Comedian Josh Denny filmed at several homegrown restaurants when visiting town as host of the Food Network series, “Ginormous Foods,” in April.
Among the locations shot for the program’s Tucson episode, airing this Friday: Lindy’s on Fourth, Boca Tacos y Tequila and Stray Dogs on West River Road.
Each spot offered its own gigantic dish.
Lindy’s served The Burn Out, a 6-pound burger with jalapeños, pepper-jack cheese and an explosive chile sauce.
Boca had the Titanic Taco Dog, a 5-pound taco filled with pinto beans, cactus salsa and (apparently more than one) bacon-wrapped wiener.
For dessert, Stray Dogs produced what they called The B.F.D., a 16-inch, chocolate-filled glazed doughnut.
The extra large meals fit in perfectly with the theme of the show, said Denny
“We really want to highlight dishes that can be portioned out and shared,” he said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. “We show how dishes are communal and get people talking about food, which I think is what separates us from similar food programs. We spend a lot more time looking at how food brings people together.”
The hunt for community through cuisine has been Denny’s goal since he took the role as host of “Ginormous Foods” in 2016.
So far, the Philadelphia-born comic has been to 60 restaurants across 20 cities over the course of two seasons.
Tucson, which is part of Season 2, is not wholly unfamiliar to Denny, whose previous life in corporate retail brought him to some of the city’s biggest malls over the years, including the Tucson Mall and Park Place.
Such visits gave Denny an early glimpse into what Tucson’s food scene was all about.
He is no stranger to Sonoran hot dogs.
But he is quick to recognize Tucson’s growing culinary reputation, including its recent designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
“Tucson has two kinds of cuisine,” he said. “You’ve got your great classic, traditional Mexican food restaurants, but Tucson also has an up-and-coming gastronomy culture happening, as well. You are blending old techniques with new and coming up with some pretty cool stuff.”
Denny said he appreciated the different feel Tucson had from Phoenix, where he filmed for several days before visiting the Old Pueblo.
“A lot of the restaurants we looked at in Phoenix were transplants,” he said. “People coming from other parts of the country and opening restaurants.
"Tucson had a far more neighborhood feel. The places felt like real local spots.”
