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.
 |
| The Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma |
 |
| 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!
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