[crowd cheering]
I'm in Virginia Beach at The Egg Bistro
to take on the corned beef omelet challenge.
[man] Have you seen the challenge?
- [laughing] Have you seen it? - Why are you laughing?
[woman] That omelet's, like, 12 eggs.
[whispering]
[Casey] If I finish this three-and-a-half-pound omelet,
I get a free T-shirt and eternal glory.
Has anyone taken this thing on?
Nobody's been crazy enough to try it.
[Casey] What does that say about me?
- You're loco! - [both laugh]
[Casey] Omelet challenge get ready to fold!
[crowd cheering]
[Casey] For years, food's army has grown unchecked.
Oh, my God!
Bigger.
Wow!
Spicier.
Ooh!
Bolder.
What is that?
But a hero rises...
It's tremendous.
ready to taste the nation's most epic eats.
Uh...
- [all cheering] - I'm Casey Webb.
Yes!
Holding the banner of man
and armed with years of experience in the restaurant industry.
[crowd chanting] Casey! Casey!
[Casey] I go into battle.
Bring out the steak!
[crowd cheering]
[Casey] Food, your days are numbered.
It's gonna be a wild ride!
The mighty Casey has a taste for victory.
[whooping]
This is Man v. Food.
My tasty travels take me to Virginia Beach
for a burger behemoth,
a croissant-muffin hybrid
and an omelet that may leave me scrambled.
Virginia Beach, I'm ready to dive in!
Situated at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay,
Virginia Beach is a summer sports capital,
famous for attracting professional surfers, volleyball players
and sand soccer enthusiasts.
And when these hungry beachgoers need fuel,
VB has them covered.
Nothing tops off a beach day like a burger.
And when the Virginia Beach locals want the best,
they come here to Union Alehouse,
where they're serving up burgers beyond your wildest dreams.
[Casey] Unionizing unexpected flavors,
natives have been flocking to Union Alehouse since 2018
to witness the humble burger
transform into something so much more.
So, they're making some wild burgers here?
- Yeah, yeah. - It's not your standard classic burger.
They're going above and beyond.
[woman] It's always, like, something super unique.
You might have to take another...
[Casey] Like the beloved PB&J burger,
topped with habanero peach jam.
Savory, sweet and spicy, all in one.
- Yes, yes please, I'll take it. - All of the above.
[Casey] Or the poutine burger,
smothered in wild mushroom demi-glace.
It's literally a plethora of flavor just bursting in your mouth.
[Casey] But for flavor-seekers
who crave a burger with no bounds...
They opt for the elote burger,
topped with a Mexican street corn inspired fritter
queso fundido and red pepper pico.
Typically, it's served on a ear of corn.
I prefer it on a burger.
It's super juicy, it's got a good crunch to it.
It's just a ton of flavor.
Pretty dumb.
[man chuckling] Yeah.
"Pretty dumb"? Dumb as in good?
- Dumb as in really good. - Yeah.
Dumb as in, like, "dumb good."
[Casey] Make way for elote.
Daniel?
Hey man, what's up? How you doing?
I'm doing good man. Thanks for having me here.
'Cause me and you, we're gonna make what, an elote burger?
[Daniel] Elote burger, yes, sir.
Elote is, classically, a street corn,
commonly it's topped with mayo, salty cheese,
fresh lime and chili on the ear. Let's do it.
- All right, let's do it. - The corn?
- Yeah we're gonna start with the corn here. - Yeah?
We add chili powder,
cayenne, garlic and onion powder,
fresh herbs, like, cilantro and green onion
and parmesan cheese.
- All right, so next we're gonna add our flour. - Flour?
-[Daniel] Awesome -[Casey] Feel good about that?
I do, I feel good about that.
[Casey] In goes sour cream, eggs and lime juice.
[Daniel] And then the most important ingredient in this
is our homemade savage sauce.
It's relentless.
- It's got habaneros, Trinidad Scorpions... - [Casey] Oh.
[Daniel] And Carolina Reapers in it.
All right, so I was gonna taste it first,
but I might wait till we mix it in.
- I think-- - Or should I taste it first?
Am I getting...
Okay.
Yeah.
[crew members speaking]
[clears throat]
It's good.
We combine...
and fry.
You get a nice crust on there, a great color.
So, we gotta make the queso fundido.
