All language subtitles for Diners.Drive-Ins.and.Dives.S46E02.1080p.WEBRip.x264-CBFM

You know, people are
asking me all the time,

"Hey, Guy, that one joint
you checked out
in that one city

when you were doing Triple D,
how are they doing?"

You know, I don't know.
We should check it out.

Over the years,
I've seen and tasted it all.

This is ridiculous, dude.

But it turns out,
it was only the beginning,

'cause Triple D joints
have been blowing up,

and we're going back
to see what's cooking.

Like on this trip.

We're running the gamut...

Literally everything
on the menu is a homerun.

...from barbecue...

They're smoked, then fried.

They're smoked, then fried.

...to banh mi.

That's a real-deal sandwich.

It's rib tips
and hot links
in Los Angeles...

They're fun to eat.

That's delicious.

Mmm.

...jerk chicken
and oxtail in Ohio...

Only Jamaican
can do jerk chicken.

...and in Lansing,
Michigan...

My heart is pumping.

...a barbecue...

I got a brisket banh mi.

...and Vietnamese mash up...

I've had
a lot of Vietnamese food,

never had cola in it.

...gets a ringing endorsement.

Every single thing here
is Flavortown.

Every single thing here
is Flavortown.

[Guy] Familiar faces,
new places

and more
off-the-hook flavors.

This is Triple-D Nation.

So you're looking
for a killer barbecue joint.

How do you find it?

Well, you read about it.

A friend could
tell you about it.

You could watch
some crazy show

about a dude driving
all over the country,
trying great food.

Or you could sniff it out.

That's why
I drive a convertible.

And that's what's
led me here, to Compton,

to check out
some killer barbecue.

to check out
some killer barbecue.

That was back in 2013.

And while the nose
still knows,

the eyes tell
a different story.

Because this barbecue spot,

that was once filling
the Compton air

with their signature
smoker smell,

has now spread the aroma
all over LA

at Bludso's.

[server] Full rack
of pork ribs.

Bludso's is so great
because they serve
the best barbecue.

[server]
Brisket with baked beans
and mac and cheese.

The barbecue is a good mix
of California and Texas.

[server] Half a chicken,
mac and cheese,
collard greens.

[server] Half a chicken,
mac and cheese,
collard greens.

Saw it on Triple D
a few years back.

Kevin's got
a big personality,

and it comes across
in his food, for sure.

Are y'all enjoyin'
the food?

[Guy] That's California native
and pitmaster Kevin Bludso,

who learned everything
he knows about barbecue

from his Texan grandmother.

Granny had
a little small shack
in Corsicana, Texas.

Every summer,
my mother and father
would send me down there.

Smoked ham ox,
Granny's gravy on there.

What year was it? 2013?

'13, baby. Yeah.

Did you think this is where
it was gonna end up?

[Kevin] You never know.

Do your barbecue,
just don't do no bad barbecue.

Do your barbecue,
just don't do no bad barbecue.

[server] Slab of ribs,
sauce on the side.

[woman] The ribs are good.

And it's just
consistently good
all the time.

[Guy]
That's a good-looking rib.

To me, that's kind of like
a pork skirt steak.

You're talking about
fat and muscle,
but huge flavor.

-So give me the rundown.
-Okay.

Little brown sugar,
white sugar,

seasoning salt,

-chili powder.
-Chili powder.

-Granulated garlic,
coarse black pepper.
-[Guy] Okay.

Cumin.

-Cayenne pepper, oregano.
-Okay.

-Granulated onion.
-All right.

[Kevin] Gotta mix that up.

We're gonna rub it down.

You're gonna let it
set up for 24 hours.

Twenty-four hours.
In the cooler for 24 hours.

That's the way to go, man.

-What temperature
are we runnin'?
-250.

250 for how long?

[Kevin]
About three and a half,
four hours.

[Guy whistles]

I'll tell you what,
this is a righteous rib.

All that flavor
just coming out of that bone,
onto that pork.

Man.

All this
is your grandma's recipe?

All of it.

Give me two pounds
of the LA rib tips
for the Triple-D Nation.

