Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (2006–…): Season 24, Episode 9 - South Beach Sizzle - full transcript

I'm Guy Fieri,
and we're rolling out

looking for America's greatest
diners, drive-ins, and dives.

This trip...

Like I was getting ready to fly
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

we're hanging out
in South Beach, Florida...

Fantastic.

...taking a bite
of their cosmopolitan cuisine.

I'm really telling you,
it's dynamite.

First,
a real-deal taqueria...

This is not
your first rodeo.

...getting way back
to the basics.



I've made a lot
of tortillas in my day.

I have never seen this.

Then an authentic
German beer hall...

Will you be dressing in
any type of lederhosen?

...cooking up the classics.

This will not be
the last time you see me.

Plus, Mediterranean flavor...

There's a lot going on
for one paella dish.

...served up
at a hidden oasis.

I don't want to hear it,
but I'm almost speechless.

'sll

So, every year in February,

I head down
to South Beach, Miami,

for one of the most outrageous,
over-the-top events.



It's actually called

the South Beach
Wine & Food Festival.

This is where amazing chefs

and great fans
come together for one weekend

for a party that,
well, you got to check out.

But just like any of my trips,
I'm saying, "Where do I eat?

Where do I find
the local's food?"

Well, this time I'm lucky,

'cause I'm right here on
Collins Avenue in South Beach

to check out a joint
called Taquiza.

♪

There's nobody else in town who
puts that kind of craftsmanship

into what they're doing.
-Two carne asadas.

I'm having everything
on the menu.

MAN: Asada camaron.

Get a little beach, get to swim,
come grab some tacos.

FIERI: Which is exactly
the vibe restaurant vet

Washington Charles
and computer programmer

Steve Santana were going for

when they transformed
a closed-up restaurant space

in 2014.

We blew out this whole front
door open, front window open.

It's like a food truck
on steroids.

FIERI: And they're
pumping up the menu

by keeping things grounded.

Try to keep it
as authentic as possible.

Favorite item
on the menu.

Chips by far.

MAN #1: They're delicious,
they're crispy,

they're still
soft on the inside.

MAN #2: Totopos and guac.

They pair with a guacamole
like unbelievably well.

Here we're gonna prepare
the nixtamal,

which is a first step
to making masa.

This is organic non-GMO
blue corn from Mexico.

Okay,
so let's get after this.

Pickle and lime.
Water.

So, it's just gonna change
the pH a little bit.

Just so the skins
will come off?

Yeah.

I've only seen one place
in the history of "Triple D"

that has made the nixtamal like
this to make their own masa,

and that was in, believe it
or not, New York City.

All right, so now
we let this go for how long?

Five minutes, super quick.

Then it soaks overnight.

All right, so this is
all of the corn

after the skin
has been removed.

Yeah.
Let's hit it.

Like I was getting ready to fly
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

I just want water to start
flowing through the stones.

Look at that.

That's real deal.
Yeah.

Now we gonna
make tortillas?

Yep.
Andale.

So, there we have
the masa.

This is the right
moisture level?

You just want,
like, a Play-Doh.

Okay.
Drop it.

So, we do about 100 grams.

With all this moisture,
the fresh masa,

it's gonna puff up
with all the steam,

so it's gonna get
a thin, crispy outside

and the inside is gonna be
fluffy, creamy, awesome texture.

Oh, we're
ripping off chunks?

So, a lot heartier,
a lot more magical

than the regular chips and salsa
that people are used to.

Yeah, these are,
like, really hearty.

than the regular chips and salsa
that you get in a 'male.

Then you get a little bit
of the crunch,

little bit of salt.

You definitely
taste all the corn.

You make
the guacamole fresh.

It's dynamite, dude.

I'm really telling you,
it's dynamite.

Amen.

Totopos, guac and salsa.

You could eat your body weight
in those chips right there.

They're hot, they're soft.

It's full of flavor.

For me, Taquiza's
in the perfect spot.

Seconds away from the beach.

So, you're kind of right here
in the middle of everything.

People watching here
is wonderful.

MAN: You know, it's quick eats.

I wouldn't miss it
if you're here in town.

So, here's the deal.

I want to try
the grasshopper tacos.

I can't even believe
I just said that.

But I got to go
check on my car

'cause it's parked
right next door to where

they rent the Ferraris
and the Lamborghinis

here in South Beach.

