To many people, Guy Fieri represents everything that’s wrong with America. He’s like the Duck Dynasty of food, the Walmart of cuisine, the deep-fried Twinkie of culture. Which is double-edged sword – his Food Network shows are immensely popular but never acclaimed. He’s beloved by a certain segment of the population but loathed by the judgy food snobs. Personally, I don’t hate the guy, which is probably why I went into his GQ interview with an open mind. Fieri spoke to GQ because he’s launching a wine company and expanding his empire. He honestly doesn’t come across as a bad guy here – he’s somewhat vulgar, for sure, but he’s not a total buffoon. And he doesn’t shut down when asked about his harshest critics, like New York Times food critic Pete Wells (who wrote a scathing review of Fieri’s Manhatan restaurant back in 2012) and Anthony Bourdain, who never misses an opportunity to slam the sh-t out of Fieri. You can read the full GQ piece here. Some highlights:

What he feeds his huge tortoise: “You know what his delicacy is? Hot, steamy, fresh dog sh-t. It is the foie gras of the turtle.”

On Pete Wells scathing 2012 NYT review: “Yeah, I read it cover to cover…He could’ve made such a great comment. But he dropped down to third grade and said every mean, vile thing that he could say and discredited himself. Do I have faults in the restaurant? I have faults in the restaurant today! Everybody does. His assignment was to give me no stars. He had it already planned.”

On Bourdain’s continuous insults: “It’s actually disappointing. I don’t like him making fun of people, and I don’t like him talking sh-t. And he’s never talked sh-t to my face. I know he’s definitely gotta have issues, ’cos the average person doesn’t behave that way. It’s not that I’m not open to the reality that the food world was like this from a few people’s perspective. It’s just, What are you doing? What is your instigation? You have nothing else to f–king worry about than if I have bleached hair or not? I mean, f–k.”

Fieri isn’t so different from his foodie critics: GQ writes: “He composts. He hates soda. He doesn’t like hunting. He doesn’t even like fried food all that much (“As soon as you wanna take away the flavor of anything, just fry it”). Ask him about why he started an organic winery, and he’ll launch into a disquisition about how Europeans are so much more enlightened about alcohol consumption. He’ll talk about putting his hands in the soil and making a connection with THE LAND and keeping “lost arts” alive. Every fifth word out of his mouth is “sustainable.”

Losing his sister to cancer: “Losing my sister to cancer was… That was the worst thing in the world, man. I can’t even f–king… Nothing you can do about it except hold on, love your family, love your sister. Do people talk sh-t (about me)? Yes. And not that it doesn’t bother me, but you know what? I got so much bigger f–kin’ things goin’ on in this world.”

[From GQ]

I do think Bourdain might need to stop sniping at other chefs in the press. I mean, it always makes for a good headline so I hope Bourdain keeps unleashing his bitch, but Guy Fieri has every right to be irritated by it. Anyway, it’s interesting to learn that Guy Fieri has quietly been a composting, sustainability-obsessed, anti-frying, wine-making food snob this whole time. Who would have believed it?

Photos courtesy of WENN.