In the Summer of 2017, before his Junior Year of High School, Ali Allouche complained about a recurring pain in his right shoulder. After scans and a biopsy, he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and his scapula and part of his clavicle were removed. Ali then began an aggressive 10 month chemotherapy campaign at the Walter Reed Military Medical Facility in Bethesda, Maryland.
His mother, Lt. Colonel Jen Danko, was determined to never leave his side. Over the course of Ali’s treatment, bored with the hospital and hospital food, he and Jen became obsessed with food shows and documentaries. Especially inspired by Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, Ali and Jen planned their own culinary journey across America, researching possible restaurants in every state. Jen then launched a successful GoFundMe campaign for their trip, meeting their initial goal with a $3,600 donation from Anthony Bourdain himself!
After completing Chemo and with a clean bill of health, Ali was finally ready to start his journey and the food community welcomed him with open menus. He and Jen got to see the ever changing landscape of the United States— from the Deep South to the Heartland, from Beverly Hills to New York City— while eating some of the best cuisine America had to offer— from Bar-B-Q to 12 Course Meals, Pizza to Sea Urchin. Along the way, Ali met and was fed by (and sometimes cooked with) some of the best Pit Masters, Restaurateurs and Chefs in the country (including José Andrés and Wolfgang Puck).
Ali’s story is one of humor, tears and heart. Ali goes into every situation with a sense of wide eyed wonder and he’ll eat absolutely anything. Ali Eats America is about surviving and thriving, an honest and uplifting look at life with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.
PopGun POV reached out to document Ali’s story after reading about him in the New York Post.
Given incredible access, a small, dedicated crew were with Ali and Jen in the hospital, staying overnight and sleeping on the floor. PopGun were welcomed into the Allouche-Danko household and filmed Ali’s first local restaurants, recording his journey all the way through chemotherapy. On the road, Co-Directors, Greg Morris and Roush Niaghi, traveled with Ali and Jen from state to state, restaurant to restaurant, watching Ali grow from the sick kid in a hospital bed to a young man with a full head of hair.
Ali Eats America is repped by WME.
