INTERVIEW: Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri is a UNLV graduate, chef and owner of Johnny Garlic's and Tex Wasabi's restaurants in California, and best known for hosting several popular shows on TV's Food Network.

When you won the second season of The Next Food Network Star, did you ever think it would lead to this?
Guy Fieri: Man, the spectrum is about as wide as it is between the Wright brothers flying for the first time to landing on the moon. That's how crazy this has been. I thought I'd go on this show, have some fun, get to meet Bobby Flay and Emeril and Mario Batali, get to cook in the cool network kitchens, but I won't win. There are a lot of great chefs out there. But you know, I've been cooking all my life, I went to UNLV and got my degree, and I thought it would be a great opportunity. It has really blossomed and flourished.


Is it difficult to balance your own restaurants with the TV gigs?
Oh yeah. That's the thing I say to everybody, is that it always appears greener to someone else. I've really started taking into consideration all these big mega-stars and all the things they have going on, and then I look at my situation and I think, wow, mine's wild, but I can't even fathom what they're going through. But it's just a great opportunity. And hey, you gotta play while the sun's shining.


Have your experiences on television and traveling around influenced the direction you want to take with your own restaurants?
Yeah, it has made some impact. Everything makes an impact, especially in food. An artist may go through a transition and paint different styles of paintings, and cooking is the same way. New York has blown my mind. Vegas has blown my mind. I went to college in Vegas when it was known for buffets. Now it's recognized for fantastic restaurants in every casino and the surrounding areas, too. There is some pretty unique food around Vegas. I’m in a realm now where if I ever get a chance to do more concepts -- and the ones we're doing now have a lot of life in them, a lot of ability to grow in different areas -- but if it ever slows down and I get a chance to jump in, I got some ideas. There have been influences from around the country. I mean, we've shot at over 300 locations, and that doesn’t count the ones I've been to personally. I'm always thinking, I could bring this to this area. Real dynamite Mexican food has an opening across the country. Southern food, too.


On that note, do you think there's something Vegas is lacking? Or something you'd like to bring?
It's not really lacking anything. But do I think I have a spot in Vegas? Without question. Without question! I’m a big fan of Wynn. I was just in Vegas last week staying at Wynn and I got a chance to interact with few people there. I just got an award from UNLV a while back with George Maloof, and got to interact with him. I'm in Vegas every other month. I would love to bring a concept in that falls in line with my style. It could be Johnny Garlic's, which is California Italian. I'm not a real high end kind of guy. I don’t like stuffiness, I don’t like quiet, no communication, no smile. It's just not my style. Those restaurants are great and they have their place. Man, I had dinner at Guy Savoy there and had a fantastic time. But my style is loud, fun, and eclectic, in my way. Like a Southern barbecue and sushi joint. That's wild. We're working on another concept called Guy’s Big Bite and Bar, with food that's larger than life, but not portion-wise. Yeah, I love Vegas, and I'd love to be there.


How did you end up at UNLV?
I wanted to own restaurants. Being a chef was not enough for me. I didn’t want to just do that. I wanted to have a business and be in charge of my entire space shuttle. I knew I had to have a real strong business foundation, and UNLV is the premier place for that. When you have that many hotels surrounding you, supporting you, just harvesting students, there's no question where to go. I had some fantastic mentors, I was a proud ATO frat member, I had all that stuff going for me. When I graduated, I was going to take two yeas and go to culinary school, but my dad said to get out there and "see if you need it." In hindsight, sometimes there are a lot of things I wish I had gone to school and learned. I didn’t get classically trained, which is a good and bad thing. But in the end, bro, there is nothing I would really change. I am completely satisfied with who I am.


What do you think about how the Vegas restaurant landscape has changed since your college years?
I am more than happy with what I’ve seen. People on vacation want to enjoy all the luxuries of that vacation, from the pool to the spa to the shopping, and the restaurants didn’t always seem to get there. But you have to remember, my perception from back then was as a college student. The restaurants I’ve visited have been just off the charts now. At Wynn, I was thrilled. I mean, the seafood house? Bartolotta? Come on! They have a program where they're bringing fish to the table? I expect that in New England. It was awesome! Vegas has got a good thing going. People need to continue to support these restaurants, of course. It doesn’t all work off gaming anymore. But I talk to Bobby all the time, and he really enjoys it in Vegas. We’ve had a couple talks (about projects), but then the recession hit and everybody is just watching. When it's the right time, and the right deal, absolutely we're coming. Vegas is ever changing and ever growing, and when you got that kinda money and events going on, everybody's always looking for what's next. Any place where they'll tear down a perfectly good building and start over is my kinda place.


Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is one the most popular shows on cable. Why do people love it so much?
I don’t know, bro, but it is the number one show and I don’t take credit for it. I look at it as I’m the quarterback of the team and you can’t throw a touchdown pass to yourself. It takes about 50 great people to make that show happen. Why do people dig it? I think people just get the impression or feel a connection with me, that I'm just some dude who lives across the street from them, he's a little crazy, and he takes them on this tour. I'm just like you. I’m a food junkie. I’m having as much fun as anybody on this show. I mean, really, I get to eat all this stuff, then we're gonna talk about it, and I'm going to drive a Camaro. Tell me what part of that sucks. I think people watch it and think, "I wanna go, too!"


And how do you survive sampling all those burgers and bar food?
I’m very aware of what’s going on and how much I can eat. You wouldn't believe it, man, but I’m a very light eater. I love to eat and have small portions of a lot of things. I take two bites of this and that. You know, you never want to go into a food coma. And that wouldn't be being a very good host, huh? That’s about it. I mean, everybody has their French fry indulgence. But except for being on the show, I probably haven’t had an onion ring in two years. Then again, it's not like I'm a complete organics guy. I’m a man of all foods. It's funny, though ... sometimes people see me say I’m not as fat as I am on tv. I'm like, what are you saying?