So to make sure
that they didn't rent my car,

would you maybe
get everything ready?

We'll be back.
Don't go anywhere,

'cause of course you want
to see me eat a grasshopper.

I'll see you a minute.
I'll see you later.

♪

Welcome back. Here we are
in South Beach, Miami,

for the Food & Wine Fest.

I'm hanging out with my buddy
Steve at Taquiza.

I asked everybody
to come back

because I'm gonna eat
a grasshopper taco.

Don't worry.
It's not that scary.

And what else
are we gonna make?

Carne asada.

Oh, really? You had to
drop the whole accent?

I'm from here.
This is my home.

The carne asada
taco is fantastic.

It's spicy, it's rich.

All right, hit it.

Chile de árbol.
You hear the accent?

Black peppercorn.

Some Mexican oregano.

Here is some
naked pasilla chiles.

Garlic cloves in there.

White onion.

Kosher salt.

Little oil just to kind of
get a nice texture going.

Fresh lime juice.
Fresh O.J.

You just took this Cuban.

This is my home.

No, I got you.
I know exactly where you're at.

And what are we gonna marinate?
What kind of meat?

Hanger steak.
Really?

Yeah.
Half an onion in the bag.

And now we just pour
the marinade right on top.

Vacuum it overnight.

It really pushes that
marinade into the meat.

Yeah. Everything
gets vacuum sealed.

You nerdified
a taco stand.

Oh, if I have to.

Oh, there goes your little
chefy, geeky part right there,

you and your tweezers.

Love them.
Marinated carne asada.

I made a lot
of tortillas in my day.

I have never seen this.

So, we just kind of get it,
form in here,

and we just crank it off.

So, see?

Look at that.
This is not your first rodeo.

Here's our nice, little,
charred hanger steak.

Just a little greenery.

All our tacos come with
just tortilla and the protein,

and then they can do
whatever they want.

They add their onions,
cilantro, lime, radish.

We have two hot sauces
made in house.

That's a charred cherry pepper,
and that's a charred jalapeño.

The first thing you're
getting is that tortilla.

The hanger steak
is ridiculous.

Especially going on
to blanch that,

you're going
on that flat-top,

really gets a nice,
little texture to it.

You get a little
caramelization.

Yeah, yep.
The marinade --

the sour orange in there.

Yeah.
Salsa's dynamite.

Mmm. Nice acidity,
nice balance.

This is spot on, man.

This is a really
dynamite taco.

Mmm.

They really nail
the meat to masa ratio.

I've never had a tortilla
like this ever in my life.

Right now you're getting some
"Triple D" royalty, all right?

The guy that takes all of
the blah, blah, blah

that I do on the show
and makes it turn into magic --

this is our editor, Jamie.

This is where you'll dub
in a bunch of clapping, okay?

So, give me a breakdown.
Tell me about the carne asada.

It's got some, like, brightness
to it, tender, really good.

Let's finish this up
with some grasshoppers.

They're nutty, they're crunchy.

-Two chapulines.
-It's amazing.

Well, hop to it.

SANTANA:
These are from Oaxaca.

Just kind of give them
a little extra toast.

Okay, so now
we mix in the peppers.

Some oils from the chiles
are gonna come out,

so we just give them
a little more depth to it.

How long are we gonna
toast them up for?

Like 10 minutes.
10 minutes.

250, real quick.

And this is all
it is in the taco?

Yes.

So, basically we're
putting the guac down

just so we have something
for the little hoppers

to stick to.
Yeah.

Every time we make an order,
we just kind of toast them

a little bit more, just
warm a little through.

Wake them up?
Yeah.

And then there's one of my
favorite misused ingredients --

Tajín -- so it's like
a chile lime seasoning.

It's made for fruit.

So, I can feel that I'll
run faster, jump higher...

Of course.

...and live healthier
eating grasshoppers.

There's like a ton
of chicharróns in there.

What? Am I Andrew Zimmern
right now?

Shout-out for you,
Andrew.

This is the bomb.
Nicely done.

MAN: A little bit
intimidating at first glance,

but you got to go for it
'cause the flavors are amazing.

Makes a great crunchy noise
when you get into it.

There's nothing
more depressing

than looking down at your tray
and nothing's left,

but you can just walk a few feet
and get some more.

This is probably the closest
to a legit Mexican taco stand

that I have seen
in "Triple D."

