Valerie Leigh Albanese: Fun with Guy Fieri

So, there are a plethora of chefs that I admire and adore for many different reasons. There's Mario Batali with his brilliance in simplicity, Bobby Flay with his flair for fresh and vibrant flavors, Scott Conant for his unmatched precision...I won't even continue talking about the chefs I love. The list could go for miles. My personal opinion is that, in the culinary world, you can't always take yourself too seriously. I think it's vital that you take the craft seriously but that you remain relatable and approachable. Nobody encompasses that more than the free-spirited and fun Guy Fieri.

I love Guy. I think he's hilarious and completely original. I think his entire "schtick" is 100% real and that he truly is insane in the best of ways. While he's not at the top of my list for chefs I look up to, he's definitely at the top for chefs who know who they are and stay true to that. So, when given a chance to see him live at the NYC Food and Wine Festival, I happily jumped on it.

I decided I wanted to do something special for Allison out of the blue. She's treated me to some wonderful things in the past few months and I wanted to return the favor. I looked up all the events at the festival this year and boy, would I have gone nuts if things weren't sold out. For example, Bobby Flay had this taco and tequila tasting event that I would have killed to attend. Also, Scott Conant did an intimate harvest lunch at Scarpetta where you meet with local farmers and watch him cook. Um, I'm in love with him and wouldn't have been able to speak if I attended that so maybe it's good it was sold out. Anyway, I kept scrolling through the options and there it was - a culinary demonstration with Guy Fieri. I thought, what could be more fun than that?! So, I got us tickets. I am so very glad I did.

It was held in a small auditorium at The New School down on 12th Street. Basically, it was an hour and a half of cracking up at Guy and feeling like you were totally a part of his family. He came out, guns blazing, and it was all about having fun, really. He did cook a couple of things but it mainly felt like you were just hanging out with him. He was totally interactive, bringing people up on stage, and he definitely made a delicious looking cocktail that he shared with a few lucky people stuck in the back row. At the end, he stood around signing so many autographs and talking to people. When Allison and I got up there to meet him, I was just so excited because of how nice he really is. As a bonus, he had his buddy, Gorilla, from one of his 'Diners' episodes come out and I definitely asked him to sign my ticket, too. I think I made his day and he surely did sign my ticket "pork ribs", hahaha:

Seriously, it was so much fun and I'm dying to go again next year! Mark my words...I WILL meet Scott Conant. Until then, enjoy these fun photos that Allison took: