Ep 8. The Closers

The Best Thing I Ever Ate is a popular show on the Food Network where famous chefs and food personalities talk about their favorite dishes from all around the world. In season 10 episode 8, titled The Closers, the show focuses on dishes served by restaurants that are located very close to each other.

In this episode, the host and famous television personality Alton Brown takes the viewers on a culinary journey through different neighborhoods and towns, exploring the unique flavors and textures of food served by the restaurants located in close proximity to each other. The episode begins with Alton visiting a Guamanian restaurant in San Diego called Pika's Cafe. Pika's Cafe is located next to a restaurant that serves Korean food, and Alton marvels at the amazing fusion that the two restaurants have created. The dish that he tries is a Banh Mi sandwich with Chamorro-style pork that is a perfect blend of Korean and Vietnamese flavors.

Moving to the next location, Alton visits Kith and Kin, a Caribbean restaurant located next to a pizza place in Brooklyn, New York. Kith and Kin's signature dish is their Jerk Chicken, which is spicy and flavorful, and Alton pairs it with a slice of pizza from the neighboring restaurant. He remarks on how the two completely different flavors come together in a beautiful way.

The next stop on the journey is to Portland, Maine, where Alton visits two iconic restaurants that are located right across from each other. One is a gourmet hot dog place called Gilbert's Chowder House, and the other is an ice cream shop called Rococo. Alton tries a lobster roll hot dog from Gilbert's, which is a perfect blend of lobster and hot dog that he calls "genius". He then washes it down with a scoop of black raspberry ice cream from Rococo, which he says balances out the salty flavor of the hot dog.

Alton's next stop is to an Italian restaurant in Kansas City called Il Lazzarone, which is located next to a wood-fired pizza place. The dish that he tries is a Margherita pizza that is cooked in a 900-degree oven, which he says is the perfect balance of crispy and chewy. He then pairs it with the beef tenderloin from Il Lazzarone, which is cooked to perfection with a side of roasted vegetables.

The final stop on the journey brings Alton to Seattle, where he visits a Vietnamese restaurant called Ba Bar that is located in the same building as a pizza restaurant. He tries the Cha Ca La Vong, which is a dish made with marinated fish, herbs, and vermicelli noodles that he says has all the flavors of Vietnam in one dish. He then tries a wood-fired pizza from the neighboring restaurant and remarks on how the two dishes come together to create a perfect fusion of flavors.

Overall, The Closers episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate is a culinary tour de force that takes viewers on a journey through different neighborhoods and towns, exploring the unique flavors and textures of food served by the restaurants located in close proximity to each other. From Guamanian to Italian and Vietnamese to Caribbean, Alton Brown takes a bite out of some of the most amazing dishes that the world has to offer.