Original subtitles

ANNOUNCER [over PA]: May I have your attention please?

This is to announce the arrival...

[continues indistinctly]

MAYA RUDOLPH: Whether traveling for business,

pleasure, or...

definitely not pleasure.

Wow, that guy looks bummed.

Anyway, chances are you'll find yourself in one of America's transit hubs...

delayed... tired... hungry.

I mean, you could roll the dice on some newsstand sushi.

[farting] Uck.

That's not gonna end well.

But your last meal before takeoff can set the tone for your entire trip.

So, ladies and gentlemen,

just a stone's throw from the traffic control towers of JFK,

ATL, DCA and LBG...

♪

You'll find some first‐class spots

that should not be under your radar.

EDWARD: That's what I'm talking about. [sing‐songing]: Barbecue.

MAYA: If you're willing to go just a little further,

getting there really will be half the fun.

‐ This is so good.

MAYA: Oh, yeah. That's worth a second trip through security.

ANNOUNCER [over PA]: If you have more than one carry‐on

and one personal item...

MAYA: No matter where you're heading in the US,

there's a good chance you'll have to brave the busiest airport in the world.

It's like they say, when you die,

whether you're going to Heaven or Hell,

you still have to connect through Atlanta.

So, next time you're transferring here,

don't let a little layover bum you out.

Five minutes down the road is Pit Boss BBQ.

WOMAN: Order for Alex.

WOMAN 2: You're welcome.

MAYA: This low‐key spot is popular with everyone in the airline industry,

from mechanics to pilots,

who all make a bee‐line for brisket,

and the sweet, spicy, smoky 'que

in between shifts. ‐ Mm.

Have mercy. Lemon pepper.

'Cause you know, a lot of people don't know about Pit Boss.

They hear about the other places.

And truly, it's one of the best‐kept secrets of Atlanta

that people don't know about, but they're learning.

MAYA: Meet Edward. Or as some people call him...

‐ ATL Uncle Bernie.

You know what I'm saying? I'm here for my peoples all day every day,

three times on Sunday.

Show me some love!

MAYA: He's been working as a skycap for the airlines for the past 20 years.

Travelers often ask him, "Where's the good barbecue?"

‐ I'm glad you asked that question.

Right up the street. You'll smell it.

Down home. You definitely can taste the goodness.

My favorite stuff is the wings and the brisket sandwich.

Bar none, that is bomb‐diggity.

MAYA: Mm. Lookin' like a snack.

The Best Bet brisket sandwich

takes that perfectly charred brisket,

slathers it with Portobello mushrooms and sautéed onions

and tops it off with melted pepper‐jack cheese.

It's so good, it'll make you sing.

♪ Spicy brisket ♪

[echoing]: ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

‐ Okay. We got some wings ready.

Here in Georgia, they're very passionate about their barbecue.

And so you get a lot of different styles here in Atlanta.

But when you say "barbecue" here in Georgia,

it means pork.

MAYA: Wade makes some mean pork ribs for the barbecue purists.

But he'll slow cook whatever he wants and call it barbecue

if he damn well pleases.

Watch him work.

WADE: Ready? MAYA: Yeah.

WADE: Okay.

♪ upbeat, rhythmic music ♪

Yes. Um‐hmm.

♪

What? I'm barbecuing.

♪

I want a barbecue sandwich.

We're known for our spare ribs, of course.

Sliced brisket,

as well as, uh, smoked wings.

Lot of barbecue places, they'll smoke the wings

and then they'll deep fry 'em. We grill ours.

That's what sets us apart from everybody else.

My mom taught me how to barbecue. How to smoke meat.

It's got some onions, some garlic,

seasoned salt, a little cayenne pepper in it.

Now there's a couple other ingredients that really make it unique.

I won't tell you what they are.

MAYA: If I had a dollar for every time

somebody said that on this show...

WADE: But, uh, but we dry rub right onto the meat.

Give it some love, on the backside, top side here.

And, uh, a little more love.

