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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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.

"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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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

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.

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.