Outdoors, great weather,
funky area.

You're making it happen,
brother.

Thank you.
Congratulations.

FIERI: Coming up,
a taste of Germany

right here in Miami Beach...

Seen this every day --
not so much.

...from sauerbraten.

You want to drink
a bucket of that.

...to bratwurst
with a curry kick.

There's nothing you're not
gonna like about that.

♪

So, for our next stop
here in South Beach, Miami,

I'm taking you to Lincoln Road.

So I've been through
this area a hundred times,

and never once have
I stopped at this joint.

Well, until I heard,
it's off the hook.

This is Hofbrau Munchen.

♪

-Wiener Schnitzel.
-It's very, actually,

similar to what my mom
would cook for Sunday lunches.

MAN:
Holzafaller ready to pick up.

The food and the way
it's prepared gives you the feel

that you are in a German town.

FIERI: That's 'cause
when German businessman

Sasha Perisic
opened this joint in '06,

he created a stateside version

of the famous
Hofbrauhaus in Germany.

And this is Hofbrau
like you'd find in Munich?

Exactly.
It's the same thing.

Will you be dressing
in any type of lederhosen?

Uh...sometimes.
[ Chuckles ]

And Chef Mike Smerda
is making sure

that what's coming
out of the kitchen

is also straight out
of the homeland.

Sauerbraten
with napkin dumpling.

The sauerbraten is wonderful.

My mother's isn't
as good as this.

I'm making sauerbraten
for you today.

It's a very classic recipe,
but I give it a modern twist.

I use beef knuckle.

We use
the wine and vinegar.

The "winegar"?
Yes.

Now we have a little bit
of balsamic vinegar.

Soy sauce.
Worcestershire.

Honey.

Cinnamon sticks.
Cinnamon sticks.

Some bay leafs.
Fresh garlic.

Sliced ginger.
Cloves.

Crushed juniper berries.
Allspice.

Some thyme.
Rosemary.

Okay.
We have onions.

Very nice.
Carrots.

Chopped celery roots
and sliced leek.

We'll let it marinate
like this for how long?

For seven days.

And now I show you
how I make my meat dry rub.

We start with salt,
brown onions, garlic,

black pepper,
ground coriander,

paprika, a little bit
of sugar, nutmeg.

Mix that up.

Rub that on.

I will sear it on the grill
on the flat-top.

And also I sear
the vegetables.

So, once it's seared,
it'll go back in the pan

with the braising liquid?

Braise the whole thing off.

For three-and-a-half hours.
At what temp?

350.

Now we start making
a pretzel dumpling.

Bavarian pretzels.
Yes.

How big do we cut them?

Very small, very small.

I already prepare some.
All right.

Then I have melted butter
and hot milk.

This is
pretzel bread pudding.

I sauté with bacon
and onions to the mix.

Lots of deliciousness
right there.

Black pepper,
the salt, ground nutmeg.

Then toss them.

This has to set for
10, 15 minutes in the fridge.

All right,
so this is cooled down.

Now we add the eggs.

Chopped parsley.
Okay.

Marjoram.
Okay.

Combine them.

I need some panko.

Japanese breadcrumbs
in German food.

That set
15, 20 minutes again.

Okay. And it's called
a napkin dumpling?

Napkin dumpling
because back in the day,

we used regular napkins,
but I use plastic wrap.

Seen this every day --
not so much.

Okay, so you poke
some holes in it.

It has to get
some water in.

How long does that boil?

25 minutes.
Just let it simmer.

Then we bring it out,
unwrap it, and then slice it.

Then I sear it.
You sear it in butter.

In butter, of course.

Fantastic.

Okay.
Here's the sauerbraten.

Nice color, huh?

Look at that, huh?

Let's see
how tender it is.

Some red cabbage
and then meat.

And a little of gravy.

And this is the drippings
out of the pan?

Absolutely. And then I add
a pretzel dumpling.

Good to go.

Mmm.

I pick up the allspice
and the crushed juniper.

The gravy comes through
right off the bat.

You want to drink
a bucket of that.

The pretzel dumpling
is just ridiculous.

I love pretzels.

You get that nice,
little flavor

of that coming through.

And then you get a little bit
of the cabbage.

Refreshes the palate.

Mmm.

Nicely done, buddy.
Nicely done.

Thank you.
It's really good.

