FALL RIVER —Most diners who drop by Patti's Pierogis are lured by the delicious homemade Polish fare —and array of creative twists on the traditional dumpling. Others are looking to recreate an experience.
"They want to sit in the seat Bill Murray sat in, they wantto eat what he ate," said owner Patti Geary of the public's response to their star customer. "It's crazy. ... It's funny how people react to these things."
Geary has come to learn you just never know if today is going to be the day you have a one-on-one with a celebrity.
That's just what happened when funnyman Bill Murray hopped a ferry from Martha's Vineyard and popped into the unassuming South Main Street eatery with director and Rhode Island native Peter Farrelly for lunch in the summer of 2019.
Patti's Pierogis is just one of many Greater Fall River locales upon which the spotlight has shone over the years. Geary and other local restaurant owners say that attention —especially on the national stage —has proven to have a positive impact on business.
Surprise guest:Bill Murray pops up in Fall River on quest for pierogis
"It placed Fall River in a positive light because of all the good food that comes out of this city," said Geary, whose place has also been featured on "Phantom Gourmet.”
When Geary got the call about bringing the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and celebrity host Guy Fieri to Patti's in 2012, she thought it was a joke at first.
"Being in business only three years, people didn't know who I was, my name wasn't out there yet ... so I found it hard to believe in the beginning," said Geary, who opened the eatery in 2009. "I thought it was some kind of scam or joke, so they were getting upset with me."
After pinching herself and realizing it was no joke, she watched Fieri pull up in his cherry red Camaro through a crowd of excited spectators in what was a surreal experience.
'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives':Food Network's Guy Fieri visits Patti's Pierogis in Fall River
Crews shut down the restaurant for three days for filming and also went around Fall River to capture some city sights,so it proved a win-win for both.
"It gave us our six minutes of fame, it put the city on the map, put us on the map... a lot of good came out of it," said Geary, noting that the appearance has also inspired others to follow in Fieri's footsteps.
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Geary said they welcomed a customer recently who was in the city for work and on a mission to visit every restaurant across the country featured in "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." He told Geary they were No. 625 on his list.
"Now I'm just waiting for Martha Stewart to come in next, because she's half-Polish. I'd love to see her walk in here and say, ‘OK, let's make some pierogis together,’" she joked.
And while the recognition Patti's has received over the years is no small deal, Geary remains very humble. "I'm just doing what I love to do."
Tiverton seafood spot catches national attention
Just across the state line, on Main Road in Tiverton, Evelyn's Drive-In has made a name for itself over the past 34 years as a popular waterfront tourist destination in the summer months.
Their reputation for serving up tasty fresh and fried seafood in its idyllic location perched on Nanaquaket Pond, has drawn many notable faces to the business.
"We're definitely putting good vibes out into the universe," said Jane Bitto, who owns Evelyn's with her husband, Domenic.
They too have gotten frequent visits from "Phantom Gourmet," were featured on "Today"and have hosted Fieri and his "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" crew.
"They were unbelievable, great experiences," Bitto recalled. "They were fun and funny and challenging because it can be intimidating. But challenging in a good way."
Tiverton seafood staple:30 years of lobster chow mein and water views at Evelyn's
Bitto, who is slated to reopen Evelyn's on May 2, said these appearances have provided a much-welcomed boost to their seasonal business, especially since many of the programs are replayed through the years.
"It definitely reminds people to come in or new people will travel to check it out," she said.
And since these shows have a huge following, it's helped draw many people who may not have been familiar with their little Rhode Island town, squeezed between Fall River and Little Compton.
"They want to eat what they saw on TV, they want to know what the experience was like, so we encourage the wait staff to take a moment and talk to them and let them know, because that's why they came," said Bitto, who noted they see a big out-of-towncrowd especially in the summer.
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So how does it feel to get this national recognition?
"Incredibly lucky," Bitto said. "We are just a regular married couple trying to do our best, so we feel super fortunate and lucky that Evelyn's is so highly regarded."
For many in this day and age, dinner decisions are made largely based on internet recommendations of others. And what better endorsement than a seal of approval from respected restaurateurs and food critics?
"It shows we are great, we are worth visiting, keep you in a high standard of what you can expect," Bitto said. "These shows loved it and hopefully the people will too."
Discovering a Fall River hidden gem
Located well off the beaten path, in a small neighborhood on a side street in the city's South End, Liberal Club is among Fall River's hidden gems.
"You would never just come across this building," said Patricia Lanni, daughter of Liberal Club owners Joseph and Mary Ellen Benevides, who also helps run the 20 Star St. restaurant. "Many just don't know we are here."
