Justin Fox Burks
Chef Michael Patrick spins his culinary magic tonight for Food Network host Guy Fieri.
Don’t believe the Food Network channel guide for tonight’s lineup for Diners, Drive-In's and Dives. Chef Michael Patrick and Rizzo's Diner will be featured at 9 p.m. with host Guy Fieri sampling Patrick’s lobster pronto pups and his excellent chorizo sausage meatloaf with green-tomato gravy.
The mix-ups with the television listings began last Monday when Rizzo's was promoted, but the episode did not air. Tonight’s listing gets it wrong again, describing South of Beale’s popcorn and duck fried rice instead of the dishes from Rizzo's.
Oh well. No reason not to party, right? “Our episode is definitely on tonight,” Patrick said, clearly enthused. “We’re shutting down Rizzo's at 8 p.m. and having a watch party around the corner at Grawemeyer’s. They have two great tv's.”
Filming the episode was a crash course in television production highlighted by Fieri's praise for Rizzo's menu and food, Patrick said: “He said we have an extremely unique menu and to just keep doing what we're doing.”
And what did he say about the food? “He said, 'I wouldn't kick that out of bed in the morning,'" Patrick said, laughing.
Typically, new restaurants aren't featured on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives, but producers were impressed with Rizzo's menu and made an exception, Patrick explained. An endorsement from The Elegant Farmer's Mac Edwards also helped. “Hats off to Mac,” said Patrick, who cooked at McEwen's for more than six years before Edwards sold the restaurant to its current owners.”They asked Mac for recommendations, and he told them about us.”
Patrick's only regret about the experience was inviting people to the filming who were unable to participate in the show, despite their long waits. The producers asked for more customers than the restaurant could accommodate because of the cameras and equipment. “People took time out of their days to be a part of the show,” Patrick said. “I felt really bad about that.”
One more thing: If you are recording tonight's show, leave your recording device set for August 27. The Diner, Drive-In's and Dives episode featuring Memphis Barbecue Co. in Horn Lake is scheduled to air next week, featuring an up-close-and-personal with the restaurant's award-winning babyback ribs.
Rizzo's Diner, 106 GE Patterson (901) 523-2033 and Grawemeyer’s, 520 S. Main (901) 800-1553
