‘Fast Foodies’ Recap: ‘Reggie Watts’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 206 of ‘Fast Foodies’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When one thinks of iconic fast food, let’s be honest… McDonald’s quickly comes to mind, because in many ways… that company basically invented the industry through and through. But while its golden arches and its Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Fries and a Coke are synonymous with the fast-food industry, Mickey D’s isn’t the only iconic fast food joint out there and the same goes for that aforementioned meal. For In-N-Out is one of note and their Animal Style fries makes them a must stop destination when folks swing by a town or state that has that restaurant, and we’d be remiss to not talk about Burger King and their amazing Whopper.

Because that quarter pound of juicy beef, flame broiled to perfection, always manages to please when you settle in to enjoy one and no, that’s not a description sponsored by the company. That’s just a hungry writer thinking about burgers before his dinner and he is also offering up an accurate description of that tasty burger and if you’re not sure that’s the case… you don’t have to take my word for it… you can roll with what Reggie Watts thinks about the Whopper. For her expressed his love of it and Burger King’s Onion Rings when he stopped by the kitchen on Fast Foodies this week and his admiration for this meal, pushed our trio of chefs to work hard to recreate the perfect Whopper with Rings, with mixed results.

Because each and every one of them had to figure out how to get the right flame broiling sear on the meat and that was no easy task since BK has their own special method of doing it and that brought about some fascinating burgers and rings. For instance, Kristen’s meal was flawless when it came to the rings, but the burger just didn’t quite hit the flame grilled mark. Whereas Justin’s, while tasty, just didn’t land the burger or ring taste right either. Which means that in the end, it was Jeremy that won the day. Because he worked really hard to get the flame kissing just right and while it too wasn’t perfect, it was flavorful and juicy enough to be as close to a Whopper as one can get. 

But with the copycat round out of the way, it was onto the remix round and once again, these chefs impressed with their incredible creations. Because Kristen decided to remove meat from the equation and focus on flavor and flair with her Caramelized Onion and Gruyè Cappelletti, which was both flavorful and beautiful in nature. And Jeremy, well he went with a Smoked Beef Tartare and Smoked Bone Marrow, a dish designed to really put a spin on the burger and its flavors and while that also brought joy to Reggie’s heart, it was Justin’s dish that stole it. Because his Flame Broiled Panzanella was so creative and so unique that Reggie had to declare it the Chompion dish of the night.

Which in turn, forced Kristen and Jeremy to wear trash crowns to match the theme of kings and well, in the end… this was just a fun and delightful cooking adventure. One that reminded us of the fact that the wonder and majesty and outright iconic status of fast food extends beyond McD’s and sometimes… cannot be replicated and that the spirit of fast food, easily translates to incredible meals and well, now that we’ve had our fill, we are once again left hungry for more of this dynamic and wonderful series. One that always knows how to satisfy and put on a smile on our faces, and it will be interesting to see what comfort foods await us, come next week. Until then.

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