Hooter Bowl 3: The History of the Worst Hotel in Las Vegas feat. Alexander Poncio

They thought I was sent from corporate! McDonald's Breakfast is arguably the most desirable form of McDonald's, and my Ronald McDonald-looking-ass got to chow down on it with the king of the clowns, Clown Boss Chad Damiani! The Good: I got treated like a king for coming in dressed as Ronald (and I don't think they knew I wasn't sent from the higher-ups), the McGriddle hits (for me), the hash browns hit (for Chad), and they made no stink about me playing in the PlayPlace The Not Good: The Chicken Biscuit is the drier than heck, and the ordering kiosk gave Chad a difficult time The Just There: The Egg McMuffin What We Ate: Sausage McGriddle, Egg McMuffin, Hash Browns, Deluxe Pancake Breakfast with Bacon, & the Chicken Biscuit Chad made the mistake of romanticizing a diner that did NOT live up to any expectations of decency in this week's Calibration Station "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (In just a couple days, my January Patreon exclusive episode drops, and I get to cover my all-time favorite burger chain, Dan's Hamburgers out of Austin, TX with my friend Gabe Alvarez), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Join the show's Discord server: https://discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4   Send in your McDonald's stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Chad on Instagram @thechaddamiani   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   Next week on "Fine" Dining: The Third & Final Hooter-Bowl [Part One]! I drive all the way to Las Vegas to stay at the Hooters Hotel & Casino (now branded as the OYO) to eat at the only Hooters in the country to serve breakfast with my good friend Alexander Poncio. Ever work at Hooters? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

29 Jan 1h 5min

A magic belt that produced burgers? It's before 10:30am, which means it's time for McDonald's Breakfast! Learn the history of this iconic (and, in my opinion: better) half of McDonald's menu before diving into the clown lore of Ronald McDonald himself with the Clown Boss Chad Damiani Chad tells the story of a McDonald's fiasco his brother experienced all to try and save a few bucks McDonald's breakfast started as something offered by one location just "trying it out" -- something that would never be tolerated in today's corporate landscape The creator of the McGriddle is a fast food maverick also response for the SmashBurger chain, the stuffed crust pizza at Pizza Hut, JIF peanut butter, and more! Ronald McDonald isn't very visible these days, and that's no accident New segment! Hear the restaurant of Chad's dreams: The Tiny Diner A Yelper reviews the drink he got at McDonald's on his way to dinner somewhere else "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (I closed the year with my Patreon exclusive episode covering rude-service-on-purpose restaurant chain Dick's Last Resort after driving to Las Vegas with friend and season 1 cheese correspondent Steven Zurita), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your McDonald's stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Chad on Instagram @thechaddamiani   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   Next week on "Fine" Dining: McDonald's Breakfast Review [Part Two]! Chad Damiani returns to eat fast food for the first time in a long time, and discuss how the employees thought I (as Ronald McDonald) was sent from corporate as we break down the Good, the Not Good, and the Just There of McDonald's. Ever work at McDonald's? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

22 Jan 1h

"I don't have a lot of respect for a meatball!" IKEA Swedish Bistro has a tough battle if it wants to be taken seriously on its culinary merits. Does it stake its claim as a contender in the pantheon of viable restaurants? Dropout's Chris Grace joins me to evaluate! The Good: The cafeteria set up (for Chris), the garlic bread, many of the desserts, the scenic vista of Griffith Park, and the place is clean The Not Good: The grimy hallway of tray return, the fries, the "fake" feeling made me dissociate, lack of variety, and the cinnamon roll The Just There: Chicken Fingers, the service, the vibes, and sadly: the meatballs What We Ate: Swedish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Lingonberry Jam, Garlic Bread, Lemon Cod, Chicken Fingers, French Fries, Cinnamon Roll, Santa Fe Chicken Eggroll, Caramel Almond Cake, Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, Swedish Apple Cake, Chocolate Coconut Bites, New York Cheesecake Chris talks about a tense interaction with a server in Edinburgh while detailing the worst meal he's ever had "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (I closed the year with my Patreon exclusive episode covering rude-service-on-purpose restaurant chain Dick's Last Resort after driving to Las Vegas with friend and season 1 cheese correspondent Steven Zurita), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your IKEA stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Chris Grace on Instagram @chrisgracecomedy   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   We're off next week, but in 2 weeks on "Fine" Dining: McDonald's Breakfast + Ronald McDonald History [Part One]! I've got the alpha clown from the Los Angeles comedy scene, the clown boww Chad Damiani to join me at McDonald's for breakfast, and I gave him the full Ronald McDonald treatment. Ever work at McDonald's? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