[indistinct chatter]

‐ Mm. Mm. That's so good.

♪ "Scarlett" by Rory More O'Donoghue and Sarah Joyce playing ♪

MAYA: Wrap yourself in a weighted blanket

of hot, smoked meats,

and prepare for the perfect plane nap.

MAN [over PA]: Fasten your seat belts by inserting the metal fitting

into the buckle...

♪ song continues ♪

[sign dings, yawning] PILOT [over PA]: Ladies and gentlemen, seat belt sign's on...

MAYA: You know that feeling

when you watch your flight go from on time to delayed...

to straight‐up cancelled?

Are you [bleep] kidding me?

Well, don't panic.

Atlanta has plenty of landmarks to explore,

like the Clermont Hotel and Lounge.

[woman laughing]

Where you can get into a little trouble.

ROBERT: All right, let's switch. [Cierra laughing]

‐ Okay, one more bite. And then we'll switch.

‐ All right.

ROBERT: We based our whole relationship on travel,

and ever since we've been together,

we schedule trips basically around food.

CIERRA: Thank you.

MAYA: This local couple keeps the flame alive

by chasing down fabulous meals all around the globe.

But even when they're on home turf,

a night at the Clermont makes a nice little getaway.

CIERRA: Having Tiny Lou's in our backyard is just a gold mine for food

and experience and service.

And then there's the after party downstairs.

[laughs]

MAYA: This building has seen a lot of action over the years.

On the basement level,

you'll find the iconic dive bar and strip club, the Clermont Lounge,

which has been going strong since 1965.

And before you crash out at the hotel upstairs,

stop in at Tiny Lou's,

where executive chef Jeb is making amazing French food.

Like this 24‐month Comte crepe. [sighs]

Topped with baby carrots and beets,

hot sorghum and pistachio oil.

And his play on steak frites.

JEB: Everyone can relate to steak frites.

It's a classic French bistro dish.

We actually cook these sous vide for four hours

in brown butter and garlic.

MAYA: Throw it on the grill for a nice char.

Brush that baby with butter again,

and top it off with Sauce Clermont.

JEB: The sauce is very similar to beurre blanc.

We also have a little surprise.

We actually add a little bit of our house‐cured foie gras in there, as well.

♪ "Magic Hour" by Cobra Man playing ♪

ROBERT: Steak frites is a, it's a classic.

‐ You can never go wrong with steak frites, right? ‐ Yeah, you can't go wrong with it.

‐ Mm.

‐ These fries are seasoned wonderfully.

‐ I didn't say you can‐‐ [laughs]

Am I sharing?

[laughs] ROBERT: Now you are.

‐ Robert, you cannot forget the desserts.

MAYA: If you saved room for sweets,

and you did, didn't you?

Claudia is your girl.

This rich beauty is called "The Royale."

Chocolate mousse spiked with coffee and cardamom cremu,

which is French for fine‐ass creamy pudding,

sprinkled with cocoa streusel and dusted with gold.

She also has a dessert dedicated to a Clermont Lounge legend.

CLAUDIA: Blondie is a dancer downstairs,

so we named the dessert after her.

The "Ode to Blondie" has white chocolate namelaka,

spicy pecans, and cream cheese ice cream.

And it has PBR caramel.

She crushes PBR with her chest,

so we added that in there. [laughs]

♪ "Clair de Lune" by Debussy playing ♪

‐ Mm.

Who would think PBR could taste so yummy?

[laughs]

MAYA: Chandra has been working down in the lounge with Blondie

for the past 30 years.

And she's taking just a minute to indulge

before her shift behind the bar.

‐ Oh, my.

That is very decadent.

Well, Clermont Lounge is a very unique place.

Very unique. It is an adult entertainment place.

We have all type females.

You know, whether they're, you know, in their 20s or 70s.

It's female‐ran, female owned.

Blondie, she was popular with the college kids during pledge week.

One day just picked up a PBR can and put it between her breasts,

and crushed it, and that was the beginning of her history.

