After a short overnight stop at home to do the wash and other menial things I was on the road again to get to my 300th stop on my Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Adventure! My buddy Barry flew with me out to Los Angeles, where we would nor only hit some DDD places but do other fun things in Southern California.
Our first thing was to go to see a taping of a television show. Before going to the taping we met up with my high school friend Michele at a California Pizza Kitchen in Studio City. I only mention this because also having lunch at the CPK was Willie Garson, who has been in alot of movies and TV shows including playing Stanford on the show "Sex in the City". After a great lunch and catching up on old times, Barry and I headed to CBS Television City to see a taping of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson". It was AWESOME! We got to see not one but two tapings as they did both the Thursday and Friday episodes and both Barry and I got on camera. If you want to see it pull up Craig's Monologue on 12.7.12 on YouTube and you'll see us at 1.08 and 1.28 into the video (I'm in Blue and Barry is in orange). CBS is next to an area called The Farmers Market and The Grove and it is a good place to maybe see some stars as they sometimes film shows at The Grove.
The DDD tour continued with a stop in downtown Los Angeles. "The Nickel Diner" is a small 50's style place that is very popular. We arrived there around 1030a and it was pretty full. I remembered that some of the specialties at The Nickel are the sweets. They make their own doughnuts, pastries and pop tarts and we decided to try the signature Maple Bacon doughnuts and pop tarts. I don't think that I can ever have another pop tart, they were great, flaky crust and delicious fillings and toppings! I tried the Peanut Butter and Jelly and Barry got the Strawberry. The doughnuts came out warm. We had our own sugar rush. The owner came and chatted with us all about the place, their different sweet items and the shows filming. She had never seen the show and knew nothing about show (she doesn't own a TV!). She told us that with the current economy she would be out of business if not for Guy and DDD! It was a great stop and wonderful time.
On we went to an area of LA that is very much a community of Mexican immigrants. "Mom's Tamales" is a small eatery that serves very authentic Mexican dishes. We sat down and were given a basket of home made tortilla chips and a red and green dipping salsas, both were very hot! We each ordered small tacos and they were very good and reasonably priced. I was invited into the kitchen to get the owner to sign the book. They were very grateful for our visit. I would go back there given the opportunity. After that we finished the day doing the tourist thing, first we went to the book store at Pepperdine University in Malibu, The University, and the bookstore, sit on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. The Pepperdine bookstore has the best view of any college bookstore in the USA, bar none! Then we met with our friend Leslie and walked all over the touristy areas of Santa Monica.
The next day we headed up north out of LA to the city of Santa Barbara. This town is a great place to walk around and window shop. I wanted to visit because there were three places that Guy visited that I wanted to try. Our first stop would be my 300th DDD stop and I had chosen it because when Guy visited he really had a good time there and it looked really good and it did not disappoint. "Norton's Pastrami" is a small deli with a huge menu. They feature all types of sandwiches with an emphasis on the signature pastrami, but they also have all types of meats and even have salads and meals for the vegetarians that visit, I chose the Pastrami Dog that was featured on the DDD episode, a huge Nathans hot dog smothered with pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. It was delicious! Barry got the half Reuben and Leslie got the half Pastrami sandwich and both really enjoyed them. On the table they gave us a bowl of homemade dill pickles and they were really good, too! Th place was really busy but the owner and chef came over to sign my book. This is a place I really want to return to and a fitting number 300!
After walking around the town we stooped just two doors down from Norton's at a small cafe called "Savoy Cafe and Deli". We decided to share a turkey fritter that was featured on their episode. The fritter had chunks of turkey and was served with a dipping sauce. The fritter was very spicy, it had a real kick to it. The owner came out of the kitchen to sign my book.
Our dinner that night was at a really cool little on the western end of State Street in Santa Barbara. State is the main street for shops and eateries in the city. "Mac's Fish and Chip Shop" is an homage to British fast food. I chose the obscure Toad in the Hole, which was a Yorkshire Pudding (Yorkshire Pudding is like a lite biscuit-roll) topped with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and two Banger sausages. It was very good and very very filling! Barry and Leslie both got the Fish and Chips. The portions were huge and I would go back there just to get the fish it looked awesome. We headed back to LA and my DDD count is now at 302!
Although my DDD tour of LA was over. we had a few days left and they were spent doing some fun things. One day was spent at Hollywood Park betting the ponies. I also was able to see more family and friends that are in the LA area, all in all a very fun trip and as I just wrote my DDD count is 302!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
My DDD tour in the "Gateway to the West"
From Oklahoma City I continued onto my next DDD stop, the Gateway to the West, the city of St. Louis, Missouri. After taking a flight from Oklahoma City, I headed onto my next adventure. I headed out to my first stop in the suburb of Webster Groves. The "Hwy 61 Roadhouse" is an homage to New Orleans in the St. Louis area. The place is decorated in everything New Orleans including several drum heads from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. I looked over the menu and it was mostly Cajun, but when the waitress saw my DDD book she showed me a special sampler plate of the items that were cooked on DDD (the episode had yet to be shown) and there was no doubt on what I would try. The plate included a bowl of Red Beans and Rice, a bowl of Barbecue Spaghetti and three CajAsian Pot stickers. The Red Beans and Rice was great with a slight spice kick. The spaghetti was excellent, loaded with huge pieces of barbecue pork in a spicy barbecue sauce. The CajAsian Pot stickers were awesome! Very spicy shredded pork in a Asian pot sticker dumpling. They are very much like the Gringo Sushi that are featured at Guy's restaurant, Tex Wasabi's in Sacramento. After chatting a bit with my server and after she signed the book I set off for my second stop.
After a drive of about 15 minutes I arrived in the part of St. Louis called, The Grove to some and The Mangrove to others. The place is probably the most famous place that Guy has ever visited, but it's fame grew a few years after DDD visited and is due to a reality show being filed there and featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), I had at arrived at "Sweetie Pies". This is a soul food joint and as you enter there is a huge sign stating that filming of a show is done and by entering you agree to be filmed and could be used on a show. I must have arrived just before the AME church next door let out because I entered the serving line with only a few ahead of me but by the time I got through the line there was probably 35 people behind me, for once I had pretty good timing. I got the featured Turkey Leg with a side of the famous Macaroni and Cheese that they made during Guy's visit. I was seated by a greeter at a small table but near a TV so I could watch the Rams vs the San Francisco 49ers (a game the Rams would win in overtime). The turkey was very good and the Mac and Cheese was awesome and very rich. It was so busy there that I couldn't get my book signed and the other thing is the place is extremely loud!
After a stop at my hotel I went for dinner at a place a few miles west of the St. Louis area in the town of Chesterfield, Missouri. "Espino's Mexican Bar and Grill" is in an area surrounded by shopping centers and strip malls. It is in a small strip mall and looks small from the outside, but is actually pretty large and was ding a very god business, especially on a Sunday night. The place is adorned with Mexican paintings and knick-knacks on the walls. I found the prices to be very high (I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of Mexican food, so it probably was actually pretty reasonable). As I was still pretty full from my earlier stops, I decided to get an appetizer and chose the Mexican Shrimp Pizza. It was pretty good and the "crust" was made of thick corn tortillas. The toppings were really good and hit the spot. I didn't find the service to be very friendly but it was very efficient.
