David and Rebbel's Traveling For Food

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

2010-01-23T22:42:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-01-18T11:11:00.001-05:00

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Pastrami was originally made because of the lack of refrigeration in the 1800's. It was brought to this country by Jewish people immigrating from eastern Europe.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!!

2010-01-13T21:15:00.008-05:00

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

2010-01-10T19:52:00.004-05:00

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

2009-12-13T13:20:00.006-05:00

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

2009-09-20T14:45:00.007-04:00

"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

2009-08-31T08:31:00.010-04:00

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.

Chicago Lines Up For This Burger - Paradise Pup, Des Plaines, Ill

2009-08-24T17:53:00.005-04:00

This wasn't our first choice. We were going to try a place in Alsip Ill. called the Frosted Mug, but, they were closed. Looking over our list that we got from the Food Network site, We decided to drive to a place called Paradise Pup in Des Plaines. As we came up to the little burger joint, we noticed a fairly good sized line snaking from the door to the back of the building. We got in line where Rebbel asked the people in front of us what was the best thing on the menu.
I thought that the place was called Paradise Pup, so the dogs would be the main attraction. I was wrong. They do serve hot dogs, sausages, and Italian beef, but we were told that they were known for their cheddar char burger and now I can see why that is!
Paradise Pup is owned by two brothers, and they have been doing those burgers for over 25 years. . The 1/3 pound char burger was juicy, and tasted like it just came off a backyard charcoal grill. The Merkt's cheddar cheese was oozing out of the sides of the burger from under the grilled sesame seed bun. To go along with the burger, we tried the three way fries. The fries were crinkle cut topped with the Merkt's with sour cream and bacon. It was a real challenge to pick which to eat first.
We were glad that we ended up going to our second choice!! If you want to try this delicious burger that many have said is the tastiest burger in Chicago, drive to 1724 S River Rd. in Des Plaines, Ill. Make sure you have cash, the don't take cedit, and be prepared to stand in line. It will be well worth it!!

A Chain I Have To Mention - Five Guys Burgers and Fries

2009-08-22T20:16:00.008-04:00

I usually don't write about chain restaurants, but I have to tell you about this one or I will be doing a great disservice to my readers. I don't know what happened over the years, but most of the chain hamburgers have become tasteless and pretty dried out. They hardly resemble a burger at all. You can get them fast and cheap but that's about it.
Five Guys is a whole differen type of chain. . I first heard of Five Guys on a news site. Someone in the comments asked for people's favorite burger chain. Five Guys kept coming up in the replies. I had never heard of them, so I tried to find the closest. It was over 50 miles away from me, so I waited for an opportunity. It finally came and I was sorry...... Sorry that I didn't go earlier!
There is nothing fancy about Five Guys. The colors are usually red and white. You get your order in a brown paper sack, you can munch on free peanuts in the shell while you wait. (I love peanuts in the shell.)
Five Guys has only a few food items on their menu. Burgers, fries, and hot dogs. They do all of the items stupendously. The burgers are cooked right in front of you using only fresh ground beef. They don't even have freezers! They use only peanut oil. No trans fats here. Their tasty fries are cut from only Idaho potatoes. They have numerous toppings you can choose to have on your burgers and according to their website, there is over 250,000 ways to enjoy your burger. I usually get mine all the way, which means you get everything except the asterisked items. They are free too, but you have to ask for them. The burgers and fries are hot, juicy and delicious!
If you don't believe me, check out their walls. You will find many testimonies from other eaters both pros and amateurs. Hurry and check out a Five Guys near you. It is simply the best chain burger I have ever ate! Hopefully they never go the way of the other guys and sacrifice quality for speed and cost. You can go to their site by clicking on the title.

A Better Butter Burger - Solly's Grille, Glendale,Wi.

2009-08-15T12:03:00.007-04:00

On our recent trip to Chicago, we decided to jog up to the beautiful land of cheese and butter for dinner.Wisconsin was just a little bit up the road and there was a burger that we had been meaning to try for quite some time. We would go on holidays and they were always closed. We discovered Culver's because we wanted a butter burger and Solly's was closed. Culver's was good, but now I know what a real butter burger is. Sorry Culvers, you'll always be my first. Solly's Grille, located near Milwaukee in Glendale Wisconsin at 4629 N. Port Washington Rd, is known for their butter burger. In fact, they claim to be the originators of the butter burger in the 1930's.
The place is as neat as a pin. It looks like a house as you drive up to it. You walk in and you see two counters snaking through the restaurant. They have sandwiches,fries, malts and onion rings on their menu, along with other food, but unless you are close by and have time to try everything, I would order the butter burger. It has made numerous lists for one of the best burgers in America. Warning....this burger is not for butter wimps!
The burger comes topped with stewed onions and cheese. Rebbel was wondering what the yellow stuff in it was. I told her it probably was cheese, but on closer inspection, she found out that it was a glob of real, fresh, tasty, soft butter! The longer you let the burger sit, the more of the butter melted in a puddle on the plate and back in to the bun. I was glad we made the trip, and I must say, it was one of the tastiest burgers I have ever had!

True Grits (and Shrimp) - Wishbone Restaurant, Chicago,Il.

2009-08-09T08:41:00.009-04:00

Shrimp and Grits. The first time I heard of this combination was on the Food Network. I believe it was Paula Deen. I must admit, I never was a big fan of grits. I have tried this southern staple before when I was at a breakfast buffet somewhere south of Michigan. I found them kind of tasteless and well,... gritty. So when our friend Joyce said she had tried shrimp and grits at Bubba Deen's restaurant in Savannah, and it was delicious, I was kind of curious and skeptical.
On our recent trip to Chicago, we decided to eat at Wishbone. They are known for southern comfort cooking. They had a Sunday brunch and their shrimp and grits came highly recommended by another food blogger. We had to try it!
Wishbone has several locations in Chicago, and we decided to eat at the Wishbone at 1001 Washington that is locted a block from Oprah Winfrey's studios.
Rebbel ordered an omlette that looked pretty good and I decided to go for the shrimp and grits. The grits came with a choice of a corn bread muffin which I went for to keep with the southern theme.
The waiter brought it out in a big bowl. The dish contains cheese grits,shrimp,bacon,scallions,mushrooms surrounded by a pool of wine and cream sauce. It was one big bowl of warm, comforting, hearty, delicousness that I find hard to get out of my hungry mind. I can't wait for another chance to order this meal. Next time, I think we will both order it so we won't have to share! Click on the title to go to Wishbone's page.

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon! - Tony's I-75 Restaurant, Birch Run,Mi

2009-07-28T06:40:00.008-04:00

Coming back from the upper peninsula of Michigan, we wanted to find some place special for our last meal before returning home. We were coming back via I-75 and would be going close to Frankenmuth, the town known as Michigan's little Bavaria. They are known for Christmas every day of the year, and chicken dinners. The dinners are fine, but we were looking for more. We decided to travel down the road an exit to Tony's I-75 at Birch Run. Tony's is known for HUGE PORTIONS.
I decided to try their famous B.L.T. It contained a pound of bacon. With the Grand kids with us, I had to go for it. The sandwich was as big as I had heard. Loaded with mostly bacon and some lettuce and tomato on delicous Italian breas. I decided to pick up the whole thing rather than cut it. Of course, it took two hands, but I could have used a thirs just to shove the fallen bacon back in. It was very good, and yes, I finished it. I wasn't able to look at another piece of bacon for weeks, but it was all worth it. Another pleasant memory for the Grand kids to cherish.
As for the rest of the menu??? Most of the items come in the same huge portions. The have sundaes that have a half gallon of ice cream! Rebbel ordered a corn beef rueben and it was also on the huge side. On the way out, they told the kids to fill their pockets with candy. Our oldest Grand son was worried about which pocket he was going to fill. The man at the counter told him to turn around and he proceded to fill the hood of his shirt. You will definately not leave Tony's hungry.

Hot Day, Hot Dog! - The Hot Dog House - Monroe, Michigan

2009-06-24T18:56:00.008-04:00

Today has been the hottest day of the year in Michigan. 92 and humid. Of course the air conditioner in our 1 year old truck decides to quit working. My wife drives to Monroe, Michigan to take our truck to the dealer. Along the way, she passes a new place called The Hot Dog House. She wants us to to try it out on the return trip.
Hot Dogs....It seems you can get them everywhere these days. Gas stations, cafe's, festivals, fairs and even rummage sales sell them. Everybody thinks they can do a hot dog. It is rare though, to find a place that can do a hot dog the right way. The Hot Dog House located at 2020 S Custer (M50) in Monroe Michigan is not only a place that does everything right, they make it fun and interesting. From the toasted bun, to the Koegel dog itself, everything is right and tasty.
When you walk in, the big selection of dogs are located on the wall to the side of the counter.There is plenty of time to read the selections away from the counter. You can choose from dogs such as the Big Mack dog; which has 3 cheese grown up macaroni and cheese; the Duke that is covered with baked beans sauteed onions and bacon bits; a Guard Dog with sauerkraut, shredded Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing, a Bulldog which is modeled after a Chicago style hot dog with mustard, sweet relish, chopped onion , pickle spear and they even added the celery salt! There are many more dogs to choose from and they even have a kids dog selection. We ordered 4 different dogs, and loved them all. We especially liked the Duke and Guard Dog. They also offer fresh hand-cut fries, onion rings and deep fried mushrooms. Dunking dips are also available. These also come in many varieties such as Ranch, Parmesan Peppercorn, Honey Mustard, Spicy Mayo, and Honey Mustard.
We ordered the dogs to go, and were happily surprised that each container was labeled very clearly with a printed label. Try getting that kind of service and hot dog from the gas station!
The Hot Dog House is open from 10:30 A.M. - 7:30P.M. Monday - Saturday. They take phone orders for Business Lunch Delivery from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday - Friday. Phone them at 734-457-BARK (2275).

