To 700 and Beyond!

My Triple D journey began on Memorial Day 2008 with a visit to the Village Café in Richmond, Virginia.  In the 10+ years I have been to 699 places from Maine to Florida to Hawaii and many in between.  As I flew out to work in Seattle I was planning to visit a few more places and the first would be my 700th!  I called my nephew wo had recently moved to the area to see if he'd like to join me, so him and his fiancée would be with me on this milestone visit.

There were several places I had to choose from for this visit but after checking out all the places I decided on a places that looked like it would be fun and a good looking menu.  I spent the day with my nephew, Keith and his fiancée, Michele, then we headed to "The Red Door" in the north side of Seattle.  The Red Door is in the Fremont area of Seattle, an area of shops and eateries.

We walked up the stairs to the restaurant which has seating both inside and out.  We decided to eat in the bar area, which we were told is called "The Jungle" due to some fun late night parties.  We were served by Pete, who with his wife, Emily are the owners.  Pete spent a lot of time with us talking about the history of the restaurant and the building, which was actually in a different location and physically moved to the present location.

The Red Door in  Seattle

The menu has a large selection to choose from.  We decided to share a couple of appetizers and then each choose a main meal.  We chose the Korean Chicken Wings with Ranch Dressing and the Soft Pretzel with cheese.  The wings were very tasty with medium spice sauce called Gochujang, it was very good, the Ranch really enhanced the taste.  The pretzel was large and the cheese had a small amount of spice which was really good.  Michele chose the Mushroom Dip, a vegetarian version of a French Dip.  Pete told us that one of his managers is vegetarian and designed the sandwich for those that choose not to eat meat.  When it came to the table I was amazed because it looked like a French Dip! Keith chose the Chicken Fire Circle sandwich which looked spicy and he said was very spicy, loaded with jalapenos and Chipotle Mayo.  I chose the Fish and Chips (Alaskan Cod and fresh cut fries), which was featured on their Triple D episode.  The fish was very good, moist and tasty.

Red Door's bar area, the bottles are displayed in a former drugstore pantry from a past store in the building

My Fish and Chips dinner

After dinner we took some pictures wth Pete and he showed us around the restaurant.  I really enjoyed the meal and atmosphere of The Red Door.  It's a real neighborhood place, many of the other diners are regulars, it has a real family atmosphere.  I highly recommend The Red Door when vising the Seattle area.  This was a great place to celebrate my 700th Triple D visit!

The recently displayed "The Guy Ate Here" pan

Pete and I

Keith, Michele, me and Pete at The Red Door

On a side note, Pete told me that after I had emailed them prior to my visit, him and Emily were so impressed with my travels that they decided to display both the Guy Fieri signed Triple D poster and the "Guy Ate Here" pan.

My next place was in the downtown area and is open during business hours so I decided to get up early and try to get there shortly after their 630a opening.  "Piroshki on 3rd" is a Russian/European café and bakery.  I ordered from the front counter and found a table in the small dining room.

Piroshki on3rd, a Russian/European Bakery in Downtown Seattle

Front Counter and dining area

I ordered a sausage pastry and a Hot Cross Bun.  The sausage pastry is best described as a pig=in-the-blnket, The pastry roll was delicious.  Growing up I had always heard of Hot Cross Buns but had never had one.  The bun was a round roll with cinnamon and raisins, but was not overly sweet and very good.  I really enjoyed both, my biggest disappointment was the staff was not very friendly and I could sense that although they had both the Triple D poster and pan in display they really couldn't care less about my visit, which was very disappointing.

Piroshki on 3rd's "Guy Ate Here" pan

Sausage Pastry

Hot Cross Bun

My next place is one that has alluded me for a long time.  It's in the Capitol City of Olympia which is  little over a hours drive south of the Seattle airport.     I made a late morning drive because in the afternoon the drive south can be very tough!  I arrived at "Fish Tale Brew Pub" shortly after they opened.  The place has a number of different sections, a family section, bar and a small lounge to try their many beer offerings.  I took a seat in the bar area and was greeted by my server.  They specialize in pub food and local seafood.

In the State Capitol city of Olympia

This is the only mention of being on the show I could find

It's a brew pub, I found this funny!

Inside Fish Tale Brew Pub

I decided to try the Crab Cakes, 3 small cakes served over mixed greens and a side of aioli mayo.  They were really good!  I am a bit spoiled by having the best crab cakes in Baltimore but these were very good, almost on par with what I am used to.  After finishing the meal I asked my server if I could get my book signed and she gave me a very quizzical look but she did.

My Fish Tale Crab Cake meal

As I headed out of Olympia back to Seattle I passed a McDonalds where there as a mild protest going on about wages, I had heard that this was going on around the country but this was first time I had seen it!

