Big Ben (BBQ) 6-lbs total: full slab of ribs, beef brisket sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, quarter chicken, fries and sides; looks good; 6-lbs total: full slab of Ribs, a Beef Brisket and a Pork sandwich, 1/4 Chicken and 4 sides; looks good
BBQ brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey
Frito Pie Fritos topped with your choice of meat, baked beans, cheddar cheese and onion
#1 (Top 5 Restaurants-Best Ribs); #48 (101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown); opened in 2008; "voted #1 in city"; close when they sell out; cooked in floor-to-ceiling smoker "Walter" ("you're really not a true redneck unless you name your smoker"); created new menu item "Adam" Bomb (for Adam Richman) - A Big Ben with a Hot Link Frito Pie
Philippe French Dipped Sandwich top seller; French rolled dipped in au jus; recommend double-dipped; looks good
Roast Beef French Dipped Sandwich $5.75 at airtime; ask for double-dip; looks good; Wolfgang recommends adding horseradish mustard; roll dipped in au jus; ask for double-dip; looks good
#96 (101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown); birthplace of French dipped sandwich; long lines; Los Angeles' oldest sandwich shop; cash only; "my favorite fast food restaurant"-Wolfgang Puck
started in 2011 as a pop-up in farmers market...now a brick-and-mortar hotspot; "We serve foods that inspire us on a whim and feature guest chefs and emerging artists to help promote and support the local food movement" (from its website)
#9 (America's Best: American Classics); Throwdown: Bobby Flay lost [recipe 1 | recipe 2]; opened in 2007; contemporary setting in a restored 1930s meatpacking warehouse; roast whole pig
rating is for plantation; outdoor museum ($ for admission) that offers "taste of history through re-creations of 17th-century cookery"; has special meal event for Thanksgiving; eat in community setting
Sandwich sandwiches piled-high topped with french fries, cole slaw and tomatoes; sandwiches topped with french fries, cole slaw and tomatoes
Capicola & Cheese Sandwich 5 slices of capicola, cheese, coleslaw & fries stuffed between 2 thick slices of Italian bread; Adam likes to add a runny egg; sponsored by Kevin Pollak; looks good
Cap & Egg Sandwich capicola, egg & cheese w/ fries, slaw & tomatoes in sandwich
Pitts-Burgher Cheesesteak cheesesteak sandwich stuffed choice of meat and cheese with french fries, cole slaw and tomatoes
Corned Beef Sandwich sandwiches topped with french fries, cole slaw and tomatoes
Spicy Hot Chicken spicy hot (lots of cayenne pepper); served on white bread and capped w/ slices of pickle on top; history: great uncle--a womanizer--upset a lady friend and she served him chicken spiced super hot to get back at him...he liked it
#32 (101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown); food truck; off campus of Rutgers Univerisity; contest: eat 5 sandwiches in 40 minutes, get a sandwich named after you
Squealer Challenge challenge: 2-lb pulled pork po' boy drenched in insanely hot BBQ sauce (contains drops of pure capsaicin) in 15 min. + 5 min. afterburn; Bull Bullard, Hammer Harrison, "Slick" Willie Shaw (players of the Harlem Globetrotters) must all finish the challenge to "win"...they won
Hobo skillet of smoked potato, pulled pork, brisket and every single side dish available (corn bake, homestyle beans, Jalapeno mac and cheese) topped w/ blue cheese bacon coleslaw and cheddar cheese sauce; looks messy (and good)
Davy Jones Hot Wing Challenge challenge: scorching hot platter of 10 wings loaded with habaneros and capsaicin extract + 5-min "afterburn" in 30 min; Jerry "Nasty" Sags (pro wrestler) won
opened in 1994; award-winning burgers; "one of the 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die"-Oprah Show & GQ Magazine (from it's website); milk shakes and onion rings voted "best in country"
Unforgiven Challenge trifecta challenge of size, speed and spice: double bacon cheeseburger cooked w/ "bug juice" (mix of Worcestershire & brisket glaze) topped w/ half-pound fried chicken breast, 6 slices of bacon and a fried egg, plus a side of french fries, onion strings (totaling 3.5-lbs) plus an additional 6 T.C.B.wings (Taking Care of Business: sauce made of 4 peppers including ghost chili) in 23 minutes; Jeremy Wheeler (local who has 14-0 record in food challenges) won (to increase his record to 15-0)