Charmed By the Charm City - Broadway Diner,Baltimore, Md.

2009-06-07T10:29:00.008-04:00

It shouldn't be a surprise to anybody that follows this blog, that we are big Food Network fans.
After hanging around Pittsburgh for an afternoon, we went to our motel room and decided what to do next. Being a little crazy, we decided to
travel to Baltimore Md. to visit some other restaurants. Once again we decided to check out places we viewed on Diners, Drive Inns, and Dives. I don't know what it is, but Guy seems to pick out the places that we seem to like. While we were there , we thought we would check out the place Ace of Cakes is filmed at Charm City Cakes. We first made a stop at the Broadway Diner. Located at 6501 Eastern Ave,in Baltimore, the place looks like a huge diner car. As we entered, staring us in the face, was a huge desert case featuring cakes, pies, and many other sweet, delicious things too numerous to mention. I was glaring into the case when our hostess came to seat us. In my opinion, this happened way too fast. I could have looked at the case another 10 minutes or so, but I guess they get tired of wiping the drool off the thing.
Rebbel asked the waiter what was the best thing on the menu. His answer was everything is good. Then he told us that Guy had the goulash when he was there. I had to try it, and Rebbel decided to have the classic diner fare and went with meatloaf. The goulash was fantastic. I have never had goulash with roast beef. I am used to hamburger. The roast beef was extremely tender. The sauce had just a hint of tomato flavor. Rebbel's meatloaf was good too. I really think the waiter was right about the menu. We took desert to go, and enjoyed it back at the motel room. I had chocolate cake and Rebbel had a key lime cheesecake. Not the whole thing, just a slice. Both were good, although Rebbel liked the cheesecake better. More chocolate cke for me! We found Charm City Cakes. For some reason, they had
the windows shaded, the doors locked, and the security cameras focused. Must have heard we were coming! I was really impressed by Baltimore. It looked like an interesting city. You might say, we were charmed by the Charm City. You can read check out the Broadway Diner online by clicking on the title. Charm City Cakes is located at 2936 Remington Ave, Baltimore, Md. They are open by appointment only. You can find them at http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

The Best Eggs Benedict Evar! - The Dor-Stop Restaurant, Dormont, Pa.

2009-05-27T19:14:00.008-04:00

The Dor - Stop Restaurant is located in Dormont right outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. To get to the restaurant, we had to go up what looked like Mount Everest to my wife. We don't know if there was another way up, that was the way our trusty Tom Tom took us. Once there, my wife had the best breakfast evar! She ordered the Eggs Benedict which I am convinced are the best anywhere! Two eggs served on top of Italian bread and covered with Hollandaise sauce. Even the home fries were delicious. I had the Pumpkin Hot Cakes. The hot cakes were, in my opinion, made just right. They had a little bit of crisp on the outside, but the inside was very soft and delicious.
We also had the ham that was cut from the bone in the restaurant. It had a mild not too salty taste that accented the breakfasts we ordered. The breakfast we had made the trip up the big hill worthwhile. Of course we had to get back down, and Rebbel hates downhill more than she does uphill. It was still worth the trip. If you would like to visit them, they are located at 1430 Potomac Ave, Dormont, Pa. Click the title to go to their web site.

A Toledo Area Secret - Mr Freeze - Toledo and Perrysburg, Ohio

2009-05-26T15:27:00.007-04:00

I have been traveling to the Toledo area since I was a young boy. I have never heard of Mr Freeze until about a month ago. Somebody from work let me in on this secret. Mr Freeze is an ice cream place located at 2031 N McCord Rd in Toledo and 627 W South Boundary in Perrysburg, Ohio. They are known for their Turtle Sundae and Buckeye Sundae. They come in a styrofoam cup. The Turtle was loaded with ice cream caramel sauce, pecans, chocolate and whipped cream. The Buckye Sundae had ice cream, peanut butter filled buckye candy, peanut butter sauce, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I ordered a small and it was all I could do to finish it. They have a lot of choices not mentioned here. The prices are very reasonable. There is one thing, be prepared to stand in line for a while. Evidently some people are already in on the secret!

I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing - Update... Hillbilly Hot Dog, Lesage, West Va.

2009-05-26T13:06:00.005-04:00

Well, I did it! I ate the Home Wrecker. The Home Wrecker is a 1lb, 15 in. deep fried pure beef hot dog that is sold at Hillbilly Hot Dog in Lesage, West Virginia. It also has coleslaw, sauteed peppers and onions, nacho cheese, ketchup, nacho cheese, jalapenos, shredded cheese, mustard, homemade
chili sauce, tomatoes and lettuce. If you eat this mammoth in 12 minutes you get a shirt. I opted out and chose to take my time, and buy a shirt. I already was making a spectacle of myself.
I don't know what my time was, but I did manage to eat it. It tasted pretty spicy, but it was good.
I imagine I could have done it. Maybe next time. If you would like to visit one of the Hillbilly Hot Dogs, visit their site by clicking the title. You can read about our other visit on the archive. You will definitely have a good time visiting them.

The Taste of Pittsburgh - Primanti Brothers - Pittsburgh, Pa

2009-05-26T09:25:00.014-04:00

When I first heard about the sandwiches at Primanti Bros., I was kind of hesitant. The sandwiches were topped with coleslaw, tomatoes, and french fries. The french fries were the thing that I really thought were going to be the grossest. I kept hearing how the sandwiches were a local favorite, so I thought that since I was going to be in Pittsburgh, I would give it a try. I must say, it was a very good sandwich. The french fries seemed to blend in very well. I had the Colossal Fish and Cheese Sandwich. It was served on white bread and the fish protruded about 3 inches on each side. It was colossal. Rebbel had the Pastrami and Cheese Sandwich. It was also very tasty.
We visited the original restaurant in the strip district neighborhood. It is open 24 hours. They have a total of 15 restaurants located throughout Pittsburgh and even 2 in Florida. The atmosphere there is a bar feel, that serves sandwiches. The sandwiches are not gourmet, or anything fancy, just a sandwich on good white bread stuffed with meat. If you want a genuine taste of Pittsburgh, you should try one of these sandwiches. Click on the title for their web site.

Do I Smell Cake? - Cupcake Delights - Mount Dora Florida

2009-05-21T10:59:00.004-04:00

Let me start off by saying that I am not a big cupcake fan. Cupcakes are usually crusty, small, and you have to peel the paper peel off . No just give me a big slice of moist 4 layer cake and I will be happy. The Cupcake Delights Shop located at 112 E Fifth Ave, in Mount Dora Florida might have changed some of that.
They rotate between flavors and display at least 14 flavors of cupcakes a day.
The cupcakes are flavorful and delicious. You will definitely have trouble making up your mind just which tasty sensation you will pick. My wife chose three for us. We had a Key Lime Delight, which is yellow cake, stuffed with butter cream, key lime butter cream, and graham cracker, and
sprinkled with green sugar, a Peanut Butter Crunch and a Coconut Dream.
You can drive yourself crazy and go to their link by clicking the title, or better yet, just go there and try them all.

A Place A Guy Can Feel Comfortable - The Frosty Mug-Mount Dora Fla.

2009-05-21T09:47:00.006-04:00

The town of Mount Dora Florida is filled with little shops, and interesting restaurants.
I was there this winter with my Mother In Law and wife. The town is located in Lake County in central Florida and is a whopping 184 above sea level, which is pretty high for Florida. After going from shop to shop, a guy can build up quite an appetite. Lets face it, it's not exactly what guys like to do. We like to eat. Now the Mother In Law was looking at a Tea Room she had frequented a few times. I was hesitant. The waiter standing outside tried to make me feel more comfortable. "Sure, it's fine. Guys eat here all the time. What little finger sandwich would you like, and which frilly hat do you want to put on???" We were out of there. As we walked down the street, we found a place called The Frosty Mug.The Frosty Mug bills themselves as an Icelandic restaurant and grill.
They had an interesting menu, and the surroundings looked interesting. Very Viking looking. You could eat open air, or in the restaurant. The food was outstanding. My Mother In Law got a pulled pork panini and sweet potato fries. I got the fish and chips and my wife got a Good French Man sandwich. All were happy. We would definitely go back. If you get a chance, try out the Frosty Mug. You can find them on the web at: http://www.thefrostymug.com/ or click on the title.

