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Diners Drive-ins and Dives - Season 54 - Episode 05: Triple D Nation: Flavortown Fill-Up
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00:00You know, people are asking me all the time,
00:02hey, guy, that one joint you checked out in that one city
00:04when you were doing Triple D, how they doing?
00:06You know, I don't know. We should check it out.
00:10Over the years, I've seen and tasted it all.
00:13This is ridiculous, dude.
00:15But it turns out it was only the beginning
00:17because Triple D joints have been blowing up
00:19and we're going back to see what's cooking.
00:23Like on this trip, from sheds to shacks.
00:26It's like a buffet out here.
00:27It's a funky Flavortown fill-up.
00:30This building was originally a filling station.
00:32Still is a filling station.
00:34There's stick-to-your-ribbed sauces in Louisiana.
00:37It was flavorful, it was spicy, it all worked great.
00:40Soup, sandwiches, and seafood in Massachusetts.
00:43I see why everybody loves you guys.
00:45And a smoke-a-Dallas spot.
00:47You put bark on your brisket like a pack of dogs.
00:49Leveling up their location.
00:51It's grown 10 or 15-fold.
00:53How many?
00:54And going big with their barbecue.
00:56There's no such thing as a to-go box for this.
00:59Familiar faces, new places, and more off-the-hook flavors.
01:04This is Triple D Nation.
01:12I don't know about you, but I love farmer's markets.
01:14I'm in Dallas, and I'm at this farmer's market.
01:16Now, they got all the usual suspects, handmade goods, fresh produce, you name it.
01:20But I hear there's one extra key.
01:22Bomb barbecue brisket.
01:24Now, since I was there in 2011, this family-run farmer's market spot, well, they outgrew that booth.
01:30And they moved on to their very own building.
01:32This is the Pecan Lodge.
01:37I need the three-meat combo.
01:39Pecan Lodge is my favorite restaurant.
01:41One trough for the Johnson party.
01:43We saw Pecan Lodge on Triple D in the farmer's market, and then came here when they first opened the
01:47brick-and-mortar restaurant.
01:48And it's just been great ever since.
01:49Got the smokehouse nachos.
01:51The food is excellent.
01:52It's the best barbecue I've had.
01:54Compliments of owners, Diane and Justin Forton, who have been smoking up a storm since quitting their day jobs.
02:01Who gets the wild hair that says, hey, let's open up a restaurant, but in a farmer's market?
02:06It was actually our exit strategy out of corporate America.
02:10Awesome to see you again.
02:11I remember you guys broke out of the corporate world.
02:14You go to this farmer's market.
02:16You're scratch-making everything.
02:17You got that crazy smoker in the back going into the little mini shed.
02:21It's like a buffet out here.
02:23It was always about the consistency and the quality, and so we do a few things.
02:28We do them really well.
02:29Everything they do here is exceptional.
02:31You've got your sliced brisket made in-house, so it's phenomenal.
02:35What are we making?
02:36Brisket?
02:36Brisket.
02:37And who taught you how to make brisket?
02:38Grandfather.
02:39This is the state bird in Texas, isn't it?
02:41It is.
02:41Let's talk about the rub.
02:42What are we putting on it?
02:43Seasoning salt, granulated garlic, chili powder, coarse ground black pepper, mustard powder, and paprika.
02:48I like the balance of that.
02:50Not too peppery.
02:51On to the meat.
02:51I try to trim it down to about a quarter of an inch, rub it down, and it goes straight
02:55on the smoker.
02:56On the smoker?
02:56Yep.
02:57Cool.
02:59Okay, let's go.
03:00250?
03:00Yep.
03:01And this will cook for how long?
03:02Probably 15, 18 hours.
03:04Jeez.
03:05Serve it up, sailor.
03:06All right, let's do it.
03:07Look at that.
03:09Just pulls apart.
03:13What you should be finding when you come to Texas is rockin' brisket.
03:17That's rockin' brisket.
03:18All right, brisket down.
03:19Is the brisket still the reigning champ?
03:22By volume, it is.
03:23When we were at the farmer's market, the most brisket we could cook was about 25 or 30 briskets a
03:27day.