After a restful night I headed out for my last day in St. Louis. My first stop was in an area known as "The Hill" an area that is home to mainly people of Italian descent. This is the area where Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra grew up. I stopped at a place that is sort of unique as it combines both Italian and Greek cuisine. The owners are brothers whose mohair was Greek and father was Italian. I chose the Toasted Ravioli, the meal that was made on he DDD episode. The Raviolis were accompanied with a bowl of tasty tomato sauce. They were awesome! I love Ravioli and these didn't disappoint! The staff was very friendly and I got to talk with several of them about the filming and they asked me about my travels.
I continued into the city to a place called "Dressels Public House". On the episode they featured tow items, both of which looked great. I chose the Pretzel with Rarebit sauce. Rarebit sauce is a Welsh cheese sauce mixed with alot of extras. The Pretzel was not your ordinary pretzel, it was almost like a loaf of bread and the crust was crunchy as the inside was moist and gooey. I could taste the wine in the sauce, it was really good.
I was off to take a break before getting to my last 2 stops. My first break area was taking a tour of Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Busch is a really nice stadium and from most seats you can see the Gateway Arch and has an open few to the downtown area of the city. After finishing up at Busch I headed to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery just a few miles away to take the tour and hit the Hospitality Room for a couple of few adult beverages
.
From the brewery it was off to get to my last two St. Louis stops. My first stop was at a neighborhood pub and restaurant called "Iron Barley". there was quite a colorful and loud group of patrons at the bar and made for a fun atmosphere. I chose a cup of their chili with cheese. The chili at first didn't seem to have much of a kick but as I dug in it really heated up and had a potent kick. Form the Iron Barley I went off to my last St. Louis place, a neighborhood restaurant that is set in a row house, without the sign you would not even know that it was a restaurant. "The Shaved Duck" is a funky place and opened at 5p and at about 515p the place was almost full. Many of the patrons were there because they saw it on DDD, I overheard several other patrons talking about it. I ordered the Confit Duck, which is a duck breast served with some greens and bread. It was delicious! I got my book signed by the chef and I was off, my St. Louis tour complete and my DDD total at 297. Just a few more places until the big number 300!
(As you have noticed there are no photos. This is due to having a lot of problems in downloading the photos into the blog. Once I figure it out, I will add them. If you are a facebook friend go into my photos and check them out in my albums. The St. Louis photos are along with photos of my trip to Denver and Oklahoma City)
After a drive of about 15 minutes I arrived in the part of St. Louis called, The Grove to some and The Mangrove to others. The place is probably the most famous place that Guy has ever visited, but it's fame grew a few years after DDD visited and is due to a reality show being filed there and featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), I had at arrived at "Sweetie Pies". This is a soul food joint and as you enter there is a huge sign stating that filming of a show is done and by entering you agree to be filmed and could be used on a show. I must have arrived just before the AME church next door let out because I entered the serving line with only a few ahead of me but by the time I got through the line there was probably 35 people behind me, for once I had pretty good timing. I got the featured Turkey Leg with a side of the famous Macaroni and Cheese that they made during Guy's visit. I was seated by a greeter at a small table but near a TV so I could watch the Rams vs the San Francisco 49ers (a game the Rams would win in overtime). The turkey was very good and the Mac and Cheese was awesome and very rich. It was so busy there that I couldn't get my book signed and the other thing is the place is extremely loud!
After a stop at my hotel I went for dinner at a place a few miles west of the St. Louis area in the town of Chesterfield, Missouri. "Espino's Mexican Bar and Grill" is in an area surrounded by shopping centers and strip malls. It is in a small strip mall and looks small from the outside, but is actually pretty large and was ding a very god business, especially on a Sunday night. The place is adorned with Mexican paintings and knick-knacks on the walls. I found the prices to be very high (I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of Mexican food, so it probably was actually pretty reasonable). As I was still pretty full from my earlier stops, I decided to get an appetizer and chose the Mexican Shrimp Pizza. It was pretty good and the "crust" was made of thick corn tortillas. The toppings were really good and hit the spot. I didn't find the service to be very friendly but it was very efficient.
After a restful night I headed out for my last day in St. Louis. My first stop was in an area known as "The Hill" an area that is home to mainly people of Italian descent. This is the area where Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra grew up. I stopped at a place that is sort of unique as it combines both Italian and Greek cuisine. The owners are brothers whose mohair was Greek and father was Italian. I chose the Toasted Ravioli, the meal that was made on he DDD episode. The Raviolis were accompanied with a bowl of tasty tomato sauce. They were awesome! I love Ravioli and these didn't disappoint! The staff was very friendly and I got to talk with several of them about the filming and they asked me about my travels.
I continued into the city to a place called "Dressels Public House". On the episode they featured tow items, both of which looked great. I chose the Pretzel with Rarebit sauce. Rarebit sauce is a Welsh cheese sauce mixed with alot of extras. The Pretzel was not your ordinary pretzel, it was almost like a loaf of bread and the crust was crunchy as the inside was moist and gooey. I could taste the wine in the sauce, it was really good.
I was off to take a break before getting to my last 2 stops. My first break area was taking a tour of Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Busch is a really nice stadium and from most seats you can see the Gateway Arch and has an open few to the downtown area of the city. After finishing up at Busch I headed to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery just a few miles away to take the tour and hit the Hospitality Room for a couple of few adult beverages
.
From the brewery it was off to get to my last two St. Louis stops. My first stop was at a neighborhood pub and restaurant called "Iron Barley". there was quite a colorful and loud group of patrons at the bar and made for a fun atmosphere. I chose a cup of their chili with cheese. The chili at first didn't seem to have much of a kick but as I dug in it really heated up and had a potent kick. Form the Iron Barley I went off to my last St. Louis place, a neighborhood restaurant that is set in a row house, without the sign you would not even know that it was a restaurant. "The Shaved Duck" is a funky place and opened at 5p and at about 515p the place was almost full. Many of the patrons were there because they saw it on DDD, I overheard several other patrons talking about it. I ordered the Confit Duck, which is a duck breast served with some greens and bread. It was delicious! I got my book signed by the chef and I was off, my St. Louis tour complete and my DDD total at 297. Just a few more places until the big number 300!
(As you have noticed there are no photos. This is due to having a lot of problems in downloading the photos into the blog. Once I figure it out, I will add them. If you are a facebook friend go into my photos and check them out in my albums. The St. Louis photos are along with photos of my trip to Denver and Oklahoma City)
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Doing DDD in the "Sooner State"!
After finishing in Denver I caught a flight to my next stop, the capital of the state of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City. I arrived on a Thursday evening and decided to save a few bucks and get my rental car the next morning. After getting my car I headed out for what became a long day of driving. When I do these visits, I use Flavortown USA site and Google Maps to plan out the travels. In Oklahoma there are 9 places with 6 in the Oklahoma City area and two that are within about an hours drive of OKC and one that is almost 3 hours away, about an hour north of Tulsa. That place I wasn't sure if I would get there, it would be as they say a "Game Day Decision"!
Oklahoma is an interesting place! The people are very friendly, the big businesses seem to be farming, cattle and oil. In fact there are working oil derricks all over the place, even on the property of the Will Rogers World International Airport in OKC!
I got the car and headed northeast out of the city to a place that as soon as I saw the DDD episode I knew I wanted to get to. I headed about an hour out of OKC to a place in the small town of Stroud and located on the 'Mother Road', Route 66. "The Rock Cafe" is an interesting place that lives up to it's name, the building is totally made of rocks.
One of the reasons I really wanted get to this place is because on the DDD episode it just looked like a really fun place with great food. In fact on the episode while they were filming a big guy entered the cafe, saw Guy and said; "Holy Moly It's the Dinner Diners Boy!" I arrived during breakfast hours so I chose the Ham and Cheese Crepes. They came with Hash Browns and was very good, although I would describe them more as stuffed pancakes.