[Casey] So, queso fundido,
loosely translates to melted cheese.
And it's commonly served with chorizo,
a roasted pepper and/or chilies.
Dan gets the fun going
with chorizo, house-made pico with red peppers
and their Monterey Jack cheese sauce.
[Casey] This is gonna pour over top of our fritter and our burger.
- [Daniel] That's right. - [laughs]
[Casey] We drop our burger onto the chargrill.
You can't get this kind of char flavor from a flat-top though.
[Casey] And at long last, we begin the bill
by pouring our queso fundido on the burger
and adding our elote fritter.
- And then... - There's more?
We're gonna top it with more,
- you know. - Oh!
We gotta take this home.
I love it. Take me home, Daniel.
More cheese, please!
We pile on the fresh red pepper pico
and crown our creation with a nice toasty bun.
Oh, yeah.
- What you think? - Mmm.
[laughs]
[Casey] The smokiness of the chargrill is incredible.
The crispiness and the sweetness of the fritter
And there's a little bit of heat
it all marries together with all those great traditional Mexican flavors.
The little bit of that spice in the queso, it's just so cheesy.
This is a damn good burger, man.
This burger was fundido,
but a serious opponent lies ahead.
[crowd cheering]
This thing is about the size of my head.
[crowd chanting] Eat that omelet! Eat that omelet!
Watch out,
champion of breakfast coming through.
[Casey] I'm in Virginia Beach
for a breakfast battle against corned beef.
But until I execute that omelet,
I'm headed a block from the beach for a unique sweet treat.
What happens when you combine a croissant and a muffin?
A new feat in culinary ingenuity
that can be found right here at Virginia Beach's May's Parlor.
A great vacation begins and ends with indulgence.
And since 2017,
owner Racheal Browning has made this little house a home
with innovative baked goods
that are, well, way better than good.
Honey, I'm home. [chuckles]
Whoa!
And it's like, what, a stone's throw from the beach?
- [man] But if the food wasn't good... - [Casey] Right.
I wouldn't be here 'cause it feels like home.
[Casey] And the hottest trend in town brings me here for the legendary cruffin.
Sure, you may know the Cronut,
a croissant-doughnut hybrid, invented in New York City.
But this home's claim to fame
is a rare innovative treat turned legendary creation.
[man] It's a croissant dough
I think she spins it and stuffs it in the muffin pan.
[Casey] And with great cruffin comes great possibility.
So, she changes it every week, it's never the same.
What a temptress,
- 'cause you have to come back every week. - Yeah.
And you can't miss it.
- You don't wanna miss anything, then you get FOMO. - Yeah.
- You don't want FOMO. - I don't want FOMO.
Baked this style and you can get more of the croissant goodness.
'Cause you can fill it and stuff it
- and make it look like a cupcake. - [Casey laughs]
[Casey] For today's cruffin special,
This mocha meringue cruffin has espresso cream filling and toasted meringue,
topped with chocolate ganache and crushed espresso beans.
- Hey, Racheal. - Hey, Casey.
- Thanks for coming in. - Yeah, thanks for having me.
This place is great.
So, talk to me about May's.
May was my grandmother.
She kind of, had that nice Southern flair to her.
She was working in the restaurant industry.
She was a strong independent woman
and wanted me to follow my dreams.
I got chills.
People in our lives that are greater influences,
- we carry them with us, you know. - Absolutely.
I'm glad to be here, we get to have cruffins.
Is it more of a croissant than a muffin?
It is.
- [Casey] I love it. - [Racheal] It's got the shape of a muffin,
but the taste, flavor and texture of a croissant.
So, let's make some croissant dough.
Let's make some croissant dough, let's get our hands dirty.
How dare I bring a nice clean shirt to the bakery?
We start by mixing cold water, flour,
sugar, salt and yeast for 15 minutes.
Once incorporated,
we add just a smidge of butter and mix again.
I think we have finally reached
- the right stage of gluten development. - Oh, nice.
[Racheal] So, that's gonna give us a strong croissant structure.
Oh! Oh, yeah.
- It's got good elasticity. - Yeah.
[chuckles]
[Casey] We flatten the dough out and let chill overnight.
Then we begin the laminating process.
So, essentially we're adding cold butter to the dough.
And we're gonna create layers after layers after layers...
All those butter layers, you know, create steam.