[laughs]

I really like this.

I'm taking that to go. [laughs]

MAYA: Be like Chandra, and take a dessert to go, too.

Unless you like those dry‐ass biscuits they serve you in‐flight.

♪

MAYA: The past 48 hours in Miami have been a blur.

Visiting Grandpa, and completely destroying him at dominoes.

Sorry, Gramps.

Spending a morning trying to get parrots to say swear words.

Come on, say it. "Asshat."

Listening to that Pit Bull song about 300 times.

" Uno, dos, tres, quatro... "

It's been exhausting.

Luckily, you're smart enough to have booked a late flight,

so you can squeeze in an epic brunch and cruise through the security line,

buzzed and unbothered.

JAROBI: Brunch food is the bomb, and also,

day drinking is amazing.

‐ No. No. [Jarobi laughing]

[laughing]

‐ The purpose of brunch is to keep last night going.

‐ See, I don't go out last night.

‐ Having to wake up and go to brunch, that's something different,

than being like, stumbling. Ugh.

"Let me go to brunch." [both laughing]

MAYA: A founding member of A Tribe Called Quest,

Jarobi eventually traded Linden Boulevard for Miami with his wife, Dani.

Today, he's a classically trained chef.

But Jarobi started out as Tribe's unofficial cook.

‐ Well, you know me. I'm simple. You know what I like.

When we're in LA and we're by the airport, my favorite go‐to...

‐ In 'N Out. ‐ You already know.

‐ We have our favorites everywhere, though.

‐ Yeah. New York, it's, uh,

White Castle. Chinese food and White Castle. ‐ Chinese food, White Castle.

‐ I mean, it's what we grew up on. ‐ Yes.

‐ People think Miami is just all Cuban food.

Well, and don't get me wrong, I mean...

JAROBI: It's the best Cuban food.

I'm just talking about on a skill level with all these bomb‐ass chefs out here.

I had no idea.

MAYA: Miami is one of the greatest food cities in the country.

But if you only have time for one stop on your way to the plane,

Eating House is kind of like the magic gum from the Wonka factory.

All of the flavors of the city

jammed into one serious breakfast.

‐ We've kind of become known as like,

a really kind of cool brunch spot here in Miami.

You know, sometimes, you think, "I need a quick bite."

Like, you don't have to have fast food.

Like, you can have really good food cooked quickly.

You know, that's so rad to think that someone's gonna, like, fly home

and the last thing they had was our food.

♪ upbeat music playing ♪

We have two very Miami dishes. This is one of them.

It's a take off a Columbian breakfast staple called calentado,

which really means "reheated."

So start off with the plantains.

These are ripe plantains. We call them maduros.

Like, if they're, like, sticking in your teeth a little bit,

like, that's a good sign. For me.

♪

Chimichurri. That is a calentado.

DANI: It's so good. ‐ Mm!

And this is good. This is like something that your grandma would make.

This is really good.

‐ That's good. That's sexy.

‐ It's sexy? ‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ Okay. JAROBI: I'll tell you what's sexy.

Walking into a kitchen, and a loaf of bread is baking.

MAYA: Oh, hello, toast.

For carbonara eggs benedict,

Giorgio swaps out hollandaise sauce

for a creamy sauce kicked up with black truffle oil,

and then makes it rain with aged grana padano.

[Maya imitates air horn]

Make it rain.

GIORGIO: It's a really interesting version of eggs benedict.

Kind of a riff on a pasta that we do at night.

SERVER: So, we have the carbonara eggs benedict.

JAROBI: Ass, ass, ass, ass. [Dani laughing]

[both laughing]

JAROBI: Looks delicious.

‐ It's very pasta‐y. But, like, with a twist.

MAYA: But the most popular plate here...

...is a throwback to those Saturday mornings when you were a kid.

GIORGIO: So this is our, um, pancake batter.

I would say probably a big majority of what's in this batter

is milled up cereal. I grew up eating Captain Crunch.

