Ike's with Spencer Crittenden (LIVE)

"Ike's with Spencer Crittenden (LIVE)" is Episode 142 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Ike's with Spencer Crittenden (LIVE)" was released on February 22, 2018.

## Synopsis

Mitch and Wiger pay a visit to Bay Area sandwich favorite Ike's, famed for its overstuffed sammies that are often named after celebs, with their friend Spencer Crittenden (*HarmonTown*, *HarmonQuest*) as well as a very special guest.

Recorded live at SF SketchFest in San Francisco, CA.

## Nick's intro

Samhain: this Gaelic Pagan festival marking the end of the fall harvest and the beginning of winter, and generally considered to signify the Celtic New Year, dates to as early as the 5th century B.C.E.

During Samhain, which is not at all spelled like it sounds, legend held that the connection was strongest between the mortal realm and what was known as the "other world," a separate spiritual plane where mythic heroes and deities resided. Among the traditions of Samhain included lighting bonfires and slaughtering livestock to appease the vengeful Gods, as well as guising - the practice of dressing up in costume and visiting neighboring homes reciting verse in exchange for food.

Later as Catholicism spread to the British/Irish Isles, the church began the Christianization of the Pagan celebration. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III moved the All Saints' Day Feast, which had been established as a May holiday by Pope Boniface IV in the 7th century, to November 1st, overlapping with and overtaking Samhain, transmuting its preceding night into All Hallows' Eve.

Today Halloween has been sanitized into a form far removed from its origins as a day of sublimation to Pagan Gods to ward off a deadly winter into a lighthearted, family-friendly celebration, though the tradition of guising has remained as kids and adults dress up as pop culture characters and stock monsters like vampires, mummies, and witches.

And it was Halloween 2007 when a Bay Area entrepreneur chose to open the doors to his shop, serving a different kind of "wiches" - sandwiches. The budding businessman, a San Francisco native with the last name Shehadeh, came equipped with lessons learned from an earlier attempt to open a market as well as a secret weapon: his Dirty Secret Sauce.

Unfortunately, October 31 2007 was a terrifying night for Shehadeh's eponymous Castro District restaurant. Besieged by an oven failure, he didn't make a single sale. Thankfully for future patrons, he regrouped and, one week later, re-opened his business, selling nine sandwiches on the second official day of operation. From there, his store took off and his Dutch Crunch bread and cartoon-face logo became Bay Area fixtures in relatively short order, buoyed by a visit from *Man vs. Food*'s Adam Richman, who would become one of many celebrities with a sandwich named after him.

Its original Castro location would grow to be so highly trafficked, it was kicked out of its space and relocated just a few blocks away. Today, there are shops from NorCal to SoCal and Arizona and soon to Nevada, thanks to its high-quality product and its founder's dogged determination to chase down his dream.

In hindsight, Halloween 2007 showed its connection to the Gaelic Samhain - an ominous night that connected Shehadeh from the earthly realm to the immortal status of a chain restaurant icon.

This week on *Doughboys*: Ike's.

## Snack Or Wack

In Snack or Wack, The Doughboys have a snack and decide if it is 'good' or 'bad.'

For whatever reason, for this live episode, The Doughboys do Snack or Wack before getting into their restaurant review. As they tend to for live shows, they get an audience member to help out.

For this episode, they try Ghirardelli Cabernet Matinee Intense Dark Chocolate.

 Mike Mitchell
 Spencer Crittenden
 Matt J

## Fork rating

* Matt Cain
* Fries
* Peaches & Reem
* Paul Reubens
* Mark Appel
* The Love Shaq with jalapenos
* Zapp's Voodoo Heat Potato Chips
 Mike Mitchell
* Paul Reubens
* Menage A Trois
* Matt Cain with mozzarella sticks
* Mark Appel
* The Love Shaq with jalapenos
* chips
 Spencer Crittenden
* Elvis Keith
* The Little Mermaid
* Pee Wee
* onion rings
* jalapeno poppers
* "Hella" Fat Bastard
* James & the Giant Peach
* The Love Shaq with jalapenos

    It sounds like Nick and Spencer each visited an Ike's in the LA area on their own; then all three went in San Francisco together where they sampled numerous sandwiches.

The actual Ike also makes an appearance!

## Quotes

**Nick:** You know who else jam is for? Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan.
**Mitch:** Wait, what?
**Nick:** Michael Jackson has a song called "Jam" and Michael Jordan throws down thunderous jams.

## #hashtags

* #SanFan
* #BurgerBrigade
* #JamOn
* #WhatTheHell

## Related Episodes

* 84. Buca di Beppo (Drop)
* DD3. Chicken Fight: Fat Chance Kitchen 3
* 100. Nugget Power Hour
* 142. **Ike's**
* DD. Hero's Journey: Sub-Optimal: Fat Chance Kitchen
* DD. I Like Ike's

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Nick's visit to Ike's in Westwood, CAMatt CainFriesSandwichSandwichSandwichPeaches & Reem, Leninade, Zapp's Voodoo Heat Potato Chips