Scotty Simpson's Fish and Chips, Detroit,Mi - Michigan's Best Fish and Chips

My quest began over a year ago.  I wanted to find the best fish and chips.  There are many restaurants that can really mess up a piece of fish.  I have had the fish that was mostly batter with little fish, fish that looked like it was just opened from a freezer bag from a grocery store and dumped in a deep fryer, and fish that was well, fishy tasting.  Perhaps, I have finally found the best fish and chips in Michigan.
Scotty Simpson's is a small restaurant at 22200 Fenkell in the western part of Detroit close to Redford. The restaurant has been open since the 1950's.  The decor is lighthouse statues, boats and fish. The carpet is worn.  The neighborhood  is not the best, but, the food and service is a different story!  The waitress we had was very friendly. The food was served promptly. You could just tell, that customers were treated as friends. We were serenaded by the old jukebox that was playing songs like "Crazy" and "I Go To Pieces".
While we were there Harry the owner, who has been there for 44 years, was showing a table of customers pictures of his Grand kids.
The food came with a roll, coleslaw, and hand cut fries.  The fish was cooked to perfection.  It was just the right amount of light crunchy batter and meaty cod. Rebbel thought that there was a slightly sweet taste to it.  I have never tasted any better.  A full order was close to ten dollars and well worth it.  A half order and order without fries are available for less cost.  They also serve Stewart's Ginger Beer, and Orange in a bottle.  It is cash only, and they do have take-out. There is parking in back and across the street. On our way out, the waitress introduced us to Harry as new customers and invited us back.  I know they get plenty of returning customers. You can go to their site by clicking on the title.

The Pastrami Queen - Boca Raton, Fl - Pastrami That Melts In Your Mouth!

Pastrami. All of us have probably tried the meat in the local deli counter or in those Oscar Mayer packages at the grocery store.  It was o.k.  It was like all the other meat though.  It wasn't until recently that we found out what real pastrami is all about.
Pastrami was originally made because of the lack of refrigeration in the 1800's.  It was brought to this country by Jewish people immigrating from eastern Europe.  It is cured in brine much like corned beef, smoked and steamed.  Of course, spices are added along the process. 
We have always wanted a sandwich from a New York deli.  They seemed to do it right.  New York isn't on our immediate schedule.  On our recent trip to Florida,  I was trying to find an interesting place close to Miami.  We had a few disappointments and we really wanted something good.  I found a gem.
The Pastrami Queen. The Pastrami Queen recently opened in Boca Raton , Fla. It is owned by the Zinger's.  Denise Zinger is the daughter of Joy Harrison. Joy Harrison owns the Pastrami Queen in Manhattan, and the Pastrami King in Queens.  We found real pastrami in Florida, and we coiuldn't wait to try it.
The restaurant is located in a shopping plaza.  You walk in and realize it isn't your usual New York deli.  The waiters were in black tie and there were chandeliers.  We grabbed a seat and service was very good.  When our waiter brought the sandwich, which was plied in the center with pastrami, I immediately tried a piece that had fallen to the side. It seemed to have melted in my mouth. It was that delicious.  The spices mixed in a blend that complimented the meat and the bread was very fresh with a a great taste that added to the sandwich.  Just thinking about this sandwich makes me want to jump on a plane and go get one.  Its that good!  Rebbel had a corned beef sandwich that was good, but the pastrami was the star of the day!!
They have plenty of food on the menu,  but I don't know if I could ever tear away from the pastrami.
If you want to try their yummy pastrami,  they are  located in Boca Raton at 7132 Beracasa Way. I would definitely visit again!  Go to the web page by clicking the title.

Panini Pete's, Fair Hope, Alabama - A Great Lunch!!

