Guy Fieri Might Be On to Something

Say what you want about him, but Guy Fieri’s got a pretty cool job.

To get to travel across the country checking out some of the best local restaurants for his Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." You know the ones -- the places that specialize in making it from scratch and serving it to customers that they treat like family … Wow. Just wow.

Now, are the foods he’s eating good for you? Mostly, no.

Is everything he tries going to be your cup of tea? Also, mostly no.

Are those bleached tips as over the top as his on-camera enthusiasm? Yeah, definitely.

But the one lesson everyone should take from the show is that you shouldn’t be afraid to go check out that local place. Step away from the cookie cutter and try something new.

Obviously, we all should be cooking and eating at home more often. But as the summer heats up, firing up an oven is not high on some people’s list. Microwave? Well, yeah, you could … but you know that’s more convenience than nutrition. And you can only go to the ol’ grill so often. So, we go out.

And we all have our favorites when we go out. Our favorite, trusted Mexican food restaurant. The family-friendly sit down place with the old familiar dishes. And when we’re in a hurry, well, there’s always fast food.

But it’s nice to break out once in a while. Do something new. And you can make it your own Diners, Drive-ins and Dives outing, without the over-the-top, bleach-blond host.

Have done it twice over the last couple of weeks – gone someplace different, off the beaten path.

First, for us, was our first trip to Eureka Burger. If any place deserves a visit from Triple-D, then it’s this place. First, you got gourmet burgers topped with some familiar condiments, and some not so familiar. Fig marmalade anyone? How about a burger wrapped in a tortilla?

Then you’ve got their business model, which includes using locally grown or produced products. That bun was baked nearby for Eureka. And then you’ve got the local brews from Hangar 24, including their Orange Wheat beer.

The other place we turned to as an “out-of-the-norm” stop was a lunch at Pinnacle Peak. On Guy’s show, most people would classify it as a “Dive.” It’s not much to look at, but when the food is good, you can forgive the items on the wall. Besides, that’s what they’re going for.

Of course, you have to be an A-1 carnivore type just to step into the place. You’re eating here, you’re getting something that’s coming off the grill -- steak, burgers, ribs or chicken. The lightest looking listing on the menu was a grilled chicken salad.

It’s obviously not a place you’d want to go everyday, but that’s the point. Even as good as Eureka is, I’m not going every day. These are the places that you treat yourself to.

But those are just two of my recent stops. Over the years, I’ve found plenty of local places that blow the roofs off of anything you can get from the cookie-cutters. And I bet most of you have, as well.

So I challenge you, the reader, to weigh in and share your favorite local place here with us. Let's have our own Diners, Drive-ins and Dives listing for the region. And remember, they don't necessarily have to fit into one of those "categories." We're just looking for local (five or fewer locations would be nice -- both Eureka and Pinnacle have three, but none closer than Claremont).

Keep ‘em local, so we can all try something new, and help a small business in the local economy at the same time.