The Food Network’s Guy Fieri drove into Stamford in his red 1968 Chevy Camaro to tape episodes of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” at three local restaurants – Stamford Diner, Kouzina and Corbo’s Southside Deli. It's pretty impressive that three Stamford eateries made the cut from over one hundred considered tri-state restaurants!
The first episode to air was Stamford Diner, located just off I-95 on Harvard Avenue in the Waterside District. According to general manager Laura O’Brien (who began working in that location in 2002 when it was City Limits, she stayed on when restaurateur Ari Thanos bought the diner in 2017 and changed it to The Stamford Diner), the show looks for restaurants with diverse menus with broad appeal that are also family friendly.
So, what comfort food dishes were featured from the vast Stamford Diner menu? Matzoh ball soup and the hot open turkey sandwich! Guy has not featured Matzoh ball soup on his show since 2019 but knew Stamford Diner’s was a showstopper. According to O’Brien, throughout the taping, Fieri referred to the turkey sandwich as “Thanksgiving anytime”.
The segment was shot over a 2-day period. Day one, which lasted 8 hours, consisted of pre-and post-production filming and interviews with customers. Day two was filming in the kitchen and the production of the dishes, which took 5 hours.
Laura was told that if Guy eats more than 2 bites, he really likes the dish. He ate it all!
“For a restaurant to even be considered for this show is exciting. To be selected is an over-the-top, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
What you see on television is what you get from Guy Fieri, according to the team at Stamford Diner. He has a true love of food, is genuine, sincere and has a great sense of humor.
