Hey, everybody, I'm Guy Fieri, and we're rolling out,
looking for America's greatest diners drive-ins and dives.
This trip...
Whoo!
...we've got from-the-sea recipes...
I like this.
...and overseas specialties...
It's quite the adventure.
...like Jamaican jerk in San Antonio.
Look at this.
[man] Wow.
[Guy] Phenomenal fish in Brunswick, Georgia.
I'd come back for that every day.
And in Westminster, Colorado...
Let's go for it.
...Polish plates.
It's not short on flavor by any means.
...that'll expand your palate.
That's like a latke meets a crepe.
I can't believe I've never seen this before.
That's all right here, right now
on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
[theme music playing]
-I'm here in Westminster, Colorado. -Excuse me. Hi. "We."
-We are here. -I'm sorry. We...
We are right outside of Denver, Colorado.
Hunter, if you think about the years on Triple D,
what foods have you had? What styles?
I mean Mexican, American, Thai, Chinese, Indian, German.
I think pretty much all of them.
You've nailed them all.
-[Hunter] I think so. -[Guy] How about Polish?
No, I have not had Polish.
Good. I got one for your bucket list.
I hear it's got a great story and even better food.
This is Cracovia, Polish-American restaurant and bar.
[man] Goulash ready for table three.
Cracovia is a trip to Poland.
The food is always perfect.
[woman] I got the golabkis.
-My grandparents emigrated from Poland with my mother. -No kidding.
[customer] I think this is some of the best I've ever eaten.
-What do you think? -Very delicious.
-Have it. -I think the key is Lester's fresh ingredients.
He just brought the culture here.
[Guy] That he did, straight from Poland,
where Lester Rodzen fled communism in 1983,
and eventually landed right here in Colorado.
My first day in America
after nine months in a Italy refugee camp.
-[Guy] Revolutionary. -Ah.
-Is there gonna be a movie? -That's what I'm waiting for.
-Let's cook something. -Yeah. What do you wanna make?
Sauerkraut mushroom pierogi.
Our sauerkraut pierogies.
Pierogies are, kind of, like a Polish version of a ravioli.
Sauerkraut and mushroom are actually my favorite.
We're getting a cabbage shredded for sauerkraut.
That's an old-fashioned machine.
[Guy] Watch your fingers, Lester.
Then we're adding some carrots, caraway seeds.
Salt. Great.
So this gets mixed up.
We're going to put that in a five-gallon bucket.
It will be compacted and water coming over.
Put the plate just enough weight to keep it submerged,
-and it stays for three weeks up there. -[Guy] Okay.
So this is three weeks.
You can taste it.
-I like that better than sauerkraut out of the jar. -That's good.
Taste some of the cabbage, you taste the fermentedness.
So why are we gonna cook it?
Because we need to prepare the filling for the pierogi.
Add some water, the sauerkraut.
We get the onion. Vegeta.
-[Guy] The vegetable base. -[Lester] Pepper.
-How long are we gonna let this cook? -[Lester] Around 40 minutes.
[Guy] And then when it's done--
It will be cooled down, and then strain it.
And then we cook the mushrooms,
and then we put that together,
and we got the filling for the pierogi.
-[Guy] What are we going to make next? -Pierogi dough.
The water first, flour, oil, eggs and starch.
And we get the mixer on.
-About ten minutes. -When the ten minutes is done, do we let the dough rest?
About half an hour, I would say.
And then we roll the dough with the roller.
How many pierogies will you make in a week?
-Two hundred a day. -[Guy whistles]
That's some serious work.
So now we're cutting the dough.
[Guy] Nice to have the glass here.
For small rounds.
-[Guy] So now we're gonna take these? -[Lester] Yes, sir.
And then you simply make your pierogi.
-So, that's it. Good? -[Lester] Yes.
Yours is even better than mine.
-[Hunter] Trying to get it to work for you. -[Lester] Oh, yes, yes.
You will get there with experience, you know.
Boiling them. Eight minutes. They will start to afloat.
And then you strain them. And then you decide what you want to do.
Let's try some boiled, some fried.
[Lester] Yes, sir.
-[Guy] How many come with an order, Chef? -[Lester] Nine.
Dip it in caramelized onion.
[Guy] It's not short on flavor by any means.
-The sauerkraut is fantastic. -[Hunter] Mm.
[Guy] You're getting the real cabbage
and the real flavor of the fermented and not the acidity.
This is fresh.
The texture of the fried one on the outside, I enjoy it.
-I like the fat from the caramelized onions. -[Hunter] Definitely filling.
