SLO restaurant featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.’ Why Guy Fieri called it ‘madness’
READ MORE
Guy Fieri in SLO County
A multi-part series by The Tribune
Expand All
The concept behind Taste! Craft Eatery is a little crazy.
At least, that’s what celebrity chef Guy Fieri first thought when he stopped at the San Luis Obispo restaurant to film his hit Food Network show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in March.
“I see some of the method (to) the madness,” Fieri said on the episode. “I still think it’s madness.”
Taste! Craft Eatery offers customers a chance to order from 67 different menu items — offering a total of 6,765,201 flavor combinations, according to Fieri.
People can choose from a selection of sliders, salads, Brussels sprouts, macaroni and cheese and more.
“If you can’t find something on the menu, you’ve got problems,” Fieri told his viewers.
The self-proclaimed Mayor of Flavortown featured Taste! Craft Eatery on its “Grand Slam Sammy” episode, which first aired on Sept. 6.
How Taste! Craft Eatery got its start in SLO
Husband-and-wife team Scott and Gretchen LeMiere, are the masterminds behind Taste.
The duo originally launched the business as a catering company called In Good Taste in 1999.
The concept was simple — everything was cooked to fit each customer’s specific taste, Gretchen LeMiere said.
In 2012, she and her husband expanded their business model by opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant called Taste! Craft Eatery at 2900 Board St. in SLO.
Initially, Taste was only open for lunch.
As the restaurant grew in popularity the owners lengthened the eatery’s hours and opened a second location in Paso Robles in 2020.
In 2022, the SLO restaurant moved to a bigger space at 2550 Broad St. to meet demand.
LeMiere said the SLO and Paso Robles restaurants have thrived due to the innovative menu they share.
“We have a different concept than most restaurants in that we can we mix and match things,” she said. “Customers can basically come up with their own entree.”
‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ visits local restaurant
In the spring, “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” reached out to Taste about filming an episode at its San Luis Obispo location.
The Food Network had been tipped off by local fans that the New American restaurant was a worthy pit spot on Fieri’s culinary road trip.
As a longtime viewer of the show, LeMiere said she was immediately enthusiastic about the opportunity.
It took several long phone calls with Food Network producers for Taste to finally clinch a spot on the show.
In March, Fieri and his production team showed up for two full days of filming.
LeMiere called the celebrity chef “a great guy.”
“He’s just a very energetic human being that is super passionate about restaurants,” she said of Fieri. “He’s done a lot for the restaurant industry.”
What Guy Fieri tasted at local craft eatery
Fieri tried a variety of dishes at the SLO restaurant known for its choose-your-own-adventure entrees.
According to LeMiere, it took Fieri a few minutes to wrap his head around the unique menu, but once he got it, he was a big fan.
“He loved our concept,” LeMiere said. “He was great to bounce ideas off of. He gave us feedback on things and spent a lot of time with us.”
While on camera, Fieri tasted the lamb kofta paired with hummus, olive tapenade and flat bread, as well as the the tip o’ Argentina tri-tip slider with garlic aioli and chimichurri sauce.
The official episode description calls Taste a “San Luis Obispo family spot mixin’ it up with lights-out lamb kofta and a prime-time tri-tip.”
TV show is big boost to SLO County restaurants
Since the ”Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” episode featuring Taste! Craft Eatery aired in early September, LeMiere said she’s overheard plenty of customers gush about Fieri’s appearance at the restaurant.
Many want to order what Fieri tried, she said, and some even recognize LeMiere from her TV appearance.
She said the show has boosted the local restaurant community.
While Fieri was in the county, he filmed episodes of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” at Flour House in San Luis Obispo and Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill in San Luis Obispo.
He and his film crew also stopped by The Spoon Trade in Grover Beach, Brooks Burgers in Pismo Beach and Mama’s Meatball in San Luis Obispo.
“I think it’s a positive thing for our restaurant, but I think it’s a positive thing for the area as a whole,” LeMiere said of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” “The fact that he came here and did so many restaurants ... just draws attention to our area, which I think is awesome.”
How to visit Taste! Craft Eatery
Taste! Craft Eatery is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 2550 Broad St. in San Luis Obispo.
Its second location at 810 11th St. in Paso Robles is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
For more information, call 805-200-2978 or visit taste2900.com.
How to watch ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’
“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” airs regularly on The Food Network.
You can also watch episodes on several major subscription streaming platforms, including Max, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon and Food Network Go.
This story was originally published November 11, 2024 at 2:00 PM.
