Of course the onetime top brewery in the world – 3 Sons Brewing Co. in Dania Beach – would attract the eye of Guy Fieri, Mayor of Flavortown.
But not because of the beer. Instead, it was 3 Sons’ wood-fired shrimp pizza and umami chicken wings that charmed the frosty-tipped Food Network star, who stopped by the 18-month-old taproom in late January to film an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
And Fieri’s verdict, after sampling this comfort duo fired up by 3 Sons chef Nicolay Adinaguev? 3 Sons Brewing brewer Corey Artanis is keeping mum, but Fieri will speak his piece when the episode premieres at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, on Food Network.
“I don’t know what I’m allowed to say but Guy liked our story and thought our food sounded crazy enough to try,” says Artanis, whose brewery – owned with Corey’s father and named after sons Tristan, Alexzander and Jaxson – opened in January 2019. “He was saying he liked the family aspect, that you don’t see a lot of breweries that also have amazing food.”
Food Network producers emailed the brewer in December about paying a visit ahead of Super Bowl LIV. Fieri was in town to host a beachside barbecue at South Beach Wine and Food Festival and a Super Bowl tailgate bash, both in February, and wanted to spotlight South Florida eateries on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
They taped the episode at the brewery on Jan. 20, and Fieri sampled Adinaguev’s wings, doused in a blend of dashi garlic butter, thyme, wasabi aioli, togarashi and scallion. Then came wild Gulf shrimp pizza, a Neapolitan-style pie topped with hearty curls of shrimp, garlic confit, capers, oregano, manchego and escarole.
And what of 3 Son’s craft-beer wizardry, adventurous pours of suds that taste like Neapolitan ice cream and boysenberry, chocolate cake and passionfruit? Surely the sweet-toothed TV personality wanted a beer pairing?
“[Guy] didn’t try any of my craft beers. But he’s from Food Network and he’s here for the food,” says Artanis, who suspects Fieri is more of a “wine and spirits guy.” “People know about our beers from all over. So to have this, to showcase the food, it meant a lot to me.”
Before leaving, Food Network staff left a memento on the taproom walls: the spray-painted mug of Fieri and the words “Guy! ate here” (exclamation theirs). It sits below a row of Artanis’ craft-beer medals.
To celebrate the episode, on Sept. 18, Artanis will offer 20 percent to-go orders of dashi butter wings and shrimp pizza with purchase of any 16-ounce four-pack. For dine-in customers, the deal is 10 percent off both featured meals with purchase of two beers or wines. Drinkers who show up dressed as Guy Fieri – flame-licked bowling shirt, spiked hair – are entered to win a $50 gift card.
Artanis stresses the event is not a watch party, because he doesn’t want large assemblies of drinkers to gather. He admits that 3 Sons’ rising national popularity is a double-edged sword in the COVID-19 era, with his brewpub often hitting half-capacity on weekends – and that’s before the episode’s airing.
“People seem to be a lot more understanding about keeping to capacity because it’s just not safe yet,” says Artanis, who plans to permanently open 3 Sons seven days a week starting in October.
The 3 Sons Brewing Co. episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” will air at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, on Food Network. Call the brewery at 954-601-3833 or 3SonsBrewingCo.com.
