Daym Drops has new web food series, and an acting gig with Kelsey Grammer

Daym Drops, Connecticut’s favorite food influencer, has expanded his footprint with a new web series focusing on restaurants of Connecticut.

The New Britain resident (real name Daymon Patterson) also is expanding his reach into the Christmas realm. He will appear in Kelsey Grammer’s “The 12 Days of Christmas Eve,” which debuts Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.

Patterson got the acting gig — he plays a jolly holiday caroler — after bumping into Andrew Gernhard, a film producer and founder of Rocky Hill-based Synthetic Cinema International.

The chance meeting happened in Norwich. Patterson was shooting an episode of his latest social-media restaurant-review series, “Eating Off Script.” Down the street, Gernhard was filming “How to Live Your Best Death.” Gernhard’s production company traditionally has toggled between thrillers and Christmas movies.

“I saw all the people and the cameras and the lights. I got curious. I started heading down the avenue. Two men came out of a store and one of them recognized me. It was Andrew,” Patterson said.

As it turns out, Gernhard is a fan of Patterson from his decade-plus career as a YouTube and TV food enthusiast.

“He was like, have you ever thought about being in movies? I said, I’d have to get lucky. He said, well maybe today is your lucky day,” Patterson said.

The men became friends. A few days later, Patterson landed the part, of a caroler who encounters Grammer’s character outside his place of business. The segment was filmed in front of Charter Oak Credit Union building in Waterford.

Gernhard said Patterson’s role is “not a big part but it is a funny part.

“His role repeats in a ‘Groundhog Day’ style,” Gernhard said. “The movie is sort of a ‘Groundhog Day’ and ‘Scrooge’ type of movie.”

The scene, while filmed in Waterford, was set in New York City. “The reflections in the windows of Charter Oak ... and the sound effects ... put them in New York,” Gernhard said.

Other locations in the film are in New London, Norwich, a private home in Mystic and at Branford House at the scenic UConn Avery Point campus in Groton.

“The 12 Days of Christmas Eve” is about a man (Grammer), Brian Conway, who is visited by Santa Claus. Santa gives Brian 12 chances to reverse the mistakes he made in his life. Brian embarks on an urgent mission to become a better man. The film also stars Grammer’s daughter, Spencer Grammer.

Gernhard said “The 12 Days of Christmas Eve,” which is not a romance, has a different feel than previous Lifetime Christmas movies.

“It is about him reconnecting with his daughter. It’s a dark comedy Christmas movie, which is fun,” Gernhard said.

Patterson enjoyed working with Grammer. “Seeing him behind the scenes, his professionalism was so inspiring,” he said.

Gernhard said he could see Patterson in other acting roles in the future. “He has a Chevy Chase kind of character, both sarcastic and benign at the same time,” he said.

‘Eating Off Script’

In addition to his ever-growing collection of food videos on his YouTube page, Patterson recently dropped all of the episodes of a new web series, Eating Off Script, onto his Facebook page (facebook.com/foodtitan/videos).

The 10- to 12-minute episodes have Patterson visiting three restaurants in selected Connecticut towns and talking to staff and owners.

He visited Crickets Car Hop, Whiskey Barrel and Paradise Pizza in his hometown of Stratford; Queen’s Delight, Black Rock Social House and MilSabores in Bridgeport; Pacifico, VIA and Philly’s in New Haven; Canggio, These Guys Brewing and Royal Punjabi in Norwich; Harrie’s Jailhouse, Eli Cannon’s and Celtic Cavern in Middletown; Zinneken’s, Max Fish and Birch Hill Tavern in Glastonbury; San Gennaro, Parkside Cafe and Bell City Diner in Bristol; MofonGo, Staropolska and Town & Country Pizza in New Britain; and Soul Bowls, Twisted Italian and Elbow Room in Hartford. Elbow Room is actually in West Hartford.

The title of the show refers to Patterson’s challenge for chefs to serve him something not on the menu. Most of the restaurants he visited did it, he said.

“I wanted them to showcase what they’re capable of instead of making what they make every single day, what they eat for lunch when they are throwing something together, something they do in their spare time,” he said.

At MofonGo, he had staff scoop out and restuff an empanada. At Parkside Cafe, he got an off-menu Bayou Eggs Benedict made with fresh alligator. He tried escargot for the first time at Max Fish. Patterson even set aside his aversion to lettuce and tomatoes to rave about a BLT at Harrie’s Jailhouse.

Patterson said he hopes to do a second and third season of “Eating Off Script” in Massachusetts and New York. With three seasons in the can, he said he hopes to present the show to networks as a proof of concept.

Meanwhile, Patterson appeared on Jay Leno’s show “Your Bet Your Life” — Season Two Episode Three, available on Tubi — and attended the Emmys in June. He was nominated as best food show host for his Netflix show “Fresh, Fried and Crispy.”

“I walked the red carpet for the first time in my life. That was an experience and a half. I talked a lot about ‘Fresh, Fried and Crispy.’ A lot of individuals had no idea who I was or why I was there,” he said.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.