-Delicious. -Love it.
[Lester] Sauerkraut pierogi, table 19.
Reminds me of what my mom used to make.
The sauerkraut has a sweet texture to it.
-[Guy] Right. -Oh, my God.
[Guy] Do you like them fried or boiled?
[customer] Definitely fried. They're so good.
Yeah, pretty gangster.
[Lester] Ribs are ready. Table four.
It always smells good. There's usually some
fried sizzling plates moving around.
-It's great atmosphere. -The stuffed cabbage rolls are super.
The kielbasa comes steaming on their plate.
Their potato pancakes are really good.
[customer] The goulash and the mushroom sauce.
Hash browns on steroids sort of thing.
What are we into making now, Chef?
[Lester] First we will make the potato pancakes, placek zbojnicki.
-Bandit cake. -[Guy] Okay, bandit cake.
-We've got the potatoes. -[Guy] So, pureed potatoes.
-[Lester] Same thing with the onions. -[Guy] Okay.
The vegetable concentrate, black pepper.
-[Lester] Potato starch. -[Guy] And eggs.
-Then how do we cook this? -We'll put 'em on a flat top.
-[Guy] So, like a pancake? -[Lester] Yes.
And what do we serve with this?
-Uh, you'll get a goulash. -I love goulash.
I just don't like the name.
Do you think we need to change it?
Meat gravy or--
Meat gravy sounds good.
Okay, whatever.
-Some margarine. -[Guy] Pork.
Onion, tomato paste.
[Hunter] Just a little bit.
-[Guy] Red bell pepper. -[Lester] Red bell pepper.
-Red wine. -Just a touch.
Garlic, got the marjoram.
Marjoram, okay.
[Lester] Paprika, water and a little bit of slurry.
Right. So how much longer do we cook this?
[Lester] Half an hour, I would say.
-Next, mushroom sauce. -[Lester] Margarine.
Onion, portabella and white mushrooms.
-Some more Vegeta. -Black pepper.
[Lester] Water, fish with some roux.
How long is that gonna cook, Lester?
[Lester] Thirty to 40 minutes.
-Next thing we gotta do is make the pancake. -Let's go for it.
Let's go for it.
Quite the pancake.
-Beautiful. -[Hunter] Mm-hm.
Placki ready.
-To the goulash. -And another one.
-[Hunter] Oh, you cover it. -[Lester] Mushroom sauce.
-[Guy] That's outstanding. -[Hunter] That's money.
That's like a latke meets a crepe.
I can't believe I've never seen this before.
-You get the texture of the potato. -[Hunter] Mm-hm.
You get a little texture of the onion.
[Hunter] So you get a crisp outer skin.
That's a great way to do it.
Mushroom sauce is great.
It's Polish burrito, open faced.
-I love that. Delicious. -Thank you. Thank you.
Placek zbojnicki.
The potato pancakes are great. They're thin, crispy.
And you have the mushroom sauce that comes on the side with it.
That's really good as well.
[customer] Three of the best things on the menu.
So the goulash and then the mushroom sauce,
and the placki, and it's just all together.
I got the golabkis.
You can't find this anywhere in Colorado.
I don't know what I like more, the story, the Lester, or the food.
You put all three of them together, it's quite the adventure.
Coming up, a Caribbean oasis in San Antonio...
It's a package deal.
...where the jerk is jumping...
Oh, it's good!
I was gonna agree with that.
...and the shrimp will suck you in.
I know why they call it rundown shrimp
because you want to run down and get some.
So I'm here in San Antonio, Texas,
with the one and only, the legend, Bruce McGill.
Now, Bruce, I've got to be honest,
this is no animal house I'm taking you to.
But I did hear about it from my cousin Vinny.
All right. All right, all right.
-Enough, okay. I said a little too soon. -Enough.
Anyhow, here's the story.
A military vet gets out, wants to serve Caribbean food to the folks of San Antonio.
And, well, she started as a little shack.
Hence the name. Are you hungry?
-I'm hungry. -Fantastic.
Now, that's the intro I was expecting.
Now art thou truly Guy.
-Shall we eat? -Made it through that one.
This is the Jerk Shack.
Red pepper coulis.
Everything is amazing.
Two oxtails.
This is my Jamaica here in San Antonio, Texas.
[woman] Rice and peas.
If you're into Caribbean food,
this is definitely the place to be.
[Guy] That's because Chef Nicola Blaque's award-winning cooking
is literally a dream come true.
My aunt passed away.
I had a series of dreams.