Give me two pounds
of the LA rib tips
for the Triple-D Nation.

[woman] I've had the ribs
plenty of times,

but I also love them
in rib tip form.

All right, walk me through.
[stutters] What's new?

So this is
our, uh, rib tip.

[Guy] Now, rib tips
were a famous thing
back in the day.

Yeah, still are.

They're smoked, then fried.

Then we sauce them up,
just like a buffalo wing.

First, I like
to just mustard them down,
as a binder.

All we season these with
is garlic salt

and coarse black pepper.

So we're about to put these
in the smoker at about 250

with pecan.

They smoke for two hours.

We let our wood
do all the work, you know,
'cause you want the smoke.

We let our wood
do all the work, you know,
'cause you want the smoke.

Now we've got
our rib tips smoked.

We're about to cut 'em up
and fry 'em up.

Put some of our
home-made sauce on 'em.

Little hot sauce,
little barbecue sauce,

a little garlic
and a few other things.

Get a nice coat on 'em.

Order up.

Here's the thing
I love about them.

I love my wings
really well done.

I don't want them to be...

-fatty, and chewy and gooey.
-Yeah.

I want them to have
some crisp to 'em.

That's what's
happening here.

You've smoked them,
the flavor's going
all the way through.

You've smoked them,
the flavor's going
all the way through.

And then
you're rehydrating 'em
with this buffalo sauce,

so you get all the texture,
all the smoke, all the flavor.

They're fun to eat.

That's delicious.

[server] LA rib tips
with baked beans.

They smoke them
slow and low, right?

They're always tender,
juicy, lean.

And with that
hot sauce... [kisses]

I thought it had
a really good kick,
but it wasn't too spicy.

I found the LA tips.
Order up.

I buy this by the pound?

You can buy that
however you want it.

You can buy that
however you want it.

By the pound,
by the bucket,

by the pick-up truck,
however you want it.

-By the pick-up truck.
-Back up in there.

[Guy] And coming up,
there's plenty more
to load up on.

If it snaps,
you know it's real.

-[Kevin] That's right.
-[snaps]

[Guy] Did you hear that?
That's the sound of real-deal
barbecue in the house.

Shut the front door.

-[Kevin laughing]
-Oh. I'm coming back for more.

[Guy] I can't count
the number of barbecue joints

I've hit up on Triple D
over the years,

but what I can count
are the ones that have
stood out.

I might just have to try
just one more piece.

Do your thing, man.

[Guy] And Kevin's
Texas inspired,
Cali-created barbecue

is one
I can't easily forget.

[server]
Brisket with baked beans
and mac and cheese.

I recently had
some barbecue in Texas,

and this is just, like,
right up there with that.

[server]
Full rack of pork ribs.

Got the greens
and the beans on the side.

It's been smoked correctly.
It's perfect.

-2013, we're at
the first location.
-Compton location.

-[Guy] Compton location.
-[Kevin] Yeah.

It is legit as they come.

But if they don't want to come
all the way down to Compton,

you wanna open up in LA?

You said,
"You taking this
to Hollywood?"

And I said, "Yeah."

We're opening up
on, uh, Melrose and La Brea.

-[Guy] You're messing with me.
-No, not at all.

This guy
could go international.
The bomb.

We still have
the one in Australia.

We still have
the one in Hollywood,
and we still--

Uh, hang on,
let me just pick that up.

-The Australian drop
that you just gave.
-Yeah, yeah. You got that?

-The one in Australia.
-Pick it up from down under.

-Yeah.
-We have a location
at The Proud Bird, by LAX.

-Yeah.
-We have a location
at The Proud Bird, by LAX.

And, uh, we're actually
about to open up

a new location
in Santa Monica.

It's been so fun
to watch Bludso's grow
from the small restaurant

to having something
nice and big, like this.

It's always the same.
It's nothing else.
It is consistent.

-Now we're making?
-Collard greens.

[Guy] Grandma's recipe again?

-No, this is
my mom's right here really.
-Mom's recipe.

Chicken base,
chopped garlic,

chopped onions,

chopped yellow peppers.

