I recently was interviewed for the Food Guy and Marcy syndicated radio show. The “Guy” in “Food Guy” is Guy Fieri, winner of the first “The Next Food Network Star” contest. He currently has three shows on the Food Network and a string of restaurants dotting Northern California and beyond. His co-host (and producer) on the show is Marcy Smothers, vintner and wife of Tommy Smothers from the Smothers Brothers.
I was brought on the show to talk about the In-n-Out secret menu, which I do know quite a bit about. I had a pretty good time. Everyone at the show was very nice. Guy seemed like a pretty cool guy. Marcy was great. The producer and the engineer were both friendly.
In general, I think it went well, although I did have one minor gripe. Marcy introduced me as “a self-proclaimed expert on In-n-Out” at the top of the show and after every break. The phrase “self-proclaimed” makes it sound like I put it on my business cards and had t-shirts printed up. I really only know about the secret menu. I don’t know much more about the company.
To prove I was an expert, Marcy peppered me with some trivia questions that had nothing to do with the food on the menu, secret or otherwise. “What do the two palm trees stand for on the wrapper?” (No idea.) “Who owns the company?” (I knew it was the Snyder family, but not the specific person’s name that manages the trust.)
I was afraid the combination of hearing that I was a “self-proclaimed expert” then listening to me fumble for an answer to some relatively easy In-n-Out trivia questions might have made me come across like a bit of a douchebag, but I’ve been assured that was not the case. It was my fault really, for not correcting Marcy on the scope of my knowledge.
My wife drove me up to the interview. It was in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco and a two hour drive from Sacramento. She wanted to meet Guy, and I think we managed to accomplish that goal without making it seem like she had a Guy Fieri shrine in our basement and just wanted a lock of his hair.
Speaking of hair, Guy’s trademark spiked blond locks were nowhere to be seen. My guess is that they are a lot of work, and why bother when no one can see your head on the radio? I wanted to get a few pictures: one for Patti and I and one for Badmouth. When we were setting up the first shot, Marcy snuck out of the frame. I think she thought we wanted a only pic with the big star, Guy. I worry about her self-esteem issues.
I coaxed her back to take the picture for Badmouth. I wanted to talk about the entire interview experience there, not just that I met Guy. It is only looking at the photo afterwards that I realize she may have avoided the picture because she feared for her life. Guy and I are big boys, and she looks like she might weigh 98 pounds wet.
Patti and I got some nice memories and a nice bottle of wine from Marcy’s vineyard that we served at Christmas. Can’t ask for more than that.
You can listen to the interview (in two parts) at the Food Guy and Marcy Web site. (Check under February 23rd.)
