CINCINNATI – Three iconic Queen City eateries fared pretty well on a half-hour episode of "Man V. Food" that debuted Monday evening on the Travel Channel.
Show host Casey Webb sampled dishes from Blue Ash Chili, Arnold's Bar & Grill and Roc-A-Fellas Pizza in the episode he filmed in Cincinnati in late May.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's celebrity hippos Fiona and Bibi even made guest appearances on the show that places Webb in nearly impossible eating challenges.
Webb asked Fiona and Bibi for eating tips while at the zoo. Zoo staff also told Webb about the hippos eating habits.
Who knew the folks at @travelchannel could translate hippo grunts? Also, I think @jmleggate might have helped with Bibi's pun. pic.twitter.com/LjRVHOEqQ1
— Brian Mains (@BrianDMains) July 31, 2018
"We're excited to see Fiona on 'Man V. Food,'" said Michelle Curley, communications director for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. "It was great fun to take Casey around the zoo. He was entertaining and made interesting observations about how different animals chew and consume food."
Curley said Fiona currently weighs 841 pounds. Webb learned that Fiona eats approximately 15 pounds of Timothy hay, two-and-a-half pounds of grain, a half pound of beet pulp, a half pound of romaine lettuce, 1.6 ounces of cucumber and 1.6 ounces of yellow squash daily. Fully grown female hippos weigh 3,000 pounds on average.
RELATED: Travel Channel's 'Man V. Food' is visiting two iconic Cincinnati restaurants this week
Arnold's general manager Chris Breeden said Monday's "Man V. Food" episode was the first time Cincinnati's oldest bar appeared on a national television food show.
First up on the @travelchannel Cincinnati "Man V. Food" episode though is a visit to @Arnoldsbar. The featured dish from Arnold's is the "Yo Mamma" burger, which is topped with American cheese, goetta, potato cake, sunny side up egg, chipotle mayo. Who is hungry? pic.twitter.com/UHiJv3SRcd
— Brian Mains (@BrianDMains) July 31, 2018
Arnold's opened in the 1860s at 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown. Scenes filmed with Arnold's customers and chef Kayla Robison appeared in Monday's episode. The featured dish from Arnold's on the show was the "Yo Mamma" burger, which is topped with American cheese, goetta, potato cake, sunny side up egg, chipotle mayo.
Casey Webb and his Bronx Bomber Challenge teammate Derek Jacobs pose for hero shots outside Roc-A-Fellas. (Courtesy of Travel Channel)
For Monday's episode, Webb tested his appetite against Roc-A-Fellas' "Bomber Challenge." To win the challenge, the host and one other person attempted to eat an eight pound, double-crusted Roc-A-Fellas pizza within half-an-hour. In a true show of gastrointestinal strength, Webb and his eating challenge partner Derek Jacobs managed to polish off the pizza within the allotted time.
Roc-A-Fellas started serving its New York-style pizza when it opened in 2014 at 11055 Reading Road in Sharonville.
Casey Webb checks out the "No Freakin Way Chili" at Blue Ash Chili in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Courtesy of Travel Channel)
Blue Ash Chili at 9565 Kenwood Road in Blue Ash was Webb's final stop while in Greater Cincinnati. Webb also learned all about Blue Ash Chili's "No Freakin' Way Challenge" when he visited the parlor located at 9565 Kenwood Road in Blue Ash. Customers must eat an eight-pound chili spaghetti concoction in under an hour to complete that food-eating feat.
Webb didn't even try to win that challenge but after sampling the dish said, "It's awesome."
The original Blue Ash chili parlor opened in 1969 and has appeared on multiple national television shows.
In 2010, an episode of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" hosted by Guy Fieri spotlighted the eatery.