While I was eating the owner, Dawn came it and I was really excited to get her to sign my book, which she did. Dawn is the inspiration for the female car in the Disney Movie "Cars". I picked a good day to get there as the weekends are very busy there. After finishing up I got back in the car and looked at the distance to Vinita, which was the place that was really far and said to myself, "Why not!" and headed northeast. The drive would be about 2 hours and I would pass through Tulsa on the way. the drive was scenic but the thing that really surprised me was the rolling hills, I had the impression that the state was really flat, NO WAY!. I was reminded of driving at home from the DC area to Lynchburg, very hilly and pretty. Oklahoma has been going through a terrible drought and most of the grass areas were were yellowed and burned. Another thing that I do (call me a big kid or just kind of crazy) whenever I pass a herd of cows or cattle, I honk the horn, don't know why, I guess just having some fun and trying to break he monotony of the trip.
I arrived in the the town of Vinita, not too far from the Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas border. I arrived just before noon to a really cool place called "Clanton's Cafe". They had a really good lunch crowd when I arrived. I sat down and was greeted by the server who noticed the book and told me that they serve free samples of their famous Calf Fries, if I wanted to try. I remember the episode well and was game to try. How do I describe Calf Fries? Let's see they are the "male" parts of the cow that are deep friend and look like Popcorn Shrimp. When Guy tried them he used the classic line, "MOO, MOO, Buck-a-roo!"
They are served with Seafood Cocktail Sauce and the "Guy" Sauce a very spicy mix that includes Onions and Bleu Cheese chunks, very good and very spicy. Thee fries were pretty good and if I didn't know what they were I would have them again (and who knows I may just get them again in the future!). I chose the Chicken Fried Steak lunch special and it came with Mashed Potatoes and choice of 2 sides, I picked just one, I knew it would be filling. It was possibly the best Chicken Fried Steak I have ever had. The batter on the meat was great, not dry and hard like you find at so many places.
After finishing up I was able to get the owner of the place to sign my book. I also signed their book and away I went. The next place would be a 3 hour drive through the center of Oklahoma. I need to say that y travels are impossible without my GPS. I pulled up the name of the joint and the name came up so I figured that it would take me right to it, well this time it was not the case. After the drive I ended up a pretty sketchy neighborhood at a house that looked a bit like the salvage yard on "Sanford and Son". I manually put the address in and I was 9 mile north of the place, oh brother!
I finally arrived at "Eischen's Bar" in the town of Okarche. Eischen's claims to be the oldest bar in Oklahoma and this place really is a bar! Their specialty is Fried Chicken, but you can only buy a whole bird and they sell alot of it! I knew I couldn't eat a whole bird so I tried the other thing that was prepared on the episode, a Frito Chili Pie. It was really good and the chili had just the right kick.
I headed back to the Oklahoma City area and had a much shorter drive, only about 45 minutes. I was a bit fearful being a Friday afternoon, but there were no delays or problems whatsoever. I drove into the center of Oklahoma City, very near the State Capitol Building. I drove up to an odd yellow and brown building sort of all by itself. "Mama E's Wings and Waffles" specializes in Soul Food. I entered and met a very friendly staff. When I told them about my travels they recommended the DDD special which is Chicken Wigs and a Waffle and it includes a side, salad bar, Bread pudding dessert and drinks, all for $11.99 , a really good deal. I passed on the salad bar and only tried a small taste of the side of Collards, which were a bit bitter for my taste, but I think that Collards fans would really like them.
The staff gave me the remote for the TV in the dining room and guess what was on? That's right, "Diner's Drive-ins and Dives" what a great way to enjoy a meal! Good food and good TV! The other interesting thing about Mama E's is the owner and chef is also a ordained minister with a local congregation, he wasn't in but that is pretty cool! The walls are filled with signatures of patrons and as they signed my book, I signed their wall, which was really cool!
I headed back to the hotel to rest up as my Oklahoma adventure was only half over!
I got up early and headed to the nearby home of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. I headed to a small diner simply called "The Diner". It is located on Main Street and it really doesn't look like a college town but like a small town like on The Andy Griffith Show. The specialty at The Diner is their chili, which is famous as being 2 time Oklahoma State Chili champion. The Diner is open only from 6a to 2p, so they serve both breakfast and lunch all day which is great for me as I am not the biggest fan of traditional breakfast foods. I decided to get a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a cup of their award winning chili. As I sat down I was approached by an employee who noticed my DDD book. She told me that her father was the chef that cooked with Guy. She signed my book as her father had passed away a short time ago. Her father, Mark, had really outdone Guy on the shtick and really made that episode memorable. The chili was really good and had a unique flavor and a real spicy kick to it.
I left and headed over to the University of Oklahoma to sort of drive around and check out the place. At the football stadium there is a small area that celebrates the different Heisman Trophy winners that the University has had. After a short visit to the University Bookstore I headed back into Oklahoma City.
My next stop was in the downtown area. "Ingrid's Kitchen and German Bakery" features German meals and bakery desserts. I arrived about 1030a and had to wait for about 20 minutes to order a sandwich as breakfast was still be served. The desserts are presented in 8 display cases and there are dozens of delicious choices. As the lunch time came I decided to try the Wiener Schnitzel sandwich. The sandwich was very tasty and hit the spot. I found the staff to be pretty unfriendly, although the food was good, I don't think I would frequent Ingrid's again.
My last stop on this Oklahoma City stop would be later in the afternoon so I decided to stop at the Oklahoma City Memorial. This memorial is dedicated to the victims of the April 1995 Terrorist Bombing of the Albert Murrah Federal Building. There is a field of chairs dedicated to each of the 168 victims. It is a very solemn place.
My last stop was "Cattlemen's Steakhouse" in the historic stockyard area of Oklahoma City. I met with my friend Jacqui, who I knew form High School and has lived in the area for a long time. Cattlemen's is a well known place and is popular with tourists and locals alike. We had to wait for about 15 minutes before being seated. Our first order was Lamb Fries, which is the Lamb Version of what at Clanton's were Calf Fries. They serve them with a tasty red sauce that really made the fries taste good. I ordered the Top Prime Rib-Eye steak and it came out really good, the meal was complimented with the Cattlemen's salad topped with their famous salad dressing. The dressing had a nice garlicky flavor with a slight spicy kick. the meal was topped off with a slice of their famous and delicious Coconut Meringue Pie.
The Assistant Manager came over and signed my book and really made me feel at home there. I really had a great time with an old friend and great food! Thanks Jacqui! I headed off to St. Louis after two busy and full days with my DDD count at 290!
Oklahoma is an interesting place! The people are very friendly, the big businesses seem to be farming, cattle and oil. In fact there are working oil derricks all over the place, even on the property of the Will Rogers World International Airport in OKC!
I got the car and headed northeast out of the city to a place that as soon as I saw the DDD episode I knew I wanted to get to. I headed about an hour out of OKC to a place in the small town of Stroud and located on the 'Mother Road', Route 66. "The Rock Cafe" is an interesting place that lives up to it's name, the building is totally made of rocks.