Smoked turkey necks.

-Smoked turkey necks?
-Yeah.

-Smoked turkey necks?
-Yeah.

We let it cook down
for about an hour and a half.

-Now, what are we doing?
-We're gonna add our collards.

[Guy whistles]

This is gonna cook
down to... [whistles]

We're gonna have to
season this right now.

Crushed red pepper,
onion powder,

seasoning salt.

[Guy] How long
are we gonna let these go?

[Kevin] Uh, about an hour.

-[Guy] How we lookin'?
-We good.

-Will you get me with some
extra turkey neck in there?
-Oh, yeah.

-Shut the front door.
-[Kevin laughing]

Oh.

They're tender.

A little bit spicy.

They're rich,
great broth with 'em.

Not too salty.

-Uh, just the
right balance, man.
-Thanks, man.

Awesome.

-Great greens.
-Glad you like 'em.

Kev, great greens, man.

What are we
making next, Brian?

Hot links.
Pick 'em up.

Love the hot links.

They're home-made,
and they just have
a lot of love in 'em.

Homemade Texas links,
Texas red hots.

-[Guy] Got it.
-WIth the beef, no pork.

-[Guy] Got it.
-WIth the beef, no pork.

Oh, man.

Walk me through
the process on this.

[Kevin] This is
a staple at Bludso's.

In Texas,
they call them red hots.

And people love 'em.

We use beef chuck
for our links,

and we also use
Angus beef short ribs.

So we're gonna
grind this up.

70% chuck, 30% fat.

So now we're gonna
add our seasoning.

Kosher salt,
pink curing salt,
sodium phosphate,

Spanish paprika,

and our special,
secret chili spice.

Granulated garlic,
crushed red peppers,

brown sugar, oregano,

brown sugar, oregano,

coarse black pepper,
and some fresh garlic.

Now we mix this up.

We're gonna go to the stuffer
and make our Texas hot links.

And then they go
right to the smoker
for two hours.

Nice and plump.

I'm about to cut this up
right now, baby.

Take your time, baby.

All right, Kev,
I'm not saying this
just 'cause it's you.

-If it snaps,
you know it's real.
-That's right.

-[snaps]
-If you say it's a hot link,
that's a hot link.

-[snaps]
-If you say it's a hot link,
that's a hot link.

-It's a hot link.
-But it's not such a hot link

-that people are not
gonna appreciate it.
-Yeah. Yes.

You don't want it
to burn your lips.

You wanna be able to eat it
and keep eating it,
like you're doing.

My favorite part about it is,

besides the great flavor
and the snap,

is that texture.

-Yeah, yeah.
-The texture of the meat
inside of it.

Delicious.
You did not disappoint.

[server] Texas hot link
with mac and cheese.

They were so hot.

It doesn't taste
like a sausage
I've ever had before.

They were amazing.

How are the hot links?
Are they spicy enough for you?

The beef hot links
are excellent.

They got a kick to it.
I love my spice.

Got a hot links
and a rib tips up,
table five, please.

Got a hot links
and a rib tips up,
table five, please.

The barbecue here
is so good.

Like juicy, tender.

The sauce,
you can't go wrong.

You can buy
the barbecue sauces
to take home.

It's awesome.

Look at this.
Give me the rundown, man.

You have taken this
to the next level.

You got rubs,
you got sauces,
you got the cookbook.

What happened?

Well, you know,
I keep it 100.

I always remember
one thing you told me,

and you said,
"Man, take advantage
of this situation."

And I was like,
"What do you mean?"

You said, "Rubs, sauce."

And you said that years ago.

And you said that years ago.

And that's what we did.

People can buy this online?

Online, yeah.

-Buy it--
-Or they can come
in the restaurant.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

I was so happy
when you came out
with the cookbook.

[Kevin]
And I ain't done yet.

Yeah, it doesn't
look like it.

Coming up
in Columbus, Ohio...

Pa...

-[Guy] Paprika?
-[Ena] Paprika.

...a crash course
in Caribbean cooking.

I'm a Jamaican.