And then in between, expand.
That's what makes a croissant...
-Flaky -Flaky.
Racheal folds the dough like an envelope
and seals it to ensure the block of butter
doesn't escape.
We run it through the laminator until it's nice and thin,
then fold it and chill it three more times
to create the layers of buttery goodness.
Baking, you become really strong, I imagine, yes?
We are lifting 50-pound bags of flour
- all day long. - I'm here to help.
Well, that's heavy, okay.
All right, shall we?
To the fridge.
Once the dough is chilled
we are ready to form our cruffins into shape.
- [Racheal speaking indistinctly] - [Casey] Layers.
Layers of love.
Love layers.
We place them into muffin trays,
proof for four hours, then bake for 40 minutes.
Whoa! These exploded.
[Casey chuckles]
Look at those.
They're hot, okay.
The cruffins are then filled with homemade espresso cream, dipped into meringue.
And my favorite part...
The torch and toast.
That's a mighty torch you're wielding.
[Casey chuckles]
Finally, a drizzle of chocolate ganache
and a sprinkling of crushed chocolate espresso beans.
Look how cute they are.
You almost don't wanna eat them.
[Racheal] I think you have to.
-We're gonna eat them. [laughs] -Give it a try.
- You got a little cream... - You too.
[Casey] I'm a little confused about what I'm eating,
but I'm also delighted.
Our chocolate pudding is just, like, rich and smooth.
You know, the meringue on the top is,
has a little bit of a crunch to it.
And a little bit of a sweetness.
And the crunch from the beans.
[Casey] It's a mountain of a muffin,
but it's so delicate and well-crafted
and full of chocolate and espresso.
And I feel it kicking in already. [laughs]
I'm loving this cruffin, but ahead is a challenge that is really something.
[Rosario] I'm gonna be rooting for you.
[Casey] Are you?
I don't know, this is huge.
Corned beef omelet challenge, get ready for a beating.
Get ready for a beating, beating. Yeah.
I'm at the Egg Bistro in Virginia Beach
for the three-and-a-half-pound corned beef omelet challenge.
If I become the first to finish in 30 minutes,
I get a free t-shirt, everlasting glory.
Corned beef omelet,
I'm gonna eat you for breakfast.
[Casey] Here breakfast doesn't need to be boring.
And the egg doesn't miss a beat,
hatching big flavors and even bigger portions.
- You got strip-- - Can you even put your hand around it?
I sure can.
[laughs]
It's the best breakfast in Virginia Beach.
[Casey] But today, I'm gonna risk it for the brisket
and tackle their corned beef omelet challenge.
A monstrous omelet, loaded with corned beef,
Swiss, sauerkraut and Thousand Island
served with, you guessed it,
a heaping helping of corned beef hash.
Have you seen the challenge,
- the corned beef omelet challenge? - [laughing]
- Yeah, have you seen it? - Why are you laughing?
So, this right here is probably its little kid tiny brother.
[woman] That omelet's, like, 12 eggs.
I'm not...
- What, the one I'm eating? - Yeah.
[whispering]
Are you going to the beach after this?
I might just throw myself in the ocean
- and float away. - [laughs]
I would slow down first, so you can get the taste.
It's that good.
- Wanna try this right here-- No. - [laughs]
Man!
I need to see this with my own eyes.
Last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg!
Hey! Chef.
- Hey, how are you doing? - I'm doing great, Rosario.
Thanks for having me in here.
I gotta take on this
- three-and-a-half-pound corned beef omelet challenge. - [Rosario] Right.
Has anyone taken this thing on?
Nobody's is been crazy enough to try it.
What does it say about me, Chef?
- You're loco! - [both laugh]
Look at the shirt, I am a little crazy.
Are you ready to make this?
[Casey] We begin by adding a mirepoix to the pan
and loading in our ten-pound brisket.
Oh, my God!
- There we go. - [Casey grunts]
[Casey] Next we add in mustard,
pickling spices and peppercorns.
Rub her good.
Rubbing it good here, boss, Rubbing it good here, boss.
And pour in water,
so our brisket doesn't dry out.
Whoo!
After four hours in the oven...
- [Rosario] There she is. - [Casey] Whoa!
It smells amazing.
I'm so happy that it shrunk.
Wow! Okay.
That's a lot of corned beef.
Rosario weighs out 16 ounces.