It's my absolute favorite cereal in the world.

Pancakes and cereal. Cereal and milk.

So we make milk syrup.

MAYA: A generous pour and a final sprinkling of Captain

guarantees each sweet, doughy bite comes with a crunch.

♪

[crunching]

‐ It's amazing.

Here.

JAROBI: It's really good. [echoing] ...really good... really good...

Yes. [echoing] ...yes, yes, yes, yes...

♪ dance music playing ♪

They use the cereal to make the pancakes...

[echoing]: pancakes, pancakes, pancakes...

[laughing] They use the cereal to make the pancakes...

[echoing]: ...pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes...

That was amazing.

[makes exploding noise]

I need another bite of this 'cause this is so good.

[laughing]

‐ You know when you get the food sweats?

[both laughing]

I, I feel like my whole face is, is just getting red and sweaty.

I'm getting the food sweats now.

‐ Cheers. [laughs] ‐ No, I'm not cheers‐ing that.

♪ upbeat music playing ♪

[sign dings]

ANNOUNCER [over PA]: Thank you for flying with us, and welcome to DC.

MAYA: On a quick trip to DC,

whether you're been exercising your glutes

on the longest escalators in the hemisphere,

or exercising your first amendment rights,

eventually, you're gonna want a break.

JADA: I've been a journalist for a really long time.

And the best part of political writing is...

being somewhere in America and talking to a bunch of people

about things that they care about,

and then, you know, getting some good food somewhere.

Wow. Look at that.

Dig into that thing. [laughs]

MAYA: Before moving to DC to cover national politics,

Jada spent a year traipsing the globe

writing travel articles for The New York Times

that at least five of your friends forwarded to you.

She's on the road a lot,

and always has an eye out for new places to eat.

JADA: Basically, everywhere I land,

I punch in every recommendation on a Google map.

Did you want me to say that whenever I land at an airport,

I open up Eater?

MAYA: Well, only if you really mean it.

‐ [laughs] I mean, it's true.

MAYA: Okay, Jada. That's some journalistic integrity right there.

As Jada can tell you, DC has some really good Trini food.

And at Cane, you gotta start with the wings.

‐ Oh, my. That's really good.

That's delicious.

PETER: These are, uh, our jerk wings.

Jerk wings are, uh, traditionally, uh, Jamaican, as well.

The spices came from their aboriginal people,

but a lot of escaped slaves used to use it to preserve meats.

You know, if you're on the run, it's like the perfect food.

They're, uh, smoked for three hours,

after a 24‐hour marinade,

we finish our wings with our smoked butter.

Turns out to be really delicious.

These are our jerk wings.

MAYA: Peter had been perfecting that 24‐hour marinade for years

before teaming up with his sister to open Cane.

And here on H Street,

Peter and Jeanine offer up a menu

full of the foods they grew up eating in Trinidad and Tobago.

PETER: These are our pickled vegetables that we pickle in‐house.

Some hot peppers... This is our snapper escovitch.

‐ We often have people come and say,

they've never, they've never had anything like this,

and they say every time they come to DC,

this is gonna be a stop that they have to make.

The Cane Sour

is a new cocktail.

This drink has really centered around Angostura bitters.

So, that's a new addition to the rum flights

which a lot of folks, uh, like to come and try with friends.

MAYA: Instead of waiting for the drink cart to foist over

one tiny bottle of booze up in the air,

dip into a flight of rum before you fly,

and sample these goods from the West Indies.

The name Cane is a nod to all this rum they're pouring up

behind the bar.

And to the history of the sugar cane industry.

‐ Trinidadian food became this unique entity

because of the unique combination of people that made Trinidad their home.

The African slaves worked the land,

the indentured laborers from India stayed there.

They brought their cooking techniques, their flavors.

JEANINE: There is sort of a style of Indian food

that's uniquely Trinidadian and Caribbean,

and the spice blend is just really unique.

