"Gray's Papaya with Zach Cherry, Mike Hanford, & Tami Sagher (live)" is Episode 404 of Doughboys, hosted by Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell. "Gray's Papaya with Zach Cherry, Mike Hanford, & Tami Sagher (live)" was released on June 29, 2023.
"Tomorrow… with Zach Cherry, Mike Hanford, and Tami Sagher" - @doughboyspod
Synopsis[]
Zach Cherry, Mike Hanford, and Tami Sagher join the 'boys LIVE in NYC to discuss pizza rat, flavored condoms, and Shallow Hal before a review of Gray's Papaya.
Recorded live at the Palladium Times Square on June 9, 2023.
"Classic" Nick's intro[]
April 19, 1993 was a defining day in the history of TV.
TV Food Network
It marked the launch of a new basic-cable channel called the Television Food Network. Viewed through the prism of today's fragmented micro-targeted pop culture landscape, it seems unremarkable, but back in '93, the TV Food Network was mocked and derided as a sign of television's dissent into absurdity.
Originally, its programming was targeted at elite gourmands and presented by hosts like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' Robin Leach, Gourmet Magazine editor David Rosengarten, and Donna Hanover, the then-wife of disgraced and discredited former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.
But as the channel evolved, it discovered a recipe for bigger ratings, scoring its first mainstream hit via New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse, a natural on camera with his outsized personality, running list of catchphrases, and a tendency to punctuate seasoning with an outburst of "BAM!" The new Food Network, having dropped "TV" from its name, started its programming on down-home fare presented by everymen and women, amassing a stable of celebrity chefs, including Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, and the now-shunned Paula Dean.
Then in 2005, Food Network launched its reality competition show, The Next Food Network Star, and its season two winner would transform the channel: a Bay Area chef with bleach-blonde hair styled in Bart Simpson spikes, with the piercings, tattoo sleeves, and flames emblazoned on the shirt of a karaoke DJ - Guy Ferry, who'd legally changed his last name to its Italian spelling, Fieri.
This dead ringer for the singer of Smashmouth smashed the expectations of a chef, the Sammy Hagar of the kitchen, Hulk Hogan in a chef's coat, a Chuggalo.
And he would become not just the next star, but the biggest star in Food Network's history, famous for both tasting and preparing over-the-top American food that often seemed to be conceived on a dare.
Before hitting the airwaves, Fieri had already had two restaurants: Italian-concept Johnny Garlic's and Tex Wasabi's, a barbecue sushi joint (yes, you heard that right!). But his hit shows, led by the travel-focused Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, elevated his profile to expand his empire and franchises on to cruise ships and the Vegas Strip. And in 2012, he opened his flagship restaurant in Times Square.
While embraced by tourists, it's been shunned by elitists, most famously in a scathing New York Times review where critic Pete Wells, the kind of snobbish gourmet who Food Network cast away in favor of regular guys like Guy, described one cocktail as "nuclear waste that tasted like some combination of radiator fluid and formaldehyde." Fieri brushed aside the viral teardown, responding "I'm doing the type of food America loves and I'm doing it the right way."
But is it really the type of food America loves? Is it actually "money"? "Gangsta"? "Off the hook"? Will it truly make one exclaim "Shut the front door!" or "Holy stromboli, Batman!"?
This week on Doughboys, we've flown across country and landed in Flavortown, USA. It's Guy's American Grill & Bar.
And this week on Doughboys, live from New York City, Gray's Papaya!
[Classic intro is from this episode. Support the WGA.]
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Recession Special
Frank (add cheese) |
4.5 forks |
| Mike Mitchell | Addicted to Gray's
Orange Drink |
5 forks |
| Zach Cherry |
|
4 forks |
| Mike Hanford | Recession Special
|
5 forks |
| Tami Sagher |
|
4.25 forks |
With these scores, Gray's Papaya joins the Golden Plate Club!
