Ep 1. A Bowlful of Soul

In the first episode of season 23 of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," host Guy Fieri heads to the Southern United States in search of a bowlful of soulful comfort food. In Nashville, Tennessee, he visits Arnold's Country Kitchen, a cafeteria-style restaurant that has been serving up homestyle Southern dishes for over 35 years. Guy samples their famous meat-and-three plate, which includes the choice of a meat and three sides. Next, he heads to Village Bakery and Provisions in Athens, Georgia, where he tries their homemade biscuit topped with fried chicken and sausage gravy.

Moving on to Charlotte, North Carolina, Guy stops by The Improper Pig, a BBQ joint that infuses Asian flavors into their dishes. He samples their Korean BBQ brisket sandwich and their BBQ egg rolls filled with pulled pork, mac and cheese, and slaw. Lastly, Guy heads to The Daily Grind in Mobile, Alabama, a breakfast and lunch spot serving classic Southern dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. He tries their shrimp and grits made with Stone Ground grits and sautéed Gulf shrimp.

Throughout the episode, Guy chats with each restaurant's owners and chefs, learning about their backgrounds and the inspiration behind their dishes. He also takes a look behind the scenes to see how each dish is made, from the biscuits at Village Bakery to the slow-smoked brisket at The Improper Pig.

As always, Guy's enthusiasm and passion for food is infectious, and viewers will undoubtedly be left feeling hungry and inspired to seek out their own bowlful of soul. With a mix of classic Southern dishes and modern twists on BBQ and comfort food, this episode is sure to please foodies and fans of the show alike.