Gino's East of Chicago: Graffiti, Deep Dish, & a Biscuit Crust

OH HI THERE! It's your favorite sponsor JUB and I am back to help Michael review Friendly's! Step back in time to this place that feels old, classic, and filled with Depression-era clientele Octogenarians plus technology is a dangerous combination, and we like to avoid it when possible, even it if it makes us ask What's Going On Over There? An unforgivable mistake by the back-of-house workers Fribbles are thicc and delicious A separate menu just for ice cream is WAY TOO MUCH JUB knows a lot about magicians A very important announcement: starting next week, "Fine" Dining will be on video if you'd like to watch on YouTube! [Post-credits] Petunia's going to turn this car around! Additional Voice by: VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (dropping today: A recap of all of the outliers outside the Zone of Mediocrity on the Tchotchke of Mediocrity. Hear me cover 29 restaurants and stroll down memory lane as I touch on each establishment that scored outside the 4-6 score range), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Friendly's stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: HooterBowl II! I'm back off to a Hooters joint, Hoots Wings. Hear me and actress VyVy Nguyen talk shop about the history and Yelp reviews of the Pasadena Hoots Wings, but also dive headfirst into a mystery of meh-pic proportions in the first ever (and probably only) Hootdunnit. Ever work at Hoots Wings? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

31 Jan 202432min

Fine Dining: Party of...One? Michael gets stood up by his intended guest host JUB and goes this one alone, traveling to the New England area to take on one of their most historic chains, Friendly's Jonas Brother specialty ice creams! Eat Deets will teach you that Friendly's is one of the older restaurant chains in American history, with two brothers who founded an ice cream shop with nothing but a dream and $547 Hear about how Hershey's bought them out and took them to the next level Friendly's has been a part of a few ice-cream-related world records A feud between the Friendly brothers! Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV brags about his vehicle collection JUB & Petunia crash Yelp from Strangers The full review comes next week Additional Voice by: VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (coming next week: Tchothke Recap 2024 Pt. 1. Hear a rundown of all the outliers outside the Zone of Mediocrity, walk down memory lane, and get caught up on where all the restaurants sit on the Tchotchke), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Friendly's stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: Friendly's (Part Two: Review)! With JUB finally here, we get to hear what he and Michael thought of the restaurant. Plus, JUB's sad that his childish dessert's bat ears are upside down. Ever work at Friendly's? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Totally Not Sponsored by: Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV

24 Jan 202429min

Getting in touch with our inner degenerates! Restaurant Fiction podcast host Monis Rose is here to wax romantic over the "character" of the original Hot Dog on a Stick kiosk by the Santa Monica Pier There's nowhere to sit, so the boys pick a dragon/pirate ship playground as their venue Public beachside seating has empty beer bottles and even a used Magnum love glove nearby... Military helicopters are circling us overhead and it makes us ask What's Going On Over There? Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV talks about the recreational drug habits of the ultra-wealthy Monis has a thing for hot Hot Dog on a Stick chicks Overhyped "hand-stomped" lemonade, decent corn dogs, and polarizing dessert in the form of funnel cake sticks Juicy, Jr. defends himself against Monis Monis's score spectrum deals in extremes JUB & Petunia re-unite! Additional Voice by: VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (most recently, the Kentucky Fried Chicken episode), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Hot Dog on a Stick stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Restaurant Fiction on Instagram @restaurantfiction   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: Friendly's (Eat Deets)! I've invited season 1's totally-not-made-up sponsor JUB to New England with me to hit a staple of a different part of the country. But does he even show up to record? He's on-edge and unreliable, so we'll see as I dive into Yelp reviews and the history of the brother-owned franchise. Ever work at Friendly's? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Totally Not Sponsored by: Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV

17 Jan 202455min

Heinz-enberg runs these streets! Restaurant Fiction's Monis Rose joins Michael to pretend to learn the Eat Deets about Hot Dog on a Stick because he already knows everything Michael does a Keyser Söze walk to hide his limp from Monis [Audiodrama segment] Turf wars over who can sell Dodger dogs on which corners Alex Borstein berates Michael's preferences in hot dog condiment Hot Dog on a Stick is also known for its lemonade, which started as a Muscle Beach health drink with honey The history of the famous employee uniform Monis raps the whitest version of an Ice Cube song that references Hot Dog on a Stick A customer is perfectly content finding actual trash in her dessert in this week's Yelp from Strangers The full review comes next week   Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (on New Years Eve, the Kentucky Fried Chicken episode dropped faster than the ball in Times Square), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Hot Dog on a Stick stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: Hot Dog on a Stick (Part Two: Review)! Monis Rose returns to embrace his inner degenerate in appreciation of this anything-goes atmosphere. Plus, we order the entire menu. Ever work at Hot Dog on a Stick? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

