In a trip down hot dog memory lane, Jeff Mauro and his dad, Gus, relive the past as they grab a couple with everything at Chicago's legendary Gene and Jude's, where they pile fresh cut French fries right on the dog, and Jeff steps behind the counter and tries to keep up with the lunch rush. Jeff takes his new insight back home and whips his own version of the classic Gene and Jude's dog, complete with his own hand-cut fries, then adds a cheesy sauce to that classic Midwestern staple, the bratwurst. To wrap things up, Gus Mauro comes back around to see if Jeff's creations cut the mustard. You'll want to bring a lot of napkins!
During Jeff's formative years as a Sandwich Prince, he worked at a deli working the meat slicer; his constant companions were corned beef, pastrami and lots of fresh rye bread. Classic deli fare really speaks to his sandwich soul and the folks at Fumare in Chicago's French Market know the language fluently. Jeff gets a tasty tour of some of Fumare's favorites, then heads home to put together his special take on that tart and cheesy creation, the Reuben. You can't be truly deli without coleslaw, so Jeff shreds up a fresh batch before slicing and stacking roast beef into a sandwich that reaches new heights of savory deliciousness. You want pickles with that?
A sizzling and scrumptious breakfast is the perfect start to any day. Ripe fruit, savory sausage and farm fresh eggs are just a few of the essential ingredients Kelsey will be using in her favorite morning morsels. She'll be using her cast iron skillet to make Pork Maple Sausage from scratch and then use it in her tasty Egg, Cheese and Sausage Sandwich. The sausage will also get stuffed inside crispy Potato Skins, mixed with a robust Skillet Hash and topped With Fried Eggs. Finally, she'll indulge her sweet side with a Blueberry and Cream Stuffed French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Jam. Nothing says the perfect start to a day like a menu full of flavor and fun!
For anyone who wants to add fresh and delicious ingredients to their dishes, finding the freshest vegetables is essential. To start, Kelsey makes a classic French dish, Ratatouille, filled with caramelized onions, elegant eggplant and homemade tomato jam. Next, an Italian bread salad, Panzanella, is a tangy mixture of smokey mozzarella and bread, with a mixture of peppers, cherry heirloom tomatoes and sugar snap peas — all fresh from the market. And last, but certainly not least, a pan-seared Pacific Cod will be paired with a silky, smooth Creamed Corn and topped with a homemade Cilantro Vinaigrette. The variety of what you can do with the right produce is endless when it comes to flavor and freshness.
The Grill Dads are on the hunt for over-the-top, incredible breakfast creations. The first stop is La Waffleria in Albuquerque, N.M., where the Dads take on a ranchero waffle made from scratch with blue corn, spiced up with local chilies and covered with smoky sauce. Next up, the Grill Dads bring the carnival to breakfast when they visit Straw in San Francisco, a funky hole in the wall with a circus theme serving up a sugary house-made Donut Breakfast sandwich and a Texas toast Croque Madame. Finally, the Grill Dads visit Denver, Colo., in search of a tender biscuit made from surprising ingredients and transformed into buttery French toast.
The Grill Dads kick off their delicious road adventure by going on the hunt for over-the-top versions of food their kids absolutely love. In Portland, Oregon, they find The Grilled Cheese Grill where everyone's favorite sammie is the star player. The Dads have had a thousand grilled cheeses, but they've never had one stuffed with a decadent burger. At Boise Fry Company, the Dads discover crispy French fries, bison poutine and fried mashed potato balls. Finally, the Dads travel to San Francisco's Bacon Bacon, where the bacon so good they say it twice. On tap are fried bacon mac and cheese balls, and a juicy chicken sandwich breaded with salty bacon dust.
A number of quaint beach towns along the South Carolina coast are leading a revolution in Lowcountry cuisine, and Katie Lee finds the best beach bites in Sullivan's Island, Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms and Folly Beach. She starts at a hot spot that's elevating the classic Lowcountry boil by turning it into chowder. She also discovers a restaurant that lures skeptics in with typical beach fare and flips the script with perfect Korean cuisine. A breakfast pit stop converts Katie into a devotee after she samples crab cakes eggs Benedict and banana bread French toast. And it's not a visit to the Lowcountry without fresh shrimp, fried chicken, a cocktail and some gelato!