Early May In Western Michigan - Clementine's, South Haven,Mi

2009-04-26T19:52:00.006-04:00

I have to say early May in Michigan is a beautiful time of year. The weather is usually mild and the trees and flowers are in bloom. Over in Holland Mi its tulip time.
This year the Holland Tulip Festival is May 2 - May 9. It is important to keep these dates because as a couple of our friends found out a few years back, if you get there late you will have to settle for the stem festival. I am betting that wasn't anywhere close to as beautiful. A little south of Holland on U.S. 31 is South Haven.
South Haven sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. In the town of South Haven is a restaurant called Clementine's.
Clementine's is located in what used to be the Citizen's bank building. The inside is very interesting. You are greeted by antiques, pictures of the town from way back,and it looks like you stepped back in the 1890's.
The food might not be the greatest that you have ever tasted, but it is pretty good.
They have everything from sandwiches on varied bread to entrees like steaks, fish, and even a wet burrito. Perhaps the thing you hear most about is their peg of golden brown onion rings. The rings come in on a 6 inch or 12 inch peg. According to their web site,they sold 6 miles last year, and we were responsible for 6 inches of that!
Clementine's is definately worth a visit. It's up to you if you decide to visit the Tulip Festival or the Stem Festival. I hear that the stem Festival is way less crowded. Clementine's is located at 500 Phoenix St in South Haven. They do not accept reservations, and I hear there can be lines at times. You can find out more about them at http://www.ohmydarling.com

Good Chowduh! - Shucker's Seafood and Pasta, Swanton,Ohio

2009-04-19T12:37:00.006-04:00

I have heard of Shucker's Restaurant for quite some time. A reviewer in a Toledo newspaper had said that they had great clam chowder. I had somebody at work tell me that their all you can eat Alaskan Whitefish on Tuesday nights was very good. We went there on a Saturday hoping to check them out. We got there about 2:30 in the afternoon and found that there wasn't anybody there. They didn't open until 4:30 on Saturdays. We ended up eating at Friday's, and had to wait on the clam chowder.
We had other places to go for the next few weeks, so we tried to put it out of our minds (This is probably easier for Rebbel than it is for me). This Saturday we finally put our hunger pangs off until later and we finally made it through their door. We were glad we went.
We each had a cup of the chowder. I ranked it as number one on my list. It is chock full of clam, potato goodness and had a great taste Rebbel ranked it number three. She thought that it was very good, but she ranked the Outback's (which no longer has clam chowder and shouldn't count), and Red Lobster's as her #1 and #2.
There may be better on the east coast, but around these parts, thats how we rank them.
Besides the good chowder, they had a great grouper sandwich platter. A huge generous
slab of Florida Grouper, on a grilled bun with tomato,onion,and tarter sauce on the side. The fries were even good! Rebbel ordered the fried cod which was good, but when we tasted them side by side, the grouper was much better.
We really liked almost everything about the meal, and would definitely go back. If you go, leave plenty of room, they give you a lot of food. Most of the sandwich platters are around $10.00 and the fish dishes around $15.00. They have great specials during the week for $9.99. They are located at 142600 Airport Rd in Swanton,Ohio. Look for the boat on the roof.

Was It Just Us?? - Price's Chicken Coop Charlotte, North Carolina

2009-03-25T07:07:00.009-04:00

Maybe it's just me. Maybe it was just the wrong time of day, or the something else I just can't grasp. We had heard of Price's Chicken Coop on the Food Channel.They are located in the south end of Charlotte at 1614 Camden Rd. and have been serving their chicken since 1952. The place was crowded four lines deep. This is a no - nonsense chicken restaurant. They don't take credit cards, they don't take checks. You get your meal take out only, in a box. They also have fish and shrimp. Have your order ready by the time you get to the counter.
The chicken we ordered came with a roll,hush puppies, tater rounds and slaw.
By the long lines, we thought we were in for the best chicken ever! We were wrong.
Now this is just our opinion and I don't mean to disparage the good folks of Charlotte,
but I just don't get the fascination. It wasn't the worst chicken I ever had, but I guess I was just expecting better. Maybe it was the long walk back to the car. Chicken is best when it is hot and juicy. There was a huge lunch time crowd and we had to park around the corner. I really did want to love this place like everybody else in Charlotte seemed to, but I just didn't feel it. If you go, be sure to park close, have your cash ready, and try to keep your expectations low. I'm sure it was just us. You can find them on the web at: http://www.priceschickencoop.com/

A Frosty Morning in Mayberry - Snappy Lunch, Mount Airy North Carolina

2009-03-10T16:28:00.009-04:00

On our way back from our annual Christmas trip to Florida, we decide to pay a visit to
the home of Andy Griffith. Visions of Andy, Barney and even Aunt Bea ran through my head. This is the town that Andy grew and went to school. Some things in the television show coincided with the town. Was it just coincidence??? You be the judge. On our way to Mt. Airy, we went past Pilot Mountain. We were told that there was a very good pork chop sandwich at Snappy Lunch. Snappy Lunch is located next to Floyd's City Barber Shop. Snappy Lunch was mentioned in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
We decided to hit Snappy Lunch early. Floyd's was closed, we were hungry, and it was a tad bit chilly to walk the town. After all, we had just come from warm and toasty Florida. We were told that the famous pork chop sandwich was not available until 10:00. I decided to try a snappy breakfast. I ordered the eggs and sausage with toast.
This proved to be a mistake. While it was snappy, the sausage was over - cooked and the meal was served on a paper plate. I like dippy eggs, so the juice grabbing plate wasn't a good deal. It was closing in on 10:00 so we decided to try to order the famous pork chop sandwich. We were pretty leery after the snappy breakfast, but we decided that we would go for it. I am glad we did. The sandwich was delicious.
The pork chop, actually a pork cutlet, was very tender. It was breaded and battered,served with tasty coleslaw and mustard and onions and tomato with a sweet chilli sauce. The bun couldn't contain the tasty pork, and there was a slight overhang. As we left, we drove past Andy's old house, and through a twisty mountain road passing little flea markets and beautiful scenery. Well worth the trip.Snappy Lunch is located at 125 N. Main St. in Mt. Airy,N.C. and is open for breakfast and lunch. I would get there after 10 and get the lunch. You can find them on the web at:http://www.thesnappylunch.com
Andy probably used quite a few of the familiar things from his town for the show, but the town has used a lot of the familiar thing from the show for the tourists.

Rebbel's Birthday Trip - Biaggi's, Perrysburg, Ohio

2009-02-12T19:46:00.011-05:00

"Where do you want to go for your birthday?", I asked Rebbel. After thinking of restaurants and nearby stores, she chose to go to Levis Commons. She loves the Christopher and Banks store and the restaurant called Biaggi's at Levis Commons in
Perysburg, Ohio. Plus she wanted to get a torch for creme brulee at her cooking store in nearby Toledo. She wanted the new torch because her old one didn't have enough power to melt the sugar on top of the creme.
The first time we tried creme brulee was at Biaggi's. It was so delicious that Rebbel had to go home and learn how to make it. The first time I walked into Biaggi's, I thought it was going to be expensive. The tables are all covered in white linen, and the wait staff were in white shirts and black pants, but I was really impressed by the moderate prices on the menu. Most dishes were in the $15.00 range.
After taking the order, they bring this bread basket that has several types of bread. They fix up a plate of dipping oil and add Parmesan cheese and you are off to a tasty start. Rebbel ordered the Chicken Piometese. It is hard to say, but it was very good to eat. Chicken Breast stuffed with imported Italian ham, provolone and Gouda cheese, with a lemon - basil butter sauce. They are so good at this place, they even made the side dish of asparagus taste delicious! This is definitely my favorite Italian restaurant. We took home a piece of their moist chocolate cake. It was the kind of cake you think about the next day, and wish you had another slice! We didn't have the room or time to eat it there because Rebbel had to do her birthday shopping.
She ended up getting a pair of pants and a top and her much wanted torch. After she got home, she tried on her outfit and decided she didn't like the way it looked on her, and took it back and bought shoes right here in town.
As she was preparing her new torch to use, she noticed it had a flame control. She looked on the old torch and discovered that it too had a flame control that was turned down. Imagine that! Once she turned it up, it melted the sugar beautifully. She didn't need the the torch after all. It too needed to go back. Oh well, the trip wasn't totally wasted. Eating at Biaggi's made it all worthwhile. You can find out if there is a Biaggi's near you at their website:http://www.biaggis.com/

South Carolina; Land of Trees, and Yellow Barbeque - Maurice's Gourmet Barbeque

2009-01-25T13:06:00.007-05:00

On our way back from sunny Florida, we traveled through not as sunny South Carolina.
On the Interstate, we mostly observed pine trees. I don't know exactly what South Carolina is hiding, but obviously there is something they don't want you to see.
As we were coming into Columbia, there were less trees and more billboards. The one my wife noticed was for Maurice's Barbeque. We were going to eat at another place for lunch, but she really wanted to try this place. We thought that he had been showcased on the Food Network on regional barbeques, but we weren't sure. I could tell she really wanted to try it out by the way her tongue was hanging from her mouth. I told her that maybe we could share a sandwich and still try the lunch place.
Now I have to admit, the first time I heard the name, I thought to myself, "What would a guy named Maurice know about barbeque. Maybe French cooking, or something like that, but not barbecue." She went in and came out with the sandwich. It smelled very good, but something wasn't right. The sauce was yellow. That's right, yellow! It turns out that Maurice uses a mustard based sauce that is popular in South Carolina.
It turned out to be the best barbeque sandwich I ever tasted. My wife was so crazy over the sauce, she ordered a case of it when we got home. Maurice's turned out to be the highlight of the day. I can't even remember where we ended up eating lunch, but our 'snack" was definately memorable. The sign was correct. "Maurice's Barbeque makes you happy." Happy indeed. You can find out more about them and order sauce at:
http://www.mauricesbbq.com/

