One Of The Most Sugary Dishes Guy Fieri Has Eaten On Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives
Since 2007, Guy Fieri has been highlighting some of the best food spots in the U.S. on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" (per Eater). Judging by the list of favorite dishes from the show that he shared with Food Network, the celebrity chef clearly has a predilection for sandwiches. But while Fieri loves his reubens and meatball subs, he always manages to make room for dessert.
While visiting different diners, drive-ins, and dives, he's tasted classic and nontraditional desserts alike, from giant cream puffs to whiskey and cola bread pudding. He even hosted a "Dynamite Desserts" episode dedicated entirely to showcasing regional sweets like blueberry goat cheese pie and apple dumplings.
It seems however that Fieri is more of a fan of the sweet and salty desserts, since at his own restaurant chains, Flavortown Kitchen and American Kitchen & Bar the only two on the menu are a cheesecake studded with potato chips and pretzels, and a chocolate cake flavored with salted whiskey caramel sauce. But despite his preference for savory-leaning desserts, there's one ultra-sugary dish that got Fieri's attention on "Diners Drive-Ins, and Dives."
Double-stacked pumpkin bread French toast
You'd assume that Massachusetts restaurant In A Pickle was home to the best pickles in the state, but according to its website, breakfast is actually its specialty. The menu features a decadent double-stacked pumpkin bread French toast that looks (and apparently tastes) more like dessert than breakfast. "That's more sugar than I've had on 'Triple D' probably ever," Guy Fieri said upon taking a bite on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" (via Twitter). Along with two slices of pumpkin bread, the dish is loaded with sweet cream cheese and topped with powdered sugar, allspice dulce de leche, and a candy pumpkin.
But although In A Pickle's French toast is made with a considerable amount of sweet ingredients, Fieri says its sugariness is well balanced. "I enjoy that more than I enjoy a typical dessert because you got a savory factor to it," he shared in the episode before explaining, "You're getting all the spices. You get the tang of the cream cheese coming through, so you get a little of the sweet-sour combo."
How to make In A Pickle's French toast
If you want a taste of the dish Guy Fieri referred to as one of the most sugary he's ever had on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," you don't necessarily have to visit Waltham, Massachusetts where the restaurant is located. In addition to the step-by-step process that In A Pickle demonstrated on the episode (via Twitter), the restaurant also shared the full recipe with Food Network.
Before the French toast is assembled, the pumpkin bread gets soaked in a rich egg custard and then cooked in a skillet. The majority of the sugar in the recipe isn't in this custard, but rather in the sweet cream cheese and allspice dulce de leche that Fieri raved about. For the sweet cream cheese, 2 1/2 pounds of cream cheese is sweetened with 5 cups of powdered sugar, while the spiced dulce de leche is made with allspice and a quart of light cream combined with 2 cups of sugar. The resulting dish is a sweet breakfast that Guy Fieri says he enjoys more than a "typical dessert."