My aunt was talking to me, and she said,
"You should be sharing our culture with the world."
It's like a lifetime movie we're getting right now.
-That's a really good story. -[Nicola] Yeah.
One minute on jerk chicken.
The jerk chicken is insane.
It's a complex blend of spices.
With the mac and cheese, I can see why it's won so many awards.
Walk us through this, Chef.
We're going to start off with the brine.
Salt, sugar, oranges, lemons, habaneros, garlic, bay leaves,
fresh thyme and peppercorn.
There you go.
[Nicola] We're gonna add our chicken.
I'll save you.
[Guy] You're a brave man.
How many pounds of chicken are we going through a week here?
[Nicola] Almost 1,000.
-A thousand pounds of jerk? -Yeah.
Let's get into the marinade.
Green bell pepper, red pepper, garlic, habanero.
-A bunch of thyme. -[Nicola] Green onion, white onion,
vegetable oil.
[Guy] What temp? How long?
[Nicola] 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Got it.
[Nicola] So next, we're gonna take our roasted veggies
to make our jerk marinade.
Fresh thyme, brown sugar, black peppercorns.
[Guy] Canola.
-Red wine. -[Nicola] Red wine vinegar, molasses.
It's like oil in Texas.
[Nicola] Orange and lemon peels.
-Habaneros. -[Bruce trills]
[Nicola] Ginger.
Flavortown that way.
Did you just hear "Flavortown" drop from the man?
[Nicola] Salt and pepper.
Whoo!
All right. So rub this in,
-and then go for another 24 hours. -[Nicola] Yes.
This is not fast food.
-[Guy] Going to the grill? -[Nicola] Yes.
For about 20 to 25 minutes.
All right.
Next, we're going to make our housemade seasoning.
Granulated garlic, salt, black pepper and granulated onion.
-Okay. -It ties into our jerk barbecue sauce.
Premade barbecue sauce, pineapple juice,
jerk marinade, brown sugar and house seasoning.
All right, let's make some mac and cheese.
[Nicola] Pour down some margarine, onions,
-heavy cream, half and half and whole milk. -Got it.
[Nicola] We let this heat, but not to boiling.
-Okay. What do we do next? -[Nicola] We're gonna add in our cheddar,
mozzarella and Colby.
Colby-Jack. Got it.
We're gonna fold in the noodles, all-purpose seasoning.
A little salt, pepper.
[Guy] All right, so this is gonna go in the hot pan,
more cheese on top of it.
[Nicola] And cook it under the salamander.
Let's eat.
-What's in the fries? -[Nicola] Garam masala,
turmeric, sugar, salt and pepper.
[Guy] That's a normal portion of mac and cheese?
This is our shareable portion.
[Guy] Look at this.
-Hang on a second. -[Bruce] Wow.
[Guy] Wing, thigh or drumstick guy?
-I'm a thigh guy. -[Guy] I'm a thigh guy.
Wow, that is gorgeous.
Mamma mia! How do you say that in Jamaican?
Your technique is great.
-Oh, man. -[Guy] The barbecue sauce is spot on.
You put enough char on this, you get the smokiness.
There's great depth of flavor all the way through this, great spice.
-Not too much. -Oh, it's good.
I was gonna agree with that.
Plating jerk chicken, Chef.
It has this, like, barbecue whiskey taste to it.
The flavors are so bold in the mac and cheese. Ah, so good.
-Like Grandma. -[Nicola] Working on the pork sandwich.
-When they first started out, they were in a smaller shack. -Lines out the door.
[customer] They made it to this location here.
It's still the same food, just inside.
-Are you still hungry? -Oh, yeah.
We're hanging out at the Jerk Shack.
We'll see you in a bit.
-So, let's- Let's understand this where it starts from. -Okay.
-One, the smile is amazing. -Thank you.
-I was talking about Bruce's, but that's-- Yours, too. -Aw.
Welcome back, Triple D. Hanging out with my buddy, Bruce.
We have cruised into the Jerk Shack.
And we've got the one and only Chef Nicola.
Vegetarian curry, collard greens, jerk egg rolls.
[customer] Seeing her do this
and seeing this come to fruition has been amazing.
It's always made with love.
Rundown shrimp coming up.
The rundown shrimp is amazing.
The shrimp with the different spices and herbs.
That's one of my favorite things on the menu.
Rundown is not just your name for this.
-This is actually a traditional dish. -Yeah.
Traditionally made with mackerel.
I switched it to shrimp. It's a huge hit here.
We're gonna make the red pepper coulis.