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| The Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma |
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| The Mother Road, that's the Cafe behind the sign |
One of the reasons I really wanted get to this place is because on the DDD episode it just looked like a really fun place with great food. In fact on the episode while they were filming a big guy entered the cafe, saw Guy and said; "Holy Moly It's the Dinner Diners Boy!" I arrived during breakfast hours so I chose the Ham and Cheese Crepes. They came with Hash Browns and was very good, although I would describe them more as stuffed pancakes.
 |
| Ham and Cheese Crepe at The Rock Cafe |
While I was eating the owner, Dawn came it and I was really excited to get her to sign my book, which she did. Dawn is the inspiration for the female car in the Disney Movie "Cars". I picked a good day to get there as the weekends are very busy there. After finishing up I got back in the car and looked at the distance to Vinita, which was the place that was really far and said to myself, "Why not!" and headed northeast. The drive would be about 2 hours and I would pass through Tulsa on the way. the drive was scenic but the thing that really surprised me was the rolling hills, I had the impression that the state was really flat, NO WAY!. I was reminded of driving at home from the DC area to Lynchburg, very hilly and pretty. Oklahoma has been going through a terrible drought and most of the grass areas were were yellowed and burned. Another thing that I do (call me a big kid or just kind of crazy) whenever I pass a herd of cows or cattle, I honk the horn, don't know why, I guess just having some fun and trying to break he monotony of the trip.
I arrived in the the town of Vinita, not too far from the Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas border. I arrived just before noon to a really cool place called "Clanton's Cafe". They had a really good lunch crowd when I arrived. I sat down and was greeted by the server who noticed the book and told me that they serve free samples of their famous Calf Fries, if I wanted to try. I remember the episode well and was game to try. How do I describe Calf Fries? Let's see they are the "male" parts of the cow that are deep friend and look like Popcorn Shrimp. When Guy tried them he used the classic line, "MOO, MOO, Buck-a-roo!"
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| Clanton's Vinita, Oklahoma |
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| Clanton's Calf Fries - MOO MOO Buck-a-roo! |
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| My Clanton's Lunch - Chicken Fried Steak |
I finally arrived at "Eischen's Bar" in the town of Okarche. Eischen's claims to be the oldest bar in Oklahoma and this place really is a bar! Their specialty is Fried Chicken, but you can only buy a whole bird and they sell alot of it! I knew I couldn't eat a whole bird so I tried the other thing that was prepared on the episode, a Frito Chili Pie. It was really good and the chili had just the right kick.
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| The Pride of Okarche, Oklahoma |
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| Eischen's Frito Pie |
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| Eischen's not Chik-fil-A! |
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| A Colorful Soul Food place - Mama E's |
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| Wings and Waffles at Mama E's |
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| My signature on the wall of Mama E's |
I got up early and headed to the nearby home of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. I headed to a small diner simply called "The Diner". It is located on Main Street and it really doesn't look like a college town but like a small town like on The Andy Griffith Show. The specialty at The Diner is their chili, which is famous as being 2 time Oklahoma State Chili champion. The Diner is open only from 6a to 2p, so they serve both breakfast and lunch all day which is great for me as I am not the biggest fan of traditional breakfast foods. I decided to get a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a cup of their award winning chili. As I sat down I was approached by an employee who noticed my DDD book. She told me that her father was the chef that cooked with Guy. She signed my book as her father had passed away a short time ago. Her father, Mark, had really outdone Guy on the shtick and really made that episode memorable. The chili was really good and had a unique flavor and a real spicy kick to it.
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| The Diner in Norman, Oklahoma |
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| Grilled Cheese and Chili - A GREAT Breakfast! |
I left and headed over to the University of Oklahoma to sort of drive around and check out the place. At the football stadium there is a small area that celebrates the different Heisman Trophy winners that the University has had. After a short visit to the University Bookstore I headed back into Oklahoma City.
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| The Press Area at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium - Home of the Sooners |
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| Ingrid's Kitchen in Oklahoma City |
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| Wiener Schnitzel Sandwich |
My last stop was "Cattlemen's Steakhouse" in the historic stockyard area of Oklahoma City. I met with my friend Jacqui, who I knew form High School and has lived in the area for a long time. Cattlemen's is a well known place and is popular with tourists and locals alike. We had to wait for about 15 minutes before being seated. Our first order was Lamb Fries, which is the Lamb Version of what at Clanton's were Calf Fries. They serve them with a tasty red sauce that really made the fries taste good. I ordered the Top Prime Rib-Eye steak and it came out really good, the meal was complimented with the Cattlemen's salad topped with their famous salad dressing. The dressing had a nice garlicky flavor with a slight spicy kick. the meal was topped off with a slice of their famous and delicious Coconut Meringue Pie.
The Assistant Manager came over and signed my book and really made me feel at home there. I really had a great time with an old friend and great food! Thanks Jacqui! I headed off to St. Louis after two busy and full days with my DDD count at 290!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Rocky Mountain High - DDD returns to Denver
Well the time has come to start my vacation for the beginning of December 2012. The last couple of years I have taken cruises and combined them with DDD visits. This year I decided to do a DDD visit vacation. In mid October after returning from my Jersey Diner Tour I started to plan where I wanted to take this extended DDD trip. Some of the places I was looking at were Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Memphis. As it got closer a few new places came into play and eventually were the cities I decided upon. I would start my travels in Denver and then move to Oklahoma City and then St. Louis and end with a more non-DDD stop (but would still get to a few) in the Los Angeles area. It would be a busy and tasty 10 days!
After working the night before I flew out to Denver on a 930a nonstop. After getting the car and checking into my hotel for the overnight I headed northwest towards the home of the University of Colorado, Boulder. Boulder is a very cool and quaint place. The town seems to be nestled into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I headed for my first stop, a very popular ands well known restaurant bar called 'The Sink". This place is a hang out for CU students and locals, alike. As you walk in you see the open kitchen where burgers, sandwiches and pizzas are the favorite meals. Walking past the kitchen and into the seating area and bar, he ceiling drops to about 7 feet tall. The walls are adorn with all kinds or funny paintings and cartoons. The ceilings are filled with signatures of visitors and employees. It is said that a young Robert Redford worked at The Sink during his days at CU.
The menu is filled with great sandwiches and burgers and it was hard to make a decision. I decided upon the "Cowboy Reuben", a Reuben style sandwich but with Brisket and cole slaw and a sauce with a real spice kick to it. It came with a side of slaw and some sliced cucumbers in spicy dill juice.
I really enjoyed it and was able to get one of the chef's to sign my book. If I am back kin Boulder I will definitely come back and get a pizza at The Sink.
I moved on to a nearby place in Boulder. Just about 4 miles away is a place that specializes in Crepes, so I figured lunch at The Sink and dessert at my next stop. The place is called "Foolish Craig's Cafe" and does both sweet and savory crepes. When Guy was here they made a cake-like dessert made totally from crepes so I decided on their crepe cake of the day.
The dessert was called Caramel Butter Cream Crepe Cake. The topping was delicious, the crepes were a bit dry for my liking. I think that if there were about half the number of layers it would have been perfect. Don't get me wrong it was delicious, but just a bit too much (an that is something that you won't hear from me often!). The staff there was great and very friendly. I headed out to take a break and then go on to dinner at my last stop of the day.
I headed into Denver to a very unique place for me. I have never been to a Native American Indian restaurant. My stop was at "Tocabe". I had pictured this place as a posh sit down place, it is not. You order at the line and they make your order in front of you. I was greeted by one of the owners and he explained about all the different items and sauces and toppings. They even have a separate "Guy Menu" for the items made on the show. I knew that the Bison Chops with the Blueberry Sauce was going to be too big a meal for me so I chose the Indian Chicken Taco. This is not your typical taco. The"taco shell" is more like a fired dough bread and it is loaded with 5 items all fresh and tasty. The taco shell just compliments the entire meal.