03:28We were able to move into a bigger location.
03:30Now we're going through two to three tons a week.
03:32A ton is 2,000 pounds.
03:34That's right.
03:34Just the brisket.
03:35What size smoker is this?
03:37We've got multiple now.
03:38So there was one, now there's six.
03:40Dude, the brisket is ridiculous.
03:42Best in town.
03:43Even in the funky little environment.
03:45What is so funny about that visit?
03:47There was a line like you were in the club.
03:50I've been there.
03:52I went to Pecan Lodge.
03:53Beef ribs and sausage in a three-meat plate.
03:56Consistently is good.
03:57It's always been great.
03:58It's a lot about the authentic taste of the barbecue here.
04:01Pitmaster.
04:02I love the Pitmaster sandwich, because if you don't know what to get, get a little bit of everything wrapped
04:06up into one sandwich.
04:07You can't beat it.
04:09The Pitmaster sandwich.
04:11Brisket, pulled pork, sausage.
04:13We put it on the menu, and now it's one of our top sellers.
04:16We're still doing the brisket the same way, same rub, same cooking process.
04:20You put bark on your brisket like a pack of dogs.
04:23Did you get that?
04:24That's a t-shirt.
04:25That is?
04:26Actually, that is.
04:27I'm going to move to the pork butt next.
04:29Are you allowed to do pork in Texas?
04:31We do it anyway.
04:32Really?
04:32Because you live on the edge.
04:33We're going to start seasoning those with salt and pepper.
04:36Cooked for about 10 hours.
04:37We keep them whole until we're ready to serve, and then we just pull off a little piece of it
04:41with a little bit of our seasoning spice, just to add a little pop.
04:45So I've got to tell you, dude, bomb brisket, bomb pork.
04:49Is this the house-made sausage?
04:50Yep.
04:51We'll start with pork butt.
04:52Now we'll get the seasoning going with salt, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pink salt, coarse
04:59ground black pepper, and then our brisket rub.
05:02Give this a mix, and then mix it in with our sausage.
05:04Next part is to stuff it and link it and do all the twisting.
05:07Let them go for about two hours on the smoker.
05:09And then next step, the East Texas-style barbecue sauce.
05:12Finally, we've got the coleslaw with the homemade dressing.
05:14Start with the mayo, vinegar sauce, some of the pork rub.
05:18We've got the two different kinds of cabbage, carrots, and green onions.
05:24And then finally, some sliced jalapenos.
05:27Delicious.
05:27That's got to be a killer of diets.
05:30There's a lot of protein in there, though.
05:32I mean, you've got the slaw.
05:33Oh, yeah.
05:34That's exactly how I...
05:35You have the, you know, rabbits eat it.
05:38The pit master sandwich.
05:39All the jalapenos and coleslaw bring it together.
05:42Sweet, savory, tangy.
05:44It's an incredible mix of flavors, so it's phenomenal.
05:47You have to get here early.
05:48Absolutely.
05:49So when we first started, we were just open for lunch four days a week, Thursday through Sunday.
05:53And now we're open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
05:55So what happened?
05:56It's grown 10 or 15-fold.
05:59I'm...
06:00How many?
06:0110 or 15-fold.
06:02How big's the building?
06:03About 5,000 square feet.
06:05So you've really taken your small little farmer's market barbecue joint and really done nothing with it.
06:11Great.
06:12You know, that's the things I get.
06:13You know, showing up, saying hi.
06:15You know, these guys just...
06:17And we come back.
06:18Who am I cooking with?
06:19The boss lady.
06:20Boss lady?
06:21And she's coming in hot.
06:23And guess what we're making up next?
06:24The hot mess.
06:25It is a giant sweet potato.
06:28What is this?
06:28The giant beef root.
06:29I mean, it's a beast.
06:30Mmm!
06:31Oh, my God, that's good.
06:34So welcome back.
06:35We're hanging out at the Pecan Lodge with the boss lady, who I first met back in 2011,
06:40before this couple's barbecue business blew up.
06:43You are an OG.
06:44When I look at a barbecue joint now, you're one of the benchmarks.
