Guy Fieri on travel, Calgary BBQ and packing sandbags: a chat with the Mayor of Flavortown

With his trademark frosted spikes, infectious energy and a vocabulary built around flavor to the max, Guy Fieri has gone from NorCal restaurateur to one of the most recognizable culinary personalities on planet Earth. The Emmy-winning TV host and New York Times bestselling author has built a food and travel empire, including 80-plus restaurants, a booming virtual kitchen brand and even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Alongside his globe-spanning food ventures, he’s also a savvy traveler who lives to explore cultures through cuisine.

From selling pretzels out of a hand-built cart at age 10 to filming Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in far-flung corners of the US, Fieri has always followed his gut – usually toward something savory. That same gut instinct is bringing him back to Canada, where he’ll be hosting Cowboys 6th Annual BBQ Cook-Off Invitational in Calgary, Alberta. It’s a return trip for Fieri, who also took the stage at Cowboys Music Festival back in 2019 and has a deep appreciation for the city’s Western spirit.

Lonely Planet recently caught up with him ahead of this year’s festivities to talk about his approach to travel, what’s always in his suitcase and why Calgary’s BBQ scene has him all kinds of fired up.

What do you look for in a destination these days when you travel – particularly when you're traveling for pleasure and not work?

You know, I’m pretty lucky that I’ve been paid to travel the world just to look for the best food and local stories in any given place. Dream job, right? Well, my personal travel isn’t so much different! Just like on [Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives] and just like when I was a little kid at home in Ferndale, California, my day starts with trying to figure out what’s for dinner. When I’m traveling to different countries or cities with my friends and family, I may have a specific target, like during truffle season in Tuscany. But these days, there’s great food everywhere; you just gotta know where to look. And if you want to learn about a people and place, food is the fastest route.

When it comes to packing for a trip, what are your musts? Are there perhaps unexpected regular finds in your suitcase?

Nearly 20 years on the road has been amazing, but anyone who’s done it will tell you that it can be tough, as well. What you pack becomes really important as you look for balance and consistency in your life. If you try to wing it forever, you just won’t last; trust me. If you dug through my suitcase right now, you might be surprised to find a lead plate or sandbags that I use in my rucksack to stay in shape. I know, not glamorous, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Any travel quirks (e.g., do you pick up a magnet everywhere you go or hate riding buses for some reason)?

Oh boy, that’s Pandora’s Box right there! But I’ll keep it simple for ya, and I offer this one up as a tip for anyone looking for a more seamless travel experience: never book a hotel room that’s next to the elevator bank or the ice machine.

You’re about to host the Cowboys 6th Annual BBQ Cook-Off Invitational in Calgary. You hosted at Cowboys Music Festival in 2019, as well. What are you most excited for this year?

I’m really stoked to make it back up to Calgary for Cowboys. We had such a blast in ’19 and were gearing up to really go next level and then, well, COVID decided to throw a wrench in our spokes. But I’ve been talking to the team for months now about how we make this BBQ Cook-Off world-class, bigger and badder than ever. I’m excited to see the people of Canada out there having a great time. That’s what it’s all about these days, as much as ever. Good vibes, good music, good BBQ.

Tell me a bit about your time in Calgary and your thoughts on Cowboys BBQ Cook-Off/Cowboys Music Festival. What makes it a special and unique place to visit?

Over the years, it’s been really cool to explore the differences in the big Canadian cities and explore the West Coast versus East Coast. Calgary isn’t Toronto, which isn’t Montreal, which isn’t Vancouver, ya know? A lot of Americans never get the chance to see it all and what each province has to offer. The decidedly Western vibe of Calgary, obviously during the Stampede, really resonates with me being from a small Western cowboy town in California. I feel like I know BBQ and cowboy culture pretty well, so to be able to celebrate it from the Canadian POV is pretty awesome.

Given all the spots you’ve traveled, is there still a bucket list destination you’d like to visit one day?

If only there were just one, it’d be a lot easier to plan trips. There are so many incredible cultures and places to explore, both close to home and across the globe. But one place that I’m dying to visit is China. I had a trip planned with my boys, Hunter and Ryder, a few years back but again, COVID had other ideas. But I’ll get there.