I didn't know.

And watch out
for the test at the end.

Caribbean or Cuhribbean?

-Cuhribbean.
-Cuhribbean.

-Cuhribbean.
-Cuhribbean.

-Caribbean.
-[exclaims]

So I'm here in the
Linden neighborhood
of Columbus, Ohio.

Now, back in the day,
this was the major
shopping area.

But as times changed,
things changed.

Well, that's actually
a good thing here
because it opened the door

to a type of food
you might not have found
in Columbus before.

And lucky for me,
that door led to a killer
Jamaican joint

with food as authentic
as the chef who's cooking it.

And even after
hitting the spotlight
in 2017,

you can still find her
serving Caribbean classics
to the locals of Columbus.

This is
Ena's Caribbean Kitchen.

This is
Ena's Caribbean Kitchen.

Jerk chicken.
Rice, and beans and cabbage.

[woman] Everybody knows
this is the hub

to get some authentic
Caribbean food.

Oxtail coming up.

When Guy was here last time,
we were right here
in this location.

What makes it so great?

The food is just dynamic.

-Dynamic?
-Dynamic.

I think dynamic
is a perfect word.

One jerk chicken Alfredo.

This is an experience
that you can get in Ohio
that's like nothing else.

[Guy] An experience
that started way back

when Chef Ena Hales
was cooking in her kitchen
in Jamaica.

when Chef Ena Hales
was cooking in her kitchen
in Jamaica.

Were you in the
restaurant business
in Jamaica?

No. But I did have it
at my house.

-You had a Jamaican restaurant
at your house?
-No.

-No.
-My kids bring
their friends to the house.

-Okay.
-Miss Ena,
what you cook today?

And they love it.

-How many kids do you have?
-Five.

-[Guy] Everybody work here?
-[Ena] Oh, yes.

[server] Lamb with rice.

Everybody's
still here working.

As, obviously,
the first generation
transitions,

the same constant quality
is there.

Literally
everything on the menu
is a homerun.

Jerk chicken rice
and beans.

Triple-D fan in the house.

Triple-D fan in the house.

We're gonna make
the rub for jerk chicken.

Salt. Pa...

-[Guy] Paprika?
-[Ena] Paprika.

I'm a Jamaican.

-[Guy] I didn't know.
-[Ena laughing]

[Ena] Pepper blend,
garlic powder, onion powder,

black pepper, white.

That's white pepper.

You can't say,
"Black pepper, white."
That didn't make--

You're Jamaican.
I'm sorry. I didn't know.

[Ena laughing]

Adobo,
pimento, all spiced,
cayenne pepper.

Now we're going
to do the wet rub.

-Garlic,
scotch bonnet pepper.
-[Guy whistles]

[Ena] Onion,
thyme, red chilies,

[Ena] Onion,
thyme, red chilies,

house dry rub.

Which you can also
buy here, right?

-That's right.
-Shameless plug.

[Ena] Soya sauce.

-[Guy] Wine.
-Liquid smoke,

vinegar and some browning.

-Brown sauce.
-Let it roll.

Now we're going
to prep our jerk chicken

with the dry rub
and the wet rub.

Twenty-four hours.
And are we grilling these?

Grill.

-[Guy] Finish it in the oven?
-Yes.

Jerk sauce on the chicken.

[Guy] You get a little
texture from the grill
on the outside.

Marinade,
little bit of that heat.

Marinade,
little bit of that heat.

All the way
down that chicken.

That's why it's only
Jamaican can do jerk chicken.

Well, I'll tell you what
this non-Jamaican's
doing right now...

shoveling jerk chicken.

[Ena]
Jerk chicken coming up.

Before Triple D,
we used to do
about 100 pounds.

After Triple D,
we stepped up to 250 a day.

Jerk shrimp pasta.

From jerk chicken options
to jerk shrimp Alfredo,
phenomenal.

Now we're going to do
the seasoning

for the jerk shrimp
for the pasta.

Same seasoning
that we make with Guy
for the jerk chicken.

Same seasoning
that we make with Guy
for the jerk chicken.

