Ryan Harkins and Matthew Chernus grew up a block away from each other.
So it only made sense that when Chernus decided he wanted to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music marketing, his childhood friend would be right there with him.
Although the career in music didn't work out, a new path was created and that path has landed the two self-described metalheads in the national spotlight.
Chernus and Harkins, both 30, are the chefs and co-owners of Grill 'Em All, the gourmet burger truck that is cooking up a storm on the Food Network's new show, "The Great Food Truck Race." The duo started the business in December of 2009. Less than a year later, the Cleveland natives are making a name for themselves in the City of Angels.
After three episodes, the guys are still in the race competing against a French cuisine truck, a Vietnamese sandwich truck and a grilled sandwich truck battling for the $50,000 grand prize.
Congratulations on your spot in the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race!" How did you find out you made it on the show and what was your experience like?
MC: I got a call from one of the casting people and was pretty much told "Pack ... you are leaving next week." We had a total blast. Staying in hotels, meeting new people and going to weird truck stops. Memories are made of silver and gold, you know?
RH: They just called us up and said "You're on the show. Pack for possibly six weeks. We leave in a week." It was so intense and rad. We met a lot of amazing people and made lifelong friends.
You were also on a recent episode of the Travel Channel’s “Food Wars.” Tell us what your initial reaction was seeing yourselves on TV for the first time.
MC: Damn, if the camera makes you gain 10 pounds, it also makes you gain ten degrees of badass. We looked great. Did you see my beard?
RH: I thought "Who's that amazingly attractive beast in the Cavs' hat?"
When did you decide to move from Cleveland to L.A.? Was your original intention to start a food truck on the West Coast?
MC: I was caught in a rut in Cleveland and needed a new start. Ryan and I have been buddies for so long it was only natural to try and get him to move west with me. We both moved here with high hopes of working in music marketing; now we have people doing marketing for us. A dream come true ... or act II of a zombie movie?
RH: We moved over three years ago. I was actually sick of working in kitchens and Matt and I thought we'd break into the music marketing world. Flash forward months later and I was back in a kitchen and Matt was bartending. We didn't want to work for people anymore and there you have it—Grill 'Em All!
Did you toy with any other food type, or were you dead set on serving gourmet burgers?
MC: Ryan is a robot who was programmed to create amazing burgers. That's my final answer.
RH: Hell no. Burgers and metal! We're from Cleveland, that's what we know. I'm not into the whole Asian fusion taco truck idea. There's millions of them out here. It's a plague!
How did you come up with the name, Grill ‘Em All?
MC: It's a riff off the Metallica record "Kill Em All." We changed Kill to Grill. It's pretty funny.
RH: Simple. It's what we do ... oh, and we like Metallica.
When you’re not driving the food truck, what’s your choice of transportation?
MC: Jeep Cherokee.
RH: I got a bitchin' '92 Ford Probe that's an insane orange color. The seats are furry. All it needs is neon fuzzy dice. True ripper mobile! [Laughs].
What do you think is the best thing about Cleveland?
MC: Lebron James ... oh wait. I meant Danny Ferry ... oh, damn. Maybe Daffy Dan?
RH: Everything!
How often do you get to come back home and what do you miss most when you’re away?
MC: I miss Cleveland every other second of the day. I just missed it a second ago. I only get to visit twice a year, but I get just enough time to fish for walleye and have a snowball fight.
RH: I try to come home once a year. I miss the food and the people, my friends ... and insanely cheap beers! [Laughs]. I seriously gear up to go to Clevo by trying to lose 15 pounds, which never happens, so I inevitably gain weight crushing food at Melt, Lola, West Side Market, Lelolai, Sokolowski's, etc., and drinking Great Lakes hand over fist! We can't get Great Lakes out here, and that is a huge bummer.
Who do you think has the best burger in Cleveland?
MC: I really loved my first trip to B Spot. The pastrami burger was tight and made even better with the Lake Erie Monster IPA I had with it.
RH: That's a tough one. I grew up with Herbs Tavern and Rustic Restaurant, so I'm super partial to them. Moosehead Saloon in Bay has a mean burg as well!
Cleveland recently got its first gourmet food truck, Dim and Den Sum, and the truck has become a lunchtime/late night hit. Do you think the trend can continue in our cold-weather city?
MC: If you work hard and stay focused all your dreams are only an inch away. But it is pretty damn cold there.
RH: Hell yeah! Chris and Jeremy! Good dudes! I'm stoked they're doing well! That means when we come to Clevo we'll tear it up as well!
Catch Chernus and Harkins battling for the Great Food Truck title at 9 p.m. Sundays on the Food Network.
And click here to vote Dim and Den Sum as your favorite food truck. The boys are in the race to become a contestant on the second season of the Great Food Truck Race. You can also text "ft20" to 66789 to cast your vote.
