Before I continue on with the blog I need to thank my good friend Colleen. A few of my friends had been asking for me to write a blog on all these crazy trips and although I thought it was a good idea, I had no idea how to get it started. Colleen sent me a few links to check out and "voila!" I'm a blogger!
I can't remember where I heard or read about it first or even when, I think it might have been during the summer of 2009. Guy was planning to take his act on tour! I looked on the Food Network website and also Guy's own website and saw that starting in November would be the "Guy Fieri Roadshow". This was something that I would have to get to, if possible. I looked at his tour dates and saw that the closest he would be to me would be at the Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia. Now Norfolk is about a 5 hour drive from my home but this was something I had to do. I went online to Ticketmaster to get a ticket and there were several types of tickets available. It was in a concert seating type of hall so there were regular tickets and also two types of VIP ticket packages. The lower VIP package cost $150 and included seating in the first two rows of seating, a copy of the NEW DDD book, and a 'Meet and Greet' with Guy, now that sounded pretty awesome! There was also this higher VIP package that cost $250 and included everything in the lower package but also included seating on the stage and the opportunity to be served the food that was being made on stage! Well, I did the old pro and con thing on each ticket, but in the end I know that if I went for the lower package I'd be hitting myself on the head for a long time so I went for it, figuring that if I'm going to drive all that way I might as well splurge and I don't really spend much on concerts or live performances so this was special. The show was scheduled for the Friday night before Thanksgiving and I was able to juggle my work schedule so I would be off the entire weekend.
I drove down to Norfolk and got a hotel not too far from the venue. Since the entire transaction was online, there really wasn't much information given as to when the meet and greet would take place, I just knew where the show was and that it started at 730p. Just before leaving for the hall, I saw that Guy was on the local early news and he was in rare form! Being the type of person that is always early I got to the hall about 545p and was fortunate that I did. The meet and greet started at about 6p and in the area there was already a line forming. They checked us in by the type of package that was purchased and then we got our tickets, along with lanyards and the newly published "More Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives; A Drop Top Culinary Cruise Through America's Finest and Funkiest Joints". The show features food and rock and roll, two of Guy;s passions. The stage was set up with a cooking station and a DJ playing loud Rock music throughout. With a flourish Guy came in and the room just lit up with his huge personality. They had a photographer there and told us that they would be available on Guy's website to download by Sunday or Monday. He signed everyone's book and for me he signed both of my books! We really could have much of a conversation as there were alot of people waiting. I told him that I had been to over 50 places that I thought his "Jackass Sushi" was so good at Tex Wasabis that it should be illegal! He laughed at what I had said and thanked me and then it was off to a waiting area before being led onto the stage and the table seats. We were told that we could take as many pics as we wanted, but flash pics were not allowed. I got the seat on stage and there was another gift, a back pack with a drink cook book by Hayden Wood. Woodie, as he is known, was sort of the warm up act. he is a mixologist and bottle juggler. The opening act was a local chef who cooked a really nice oyster dish. Guy employs a local chef to open all of his shows, keeping it somewhat local. Next Woody came on and spent a good half hour mixing and juggling, he was very messy but extremely entertaining. After a short break to get the stage ready Guy came out and it was on! He never stops moving, as he is cooking or telling stories. Every pic I took was blurry, he never stays still! He brought out the owner of a place he featured on the show in Kansas City called "Grinders". Grinders owner is a funky guy named Stretch, he is a chef and artist and he was part of the show as the bar tender. They had these two machines on the stage that became Margarita makers. With a lot of flourish and pizazz he cranked out pitchers and pitcher of some really great drinks. Each on-stage table got a pitcher to share. Guy was cooing a chicken pasta dish and telling story after story. His sous chefs were his boyhood friends that he has talked about often on all of his shows. After having a taster dish of the pasta he made, as an encore, a big sandwich and presented the huge 6 foot roll in lavish form. Now I am not a person who like spicy food, but a couple that I sat with liked spicy and they said that the sandwich was too spicy for them! With that the show was over, Guy came over and tanked each of us for attending and it was done!
Before driving home on Sunday, I visited a museum in Norfolk called "Nauticus" and had dinner with my friend from elementary school, Beth and her husband Brett.
What a grat and excting trip that was!
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