Rock Rest Lodge has been a Colorado institution for its peanut butter burgers, Old West charm and crazy-spicy hot wings. As Tom Pizzica learned, manager Bob Knuth grows ghost peppers in his basement so he can use them for the "killer" hot wing sauce made with wasabi and a hint of cola for sweetness.
The really big pizza at Virgilio's Pizzeria is aptly named The Hugilio. Measuring more than 2 feet wide, The Hugilio weighs in at 11 pounds, as it's topped with piles of mozzarella and homemade sausage. As Tom Pizzica learned, a sports team is a prerequisite for finishing this beast.
Tom Pizzica dances with joy at Corona's Mexican Grill when he eats Corona del Diablo, a 6.66-pound taco bowl of fajitas, smoky chicken, ground beef and carnitas marinated in tequila. Chef Brenda Corona created the party favorite that saved her business with its great flavor and playful construction.
Tom Pizzica of Outrageous Food is impressed by the chef of Sumo Grub -- frying fanatic Jason Sum Jr. -- who insists on frying "stuff that everybody likes," such as burgers, Kit Kats, Twinkies and mac 'n' cheese. All of this is coated in crunchy homemade panko and served hot in Berkeley, Calif.
There are 11 different varieties of hot dogs and 60 kinds of toppings at The Slaw Dogs. As Tom Pizzica discovered on Outrageous Food, that equals 38 quintillion combinations! Among those, Tom says the TNT Dog remains "a masterpiece" with its chili, cheddar cheese and egg fried inside a tortilla.
This California grill is a headquarters for hot wings, stirring up six heat levels of sauce from the mild "Safe" to the terrifyingly spicy "Ring of Fire." Featured on Outrageous Food, the famously fiery wings start with a "mouthful of flavor" but end with a spice explosion that makes grown men cry.
White Rabbit Truck features Filipino fusion food in the form of tacos, nachos and burritos. Its claim to fame is a six-pound burrito; those who finish one make the hall of fame. Not feeling quite that hungry? Try Pork Sisig tacos, made with fried pork belly, onions and jalapenos.
Yagumo Sushi features an array of sushi and hand rolls, from Rainbow Rolls to albacore tuna. But the No. 10 sushi roll requires customers to sign a waiver. The No. 6 and No. 7 sushi rolls are hot, but No. 10's extra wasabi oil makes what Tom Pizzica on Outrageous Food calls "a bolt of lightning."
Tom Pizzica tears up as he eats the deliciously spicy I'm Sorry hot sauce made in-house at Taste of a Gyro in Sonoma, Calif. Chef Dominic Sammarco uses fresh and dried ghost peppers; his friend at the spice market explains that in India, the peppers are named "poisonous king cobra."
Jeremy "Lumpy" Sturgill opened Lumpy's Diner with a few "big ideas," including offering a menu with more than 15 styles of fries. Tom Pizzica of Outrageous Food still couldn't believe the 6-pound Kitchen Sink omelet or the Famous Dog Pounder, a monstrous 4-pound beef hamburger.
The motto at San Felipe's Cantina is that every meal should be an event. Along with a menu of classic party foods (Nachos Grandes and World Famous Fish Tacos), San Felipe's serves the outrageous seven-pound El Gordito Burrito that requires a half gallon of San Felipe's Colorado hot sauce.
Digger's Diner champions itself on perfecting all-American classics like chicken fried steak and juicy cheeseburgers. But for the ultimate "champ," Tom Pizzica of Outrageous Food discovered The State Champ burger. The specialty burger weighs nearly 6 pounds and will need a team to finish it off.
Tom Pizzica delights in Chef Tara Simon's crafting of a new twist on pigs in a blanket: bacon candy. At The Sticky Pig, she creates combinations such as coconut and curry, strawberry jam and Pop Rocks, and rum and pineapple all with candied bacon. It's just as delicious as it sounds.
Breakfast lovers go berserk for Heart and Soul Cafe's incredible breakfast plates. But The Suicide Stack had Outrageous Food's Tom Pizzica stuffed to the brim. There are more than 13 layers (and 35 pounds) of breakfast goods on the plate of eggs, ham steaks, hash browns and ladles of country gravy.
On Outrageous Food, Frankie's South Philly Cheesesteak attempted the impossible: to make the longest Philly cheese steak. Although they came short a few hundred feet, their shorter restaurant versions don't fault on flavor, with ingredients like broccoli rabe, Italian provolone and, yes, Cheez Whiz.
Make restaurant favorites at home with copycat recipes from FN Magazine.
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