Guy Fieri’s visit to Succotash on Food Network tonight

The larger-than-life culinary personality Guy Fieri, of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, taped an episode of the series in mid-October at Succotash, the Dutch Hill bruncheonette owned and operated by Beth Barden. Barden admits that she’s a little nervous about watching herself on national TV when the episode airs tonight at 9 p.m.

“I waver between being excited and mortified,” says Barden, who was not given an advance copy of the show to see. “But Guy Fieri was absolutely wonderful to me when he was here. He couldn’t have been kinder or more generous.”

Fieri liked her food, Barden says, “but he told me that my portions were too big. “

Barden had to close her 18-table restaurant for two days for the taping of the show. Fieri showed up for the second day, after his crew had spent hours watching Barden and her staff cooking a variety of dishes, then serving them to eight customers that Barden had chosen to appear on the show.

“I picked the customers who might give the most interesting sound bites,” Barden says.

The following day, Fieri appeared, interacting with the kitchen staff and another set of customers.
“He was very warm and friendly. He comes across as being bigger than life on TV, but I didn’t see a bit of ego or diva behavior when he was here with us,” Barden says.

Fieri advised Barden to cut the portions she serves at Succotash in half, but it’s a suggestion that she says she can’t follow.

“I believe, in a down economy, that it’s good business to be generous. I like giving the opportunity for some of my customers to be able to share a meal if they want to do that.”