Michael Symon’s new show, Food Feuds (the Food Network’s answer to the Travel Channel’s Food Wars), will debut on the Food Network in mid-October. The filming for “the best ribs in St. Louis” segment will take place here this weekend. The crew plans to shoot at Mike Mills’ O’Fallon location of 17th Street Bar & Grill on Friday and later on that day at Mike Emerson’s Pappy’s Smokehouse.
The final judging will take place this Saturday afternoon between 2 and 4 PM, under the legs of the arch. This competition will be for ribs only, no other porky parts need apply.
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Mike Emerson, master of the pit and the sound bite, says it will be “Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed. Mike’s got the name and the notoriety…he’s supposed to win.” Adds Emerson: “Mike was gracious to even consider doing this at all. He stopped competing after he basically beat everyone there was to beat. The man went out on top.”
Could be interesting…we all remember those Rocky movies.
The first food feud, a throwdown with Philly cheesesteaks, is scheduled to air October 14. The St. Louis segment will most likely not run until early 2011.
UPDATE: According to the Food Network’s website, the segment will air on November 18 at 9 PM CST.
One additional fly-on-the-wall note: When Symon was in town filming the segment, he was overheard making a cell phone call to his wife. Part of his conversation, from a reliable source: “Honey, I’ve just had the two best barbequed ribs in my life, and they were both in St. Louis.”
Wow. Quite a claim. Anybody else tuning in?