Follow Your Nose To Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish

2009-01-13T11:59:00.006-05:00

When in Florida, we always try to go towards Tampa. That side of the state is just beautiful. The coast is dotted with seafood places. One of those places is Ted Peter's
Famous Smoked Fish.
This place is basically just a shack. Located at 1350 S. Pasadena Avenue in St. Petersburg, you have two choices of seating. Outside there are covered picnic tables and the outside bar. You go inside and its kind of grungy. It kind of gives you a cabin feel, a real old dingy cabin feel,complete with fireplace. I don't know if its a working fireplace,but they probably don't need it too much in Florida.
The fish is a completely different story. It first hits your nose the minute you pull in the parking lot. In fact, that is the way Ted Peter's would lure in customers when he first opened the restaurant back in 1951. According to his obituary; he died in 2003, he used to wave the lid on his smoker as customers went by. I can see how that worked. Today, the smokehouse sits next to the restaurant. You can watch the process and buy some fish to go.
The fish comes in a huge portion. It is juicy and has a great smokey flavor. I had the Mahi-Mahi and Rebbel got the Salmon. Both winners. Of course we had to try the potato salad and cole slaw. The potato salad, was a German potato salad. I usually don't care for that type, but theirs tasted totally different. It tasted more like the fried potatoes you might have with your eggs in the morning. Simply delicious.
We took some of their smoked fish dip and crackers for a snack. That too, was totally awesome. I also witnessed a lot of people ordering the hamburgers. I hear that those are really good too. I highly recommend trying this place. I have a feeling we'll be back!

Rebbel Finds Some Friends/ Sweet Tomatoes, Orlando, Fla.

2009-01-10T14:44:00.010-05:00

"I wish you could find my friends." ,Rebbel said. Once again something had triggered her memory of two people she had known since she was a little girl living in Petersburg, Mi. Joyce and Jack Wittman were people that lived in the same subdivision across the road from Rebbel. Rebbel used to go over to their house and just hang out, play Monopoly with Joyce, and just visit. I picture a Dennis the Menace, Mr. Wilson type relationship.
It must have been pretty bad because the Wittman's moved to Lambertville, but Rebbel still managed to keep in touch. She would continue to stay in touch with them until about 1991. Joyce had told her that they were living in Florida. Soon after, we moved and Rebbel lost the post card with their new address and she lost touch.
For the past few years Rebbel has been trying to find Joyce. I would dutifully search for them on the internet every time she would bring them up. This year, I was able to find a Wittman in Florida and Rebbel called.
"Is this Jack??" , Rebbel asked. "Did you live in Petersburg? Are you married to Joyce and do you wear a size 10 shoe?" You really got to be sure you have the right person after 15 years. "This is Rebbel." Silence while Jack processed which Rebbel it could be. Then a light went off and he remembered. Joyce called back a little later and the two friends went over old times. "Remember how you always wanted to play Monopoly all the time?? I hated that game, but I knew you liked it.", Joyce said. "That's funny." Rebbel said, "I hate that game, but I thought you liked it."
When we visited Florida, they were so nice, I felt I knew them forever. They treated us to a place called Sweet Tomatoes in Orlando. We had heard about Sweet Tomatoes from other friends and all of them that gave it high marks.
Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantations are chain restaurants located in 15 states. The Sweet Tomatoes restaurant we went to was like a large salad bar buffet.
They had a great variety of fresh vegetables for their salads, different variety of soups, muffins, prepared salads, pastas and even desserts. They even had tea and pomegranate juice! The word here is healthy. Don't expect fried chicken, or ribs. It isn't that kind of buffet. If you like soup and salad you will love Sweet Tomatoes. On the other hand, if you love Monopoly, don't ask Rebbel and Joyce to play. They both hate it! You can find out more about Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation at http://www.sweettomatoes.com/

What'll You Have, What'll You Have !?? The Varsity, Atlanta Georgia

2009-01-07T20:49:00.010-05:00

We were just outside of Atlanta when my wife says, "Call your sister(AKA Directory Assistance), and find out where this place is. I don't feel like driving all over Atlanta to find it." For some reason I couldn't find the Varsity in the Points of Interest in the Tom Tom, even though the Varsity has been in Atlanta since 1928, and is the biggest drive inn restaurant in the world.
My sister got the exact address and we plugged that in, and continued our drive down I - 75. Atlanta isn't the easiest city to maneuver around. It seemed like the highway went from 6 lanes down to 2 at one point, creating a nice bottleneck. Highway exits jumped out just daring Rebbel to take them and be hopelessly lost. Then there is the construction. It seems there is always construction there. Don't they know you're supposed to put away your orange barrels in December???
In the past we have spent many hours in Atlanta on our way to Florida. Neither one of us can recall seeing the Varsity. Our trustless Tom Tom tells us to take the exit. We exit close to Georgia Tech. We start looking. Where could someone hide an 800 car drive inn that sits on 2 acres???
Rebbel looks around and sees a big red Varsity sign. "There it is!", she exclaims.
Some one had slapped it right next to the northbound lane of I-75. Can't imagine how we missed it all these years, but then again we are the people who couldn't find the cheese steak place in Philly, or a decent steak in Dallas.
We walk through the doors and step up to the counter. We get the famous phrase, "What'll you have?" We ordered some chili dogs and some rings. The rings were real good and the chili dog was o.k. But we didn't come here for just the food.
The Varsity is a unique experience that everyone that travels through Atlanta and calls themselves a foodie really needs to try. Just look for the big drive inn off of I-75 with the big red Varsity sign. You can't miss it. If you can't find that particular location, they have 5 others. You can find those and a menu at http://www.thevarsity.com/index.php That's where I got some of the particulars about them and you can find out more!

A Hot Dog Place You Wouldn't Believe - Hillbilly Hot Dog, Lesage,W.V.

2009-01-04T21:04:00.011-05:00

Rebbel and I first heard of Hillbilly Hot Dogs on Diners, Drive Inns and Dives. We thought it looked pretty wild. After our visit, I have to say what you see on t.v. is very accurate.
If you have never heard about Hillbilly Hot Dogs, in LeSage, West Virginia, let me briefly try to explain it.
First they took a shack and connected a bus. Then they connected another bus to the back. The out side of the establishment is adorned by everything and anything that could be found at local yard sales. These items were mostly "donated" by customers. There is even a boat and an outhouse. Inside the decor is definitely hillbilly. Everything is covered with writing from past customers, even the eight track tape collection.
The co-proprietor of the place, Sonny Knight, greeted us and gave us a menu. His weenie wife, Sherrie, had left for the day. We ordered the Hillbilly Dog, the West Virginia and the Pizza Dog. They had a very wide variety, and it was really hard to make a choice. They even have a "HOMEWRECKER" hot dog that is 1 lb. In its loaded state it is 3 1/2pounds. It is deep fried has lots of stuff on it including peppers. If you eat it in 12 minutes you get a free t shirt.
They also have many different burgers including a 10 lb double wide!
Rebbel gave Sonny my name and we sat and looked over the place. Sonny would sing his theme song when someone would finish their whole meal. One lady didn't and he offered people her fries from her plate that were left over. It was never a dull moment!
When our order was ready, Sonny clanged his bell and called for David. When Rebbel went to pick up the tray he told her that she didn't look like David. While there, he also was giving her a hard time for coming back from Florida to this weather. He even knocked on her head to see if anything was in there for making that decision.
The food was great too. We have to get back and try more dogs,and maybe even a hamburger. This is a don't miss experience. As an added bonus, if you can sing the theme song from memory, you get a free hillbilly hot dog! You can go to their website at http://www.hillbillyhotdogs.com/.