And she's a stickler with her measurements.
- You're putting more on it? - And look.
- How are we doing? - I still have to cut more.
[Casey] 16 ounces, here we go.
You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs,
or in this case, a dozen.
Really taking up the whole flat-top, are you?
And once our eggs are in shape,
we layer on Swiss, corned beef and sauerkraut.
See, this takes some skill.
Wow, that's amazing.
It's, like the...
size a baby, like, a long, yellow baby.
I got the cheese.
- You have to use all of this? - Yes, sir.
Ten slices.
All right.
Sweet, sweet Rosario
adds even more corned beef and sauerkraut on top.
I don't know, if you're gonna finish it.
What?
Why are you having doubts, Rosario?
Let's plate this egg-aconda.
-Can you help me? Put it underneath. -Yeah, I'm helping.
- Oh, yeah, oh, here we go. - There we go.
Good heavens.
We generously drizzle on some Thousand Island
and add a half-a-pound of corned beef hash
to our already huge three-pound omelet.
[Rosario] I'm gonna be rooting for you. [laughs]
Are you?
I don't know, this is huge.
[crowd cheering]
Yeah!
Casey, welcome to the Egg Bistro.
Are you ready
for the corned beef omelet challenge?
- Bring it out! - There it is.
[man] Bring out the food!
[all] Ooh!
[all] Five,
four,
three,
two,
one.
[crowd cheering]
[Casey] This Irishman, loves his corned beef,
so I savor every bite while I can.
[crowd chanting] Casey! Casey! Casey!
[Casey] And my strategy has me holding out on the hash
so the potatoes don't knock me down.
[crowd chanting] Eat those eggs! Eat those eggs!
Eat those eggs!
Oh, my gosh! This thing is about the size of my head.
It is massive.
That's more corned beef
than the entirely of Ireland probably has in it.
[crowd clapping]
[Casey] But the corned beef is fighting back.
And I have all my eggs in one basket.
[crowd chanting] Casey! Casey!
[crowd cheering]
-[crowd chanting] Let's go, Casey! -Whoo-hoo!
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Casey!
[Casey] I'm in Virginia Beach at the Egg Bistro
fighting fork-first with the corned beef omelet challenge
that no man has dared to take on...
until now.
[man] Dude, it's ginormous.
The thing is huge, it's a hippopotamus' rear end.
He's gotta shovel it.
You can't, like, you know, fork it in.
Let's go, shovel it!
[crowd chanting] Shovel it! Shovel it!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Shovel it! Shovel it!
Whoo!
Shovel it, Casey! Shovel it!
[Casey] I use the eggs-tra energy
and shovel my way to halfway.
[crowd chanting] Halfway! Halfway! Halfway!
It's so big, unexplainable.
He's halfway and beads of sweat going down the face.
Can he do it? I think he can.
He is so close.
[Casey] I can't escape the corned beef and the omelet or the hash.
And the meat sweats are becoming relentless.
[crowd clapping]
There you go, I'll help you out a little bit.
Ten minutes.
[crowd cheering]
Dig deep, Casey! Come on, dig deep!
[Casey] I dig on in my search of potatoes,
but it's all one jumbled mess.
He's killing it.
He's just chomping away,
but I think the omelet's gonna win.
I'm betting on the omelet.
[crowd chanting] Casey! Casey! Casey! Casey!
[Casey] Time is running out
and I'm not sure I have it in me.
But this is past hunger.
This corned beef omelet is about pride.
I can't let my Irish ancestors down.
And I refuse to be one egg short of a dozen.
Let's go, dude! Shovel it, man! Come on!
Pound it down, let's go!
Let's go, shovel!
[crowd chanting] Smash that hash! Smash that hash!
[Casey] I use my fork as my lucky charm.
[crowd chanting] One more bite! One more bite!
One more bite!
[Casey] And follow these potatoes...
[crowd] One more bite!
[Casey] ...to the end of the rainbow.
Finish that last bite, Casey!
You got this, you got this.
[crowd cheering]
Whoo!
[Mike] Yeah, you did it.
[crowd cheering]
Yeah! "Keep Calm and Egg On"!
Whoo!
In a battle of Man v. Food, man won.
Whoo!
Thank you, Egg Bistro
Thank you, Virginia Beach.
Whoo!
[crowd cheering]