MAYA: The Indian influence and those layered flavors

are featured in Cane's tiffin lunch box.

These tins are still a popular way to carry lunch

in India and the West Indies today.

PETER: All right, guys. So we're gonna build our tiffin.

MAYA: In this tower of tin,

flaky, fried paratha

is the base layer for a stack of curries.

Okay. On the second floor,

we've got chicken.

Upstairs, eggplant and tomato chokas,

and up top, slow cooked tender beef.

PETER: You know, you need to get in with the bread.

Everybody has their own technique.

You make the perfect bite whatever your perfect bite is.

[timer dings]

‐ Mm.

MAYA: Wash down all that spice with a lot of rum,

and you'll be feeling good by takeoff time.

MAYA: Los Angeles is known for perfect weather,

laid‐back locals,

and one of the most chaotic airports in the country.

[horns honking]

MAN: Come on!

MAYA: So stop.

Turn the car around,

and reroute to Long Beach.

Just half an hour south of LA,

you'll find an airport that won't make you lose your shit,

and some of the most memorable Khmer food outside of Cambodia.

Ooh, crispy fried treats? Yes, please!

These cha quai are at least ten times fluffier

than those airplane pillows.

VAN: In Cambodia, they're up really early in the morning

with some Chinese donuts. We call it cha quai.

They warm their bellies up with, you know, hot soup.

You know, why change something if it's not broken, right?

MAYA: Van is the current chef and co‐owner of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack.

A family business that has been serving stir fried me‐ka‐tang,

student noodles with pork and shrimp,

and their house special soup, kuy teav, the past 30 years.

‐ Long Beach has, like, the biggest Cambodian population in the US.

In the '70s, Cambodia went through a tragic moment in history,

called the Cambodian genocide, where, like, millions of Cambodians died,

because of a war within their country.

You know, we had to flee.

I was a refugee.

I was born in a refugee camp.

Eventually, my aunts and uncles,

they came out here and then they sponsored us.

We started a new life.

We didn't know anything else but Cambodian noodles.

It's our specialty, and people know us for this.

MAYA: This wouldn't be Phnom Penh Noodle Shack

without the noodles.

Soups like this kuy teav are a powerful connection to home.

Especially if home is a place you've been forced to leave behind.

But Van and his crew

keep the culture alive for a new generation of Khmer.

SORANY: So excited for this soup.

Speaking for myself, but I feel like I'm coming into, like, someone's house

every time I eat here, so...

BOTH: Multiple times. [laughing]

‐ LAX is a monster of an airport, right?

So, just coming here, getting your noodles,

getting your fix in, and just being on your way to the airport is...

there's nothing better than that.

MAYA: Sorany was born in Long Beach,

and that feeling of pulling up to the table

with 20 favorite aunties and uncles

keeps her coming back for noodles anytime she's on her way out of town.

SORANY: I was born in Long Beach,

but my parents escaped Kmae Kra‐haam, Khmer Rouge,

and came to the States.

All the obstacles,

you know, an immigrant community has to overcome,

and plus, coming from like a very stressful and traumatic event

as, as genocide, and like, going through a refugee camp,

and coming to America and all that stuff,

the sense of community,

and having a place like Phnom Penh Noodle Shack to come to is,

is really cool.

Ooh, these are hot. Yes!

MAN: Straight out. [Sorany laughs]

‐ Mm.

Oh, it's so good. MAN: Mm‐hmm.

SORANY: That is so much better when it's, like, fresh.

‐ Oh, man.

SORANY: I think across the board,

one of the most well‐known comfort foods

for a lot of Khmer, is bobor.

People eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Mainly for breakfast.

MAYA: Bobor is a Cambodian rice porridge.

That's equal parts soothing and filling.

This bowl has an array of meat, stomach, liver, and pork blood

in a lemon grass‐infused broth,

plus garlic, cilantro, scallions, and chilies.

MAN: The bobor with pork blood,

this is like the best dish that you can go ahead and dip the cha quai in.

