HomeTown Buffet with Toni Charline

"HomeTown Buffet with Toni Charline" is Episode 120 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "HomeTown Buffet with Toni Charline" was released on September 7, 2017.

## Synopsis

Actress and comedian Toni Charline (UCB, *Funny or Die*) joins the 'boys to discuss childhood buffet stories, the limits of eating other people's leftovers, and more, before delving into their visit to all you care to eat chain HomeTown Buffet. Plus, an all new segment tasting Nordic treats in Iceland Is Your Land.

## Nick's intro

6939 A.D.: That's the distant year the Westinghouse time capsule is scheduled to be unearthed and opened. Buried fifty feet below ground outside the town of Flushing, the capsule, named for the electric company that sponsored it, was created for the 1939 World's Fair in New York, and entombed as a branded gift for whoever occupied Earth 5000 years in the future.

The Fair was famously commemorated in E.B. White's rhapsodic essay "The World of Tomorrow," which described an elaborate, interactive exhibit named Futurama that took wild swings at predicting the next fifty years: automated cars taking hairpin turns at 100 miles per hour and vast apple orchards growing inside biospheres. In the end, Futurama was less an accurate predictor of the future and more a primitive inspiration for Disney's Epcot Center.

The Fair also included a Communications and Business Zone which showed off IBM's fantastical electric calculator, an Amusement Zone which entertained attendees with a monkey mountain comprised of 600 live primates, and a Jewish Palestine Pavilion which introduced the concept of establishing the state of Israel.

And the World's Fair also included a Food Zone, and among its display of mechanized milking machines and an array of international delicacies, perhaps its most consequential contribution was introducing to the American consciousness the Swedish self-serve eating arrangement called the Smörgåsbord. As with many foreign foods, Americans adopted the Smörgåsbord as their own and heightened it to absurdity, and after the rationing of the Second World War gave way to a booming economy and agricultural surplus, buffets exploded in popularity across the U.S.

The wide array of hot and cold dishes laid out in long tables and steamed trays was defined by four words: "all you can eat," later reworked to "all you care to eat" to discourage unprofitable bingeing. But buffets became a staple throughout the country, as loss leaders in casinos, and as budget-friendly options for working-class families and seniors.

And in 1983, the trend far from over, restaurateurs Roe Hatlen and C. Dennis Scott founded Ovation Brands by opening their first buffet in Clearwater, Florida. Today, they operate at over 100 all-you-care-to-eat restaurants across North America.

It's impossible to predict what food culture will look like in 6939, should humanity survive, but today, American dining has been transformed by the Smörgåsbord of the World's Fair of 1939.

This week on *Doughboys*, the Ovation Brands family: Country Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Ryan's Buffet, and HomeTown Buffet.

## Fork rating

As the intro explains, The Doughboys here are considering the Ovation chain of buffet restaurants as one: Country Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Ryan's Buffet, and HomeTown Buffet.

 Mike Mitchell
 Toni Charline

With these scores, HomeTown Buffet (and its related chains) make the Broken Plate Club!

Here is what they ate at HomeTown Buffet:

* Salad
	+ Mescaline greens
	+ cucumbers
	+ cheese
	+ carrots
	+ garbanzo beans
	+ bacon bits
	+ sesame seeds
	+ bleu cheese dressing
* Broccoli Cheddar Soup
* Bread
* Mac and Cheese
* French Fries
	+ Cheese Sauce
* Green Beans
* Fried Chicken
* Broccoli
* Pepperoni Pizza
 Mike Mitchell
* French Fries
* Meat Loaf
* Mashed Potatoes
* Mac and Cheese
* Smoked Sausage
* Chili Dog
* Mac and Cheese
* Popcorn Shrimp
* French Fries
* Orange Chicken
* White Rice
* Brownie Lava Cake
* Soft Serve
 Toni Charline
* Garbanzo Beans
* Peas
* Cucumbers
* Mashed Potatoes
* Cucumbers
* Red Beans
* Garbanzo Beans
* Mashed Potatoes
* Mac and Cheese
	+ Nacho Cheese
* Mashed Potatoes
* Peas
* Cucumbers
* Garbanzo Beans
* Roasted Chili Pepper
* Spanish Rice
* Baguette
* Cheesecake
* Banana Pudding
* Peach Cobbler

## Iceland Is Your Land 🇮🇸

Toni went on a trip to Iceland and brought back a "Viking mix" of snacks for them to eat.

Californiu Rúsínur are chocolate-covered raisins. Kúlur are like milk duds. Hraun are chocolate wafers with corn puffs. Apollo Lakkrís is licorice. Appelsinu Súkkulaði is orange chocolate (couldn't decipher the brand name). Bingo are chocolate-covered licorice balls. Florida bars are chocolate coconut bars.

Everyone liked the Florida and Hraun the best, and the two licorice candies the least.

Californiu RúsínurKúlurHraunApollo LakkrísAppelsinu SúkkulaðiBingo LakkrískúlurFlorida Bar

## Quotes

**Nick**: Power move.

## #hashtags

* #ToiletTips
* #RestaurantNicknames
* #BubbaJuiceChopChip

## Related Episodes

* DD49. Eat Your Heart Out
* 193. Mouth of the Border: Fast Casual Region
* 196. Mouth of the Border: Finals
* 238. Ezell's
* DD. E-R-E-R Dough
* DD. Hero's Journey: Sub-Optimal: Fat Chance Kitchen
* DD. Cranberries Four Ways

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Nick's plate 1 and Broccoli Cheddar SoupNick's plate 2Nick's plate 3Banana Cream Pie