Welcome to Dream Dinner Party, where we ask notable figures to describe just that: the dinner party of their dreams.
Who needs less of an introduction than Guy Fieri, the chef and Food Network host who has made a name for himself traveling to eat at diners—and, well, you know the rest—across the country? (Though we’ll also mention that Fieri has raised more than $21 million to support restaurant workers during the pandemic. And that he feeds first responders during crises like wildfires and hurricanes.) Here the Mayor of Flavortown talks us through his ideal way to entertain at home.
What’s the vibe at your dream dinner party?
I’m not a sit-down kind of guy. My favorite thing is to get everybody to my house for Sunday Funday. Start cooking around noon and progress through into the evening.
There will be anywhere from immediate family—to 40 at any given time, and that’s just kind of the way it goes. In terms of the menu, a lot of times when we’re having friends over, people just show up with what they have. “Hey, we went to the auction and I bought a steer and I brought all this steak.” “Hey, I was just out at the coast and I saw these clams.” “Hey, I brought you…” Whatever it is, bring it. I can cook anything, so that’s what the meal turns into.
What’s your approach to serving meals?
I’m a super eclectic guy, a super eclectic chef, in terms of just wanting a little bit of everything. I don’t want to eat one big whole anything. I just want many little bites of stuff. So I’m a real big courses fan in the sense that they let you appreciate every little aspect of the dish. Even for Sunday Funday, it’s still courses. I typically don’t put nine things out at one time. We’re rolling through things.
What would you put on the menu?
It just depends on what’s fresh, honestly. Really, I don’t have a go-to answer, but right now for some reason, hot Italian beef is in my mind right now. I would say, there’s always some type of pasta. We don’t eat pasta like we used to when we had a restaurant business. I was actually just laughing about this—I remember eating pasta three or four times a week. Now, I’m lucky if I eat pasta once or twice a month. But I love all the classics. I like pasta amatriciana. Carbonara, cacio e pepe. All the traditionals, that if you do them really right—if you have the great ingredients, like a really great Pecorino Romano and guanciale—it makes all the difference. A really good pasta, small portions, nested beautifully on the plate and just like really appreciate every little bite. My mouth is still watering.
How do you take on the holidays?
We do have very formal Christmas. But I’ve taught my kids that, especially for the holidays, courses just really give you a chance to appreciate what we just made. We make pasta every Christmas Eve. We make pasta and stuff it with Dungeness crab, make ravioli, make a variety of things. Everybody looks forward to it.
What condiments are on the table?
I am a condiment junkie, but I use them to cook, I don’t put them on the table. When I put the food on the plate, it should be ready. We never even have salt and pepper shakers on the table. Ever. I love salt and pepper, and I use these big grinders for all my different peppers—I use Turkish coffee grinders—but they don’t go on the table.
I eat chili crisp by the spoonful. I mean, I might as well leave the spoon in it because I’m in it all the time.
Have you had it on vanilla ice cream?
Oh, yeah. Have you had anchovies on ice cream?
No! But now I’ll have to try it.
I am a huge anchovy fan—they are a flavor bomb that people don’t play with enough. I’ll drop them into tomato sauces and I won’t tell anybody, and you can just watch people [enjoy the depth of flavor].
One of the first dishes I ever learned to make was a pasta sauce with roasted red bell peppers, garlic, and anchovies. Just do it right. Just don’t get heavy-handed. You can go a little too far. I mean—not too far for me, but for some.
Do you like to set a fancy table?
We don’t—what you see is what you get. We’re pretty simple in that aspect. We have really good plates, though: 12- or 13-inch plates, big plates. Not an eclectic mix of them, just white. Really good cutlery and really good forks. The flatware has to be heavy. And good wine glasses are key.
What’s the talk of the night?
Any topic goes, from kids’ sports to restaurants to politics. A lot of joking, a lot of ribbing, a lot of fun. There’s more laughs going on here than anything. And I’m a toast guy. I love to recognize people.
Do you let people help cook?
Everyone’s in the kitchen. If you don’t cook, you’re doing the dishes. If you’ve been around a long time, you’re at the top of the hierarchy, so you don’t have to go break down three bags of brussels sprouts.
If you could invite any three people, who would they be?
Both of my grandfathers, who were both really good cooks. I never got to know my dad’s dad, who cooked all the time for his family. My mom’s dad passed away when I was young; he made this great fried chicken. I’m a big remember-where-you-come-from person. And [chef and Food Network judge] Carl Ruiz, who we lost three years ago, who I miss more than anything and was just one of my favorite guys to cook with.
Favorite diner order when you’re not on the clock? Are you going to diners when you’re not on the clock?
One of the things I’ll order if I find an old-school diner: disco fries. And matzo ball soup. When can you go and get matzo ball soup with disco fries at the same time? Only in a diner. Also, really good corned beef hash. If it’s really good homemade corned beef hash, cooked extra well—like really crispy—with Tabasco sauce, ketchup on the side. Cold ketchup. So you dip the potato and the crunchy corned beef into that. Don’t screw it up with an egg.
You’ve made headlines for your work feeding firefighters responding to the California wildfires. What do you serve to honor a big group of first responders?
Barbecue. Barbecue’s happy food. When it’s good, it’s something special. Of course, it’s also something you can do in volume when you are feeding thousands of firefighters or fire victims or others. It’s not bang for the buck, but bang for the effort. If you try to make a pasta dish for 2,000 people, you’re going to get yourself a little tied up.
Catch Fieri’s new game show, ‘Guy’s Ultimate Game Night,’ on Food Network or head to Stagecoach next year to check out Guy Fieri’s Stagehouse Smokehouse.