A protest at a nearby Olympia, Washington McDonalds

After driving back from Olympia I had two places left to try on this trip.  I had to fight the two negative parts of the Emerald City, rain and traffic! I made my way to a place on the northeast side of the city.  "Wood Shop BBQ" is a small neighborhood place with a large bar.  The walls are decorated with paintings of barbecue smokers, the different types of wood used and their smoke levels and a map of the main barbecue areas of the USA inside an outline of the State of Washington.

Wood Shop BBQ in Seattle

I loved the BBQ wall with info about the popular BBQ areas of the USA 

Surprised to see Salina, Kansas on the BBQ wall!

I went up the bar to order my meal and took a seat at one of the few tables in the dining room.  Wood Shop does a huge take-out business and also a huge business at the bar.  I ordered a half a rack of ribs which came out very quickly.  The rack sat on two slices of white bread and was accompanied by some house made spicy pickles.  On the table was Wood Shops 3 house made sauces, one mild, one hot and another called coffee, which was a medium spice with a gritty coffee taste, it was pretty good.  The ribs were fall off the bone and had a nice heat kick.  They were some of he better ribs that I have ever had!

Wood Shop's Half Rack of Ribs

Wood Shop's sauces - Coffee, Regular and Spicy

After getting my book signed I headed out to my last place on the southwest side of the city.  It took about 30 minutes to get there.  "Bok A Bok Fried Chicken" is in an eclectic neighborhood with all types of restaurants and shops.  I noticed Vietnamese, Mexican, and Italian to name just a few.  Bok A Bok is a Korean place.  I decided to try their specialty and got the Chicken Drumstick plate.  It comes with a choice of sauce and I selected the Sesame Soy Garlic which came on the side.

Bok A Bok in Seattle

The Bok A Bok symbol

That's what Bok A Bok chicken is!

My meal and it was delicious.  The chicken was crunchy fried with flecks of Korean chili in the batter, but it wasn't very spicy.  I asked the chef about it when he came out to sign my book ad he told me that it is freeze dried and chopped so the potency of the spice only comes out when it's cooked out.

Some of the best fried chicken ever!

Bok A Bok's Guy poster

I headed back to the hotel to get ready for my week of work.  This was a great Triple D trip!  I was able to get to my milestone 700th Triple D place made more special by sharing it with my nephew Keith and Michele! My Tripe D count was now 704!

Back in Atlanta - Hurry up and wait!

I was assigned to go to Atlanta for work and decided to try a few more Triple D places.  I was planning to fly down on a Monday but through a huge mistake on my part I ended up flying down a day early and that gave an opportunity to try one more place than planned.


After going to my hotel I headed out to start this new adventure.  On the Northwest side of the city "Greens and Gravy" is a small place specializing in Southern Soul Food.  I entered and was told the wait would be 90 minutes!  I decided to wait it out.  They use an app called "Waitlist" which shows where in the wait line you are and how long you've been waiting.  My Triple D shirt and book garnered some attention during the wait and I chatted with some of the others about my travels.  My main complaint with the way they let people linger well after they are finished,  I realize its hard to tell someone to get going but with a large number of people waiting, it's only fair.  After about 70 minutes I was called in and was seated at a small table.  My server cam over and warmly greeted me.  They have a one sheet menu and looking around at the other tables, their go to item seems to be Fried Chicken.  It looked good but I decided to try the Smothered Pork Chops.  Greens and Gravy is definitely not fast food, as everything is prepared as ordered.

Greens and Gravy in Atlanta

Dining Room

Inside the restaurant

Guy Ate Here wall stencil at Greens and Gravy

The meal came and it was delicious, 2 large pan fried pork chops smothered in a thick cream gravy with peppers and onions, including two large sides, Brussel Sprouts with greens and bacon and a pan skillet of white corn cheese casserole along with a huge flaky biscuit.  This meal was huge which is why I noticed just about every diner getting a to go box!  The chops were perfectly cooked, juicy and delicious.  The sprouts were tasty and the bacon and greens gave it a sweet and sour taste.  The corn was sweet and delicious.  The biscuit was probably one of the best I have ever had!

Smothered Pork Chops and a biscuit

Brussel Sprouts with Green and Bacon

Sweet Corn Casserole

The extremely filling meal was definitely worth the wait.  My trip to Atlanta started in a very delicious way!

The next day I headed out to try a few more places.  After having to wait almost 40 minutes for my car rental, I was on my way.  I went to the town of Smyrna, northwest of the downtown area.   "Yakatori Jinbei" is an Asian restaurant in a small strip mall.  As I walked in  I was greeted by two servers who when they saw my Triple D shirt and book asked me about my travels and apologized that the owner had just stepped out.  The very attentive server told me about the specials and what had been featured on the show.  I decided to try a dish that Guy had tried, the Korean Fried Chicken (or as a friend later told me, the real KFC!).  I was told that the chicken would take about 20 minutes but was worth the wait, will after the 70 minute wait, this was nothing!