Char off our peppers, garlic, already peeled,
green onion, vegetable oil, some white onion,
our house seasoning and some water.
[Guy] Okay.
-I love it. Okay. What do we do next? -Rice and peas.
Veggie oil, green onion, habaneros, minced garlic.
-Veggie stock in. -[Nicola] Coconut milk.
-All spice. -Okay.
This is not normal peas and rice, by the way.
Peppercorn, thyme, bay leaves, our housemade seasoning,
pigeon peas, rice, and cook it down a stovetop.
Let's cook the shrimp.
[Nicola] So we're gonna start off with some achiote oil.
-[Guy] Great color. -[Nicola] Onions and peppers.
Those are beautiful shrimp.
I love that you're leaving the tail on.
-[Nicola] Crushed garlic. -[Guy] Our coulis.
[Nicola] Coconut milk.
I know why they call it rundown shrimp
-because you want to run down and get some. -Run down and get some.
[Nicola] Butter, thyme.
Our house seasoning.
-Veggie stock. -Got it.
[Nicola] Next we're gonna make sauteed cabbage and carrots.
Margarine, shredded cabbage and carrots.
Saute the vegetables down with our housemade seasoning.
-Let's eat. -[Nicola] Rice.
Sauteed cabbage, rundown shrimp, green onions.
-Beautiful, huh? -Oh, man.
Bruce. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse.
This could expand the waistline.
It's not a curse at all. I have willpower.
Good, I don't.
Yes, you do. You're looking gorgeous.
I just had my hair done.
It's not overly spicy.
You get that nice rolling heat in the back.
The shrimp is springy and snappy, perfectly cooked.
The veggies have got a little bit of caramelization to them,
-but still you do get-- -Fresh crunch.
-It really comes together. -Fantastic.
I got a rundown shrimp for you over here.
Great flavor, great texture.
The shrimp is cooked to perfection.
You got the heat from the shrimp,
and then you have, like, the coolness from the cabbage,
so it really balances out the plate.
It's amazing.
-[Guy] Have you ever been to Jamaica? -No.
-No, I have not. -This is about as close
-as you're gonna get. -Yeah.
Fries ready.
This is a place I'd definitely go out of my way for.
It's a package deal, your smile and your energy, the story.
And you cook like you're cooking for your family
-sitting at the table. -Yes.
-It's all of it. -[Nicola] Thank you.
[Guy] You're awesome.
Coming up, a funky seafood spot in Brunswick, Georgia...
This guy has his own party going on in this place.
...cooking up crazy crusted catfish.
You do not lie. It is crunchy, crunchy.
And reeling in righteous fisherman's stew.
I'm eating it like it's nobody's business.
I'm here in Brunswick, Georgia, to check out a joint
that's got an interesting story.
A restaurant guy, who's a guest at this restaurant,
loves to come in here, ends up buying it from the chef that owns it.
Well, it's got an eclectic menu.
It's, kind of, all over the board.
This is Indigo Coastal Shanty.
-One meatloaf plate. -[man] Heard.
It's different than any other restaurant in town.
Charleston saute.
Just the unique spin
that they put on these basic recipes, it's just amazing.
[Guy] That twist comes from Chef Judah Lynch,
and even he has trouble pinning down the menu.
The food is, kind of, a blend of anything.
There's no boundaries.
We're not pigeonholed to Southern food
or some kind of, you know, specific type of cooking.
Judah's been a great proprietor of Indigo since he's taken it over.
He's updated the menu a little bit,
kept some of the diehard items,
like the sesame fried catfish.
Sesame crusted catfish, two times.
[customer] It has this crunchy coating
and really, really soft interior.
And then they're kind of famous for their tartar sauce as well.
What are we starting with, Chef?
[Judah] We're gonna start with our plum miso sauce,
-which goes with the sesame-crusted catfish. -Okay.
Oil, fresh garlic, soy sauce, red wine, hoisin sauce, orange juice.
-[Guy] Concentrate? -[Judah] Concentrate.
Focus. Honey.
The blonde miso paste, lemon juice, dried plums.
-I like this. -Dried cranberries.
Five-spice powder.
-[Guy] And some water. -[Judah] And some water.
[Guy] All right, so let this simmer down, and then immersion blender?
-[Judah] That's it. Yeah. -[Guy] All right, Chef.
We're gonna make our spiked tartar sauce that we put a little--
-Spiked tartar sauce? -That's right.
[Guy] With the plum...
-Miso sauce. -Miso sauce.
-Uh-huh. -With the sesame catfish.
