The Sacramento Bee, 11/4/2008

High dive

Jamie's Bar & Grill near downtown Sacramento always draws a good lunch-time crowd. This week, business will be especially brisk.
"Word's gotten around," says owner Jamie Bunnell, referring to a national TV crew that will be at his joint all day Wednesday and Thursday filming a segment for the Food Network's highly rated show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives."

Jamie's, at 427 Broadway across from the News 10 TV tower, was selected for the honor a couple of weeks ago.
But only after Bunnell was grilled during several phone interviews with network staffers.

They knew his food was good and served with heaping helpings. But they wanted to make sure the eatery qualified as a "dive."
Bunnell sent them pictures of his building's nondescript exterior. And a dining room that's never seen a tablecloth.

The TV folks were sold.

Bunnell, who has owned the place for 23 years, knows he wouldn't be getting the network's attention if he owned a better-looking restaurant.
"This is the first time," the 50-year-old says, "that owning a dive has really worked out for me."