If you’ve been keeping up with local restaurants’ Facebook posts and Tallahassee Democrat articles, then you know that celebrity chef Guy Fieri has been on his own tour de Tallahassee.
In October, Tallahassee was graced by Fieri’s presence at Market Liquors on North Monroe Street for a meet-and-greet and bottle signing for his tequila brand Santo Spirits. While here, it turns out he also visited several other locally owned restaurants to be featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
From farm-to-table restaurant Backwoods Crossing to Cajun-style eatery Coosh’s Bayou Rouge Restaurant, Fieri also made his way to comfort food destination Tally Mac Shack.
“This is Tallahassee’s moment as much as it is ours,” Justin Cruz, owner of Tally Mac Shack, said in a release sent to the Tallahassee Democrat. Tally Mac Shack will be featured on the show’s Friday, Feb. 7, episode titled “Pizza, Latin and Mac.”
Tally Mac Shack started out as pop-up operation in 2017 for local breweries like DEEP Brewing Co., Lake Tribe Brewing Co., and Ology Brewing Co. The food truck earned accolades including being named Tallahassee’s Best Food Truck five times, winning the 2020 inaugural Capital City Youth Services’ Tally Award, and being recognized as the U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week by Senator Marco Rubio.
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In 2019, it opened its only bricks-and-mortar location inside the 1851 Food Hall on the campus of Florida State University.
In this upcoming episode, the Food Network’s description says that Fieri visits a Latin restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, a pizza spot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and “a macaroni mixologist” in Tallahassee who “is going out of bounds with grandma’s recipes, adding mouthwatering mojo pork and cookin’ up masala mac bites.”
The “Tikka Masala Mac and Cheese Bites,” a cheesy, spicy recipe, is also listed on Food Network’s recipe list.
To celebrate its newest achievement, the mac and cheese shop posted details of a watch party, a Guy Fieri lookalike competition, an Air Pod Pro Max giveaway and a mac and cheese eating contest hosted at DEEP Brewing Co. on Cathay Court.
“Let’s celebrate the best way we know how: mac, beer, and good vibes!” the post read. The festivities are slated to start at 4 p.m. that Friday, and the episode is slated to air at 9 p.m.
“From the food truck days to now higher education dining, we owe it all to the love and support of this city! We’re honored to share this recognition with the city we call home, Tallahassee,” Cruz said.
If you go
- What: Tally Mac Shack watch party
- When: 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday Feb. 7
- Where: DEEP Brewing Co., 2524 Cathay Court.
To register for this event visit, partiful.com.
How to watch
- The “Pizza, Latin and Mac” episode airs at 9 p.m. on Feb. 7.
- You can catch the episode on The Food Network, channel 231 for DirectTV users, channel 47 for Xfinity users and channel 110 for DISH users.
- It will also be on streaming platforms like Max and Hulu.
On deck
The restaurant of local chef Leon Brunson, called Leon’s at Lake Ella, was also visited by Fieri, with an episode anticipated to air Feb. 14.
This article includes previously reported information. Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
