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00:00Coming up on everything on the menu, super dogs for everybody.
00:05I'm in Chicago, Illinois, to compete in a last man standing match.
00:09Most importantly, I'm here to eat.
00:11And dig my teeth in Chicago's finest.
00:14Whoa, I was not expecting that at all.
00:18And I do mean finest.
00:20I don't want this to end.
00:21I want this to stay in my mouth forever.
00:24My God.
00:27My name is Braun Strowman.
00:29I make a living wrestling for WWE.
00:31One, two, three, so big.
00:36If you can't tell, I like my carbs.
00:38It's time to feed the monster.
00:39It can be a tough job.
00:41The leg just exploded.
00:43But it has its perks.
00:44Gonna need a bigger table.
00:45Because when you're a monster like me, I know my way around the kitchen.
00:48I didn't get 350 pounds by accident.
00:51There's no better way to see a new town than to eat your weight.
00:56Holy cow, this is good.
00:57Threw it.
00:58Come on.
00:59From hidden neighborhood gems.
01:00What's something that I have to have?
01:02To legendary, world-renowned kitchens.
01:04I have goosebumps.
01:05This is beautiful.
01:06You can't fully appreciate a restaurant unless you try it all.
01:10I'm supposed to pick a favorite, and y'all ain't making that easy.
01:13That's why I order everything on the menu.
01:26Chicago is known as the Windy City.
01:28Famous for its stunning architecture, iconic ball fields, and world-class food scene.
01:34I came here for a last man standing match.
01:38Braun Strowman is here in sweet home Chicago.
01:45Tonight, I show them why they called me the monster when I buzzsaw him in this last man standing match.
01:50I think it's fair to say, last night, I left it all in the ring.
01:54I cannot see either man staying down for the count.
01:58Can you believe what we're witnessing in Chicago?
02:04But today's a new day.
02:06Yes, it is.
02:07And now, I'm putting Chicago's food scene to the test.
02:11From a Chicago dog institution, almost unchanged since 1948,
02:16to a three-Michelin-starred spot that continues to redefine fine dining with molecular gastronomy.
02:23If this city's got the guts to go toe-to-toe with my appetite, I say, ring the damn bell.
02:34Behind me is the world-famous super dog, slinging out the best dogs in the city since 1948.
02:44Everybody talks this place up.
02:46I got to get in here and see if it lives up to the hype.
02:50Hello, hello.
02:51I'm looking for Scott.
02:52Hiya, Scott.
02:52Scott, Braun Strowman.
02:53Very nice to meet you, sir.
02:54Hi, Braun.
02:55Nice to meet you, too.
02:56So I hear this is the spot.
02:57This is the spot.
02:58For not hot dogs here.
02:59That's right.
03:00We are super dogs, specially made to our recipe that my mom and dad designed
03:0477 years ago.
03:0577 years ago.
03:061948.
03:08High school sweethearts Maury and Florence Berman opened Super Dog over 77 years ago.
03:14And to this day, it's still a family-run joint.
03:18It's a place where carhops still run perfectly steamed dogs, crispy golden french fries,
03:23and top-tier milkshakes to your car.
03:26You've got the bright green relish, the spork peppers.
03:29It's a classic Chicago dog.
03:31But don't confuse it with a wiener dog or a red hot.
03:34A super dog is made exclusively with beef.
03:37I like that it's a thicker hot dog.
03:39They didn't invent the Chicago-style dog, but I dare say they perfected it.
03:42And it's what I'm so excited to try today.
03:47You must be Don.
03:48I am.
03:48How are you doing, sir?
03:49Braun Strowman.
03:50Very nice to meet you.
03:50Nice to meet you.
03:51I'm here to learn, and I'm here to eat.
03:53Most importantly, I'm here to eat.
03:55Come on in.
03:56Watch it down here.
03:57Oh, yeah, tight quarters.
03:57You're a tiny guy.
04:00It wouldn't be a super dog without its tag team partner, Super Fries.
04:06So I'm going backstage to see how they've been prepared for the last 70 years.
04:10So this is the tater cellar.
04:12Every sandwich that we serve comes with fries.
04:16So we go through.
04:17Tens of thousands of pounds of potatoes.
04:20Yes, definitely.
04:21This was custom-made, probably early 60s.
04:24And the way that it works, take a peeled potato, drop it in.
04:30A little bit of a workout.
04:35So this is how you stay in shape.
04:38For the last 60 years, every french fry that customers consume has gone through this machine.
04:42Absolutely.
04:45Want to give it a try?
04:46Yeah, I would love to.
04:46That's a big one right there.
04:51You don't want to go too big on those.
04:54I'm known for breaking things.
04:55I'm doing my best to be gentle.
04:57Here comes the Strowman Express!
04:59Oh, my!