Taking Our Friend The Pie Dish To Bar Louie - Bar Louie , Livonia,Mi

2008-12-07T09:43:00.012-05:00

My wife has a new friend. The last few times we have gone out, she has taken the friend with her. This friend is a pie baking dish that we first met in Lansing Michigan. We started out going to find the pie dish in Howell,Mi. but the cooking stores there didn't have the "right" one. She decided that we needed to get the "right" one in Lansing. We were looking for a Williams-Sonoma Store. We went to the mall that is actually in Okemos near Lansing. There wasn't a "right" pie dish to be found there,they didn't have a Williams Sonoma Store. I called my sister. She fills in for a store locater when we are on the road. She sent us to a new shopping center in Lansing that had a Williams-Sonoma where my wife purchased our new friend. After looking in the catalog, she discovered that our new friend wasn't the right dish after all.
There wasn't enough flutes in it. The dish had to be right because this was a pie baking dish for her treasured friend Hattie's birthday. Hattie is an octogenarian who lives on Rebbel's motor route. Hattie is a wealth of knowledge and my wife has spent much time talking to her on many subjects. She is deserving of the "right" many fluted pie dish from Williams Sonoma. We decide we would go to Williams-Sonoma in Toledo, Ohio and exchange it for the right many fluted pie baking dish. After carrying our friend the pie baking dish in the mall, we found out that the store did not have the right many fluted pie baking dish. I called my sister. "Store Directory Assistance, may I help you?" (Maybe I have called one too many times on this subject) "Are there any more Williams Sonoma Stores in the Toledo area???" I asked. " Just the one on Monroe." "Oh. You mean the one we just left?", I said.
"Well I guess we will have to exchange it on another day." I told my wife.
The next Sunday found us driving the Grand Children home in a snowstorm. It seemed that traffic was crawling because of the snow and the antsy Grand kids in the back seat. Right next to them of course was our friend the pie dish. We were going to take it back to Laurel Park Place in Livonia Michigan. We dropped off the Grand Kids, drove to the mall and grabbed our friend the pie dish. We found out that the Williams-Sonoma had closed. Not wanting to spend a lot of time looking, we decided to eat at Bar Louie. We had been at a Bar Louie two other times. The first time we ate there with my sister, the Store Directory Assistance Expert, and her husband. That was also the best. This time with our friend the pie dish wasn't so great.
Bar Louie has many locations throughout the United States. I have been to the Levis Commons Bar Louie in Perrysburg, Ohio also.
They look like they are a little upscale,which they describe as casually cool on their website. There is a lot of wood and green furniture. They have football games on their televions throughout the bar and the staff wears t shirts.
The menu is always interesting. They have things such as fish tacos,tater tots, pizza and yankee pot roast. In fact, I give their menu very high marks. On this day, my wife chose a Blackened Fish Po' Boy, and I chose the Fried Louie. The Fried Louie is a burger with bacon,cheddar and fried egg. The Blackened Fish Po'Boy came topped with chipotle may and an olive mix. Both came with seasoned fries. Our food arrived in an average time. The burger was ordered medium, but I thought it was slightly over- cooked which made it seem dry. The egg, which I thought was a fun idea, was pretty much tasteless. The Po'Boy had too much chipotle seasoning on it, which is odd because my wife loves chipotle. It really left us with a bad taste in our mouth. Our friend the pie dish just sat there. Would I go back? No. I don't know if the cook was having a bad day, but there are so many places with good food, why risk it??
We decided to take our friend ,the pie dish, to the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor. That Williams-Sonoma store didn't have the many fluted pie dish either, so my wife decided to get a not so many fluted pie dish which she will surprise her friend Hattie with tomorrow.
After traveling to all these towns, I hope she is happy with it and uses it for many years. Happy Birthday Hattie!

Winner,Winner,of a Chicken Dinner - Culver's, Adrian, Mi

2008-11-19T18:31:00.007-05:00

Culver's is a chain restaurant that originated in the state of Wisconsin. That beautiful state is famous for cows and everything dairy, but more importantly Culver's. There is a Culver's, it seems, at almost every exit on the interstate. The first time we ate at a Culver's was in Wisconsin. We had gone to Wisconsin in search of a butter burger. Doesn't everybody travel hundreds of miles to eat a butter burger? We had heard about a place called Solly's Grille. They were supposed to have the very best butter burgers. We took off on a holiday weekend only to find that they were closed until Tuesday. Somebody suggested that we try a Culver's. So we did and it was love at first bite. Over the next couple of years, anytime we were near a Culver's we had to eat there. They were very rare in our state of Michigan at the time. I think at the time there were two. Our dream was to have a Culver's in our city. Imagine our joy and surprise when we found out they were building one right here in Adrian!
Usually when we visited a Culver's, we would stick to the butter burger. It was what we knew, and we never knew when we would get another. Now that we got our own Culver's, we have branched out to their fried chicken, and we are glad we did. On Monday's, in this town, it is all you can eat between the hours of 5-8! The chicken is crispy and golden brown on the outside, and hot and juicy on the inside. You start off with 2 pieces and they keep bringing out more of it. You also get 2 sides, and a roll.
Culver's is not your typical fast-food restaurant. The food is cooked fresh. If you go through the drive-through, you will get a number and pull ahead. They will bring your order out to you. Go inside and you will order and sit down. They bring your food out to you. It is better this way. The food is juicy, hot and delicious.
The menu is big. Not only does it offer many different types of Butter Burgers, but they also have fish, shrimp, salads and a lot more! They also have very rich and creamy custard! They feature a different flavor daily.
We still have never been able to try a Solly's butter burger, but we are sure glad we found Culvers. If you don't have one in your town, just hang on. They are a fast growing chain, or you can drive a few hundred miles to a nearby state like we did. Once you try them, I am sure you will be back. You can visit their web page and find the nearest location. http://www.culvers.com/default.aspx

Friend Picks A Rusty Bucket For Dinner - The Rusty Bucket , Northville, Michigan

2008-11-01T20:30:00.011-04:00

My sister Di was given a mission by my dear wife. She was to pick a place to eat because we were going to visit her. It must be tricky finding a place to eat when you know your bother will probably be blabbing about it on the internet for the whole world to see, well at least the thousand or so people that have found their way to our lousy blog.
After picking out a couple of places, she sent the links to me. Then she asked friends about them. One of the places my sister thought was good, turned out to be a place her friend wouldn't send anybody to. It was suggested we go instead to a place called The Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern.
I looked at the menu and saw that they had deep fried pickles and decided right there that this had to be an o.k. place. This particular Rusty Bucket is located in Northville Michigan on Sheldon and Five Mile Rd.
The atmosphere, I would say by the number of televisions, is family eatery/sports bar. ( They even had a television in the restroom above the door.) The staff was wearing shirts with college sports teams. Most of them were wearing Michigan State shirts. Even though I am a Michigan Wolverine fan, I will try not to hold this against them, although I should. I guess every now and then, "little brother" should have a better season.
My sister's husband, and head turkey, Marty and I ordered the half rack of backyard ribs, my sister had fish n chips, and Rebbel had the codwich. The food was delivered pretty fast and looked pretty good. The ribs were sweet, smokey and pretty tender. I could have used a smidgen less sauce, but that's just me. The cod in both meals was very good. The fries were seasoned and good. The only problem was that the fish in my sister's meal was covering some of the fries making them soggy. A bigger plate would have helped. The slaw served on the side was delicious. The price was decent. I would definitely go back to this place. The Rusty Bucket Corner Bar has locations in Ohio and Michigan. In 2005 they were voted A.O.L.'S City's Best Comfort Food. They can be found on the web at http://www.rustybuckettavern.com/index.html

We're Back!! - Country Bob's Sauces, POM Wonderful Product Review

2008-11-01T19:43:00.009-04:00

It sure was a busy summer. We bought a concession trailer! I guess you could say we were Traveling With Food! I hope to do a blog with our many adventures . Over the summer I was asked if I wanted a sample of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. I agreed to try it and tell on the blog what I thought about it. We received 2 bottles of the original sauce in the mail. I have tried it on burgers and a pork chop and found that it tasted great on both.
The sauce was created by Bob Edson in 1968. He first gave it to family and friends and family and in 1977 he started selling it. There are many recipes on their website at http://www.countrybobs.com .
I also was able to try a sample of POM Wonderful. I have seen this juice in the store, but never tried it because it seemed a bit pricey. I gave out the samples to a few friends and tried some for my self. To me and one other friend it seemed a bit strong, but all of the others thought it was good. POM Wonderful is made up of 100 % pomegranate juice and contains no sugar or additives.
The people at POM never use imported juice. All their pomegranates are grown in California. After reading the studies, and seeing all the benefits and processes, I feel that this is a fair price if you are looking for a healthy juice, even if it seemed strong to a couple of us. You can find out all about it at http://www.pomwonderful.com
Now back to our regular dysfunction!

THE PLACE For Prime Rib, Or Is It? - Eddie Lee's, Toledo, Ohio

2008-05-31T18:38:00.012-04:00

"We're parked next to the green sign, " my sister Di told my wife. We were on the way to Cabela's parking lot to pick up her and my brother in law up to go try Eddie Lee's in Toledo.

She had a hot tip that Eddie Lee's was THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo.

She had also told my wife that they would be where they parked the last time we went to Toledo. After my wife had ended the phone conversation with her, she looked at me and asked, "Do you remember where they parked last time? " I replied, " Uhhh no, that was only probably 6 months ago." "Well, we'll just look for the green sign", Rebbel said.

As we pulled in Cabela's, we realized that there were green signs all over the place. Thousands of them. We tried to figure out just where they were parked last time. Finally we called them back to find that they had gone in the store and weren't even in the vehicle parked by the green sign where they had parked last time we went to Toledo. So we snatched them from the doorway and off we went to what we hope was THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo.

Eddie Lee's is located at 4700 Nantucket Dr. Once you see the Target store on Monroe, turn on the next street and you are there. The restaurant was very clean, and the service was extremely good. We were one of the first customers that day. In fact we waited in the car with hungry appetites just waiting for THE PLACE for prime rib to open.

My wife, sister, and brother in law all ordered the prime rib. I thought that I would order the perch just to try something different. I have to say I wasn't that impressed by the perch. I think it had to do with the type of breading that was used. The prime rib did bring tears to my wife's eyes though. That was only after she tried the horse radish and discovered it was just a little stronger than she thought. We decided that the prime rib wasn't the worst we had ever tasted,

it just wasn't the best. The seasoning wasn't there. Maybe we just had high expectations.

We did try their dessert, and I thought the fudge cake was delicious! My wife thought it was too fudgey!!!!???? My sister and her hubby shared a slice of cheesecake and that was also delicious.

What can I say about the restaurant over all??? In my humble opinion, it would be an o.k. place to take the family. The price is good, the service is good, the place is clean, and the food is so, so. For those who like fudge in their fudge cake, and real horse radish, it rocks! Just don't expect it to be THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo, and whatever you do, don't tell the people you go with to find you parked next to a green sign at Cabela's. They may never find you.

