Tony Roma's with Bug Mane

"Tony Roma's with Bug Mane" is Episode 85 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Tony Roma's with Bug Mane" was released on January 19, 2017.

## Synopsis

The elusive and eccentric Bug Mane (???) stops by the podcast to review his home state of Florida favorite, Tony Roma's, aka "a place for ribs." Naturally, *Star Wars* is also under discussion. Mitch, Wiger, and Bug review KFC's Nashville Hot Chicken in another edition of The Leftovers.

[*Note: this episode is part of The Spoonister Six, for which Mitch booked all the guests for six episodes.* -ed.]

## Nick's intro

February 3, 2008: Super Bowl XLII saw the undefeated New England Patriots match up with the heavy underdog New York Giants. But the scrappy Eli Manning-led Giants were themselves giant-killers, defeating the Pats in what was one of the greatest upsets in sports history, tarring Tom Brady's team with a record that still needles Patriots' fans to this day: 18-1. The Patriots had hoped to become only the second team in NFL history to go undefeated for an entire season, but their championship defeat meant only one American football franchise boasts that pristine legacy: the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

The NFL, the city of Miami, and the year 1972 are all inextricably linked to a casual sit-down chain that opened in the Florida city that same year. The owner, who named the restaurant after himself, had cut his teeth in the food-service industry by managing one of Hugh Hefner's then-popular Playboy Clubs. Originally a burger joint/steakhouse, the addition of baby-back ribs to the menu gave it its much-needed hook: a sit-down restaurant that served a Southern backyard-cookout favorite.

The original location became a frequent hangout of Miami Dolphins' players and staff, leading the owner of a rival football franchise, the Dallas Cowboys, Clint Murchison Jr., to acquire a majority stake in the restaurant after staying in Miami for Super Bowl X.

The exponential growth of the NFL into America's unofficial national pastime over the next forty years paralleled the rib joint's expansion across the U.S. and across the globe; though, unlike the NFL, its popularity ultimately became more global than domestic, as a favorite American chain in Asia and the Middle East. Of its 120 restaurants worldwide, only twenty of those locations are in the States, where the chain receded at a rate matching its global expansion.

Will this place for ribs ultimately collapse at the end like Bill Belichick's 18-1 Patriots?

Or will it become immortal like Don Shula's 17-0 Dolphins?

This week on *Doughboys*, Tony Roma's.

## Fork rating

* Ultimate Grill Power Combo
	+ St. Louis Ribs (Carolina Honeys)
	+ Grilled Shrimp Skewer
	+ 9 oz. Sirloin Steak
	+ Baked Potato
	+ Bacon Mac N Cheese
 Mike Mitchell
* Baked Potato Soup
* Filet Medallions and Baby Back Ribs
	+ Broccoli
	+ Loaded Mashed Potatoes
 Bug Mane
* Roasted Chicken
* Fire Roasted Vegetables
 shared
	+ Potato Skins
	+ Onion Loaf
	+ Spinach Artichoke Dip
* Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sandwich

## The Leftovers

In this segment, The Doughboys eat some food from a chain restaurant that had been left in the fridge overnight.

For this episode, they test KFC Nashville Hot Chicken Wings and a side of Cole Slaw (Mitch ate the biscuit before the show).

The Doughboys discuss the sexual connotation of sucking down chicken wings, before deciding the cold fried chicken is so good that it should be taken (not leftover) and the cole slaw impressively tastes exactly as it should.

## #hashtags

* #IHaveMagicEye vs. #TragicEye or #ImNotAMagicGuy
* #KevinKuwait
* #BunRun
* #NumberOneSeed

## The Feedbag

My question is in regards to non-traditional buns or wraps.
With the upcoming Taco Bell Naked Chicken Chalupa and past examples like the KFC Double Down, Donutburger, Ramenburger, etc., how do you guys feel about replacing bread with other things? Any dream sandwich mash-ups?
Personally, I think a meatball sub with some sort of spaghetti bun would be amazing.

 Mike Mitchell
 Bug Mane

## Restaurants

 Comet Ping Pong | Washington, DC
 Planet Hollywood
 Greenblatt's Deli

## Drops

* *South Park*
* *Tremors*
* *The Chappelle Show*
* *Family Guy*
* (unknown music)
 Patrick Page "A Freak Like Me Needs Company"
 Max Richter "The Leftovers (Title Theme)"

## Related Episodes

* 100. Nugget Power Hour
* DD15. Dead Men Chew No Meals
* 161. IHOb
* 346. Popeyes 4
* 93. Chicken Fight: Full Bird Region
* DD16. Zingin' and Jinglin'
* 119. KFC
* 289. KFC 2
* 335. KFC Beyond
* DD. BOWL: Toilet Bowl Region
* DD. BOWL: Bread Dead Redemption

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Roma's SamplerUltimate Grill Power ComboBaby Back Ribs and Filet MedallionsChocolate Chunk Cookie Sandwich