Guy Fieri tries the 'Flame Thrower' at Zobö & Meester's on his Food Network show

A few bites into the aptly named "Flame Thrower" grilled panini at Zobö and Meester’s, and I felt like I could breathe fire.  

The roast beef and pulled pork sandwich topped with pepper jack cheese, habanero salsa, and a combination of fresh and marinated jalapenos, provides a hearty kick. I never lost feeling of my lips, but my nose did start running.

The "Flame Thrower" is one of two sandwiches Guy Fieri will feature Friday on his popular Food Network show “Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives.”

“The only reason I was interested in having a restaurant was because of that show. I’ve been a fan of Triple D’s since the beginning and it made me want to create something special for the neighborhood,” said owner Bart Groendycke of his Cathedral City eatery. 

“Ultimately my goal was to see if I could get Guy Fieri to come in here. It surprised me how quickly it happened,” he said.

The restaurant, named after Groendycke’s twin five-year-old daughters Zoe and Mia whose nicknames are Zobö and Meester, is the latest desert diner to be featured on the show also known as Triple D’s.

Sherman’s Deli & Bakery in Palm Desert was featured on May 12, Grill-A-Burger in Palm Desert appeared on May 26 and Frankinbun in Palm Springs received the star treatment on June 9. On May 30 Wilma and Frieda’s in Palm Desert will get their chance to impress Fieri.

READ MORE:Food Network's Guy Fieri visited Frankinbun for his show so we decided to check it out

READ MORE:Guy Fieri's Food Network show features Sherman's Deli and other desert eateries

The Friday episode featuring Zobö and Meester’s is titled “From Spicy to Icy” and in addition to the "Flame Thrower," will also feature a three meat barbecue sandwich featuring brisket, pulled pork and chicken on a brioche bun topped with cowboy sauce.

“I didn’t want to be a regular deli that uses mayonnaise and mustard as their flavoring so we have over 10 or 12 different sauces that we use on our sandwiches. Each sandwich is a unique creation,” Groendycke said. 

While the public can make suggestions on who should be featured on the show via the Food Network website, he said he was approached by the show.

“They had researchers that were looking for restaurants in the area … they have their researchers look up Yelp reviews, Facebook reviews and pages and get a feel for different restaurants. I just got an e-mail one day. Blew me out of the water,” Groendycke said.

All the featured restaurants opened their doors to Fieri and his crew in late March and early April.

The film crew was at Zobö and Meester’s for two days while Fieri showed up for just 3 and a half hours on one of those days to film his part.

A fan of the show, Groendycke said it was a bit nerve-wracking cooking for Fieri, but embraced the opportunity and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“When he walked in the front door you could tell there was a star in the room,” he said.

“He’s very focused and when the camera’s roll he’s 100 percent Guy. It’s amazing to watch. He’s got jokes for anything.”

IF YOU WATCH:

These Coachella Valley restaurants will be featured in upcoming episodes of Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” which airs at 9 p.m. on Friday on the Food Network. 

Friday: “From Spicy to Icy” will feature Zobö & Meester’s, 68703 Perez Road, # A1, Cathedral City, “a barbecue joint pilin’ up the meats and firing’ up their ‘flame thrower’.”

June 30: “Island and Desert” will feature Wilma & Frieda’s, 73575 El Paseo, Palm Desert, "a breakfast-lunch cafe dishin' out a righteous rib melt and nostalgic breakfast tarts."