Top Moments from Guy's Grocery Games: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Tournament

Contestant Jay Hajj finishes preparing his dish as host Guy Fieri looks on, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

Photo: David Moir ©

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Finale: Diner Dish of Defeat

In Game 1 Guy tasks the chefs with creating their Best Diner Breakfast using the Emoji List. Gathering instant coffee, watermelon, French bread and an item over $5, Jay made a sausage hash with French toast. Despite the burned French toast, Troy calls it "a perfect diner breakfast," even finding the French toast custardy. But Jay didn't leave enough time to incorporate the watermelon, and he plated it sliced. For that he checks out.

Host Guy Fieri laughs as contestant Eric Williams places his order during the "Ultimate Drive-In Burger" game, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Rolled Over by Ramen

For the Ultimate Drive-In Burger in Game 2, Eric chose bison, but when Guy threw in a Red Light Special of using ramen, it threw Eric for a loop. Despite never having cooked it, Eric parboiled and fried it for crunch, however, so did his opponent Carl. The only clear winner of the round was Reno, who turned the ramen into buns. "This is one of the best rounds I've seen," says Guy. But as Aarti explains, Eric was "stacked up against" the other chefs, and he checks out.

Host Guy Fieri, with contestants, Reno Henriques and Carl Ruiz explains the "Kitchen Pool" game, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Diving Into the Deep Fryer

For their Game 3 dish, the chefs must make an Elevated Dive Bar Dinner. Guy has them shoot pool to determine the aisles from which they can shop. They also end up being limited to using just seven items or less. Reno makes Puerto Rican-inspired nachos with tomato salsa and pork tenderloin stew. G. finds the dish "dynamite," feeling Reno really elevated the dive aspect, but Aarti feels it's not dynamic.

Host Guy Fieri presents contestant Carl Ruiz with the Triple D, Triple G Championship trophy, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

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The Triple G: Triple D Winner

For his dive dish, Carl gathers up two gourmet cheeses, chanterelle mushrooms and spinach — to fill his empanadas and create a fondue dipping sauce. "Probably the best one you've ever had," he tells the judges, and Aarti doesn't disagree; Troy finds the cheese sauce grainy. Ultimately Carl wins the tournament and the final shopping spree. Earning $14,000, he leaves as the Triple G Champion. "Ever since I met Guy, he always told me, 'You can do it,'" says Carl.

Contestants George Prisco, Aristo Boutsikakis, Amelia Mouton and Jay Hajj prepare for the "Think Small" game, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Part 4: It's the Little Things That Count

"Most of the time when you think about 'feast,' you think about big, but not with this bag," Amelia says, disappointed to be using a tiny shopping bag. For Game 1: Family Feast, Guy springs the new game Think Small on the chefs. Amelia ends up gathering the ingredients to make yam enchiladas, but time gets the better of her. "It's not my strong suit," she says, and she checks out for undercooked yams.

Host Guy Fieri explains the "Food Pyramid" game to contestants George Prisco, Aristo Boutsikakis and Jay Hajj, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

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The Food Pyramid of Bad Fate

Hilariously, two items the chefs would hate getting in Game 2's Food Pyramid end up as required ingredients: ladyfingers and pancake syrup. And for their protein, it's chicken wings. "It's the worst," says Aristo, who decides to make the wings two ways, fried and stuffed, each with a different sauce. Aarti think the fried crust is addictive, but G. Garvin finds the chicken undercooked, and Aristo is out.

Contestants George Prisco and Jay Hajj wait as host Guy Fieri brings out a covered cart for the "Out of Sight" game, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind

In another new game, Out of Sight, George and Jay are blindfolded. Each must pick an ingredient out of a shopping cart and then incorporate it into his Daring Dish in Game 3. Despite having already made an Asian dish in Game 2, George makes a Thai curry with red snapper over a noodle frittata, which includes his must-use ingredient, french-fried onions. The judges agree his dish is daring, but also find it heavy and oversauced.

Host Guy Fieri sends contestant Jay Hajj to shop one last time, as seen on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 8.

Photo: David Moir ©

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Paying It Forward with Fusion

"I've never cooked duck confit; to me that is very daring," says Jay about his shawarma tacos. His must-use item, BBQ potato chips, ends up in his fatoush salad. "It's a delicious dish. I just don't know if it was daring enough," Aarti says, but in the end the judges send George home. Jay makes it to the shopping spree, in which he earns $14,000 that he plans to give to the family of his late friend.

Cotestant RIchard Hale cooks, as seen on Food Network's Guy’s Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Part 3: Getting Downed by the Aisle

"We better call the healthy department," says Richard, finding out he must play a game of Aisle Down, for which the meats and cheeses are cordoned off. He adds, half-jokingly: "What kind of grocery store are you running here?" For his hot sandwich, Richard ends up grabbing frozen lobster, which he cooks sous vide. Unfortunately, it's on the rare side, and for that he checks out.

Contestant Suzanne Vizethann cooks, as seen on Food Network's Guy’s Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Safely Spiraling Out of the Market

In a game of Let It Roll, the chefs must cook an international dish with canned meat, use a spiralizer and shop within two-and-a-half minutes. "I was hoping for something a little bit more in my wheelhouse," says Suzanne of the challenge, but she ends up making a squash linguine with canned clam sauce. "This is a very straightforward dish," Troy tells her, pointing out that she played it safe. In the end Suzanne checks out.