06:48And guess what we're making up next?
06:50The hot mess.
06:52Hot mess.
06:52The hot mess.
06:53That sweet potato with all of the great stuff on top.
06:56It's amazing.
06:57Did you come up with that name on your own?
06:59Is that a Southern thing I don't know about?
07:01It is a Southern thing.
07:03It's a big sweet potato.
07:04It is a giant sweet potato.
07:06First thing we do is we just split it down the middle.
07:09See that nice color?
07:10Show some butter down in here.
07:12And this healthy cooking hour brought to you by butter.
07:16A little cheese.
07:17Shredded brisket.
07:19And barbacoa, yes.
07:20And chipotle cream.
07:23And now, add a little crumbled bacon.
07:27Chopped green onions for color.
07:32It's all the things you love.
07:33But that has the sweet with the salty with the tang and the barbacoa.
07:36Right?
07:37It's a complete meal.
07:38Nice job.
07:40Got full pork sandwich.
07:41Every plate you get is just fresh from the smoker.
07:44They let the meat speak for themselves.
07:46They let the smoke speak for themselves and use minimal seasoning.
07:48Two orders of beef ribs.
07:49Their beef ribs are amazing.
07:51What is this?
07:52The giant beef rib.
07:53I mean, it's a beast.
07:54It's the first thing that sells out in the restaurant.
07:56How many of these can you make?
07:57We go through about 60 racks on the weekend.
08:00What's on here?
08:01Walk me through this.
08:02Basically salt, coarse brown black pepper, pink salt.
08:05Then we have a beef rib rub, similar to the brisket rub.
08:08You go really heavy on this all over.
08:10Take them out to the pit, and they're going to smoke for about eight hours.
08:15This is delicious, by the way.
08:16There's no such thing as a to-go box for this.
08:19Beef ribs for Tony.
08:20It's moist, juicy, buttery.
08:22The smoke, the bark, the size, it just falls off the bone.
08:26Mmm, mmm, mmm!
08:28Oh my God, that's good!
08:29If you really want to get a good flavor of Texas barbecue, this is the place to be.
08:34Too many people say they can do barbecue, but I'm telling you, real deal, legit, great flavors,
08:39great seasoning, great salt.
08:40I mean, just really stand-up quality barbecue, and in tough company being here in Dallas.
08:44Yep.
08:44You made it, and you made it with such great success.
08:47It makes me so happy that I had a chance to meet you, and I have a chance to see
08:51you now,
08:52and then everybody on Triple D Nation gets to catch up to you and find out where you're at.
08:57Well done.
09:00Coming up, a Cape Cod gem.
09:02Everything is unique.
09:04All right, let's get out of here.
09:04What's the stuff?
09:05Always staying fresh.
09:06This is just the delicacy of the area.
09:09And flavorful.
09:10Looks beautiful and tastes as good as it looks.
09:13That's how you do it.
09:17So I'm here at Cape Cod in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, right over the Bourne Bridge.
09:22Now, there are two types of restaurants in this area.
09:25You got those that are seasonal and those that are loved by everybody.
09:28You're right, the ones that are open year-round.
09:30And in 2015, I found this year-round joint serving up a gourmet twist on local favorites.
09:36And now that the word is out, well, they've added a few more chairs to seat the locals and the
09:41tourists.
09:41This is Dana's Kitchen.
09:45Fresh crab salad on a brioche.
09:47I saw Triple D and I just had to come.
09:49It's like such good Cape Cod comfort food.
09:52But it's like their own twist.
09:53Just spatcha for you.
09:55Everything is unique.
09:56It's freshly made.
09:57Tastes delicious.
09:58We got a scotch salmon on a bagel ready to go.
10:00All the food has lots of flavor.
10:03They really know exactly what they're doing.
10:04An education that husband and wife team Arthur and Dana Tillman learned at culinary school before bringing their recipes and
10:11chef skills to this roadside joint.
10:14This building was originally a filling station.
10:17And I think it was built in the league.
10:18It still is a filling station.
10:19Yeah.
10:19We just felt so honored having Guy here.