Yakatori Jinbei in Syrmna, GA

The meal came and it was great.  The10 pieces of  chicken were deep fried tossed in a spicy Korean sauce was more sweet than spicy and milder than Teriyaki, which was more to my liking.  It was a messy and delicious meal.  The meal was made even better by the friendly and helpful staff!  Their menu also features a full menu of sushi and Ramen soups.  This is a must try place if you're in the Atlanta area.

The Specials Wall 

Guy's Favorite Korean Fried Chicken

After getting my book signed by he two servers I headed out.  My next stop was a few miles away closer to the city in an industrial area surrounded by auto repair shops and body shops.  "Hankook Taqueria" is a fast service place.  As you enter you go into the line to order your food.  The main item is Tacos, but they also make burritos, salads and other Mexican based specialties with a Korean twist.  I decided to try two tacos, The fried fish taco with Korean sauce and lettuce along with a shrimp taco with a spicy sauce along with Korean sauce and lettuce.  Despite being busy my tacos were delivered quickly!

Hankook Taqueria - Mexican with a Korean Twist

The fried Tilapia was moist and tasty and the slightly sweet sauce made the taco even more tasty.  The shrimp taco had a bit of a kick but was equally tasty.  I enjoyed my visit but it was so busy I was unable to really talk to the owner or get my book signed.  Oh well, off to the next!

Hankook Taqueria Fish and Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp Taco

Fish (Tilapia) Taco

I headed out to my last stop of the day and found myself in the middle of Atlanta on the campus of Georgia Tech,  I was very worried about parking as it is at a premium, but was lucky the restaurant  has a small parking area in front but only allows 15 minute parking which made my decision to do take out very easy!  "Rreal Tacos" is a true taqueria featuring Mexican cuisine along Mexican beers and margaritas.  I decided to try 2 tacos, the beef and fish taco.

Rreal Tacos in Atlanta near Georgia Tech

Inside the restaurant

Open Kitchen

Rreal Tacos Guy Ate Here stencil

I waited just a few minutes before my order was ready.  I headed out and back to the hotel to try my meal.  Rreal uses Corn Tortillas which is a change from many places that use the flour ones.  I like the corn as it gives a nice flavor.  The Fish taco was not breaded and fried but grilled white fish and was very tasty.  The marinated beef taco served with beef chunks had a nice marinated flavor to them.  Nothing fancy but just good.

Rreal Tacos Fish Taco o top and Beef on the bottom

It was then off to work.  I made plans to meet up with my high school friend for dinner later in the week.  Jeff picked me up and we headed to my last Triple D place on this trip.  "Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours" is an upscale Southern Soul Food restaurant.  They take traditional soul food and put a unique twist on it.  We were seated at a small table and greeted by our very friendly server, who described the different menu items.  We decided to try  couple of appetizers along with our main meal.

Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours - An upscale Southern Restaurant in Atlanta

We decided to try the Black Eyed Pea Salsa with tortilla chips and the Smoked Salmon Belly Bacon, Creamed Corn Risotto and Crispy Brussel Leaves.  The appetizers came and we were amazed with both.  The Black Eyed Pea Salsa was served cold and was so tasty that it could have easily be a side salad, the chips just added to the dish.  The Salmon Bacon was awesome!  The maple sweet salmon was thick cut and the risotto added a nice creamy texture.  We ere also served a basket of corn bread and sweet potato biscuits.  A very nice start!

Black Eyed Pea Salsa with Tortilla Chips

Smoked Salmon Belly Bacon, Creamed Risotto and Crispy Brussel Leaves

Corn Bread and Sweet Potato Biscuits

For our main meal, Jeff chose the Pork Ribs with Pork Belly Baked Beans and Aunt Lu's Potato Salad and I chose the Mississippi Fried Catfish with Pimento Cheese Grits and a Fried Green Tomato.  The meals were not only beautifully presented but were delicious.  Jeff said the ribs and beans had a real spice kick, my fish was perfectly cooked, tender and tasty.

Pork Ribs, Pork Belly Beans and Potato Salad

Fried Catfish on top of Pimento Cheese Grits and a Fried Green Tomato

The meals were delicious.  It was great to catch up with Jeff and enjoy reminiscing about old times over a great meal.  This entire Triple D journey for me has been made even better by being able to see old friends and make new friends along the way!

Jeff and I after a great meal

Before we left the manager signed my book and we headed out.  It was a fun albeit all too short time together.  I headed home after a week of work in Atlanta and my Triple D count stood at 699, one more to 700!