In Search of Coney Perfection - Jackson Coney Island, Jackson,Michigan

2008-05-26T08:33:00.007-04:00

Jackson Michigan is the birthplace of many things. After all, it is the birthplace of the Republican party, Tony Dungy, my friend Tim B.,who now resides in Durango ,Co, and Jackson is known as the crossroads of Michigan. After all those things, it seems that Jackson could just sit back and say we did enough, but lo and behold, I have found out that Jackson, Mi. might also be the birthplace of the coney island hot dog! Now according to an article in Wikipedia, some people in the New York area refer to a spicy pork hot dog with kraut as a coney, but I am referring to the dog with meat chili, onion and mustard. Which in some parts of New York is called a hot dog with Michigan Sauce.
There is some discussion if the sauce from Michigan was developed by Todoroff''s in Jackson, or in Flint, or at American Coney Island in Detroit. I have decided, I don't care where it was originally created. I just want the best!
The best I have had so far, is at a place called Jackson Coney Island in Jackson, Michigan. It is located at 615 Michigan Ave. by the Amtrak station. The coney meat tastes great and is hard to duplicate. We have tried. The hot dog looks like a grilled beef dog, not the greatest, possibly a Gordon's Food Service, but not awful. The coney sauce more than makes up for it though. People buy these things by the bagful. We ate some in the truck and the delicious aroma was there the next day. You can start a taste test of your own, there is a Virgina Coney Island on the same block. Drop me a line telling me your favorite coney place at bullwinkle1961@gmail.com .

Land Of Goshen, One of Guy's Chosen - Southside Soda Shop Goshen,Indiana

2008-05-11T17:26:00.009-04:00

We did it again. We took Guy Fieri's advice and drove to the South Side Soda Shop and Diner in Goshen Indiana. The place looked interesting. According to the history they have been a soda shop since the 1940's. They were in the movie Lonesome Jim. We thought it would be safe. It had been a whole week since we saw the show featuring the place on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins , and Dives, and we were sure that the crowds have simmered down by now. We were wrong. Turns out the show had been on again the night before. We were able to sit as soon as we got in the door, but they were out of the two things we were wanting to try. The service was a little slow, thanks to the show, but we passed the time with the trivia cards sitting on the table. They are supposed to have award winning chili and lemon meringue pie, but not on the night we were there. They were looooooonnnnnggg gone!
I ordered a cheese steak , and a spiral fry. Rebbel settled for a corned beef sandwich. Rebbel's sandwich was o.k. but nothing to blog about. My sandwich was good. The cheese steak had a good flavor and the spiral fry was also good, but all I could think about was the award winning pie and chili I could not order and the gas it took to get to this big disappointment. Darn Guy! Why did he have to let everyone in on this place??? My wife even explained to the waiter that we had came all the way from Michigan! A fact that probably didn't impress the waiter because Michigan's border was just up the road. (I guess she should have held up her hand and showed him we were from the other side of Michigan.) They did have the green phosphate the owner's daughter and Guy chugged on the show. I didn't try it but it looked interesting.
You can find them on the web at http://www.southsidesodashopdiner.com/

. Just call and make sure they have plenty of pie and chili before you drive there. Oh yeah, Guy, if you're out there buddy, just drop me a line next time you are going to be in the area so I can beat the crowds your show attracts. I will appreciate it and I promise not to tell, ha ha.

Dog Gone Huge! - Tony Packo's, Toledo, Ohio

2008-04-27T16:35:00.012-04:00

The Mother of All Dogs, MOAD for short. That is what Tony Packo's calls their huge hot dog I had to have. We arrived at Packo's after going to Jackson, Michigan in search of the original coney dog. Sadly that place was closed, maybe forever, and our second choice was also closed.
We really wanted a special hot dog by that point, so it was off to Tony Packo's in Toledo. Most people probably wouldn't drive from Jackson, Michigan to Toledo, Ohio just for a hot dog.....but we aren't most people and this was THE MOTHER OF ALL HOT DOGS!!
We went to the Tony Packo's Cafe on Monroe St. There are five other locations you can choose. One location is at 1902 Front Street, probably the most famous, and the others are located in stores throughout the Toledo area.
Tony Packos has been a Toledo institution since 1932. They were mentioned by Toledo native Jamie Farr several times in the television show M*A*S*H* and have been visited by many celebrities and politicians as the signed buns that are on the wall attest. The hot dog bun signing started with Burt Reynold's when he was in town for a play he was acting.
The M.O.A.D. is a sausage type dog covered with spicy chili sauce, onions and mustard, and natural casing for a crunch. Tony Packo's is a Hungarian Restaurant, and that is probably why things are a little spicy.
It is served with spicy chunks of Tony Packo's pickles surrounding it. We also tried the pickles deep fried and they were delicous. It is definitely the biggest hot dogs I have ever eaten and worth trying out. Just be warned the chili is not your mild mannered variety, and neither are the pickles. If your head sweats like mine when you eat something spicy, you might want to grab a couple of extra napkins. You can find more at this website: http://www.tonypackos.com/index.php

If You Lose Brighton And End Up In Howell, Eat Here - T.W. and Friends, Howell, Michigan

2008-03-03T20:12:00.010-05:00

On my wife's recent birthday, we decided to head north to the Brighton - Howell area of our home state of Michigan. They have kitchen shops at the Outlet shops and Rebbel loves kitchen shops. We were actually headed for Brighton to eat, but somehow we ended up in Howell instead because we lost Brighton. (This is not surprising because a couple of months earlier my wife wanted to show me the new shopping center in Brighton on I-96 and had found a duplicate shopping center on U.S. 23. It had all the same stores and restaurants. Now what happened to the Shopping Center on I-96? Turned out that there was only one shopping center. It was the same one that she thought was a duplicate!) Anyway, we totally missed Brighton and ended up in Howell at a restaurant called T.W. and Friends. What an awesome dinner we had there!
We started off with the fried ravioli. This was the first tome either of us had fried ravioli. A friend at work told me she always had it at the Olive Garden. We decided to try T.W.'S. They use cheese and jalapeno pepper in theirs. They deep fry the ravioli. It was cheesy and good. They served it with a house made marinara sauce. Two weeks later, I tried the Olive Garden's and decided that I liked T.W.'s better. They also had delicious bread and dipping oil. The bread tasted like it had just come from the oven.
For an entree, I had a pizza that was good, and Rebbel had the horse radish encrusted salmon. They fixed it to perfection! Would I try this place again?? You betcha!!! If you are in the Howell /Brighton area looking for the duplicate shopping centers (ha,ha) I recommend you give this place a try. You can find them on the web at: http://www.twandfriends.com/default.htm

Throw Me Another Roll, Please! - Lambert's Cafe, Sikeston,Mo.

2008-02-09T21:32:00.001-05:00

On our recent trip to Florida, we decided to go home via Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri. Most people wouldn't go that far out of their way to eat at a restaurant, but this was voted the number one pig out place in America by the Travel Channel, so we had to do it!

We took off from the Mother in Law's in Florida in the late afternoon. We ended up that night in Marianna, Fla. We first pulled into the a Motel near the highway with a big gold Q. We checked in went in the room when our Grandson asked if it was normal for bugs to be on the table? As we quickley gathered our suitcases, he saw some in the heater and the bed. Aparently we had checked into the roach motel. We went to the desk to checkout where the clerk apologized and told us that the exterminator had been called but had not come back.

We checked in at the new Comfort Inn across the road. For $10.00 more, we got cookies, flat screen T.V., marble counter tops, a bed so high you needed a step ladder to get in it, and no bugs!

The next morning, wishing we could take that room with us, we departed for Missouri. We had been to Lambert's near Branson before, so we knew what to expect. The Grandson's were very impressed. I ordered a country fried steak and my usual diet soda to ward off any extra calories. My wife ordered the roast beef. The boys ordered a grilled cheese, and chicken. First we got our drinks. They were served in a huge container that would quench any thirst. The country fried steak was served in a huge skillet, and my wife got more than a generous portion of beef. Then came the thing that the boys were waiting for. The rolls. They bring the rolls out, and if you want one you raise your hand and they throw it to you. We had to stop the Grandchildren after their third roll. The servers at Lambert's hit their targets with the precision of a major league pitcher, although the youngest Grandson learned real fast not to use his face as backstop for a warm roll. As you're sitting there eating your feast, they keep coming around with pass arounds asking if you want some. Fried okra, back-eyed peas, fried potatoes, etc. The steak was probably the biggest and best country fried steak I had ever ate. My wife said her beef was good too. I highly recomend this place, just bring a big appetite and sure grip hands! Maybe you could use the honey they keep on the tables as stick-um.

The link to their website is on your right.