10:23Guy picked a really good menu.
10:24We had the Portuguese kale soup, which people love.
10:26It's very regional.
10:28Portuguese kale soup.
10:29We got some schmaltz.
10:31We got some schmaltz.
10:32We got us some schmaltz.
10:34Add the onion, chopped garlic, a little salt and pepper, and then the sausage, linguiza.
10:39I like linguiza.
10:40We're adding the kale.
10:41Going to get it all in there, huh?
10:42We're going to get it all in.
10:43It's going to cook down.
10:44Now we're going to add some hot chicken stock.
10:47I'll have nine bowls of this.
10:48And then kidney beans.
10:50Boiled russets, peeled and chopped.
10:52A little hot sauce.
10:52A little hot sauce, about seven shots.
10:55Hey, look, scroll.
10:56Oh, yeah, where?
10:575, 12, 18, 19, 20.
10:59Dish up the kale soup.
11:02Mmm.
11:03I love a good soup.
11:05With kale, simple seasonings, and you let it slow cook.
11:08Mmm.
11:09I see why everybody loves you guys.
11:11Oh.
11:12The kale soup is still on the menu, along with many other seasonal stuff that we do.
11:17You got the ahi tuna.
11:19Everything looks beautiful and tastes as good as it looks.
11:23I got some hot jambalaya coming.
11:24I've had the jambalaya before.
11:26If you like crawfish, go for jambalaya.
11:28It's a house favorite for sure.
11:30We're going to start with some olive oil.
11:31We're going to add the celery and the onions.
11:34We have a rainbow of peppers.
11:35Red, yellow, orange.
11:37Garlic.
11:38Linguisa sausage.
11:39Slightly sweets.
11:40Got a little spice to it.
11:41We have some bay leaf and seasoning.
11:43Long grain rice.
11:44A pureed tomato.
11:45We're going to let it sit for about 20 minutes.
11:48So now we're going to add our homemade chicken stock.
11:51We've got some chicken broth.
11:52We're going to add some of our shrimp.
11:54Put crawfish in.
11:56Some parsley and scallions.
11:57Get it all mixed in.
11:58We're going to bowl it up.
12:00The jambalaya.
12:01The linguisa adds a fun little sweet smokiness and a little bit of the local Portuguese cultural
12:05flair to it.
12:06Finding a little oasis like this that's serving soup and doing cookies and pastries and all
12:11that.
12:11It's the best.
12:12It's a gem.
12:13It takes like a diner vibe, but also really high-end fancy food.
12:18And it merges the two together.
12:19One marble scotch salmon and one regular.
12:22I've got so many favorite sandwiches.
12:23I mean, I can't decide which one I like the best.
12:26Soft shell crab.
12:27Soft shell crab has a crunch, but it has a sweet softness to it when you bite into it.
12:32The way they pair it with the challah that they make fresh, it's to die for.
12:36Okay.
12:36We've got some soft shell crabs.
12:38These are live?
12:39Yes.
12:39They're in a dormant state and they've molted their shells.
12:42This is just the delicacy of the area.
12:44Yeah.
12:44I'm really up and down the East Coast seaboard.
12:47Seasoned flour.
12:47What's in the seasoned flour?
12:49I just use kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper.
12:51Egg.
12:52Okay.
12:52Very hot sheet tray.
12:54Roast them in the oven.
12:55What time?
12:55About 500.
12:56But what does this get served on?
12:58The homemade challah bread.
12:59All right.
12:59Let's get after it.
13:00That's the stuff.
13:03You can really taste a crab.
13:05They're full of meat.
13:06They're beauties.
13:07Got a little crunch to it.
13:08I get the fresh seawater flavor to it.
13:10That's how you do it.
13:11The soft shell crabs are seasonal.
13:13They usually start somewhere around the beginning of June.
13:16And if you're lucky and have a good season, it could go all the way to the end of September.
13:19Nothing here is all year round.
13:21It's only when they're in season.
13:22So it's really the best of the best all the time.
13:25Hot oysters Rockefeller.
13:26I love oysters Rockefeller.
13:28It's all like cheesy and warm.