Only difference,
we're using adobo.

Mix all of those together.

We're going to make
the Alfredo sauce.

Butter, onion and garlic,
heavy cream,

then the adobo,
salt and black pepper,

shaved Parmesan,
Romano.

After this thicken up,

then we start
to cook our shrimp.

Onion and bell pepper,
shrimp, seasoning,
then our sauce.

In goes our pasta.

Now we are going
to put it together.

Parmesan
and the shaved Romano.

Parmesan
and the shaved Romano.

Jerk shrimp pasta.

We have the
jerk shrimp Alfredo.

[woman 1] You've got
the peppers in there,

that shrimp coming together.

Everything that is
encompassed with an Alfredo,
but to another level.

[woman 2] I'm not
a spicy person,

but it has enough spice
for you to actually
enjoy the dish.

Escoveitch snapper.
The one Guy love.

They had the chicken option,
the shrimp, vegetarian,

but you also have fish.

Having those
different options on the menu

makes it a great place
to come to.

Oxtail, rice and beans
and cabbage.

I just go straight
for the oxtails every time.

I just go straight
for the oxtails every time.

They're so tender.
Just grab a fork.

It is a Jamaican
traditional dish.

We are going to marinate it.

Salt, garlic.

We use the powder
and we use the fresh garlic.

Black pepper,
thyme, soya sauce.

Then we're going
to rub it in.

You let it sit for a while,
you'll get a better flavor.

And we're going to fry.

The fry, kind of tendering.

Give you that lovely color.

We're gonna put it
into the cooker.

Onions and garlic
for 15 minutes.

Oxtail is done.

Callaloo, cornbread
and oxtail.

Callaloo, cornbread
and oxtail.

Put a little garnish
in there.

Oxtail with rice
and beans and cabbage.

This falls right off the bone.
It's rich.

They take the time,
and they get it right.

Do you say
Caribbean or Cuhribbean?

-Well, it depends.
-Caribbean or Cuhribbean?

-Cuhribbean.
-Cuhribbean.

-Caribbean.
-[Guy exclaims]

Correct answer is
whatever Miss Ena says.

Miss Ena,
how do you say it?

Caribbean.

-[all laughing]
-That was both.

It open up
everybody's eyes

to let them know
that you can get

good Jamaican food
in Columbus.

good Jamaican food
in Columbus.

You don't have to go
to Jamaica to get it.

And now it's just really
getting the attraction
that it deserves.

It's super busy now.

When you have a restaurant
that's this popular,

people are happy
to live close to it.

We get customer
from all over Columbus.

You got one
all the way from California.

Yes, I sure do.

Great job.

And up next...

Very nice.

...a joint
in Lansing, Michigan...

Yeah, we gotta pick it up.
Full house out there, Ma.

...with a culinary combo...

I've never seen
a place like this.

...you gotta see to believe.

...you gotta see to believe.

You guys got a gem here.

I won't tell
anybody about it.

You know,
ladies and gentlemen,

we have found Triple D joints
in the craziest of places.

Of course we found them
at gas stations.

Well, we found it
in a grocery store,

we found it in a liquor store,
found in an antique store.

We've even found it
in a boxing gym.

But I gotta tell you what,
we're here in Lansing,
Michigan,

just a few blocks
from the Capitol,

and this has got to be
the craziest one yet.

Inside of a cellular store?

I came calling
back in 2017,

and found real-deal Vietnamese
with a barbecue twist.

Now that cellular store
is not there anymore,

but this place still has
the phone ringing
off the hook.

but this place still has
the phone ringing
off the hook.

This is Capital City BBQ.

[server] The Wall Street Bull,
brisket on top.

You have to come
to Capital City BBQ.

Guy came here,
and it's a hit.

[server 2] You got
the shrimp spring rolls.

People come in
for just the unique take

on her traditional barbeque
and Vietnamese fare.

Every single thing here
is Flavortown.

[Guy] And brought to you
by Vietnamese-born

Flavortown resident
Linh Lee,

who's fusing flavors from home
with all-American barbecue

alongside her son, Mike.

alongside her son, Mike.