15 Jan 1h 24min

Food from a furniture store? I'm joined by Chris Grace from NBC's Superstore to tackle the largest furniture retailer in the world IKEA and their fabled Swedish Bistro which happens to be the 6th-largest food chain internationally! "Coffee and a biscuit" was where it all began in Sweden Despite being what they're known for, the Swedish Meatball (which isn't even actually Swedish) didn't hit the menu until the 80s, almost 30 years after open There were plans for a viking themed restaurant originally! A nightmare green hot dog and food made of mealworms?? A Yelper writes with whimsy and then drops it before the end and Chris thinks it's hacky "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (I closed the year with my Patreon exclusive episode covering rude-service-on-purpose restaurant chain Dick's Last Resort after driving to Las Vegas with friend and season 1 cheese correspondent Steven Zurita), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your IKEA stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Chris on Instagram @chrisgracecomedy   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   Next week on "Fine" Dining: IKEA Swedish Bistro Review [Part Two]! Chris Grace returns to chat about the meatballs, the plethora of desserts, and his love of cafeterias as we break down the Good, the Not Good, and the Just There of IKEA. Ever work at IKEA? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

8 Jan 44min

We come bearing gifts! Arctic Circle seemed like the best place to review with Santa Claus in tow, so we took a road trip out to southern Utah to try it! The Good: the mini corn dogs were genuinely great, and Santa brightened a few patrons' days by having gifts for the children! The Not Good: Someone complained to management about aforementioned gift-giving, and we had to cease, also not all the food was great The Just There: To be honest, this whole chain was pretty mediocre What We Ate: Three burgers (standard, bacon, and pastrami), pumpkin pie milkshake, fries, Spanish onion rings, mini corn dogs, cheese curds, root beer ice cream (with a butterscotch topper), fry sauce Santa talks about eating "rabbit on a swing" during the fanciest meal he's ever had "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (My November Patreon exclusive episode about Pacific Northwest Seafood institution Ivar's Acres of Clams came out just a few weeks ago! From bomb threats to no working water, my guest, author Temple West and I went through a LOT just to eat here), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Arctic Circle stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Mark Gray on Instagram @markwgray   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   We're off next week, but in 2 weeks on "Fine" Dining: IKEA Swedish Bistro History [Part One]! From Dropout TV, Chris Grace joins me to eat Swedish meatballs amidst cheap DIY furniture, and we learn how it all started! Ever work at IKEA? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

25 Des 202455min

Road trip to Utah! What a get! This week, I had the honor of taking Santa Claus himself to the restaurant that makes the absolute most sense to review with Kris Kringle: Arctic Circle. If you don't know it, think Dairy Queen Grill & Chill. They do the dipped cone thing but more importantly, they claim to have invented fry sauce Not only do we get the history of this chain and fry sauce itself, but there's a lot of genuinely fascinating Santa Claus lore that I didn't know! Is Santa Claus technically a cryptid? A Yelper does not appreciate the attitude of the employees after her bun falls apart "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (My November Patreon exclusive episode just dropped on Ivar's Acres of Clams in Seattle, WA and the founder was a MAV-ER-ICK. Author Temple West joins me to chat all about it and how literal bombs on the freeway derailed our plans), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Arctic Circle stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Santa by being Good this year For no particular reason, you can also follow Mark Gray on Instagram @markwgray   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   Next week on "Fine" Dining: Arctic Circle Review [Part Two]! Santa Claus joins me one more time to dissect what was Nice and what was Naughty about this burger chain. We even got in trouble just for spreading holiday cheer, so you don't want to miss this one! Ever work at an Arctic Circle? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

18 Des 202432min

I love CPK, but not for the pizza! California Pizza Kitchen is such a favorite of mine, I'm surprised it took 70 episodes to get to it! My guest, comedian Holly Brown is just as passionate about this chain as I am, so this was a great time The Good includes my favorite salad ever, Holly & my pasta dishes, & the vibes The Not Good: The BBQ Chicken Pizza, the pasta plate real estate, the complimentary bread portions The Just There: This location didn't smell like a septic tank for once! What we ate: White Corn Guac & Chips, Bread & Oil, Thai Crunch Salad, Fettucine Alfredo, Spaghetti Bolognese, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Butter Cake, Mango Strawberry Lemonade Holly's least favorite restaurant experience ever is every Californian's trauma "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (My November Patreon exclusive episode about Pacific Northwest Seafood institution Ivar's Acres of Clams came out just a few weeks ago! From bomb threats to no working water, my guest, author Temple West and I went through a LOT just to eat here), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your California Pizza Kitchen stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Holly on Instagram @hollybrowncomedy   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   Next week on "Fine" Dining: Arctic Circle History [Part One]! Yeah, I got him. Santa Claus joins as my guest as we talk about the history of the burger chain named after his homeland. Ever work at Arctic Circle? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

11 Des 202453min