13:29We're going to start off with the Rockefeller mix, whole butter, shallots, scallions, and
13:35the garlic, chopped parsley, baby spinach, dry white wine.
13:39We're going to cook the alcohol off, put in the heavy cream, an anise flavor liqueur,
13:44fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper, Louisiana hot sauce.
13:48Let it cool just a little bit and we're going to puree it with the infusion blender.
13:52And the last step is challah breadcrumbs and it kind of firms it up nicely.
13:56Now we're going to chuck these oysters.
13:58I'm going to cover the oyster completely with the Rockefeller mix.
14:02Hollandaise sauce right in the oven.
14:07And here is our oysters Rockefeller.
14:10Got the oyster Rockefeller.
14:11It has almost like that creamy richness of like an eggs benedict because of that hollandaise
14:16sauce, but it adds a little bit of extra fun, sweet, and saltiness with the oyster.
14:21Should we keep this just between us?
14:23Should we let the rest of the world know about this funky little Triple D joint?
14:27I think that's just going to happen on its own.
14:29After they were on Triple D years ago, it definitely brought in a lot more business and it's exciting
14:33that they're getting all these new faces.
14:35It's tremendously busy and we're very, very fortunate.
14:37Funky little hut, mom and pop joint, serving the best that you have to offer when it's
14:42in season.
14:42Well done, brother.
14:43Appreciate it.
14:46Up next, we're cruising to Cajun country.
14:49A toast to turtle.
14:50To a joint where people come for the funk.
14:53It's super eclectic.
14:54But stay for the food.
14:56It's regular bar food, but taking up a notch.
14:58To come in and find something with a nice little spin on it, you can't beat it.
15:05When you're cruising down River Road in Jefferson, Louisiana, don't expect to run into much.
15:11Now there's a lot of swampland, and Mississippi's right over there.
15:14And then you find this place, the River Shack Tavern, which has always been known for its
15:18funky feel.
15:19And since my first visit in 2008, it's gotten more famous for its food.
15:23But one thing that still remains the same, are you in for a surprise?
15:31I got a Rusty Chicken Caesar in the window.
15:33The River Shack is kind of a destination.
15:35Jerked up confit.
15:37It's regular bar food, but taking up a notch, and definitely has the New Orleans flair to
15:41it.
15:42Rusty's Chicken Ranch.
15:43I really think I made a great choice coming to River Shack.
15:46It's super eclectic.
15:47And that vibe is something owner Donnie Thomas made sure to maintain when he took the place
15:52over.
15:53I never wanted to change the feeling that the two previous owners,
15:57established here.
15:58You got this young chef in here that's making up some pretty dynamic food, and I kind of
16:02let Mike do what he wants to do.
16:05Here's your turtle soup.
16:06When Guy was here the first time, I had turtle soup.
16:09He makes the best soup, any kind, all the time.
16:12The turtle meat is really good.
16:14It's turtle time.
16:15Bacon fat.
16:16The holy trinity.
16:17Turtle meat, ground beef, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, grated lemon zest, and the juice.
16:22Hard-boiled egg, cherry, chopped spinach, dark rue.
16:25This is going to simmer three hours or so.
16:27Three hours?
16:28The toast to turtle.
16:34It was really nice stew.
16:35The texture is fantastic.
16:37Really good flavor.
16:37You get a really good broth that goes along with it.
16:41I don't think you would be able to tell somebody that this is turtle and not some type of roast
16:47or some type of beef.
16:48I like it.
16:49Here's your turtle soup.
16:51The turtle soup's great.
16:52It's sort of like a gumbug.
16:53Chef Mike left us in 2016 to move on to other things, but now I've got Chris Applewhite working
17:00in the kitchen.
17:01I got two specials up.
17:03Chris brings things that we haven't had before.
17:06Jerk duck confit in the window.
17:07The special I had today was jerk duck, which I never had before.
17:11It's just a wonderful meal.
17:13This is a classic jerk marinade that we'll be using for our duck today.
17:16Jalapenos, habanero peppers, fresh ginger, green onion, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice,
17:22rice wine vinegar, serrano peppers, garlic, blend it a little bit, red onion, brown sugar,
17:29nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, a little bit of salt.