During my visit I got to talk at length with both of the owners and we talked about my travels and the history of their restaurant. The best thing about these guys is they took the time to chat with all the patrons and really made everyone feel at home.
My second and last day in Denver started with an early morning drive into the center of Denver to a place that reminded me of a 60's Coffee Shop. "Sam's Number 3" has been around since 1927 and is in the heart of Denver. It has the classic coffee shop fixtures, a long and curvy counter with the classic stools and booth seating. I remember when Guy came that Sam's specializes in Green Chile toppings and traditional diner/coffee shop food. I decided on the Huevos Rancheros which came with Refried beans, Eggs, Green Chile topping and two flour tortillas.
I enjoyed the meal, although I am not a big egg eater. The Green Chile sauce had a huge kick too them, lucky I had the tortillas to beat down the heat! I was there at 6am and they were doing a pretty brisk business at that early hour. I have to give alot of praise to the cashier, she was friendly to everyone as soon as they walked in the door, a hard thing to do that early!
After going back to the hotel to check out I headed north east of the Denver Airport to the town of Brighton and what now is one of my favorite DDD visits. "Lauer Krauts" is a small cafe that features German sandwiches and burgers. The twist is they they are totally encased in the roll. I was greeted by the owner Robin and she and her staff couldn't have been nicer.
I ordered the Kraut Burger, which is shredded ground beef mixed with cooked cabbage and onions in the roll. On the tables there were different types of sauces, mustard's and ketchup. I tried Lauer Krauts home made honey mustard and it was the perfect compliment to the delicious sandwich.
I can't describe how much I not only enjoyed the meal but the staff, that made me feel like part of the family. I recommend this place to anyone who is in the Denver area, it is fantastic. All of the sudden just as I was finishing up Robin asked me what kind of dessert I wanted and I told her "Surprise me!". They brought me a huge piece of Rhubarb Cake.
It was unbelievably delisious and they didn't even cahrge me for it! This was a great way to end a wonderful but all too quick visit to the Mile High City! The count is now 281!
After working the night before I flew out to Denver on a 930a nonstop. After getting the car and checking into my hotel for the overnight I headed northwest towards the home of the University of Colorado, Boulder. Boulder is a very cool and quaint place. The town seems to be nestled into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I headed for my first stop, a very popular ands well known restaurant bar called 'The Sink". This place is a hang out for CU students and locals, alike. As you walk in you see the open kitchen where burgers, sandwiches and pizzas are the favorite meals. Walking past the kitchen and into the seating area and bar, he ceiling drops to about 7 feet tall. The walls are adorn with all kinds or funny paintings and cartoons. The ceilings are filled with signatures of visitors and employees. It is said that a young Robert Redford worked at The Sink during his days at CU.
The menu is filled with great sandwiches and burgers and it was hard to make a decision. I decided upon the "Cowboy Reuben", a Reuben style sandwich but with Brisket and cole slaw and a sauce with a real spice kick to it. It came with a side of slaw and some sliced cucumbers in spicy dill juice.
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| The Sinks Cowboy Reuben |
I moved on to a nearby place in Boulder. Just about 4 miles away is a place that specializes in Crepes, so I figured lunch at The Sink and dessert at my next stop. The place is called "Foolish Craig's Cafe" and does both sweet and savory crepes. When Guy was here they made a cake-like dessert made totally from crepes so I decided on their crepe cake of the day.
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| My Dessert Crepe Cake |
The dessert was called Caramel Butter Cream Crepe Cake. The topping was delicious, the crepes were a bit dry for my liking. I think that if there were about half the number of layers it would have been perfect. Don't get me wrong it was delicious, but just a bit too much (an that is something that you won't hear from me often!). The staff there was great and very friendly. I headed out to take a break and then go on to dinner at my last stop of the day.
I headed into Denver to a very unique place for me. I have never been to a Native American Indian restaurant. My stop was at "Tocabe". I had pictured this place as a posh sit down place, it is not. You order at the line and they make your order in front of you. I was greeted by one of the owners and he explained about all the different items and sauces and toppings. They even have a separate "Guy Menu" for the items made on the show. I knew that the Bison Chops with the Blueberry Sauce was going to be too big a meal for me so I chose the Indian Chicken Taco. This is not your typical taco. The"taco shell" is more like a fired dough bread and it is loaded with 5 items all fresh and tasty. The taco shell just compliments the entire meal.
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| Tocabe - Native American Eatery |
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| Indian Chicken Taco |
During my visit I got to talk at length with both of the owners and we talked about my travels and the history of their restaurant. The best thing about these guys is they took the time to chat with all the patrons and really made everyone feel at home.
My second and last day in Denver started with an early morning drive into the center of Denver to a place that reminded me of a 60's Coffee Shop. "Sam's Number 3" has been around since 1927 and is in the heart of Denver. It has the classic coffee shop fixtures, a long and curvy counter with the classic stools and booth seating. I remember when Guy came that Sam's specializes in Green Chile toppings and traditional diner/coffee shop food. I decided on the Huevos Rancheros which came with Refried beans, Eggs, Green Chile topping and two flour tortillas.
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| Huevos Rancheros at Sam's Number 3 |
After going back to the hotel to check out I headed north east of the Denver Airport to the town of Brighton and what now is one of my favorite DDD visits. "Lauer Krauts" is a small cafe that features German sandwiches and burgers. The twist is they they are totally encased in the roll. I was greeted by the owner Robin and she and her staff couldn't have been nicer.
I ordered the Kraut Burger, which is shredded ground beef mixed with cooked cabbage and onions in the roll. On the tables there were different types of sauces, mustard's and ketchup. I tried Lauer Krauts home made honey mustard and it was the perfect compliment to the delicious sandwich.
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| Lauer Krauts Kraut Burger |
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| This what makes it great! The filling! |
I can't describe how much I not only enjoyed the meal but the staff, that made me feel like part of the family. I recommend this place to anyone who is in the Denver area, it is fantastic. All of the sudden just as I was finishing up Robin asked me what kind of dessert I wanted and I told her "Surprise me!". They brought me a huge piece of Rhubarb Cake.
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| Dessert at Lauer Krauts |
It was unbelievably delisious and they didn't even cahrge me for it! This was a great way to end a wonderful but all too quick visit to the Mile High City! The count is now 281!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Back to the Tidewater (and the big 5-0)!
I had wanted to get to the last 3 places in my home state of Virginia for some time. The 3 are in the Tidewater area of the state near Norfolk and Virginia Beach, which for those of you not familiar with the Commonwealth of Virginia is about 4 to 5 hours drive for me. I had a few days off so I decided to make an overnight trip to get to them.
Before I get into the trip I have to make a detour in the story. About a week before the trip, I was lucky enough to have a dinner to celebrate my 50th Birthday. I normally have a birthday dinner with some family and friends, actually been doing it for abut 20 years but with the big 5-0 upon me this turned out to be bigger than usual. The place I wanted at first to hold it did not have a room available the night we wanted so at the suggestion of my sister-in-law Elaine I looked at a Triple D location (the original place not being available became a real blessing in disguise!). There are really only 2 in the DC area that can handle a larger size group. I decided to call the "Metro 29 Diner" in Arlington. The Metro 29 was featured on DDD a few years back and I have been there several times, it was actually the 104th DDD visit that I made. After talking with the night manager, Nick, we decided upon the day and away we went.
