Ep 5. DDD All-Star Tournament Part 1

In the fifth episode of season 17 of "Guy's Grocery Games," viewers are treated to the first part of the "DDD All-Star Tournament," which brings together some of the best and most accomplished contestants from Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." There are four chefs competing in this episode: Ryan Fey (from Ajo Al's in Tucson, Arizona), Andre Prince Jeffries (from Prince's Hot Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee), Danny Serfer (from Blue Collar in Miami, Florida), and Carl Ruiz (from La Cubana in New York City).

As the show begins, host Guy Fieri introduces the chefs and explains that they will be facing off in a series of three rounds, each with a different culinary challenge. In the first round, the chefs must make a dish using ingredients that start with the letters G, G, and G (an homage to Guy's initials). They have only 30 minutes to shop and cook, and to make things even more difficult, they must use miniature shopping carts to gather their ingredients.

The chefs quickly scatter throughout the store, grabbing everything from grapefruit and gouda cheese to ginger and graham crackers. Some chefs opt for traditional dishes, like Ryan's grilled chicken with grapefruit salad and Danny's garlic shrimp with grits. Others take a more creative approach, like Carl's guava and gouda empanadas or Andre's ginger-grapefruit glazed chicken wings.

As the timer ticks down, the chefs scramble to finish their dishes and plate them for the judges: Guy, along with chefs Aarti Sequeira and Jet Tila. They taste each dish and offer their critiques, with some dishes earning praise for their flavor and creativity, while others fall short in terms of presentation or seasoning.

After deliberating, the judges eliminate one chef at the end of round one, leaving the remaining three to move on to round two. In this round, the chefs must create a dish inspired by their favorite childhood memory. Again, they have just 30 minutes to shop, cook, and plate their dishes.

The chefs take different approaches to this challenge. Ryan creates a dish inspired by his grandfather's love for meatloaf, using ground beef, pork, and veal to create a flavorful combination. Danny draws on his Italian-American upbringing, making a classic chicken parmesan with homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Carl takes a more whimsical approach, creating a dish that replicates a childhood favorite: PB&J sandwiches. He uses peanut butter and jelly to flavor his pork chops, along with a side of "potato chips" made from thinly sliced yuca.

Despite the challenges of the round, all three dishes impress the judges. Guy is particularly fond of Ryan's meatloaf, while Aarti raves about Danny's tomato sauce. Ultimately, though, one chef must be eliminated, and after much deliberation, the judges send Carl home.

The final round of the episode is a "remote shopping" challenge, in which the two remaining chefs must direct Guy around the store to gather the ingredients they need to make their final dishes. Ryan and Danny each get a turn to direct Guy, who dons a pair of goggles that obscure his vision (to make things even more challenging).

With only 20 minutes to complete the challenge, the chefs must be quick and decisive in their directions, while also keeping an eye on their own cooking. Ryan opts for a surf-and-turf-style dish, with seared scallops and pork belly served with a grapefruit and fennel salad. Danny creates a dish inspired by his travels to New Orleans, with Cajun-spiced shrimp and crispy okra over a bed of grits.

At the end of the round, the judges weigh in on the dishes. They praise Ryan's scallops for their perfect sear and the inventive use of grapefruit, but note that his pork belly is a bit undercooked. Danny's dish earns high marks for its spicy flavors and well-seasoned shrimp, but Aarti and Jet find fault with the grits, which they feel are too thick and heavy.

With the final deliberations complete, Guy announces the winner of the episode – the chef who will move on to the finale of the "DDD All-Star Tournament." Viewers will have to tune in to the next episode to find out who comes out on top. Overall, though, this episode of "Guy's Grocery Games" is a treat for fans of the show and of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," showcasing some of the best culinary talent from across the country.