That's right. [chuckles]
Okay.
Diced onions, dill pickles, jalapenos, capers.
We're gonna pulse this up.
So, in here, mayonnaise, lemon juice.
And the whole-grain mustard.
-Yeah, that's not grandma's tartar sauce right there. -Nope.
-Next up. -Splash sauce.
Our what?
We call it a splash 'cause we put a little splash of it
on a lot of different stuff.
-But this is a, uh, ginger-- -This guy has his own party going on in this place.
[Judah] Start with a rice wine vinegar,
sesame oil, orange juice, our fresh ginger,
fresh garlic, sriracha, soy sauce, some vegetable oil.
We're gonna blend it up.
So this is gonna go on our slaw.
-[Guy] All right, brother. -So now we're gonna make our dredge
-for the sesame-crusted catfish. -Okay.
Flour, panko bread crumbs, black and white sesame seeds,
a little cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.
And I'm gonna mix that up.
Egg wash. Try not to sling it on you.
[Guy] Yeah, I'd appreciate that.
Give it a fry, and that's all she wrote.
[Judah] Give it a fry, and that's it.
Put a little splash sauce on the rice.
Plum miso sauce, coleslaw, and our fish.
Well, cilantro, some sesame seeds.
And then just this on the side.
[Judah] That's right.
When you say that you're putting
some sesame crust on this thing, you do not lie.
It is crunchy, crunchy.
The dried plum plays great into that.
Slaw is great.
That's tartar gone wild.
I mean, I just gotta keep moving the plate around
because I keep digging into flavors.
Dynamite.
The sesame-crusted catfish.
I have the catfish every single time I come here.
You have to have tartar sauce, miso sauce,
your catfish bite, and then it's perfect.
-It all works. -We have loved the food since day one.
Uh, what was the building before it was the Shanty?
It was a bunker for the military base down here.
-Oh, bunker. -Really not much changed on the interior.
It's still a shanty.
-It's a funky little bomb shelter. -It is.
I mean, it is-- How tall are you, sir?
-6'2". -So you barely get in here?
-Yeah. -But it's worth it.
-It is. -What's your favorite thing on the menu?
Fisherman's Bowl.
Robin, Fisherman's Bowl, two times.
The Fisherman's Bowl, the two main ingredients really are
the freshly-caught Georgia shrimp
and whatever the fresh catch of the day is.
Every bite is perfect bite.
What's the next dish, Chef?
Uh, this is our rose-red pepper coulis,
which goes into our Mediterranean fisherman's balls.
-Got it. -[Judah] Let's start with olive oil,
diced onions, salt, fresh garlic,
fennel seed, oregano, black pepper and some balsamic vinegar.
Roasted red peppers.
When this cooks down, then we'll emulsify it with the olive oil?
[Judah] That's right.
-So next up, we're doing our fennel sauce. -Okay.
[Judah] Olive oil, sliced white onion.
Salt. Sweat that. Got it. Some fennel.
[Judah] Fresh garlic, crushed red pepper,
a little thyme, black pepper, bay leaves, orange juice.
Our roasted red pepper sauce, blended plum tomatoes,
white wine and a little clam base.
What miniscule amount of this is this?
[Judah] Star anise. And then a little water.
All right, the seafood. How are we gonna prepare that?
[Judah] We're gonna saute Georgia shrimp and fresh mahi,
and then we'll add the broth to the top of that.
That will be served over couscous,
with a little crumble of feta cheese and parsley.
-Cheese and fish? -That's right.
That's good broth. I'll give you that much.
Well, I like that little bit of couscous at the bottom there.
As unconventional as some of this is, it's delicious.
I mean, I'm eating it like it's nobody's business.
It's got a ton of flavor. The shrimp is great.
-The feta is refreshing. -Yeah.
Nice salty brininess that comes about.
This is the kind of dish that you would come back for.
A Fisherman's Bowl.
The broth is very deep, it's very rich.
The flavors of it enhance the local fish so well.
Juliano, runner, please.
-What else should I try on the menu? -Everything.
[customer] It's the easiest place to take someone
because you know they're going to love it.
It's delicious. I'd come back for that every day.
-I appreciate that. Thank you. -Well done.
So was that another righteous road trip or what?
But don't you worry,
we got plenty more joints to find all over this country.
I'll be looking for you next week on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
-Bandit cake. -Bandit cake.
-Bandit.
-Panda cake. -Like a bandit. Yeah, exactly.
-Bandit cake. -Not panda.
I don't know.
-You don't have pandas in Poland. -Why did you do it like that?