10 Jan 202441min

We're diving back into Joe's Hole! Comedian Mike Perkins is back once again to represent Italy in the case against the food at Buca di Beppo Michael & Mike are just a couple of Midfellas The breadiest love-making session ever is What's Going On Over There Buca di Beppo's decor is funny how? The portions at Buca are insane, as two men individually order a family style entree each The dessert is "diabetes in a glass" according to the boys' server Chip psychoanalyzes the characters on the Buca di Beppo kids menu in this week's Munchkin Menu Musings! Mike's Instagram handle is taken to task JUB's about to get pinched!   Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Midfellas Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@austinaudiolab) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (just out this New Years Eve, the Kentucky Fried Chicken episode), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Buca di Beppo stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: Hot Dog on a Stick (Eat Deets)! I'll be joined by the Restaurant Fiction podcast's host Monis Rose. He knows more than I do, so can I manage to surprise him with some new info? We also dive into Yelp reviews, and get ready to bear Santa Monica traffic to review the original Hot Dog on a Stick stand. Ever work at Hot Dog on a Stick? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Totally Not Sponsored by: Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV

3 Jan 20241h 4min

I took a real Italian to Buca di Beppo! We're joined by comedian Mike Perkins to dive into inauthentic Italian slophouse, Buca di Beppo Hear all about the Pope's room, the "vulgar" decor, and the fact that Buca's founder literally intended to "poke gentle fun" at Italians in this week's Eat Deets Learn the rather interesting translation of Buca di Beppo Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV is anti-work You could have bought the entire franchise for a few million dollars... The Mother's Day debacle is detailed in this week's Yelp from Strangers The full review comes next week   Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (dropping New Years Eve: the Kentucky Fried Chicken episode), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Buca di Beppo stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: Buca di Beppo (Part Two: Review)! Comedian Mike Perkins joins once again as he and Michael talk about Italian food that's...fine. Also, they're just a couple of Midfellas. Ever work at Buca di Beppo? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Totally Not Sponsored by: Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV

27 Des 202338min

The Roadhouse Devil feeds at dusk! We're back with friend and magician Michael Moore to talk about the atmosphere, service, and food at Texas Roadhouse Willie's Corner, the suspicious absence of floor peanuts, hoedowns, and taxidermy galore Some concerning verbiage from the service team has the Michaels speculating the presence of an otherworldly, Lovecraftian being skulking about the area in this week's What's Going On Over There? A three-part audiodrama addressing said monster Maxwell gives his thoughts on the Texas Roadhouse Kids Menu in the return of Munchkin Menu Musings! Are the rolls at Texas Roadhouse the new best restaurant table bread? Petunia leaves JUB a voicemail Additional voices: VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) & Nick Adams Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (dropping New Years Eve: the Kentucky Fried Chicken episode), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Texas Roadhouse stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: Buca di Beppo (Eat Deets)! My friend and comedian Mike Perkins joins me in Pasadena, California to try out Buca di Beppo. It's Eat Deets time, so we learn the history, read Yelp reviews, and prepare to put our Italian heritage to the test. Ever work at Buca di Beppo? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Totally Not Sponsored by: Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV

20 Des 202358min

Stay tuned to the end: new outro song!! Michael is joined by friend and powerhouse of a man, Michael Moore (no relation to the filmmaker/documentarian of the same name) to dine at Texas Roadhouse The restaurant started as a spot in a mall in Indiana, so it was neither a roadhouse nor Texan, but that didn't stop owner W. Kent Taylor from building an empire after giving up on opening a Colorado-themed restaurant Learn all about the history of the chain dubbed the "Loudest Restaurant in America" in this week's Eat Deets Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV has had it with the mistreatment of corporations: they're people too, dammit! Hear Michael & Michael's first impressions of the place, from the wall of veterans to the lack of peanuts on the floor Michael Moore compiles a few very catfish-centric Yelp reviews about this Texas Roadhouse in the middle of nowhere, almost halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas More to come next week!   Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (November had a New York-themed episode as we pitted Joe's Pizza vs. Famous Original Ray's), 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: Sean Spademan, Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send in your Texas Roadhouse stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   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: Texas Roadhouse (Part Two: Review)! Michael Moore returns for the second part of the episode, we'll review the restaurant's dancing servers, the delicious rolls, and there's even a 3-part horror-themed audiodrama throughout Part Two! Ever work at Texas Roadhouse? Send your stories to finediningpodcast@gmail.com. Totally Not Sponsored by: Harrison Augustine 💸 Arrylius XIV

13 Des 202343min