Let Me Be Frank[]
The Lovin' Spoonful "Summer in the City"
| “ | Hot dog simmer in the city Grit on my grill gettin' greasy and gritty |
” |
Elvis Presley "Hound Dog"
| “ |
You ain't nothin' but a hot dog |
” |
Rage Against the Machine "Killing In The Name"
| “ |
Some of those that pork process |
” |
The Whale
- Ahh! Ohh!
- In the amazing book, Moby Frank, Moby Frank - in the amazing book, Moby Frank... Frank! Open the door!
- Hello, hi. I'm from Chew Live Church. Oh my god, what are you doing?
- Read this to me!
- What?
- Please, just read it!
- What? What is this?
- Just read it, read it, read any of it!
- "In the amazing book, Moby Frank, by Herman Melgrill, the author recounts his story of being at lunch. In the first part of his book, the author calling himself Dishmael is in a small seaside cafe and he's sharing a hot dog with a man named Queedog." Why am I reading this?
- Uhhh! Just read it. Keep reading it!
- "And I felt saddest of all when I read the boring chapters that were only descriptions of hot dogs because I knew the author was just trying to save us from his old sad meal just for a little while."
- Now I can die happy. I'm going to heaven!
- Bye bye, The Dog, I love you.
In this segment, Mitch searches Google for 'hot dog' (and Nick uses Bing), as they discover the latest news about hot dogs. They then discuss!
First up, Nick finds this article about the health benefits (or otherwise) of hot dogs.
Mitch then turns up a story about Elizabeth Holmes and the food she'll eat in prison (including hot dogs).
Nick has a piece about a hot-dog festival in Fort Worth where they'll have mustard beer.
They close with this article about Consumer Reports hot-dog rankings, this one about corn dogs, and one ranking veggie dogs.
Roast Spoonman[]
Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York
| “ | All Bush, No Wick | ” |
–Brian | ||
The architect of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmstead
| “ | The architect of Central Pork, Breaderick Slaw Olmstead | ” |
–Roddo | ||
Quotes[]
| “ | I get turned on when Minnie Mouse is kicking my ass. | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | Do rats live in holes as much as they used to? | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | It all tasted like second grade. | ” |
–Tami Sagher re: Gray's Papaya | ||
| “ | Mitch: Mookie [Blaiklock] sent a picture of him and my Mom and my sister at my house, giving a thumbs up, eating pizza. Nick: You're getting son-cucked! |
” |
–The Doughboys | ||
| “ | Nick: You all love corn dogs on the panel? Zach: Love a corn dog. |
” |
–Corn dogs | ||
| “ | Mitch: When I was in Costa Rica, I saw a sloth. Tami: In a mirror? |
” |
–Tami FTW | ||
The Feedbag[]
| “ | What food that you love would you name a dog after? | ” |
–Channing | ||
| guest / host | food name for a dog |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
| Mike Mitchell |
|
| Zach Cherry |
|
| Mike Hanford |
|
| Tami Sagher |
|
| “ | If you had to adapt to the diet of any animal, what animal would you choose? | ” |
–Nora from Brooklyn | ||
| guest / host | animal diet they want |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | narwhal or orca |
| Mike Mitchell | sloth or Garfield |
| Zach Cherry | goat |
| Tami Sagher | rabbit |
| “ | If you were severed in real life, what would you not want your Innie to eat for lunch every day that would effect you as an Outie when they left work after? | ” |
–Big Fudge | ||
| guest / host | food not to eat in a Severance situation |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | dairy |
| Mike Mitchell | hot peppers |
| Zach Cherry | human shit |
| Tami Sagher | foods she's allergic too |
| “ | What method would you use to eat three hot dogs and a beer as fast as possible? | ” |
–Xander | ||
| guest / host | how to speed eat three hot dogs |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | jam the hot dogs and chug the beer at the end |
| Mike Mitchell | double fist two dogs |
| Zach Cherry | smash the dogs into one big thing and eat that |
| Mike Hanford | eat the hot dogs like Slimer |
Related Episodes[]
Photos[]
