Say what you will about Guy Fieri, he has become a major figure among celebrity chefs and in the American foodie zeitgeist. When you’re making a dining show for two decades, you must know a thing or two about good food. Sure, there are some cringe-worthy moments on “Diner’s Drive-Ins, and Dives,” and Fieri certainly wasn’t democratically elected as the Mayor of Flavortown, but he should be lauded for highlighting downhome establishments that would not otherwise appear on his viewers’ dining radar. “Diner’s Drive-Ins, and Dives” is probably mostly known for over-the-top flavor bombs and greasy fried foods, so it may come as a bit of a surprise to see Fieri highlight a salad on the show. But the Pittsburgh steak salad from Metro Diner in Jacksonville, FL is decidedly over-the-top and DDD worthy, for sure.
“This thing is ridiculous,” Fieri says about the salad on the Metro Diner segment from the episode (which can be viewed on YouTube). “Calling this a salad is like calling my diesel four-wheel-drive, lifted, four-door crew cab, yellow monster truck a commuter car.” While nowhere near one of the craziest foods Guy Fieri has eaten, it could undoubtedly be called extravagant. The salad comes covered in fries, blue cheese, and steak, and it appears to take Fieri’s breath away as he samples it. But is it worth trying, and can you even get it these days?
What’s up with the Metro Diner steak salad and what else to order
Metro Diner’s eye-popping Pittsburgh steak salad is creation of chef and owner, Mark Davoli, and a return to his Pittsburgh roots. It starts out “salad” enough with a bed of lettuce, tomato, carrot, cucumber, and radish, but is topped with 6- to 7 ounces of prime rib that’s been seasoned and seared to order on the flattop grill. From there comes a hero’s helping of French fries, Metro’s housemade semi-spicy blue cheese dressing, and crumble of fresh blue cheese.
It’s pure “Diner’s Drive-Ins and Dives” fare, more like a whole steakhouse order piled atop the side salad, than your typical diner salad bowl, and Fieri is a fan. “The steak is mega-super tender,” he said on the episode. “You get the cool, crisp lettuce, the nice tangy dressing, then you get a crunchy salty french fry… That’s the new definition of salad.”…