PHOENIX — It appears that a few Phoenix-area eateries could soon find themselves in front of a national, food-obsessed audience.
Comedian Casey Webb, the new host of Travel Channel/Cooking Channel's resurrected Man v. Food, appears to be in the Phoenix area recording upcoming episodes for the show.
On his verified Instagram account, Webb shared a series of temporary photos and short video clips of his adventures on his Instagram Stories.
ABC15 has reached out to Travel Channel for official comment. We have not yet heard back
Typically, these types of networks do not confirm a show's shooting schedule nor which restaurants would be featured until long after shooting ends and the episode is ready to air.
One of the posted photos shows Webb standing inside a hotel cabana with a sign that reads: "Reserved For Man v. Food." A spokesperson for the Scottsdale-area hotel confirmed to ABC15 that Webb had been at the hotel, but was unable to comment further due to a confidentiality agreement.
The other photos and videos on Webb's account featured Dulce Churro Cafe, a design-it-yourself churro concept in Gilbert. (We featured them back in 2018.)
In one photo, Webb is holding a heart-shaped churro, and Dulce Churro Cafe's Instagram account is tagged in the photo. In one short video, there is a pile of churros topped with whipped cream and Fruity Pebbles cereal, and a red sauce being poured on top.
According to posts from Webb and others on social media, it appears that crew members filmed at Dulce Churro Cafe in Gilbert on Wednesday, and were recording at Hash Kitchen's Arcadia location on Thursday.
Citing confidentiality agreements, spokespersons for the restaurants were unable to comment for this story.
Aaron Childs, the owner of a digital marketing company in the Valley who also runs "Journey Maps Live and Local," an influencer-style social media account that features local restaurants, attended the recording at Dulce Churro Cafe.
Photos that he shared with ABC15 were also posted to his public Instagram account.
"It's always cool to be on location with a major network show. It's always a lot of equipment, a lot of really cool stuff behind the scenes," he said in a Thursday interview. "I guess I should say it's fun to see how they set things up, how they do the shots of the food, how they mic everybody up. It's just a lot of stuff that you don't normally get to see."
On Monday, Dulce Churro Cafe wrote on its Facebook page that a "major national TV network is recording an episode at our location" on Wednesday, and then encouraged people to stop by and "be part of it." After that, the dessert shop re-posted some behind-the-scenes photos to its Instagram stories featuring Webb and the crew.
On Wednesday, Hash Kitchen posted a similar message to its Instagram account, which has since been deleted.
On Thursday, a video of Hash Kitchen's founder Joey Maggiore was posted to the restaurant's account. "We're filming for a TV show. Good things coming. Hash Kitchen Arcadia. Flintstone Turkey Hash," Maggiore said in the video, referring to one of their dishes that features a giant turkey leg.
This isn't Man v. Food's first time to Arizona.
The show has featured nearly a dozen restaurants over the years, including Alice Cooperstown (now closed), Chompie's (Tempe), McAlpine's Soda Fountain (Phoenix), Paradise Valley Burger Co. (Paradise Valley), Game Seven Grill (Phoenix), Los Reyes De La Torta (Phoenix), El Guero Canelo (Tucson), Mi Nidito's (Tucson), Lindy's on Fourth (Tucson), Boca Tacos y Tequila (Tucson), Baja Cafe (Tucson) and Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse (Tucson), according to a marketing agency that works with the network.
Arizona restaurants and chefs have also been featured on other TV shows, such as Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Ginormous Food, Beat Bobby Flay, and Burgers, Brew & 'Que.
After a years-long hiatus, Travel Channel, which is owned by Discovery Inc., announced in 2017 that it would revive Man v. Food and that Webb would be the host. Competitive eater Adam Richman was the original host of the show when it first premiered in 2008.