I got a brisket banh mi.

A lot of Triple D fans
like that one.

Brisket banh mi is just
such a unique sandwich.

Something
I've never tried before.

-First up.
-Pickled daikon.

-Daikon.
-White vinegar,
salt, sugar.

-Daikon in there.
-[Guy] And we dump in
the carrot.

What do we do next?

We're going
to make a sandwich.

Sriracha mayo,
jalapeno, brisket,

cucumber, green onion.

[Guy] Pickled daikon
and carrots.

Cilantro.

Very nice.

My heart is pumping.

[Guy] You've got good smoke,
good bark on the brisket.

Pickled veggies are great.

Little sriracha mayo.

That's a real-deal sandwich.

[Mike] Can you draw out
the brisket banh mis for me?

[Linh speaking]

You have
the brisket banh mi.

[woman] You get
the sweetness of the barbecue

and then the freshness
of the vegetables.

[Linh] You want
a pork noodle salad?

You know, there's so much
good stuff to try.

You know, there's so much
good stuff to try.

I've tried to eat my way
across the menu myself.

I used to come when
it was a cell phone store.

So now the cell phone store
is gone.

Now I just come
for the food.

[Linh speaking]

I was really happy
when she got rid
of the cell phone store

and got more seating.

Yeah, we gotta pick it up.

Full house out there, Ma.

The phone store went away,
the menu started getting
a little bit bigger.

I got the pork
noodle bowl today.
Never tried it before.

But it was super fresh
and tasty.

Here is
a pork butt shoulder.

I like
to cut it very thin.

Now we're going
to marinate the pork

with marinade
I made with Guy.

Lemongrass that
went through a food processor.

-[Linh] Garlic.
-[Guy] Shallots.

[Linh] Black pepper,
crushed pepper,

-salt, sugar.
-[Guy] Okay.

Sesame oil, fish sauce.

Cola.

[Guy] I've had a lot
of Vietnamese food,

never had cola in it.

never had cola in it.

They blend
everything in here.

And we're going
to let it sit overnight.

Pork on the grill.

Put all ingredient together
in a bowl

to make
the pork noodle salad.

Bean sprout,
lettuce, mint,

cucumber, cilantro,
the pork noodles,

carrot daikon.

I'm going to take it off
from the grill.

Chop it up.

Sauteed green onion,
fried egg roll.

Sauteed green onion,
fried egg roll.

And this sauce,
in Vietnam we call nuoc cham.

Boil little water,
sugar, salt,

chili pepper, garlic.

Take it off from the stove.
Vinegar.

Pickled carrot daikon.

Fish sauce.
And here we go.

Pork noodle salad,
side of fish sauce.

I like the pork,
it's seasoned well.

It goes well with the noodles
and the lemongrass.

[man] Sauce is
really, really tasty, too.

You get some sweetness,
some tang from the vinegar.

Brisket banh mi.
You must have seen
Triple D, huh?

Brisket banh mi.
You must have seen
Triple D, huh?

You guys got a gem here.
I won't tell anybody about it.

-Keep it between us, okay?
-All right. That's right.
Secret.

After Triple D was here,
a lot more people were
talking about it.

People start coming
and start buying the food.

She make great food
over here.

I've never seen
a place like this.

I really dig it.
I think this is fun.

You... are wild.

Thank you!

Escoveitch snapper coming up
for that Triple D fan.

I got a brisket banh mi,
a Grease Lightning with fries

and an order of the egg rolls.

and an order of the egg rolls.

All right, folks,
that's it for this cruise
down memory lane.

[server] The brisket
with baked beans
and mac and cheese.

The Wall Street Bull
for Larry.

But don't worry, we got
a ton of funky joints
to revisit...

Order of Texas red hots.

Thank you so much
for coming out.

...all over this
Triple-D Nation.

Why I gotta mail 'em?

I can't come
to the party and cook 'em?

-That's what I meant.
-Okay, I'm there then.

Only ring that hot one
right up front.

What, the register?

I bought that register legit.
That register is not hot.

[Kevin laughing]