I have to say that I am so blessed to have a really great family and group of friends. My dad, step mom, sister and brothers as well as their families came along with some of my best friends from work, high school and cruising buddies, 37 in all! The food was excellent and we had just a great time. The Metro 29 made a huge and delicious birthday cake and my family made a video tribute for me. I am not usually one to be the center of attention, so it was a bit strange for me, but it was a night I will always cherish and never forget!
A few days later I set out for southern Virginia to get to the 3 last DDD places in the state. I knew I could get to all of them in the afternoon. I use the places websites and Google maps to plan my trips so away I went. After checking in to the hotel I was staying at in Williamsburg (about an hour from the Norfolk area, in normal traffic, which is never normal in this area) I headed for my adventure.
My first stop was in Norfolk at a inside a farmers market area. The market is called 5 Points Community Farmers Market. As I entered I had to explore the building and there in the corner was a small lunch stand looking place called "Get Fresh Cafe".
I was helped by the owner, Mike, he cooked with Guy on their episode. Get Fresh serves all organic and locally grown vegetables. The menu is not too big, but everything on it looked delicious. I choose the Patty Melt burger on Rye Bread.
The sandwich was excellent! A burger with Havarti Cheese and an apple slice on the side. This place is a real find. The prices were very reasonable, friendly service and very tasty. Mike signed my book and I was really glad to have gone there!
From there I headed into Virginia Beach to a place very near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The "Leaping Lizard Cafe" is a group of buildings that include the cafe and a gift shop of funky eclectic items. Now as I wrote I use the places websites to plan my trips. The Leaping Lizards site showed that they were open UNTIL 5p and I arrived there at 3p, I walked up and saw that they closed at 3p and would reopen at 5p. While I was deciding what to do another vehicle with Connecticut plates came up and were also disappointed! I just can't understand my a place can't update their website, he web can really help the success of a business but I guess this place doesn't need it!
I decided to head out to my last stop which was still in Virginia Beach, but took about 30 minutes to get to. I pulled into a new strip mall and stopped at "Rigoletto's Italian Bakery and Cafe". This small cafe seats about 25 and has a huge display case of desserts and pastries. They also sell dry pastas and wines in a small Italian store area of the cafe.
I decided upon the Spaghetti and Stuffed Meatball meal. They had all kinds of great choices from raviolis and paninis and sandwiches. I chose this meal because on the show the owner made the Stuffed Meatballs with Guy.
The sauce was pretty good but the meatballs were excellent! The stuffing was pork, spices, herbs and cheese and was incredibly tasty. I think the staff knew from my clean plate that I really enjoyed it!
I talked with the owner and she gladly signed my book and told me about the filming at the cafe. I really appreciate it when I get to talk with the owners and hear their stories. I headed back home and the elusive 300th visit is getting closer, my count is now 276!
Before I get into the trip I have to make a detour in the story. About a week before the trip, I was lucky enough to have a dinner to celebrate my 50th Birthday. I normally have a birthday dinner with some family and friends, actually been doing it for abut 20 years but with the big 5-0 upon me this turned out to be bigger than usual. The place I wanted at first to hold it did not have a room available the night we wanted so at the suggestion of my sister-in-law Elaine I looked at a Triple D location (the original place not being available became a real blessing in disguise!). There are really only 2 in the DC area that can handle a larger size group. I decided to call the "Metro 29 Diner" in Arlington. The Metro 29 was featured on DDD a few years back and I have been there several times, it was actually the 104th DDD visit that I made. After talking with the night manager, Nick, we decided upon the day and away we went.
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| The Birthday Boy (that would be me!) |
I have to say that I am so blessed to have a really great family and group of friends. My dad, step mom, sister and brothers as well as their families came along with some of my best friends from work, high school and cruising buddies, 37 in all! The food was excellent and we had just a great time. The Metro 29 made a huge and delicious birthday cake and my family made a video tribute for me. I am not usually one to be the center of attention, so it was a bit strange for me, but it was a night I will always cherish and never forget!
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| The Cake! |
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| My Family |
My first stop was in Norfolk at a inside a farmers market area. The market is called 5 Points Community Farmers Market. As I entered I had to explore the building and there in the corner was a small lunch stand looking place called "Get Fresh Cafe".
 |
| The Get Fresh Stand |
I was helped by the owner, Mike, he cooked with Guy on their episode. Get Fresh serves all organic and locally grown vegetables. The menu is not too big, but everything on it looked delicious. I choose the Patty Melt burger on Rye Bread.
The sandwich was excellent! A burger with Havarti Cheese and an apple slice on the side. This place is a real find. The prices were very reasonable, friendly service and very tasty. Mike signed my book and I was really glad to have gone there!
From there I headed into Virginia Beach to a place very near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The "Leaping Lizard Cafe" is a group of buildings that include the cafe and a gift shop of funky eclectic items. Now as I wrote I use the places websites to plan my trips. The Leaping Lizards site showed that they were open UNTIL 5p and I arrived there at 3p, I walked up and saw that they closed at 3p and would reopen at 5p. While I was deciding what to do another vehicle with Connecticut plates came up and were also disappointed! I just can't understand my a place can't update their website, he web can really help the success of a business but I guess this place doesn't need it!
I decided to head out to my last stop which was still in Virginia Beach, but took about 30 minutes to get to. I pulled into a new strip mall and stopped at "Rigoletto's Italian Bakery and Cafe". This small cafe seats about 25 and has a huge display case of desserts and pastries. They also sell dry pastas and wines in a small Italian store area of the cafe.
I decided upon the Spaghetti and Stuffed Meatball meal. They had all kinds of great choices from raviolis and paninis and sandwiches. I chose this meal because on the show the owner made the Stuffed Meatballs with Guy.
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| Spaghetti and Stuffed Meatballs |
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| The Stuffed Meatballs |
The sauce was pretty good but the meatballs were excellent! The stuffing was pork, spices, herbs and cheese and was incredibly tasty. I think the staff knew from my clean plate that I really enjoyed it!
I talked with the owner and she gladly signed my book and told me about the filming at the cafe. I really appreciate it when I get to talk with the owners and hear their stories. I headed back home and the elusive 300th visit is getting closer, my count is now 276!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Thanks for the Great Food and Stuff!
This will be a bit of a different blog post than the the 47 others in the past. First of all I want to tell all of you reading that less than one week after my last DDD trip which was a diner tour of New Jersey the terrible Hurricane turned Mega Storm Sandy hit the same area I had just been to. I hope and pray that the places that I visited are all doing well. the one I really am worried about is the 10th Avenue Burrito Company in Belmar. That area was hit hard and I hope that they fared well.
This blog entry will not be a review of any new places that I have visited but a letter of thanks for all the good food I have been able to try and also for the great gifts that the various owners have given to me. As it is just weeks before Thanksgiving 2012 these are things that I am thankful for when it comes to my DDD travels
This continuing journey has been a great joy to me. I have been able to travel all over the USA including Hawaii and meet some really great people and taste alot of great food, some of which I would have never tasted had I not seen it on the show or visited the restaurants. Many of you that know me, know that I love to travel and this is just an extension of that. I truly believe that the show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" is a great interesting show, one that is a cooking show sort of disguised as a travel show and my favorite show. Guy Fieri is probably the reason that I (and many others) love the show so much. His presentation is fun and entertaining.