Really g hf or

They're a little crispy,
Thank you.
Itbut yet they're soft inside.

MAN: You don't really get

to enjoy these
kind of flavors often.

MAN #2: Curry sausage in
the window, please! Pick it up!

Currywurst is very good.

Little more lively
than regular bratwurst.

So, for our curry sauce,

I need oil, a lot
of onions, garlic, ginger.

Our curry blend in.

Ketchup.
Ketchup.

That's what
I was thinking.

Diced tomatoes.

A good amount of honey.

And now we fill it up
with water.

How long is this gonna
cook down, Chef?

25 minutes.

All right, so you hit
the immersion blender in here

to break it all down.

Score the bratwurst,
curry sauce.

More of
the currywurst powder.

Yes.

Mmm. That's a really
good sausage.

The gravy's great.

It's deep, a unique flavor.

There's nothing you're
not gonna like about that.

WAITRESS:
This is currywurst.

It is excellent.

WOMAN: I am halfway through one,
and I plan to eat both.

It's delicious.

It's a great experience.

When you walk
through these doors,

you come to a funky,
old German bar, real beer,

big steins,
and great German food

from an accomplished chef.

This will not be
the last time you see me.

FIERI: Up next...

It's outstanding.

...we're headed
up the beach...

Everything you do,
you do right.

...checking into a hotel

where you can say
the pool food

isn't from your average
snack shack.

Funky, little joint tucked away,
and you're doing rockstar food.

♪

So, I have been to
South Beach, Miami,

a million times.

I can't stay at South Beach
the entire time.

I got to bring you to, where?

North Beach!
This is the old-school area.

This is where you'll find
those diamonds in the rough.

We got a husband
and wife team

that take this rundown
apartment complex

and turn it into
a boutique hotel.

They say, "Hey,
we'll add a pool.

While would we add a pool,
why don't we add a restaurant?

And what are we gonna
call the restaurant?

How about Lou's Beer Garden?"

♪

Salmon, table nine.

-It's a hidden gem.
-Spiked mussels for the lady.

I feel like I'm
at a friend's backyard

but with delicious food.

FIERI:
All from Lou Ramirez,

whose culinary education led him

straight into
property management.

You just figured,
"Why don't I just go ahead

and buy an old, rundown
apartment building

and turn it into a hotel?"

RAMIREZ: You got to invest
in something you believe in.

It gave me the opportunity
to showcase my ability to cook.

Which
he's been doing poolside

ever since he and his wife
Ann Castellano

opened in 2009.

Paella in the window!
Order up!

The paella here is spectacular.

A smorgasbord of seafood.

Really well-composed dish.

So, what are we making?

Paella rice from scratch.

Hit it.
All right.

Shallots.
Shallots.

Lot of bay leaf.
Yep.

Garlic.

Talk about
a bunch of saffron.

And we're gonna
add chicken stock.

You make the chicken stock?
Yeah. From scratch.

White wine.
Let the alcohol burn off.

And then add
our calasparra rice.

We're gonna partially
cook it for about 10 minutes.

So you make the paella
to order every time.

Olive oil.

Shallots.
Pancetta.

Garlic.

Chorizo.
Roasted red peppers.

We're gonna add
plenty of clams.

They're gonna be
opening up slowly.

Got it.
Add our white wine.

It's gonna burn off
all that alcohol.

There's a lot going on
for one paella dish.

Next, chicken stock.

Our saffron rice,
which is partially cooked.

Shrimp, mussels,
and, of course,

you know the last thing
you want to add -- Calamari.

So it doesn't get
chewy and dry.

Butter.
Okay.

The mussel have time
to open up.

And then?

A little bit of lemon juice.
That's it.

Plate it up.
Here we go.

We're gonna build a fortress
of mussels all around it.

A mussel fortress.

Finish spooning
it up on top.

Celery micros,
and that's it.

Doesn't look hot to me.

I'll tell you what, buddy.

That's real deal paella.

Thank you.

Mmm.

Nice, big saffron flavor.

The chorizo is spot on.

Your seafood depth,
all that shell stock

from the clams
and from the mussels

really, really opens up
the big flavor.

If you like paella,
you don't have to go to Spain.

Right next door.

-Paella for you, sir.
-Oh, it's beautiful.

You almost want to look
at it for a little while

before you dig in.

Everything comes together
to an explosion of flavor.

I'm in Miami.

