When Eric Lucero opened his Latin American restaurant four years ago, he did so because he couldn’t find the food he enjoyed back home in New York — like Colombian bandeja paisa and Peruvian chaufa.
He never thought it would lead to a feature on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
But Lucero and his Point Pleasant Beach restaurant, Heights 167 (previously called Point Grill Latin Cuisine), will appear on an episode titled “Wide World of Chefs,” airing Friday, Oct. 4.
“When I opened up, I didn’t expect this,” said Lucero, who moved to New Jersey to help run his parents’ Point Pleasant Beach restaurant, Dona Julia Mexican Restaurant, before opening his own. “I knew we were going to be good. I knew we had a different cuisine that isn’t available in the area. Next thing you know, we’re getting contacted by Guy (Fieri).”
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Fieri visited earlier this year during a trip that also included stops at Skratch Kitchen in Bradley Beach, Cavé Bistro and Seed to Sprout in Avon, and Mutiny BBQ Company in Asbury Park. The restaurants also were featured in the show’s current season.
“Once I got the announcement that they were coming, I worked harder than I ever did. It was very intense,” Lucero said. “Then the moment he (Fieri) walked in, I looked at him, he looked at me, and it was just a surreal moment.”
“He’s a very genuine guy. Down to earth, very cool, very chill, very humble,” Lucero said of Fieri. “He was actually giving me words of encouragement, words of advice. He went out of his way to say simple things, like ‘I’m proud of you,’ which means a lot.”
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According to Food Network, the episode will feature Heights 167’s papa rellenas, or potato croquettes stuffed with ground beef and Oaxaca cheese, and birria.
The restaurant’s inclusion in the show is especially poignant for Lucero, who promised his mother, who passed away two years ago, that he would make a name for Heights 167.
“I remember telling her that I was going to make Heights 167 a destination point one day. Instead of people coming to the beach and then finding someplace to eat, people were going to come to my restaurant then go to the beach,” he said. “Then that day (when Food Network called), I started feeling I fulfilled a promise to my mom.”
“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: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visits Point Pleasant Beach