05:00So you're the master spud splitter?
05:02Yeah.
05:03Will you show me what a pro does?
05:06Show him what you got, bud.
05:09This guy's a machine.
05:12Holy cow.
05:13Look at that.
05:13Look at that.
05:14Look at this.
05:14Seven years, he's been back here just hammering away on these taters.
05:17That's why he's jacked.
05:19Spud muscles.
05:20There you go.
05:24Look, I'm not going to lie.
05:25Watching him work, me getting a little work in there, it's definitely ramped up my appetite.
05:29I think the next thing I got to do is get one of these super dogs.
05:32Make no mistake, using this old-school potato slicer really works up an appetite.
05:37And man, after last night's match, I deserve a treat.
05:40Oh, my!
05:43Jacob Fatu may have turned me into a taco.
05:45Hip attack, shattered table taco.
05:49But here in Chicago, it's all about the super dogs.
05:53We're going to make a super dog. We're going to start with a steamed poppy seed bun.
05:58Steamed bun.
05:59Careful.
06:00Look at those bad boys.
06:02Grab one.
06:03Big old super dog right in there.
06:05Now we're going to make it with traditional Chicago toppings.
06:09Golden mustard first.
06:10Mustard first.
06:11And relish.
06:12How is that so great?
06:14Nah, it's a secret. We can't stop it, yeah.
06:17Then our onions.
06:19Put your pickle up on top.
06:21Big kosher pickle.
06:24Okay, now the easy part.
06:26Take the box.
06:27Scoop a few fries in there.
06:30There you go.
06:31Bam.
06:32And then, just for a little added spice, hot sport peppers.
06:37All right.
06:37So let's get a couple of these spicy boys in there with it.
06:41Boom.
06:41There you go.
06:42This is the hard bar.
06:43Let's go do the easy bar.
06:44Yeah, what's that?
06:45Stuffing it in my mouth.
06:46Yeah, let's go do that.
06:47Talking food, watching food, making food.
06:50It's time to eat some food.
06:51If I can fit out of here, a bar for me.
06:54Big guy in a little kitchen.
06:56Super dog has been here since 1948.
07:03That's over 75 years making a name for themselves as having some of the best
07:07Chicago dogs in a city that's world famous for them.
07:11And even though last night felt like my own 75-year saga at times,
07:16I can't imagine what it takes for a restaurant like this to be successful for that long.
07:21But I'm dying to taste it and find out.
07:23Strawberry malt.
07:26And your super dog.
07:28Awesome.
07:28Everything with peppers.
07:29Thank you, sir.
07:30Our pleasure.
07:31All right, I'm going in for the fries first.
07:35Oh, man.
07:36Mm-hmm.
07:37I love fresh wrinkle cut fries.
07:39These bad boys are cooked absolutely perfect.
07:41The little ridges in there add so much extra crisp to it.
07:44Just a little hint of salt on them.
07:45This is textbook French fries, how they're supposed to be done.
07:48Y'all thought I was thick.
07:55Hang on a minute.
07:55Just let me enjoy this for a second and I'll tell you about it.
08:00Oh, man.
08:01Growing in Wisconsin about an hour and a half from here is where my family's from.
08:05Having these as a kid right there, it just literally just took me back on a memory lane.
08:10The consistency, the texture, that malt in there, it's an absolute Midwest staple.
08:14Like, we're sitting at a piece of American history.
08:18Now, let's get in here to this dog.
08:27First thing you get is just that fresh steamed bun.
08:29The poppy seeds get the nice little crisp in it.
08:31You get that nice snap on the casing on it.
08:34Big explosion of salt.
08:35It's extra meaty.
08:36Nice spices into it.
08:37The super neon green Incredible Hulk relish.
08:41Man, this is literally the heart of Chicago.
08:43It lives up to the hype.
08:46It's not a hot dog.
08:47It's a super dog, and it's delicious.
08:54The only thing I'm disappointed about is it just went down too fast.
09:01Chicago may be known as the second city, but it's iconically perfected, uniquely loaded
09:07super dog is second to none.
09:09But I'm not done with Chicago.
09:12I'm just getting started.
09:14I've got a dinner reservation that I've been excited about for weeks.
09:18It would take a lot more than being driven through a table by Jacob Fatu to miss it.
09:21Behind me is the world champion when it comes to fine dining.
09:28The three-star Michelin restaurant, Alinea.
09:32Alinea is more than just food.
09:35It's about the experience.
09:36It doesn't get any better than this.
09:39I am jacked up.
09:40You see, I put something nice on.
09:41I don't dress up very often.
09:43But when you're coming to eat at royalty, you want to look your best.
09:46It's time to get in there.
09:47And by golly, I can't wait to order everything on the menu.
09:51To some, Alinea is the best restaurant in the country.
