Early 2009

In November 2008 "Diners Drive-ins and Dives; An All American Roadtrip with recipes" was published.  This book quickly became a best seller and I made sure to get myself a copy.  The book has a list of all the places that Guy has visited (at the time of printing) and also features some of the locations that he has visited and includes some of the recipes of the meals that were shown on the show.  The book became a constant companion of mine as soon as I got it.

As the new year began I knew there were alot of places all over the country I wanted to try.  The show is so enjoyable and fun to watch that I really wanted to try them all (everyone says that and is probably impossible to someone like me) but I really wanted to get around.  As I have said in earlier blogs, I love to take cruises and for the past three years I have taken a cruise around the Super Bowl, you can't beat watching the big game while crusisng the warm waters of either the Atlantic or Caribbean!  I arrived two days before the big game and just know I had to get back to Scully's!  I was cruising with my friends Jeanne and Leslie and since Jeanne flew  in early and we had several hours to kill before Leslie arrived I told Jeanne that we had to go to Scully's.  I felt home as I walked back in and took my seat at the bar and had the same waiter.  I had such fond memories of both Scully's and the staff there that in a moment of genius I thought I need to get Scully's owner Chris to sign my DDD book.  He signed on his photo and a new tradition for me had begun, since then I have tried to get someone form the location to sign my book.  Ideally I would like it to be the owner or better yet, the chef that cooked with Guy.  That night I had to try the sandwich that Chris and Guy cooked on DDD.  It was a delicious sandwich called "Potato Chip Encrusted Mahi-Mahi".  The worst part of going to Scully's is DECIDING which menu item to try!  You really can't go wrong!

In late February I took some time off work to make a trip out to Southern California to go an reconnect with Mickey and his friends at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim and also try some places that I saw on DDD.  All I'll say about my Disney trip is that although my favorite Disney park is Epcot in Florida, Disneyland is a very close second!  I have found a really inexpensive hotel chain in California called "Good Nite Inn" and they have a location near Disney and at about 40 bucks a night it makes it much more affordable to take a quick Disney trip, it's no frills but really fits the bill.  On the way from LAX to Anaheim I stopped for breakfast in a town called San Pedro, which is where the Port of Los Angeles is located and also home to the Gaffey Street Diner.  On the show Guy met and cooked with a husband a wife team that are making some really good food.  Their specialty is Eggs Benedict and so that's what I got.  The real kicker is the ham slab is larger than the two english muffins that it sits on!  Unfortunately I did not get to meet the owners but the signature thing was still pretty new.  After a day at the park I decided to drive about 30 minutes from the park to a small town called Gardena.  In the middle of the road on a divided street sits "JB's Barbecue".  JB's is strictly a carry-out place (although there are a few picnic tables, but it was dark so I took my meal back to the hotel).  As I ordered I noticed that the main cook was eyeing my DDD book.  He asked about it and as we chatted I remembered him from the show, he was the son of the owner and mian cook at JB's!  He signed the book and made me a very good Memphis style rib dinner.  JB's owner, Beverly Neeley, is the sister of Memphis barbecue legend Big Jim Neeley owner of Interstate Barbecue, I think they are also related to the Food Network host of "Downhome Cooking with the Neeleys."  If you are in Gardena you should make a stop at JB's.  The next morning before heading to Disney for my second day on my two-day ticket I drove to Long Beach to try a place called "Schooner or Later".  On the show Guy didn't drive up in his usual 1967 Red Camaro but cruised in in a Boston Whaler boat.  Schooner is on the waterfront in Long Beach.  Most of the seating is outdoors but I got there so early that I sat inside and got the famous egg dish called "Schulzies Mess".  The 'Mess" is a huge mixture of eggs, peppers, onions, cheese, etc, that reminded me or my grandmothers favorite lunch!  If you decide to vist 'Schooner' get there early or plan to wait.  After two days with Mickey, I moved up the coast to visit with my cruise buddy, Leslie in Santa Monica and stopped in Venice Beach along the way to try "Baby Blues Barbecue".  They cook all types of barbecue at Baby Blues, but it was pretty different than JB's.  The real great dish at Baby Blues is the Mac and Cheese.  If you get nothing else get the Mac and Cheese!  Parking can be tough around the restaurant but worth the visit!

In April I decided to make a trip to visit Mickey, but this time in Florida.  Ever since I saw two locations featured on DDD I said "I HAVE TO GO THERE!"  I drove from Orlando to Sarasota to the Alpine Steakhouse.  Alpine is a restaurant that has the feel of a butcher shop.  Their specialty is TURDUCKEN!  If you are not sure what that is, it's a chicken stuffed in a duck which is stuffed in a turkey.  At Alpine they debone all three birds and layer the meats with a stuffing binder. I was familiar with Turducken and here was my chance to try it!  I got to meet the owner and he told me that the way Guy found his place was that Guy sends to his parents a Turducken each year and was using a shop in Jacksonville, FL.  As it happened that shop closed and he was led to Alpine.  Guy decided that he wanted to feature Alpine on DDD and they called and the owner was skeptical so until he had researched and seen the show he resisted.  It is one of my favorite episodes!  After a turducken lunch it was on the Pasadena, FL which is south of St. Petersburg and a place called "Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish".  Peters has an indoor area to eat but most of the seating is outdoors and in back of the kitchen area are several smoke houses where many types of fish are smoked but Florida Grouper is by far the best seller.  I got the Smoked Fish spread.  It came with crackers and was very tasty, I was still pretty full from the Turducken, but I figure that someday I'll get back there for a full Smoked Fish meal!

I now can officially say that I had the fever, Ted Peters was location number 23!