So when the PBS show "Roadfood," with celebrity host Misha Collins, reached out this past fall and wanted to see for themselves what was cooking at the longtime city staple for Portuguese fare, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give people a reason —several in fact —to check them out.
"We've been here 47 years, so we felt like it was nice to be able to tell our story of how the business came to be," said Lanni, who described the family atmosphere at the Liberal Club as a sort of Cheers, where "everybody knows your name."
While "Roadfood" was their first appearance on the national stage, Lanni said the Liberal Club has been asked to appear on other shows in the past. However, Lanni said they have always shied away because "we're a high-volume restaurant, so any disruption can be challenging."
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But the PBS segment, which filmed at the eatery for about three hours in October and aired mid-February, was a "very naturaland fun experience," Lanni said.
"We've been here so long and have filtered so many people through here so it's nice, and we hope that more customers learn about us," Lanni said.
The Liberal Club has seen an uptick in business since, but it's difficult to tell whether it can be attributed to the show, Lanni said. The months following Christmas and through the summerare generally the busiest time for the restaurant.
And while Lanni hasn't heard specifically from anyone that the show has inspired their visit, she said they've "definitely seen some new faces" lately. And it has certainly drummed up a bit of excitement among the Liberal Club loyals.
"Customers are excited to come in and say that they saw it," Lanni said. "They enjoyed that."
Aside from Collins, an actor best-known for his role on the CW series "Supernatural," one famous face Lanni says they see from time to time is reality TV regular and winner of the first season of CBS's "Survivor" Richard Hatch, who is from Rhode Island.
Shows translate to big business at Portugalia
That same "Roadfood" tour of the SouthCoast, which included stops in New Bedford, also hopped across the city to pop in at Portugalia Marketplace.
According to Portugalia owner Michael Benevides, Collins and his crew did a segment in the market's salt cod room, and Benevides joined him for dinner at the Liberal Club.
"It's tremendous because this has all happened organically. We don't have a PR firm," Benevides said. "To get a call or email from PBS that says, 'Hey, do you want to shoot a segment?' ... as soon as I get that email I'm thrilled because I know what it translates into."
He said exposure from shows like "Roadfood" has undoubtedly had a positive effect on business at the Fall River market, where visitors can embark on a culinary exploration of all Portugal has to offer.
"This is a family business that my father started 34 years ago in a three-car garage, and to build something that's trending nationally that people have heard about on the West Coast and all over the country is amazing," Benevides said.
Over the years, Portugalia has been featured on several TV food shows.
Members of Fall River-based comedy troupe The Portuguese Kids hosted "Bizarre Foods" star Andrew Zimmern in 2013 for a tour of Fall River, stopping in at Portugalia's former Tremont Street location during an episode of the Travel Channel show.
'Bizarre Foods':Andrew Zimmern stops in Fall River to sample city's Portuguese fare
They most recently shot a segment with Amy Traverso, senior food editor from Yankee Magazine, for "Weekends with Yankee," a production of WGBH Boston and Yankee.
During their visit, Traverso and David Leite, a Swansea resident and cookbook author who runs a food blog called Leite's Culinaria, toured the store and cooked up a dish of chouriço and clams in Portugalia's kitchen. The episode is expected to air this fall.
Benevides said the appearance that's so far had the most lasting impact, however, was Portugalia's pre-pandemic visit from chef Marcus Samuelsson, who traveled to Portuguese/Luso communities across Massachusetts to experience the culture firsthand for the PBS show "No Passport Required."
National spotlight:'No Passport Required' features Portugalia Marketplace
He said people who've watched the show travel to the market, some from far distances, to get a taste of Portugalia for themselves.
"It drives traffic to our website so we see a bump online and in store, especially on the weekend following the premiere," Benevides said.
People will come in and say "'I've seen you on TV with Marcus,' that kind of thing, so there's a direct connection with new customers coming in because they've seen us on the shows," said Benevides, who sees many customers from New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont and New York, as well as folks who stop in on their way to the Cape in summer months.
What draws so many people to Portugalia, Benevides said, is the diverse selection of products and the space itself —the atmosphere and open-air feel of the indoor market.
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"There's a level of authenticity people feel here that they don't feel anywhere else," Benevides said. "There's a wow factor that people experience when they come to the market."
Timing, Benevides said, is also a factor. It helps that Portugal is trending right now, with many more people traveling there and tourism booming from the mainland to the islands.
"As more and more Americans travel to Portugal, more become intrigued and want to recreate their experiences they had there by purchasing the wines, the cheeses, the conservas … so the timing for us is really good," he said.
