SLO pizzeria is among Guy Fieri’s top stops for ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.’ Here’s why
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Guy Fieri in SLO County
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San Luis Obispo restaurant Flour House has a new fan: Guy Fieri.
The celebrity chef behind “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” stopped by the downtown eatery, known for its handmade pastas and wood-fired pizzas, in the spring to film an episode of his hit Food Network show.
“He came out to us, and he goes, ‘I gotta be totally honest, out of all the restaurants that I’ve done, you guys are in my top 10 favorite restaurants I’ve ever filmed with,’ ” Flour House co-owner Gessica Russo recalled. “If that’s not a compliment, I don’t know what is.”
Flour House appears along with other local restaurants in the episode “From Breakfast to the Boot,” which first aired on Aug. 16.
The official episode description calls Flour House “a lights-out Italian place ... plating a punchy Parmesan pasta in a righteous ragu and killer carbonara pizza.”
What is SLO pizza restaurant Flour House?
Husband-and-wife team Alberto and Gessica Russo opened Flour House, a pizza bar and pastaria, at 690 Higuera St. in 2016.
The eatery occupies the former location of Vieni Vai Trattoria, where Gessica’s parents, Giuseppe and Debra Silvestre, owned and operated an Italian restaurant for 18 years.
Flour House opened its doors following five months of extensive renovations that included new white brick walls, earth-tone tiles and stylish lighting fixtures.
The restaurant owners also added a wood-burning pizza oven imported from Pozzuoli, Italy, that reaches 1,000 degrees. It’s the only oven of its kind between Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to Flour House’s website.
Alberto Russo, who was born and raised on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, said pizza was always “something that you look forward to eating with your family.”
“Pizza was a big deal,” he said. “I probably grew up with that craving and … that kind of emotion behind it.”
When he and wife decided to start their own eatery, it was a no-brainer that high-quality pizza had to be on the menu, he said, along with seasonal salads, homemade pastas and a few Italian desserts.
So far, that vision has paid off, with customers lining up to sample the restaurant’s upscale Italian fare.
For the past four years, Flour House has been named one of the best pizza places in the United States by 50 Top Pizza.
When did ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ visit SLO restaurant?
When Alberto and Gessica Russo received an email in February that the Food Network was interested in filming an episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” at their Italian eatery, they were absolutely thrilled.
“It was very exciting, like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” Gessica Russo said.
The process of landing on the show wasn’t easy, the married couple said.
They had to describe recipes in extreme detail to Food Network producers over the course of several long phone calls before Flour House was officially cleared for a spot on the popular show.
Fieri and his crew filmed at Flour House over the course of two days in March.
The first day, the crew collected shots of every stage of the restaurant’s pizza and pasta recipes.
According to Gessica Russo, the arduous 10-hour shoot captured the day-long fermentation process for the restaurant’s pizza dough, the steps taken to craft its homemade pasta and how employees bake pizza.
Fieri was on site for the second day of filming.
“From the beginning, he was really lovely with us,” Russo said.
She said Fieri was exhausted after a sleepless night due to a loud leaf blower outside of his hotel at 2 a.m. Still, he mustered up the energy to make the Russos feel at ease.
“The chemistry between him and my husband was ridiculous,” Russo said of Fieri. “The show didn’t capture the laughter and the jokes that they had between them. They were great together.”
What did Guy Fieri eat at downtown pizzeria?
The Food Network chef with the bleach-blond hair tasted two of Flour House’s most popular dishes during his visit in March.
Fieri sampled the restuarant’s mezzi paccheri alla genovese; a tube-shaped pasta doused in slow cooked onions, beef, prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
According to Russo, Fieri wanted them to cook this specific menu item because he makes it at home for his family at least once a month.
Fieri also tried the carbonara al cacio e pepe, a decadent pizza topped with béchamel sauce made with 29 egg yolks. It’s topped with guanciale, fior di latte mozzarella cheese, Parmesan chips and cacio e pepe cream.
Where else did Guy Fieri go in SLO?
While Fieri was in San Luis Obispo County, he filmed an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” at Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill in San Luis Obispo. That episode aired on the Food Network on Aug. 2.
Fieri and his crew also stopped by Taste! Craft Eatery in San Luis Obispo for an episode that premiered Sept. 6, and The Spoon Trade in Grover Beach for an episode that aired Sept. 20.
“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” visited Brooks Burgers in Pismo Beach and Mama’s Meatball in San Luis Obispo as well.
What’s next for Flour House?
At first, the Russos were a little concerned that appearing on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” would bring a wave of foot traffic to Flour House that would be unsustainable.
Luckily, business has remained steady in the aftermath of the episode premiering, Gessica Russo said.
More than anything, she and her husband are grateful for the boost in name recognition brought by “Diners, Drive ins and Dives,” Russo said.
The couple hopes to eventually open a second restaurant — possibly in Southern California. They are currently playing around with different food concepts for that eatery, she said.
“We definitely want to expand,” Russo said.
She said being featured on the show will help give Flour House the exposure it needs to make a second location a reality.
Visiting Flour House in downtown SLO
You can taste some of the same cuisine Fieri tried on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” by visiting Flour House at 690 Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo.
The pizzeria is a cashless establishment and does not take reservations. Every table is first come, first served, according to its website.
The restaurant is open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is closed on Tuesdays.
How to watch ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’
“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” airs regularly on The Food Network.
You can also stream episodes on several major subscription streaming platforms, including Max, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon and Food Network Go.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
