Food Network Best Bite
Season 1 Episode 1- Davis
We can still hardly believe Food Network came to our little town of Davis, California in the summer of 2023! The Best Bite in Town episode brought 6 downtown restaurants together to showcase the diverse Davis food scene. The Bite Club celebrity chefs were tasked with choosing a dish from their assigned restaurants to compete for the Best Bite of Davis. We are incredibly lucky to have received the call and served amazing food alongside Hikari Omakase, Tommy J’s, Sudwerk Brewery, HandHeld, and Zuma Poke.
Food Network reached out to us in July of 2023 pitching the new show with a special invitation to be in the competition. We immediately knew we wanted to be a part of it then the camera crew showed up a month later. Nervously, we closed for 3 days for filming. Though business had bounced back a little since the Pandemic, it is very challenging decision for small restaurant to close for multiple days. However, the Citizen Pictures crew was incredible to work with which melted all the stress away! We all became fast friends and got to work. Somehow, 8 of the crew members squeezed into our 150 square foot shop with their boom mics and cameras. If you have visited us before, then you know the Hotdogger Shuffle. The crew got familiar with the elbow-to-elbow dance getting all the right shots. It was surreal to experience the behind the scenes production of what goes into Food Network shows.
Our Celebrity Chef from the Bite Club, Tiffani Faison, is by far the most decorated chef to ever step behind the counter of The Hotdogger. Tad Franks, Co-Owners of The Hotdogger and local celebrity himself, admits he was nervous meeting Chef Tiffani for the first time due to her expertise; but her excitement and humor helped him settle in to showtime. Her energy is still lingering in the shop! Chef Tiffani tested our house recipe Thai and Bratwurst sausages and the menu staple, Chicago Dog. During taste testing, she told us that she grew up in Germany and gave us the best feedback about our Bratwurst. She said, “it brought me back home.” Chef Tiffani ultimately chose the Thai Sausage to be a contender for The Best Bite in Town. Our Thai Sausage is a chicken base with a distinct aromatic taste from lime leaves and other spices. We top it with a Thai style salsa of chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and sweet chili sauce. The Brat Bit did not make it in the episode; it is something we are so proud of! We worked so hard on our house recipes as part of our “Wieners of the World” menu. Not many receive such prestigious compliments on the risks they take. We are just so grateful for the compliments and experience. A huge thank you to Chef Tiffani Faison for taking a chance on us!
The few days of filming were such a blur! The night before the judging was scheduled we found out we made it through to the next phase. This portion was held at the famous Davis Farmers Market park in the middle of town. To us, it felt like we were setting up for another usual Saturday morning service since we have held a coveted market spot since 2002! The only difference was some one was leaving with the winning title of Best Bite in Town. If you have not seen the episode, leave now and go watch it! There are spoilers ahead… It was very clear when seeing the Chefs and dishes plated in front of the judges that we were the underdog. We were not given specific advice on how to serve our dish so we stuck with our classic red basket and wax wrap. Sudwerk presented their unique Grilled Fish and Chips with an avocado tartar sauce that had the judges raving. Hikari meticulously prepared Wagyu Beef with an aged soy sauce. The judges were so impressed with every dish it was hard to guess who would take the title. The judges finally announce their choice for The Best Bite in Town as The Hotdogger’s Thai Chicken Sausage. Our humble sausage! The owner, Ivan Franks, immediately ran up to Tad and hugged him in excitement. This also did not make it in the show but it was a proud display of love, hard work, and dedication to the family business over the last 30 years. Thank you to our community for showing up that day and every day you stop in our shop. Your support keeps us going on this wild ride! We hope you make the rounds to all the amazing Davis restaurants on and off the show. And by the way, yes, we met Guy Fieri. Such an awesome Guy! (pun intended) Rumor has it he ate 6 Hotdogger Thai Sausages during filming.
Stay up to date with us on social media! We will let you know when to stop by for selfies with the plaque!
Other press:
ABC10 Feature: Why The Hotdogger is Davis' 'Best Bite in Town'
CBS13 Feature: Davis food scene gets shown off in new TV show premiering this weekend
CapRadio Interview of Tad Franks and Ryan Fry, Co-owner of Sudwerk: Guy Fieri’s Best Bite in Town Premieres in Davis