John Kiesewetter

jkiesewetter@enquirer.com

Guy Fieri was so impressed with Over-the-Rhine's dining options that he's breaking format to feature three Vine Street restaurants on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" Oct. 10 (10 p.m., Food Network).

Senate, Taste of Belgium and Bakersfield OTR – Gateway Quarter neighbors visited by Fieri on July 9 – will fill the program's three segments that night, said Seth Hyman, Food Network publicist.

Usually each half-hour consists of Fieri cooking with chefs at restaurants in three different parts of the country.

"It (the show) can do three from the same state sometimes, but not every week," Hyman said.

National TV viewers will be introduced to Over-the-Rhine restaurants in an episode called "One Street Wonders." The description:

"This trip, Guy heads to Cincinnati to three righteous restaurants all sitting pretty on one street. First, Guy visits a funky pub where a husband/wife duo dishes out all kinds of creative hot dogs and sammies. Then, Guy gets a taste of Europe with a Belgian spot cooking up waffles and beer cheese pretzels. Finally, Guy travels to a Southwestern spot serving up short rib tacos and a yummy chicken torta."

When Fieri filmed "Triple D" segments at Terry's Turf Club in Linwood, Blue Ash Chili and Virgil's Café in Bellevue in 2010, all three reported a huge spike in business after the national TV exposure on "Diners," which is one of the Food Network's top series.

Virgil's owner Matt Buschle called "Diners" the "the best nationally aired six-minute commercial I didn't have to pay for." He had to hire two more full-time staffers in the kitchen and six new servers after the show aired, he said in 2011.

So getting a table at a popular Vine Street restaurant could be much more difficult after Oct. 10.

No air dates have been scheduled for Fieri's July 11 stops at Pho Lang Thang in Over-the-Rhine and Melt Eclectic Cafe in Northside.

"Possible other locations may air at a later time, but as of now only the three (restaurants) are locked for this episode," Hyman said.

Unlike Fieri's visit here four years ago, the show publicist would not confirm which restaurants were on the "Diners" menu until the episodes are scheduled. Restaurant owners signed a confidentiality agreement with the producers preventing them from commenting about the "Diners" taping at the time.