"Chop Stop with Tim Baltz" is Episode 428 of Doughboys, hosted by Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell. "Chop Stop with Tim Baltz" was released on January 11, 2024.
"Tomorrow… with Tim Baltz" - @doughboyspod
Synopsis[]
Tim Baltz (@tim.baltz, Shrink) joins the 'boys to talk comedy colleagues, basketball, and salads before a review of Chop Stop.
Nick's intro[]
“Live from the NBC Studios in Burbank, California: The Tonight Show, with Jay Leno.”
James Douglas Muir Leno
On May 25th, 1992, 16 million viewers heard this introduction as ample-chinned comic James Douglas Muir Leno made his debut behind the desk of America’s most storied talk-show institution. It followed a tumultuous jockeying for the job with then-Late Night host David Letterman — a process that would be replicated nearly twenty years later over the same slot with Conan O’Brien.
Burbank has always lived in the shadow of its much larger, glitzier neighbor, Los Angeles (a shadow that’s somehow even hotter). The city was often even invoked as a punchline under the previous Tonight Show host, Johnny Carson. But Leno’s 22-year on-and-off stewardship of the franchise would help revitalize the image of the sprawling San Fernando Valley city.
In addition to his nightly sign-on, Leno chose Burbank to house his massive personal garage for his collection of nearly 300 classic cars and motorcycles. The Burbank automotive assemblage inspired a TV series of its own, the Emmy-winning Jay Leno’s Garage, which ran for seven seasons. Leno has a designated booth at the original Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, where he regularly appears at their Friday night classic-car show, and the silver-haired denim enthusiast frequently performs at Burbank comedy club, Flappers.
And it’s Burbank where, in 2011, Mark Kulkis launched a chain to fill what he felt was an unexplored niche: chopped salads. The cold-dish concept had a hot start in the veggie-friendly southland, and by 2016, it began franchising. But in a crowded market for bowls of greens, there are worrying signs for this salad seller. Already a location in the heart of health-conscious West Hollywood has shuttered, and the number of operating restaurants is down from its high of 30 to just 21 in California and Nevada.
So will this chain have the reach and staying power of Leno’s Tonight Show run? Or in the shadow of more prominent competitors like sweetgreen and Chopt, will this Burbank-founded eatery become the Burbank of salad chains?
This week on Doughboys, live from the Headgum Studios in Los Angeles, California: Chop Stop.
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
2 forks |
| Mike Mitchell | Caesar Chopanini | 1.5 forks |
| Tim Baltz | Tex-Mex Chopanini | 1 fork |
| shared |
|
With these scores, Chop Stop makes the Broken Plate Club.
Slop Quiz: Chew Year, Chew Edition[]
In Slop Quiz, Nick presents a food-related exam (pop quiz) and Mitch and the guest compete for superiority.
For this episode, Nick presents trivia about New Year's and food.
| clue | Mitch | Baltz | correct | score (MM-TB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What percent of Americans feel pressured to make a New Year's resolution? (7/29/45/63%) | 63% | 45% | 29% | 0 - 0 |
| What are oliebollen, a traditional New Year's treat in the Netherlands?(fried pastry balls, chocolate truffles, dumplings, mini-pancakes) | fried balls | dumplings | fried balls | 1 - 0 |
| What popular Mexican food is often served with menudo on New Year's?(tamale, quesadillas, churros, Viva Mexico Chop) | tamale | - | tamale | 2 - 0 |
| Which generation feels most pressure to set a New Year's resolution?(Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z) | Gen X | Millennials | Gen Z | 2 - 0 |
| This Spanish tradition consists of eating what with each 12 bell strikes at midnight of New Year's?(pomegranate seeds, grapes, olives, candy corn) | grapes | pomegranate | grapes | 3 - 0 |
| Which fish is eaten at the stroke of midnight of New Year's in Poland and Scandinavia?(smoked salmon, pickled herring, tuna, sardines) | - | pickled herring | pickled herring | 3 - 1 |
| Which New Year's resolution is most common among Americans?(improve fitness, weight loss, improve diet, improve mental health) | weight loss | fitness | mental health | 3 - 1 |
| In Italy, which dish is traditionally eaten on New Year's for good luck?(pickled eggplant, pasta & beans, stuffed peppers, pork sausage & lentils) | pasta & beans | stuffed peppers | pork sausage & lentils | 3 - 1 |
| A popular New Year's dish known as Hoppin' John is made of peas, greens, and cornbread. What do the ingredients symbolize? | hay, grass, and bugs | money, health, and prosperity | money, gold, coins | 3 - 3 |
Mitch and Tim tie!
Roast Spoonman[]
Terrell Owens
| “ | Sterile Owens | ” |
–Colin | ||
Quotes[]
| “ | Doofson also told me invented Thousand Island Dressing. He was on a semester abroad in Greece and came up with the idea for the perfect dressing. | ” |
–Nick Wiger | ||
| “ | Wouldn't that be perfect for me to marry the Wendy's girl? I think it would've been great. A match made in heaven. People'd be like 'Grimace and the Wendy's girl are marrying?' | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | When Doc in Back to the Future is taking the garbage and dumping it into the car for fuel, it felt like that kind of wet garbage but in a wrap. | ” |
–Tim Baltz re: the Chopanini | ||
The Feedbag[]
| What is the best or most exciting late-night wedding food? (-Sam) | |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | In-N-Out |
Restaurants[]
| restaurants referenced | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| El Burrito Loco | Joliet, IL | a hometown chain Tim mentioned |
| Dairy Freeze | Quincy, MA | |
| Brigham's Ice Cream Parlor | Quincy, MA | |
| Eat Salad | France | Tim's cousin in France owns some salad franchises |
| Alcove | Los Feliz, CA | |
| The Hermosillo | Los Angeles, CA | Tim and Lily's wedding party ended up here |
Drops and Plugs[]
| reference | notes |
|---|---|
| some metal riff | in Mitch's drop (by Brad) |
|
Tim's plugs |
Photos[]