My first DDD stop was on Memorial Day 2008 at the Village Inn in Richmond, VA and as I write this I have been to 273 places! In November of 2008 the first of two DDD companion books was published and I had to get it as soon as it came out. In February of 2009, the night before embarking on a cruise in Miami, a friend of mine and I had dinner at a DDD place called "Scully's Tavern" south of Miami International Airport. I had been to Scully's the previous summer and really enjoyed it and really liked the owner, Chris, so on this visit I just spur of the moment asked him to sign his little section of my DDD book and from there I now have both DDD books and they are filled with signatures of owners, chefs and restaurant employees of the places featured on the show.
I am not sure if I am unique in getting the books signed but it has been a great way to meet alot of great people, restaurant employees or just other fans of the show that are doing the same DDD travels that I am. I remember in 2009 when I was out in Guy's hometown of Santa Rosa, California at a breakfast place called "Hank's Creekside" my cousin Ralph and I ran into a couple there and later that night when we went to Guy's restaurant called "Johnny Garlic's" we ran into the same couple there! The owners in most cases have been excellent and they usually ask me about my travels and I always ask about the time spent with Guy and the filming. One of the most memorable visits I had with an owner was at "Hillbilly Hot Dogs" outside of Huntington, WV. Sherrie, the owner, sang a tribute song to me, that was very cool. As she signed my book I was able to sign their wall! At the "Metro 29 Diner" in Arlington, VA I was able to go back into the kitchen and get the chef to sign my book. At "Mumuchos Mondo Mex" in Cleveland, the hostess saw me enter with the book and sat me and my buddy Joe at what I can only descibe as the Chef's seat at their open kitchen. We were able to talk with the chef and we also got some special samples. I didn't even realize until we were leaving that the hostess sat us there because she saw us with the book, I didn't even mention it! There are so many neat stories with the book, too many to write about. In November 2009 I attended the "Guy Fieri Roadshow" in Norfolk, VA and met Guy and had him sign the two books that I had at than time. I have since had to get an extra copy of each book as the originals are full of signatures. I do hope that a 3rd volume comes out soon and I also hope to get Guy to sign the other books sometime soon.
This blog began as a suggestion of one of my high school friends, that I reconnected with on Facebook after nearly 30 years. When I did my DDD stops in Seattle I was able to meet up with Kim and her friend Jeanelle and we went to the "Southern Kitchen" in Tacoma, WA. She asked me why I didn't write a blog about my travels and after telling her I had no idea how to start a blog, she sent me the info and you are reading the blog! Kim has been a great encouragement to me in this endeavour and I am so grateful for all of her (and everyones) great comments and suggestions for this blog!
One of the other things that I have gotten on this adventure is gifts. I am so grateful for all of them. Some of them are free food or samples. I have received shirts and pens and other souvenirs and it is a real treat to receive these things. The first place was at the "Texas Root Burger Company" in Dallas. The General Manager there thought I needed to try a dessert since I had travelled so far to get to his place and I got one of their signature dessert milk shakes. At "Keegans" in Indian Rocks Beach, FL they sent me a soup sampler. The owner of "Mikes City Diner" in Boston personally made a special Breakfast Hash plate for me. I got to meet the entire staff and they really treated me like royalty! In New Orleans I went to a real funky bar called "Parasols" and when I went to pay the bar man told me to "Get Out!", now free is very cool! At the "Bagel Diner" in Denver the owner gave me a takeout brownie, which I used as my in flight meal for my flight from Denver t Honolulu. All of these food gifts have been wonderful and so appreciated. A few places have given me pens and those are wonderful, too.
T-shirts have been the gifts that I have received the most and I really do like and appreciate each one of them. The first was when I went to "Hodads" in Pacific Beach, CA just outside San Diego. I was there with my buddy Rich and we were talking with the manager about the filming. We were seated at the front bar and the conversation started when I asked him to sign the book. Well one thing led to another and he asked us if we'd like a t-shirt? The answer to that came in a nano second - YES!
After that I knew I had to get a Guy Fieri shirt to wear on some of my visits. Now Guy is "Rock'n Roll" fan and I think he likes the harder rock so his line of shirts have that type of theme. I hope that one day he will make a line of the bowling style shirts he wears on many of the episodes but I did buy one of the Guy shirts.
When I went on my DDD travels in Indiana, I made a side trip to the Cincinnati area to visit a few places. Now Cincinnati is know for their chili and I visited a wonderful place called Blue Ash Chili which is in the small suburb of Blue Ash! I was able to meet the owner and she had the chef sign a can coolie.
Then she asked me if I would like one of their new t-shirts and of course I would! They wouldn't be out for a few more weeks but she asked me for my address and that I would get it in the mail. Now being cynical I thought that well, may be it might come but not to expect it as they have alot of things on their plate than to send a t-shirt to Leesburg, VA. About a month later in the mail is a package fro Blue Ash, OH. Inside is a dark blue t-shirt from Blue Ash Chili. I love that shirt!
On my trip to Honolulu I visited a very busy drive in called "The Rainbow Drive In". It isn't a Drive In, in the classic drive in style. There are no car hops or really alot of parking. It is a take out sort of place and if you aren't taking it away there are alot of picnic tables set up for you to enjoy your boxed "plate lunch". The typical plate lunch in Hawaii seems to be a main course with a side of rice and macaroni salad. Now many people want gravy on the meal and the phrase "Gravy All Over" is one of the Rainbow's trademark phrases. I was able to meet and chat with Jim, the owner and we talked about the filming and also my travels. Through that conversation I found out that not only is Jim the owner but also is a retiree from United! What a coincidence! He presented me with a really nice t-shirt that he selected with the phrase that fit me!
Jim introduced me to a young lady, who is a local food blogger named Cat. She is aeally cool and I want to encourage you to check out her blog called Cat Travels. It is a really great blog. Thanks to you, Catherine Toth!
On a recent trip to Boston (really a port stop on a cruise) I rented a car and drove to a few places, one was in the town of Attleboro. "Morins Diner" is a landmark there and although it is a new building, the diner celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2011 and has been owned by the same family for it's entire history! I met and got to speak to the owner Bill Morin for a good while. He spoke of the history of the diner and the fun the entire staff had when Guy filmed there as well as their DDD Party they had on the night the episode was first shown. Bill Morin presented me with a 100th Anniversary shirt, which was the same shirt that the wait staff wears. What a great honor to receive that!
Just recently I made the aforementioned New Jersey Diner Tour. One of the places I went to was in the Jersey Shore town of Belmar. The "10ath Avenue Burrito Company" reminded more of a biker bar than a burrito joint. The wait staff and owner were excellent hosts and presented me with a t shirt, I was floored, they were excited that I visited them! I can't express how much I enjoyed their hospitality and with the Storm Sandy hitting so close to them I really hope that all is well there.
I cherish and appreciate all the gifts, food and stories that I have been able to receive through out this journey. I do write about all of these but I wanted to share them with you. I also want to thank all of my friends who have joined me at some of the places, those visits with you have really made this even more special. Thanks so much and I hope that you enjoy the journey as it continues!
This blog entry will not be a review of any new places that I have visited but a letter of thanks for all the good food I have been able to try and also for the great gifts that the various owners have given to me. As it is just weeks before Thanksgiving 2012 these are things that I am thankful for when it comes to my DDD travels
This continuing journey has been a great joy to me. I have been able to travel all over the USA including Hawaii and meet some really great people and taste alot of great food, some of which I would have never tasted had I not seen it on the show or visited the restaurants. Many of you that know me, know that I love to travel and this is just an extension of that. I truly believe that the show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" is a great interesting show, one that is a cooking show sort of disguised as a travel show and my favorite show. Guy Fieri is probably the reason that I (and many others) love the show so much. His presentation is fun and entertaining.
