Correction: This article has been updated to correct the model of Guy Fieri’s car that was spotted outside local restaurants. It was a Camaro, not a Corvette. 225 regrets the error.
Taking a trip to Flavortown might just mean cruising on down Perkins Road. That’s right—beloved seafood joint Phil’s Oyster Bar is set to be featured on an episode of Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives this Friday, April 4. “There’s serious seafood in Baton Rouge, La., crossing Creole crawfish with cheesecake and (charbroiling) out-of-bounds oysters,” a synopsis of the episode teases.
Filming for the hit TV show took place in February ahead of Super Bowl LIX. Triple D star Guy Fieri and his candy-red Camaro were spotted around the Red Stick, creating buzz and speculations about which food spots would score some air time on the show. Along with Phil’s, Dempsey’s and Iverstine Butcher are set to appear in episodes in April, according to local news reports and a telling Instagram post by Dempsey’s.
And in May, episode descriptions found on Food Network’s TV schedule confirm at least two more Capital Region spots will appear on the show. Clues in the descriptions seem to point to Elsie’s Plate & Pie and Cou-Yon’s in Port Allen, though the restaurants could not confirm at press time.
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“I think Baton Rouge has unbelievable restaurants,” says Anthony Piazza, owner of Phil’s. “In 2 square miles of our restaurant, there’s probably 10 restaurants that I think are fabulous. I think that people do discredit Baton Rouge compared to New Orleans. But there are a lot of great restaurants in Baton Rouge. There’s a lot of family-owned restaurants and people that have taken it to the next level.”
Piazza says when the restaurant got calls from a producer of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in early January, his team thought it was a joke. Turns out that the producer was the real deal. Piazza says he found out a regular was friends with Fieri and mentioned to the host that he needed to make a trip to Phil’s if he ever filmed in the Capital Region.
“And then the rest is history,” Piazza laughs. “So, what happens is: (Producers) talk to you about your menu, what you’re known for and items that you specialize in. Then, they look at your menu from what you tell them, and they narrow it down to five or six items. They send you the five or six items, and you have to send back the recipes. And then they pick two of them.”
Piazza says he hears that Fieri is very hands-on when it comes to picking dishes to feature on the show. The Phil’s segment in Friday’s episode will feature its iconic charbroiled oysters and crawfish cheesecake. The restaurant blocked out two days to film, which they hid from customers by announcing closures due to private events.
“People that obviously didn’t pay attention to social media just showed up,” Piazza says. “When they saw the red car, for the most part, they were very gracious about it. … The producers were great about it and said, ‘Look, man, eventually, when people see why you closed for two days, they will understand.’”
In addition to filming the making of oysters and savory cheesecakes in the kitchen, the episode will also feature segments with Piazza and Fieri, along with shots of regulars in the restaurant. Piazza says working with Fieri was a great experience.
“He had just lost his dad to cancer last year, and obviously I lost my dad 17 years ago. When they interview you, they ask you the story behind the restaurant. And when I told him my story, the first thing he said was, ‘Yeah, I heard about your dad, and I’m sorry to hear,’” Piazza says. “He told me about his dad, so we kind of connected on that. He was actually fantastic to me. He interacted a lot (with) the front end and the back of the house, too. He’s a very smart, witty guy. He’s got a very dry sense of humor and is extremely funny.”
Though Friday night’s premiere will be big for Phil’s, Piazza says he doesn’t plan to have a special viewing party for the episode, as it’ll be a busy Lenten Friday. He says he didn’t expect the episode to turn around so quickly but shares that customers may be able to catch it on a TV or two inside the restaurant. When asked about plans to watch his Food Network debut, Piazza shares that he hasn’t planned on how or when he’ll sit down to view the episode.
Throughout this experience, Piazza says he’s learned just how much of a loyal following Fieri and Triple D has. And while he’s not sure what to expect after the episode airs, he says he hopes it brings in some out-of-towners along with locals who haven’t ventured to Phil’s just yet.
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But above all, Piazza hopes Phil’s national TV feature helps continue his father’s legacy.
“The biggest thing for me is that it gives (recognition) to my dad’s family business, which is something that he built, created and left to us,” Piazza says. “And it’s really great for Baton Rouge. My dad was a big Baton Rouge person. … I feel like in the last five or six years, we’ve stepped our game up and taken it to the next level. And I think he would be extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished—but I don’t think in his wildest dreams he would ever imagine Phil’s would have been on the Food Network.”
The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode featuring Phil’s Oyster Bar will air on Food Network this Friday, April 4, at 8 p.m. Keep up with new episodes featuring Baton Rouge restaurants on the Food Network website.