known for its empanadas and patacon (plantain) sandwiches, and finally, Salt & Pepper taqueria in Bowness..As per show policy, all are locally family-owned establishments — no corporate commercial giants are allowed in Flavourtown — and feature fresh, homemade dishes scratch-made from unique family recipes. .Alejandro Solano, third generation co-owner of Salt and Pepper — along with his father and grandfather — said he was approached by Fieri’s production company via a “super-weird random Facebook message” back in August..Solano, who initially thought it was a prank, reluctantly followed up and it turned out to be legit..Fieri himself requested to see a menu and some recipes. He was sufficiently impressed enough to make arrangements and the restaurant was closed for filming for two days over the long weekend..And yes, he pulled up in the cherry red Camaro..“It was all very quick,” Solano told The Western Standard. “He was great. He’s pretty much like who he is on TV… super positive, lots of fist bumps and high fives.”.As part of the show they cooked up a batch of Chile relleno, his grandfather’s signature dish and an order of chilaquiles — a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of fried tortillas topped with salsa, beans, cheese and eggs even though Fieri is known to hate the Yellow Eye..As part of the filming, some of the local crowd were invited to come in and dine and meet the celebrity chef, pose for selfies and be charmed..According to Solano, Fieri has impeccable cooking chops in the kitchen. And a professional manner, while being personable and polite in his own unique way..Though he was always a fan, he’s even more so now..“He was totally dialled in,” Solano says. “He knows what he’s doing. All business, but in a very friendly way. It was just an awesome experience all around. We had a lot of fun.”.Look for the episode to appear sometime later this fall on The Food Network.
