Weekend at Fieri’s

For reasons unknown to even myself, I dined on a recent past weekend at not one but both of Food Network personality Guy Fieri’s local eateries: Tex Wasabi’s on Arden Way, and the newer Johnny Garlic’s in Roseville. The former is an underdone attempt at over-the-top kitschy fusion (French fries don’t belong in sushi for a reason); the latter an ambiguously uninspired menu of basic grill fare. Garlic’s hasn’t enough good stink to warrant its name, but has enough bad to keep all but prom dates making reservations elsewhere. On the upside, for lovers of spice, both restaurants offer heat to rival the flames crawling up the sides of Fieri’s short-sleeved button-downs.