Of course I've got to have
Carl the Cuban down here.

He's been on "Triple D."

He's won "Triple G."

What do you think?
Real deal?

If this restaurant was next
to mine, I'd move my restaurant.

Scallops.

It's actually one of my favorite
places to walk into.

MAN: You can really pass by
but not see it.

But once you come in here,

you feel like you're actually
in a different world.

So you eat outside all the time,
the whole year round?

RAMIREZ:
For eight years now.

Order up!
Vongola.

It's a linguine based clam dish
that's out of this world.

What are we up to now?

We're gonna make
linguine from scratch.

You don't have
a dining room, okay?

People sit outside
by a pool,

but you're gonna make the pasta
in this tiny, little kitchen.

Yeah, every day.

So, Caputo flour.

Semolina.
Okay.

Hook this up
to the blender.

And we're gonna add
our eggs one by one.

Okay.

Then dust the table,
and we're gonna roll it

until you get
a doughy consistency.

There you go.

Let it rest,
portion it off.

We're gonna hand-crank it,

and then we're gonna
cut it by hand.

Beautiful linguine
in house.

The fact you made it yourself --
I mean...

There you go.

We're gonna start by adding
olive oil to our pot.

Shallots.

Fresh garlic.

Bay leaf.

Add a little pinch of...

Chile flake.

We glaze the pan
with oil, white wine.

Add our clams.

Okay.
Little chicken stock.

Mm-hmm.
Pasta's down.

Clams are opening up.

And then we're gonna add
more pasta to our stockpot.

So that pasta will absorb
all of that great flavor.

It'll finish cooking
in that broth.

Got it.
That is correct.

Add some heavy cream,
butter to finish cooking.

Okay.
A little bit of pepper.

All right. Little,
tiny squeeze of lemon juice.

Beautiful clams, little bit
of sauce, micros.

Voilà.

The pasta's al dente,
really nicely done.

Finishing it in the sauce

to let it absorb
those great flavors.

It's outstanding.

Everything you do,
you do right.

I mean, I'm -- I'm --

And I don't want to hear it,
but I'm almost speechless.

[ Chuckles ]

I said I don't
want to hear it.

Spicy linguine.
It's just incredible.

Break it down for me.

It's just simple.

Everyone overthinks
this dish.

They do too much to it.

The best thing
about this is

he had the restraint
of a real chef.

Strong Bow Chicken.

It's a wonderful oasis here.
It really is.

You're a funky,
little joint

tucked away
under an unassuming name,

and you're doing
rockstar food.

Thank you, sir.

FIERI: Think that's all
the South Beach we got?

Not yet.
There's just one more spot.

How are you, brother?
I'm doing good.

This is kind of an official,
unofficial "Triple D" spot

because I've been coming
to this place forever.

This is a walk-up
cool place to hang,

and the sandwiches are legit.

I'm talking real deal legit.

Let's do a Napoli.
Yeah.

Let's do a Frenchie
and a SOBE Club.

Okay. And you want
everything, right?

Do it up.
With the magic sauce?

With the magic sauce.
You got it.

So, tell me how this opened.
Give me the rundown.

Before we was
living in Thailand and...

So you came to Miami
to go scuba diving,

but you were living
in Thailand.

And you're from France.
Yeah.

Oh, yeah. You hear
that story every day.

And South Beach, at that time,
it was really nothing.

You were here
before it was cool.

Yeah.
Since 1988.

So I mean, you're kind of like
one of the anchors down here.

How many sandwiches do you guys
serve in, let's say,

a busy Saturday?

Sometimes 500,
sometimes like 1,000.

So, when you come here,

you can stand in line,
you can maybe get a stool.

You're probably
gonna get it to go.

Nice people,
great sandwiches.

I mean, you won't
be disappointed.

Right? Told you I'd bring you
a funky joint.

Here you go.

Here you go, Guy.

The Frenchie,
the SOBE, the Napoli,

and the magic sauce,
my friend.

Oh, I get a jar
of the magic sauce?

Magic sauce.
You're the best.

You take care, man.
I'll see you, brother.

Be good.
I'll see you later.

So, that's it for this trip,
but don't worry!

There's plenty more
"Triple D" joints

all over the country!

I'll be looking
for you next week on

"Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

I want you to say,
"It's all right here,

right now on
'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.'"

Here on
"Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

I like that. I got
to start speaking more German.