Tucked away on the shore of Mobile Bay close to Mobile Alabama is the town of Fair Hope Alabama. It is a nice community. A home to artists and writers and is the home of a little sandwich shop called Panini Pete's. This particular restaurant was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and the owner was even on Guy's Big Bite.
He is known for paninis and beignets. The moment I saw him, I told Rebbel because he was doing two things Rebbel does expertly, so of course, we had to take a detour from Florida and check it out! I am glad we did.
The bake shop/ panini shop is located in downtown Fair Hope. It is located in the French Quarter. The sign above the alley tells you. In the back in a small building is the home of Panini Pete's.
We got there a little early for lunch. We wanted lunch, not breakfast. To kill time we checked out the peaceful beautiful town that seemed to have a lot of restaurants. We would have checked out more, but it was a rainy December day. We killed time for about 2 hours, the restaurant closes at 10:30 and re opens at 11:00. We waited patiently for them to open the door at 11:00 sharp.
It was then we found that they only serve beignets at breakfast, unless there are leftovers. We missed out!! We could have been munching on them waiting for lunch! We did however, order the paninis, and they were delicious. Panini Pete makes most of the ingredients in his sandwiches the old fashioned way. He cooks it himself. Even the mozzarella is house made!! He offers hand cut chips and fries to go with the sandwiches. We decided to get the Roast Beef, the Turkey and the Muffaletta. We decided the best was the Roast Beef. House roasted to medium rare, with gorganzola spread, onion confit, tomato, Dijon on a Cibatta. The House Roasted Turkey came a close second.
Panini Pete was there and proved to be a very friendly proprietor, and his visiting family were very nice also.
Rebbel told him she liked the area, but he was already doing her stuff. He replied back that they might have to have a showdown on Main St. if she chose to pursue it.

Panini Pete's and Fair Hope is definitely worth checking out if you are that way. They are located at 42 1/2 S Section St #2, Fair Hope, Al. Get there early and let us know how the beignets are!
You can watch the videos and check out the menu by clicking the title.

The Marietta Diner, Marietta, Georgia - Decisions, Decisions

As we turned into the drive of the Marietta Diner, we were greeted by an almost full parking lot. This was a good sign. The restaurant has been featured on Food Network's Diner's, Drive - Ins and Dives, but , that was a while back. It was good to see that the food was bringing them back. We walked through the door and we were immediately greeted by a showcase loaded with pies, many layered cakes, and other baked yummies. `
The menu was chock full of delicious choices. It looked like a small town phone book. Greek food along with other choices. We asked the waitress what was good and of course, the answer was everything! We decided to get the Seafood Platter and a Gyro Platter. The gyro was real tasty, but the seafood platter was out of this world!! It had salmon, shrimp and scallops over noodles in a creamy white sauce. The seafood tasted like someone cared about every single morsel as they prepared it. Then there was that showcase in the front.
We decided to take a couple of slices of cake to go! How could we resist? We had a slice of red velvet cake and coconut cake. My wife who makes her own tasty red velvet cake, thought it was the best red velvet cake she ever bought! Would I go there again??? Yes I would. In fact, we tried on our way home, but there was a wait, and we didn't have the time. I am looking forward to eating there the next time we are in the Atlanta area. The Marietta Diner is located on 306 Cobb Pkwy. Southeast, Marietta, Ga. They are open 24 hours. Click on the title to go to their site.

A Place I've Never Visited - The Front Porch - Ellsworth, Micigan

My sister threw a picture and a pamphlet next to my computer. "You have to write about this place." I looked at the information. "What is it?", I asked. " A place that could use a little help", she replied. The Front Porch is located at 9235 Main St in Ellsworth, Michigan. Close to the left top, or ring finger ,of the mitten in Antrim County. It is not a restaurant, but a 501(c)3 organization. It was set up to help the community of Ellsworth after the previous cafe and a grocery store went out of business. A void was left in the community. There was a need for a place to fellowship. A place where local people could get together, share in fun activities, and reach out to other people in the community needing help. After a slew of volunteers got together, the former Ellsworth Diner was transformed into the Front Porch.
The Front Porch's menu doesn't have fixed prices on the menu. A suggested donation is tallied for the meal based on their ongoing costs. Any excess is used to provide food to the most needy. They also minister in other ways.
A prayer post in the entance is provided for requests and praises, as well as clergy and lay people who can pray with you. They serve senior lunches every Thursday, and facilitate special events for other non - profit organizations. Several small group bible studies meet there.
Volunteers are used as wait staff. They even serve fair - trade coffee. The workers growing and harvesting the coffee are paid a fair living wage.
They are open from 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday through Saturday. They serve breakfast and lunch.You can click the title to go to their website. That's where I got most of the information on this non restaurant that I never ate at, but hope to next time I am in Ellsworth.