Eat A Cheeseburger As Big As Your Head! - Cheeburger,Cheeburger, Livonia, Michigan

2008-02-03T20:40:00.002-05:00

"You have got to try this place!" Jodie my step-daughter told me over the phone. She told me that Jeff my step-son had just finished a 20 oz. cheeseburger and had his picture taken for accomplishing this feat. Sounded like a challenge to me. The type of challenge I have been training for most of my life. They were calling me from a place called Cheeburger, Cheeburger in Livonia, Michigan. This chain restaurant has been around for 21 years and voted best burger in 28 cities! I had never heard of it until the call.
We rounded up my sister and her hubby ( who live close to the restaurant, and never told us about it even though she thinks she did) and Jodie. The challenge was on!
Cheebuger, Cheeburger looks pretty cool inside. It is decked out to look like an- old fashioned 50's-60's malt shop. They have Cheebugers of various sizes, and chicken sandwiches. You can pick from 8 different cheeses and a whole lot of different toppings. They also have good onion rings, fries, shakes and malts. They use 100% Angus beef, never frozen and cooked to order.
I sat down and contemplated what I wanted on my cheeburger. It bugged me that my picture was going on a board as you entered. You always dream about what great things you are going to accomplish, but being a piggy wasn't on the short list. Then the waitress told me that she will not only take my picture, but also announce to the restaurant that I had finished the burger. At least I wasn't in my home town. I ordered the 20 oz cheeburger and a diet soda. Wouldn't want any extra calories!
I finished the cheeburger and ate some; o.k.; most of the onion rings my wife had ordered. The announcement was made, people applauded, and I got my picture on the board. I told Jeff later that night, and he told me he had put down a malt too and was still hungry. Then and there, I proclaimed him the BIG winner of the Cheeburger contest, even though he only weighs about 150 lbs.! At least I beat my sister her hubby, Jodie, and my wife! I think! You can find a location close to you at http://cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp

You Have Reached You Destination, Sort Of - Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar B Que - Orlando, Florida

2008-01-22T20:24:00.003-05:00

On our recent trip to Florida over Christmas vacation, my wife and Grand kids were very hungry after our excursion to Universal. Rebbel had planned a few places out in advance that she had seen on t.v. We had discussed going to a barbecue place called Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar b que, but after spending close to $40.00 on four cheeseburgers, fries and drinks at Universal, we decided to just go to Pizza Hut, after all we were tired and hungry and didn't know where exactly this Bubbalou's was located.

Before the trip we bought a Tom Tom One XL, so I plugged in Pizza Hut as a Point Of Interest.

We had already left the Orlando area and were making our way down Florida's Turnpike. The GPS took us back what seemed like for miles. Of course time always go by slow when you have hungry Grand kids in the backseat and a hungrier wife driving.

We finally got to where Tom Tom sent us. There was that English lady saying "you have reached your destination." (We have the English lady because she sounds a lot more pleasant than the other voices and less bossy.) We looked all over the place and there was no Pizza Hut.

We pulled in to this shopping center's parking lot and what did we see??? Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar b que!! We decided that we were supposed to eat there and so we did!

The ribs were delicious. They had a smokey flavor and were tender. The prices were reasonable and service pretty good. I would still put Oakwood first, but these were good ribs too. So if you are ever in the Orlando Area, just put Pizza Hut into your Tom Tom and let it take you to Bubbalou's. They have at least three locations, we still don't know which one we were at, and you can check them out on the web at http://www.bubbalous.com/.

Gourmet Seafood, Anyone?? - Keegans Seafood Grille, Tampa, Fla.

2008-01-03T21:39:00.004-05:00

After a day spent at St. Pete's Beach area, with the Grandkids, we went looking for this place located up the beach at Indian Rocks Beach in Florida. Rebbel had seen this place in an installment of Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives and wanted to try it. After all, we were in the area.

Keegan's Seafood Grille was founded by Linda and Cesar Keegan. She has a background in fine dining in the North and South, and he learned his trade in the cruise ship industry, and kitchens in Miami.

The restaurant can't be really considered a dive, or a diner and I didn't notice a drive through. It is a place though where you just don't expect to see this quality of food. The presentation of

Rebbel's dinner, was something to behold. It was so colorful. I ordered the sandwich and it wasn't as colorful, but I think it tasted better. It was juicier. After a sunny day at the beach, it was an interesting place to try. Would we go back?? Probably not. There are so many places to try along this coast, and while the food was good, and looked great, we would probably try other places. Although we are glad we ate there . http://www.keegansseafood.com/index.html

When At Friday's Give the Fish Tacos A Try - T.G.I. Friday, Ann Arbor,Mi

2008-01-01T08:55:00.003-05:00

I was looking fo something a little different. I was browsing the menu at the T.G.I.Friday's in Ann Arbor and wanted to try something new. I have never had a fish taco, in fact a taco made of fish instead of beef just sounded horrid to me at one time in my life. Then I saw the picture in the menu and read the description and it started sounding very tasty.

Friday's puts a nacho-crusted tilapia in a flour tortilla. The fish is crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Then they add shredded lettuce and corn salsa and a dill remoulade sauce to top it off. It tastes very light. They put colorful chips and salsa on the side. Very colorful and tasty! Give it a try next time you are there. I am sure you won't be sorry.

The Best Fish I Ever Put In My Mouth - Elephant Bar Restaurant

2007-12-16T13:20:00.005-05:00

"This is the best fish I ever put in my mouth!" That is how my wife described the Macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi we were eating. I had to agree with her. We had first tried the Elephant Bar Restaurant located at the Westfield Shopping Center on Monroe Street in Toledo about one year ago. We were sent there by my friend Sheri. Whenever she would go to an interesting restaurant, she was nice enough to bring a take-out menu back. I was kind of reluctant to try this one, because we don't get into Chinese food. This menu had something called Pacific Rim Specialties that looked somewhat Chinese to me. I showed it to Rebbel though, and she wanted to try it.
The first thing you notice is the surroundings. Very colorful and anything but dull.
I tried the Shrimp Adventure Platter, and she went for this Mahi Mahi dish. I have to laugh now whenever we have Mahi- Mahi, because when we were visiting Key West with Rebbel's Mother, she mistakenly ordered it as Mahottie Mahottie, and another memory was made.
Anyway, Rebbel ordered it, gave me a taste of it and I was sorry for not ordering it, not that the shrimp was bad, but this was way better.
We went back in the summer and were horribly disappointed to find out that they only have this dish at certain times. So if you want it, you better get it now. What makes this dish so fantastic?
First the fish is deep fried and encrusted in the Macadamia Nut coating. Crunchy on the outside, juicy and moist, mild fish on the inside. They put mango salsa on the ends of the fish. It was served on a bed of rice. They also put a French Macadamia Nut Beurre Blanc Sauce in the mix and a green spicy dipping sauce on four corners. The dish was colorful in presentation, and the sweet, spicy, crunchy, soft combination was out of this world! You probably wouldn't want to order one of their mouth watering deserts even if you had room, because you would want this taste in your mouth as long as possible. There are probably many great things on their menu, but when you find something as good as this, its hard to let go. You can see this chain's page at http://www.elephantbar.com/

Adventures in Florida's Oldest City- Santa Maria Restaurant, Cafe De Hildago, St. Augustine,Florida

2007-12-02T17:02:00.008-05:00

Santa Maria-St. Augustine

St. Augustine, aka Florida's oldest city. We were visiting this place with Rebbel's Mom, and my son Michael. Because my wife is hypoglycemic, and I am always hungry, we thought we would look for a place to eat. Being a fan of many travel and eating shows, we explained to Rebbel's Mom that we would find the best place to eat by asking a local as suggested on the shows.

We went to the public restrooms, and as we were coming out, we saw a person coming at us on a bicycle. This person looked to be indigent to Rebbel and me; but to Rebbel's Mom, he looked like the perfect local to ask about a good place to eat. As Rebbel and I looked on in astonishment, there she was getting the information. When she came over to us, we laughed at her and kidded her. We asked her what dumpster he suggested. She told us that he had told her that we should eat at the Santa Maria Restaurant. Then a really strange thing happened. We took his advice and tried it !!

I don't remember the food. I believe I got the Grouper, Michael was on a hamburger for every meal kick, and it seems that Rebbel and her Mom got some kind of fish. The food seemed o.k. but the neat thing about this restaurant was that it was right on the water.

The waitress brought over a basket of old bread and told us we could feed the fish. For some reason Rebbel wasn't paying attention, and started eating the bread until we told her what it was for.

The Santa Rosa had little windows that you could feed the fish or the hungry gulls. It was really neat watching the birds go after the bread with almost as much gusto as my wife did when the waitress brought it. In fact, my brave teenager was afraid to try it for fear the birds would bite him. You can find a history of the landing and menu at http://www.oldcity.com/sites/santamaria/more.html

After the restaurant we went browsing at some of the shops and stopped by for the best gelato at the Cafe de Hildalgo. It was a very enjoyable day.

gelato-Cafe De Hildalgo

Follow That Guy, Eat At Joe's!!! - Joe's Gizzard City, Potterville,Michigan

2007-11-25T14:39:00.001-05:00

Our weekend plans were modified on Friday. We were watching the Food Network,of course, and they were having a Diners, Drive Inns and Dives marathon. They had featured a place in Michigan. The place was located in Potterville near Lansing. Did you guess it??? Yeah, that's right...we ate at Joe's Gizzard City!!!!

Now Joe's isn't really a diner or a drive inn so we weren't thinking we would be eating at the Ritz. The staff seemed really friendly, and our waitress had a great sense of humor in spite of being deluged by foodies that had watched the same episode. We should have known it would be busy because we tried to check out their web site and it was crashed.

When our waitress came to take the order she had mentioned something about the food we saw on the show. Rebbel asked her how did she know that we had watched the show. This lead to an impromptu poll by our waitress. She said, "Raise your hand if you are here for some reason other than seeing us on the Food Network." Nobody raised their hand, and the place was full.