09:57To others, it's the best restaurant in the world.
10:00But what's undeniable is that for 20 years straight,
10:04they have continually found a way to reinvent the experience of eating.
10:09Alinea is known for its multi-sensory tasting menus,
10:13where the meal is as much about theater as it is about the flavor.
10:18And tonight, my reservation is for the best seat in the house, inside their kitchen.
10:23Wow, wow.
10:25With a pre-planned menu.
10:27Welcome in.
10:28Thank you, sir.
10:29Because at a place like this, you can't order everything on the menu.
10:33They order it all for you.
10:35First time dining here for you?
10:36It is.
10:37I feel like I need to have the whole experience.
10:39Beautiful.
10:40I brought my pinky.
10:43Some people, like me,
10:45might feel a bit uncertain walking into a fine dining establishment.
10:49Unsure of the rules, what to expect, how to act, hell, which fork to use.
10:55It's like I don't even know what to do with my hands.
10:57But at Alinea, that uncertainty is the point.
11:01Nobody knows what to expect.
11:02Trying to guess what's going on, but I have no idea.
11:07And that's what makes this exciting.
11:08They want it that way.
11:09They've designed it intentionally to keep you off balance,
11:13to surprise you, to challenge what you think of as dining.
11:16I'm following your directions.
11:18Please guide me, sir.
11:20They want you out of your comfort zone.
11:22Because Alinea isn't just a restaurant, it's an experience.
11:29I was not expecting that at all.
11:31I came to Chicago to battle it out in a last man standing match.
11:40And while I didn't get the results I was hoping for,
11:42I do feel like it was a match for the ages.
11:45What a clash of the titans here on SmackDown.
11:49So to celebrate, I traded in my wrestling gear for a blazer in my finest boots,
11:54to splurge at the three-star Michelin-rated restaurant, Alinea.
11:59It's known just as much for its performative presentation as its food.
12:03At a place like this, trying everything on the menu means way more than just eating it.
12:10I've been told eating here can be life-changing.
12:13Sounds like a bold claim, but hey, I'll try anything once or twice.
12:18Chef, what are we working on right now?
12:21This is a fig compote that we've just flambéed with some beautiful apple brandy.
12:26Mmm.
12:28Cheers.
12:29Thank you, sir.
12:30Mixed into the roasted figs here, some toasted walnuts, as well as hen of the woods mushrooms.
12:36I'm going to add to that a very rich, warm broth made with the same hen of the woods mushrooms,
12:40mixed with some dried chanterelles.
12:42Ooh, chanterelle mushrooms.
12:47Oh, and walnuts in it too.
12:49That's a very, very tasty soup.
12:51The mushrooms are so unbelievably aromatic.
12:57It's just delightful on the taste buds.
13:00Unbelievable.
13:03So far, wow, this is very special.
13:07What I'm quickly realizing is that to understand a place like Alinea, you have to experience it.
13:15It's not just a meal.
13:17Every moment is perfectly choreographed.
13:20Each dish unfolds in steps and layers with deliberate purpose.
13:25It's a story intentionally communicated through food.
13:28Each course surprises you with a completely new flavor, an unexpected new presentation,
13:35somehow simultaneously building off the last dish while leading you into the next.
13:41I feel extremely fortunate to be here and to try everything they have to offer.
13:45Today, that's about 12 different dishes.
13:49Picking a favorite here won't be easy but will be fun.
13:53On the pedestal here is a filet of arctic char.
13:58We marinated the fish in bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup for three days before pan-searing it.
14:04It's drizzled with some barrel-aged sherry vinegar to add some acidity.
14:08Oh, man. The scale on the top is potato chip crispy.
14:13And then to follow it up with this chardonnay, holy cow.
14:17It's literally a royal rumble of flavors in your mouth.
14:20Part two of the dish.
14:21I'm gonna ask you to pick up the pedestal and flip it upside down.
14:26Suspended underneath the pedestal is the row of the char you just had.
14:30The row tucked underneath, held in place by a clear savory gelatin, are delicious.
14:35But what really hits me is the element of surprise.
14:38So outside the box, I was not expecting there to be another dish hidden.
14:42My mind is blown.
14:45So it's like so exciting. It's just like, ooh, what's coming next?
14:51I don't know what else to say other than wow.
14:56I just said the last thing that it was my favorite.
14:58I think the bone barrel just moved into my favorite.
15:02Wow. Wow.
15:04This is the most time and temperature sensitive dish of the night.
15:08It's called hot potato, cold potato.
15:10I ask you to pick up this bowl with your left hand, with your right hand.
15:14All right.
15:15Pull the pin down and out, and now you shoot the whole thing back like an oyster.
15:21Perfect.
15:24Oh, wow.
15:25And it's paired with the wine, correct?
15:27Absolutely.
