Man v. Food Season 3 Episode 13: Syracuse
Adam visits Syracuse, NY, to take on Mother’s Cupboard’s massive Frittata Challenge. The Frittata Challenge encompasses over six pounds of egg, potato, sausage, pepperoni and veggies. Of the thousands who have tried it, ninety-five percent of the Frittata Challenge challengers have failed. If Adam completes the challenge he wins a t-shirt and his picture on their wall of fame. With no time limit to the challenge Adam may have a fighting chance at this monster plate of food.
First Adam visits local favorite Dinosaur Bar-B-Q, where they serve up tons of delicious barbecue food, including pulled pork, ribs and brisket. Adam is here to try their Pork-Sket Platter: pulled pork and beef brisket ladened with melted sharp cheddar cheese, then topped with homemade pickled jalapeños and their homemade coleslaw. Adam quips about the barbecue at the restaurant “It may be dinosaur barbecue, but man has evolved!” Back in the kitchen Chef Jeffery Coon shows Adam how the Pork-Sket Platter is put together. The chef seasons the pork butt and brisket with their special Texas style dry rub with secret ingredients. Next the meat hits the smoker, the meat is cooked from twelve to fifteen hours at 185 degree heat over indirect wood smoke. When the pork butt comes out of the oven, the pork is pulled into pieces. Next comes the brisket, which makes Adam clap for joy over the crusty edges of the meat. Adam remarks on the deep smoke ring around the edge of the brisket. The chef adds a special sauce to the pork when it is pulled and brisket once it is sliced. One half pound of pulled pork and one half pound of brisket is piled on the grill and drenched in a thick sweet sauce. The cheddar cheese is melted on the meat, then the mound of meat is transferred to the sandwich bread, and topped with their homemade pickled jalapeños and their homemade coleslaw. Adam sits to enjoy the Pork-Sket Platter, biting into the sandwich he tells the audience “The coleslaw is unf**king believable!” Adam is wowed by this succulent barbecue sandwich.
Next Adam visits Heid’s of Liverpool, famous for their hot dogs. Adam calls Heid’s a “hot dog mecca” for the best of the best hot dogs known in the area. Back in the kitchen Chef Matt Hotaling shows Adam how they put these special dogs together. The chef tells Adam they have two kinds of dogs: the traditional frankfurter or “frankster red”, and their white hot, or “coney” dog, which is similar to a german sausage. Chef Hotaling tells Adam they have their hot dogs specially made locally for the restaurant. The frankster is made from beef, pork and special spices, while the coney is made using veal, pork, egg whites and special spices. Adam tries a bite of the coney and says there is a lot of flavor to the dog. Each hot dog served at Heid’s has two hot dogs to the New England style bun, with a special mustard that tops the hot dogs. The chef builds a hot dog for Adam to try. As Adam dives into the mixed double dog (one red frankfurter and one white Coney on a single bun slathered with Heid’s original mustard), he is surprised by a visit from Syracuse Orange men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim. Adam and coach Boeheim dig into their hot dogs and smile.
Its time for Adam to take on Mother’s Cupboard’s Frittata Challenge. Before Adam faces down that mountain of breakfast, a montage shows Adam training for the challenge by suiting up and facing off against the Syracuse Orange lacrosse team at Syracuse University Wohl Practice Field.
At Mother’s Cupboard’s restaurant Adam takes a look at a half-sized version of the Frittata Challenge a patron is eating and groans at the size of the platter. Adam sees the rules for manners board on the wall, telling the audience the restaurant is so much like home “They expect you to mind your manners” while eating. The manners rules request among other things for restaurant patrons to “sit up straight”, “wipe your feet”, “keep your elbows off the table”, and other manners mothers would expect performed when eating in public.
The Frittata Challenge plate combines over six pounds of eggs, potatoes and veggies. There is no time limit, which is a big advantage for Adam. Of the thousands who have tried the Frittata Challenge, ninety-five percent have failed. If Adam wins the challenge he receives a t-shirt and his picture plastered on the Mother’s Cupboard wall of fame.
Adam heads back to the kitchen to see how this platter of breakfast goodness is put together. The chef cooks up red and green bell peppers and onions, then grills up a whole pound of home fried potatoes, mixing these together. Next the pepperoni and sausage are cooked and added to the mound of food. The mountain of veggies, meat and potatoes are mixed into four scrambled eggs to form the Frittata Challenge, and topped with four pieces of grilled bread.
As Adam heads into the dining room the crowd goes wild. Adam sits at a table and the server tells him there is no time limit but he must abide by the manners listed on the wall while eating. Adam’s mega platter of breakfast arrives and the challenge begins. As Adam dives into the food he tells the audience “The first bite is amazing!” Adam realizes the mound of food is very hot from the grill, his strategy to speed his eating is to use another bowl to portion out food from the platter to cool it down. Adam remarks “It’s epic beyond imagination!” as he starts chowing down on his first bowl of frittata.
As Adam keeps eating the crowd chants “Man vs Frittata!”, making Adam grin. As Adam continues to eat he seems to think there is a never ending pile of potatoes. Adam starts his second bowl of breakfast twenty minutes into the challenge and hits the halfway mark. The crowd chants “Man vs Food!” as Adam continues his breakfast quest. Adam tells the audience he feels plugged up from so many potatoes, saying “It’s like some futuristic weapon from a carbohydrate future!” Adam devours four pounds of the six pound mound of food and is getting full.
Three fourths of the way through, Adam decides hot sauce is the answer, and the strategy works. Adam has five pounds of frittata down and the server reminds Adam about his manners, requesting he take his elbows off the table. As Adam adjusts his posture at the table according to the manner rules, he is down to one pound of food in his bowl to eat. With three bites of food left in the bowl, Adam proclaims “Oh my gravy boat!” at the prospect of downing the final three bites. Adam takes the last bite and holds it up to a cheering crowd, then chomps it down, winning the challenge! Adam receives his t-shirt and photo on the wall, telling the audience in today’s challenge of Man vs Food, man won!
