Television star and comedian Kevin James, a Mineola native, praised Long Island’s pizza and egg sandwiches during an episode of Hot Ones that hit YouTube on Feb. 11.
James was a guest on the talk show with a spicy twist, in which host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while they attempt to eat a series of 10 hot wings that gradually increase in spiciness. The web series is produced by First We Feast, so Evans typically asks a fair amount of food-related questions.
During the latest episode, James showed strong loyalty to Long Island food favorites, including its pizza slices.
“In every strip mall you’ll get a good one, a decent one at least,” James said, after eating the final and spiciest wing. “That’s it, that’s the marker for me. I’ve been to Italy, tried everywhere. I keep coming back to Long Island.”
James also said that any list of best bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches that omits Long Island should not be trusted. In another part of the interview, the lifelong Jets fan recalled meeting Joe Namath at Smith Haven Mall when he was a kid.
It’s no surprise that James would defend Long Island’s food so vigorously. In his recent sitcom, Kevin Can Wait, which is based on Long Island, his character often made references to eating at Massapequa’s All-American Burger.
James, who is famous for his role as Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens and has also starred in several comedy films, stars in a new Netflix series, The Crew, which hit the streaming service on Feb. 15. You can watch his appearance on Hot Ones here:
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