15:33All right, I have a new favorite.
15:36It's cold, but then it's hot, and then the truffle on the back side.
15:39This is just mind-blowing.
15:42Awesome.
15:43They constantly keep you on your toes guessing what's going to be next.
15:47One thing after another, just everything's so different, but so amazing at the same time.
15:52This is called the black truffle explosion.
15:55There is a liquid black truffle broth inside of this raviolo pasta.
15:59It is imperative.
16:00You take this all in one bite.
16:02Make sure your lips are sealed before you bite down.
16:04It is going to explode.
16:07Look, I'm 355 pounds.
16:10I love to eat, and I do it a lot.
16:12But I can sincerely say I've never had an experience like this.
16:17I don't want this to end.
16:19I want this to stay in my mouth forever.
16:21Oh, my God.
16:22The flavors are so complex, but balanced so perfectly.
16:26It's just one bite, but it's one bite of perfection.
16:30I want a bowl of 40 of those.
16:33This is going to be damn near impossible to make up my mind of what I think the best is.
16:38Everything just keeps getting better and better and better.
16:41Australian Wagyu beef was braised for 24 hours in soy sauce and mirin mixed with some ginger,
16:48sesame, and scallions.
16:49Short rib is one of my favorite cuts of beef.
16:51I'm literally at a loss for words.
17:02I do not know how to describe this other than it is absolutely amazing.
17:06I came to Chicago for a last man standing match.
17:14Ron Stroman is here.
17:16Title match at WrestleMania on the line.
17:18Here's the thing about last man standing matches.
17:21They're long.
17:22They're brutal.
17:24They're relentless.
17:25You've got to have your best stuff.
17:27The stakes are high, and one slip-up could cost you the match.
17:31Right through the table.
17:33I imagine that's how it must feel to be a chef at Alenia.
17:36Each dish has to be perfect, surprising, and delicious.
17:40No slip-ups allowed, but they've done it and continue to do it.
17:45Alenia has maintained a three-star status for going on 15 straight years.
17:50This is a place I've been dying to try, and so far has not disappointed.
17:55Every dish tells a different story with your taste buds.
17:59But could it get any sweeter?
18:02Whoa.
18:13Not only are you feeding people's bellies,
18:15but you're feeding their soul in this beautiful artwork.
18:18I like it.
18:18It's a plate without limits.
18:20Wow.
18:27All right, talk dirty to me.
18:31The three sauces, lemon, orange, and the darkest one is a mixture of chocolate,
18:36Buddha's hand, and a little bit of black licorice as well.
18:39The meringue broken at the very end is filled with lemon cookies and licorice candies.
18:46This is the main event.
18:47I don't even want to touch it.
18:48It's so pretty.
18:50Let's give the people what they want.
18:52Let's get the biceps out for the dessert.
18:54You know, let's see what I want to do.
19:03Oh, that's beautiful.
19:04Try the bonbon.
19:06Man, that's freaking awesome.
19:10So delicate, too.
19:12That's really the fun thing about it.
19:14It takes me a second to step outside the box and enjoy being delicate.
19:18Because in my profession, if you're delicate, you ain't gonna last very long.
19:22It has been the absolute most insane dining experience I've ever had in my entire life.
19:32And you understand why this restaurant has been voted number one in the world.
19:35It's one of 10 Michelin three-star restaurants in the United States.
19:39They do everything the absolute best.
19:43Every time we do this show, I'm supposed to pick my favorite.
19:48From start to finish, everything was so amazing.
19:51It would be a disservice to this restaurant to pick one dish to be the favorite.
19:56This isn't designed to be a one-dish favorite restaurant.
19:59This is designed to be a favorite experience.
20:02And damn it, man, if it wasn't the most amazing experience that I've had,
20:05a dining period anywhere on this earth, then you want to know what my favorite was?
20:11Everything on the menu.
20:15Chicago is known as the Windy City.
20:18And in my opinion, its top-tier food scene is a breath of fresh air.
20:22Whether it's a mouth-watering super dog from a historic drive-in or a VIP table at Alinea,
20:28where its cutting-edge innovation and food artistry stuns your senses,
20:33it's a great city with great food.
20:36And while I've made enough memories in one weekend here to last a lifetime,
20:40that doesn't mean I'm not coming back soon to make even more.
20:47One final treat to finish things off.
20:48The string is dried apple leather.
20:51The balloon is green apple taffy.
20:54Bring the balloon down, give it a kiss near the top,
20:56and inhale as much of that helium as you'd like.
21:00Well, I just want to thank everybody for watching everything on the menu.
21:03It's been unbelievable here at Alinea.
21:06Man, what an experience.
21:07And I'm lightheaded.
21:09What a hit of helium.
21:12What a fun way to end the dinner.
21:14Wow.
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