Ep 12. Traditional Dishes

In the twelfth episode of season four of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, host Guy Fieri visits restaurants that serve up traditional dishes with a modern twist.

The first stop is in Minneapolis, Minnesota where Guy visits a restaurant that specializes in Scandinavian comfort food. The menu features dishes like lutefisk, lefse, and Swedish meatballs. The restaurant has been family-owned and operated for over 80 years and is a beloved staple in the community.

Next, Guy heads to a diner in Fayetteville, Arkansas that serves Southern dishes with a twist. The owner, a former rock musician, infuses his love of music into the menu with dishes like the "Sweet Home Alabama" fried chicken sandwich and the "Red, White, and Blue Plate" which features BBQ ribs, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw.

In the third stop, Guy heads to a restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland that specializes in pit beef. The owner, a former truck driver, started the business as a way to bring the flavors of his childhood to the masses. The pit beef is cooked on an open flame for hours before being thinly sliced and served with a variety of toppings.

The fourth stop is in Tulsa, Oklahoma at a restaurant that serves up classic Mexican dishes with a modern twist. The restaurant is run by a family who has been in the business for over 30 years and they have recently introduced unique dishes like the "Taco Explosion" which features 12 different types of tacos.

Finally, Guy visits a restaurant in San Diego, California that serves up Filipino dishes with a modern twist. The owner, a former fitness model, infuses his love of healthy eating into the menu by using fresh ingredients and offering gluten-free and vegetarian options. The menu features dishes like lumpia, adobo, and pancit.

Throughout the episode, Guy meets with the owners and chefs to learn about the inspiration behind their dishes and dives into the unique flavors of each restaurant's traditional dishes. Viewers are taken on a culinary journey across the United States, sampling everything from Scandinavian comfort food to Filipino delicacies. Traditional Dishes is a celebration of the rich diversity of American cuisine and the creative ways that chefs are putting their own spin on classic dishes.