Best Food In The World - Glenn's Diner - Chicago, Illinois

"Best food in the world." That is what the sign read as we visited Glenn's Diner in Chicago. Located in the Ravenswood neighborhood,at 1820 W. Montrose, we decided to go there after seeing them on DDD (Diners, Drive Inns and Dives)on the Food Network. First thing that we saw as we walked in the door was multiple cereal boxes artfully lining the front wall. They offer 25 different types of cereal. You get the idea that this isn't an ordinary place.
On each side are walls of chalk boards. These boards are filled with specials that will make your mouth water. After receiving the menu, we made our choices. I had the french toast that like all the other breakfasts, is available anytime and Rebbel got the meatloaf sandwich. It was then that we really started reading the chalk board. There was plenty of Seafood choices there along with a lot of other foods with unusual twists.
The french toast was excellent. Probably some of the best french toast I have tasted. Didn't even need syrup. Rebbel also enjoyed her meatloaf sandwich, but if I ever go back there again, I will start with the chalk boards! Click the title and you will magically be transported to their home page.

Worth Walking Ten Blocks - Hackney's Printer's Row, Chicago, Il

Cruising through the streets of downtown Chicago on a sunny Saturday, Rebbel and I looked for a good place to park the truck. We wanted to try a burger from Hackney's located on Dearborn Street. We had heard about them on the Food Network's Diner's, Drive Inns, and Dives. We found Dearborn street, and quickly found a parking garage that advertised a weekend "special" on their sign. After driving around the building for what seemed like hours but turned out to be minutes and trying to find a spot without a beam, we finally managed to pull into a great spot. Let me mention we are from a small city and the thought of driving in a building with low ceilings and going up and up is a little bit unsettling. We exited the parking garage and managed
to find Dearborn Street without any trouble. We turned North and started looking for the address. We walked about three or four blocks. There wasn't any Hackney's!!!! I asked Rebbel if she had noticed if the address was North or South. She pulled the paper with the address out and lo and behold, it had an address of South Dearborn, of course we were in the 700 block of North Dearborn.
We turned around and walked back to South Dearborn. Along the way, we passed many closer parking places, taxis, buses, and even a parade that was taking shape. We walked at least ten blocks after walking the original three or four blocks. At last we found Hackney's!!
Hackney's is located in an older building. There is a lot of tables and probably can seem cramped if busy. There is some outdoor seating by the street.
We ordered the Hackney burger and the inside out burger. The Hackney burger came on a rye bun made in their own bakery and fresh ground beef. It was good, but I ordered the inside - out burger and that was delicious. The inside - out burger started with the same Hackney burger, but was stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese and bacon. It was juicy, and very tasty. It took the Hackney burger to a new juicier, tastier, burger bodaciousness. Their housmade chips and slaw rounded out the meal.
They also are known for an onion ring loaf that we will have to try next time.
Our waiter was very friendly and helpful giving us good instructions for taking the trolley and buses. Of course we ignored all the advice and ended walking even farther. Arriving back to our car, we found out the special parking price was for the first two hours. We ended up paying more, but in the end it was all worth it! Hackney's Printer's Row is located at 733
South Dearborn in Chicago. The South part is very important. They also have other locations that you can find by clicking the title and going to their page.