My first DDD stop was on Memorial Day 2008 at the Village Inn in Richmond, VA and as I write this I have been to 273 places! In November of 2008 the first of two DDD companion books was published and I had to get it as soon as it came out. In February of 2009, the night before embarking on a cruise in Miami, a friend of mine and I had dinner at a DDD place called "Scully's Tavern" south of Miami International Airport. I had been to Scully's the previous summer and really enjoyed it and really liked the owner, Chris, so on this visit I just spur of the moment asked him to sign his little section of my DDD book and from there I now have both DDD books and they are filled with signatures of owners, chefs and restaurant employees of the places featured on the show.
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| My 4 DDD books |
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| I even had Guy sign two of the books! |
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| I cherish each signature! |
I am not sure if I am unique in getting the books signed but it has been a great way to meet alot of great people, restaurant employees or just other fans of the show that are doing the same DDD travels that I am. I remember in 2009 when I was out in Guy's hometown of Santa Rosa, California at a breakfast place called "Hank's Creekside" my cousin Ralph and I ran into a couple there and later that night when we went to Guy's restaurant called "Johnny Garlic's" we ran into the same couple there! The owners in most cases have been excellent and they usually ask me about my travels and I always ask about the time spent with Guy and the filming. One of the most memorable visits I had with an owner was at "Hillbilly Hot Dogs" outside of Huntington, WV. Sherrie, the owner, sang a tribute song to me, that was very cool. As she signed my book I was able to sign their wall! At the "Metro 29 Diner" in Arlington, VA I was able to go back into the kitchen and get the chef to sign my book. At "Mumuchos Mondo Mex" in Cleveland, the hostess saw me enter with the book and sat me and my buddy Joe at what I can only descibe as the Chef's seat at their open kitchen. We were able to talk with the chef and we also got some special samples. I didn't even realize until we were leaving that the hostess sat us there because she saw us with the book, I didn't even mention it! There are so many neat stories with the book, too many to write about. In November 2009 I attended the "Guy Fieri Roadshow" in Norfolk, VA and met Guy and had him sign the two books that I had at than time. I have since had to get an extra copy of each book as the originals are full of signatures. I do hope that a 3rd volume comes out soon and I also hope to get Guy to sign the other books sometime soon.
This blog began as a suggestion of one of my high school friends, that I reconnected with on Facebook after nearly 30 years. When I did my DDD stops in Seattle I was able to meet up with Kim and her friend Jeanelle and we went to the "Southern Kitchen" in Tacoma, WA. She asked me why I didn't write a blog about my travels and after telling her I had no idea how to start a blog, she sent me the info and you are reading the blog! Kim has been a great encouragement to me in this endeavour and I am so grateful for all of her (and everyones) great comments and suggestions for this blog!
One of the other things that I have gotten on this adventure is gifts. I am so grateful for all of them. Some of them are free food or samples. I have received shirts and pens and other souvenirs and it is a real treat to receive these things. The first place was at the "Texas Root Burger Company" in Dallas. The General Manager there thought I needed to try a dessert since I had travelled so far to get to his place and I got one of their signature dessert milk shakes. At "Keegans" in Indian Rocks Beach, FL they sent me a soup sampler. The owner of "Mikes City Diner" in Boston personally made a special Breakfast Hash plate for me. I got to meet the entire staff and they really treated me like royalty! In New Orleans I went to a real funky bar called "Parasols" and when I went to pay the bar man told me to "Get Out!", now free is very cool! At the "Bagel Diner" in Denver the owner gave me a takeout brownie, which I used as my in flight meal for my flight from Denver t Honolulu. All of these food gifts have been wonderful and so appreciated. A few places have given me pens and those are wonderful, too.
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| Kramarczuks in Minneapolis |
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| Triple X Burgers in West Lafayette, IN near Purdue University |
T-shirts have been the gifts that I have received the most and I really do like and appreciate each one of them. The first was when I went to "Hodads" in Pacific Beach, CA just outside San Diego. I was there with my buddy Rich and we were talking with the manager about the filming. We were seated at the front bar and the conversation started when I asked him to sign the book. Well one thing led to another and he asked us if we'd like a t-shirt? The answer to that came in a nano second - YES!
After that I knew I had to get a Guy Fieri shirt to wear on some of my visits. Now Guy is "Rock'n Roll" fan and I think he likes the harder rock so his line of shirts have that type of theme. I hope that one day he will make a line of the bowling style shirts he wears on many of the episodes but I did buy one of the Guy shirts.
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| My Guy Fieri shirt with the phrase "Love, Peace and Taco Grease" |
When I went on my DDD travels in Indiana, I made a side trip to the Cincinnati area to visit a few places. Now Cincinnati is know for their chili and I visited a wonderful place called Blue Ash Chili which is in the small suburb of Blue Ash! I was able to meet the owner and she had the chef sign a can coolie.
Then she asked me if I would like one of their new t-shirts and of course I would! They wouldn't be out for a few more weeks but she asked me for my address and that I would get it in the mail. Now being cynical I thought that well, may be it might come but not to expect it as they have alot of things on their plate than to send a t-shirt to Leesburg, VA. About a month later in the mail is a package fro Blue Ash, OH. Inside is a dark blue t-shirt from Blue Ash Chili. I love that shirt!
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| Guy's Way has Deep Fried Jalapenos! |
On my trip to Honolulu I visited a very busy drive in called "The Rainbow Drive In". It isn't a Drive In, in the classic drive in style. There are no car hops or really alot of parking. It is a take out sort of place and if you aren't taking it away there are alot of picnic tables set up for you to enjoy your boxed "plate lunch". The typical plate lunch in Hawaii seems to be a main course with a side of rice and macaroni salad. Now many people want gravy on the meal and the phrase "Gravy All Over" is one of the Rainbow's trademark phrases. I was able to meet and chat with Jim, the owner and we talked about the filming and also my travels. Through that conversation I found out that not only is Jim the owner but also is a retiree from United! What a coincidence! He presented me with a really nice t-shirt that he selected with the phrase that fit me!
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| I think this says it all! |
Jim introduced me to a young lady, who is a local food blogger named Cat. She is aeally cool and I want to encourage you to check out her blog called Cat Travels. It is a really great blog. Thanks to you, Catherine Toth!
On a recent trip to Boston (really a port stop on a cruise) I rented a car and drove to a few places, one was in the town of Attleboro. "Morins Diner" is a landmark there and although it is a new building, the diner celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2011 and has been owned by the same family for it's entire history! I met and got to speak to the owner Bill Morin for a good while. He spoke of the history of the diner and the fun the entire staff had when Guy filmed there as well as their DDD Party they had on the night the episode was first shown. Bill Morin presented me with a 100th Anniversary shirt, which was the same shirt that the wait staff wears. What a great honor to receive that!
Just recently I made the aforementioned New Jersey Diner Tour. One of the places I went to was in the Jersey Shore town of Belmar. The "10ath Avenue Burrito Company" reminded more of a biker bar than a burrito joint. The wait staff and owner were excellent hosts and presented me with a t shirt, I was floored, they were excited that I visited them! I can't express how much I enjoyed their hospitality and with the Storm Sandy hitting so close to them I really hope that all is well there.
I cherish and appreciate all the gifts, food and stories that I have been able to receive through out this journey. I do write about all of these but I wanted to share them with you. I also want to thank all of my friends who have joined me at some of the places, those visits with you have really made this even more special. Thanks so much and I hope that you enjoy the journey as it continues!
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