Just the way that the cha quai absorbs that.

And it's just, it's golden right there.

Dripping all over right now.

SORANY: That's some real eating right there. [laughs]

MAYA: A bowl of the good stuff

before you cram yourself into that aisle seat you paid extra for,

only to have the lady in front of you recline into your lap,

yeah. Yeah, it's definitely worth the detour.

‐ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪

MAYA: The safest bet in any airport,

besides fasting, is pizza.

They say even when it's bad, it's still pretty good.

But you didn't come all the way to New York to settle.

This flight crew sure didn't.

And if there's anyone who knows about the legit local spots,

it's the pros.

RAMIZ: What's up, guys? DOMINIQUE: What's up?

RAMIZ: Yo, w hat's up, man? All right. DOMINIQUE: What's up?

‐ What can I get you? ‐ Let me get a, uh,

pesto sweet sauce pepperoni,

and a pesto sweet sauce broccoli.

‐ Yes, sir.

MAYA: Dani's House of Pizza in Kew Gardens

has a house special that's miles apart from your standard slice.

The magic is in the basil‐infused oil

that seeps into the crust.

Giving it a magnificent, herbaceous crisp.

RAMIZ: Oh, that's beautiful.

Almost as beautiful as the pizza man.

Ha.

We can't put the pizza in the oven fast enough sometimes, you know?

All types of people over here that come to get pizza, you know?

MAYA: For this pesto‐y goodness,

people come from around the block,

and from all over the world.

These guys kind of did both.

WOMAN: I always order their pesto.

This is my go‐to.

‐ This is so good.

‐ But I think for a first‐time person, they have to try the regular first,

so they understand what the sweet sauce is.

‐ For sure. MAN: Then they can progress to the pesto,

with the sweet sauce.

DOMINIQUE: There's levels to this, for sure.

MAN: Dom, you got some, uh, other side.

‐ I was saving it for later. MAN: Okay.

[laughing]

MAYA: Dom, and rest of his flight crew mates,

stay at this crash pad they share around the way in the neighborhood,

also known as "Crew Gardens."

‐ In one week, I might fly 20 legs.

‐ Oh, yeah, I can't do that. ‐ Yeah.

‐ Which is four legs every single day,

eating almonds and cheeses and what not,

so this is the best food in Kew in my opinion.

And the biggest thing about Dani's, the consistency. It's like,

I know 10 out of 10 times, my pesto with sweet sauce and pepperoni

is going to be delicious.

‐ No doubt. It's always gonna be delicious.

MAYA: When you're running on fumes,

nerves fried from pushy passengers,

influencers sneaking into business class, screaming babies,

and telling that guy drooling on himself after five Jack and Cokes

to please put his seat back all the way up,

because we are finally landing...

[sign dings]

Dani's House of Pizza is the spot to melt the stress away.

DOMINIQUE: I love this pizza.

WOMAN: Yes! Look at him go.

[all laughing]

DOMINIQUE: Refreshed. [laughing]

MAYA: Flying is no picnic.

But it sure as hell can be,

with a few savvy moves to snag

some of the best freaking food this country has to offer,

just outside the terminal.

So drop the sad and the shrink‐wrapped,

and go sidle up to some smoky meats.

WADE: Give it some love. A little more love.

MAYA: Distract yourself from travel nightmares

by hitting up a local favorite.

‐ Oh, my.

MAYA: Reroute your cab for a bowl of comfort.

Or treat your inner child.

[makes exploding noise] [laughing]

Whether you make a big night of it,

or just grab a simple slice,

the ideal way to fly is satisfied. ‐ Mm.

CHANDRA: I love chocolate mousse. Anything chocolate.

Anything. Ice cream, cake, cookies.

Cookies, actually.

I make the joke that, you know,

some people say that their real father was the mailman.

I say my real father was Cookie Monster.

I can eat a baker's dozen of cookies in less than an hour,

and like, feel no shame. Like, "Hey...

[laughing] Those good."

[laughing]