For his birthday this year, Tom Dunphy got quite a gift: news that he was he being considered for an episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
Dunphy, who owns Mutiny BBQ Company in Asbury Park with his wife, Martha, received an email in March that their restaurant fit the bill for the show, which is hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
A couple weeks passed, “then we got the call that we got it,” he said.
“The focus is really on scratch-made, anything you’re making from start to finish. For us, that’s such a hallmark of what we do — that’s what we’re about,” said Dunphy, adding that Fieri himself chooses restaurants from locations suggested by the production company’s research team. “We didn’t win a contest, our name wasn’t drawn out of a hat. He chose to cover (us) because of this place and what we do.”
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The Dunphys opened Mutiny BBQ Company in 2021 after launching their small-batch smokehouse concept out of the Asbury Park Food Collective.
Filming took place over two days in May, and Mutiny BBQ Company will be featured on the “Coast-to-Coast Comfort” episode, airing Friday, Sept. 20.
During his visit to the Shore, Fieri also filmed at Cavé Bistro and Seed to Sprout in Avon, and Skratch Kitchen in Bradley Beach — those episodes have aired — and promoted his tequila brand at Low Dive on the Asbury Park boardwalk and the Wine Outlet in Wall.
“The first day, the crew was here, and then the second day was ‘Guy day,’ ” Dunphy said. “He was here for all of two hours. He comes in, knows exactly what he’s doing and knocks it out.
“It was surreal, it really was,” he said. “It’s a whirlwind.”
For the episode, Dunphy prepared smoked and fried chicken thighs and “The Beast from the East,” a sandwich of pulled pork, brisket, Texas sausage, coleslaw, pickles and pickled red onions.
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The recipes let him show “our pork process, our brisket process,” which Dunphy appreciates about Fieri.
“I’m a big fan of who he is and what he does. He’s an original, and what he does for small business is amazing,” he said. “He shines a light on good businesses for the right reason: people who care about their craft, people who are passionate about what they do.”
Dunphy said Fieri “was very complimentary of the food, and he had great advice for us on what to expect next.”
The Dunphys plan to watch the episode at Georgies Bar in Asbury Park, which is hosting a watch party. Dunphy, a musician who is involved in the local music scene, said viewers should keep an eye out for possible cameos by the members of The Gaslight Anthem and Dentist, as well as Jarod Clemons, son of the late Clarence Clemons — all of whom he invited to help fill the dining room during filming.
“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” airs at 9 p.m. Fridays on Food Network.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Mutiny BBQ Company: ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ visits Asbury Park