Contestant Todd Ginsberg plays "The Claw" game, as seen on Food Network's Guy’s Grocery Games, Season 8.

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The (Un)Luck of the Draw

After sending Todd and Eric to shop for their best pork dish, Guy announces he has a gift for them: a new game called The Claw. Luckily, both chefs draw balls labeled with ingredients they're already planning on using — but upon opening each ball they discover what they really must use. Instead of garlic, Todd has to use black garlic in his pork chop dish.

Winner Contestant Eric Williams with Host Guy Fieri, as seen on Food Network's Guy’s Grocery Games, Season 8.

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Maxing Out on Mexican Flavor

Eric has to use canned baby corn, but he ingeniously deep-fries it and creates a Mexican street corn to accompany his pork chop with "less-than-four-hour mole." Troy's praise: "You created a postcard for Mexico on a plate." The judges decide Eric's flavors stood out more than Todd's, and Todd checks out. Eric earns $16,000 in the shopping spree.

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Part 2: The Bitter Taste of Defeat

"I've got one chef who's done. I've got one chef who hasn't cooked. I've got one chef who's standing there. Welcome to Triple G meets Triple D," says Guy, worried about the chefs in Game 1: Express Lane. "This is one game I did not want to play," says Lou, who's waited too long to cook his filet mignon, which ends up overcharred and bitter, according to Aarti. He checks out at the end of the game.

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Putting Toward the Wrong Plate

"This is not exactly what I do for a living," says Danny, who faces using chicken breast for an Upscale Dinner after playing Grocery Golf in Game 2. "You're a barbecue man," Troy says after tasting Danny's open-faced chicken cordon blue, but then adds, "You nailed it." Troy and the other judges, however, feel there's too much sauce, and Melissa says Danny's dish is more like a "blue-plate special." In the end Danny checks out.

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Breakfast Blunder

"I have never cooked a breakfast before," reveals Benny after Reno chooses Cheesy, Pork and Breakfast in Game 3: Menu Magnet Madness. In turn, Benny chooses Smoky, Eggs and Salad for Reno. Benny prepares a cheesy French toast smothered in gravy. Melissa commends him for combining classic American flavors, but she doesn't like the texture, finding it "too one-note."

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Smoking the Competition

"What am I going to do now?" Reno asks himself after the quail eggs he tried smoking go up in flames. Without time to remake them, he relies on the flavor of smoked chicken and bacon to permeate his Chinese chicken salad. "I would have liked to have seen that pulled off," Troy tells him. With Reno receiving only one negative comment, the judges put Reno through to the shopping spree, and Benny checks out. Reno ends up earning $16,000.

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Part 1: Not-So-Special Fries

"The ABC game is the devil," says Sam, who shouldn't complain because Guy's given the chefs the letters D, F and G to shop with for their Lunch Special. Sam serves the judges mini burgers with fries, which Melissa d'Arabian feels "says lunch," but she finds fault in "the fact that the fries were really just thrown into the fryer and put on the plate." Sam checks out at the end of Game 1.

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Limited Options and Results

For his Best Noodle Dish, Biju cooks spinach fettuccine with pork loin and a poached egg. Adhering to the rules of the game Over/Under, he had to buy ingredients that cost over $4, limiting his options. Luckily, he won an advantage and used a red onion, but even so, Beau MacMillan feels the dish "just needed to be infused all together." Biju is sent home for his dish's lack of "fine tuning," as Aarti Sequeira calls it.

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Low Expectations, Big Celebrations

"I don't think you're going to hit anything," Guy tells Carl, who's trying to knock down pins representing items the chefs don't want to cook with in Game 3: Grocery Bowl. But Carl proves Guy wrong. Crystal and Carl end up having to cook with bologna, frozen okra and orange soda for their Sunday Supper dishes. The ingredients inspire both of them to take the stew route.

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A Dazed and Deserved Win

Melissa has one gripe with Carl's Quimbombo, saying it "isn't necessairly a whole supper" since it lacks a starch, but the judges end up sending Crystal home because her gumbo is too salty, due to her use of boxed rice. "What do I have to cook with it?" Carl asks Guy before going on the Shopping Spree. Luckily for him, the answer is "nothing." "I'm very nervous and confused," Carl reveals. He ends up earning $16,000.

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Tips & Techniques

Top Moments from Guy's Grocery Games: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Tournament

Finale: Diner Dish of Defeat

Rolled Over by Ramen

Diving Into the Deep Fryer

The Triple G: Triple D Winner

Part 4: It's the Little Things That Count

The Food Pyramid of Bad Fate

Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind

Paying It Forward with Fusion

Part 3: Getting Downed by the Aisle

Safely Spiraling Out of the Market

The (Un)Luck of the Draw

Maxing Out on Mexican Flavor

Part 2: The Bitter Taste of Defeat

Putting Toward the Wrong Plate

Breakfast Blunder

Smoking the Competition

Part 1: Not-So-Special Fries

Limited Options and Results

Low Expectations, Big Celebrations

A Dazed and Deserved Win

More Guy's Grocery Games

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