Talk about a tasty homecoming! Jimmy Kimmel returned to his hometown of Brooklyn on Saturday, October 19, to record his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in the beloved New York borough for one week.
Kimmel’s annual slate of Brooklyn-based shows kicked off on Monday, October 21, with east coast natives Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys, and it’s scheduled to conclude on Friday, October 25, with appearances by John Krasinski, Jason Alexander, Tracy Morgan, former Late Show with David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer and New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
Though interviewing celebrities on his home turf is exciting, the real draw for 51-year-old Kimmel is Brooklyn’s food scene, which includes world-renowned delis, Italian restaurants that have been around for a century and much more.
Upon arriving for his yearly stint earlier this month, the three-time Emmys host paid a visit to F&F Pizzeria in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood. He was so psyched about visiting the Italian staple that he shared an Instagram photo with the eatery’s namesakes, Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo. Also featured in the snapshot was Kimmel’s youngest son, Billy, 2, who was smiling broadly on his dad’s shoulders.
“Welcome Home!” wrote one Instagram user. Added another: “Great pic! I can’t believe you made it to my new neighborhood pizzeria before I did!”
Also included on the menu for the week were some eats from several of Brooklyn’s legendary delis, including Boerum Hill’s Mile End Deli and Mill Basin Kosher Deli in Old Mill Basin, from which the late-night host enjoyed what appeared to be a pastrami sandwich, knishes, chocolate babka and more as part of an elaborate lunch spread. “Best deli ever,” declared one fan on Instagram. Another quipped: “I want to eat my way through Brooklyn too.”
As one social media follower jokingly put it as Kimmel ate his fourth high-calorie lunch of the week: “You must gain a ton of weight when you do your Brooklyn shows. Enjoy!”
This year’s food-centric journey to his birthplace is not unlike the trip to Brooklyn Kimmel made almost exactly a year ago. During that visit the Win Ben Stein’s Money alum enjoyed fried chicken from David Chang’s Momofuku, pizza from Di Fara, and was even sent two massive calzones from L&B Spumoni Gardens, courtesy of fellow New Yorker Kelly Ripa.
Scroll down to see more of Kimmel’s 2019 Brooklyn eating adventures!