17:34Marinate the duck leg and thighs.
17:36Refrigerate it for 24 hours.
17:37Pour straight duck fat over that.
17:39Hit it in the oven at 275 degrees for four hours.
17:42This is the spicy green sauce that goes over the top.
17:44Start with our cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, rice wine vinegar, olive oil.
17:51We're going to go into our mixing bowl.
17:52Mayonnaise and sour cream.
17:54And it'll be ready to pour over the duck.
17:55We've pulled it out.
17:56And now it's ready to crisp up the skin.
17:58And then we're going to flip it onto the grill just to get some of that char flavor on there.
18:02It's time to plate coconut, cilantro, lime rice, topped with spicy green sauce we made earlier.
18:09Hicama slaw.
18:09And this is our jerk duck confit.
18:12Jerk duck confit.
18:13The skin is nice and crispy.
18:15It was flavorful.
18:16It was spicy.
18:17It all worked great.
18:18Now is it true, and I just learned this, Louisiana meat, specific food, specific days?
18:23Normally Mondays is red beans and rice day.
18:25Best sellers, definitely the red beans and rice.
18:28It's really some of the best red beans in town.
18:32All right, so we're going to make red beans and rice.
18:33Which doesn't mean just red beans and rice.
18:35Our old friend bacon fat.
18:37So kidney beans are dry.
18:38Right, they've been soaked overnight.
18:40Just water.
18:41Look at this big lock.
18:42Ham hock in.
18:43A little bit of Worcestershire.
18:44Hot sauce.
18:45The Trinity.
18:46May leaves.
18:47Turnaround jumper.
18:49Huh?
18:50So this is going to go on a simmer for four hours?
18:53You do this with either a grilled chicken and or a smoked sausage.
18:56It has a maple sort of glaze.
18:58It complements things really well.
19:01That's too good to be good for you.
19:03Such a depth far beyond just regular beans and rice.
19:07Mmm.
19:08I'll be right over here asleep.
19:10Okay.
19:10After I have one more bite.
19:11Red beans and rice for you.
19:13Just a guaranteed go-to that makes you feel like you're New Orleans.
19:18After Triple D business increased quite a lot.
19:21We started evolving from a bar with food to a restaurant with a bar.
19:27We've added tents outside to be able to handle some of the overflow.
19:31There's more people coming for dinner.
19:32And they should because the food's just great.
19:34I got a redfish on the half shell in the window.
19:36Redfish has sort of been a real staple on the New Orleans cuisine map for a long time.
19:40Here they do the crawfish and bernet sauce on it.
19:43I've always had a bernet, but I've never had a crawfish bernet.
19:46So I thought that would be interesting to do.
19:48Egg yolks, lemon juice, crystal hot sauce, creole mustard, a little bit of salt.
19:53Clarified butter.
19:54And now we're going to fold in our tarragon and crawfish tails.
19:58This is our local redfish.
19:59We're going to hit it with some olive oil, blackening seasoning, going on the grill.
20:03I can see the edges start to bubble up over here.
20:06Now we're going to add some butter, fresh squeezed lime juice.
20:09We have our house-made salt and vinegar chips.
20:12Crawfish bernet sauce over the top of the redfish.
20:15Redfish on the half shell.
20:16The crawfish sauce was really excellent.
20:18And the fish was done very well.
20:20It's one of the best I've ever had.
20:22It's neat to see that some people can come and have the standard fare that they would expect
20:25to find in Louisiana.
20:26But then to come in and find something with a nice little spin on it, you can't beat it.
20:32We've got some gazpacho over here.
20:34The collard greens, one of my favorites.
20:36Can I get a mushroom po' boy, please?
20:38Enjoy.
20:39So that's a wrap for now.
20:40But these are only a few places we're dishing out.
20:42There are plenty more members of the Flavortown family on deck as we travel the Triple D Nation.
20:48I'm back.
20:49I'm like a shark.
20:53Would you quit filming me?
20:55You're not making me feel awkward.
20:58We'll try it.
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