Guy Fieri talks about The Guy Fieri Road Show (interview and photos)

November 9, 1:44 PMRaleigh Pop Culture ExaminerJenna Trunzo

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Guy Fieri, the “Bad Boy” of Food Network, is about to turn the culinary world on its… spatula – with his innovative approach to a touring, cooking, rock ‘n’ roll concert-like experience. The Guy Fieri Road Show is about to embark on a 21 city tour, kicking off November 17 in Massachusetts.

You know Guy Fieri from his debut onto the TV screen back in 2006 when he won The Next Food Network Star. Since then, he’s been showing his audience culinary variety one diner, drive-in, and dive at a time.

Guy Fieri’s genuine nature and fun personality make him relatable - just another guy you might sit and share a slice with at a local pub. We didn’t get to share a tasty treat together, but he was kind enough to give all my questions his answers. Here’s what Guy had to say on The Guy Fieri Road Show, his hair do, and a few other things:

Jenna Trunzo, Raleigh Pop Culture Examiner: Your fans, myself included, are excited to hear about your upcoming rock and roll culinary tour. Very innovative. Where did this idea come from and what can audience members expect at your show?

Guy Fieri: The idea sparked from the culinary demos I have done in the past, like at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. The audience can expect the unexpected, but I can promise a lot of laughs, rocking music from the DJ and stories from the road.

JT: Raleigh has a lot of great restaurants that have gained national attention, including The Pit, which was featured on Food Network. Any you intend on giving a try while you’re here?

GF: I would love to make the rounds in Raleigh, but with the crazy tour schedule my time is super crunched. I will literally roll into town in the middle of the night and leave as soon as the show is over. BUT, we are having the promoter in each city hook us up with food from their top 3 fav places in the area and will eat them on the tour bus on our way out, so I’m psyched for that.

JT: What kind of music do you like to listen to while you cook?

GF: I love all kinds of rock music AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd Sammy Hagar, Metallica and Country. My music tastes are pretty across the board and include all types.

JT: Did you expect your bleached hair to be such a defining characteristic? I did the Guy’s Next Look experiment on your website. My vote is for the geek hair, Dwayne Wayne glasses, and cowboy ‘stache.

GF: Nope, I NEVER expected it. I didn’t even pick it out myself, I was looking for a change and my hairstylist picked it. I’ve had it for so long I’m used to it, and I had it way before I was on FN.

JT: Your career really took off after winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star. What were you most unprepared for?

GF: I’ve always worked super hard and have a really strong work ethic, which I learned from my parents. The long hours and hard work were nothing new for me, but I think I was most unprepared for the way television works. The overall celebrity that comes with it, and how the in ands outs of the biz works, with managers, agent, publicists, etc.

JT: How do you celebrate a success in your career, such as winning The Next Food Network Star or having your first book, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: An All-American Road Trip…with Recipes hit the New York Times Best Sellers List?

GF: I don’t have a ritual celebration or something that I always do. It’s just important for me to give thanks to people around me because there are so many involved and that have helped me get to where I am today.

JT: You are currently hosting several shows on Food Network, my favorite being Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Do you enjoy working on one more than another?

GF: No, wish I could give a definitive answer but I really don’t. DDD is great because it highlights mom and pop places but its hard for me personally to travel so much and be away from family. Guy's Big Bite, my cooking show is a passion for me because I’m able to cook and show my passion for food, but at the same time there’s not an in-studio audience. Ultimate Recipe Showdown is a blast, and I love it cause it’s a little bit of DDD, having the audience there, but also has cooking and off the hook recipes.

JT: You’re known as the “Bad Boy” of Food Network. Do you think that’s a fitting title?

GF: If it s not taken too seriously, yea I think you can say I’m the wild child of the network. I aim to be different, but being a bad boy could be a good or bad thing. I even think the “wild child” is too ‘70’s, but if you take the “bad boy” title with a grain of salt, it can work for me!

JT: What has been a bigger challenge – running a successful restaurant chain or being the host of several shows?

GF: Right now, doing the shows is more challenging. Before I started on FN, I would definitely say running restaurants was a bigger challenge, because opening places, creating menus, etc. is really a life journey. Both of them are extremely tough, but trying to keep ahold of my tv career has been nuts.

JT: I imagine traveling around the country and meeting people with different cultures, values, and appetites can produce some unpredictable footage. What kinds of unexpected things happen during filming of your shows?

GF: Eating cultural foods is always interesting and makes for good TV. I’ve tried just about everything, including turtle soup and lamb’s tongue. It’s my goal to show people how important it is to have an open mind about food.

JT: What has remained the most important to you through all of your success – making people excited about food, innovative recipe ideas...?

GF: I’d say what sticks with me most is being able to influence and educate people about food and being able to highlight different places and foods from all over the country.

JT: You’ve tweeted that your son, Hunter, likes to cook and can make a mean chicken parm. Do you encourage your children to follow in your culinary path?

GF: My goal is for my kids to be able to pick their own path. If it happens to be the same path as me, that’s great, but first and foremost, I want them to choose their future. Hunter enjoys food and loves to cook, so it would be a nice opportunity for him to follow in my footsteps, but it’s most important for my kids to pick their own destiny.

JT: You’ve also tweeted while being at your son’s soccer games. With the success and busy schedule of your shows, books, and now this tour – how do you manage time with your family and friends?

GF: Balancing my time has been the biggest challenge for me. I am always thinking about it and any day I have off is spent at home with my family. I wouldn’t be here without them, and I’m doing what I do now to build better opportunities for their future.

JT: Any advice for someone aspiring to be the next Guy Fieri?

GF: You really need to be balanced, have a true passion for food and people, and you have to have a great support staff. There is no way I do the number of events I do and have the crazy schedule I have without a really great team around me making this happen. My biggest advice is you gotta throw your name in the ring and put yourself out there. I wish everyone the opportunity to do something like this, and I attribute everything to my fans; without them this wouldn’t be happening.

(Special thanks to Guy Fieri for the interview and The Brooks Group, NY for additional information and photographs.) 

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