Food Network TV stops by to film local restaurants for cooking shows

HUNTINGTON -- The Huntington location of Hillbilly Hotdogs is closed today, because it seems the local restaurant chain's original Lesage location has some bigger dogs to cook.

The sign outside the Huntington locale says it all, "Attention All Kinfolk: 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' will be filming at our (W.Va.) Route 2 location."

A film crew shooting for the popular Food Network TV show, hosted by tattooed road warrior Guy Fieri, will be at the Lesage location today and on Sunday to get footage of the colorful hot dog joint owned and operated by Sonny and Shari Knight.

Shari's son, Brandon Swallow, said word is Fieri will take the Homewrecker Challenge, trying to take on Hillbilly Hotdogs' legendary 15-inch-long weenie that's topped with just about everything.

"I think he can probably do it," Swallow said. "I was watching it last night and he took out three dogs -- and I mean some strange dogs with a whole pickle on 'em -- up in Chicago."

To accommodate the shoot, the family-owned business closed its Huntington location at 3 p.m. Thursday and will be closed all day today because some employees will be at the Lesage location.

The Huntington restaurant will have regular hours Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the shop will be closed on Sunday.

Sonny Knight said the restaurant crew is excited about having Fieri come to the stand that's already been featured this year on CNN Headline News, VH-1, "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and many other international media outlets when it unveiled The Doublewide, a burger that weighs in at about 14 to 15 pounds.

"They said they loved the idea of a husband and wife working together," Knight said, "They don't see that too often. It's a family-built business and I guarantee he's never been to a place like ours. It's a little kitchen and it's not a huge place, but that's what he likes. He goes to the little places that people need to go to -- the mom-and-pop places. It's one of those shows that's really entertaining."

Fieri is also supposed to stop by another well-known restaurant, Rocco's Ristorante in Ceredo. Its motto is "Where dining is more an event than a meal."

On Thursday, the popular Food Network show sent a TV crew from Pittsburgh's Legion Media and folks from Page Productions of Minnesota to capture the flavor and vibe at the regionally-renowned Italian hot spot tucked a block off of U.S. 60.

Rocco Muriale owns Rocco's in Ceredo, Rocco's 21 and Rocco's Little Italy in downtown Huntington, and a frozen food line and catering business. He usually doesn't need anyone giving any direction in the kitchen.

He didn't seem to mind a few suggestions Thursday under the TV lights.

"Put your hand a little more into the shot," a producer suggested while watching a tiny monitor showing Rocco artfully sprinkling salt into a sauté of onions, mushrooms, fresh basil and parsley.

"It's not often you get to just sit back and watch your boss work," said Marcia Lucas with a laugh.

Lucas, who has been at Rocco's 201/2 years, said it was a special day for the restaurant. The four-man crew lit up the kitchen, then captured Muriale's recipes with a $60,000 camera tilted straight down overhead onto sauce pans while Muriale made such dishes as the raviolis, Rigatoni Calabrese and Rocco's meat sauce.

Nick Gueltter, a production assistant with Page Productions, said most likely the episode featuring these area restaurants won't air for at least a couple months, and perhaps several months.

Sharie and Sonnny Knight and Muriale said the show's producers said they found out about the restaurants because patrons and fans of the restaurants e-mailed the show's Web site.

"We can't thank our customers enough," Sharie said Thursday evening. "I guess they e-mailed and called until they said, 'All right, we better check out this Hillbilly Hotdogs.' "

Thursday night, the camera crew was coming back to capture Rocco's dinner atmosphere, complete with the wine, pasta and live music flowing from a band and even the sax-playing Muriale. Muriale was accepted into the U.S. Army Field Band, but wound up moving home to his native Clarksburg to help his folks with their restaurant in Fairmont before coming to Ceredo in 1977 to start Rocco's.

Muriale said the show got in touch with him about three weeks ago, expressing interest in filming his restaurant.

"It kind of caught me by surprise," Muriale said. "I guess they've got to go everywhere, but it's kind of interesting how you find our neck of the woods."

Howie McCormick/The Herald-Dispatch

Rob Olmsted, left, a field producer with Food Network, talks with Rocco Muriale as he lines out the next segment to be filmed during a location shoot at Rocco's for an upcoming show on the network. Three local restaurants are being featured in upcoming shows.

Howie McCormick/The Herald-Dispatch

Rocco Muriale prepares a dish as the Food Network films a segment at Rocco's for an upcoming show on the network. Three local restaurants are being featured in upcoming shows.