We had to try the gizzards,the Triple D burger that was developed by Guy, and fish. I haven't had many gizzards in my life,but of all the gizzards I have had, these were definitely the best!

The Triple D consisted of a hamburger with lettuce, tomato,onions,lettuce and pickle. That's all

normal, but then they deep fry the whole thing, which is abnormal but juicy and tasty! The fish was good too. We didn't have any room to try the desserts which includes deep fried cheesecake,

deep fried Oreos,and a deep fried Twinkie called a Frinkie plus more!

If you like quirky and fried this might be your kind of place! See them at http://www.gizzardcity.com/index.html .

I Want You To Put Me On A Plane and Fly Me Home!

2007-11-17T21:42:00.001-05:00

We were really looking forward to our first trip to California together,and our first "real" vacation. We carefully went over all of the stops we would be making in the state. There was of course; Hollywood, Pink's Hot Dogs, the Chinese Theater, the ocean, Universal, friends and family

We had already been to Arizona and visited Rebbel's family. Everything was going smooth as we headed for San Diego with no signs of trouble and then.....there it was. A sign of trouble. It came in the form of an elevation sign. The first one wasn't too bad, but they kept bragging about the elevation every few thousand feet. I was really enjoying the view. The mountain we were going through looked like some kind of weird moonscape in places. Big boulders were strewn by the roadside along the way. My wife hated every minute of the travel down the mountain. She was freaking out. We pulled over at the first rest stop we found and my wife said something I will never forget. She said, "I want you to put me on a plane and fly me home!" Evidently the trip down the mountain was a little too much for her, I surmised as I got my only peek at the Pacific I would get on this trip.
Needless to say, all of our plans evaporated like water in the Death Valley. We decided to go to our friend's house in Bakersfield. Little did we know that we would pass through another place called the Grapevine on our way to Bakersfield, and it happened again. This time she also had her first panic attack. Her arms became numb and breathing heavy. I thought she was going to pass out. Did I mention she was driving?

Our dream trip to California turned out to be a short visit with our friends and family. Thankfully, they lived in lower elevations that you could get to without going through any mountains. We left California through the dessert and went relatively flat to Nevada. The next day, she drove on Hoover Dam without any real problems. The big problem was going down the mountain gave her an out of control feeling, yet she had to drive or she would feel even more out of control. I know what she means, sitting in the passenger seat during her panic attacks made me feel the same way!

Take the trip down the Grapevine http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7600703408514447465&hl=en

Picture on right: Going Down the Grapevine 1947 from the
California State Site

Big Heads - No Beds

2007-11-12T08:44:00.002-05:00

Entering South Dakota on our way to the Big Heads, otherwise known as Mt. Rushmore to most the country except us, we were viewing the flat somewhat boring prairie countryside. This was the first time either one of us had been in South Dakota. We had been through a harrowing time in Chicago the day before thanks to the fact that they wanted to keep stopping us and making us wait up to 30 minutes every few miles to collect a small toll. We wasted more time and gas than the toll they were collecting. Why, oh why, couldn't they be like Ohio and collect one toll at the end. Better yet, why couldn't they be like my state of Michigan and let you go through without a toll? I have often thought that my state should set a toll for those people from the toll states so we could get some of the money back! We had wanted to make it to Minnesota but ended up just crossing into Wisconsin. But, I digress.
We were traveling on I-90 when we came to a sign telling about a scenic view as we came to the Missouri River. We looked at each other as to say yeah,right! We came over a hill and all of the sudden it was like someone had flicked a switch! What a change !
By the time we got to the heads, it was almost dusk. Not being one to linger, Rebbel gave her customary once over and was ready to hit the road. If you ever watched Vacation and saw Chevy Chase at the Grand Canyon, then you know the kind.
We got something to eat at a tourist restaurant in a nearby town and was ready to find a place to sleep. We hardly ever make reservations because we never plan to be in a certain town by a certain time. Now this was the fourth of July weekend and it really never occurred to us that it might be a bad time to find a motel room near the Big Heads, it was! We stopped at two or three motels and they were all saying the same thing. There are no rooms for over 100 miles.
We were so tired at that point that we really thought we were going to spend the night in the car. The last motel we stopped at had said that he would call and check at a place called the Iron Horse Inn. We aren't bikers, so all types of images popped into my head, but from where we were this place seemed like heaven. It looked like it was new. We were escorted to our room by a fellow in a golf cart, and all went well.The guy behind the desk was bragging about being tipped a six pack the day before.
The next day, we came upon the best breakfast sandwich we had ever experienced at a Maverick Gas Station at the Sturgis exit of all places.
South Dakota license plates may say; Great Faces, Great Places, but for us it will always be the land of Big Heads and No Beds! except for the Iron Horse Inn in Whitehead.

Whitehead,South Dakota
home of the Ironhorse Inn

Amarillo By Morn...Make That Evening - The Big Texan - Amarillo, Texas

2007-11-09T20:29:00.003-05:00

There we were, back in Texas. We traveled across Texas a couple of years before, and traveled,and traveled.. At that time we entered at Texarkana and went to Dallas. After trying to find the perfect place to find a steak in Dallas, we somehow struck out and landed at an Iron Skillet late at night. I know your probably thinking what kind of people can't find a steak in Texas? The answer is, the same people that couldn't find a cheese steak in Philadelphia! That's another story. Anyhow, this was going to be different. This time we had a place all mapped out in Amarillo Texas. The Big Texan!
We arrived in Amarillo after some rain. I wanted to see the world famous Cadillac Ranch. The travel c.d. had been preparing us for the visit. First there was Amarillo by morning and then Bruce singing Cadillac Ranch. What more could you want??? We finally arrived after we had traveled past it. How could we have missed it the first time?? Its not every day you see all those cars buried hood - deep with fins sticking up in the air. I couldn't wait to get a picture by them. My wife, being the girly girl type, wanted nothing to do with it. You see the cars are out in the middle of a field, and like I mentioned before, it had rained. To this day I still can't believe she would pass this great opportunity up just because of a little mud. I ended up having to hold the camera and taking my own picture. Sure I had to spend some time scraping mud off my shoes, but I touched the cars that the Boss had sang about. What could be better than that???
After that, we made our way to the Big Texan. This place is famous for the big 72 oz steak. You eat that and the rest of the dinner, you get it free. The thing looks like a chuck roast. Its that big! You have a time limit that clicks off as you sit at a table on a small stage. I passed on it and we just got steak dinners. After we ate, our waitress asked if we would want dessert. She said she would buy it because she thought the service was a little slow. We didn't think it was too bad, but she insisted so we got it. It was the best cake we ever had. This multi-layered beauty was moist and chocolatey. To this day, I haven't found a cake that compares. I have tried numerous times. If you are ever in Amarillo you have to do two things. Go to the Cadillac Ranch and get out and touch a piece of America, then go to the Big Texan! If you want to try the steak in the privacy of your own home, buy it on-line. The link is on the page.

The Windy City and the Wasted Wrap

2007-10-30T20:10:00.001-04:00

Chicago....the Windy City, the Second City. A city of great food. Rebbel and I have made several trips to Chicago. There was the search for the best Chicago style hot dog, the day we went with our friends from church; and got a great deal on a great hotel room complete with bathroom telephone and robes, the time we were going to tour the Sears Tower with the kids but we somehow lost it , and the time we went with Rebbel's Mom.
I don't know what it is, but the most memorable times are usually involving the Mother aka
my Mother-In- Law.
We arrived in Chicago by Amtrack. It is a nice trip from Jackson. I recommend sitting in the dining car. The seats are comfortable and the windows bigger. You might have to buy something to eat, but it is well worth the view.
We walked for what seemed like miles from the train station all the way to our motel room by the John Hancock building. It was the fourth of July and the fireworks show had just ended. We walked through the throngs of people coming from the opposite direction. Didn't see any cabs except the one we passed up by the train station.
After we got settled in our room, we decided to go for some food. There was a hotel restaurant across the street and we decided to eat at that establishment. Our food was good, but Rebbel's Mom was eating "THE BEST WRAP SHE EVER HAD TASTED!" She couldn't eat anymore of it and wanted to save it. Rebbel talked her into getting rid of it. After all, there was no way to refrigerate it and by the time she ate, it would be spoiled. With great sadness, she let go of it, and we returned to our hotel room where we discovered that we had a refrigerator. OOOPS!!!
To this day, "THE BEST WRAP EVER" that Rebbel made her throw out weighs heavy on her mind.
So,if you are ever by the John Hancock and have a chance to eat at a Hotel Restaurant across from it, make sure you get the wrap, and whatever you do don't throw the leftovers away, you might still be regretting it 4 years later.

Hi There!!

2007-10-26T19:44:00.002-04:00

We have enjoyed traveling around this country over the past few years. We love finding new places to eat, and my wife likes trying to copy the good food we find; of course, I love eating it!

We have been to most of the states and have tried a lot of food along the way.

Last year, we tried our first cruise. We had a blast! Rebbel's Mother came with us, and at 78 years old she climbed the rock wall!!

From the time we boarded the ship, there was constant food!+In fact, we were going to kill some time and look for someplace to eat, but the guy at the dock told us that once we boarded there would be food, and he wasn't kidding!

We sailed to the Bahama's on Royal Caribbean's Sovereign Of the Seas. What a great time! I highly recommend this cruise to any first timers.