Rackin'em up!

My sister Sue, lives just outside Williamsport, PA, yes the same Williamsport that hosts the Little League World Series (LLWS) each August, and not to get off point too much, there is no sporing event that is more fun and affordable to attend as the LLWS.  Sue has two kids Elaine and Keith and in may 2009 Keith was about to graduate from Penn State and they had planned a graduation party in early May.  I was planning to go and was trying to figure out how to visit a few DDD places on this trip.  My plan grew and I saw an opportunity to visit places in Baltimore, Philly, Jersey, and even Pittsburgh!

I left work on a Friday after work about 1pm and didn't have to be at Sue's until Saturday about 5pm, so I drove up to Baltimore for a quick Hot Dog lunch at "G and A Restaurant".  This is a small eatery on the north side of the city that is like a lunch counter that specializes in hot dogs, the owner Andy was really happy that I had come by and he had me sign his guest book after he signed my DDD book.  I had been in that area about a month before visiting a great Italian deli called "DiPasquales".  Funny, DiPasquales is a deli store with a seating area built in.  As soon as I said why I was there the owner just made the DDD menu order, Rice Balls and Lasagna and both were very good.  While there I ran into a couple doing the same thing as I, visiting DDD places, they would not be the first people I ran into doing this. 

I left G and A and headed north to the Philly area.  I had made a hotel reservation just outside Philly in the Cherry Hill, NJ area and would use it as a jumping off point to visit several places.  My first stop was in Hightstown, NJ at the aptly named Hightstown Diner, a classic Jersey diner, railroad car design with sliver and chrome.  I got the classic diner meal, cream chipped beef on toast or better know as SOS!  I left Hightstown and headed into the NE Philly area to try a place called the Dining Car.  On the episode Guy had a really good time with Larry the chef there and cooked a Philly classic meal, Chicken Croquettes. They were excellent but the meal came with so many sides that I was about to bust as I left to go back to the hote.  As I was trying to get my book signed, they told me that Larry was not in so the other chef signed it, oh well, just one of those things.

Another Food Network show I enjoy is "Throwdown with Bobby Flay".  On one of it's episodes they had a Grilled Cheese Throwdown with a place in Jersey called "The Pop Shop".  I looked on the map and saw that it wasn't too far from where I was staying and along the route I needed to take to get to my sister's.  I stopped in during breakfast hours.  The Pop Shop is an old fashioned soda shop-restaurant and it is very popular!  I took a seat at the bar and looked over the menu, no  sandwiches.  before ordering I chatted with the owner and guy that Bobby had his throwdown with.  I told him about my visiting DDD places and he told me he had been trying to get Guy to come and visit his shop, I told him that I would send in a email suggestion.  When I was asked about ordering I asked about getting a Grilled Cheese and was told, that I couldn't get one as it was only breakfast, so I ordered something, I can't even recall what but was very disappointed.  What is grilled cheese?  Bread, cheese, coked on a grill, all the same things being made for breakfast and the most ironic thing is that I could've ordered a Banana Split, not really a breakfast item!  I left disappointed and did I send in a recommendation - NO WAY!!!  So now what to do, I was still hungry and had some time to kill before having to get to my sister's.  Well, let's go back to the Dining Car!  I got there and got one of the last seats at the bar, the Dining Car on a Saturday morning is POPULAR!  As I was eating I saw Larry, the chef that cooked with Guy.  What a nice guy!  Even though it was busy, after asking him to sign the book, he spent a good 5 minute talking to me and telling me all about the filming the previous summer. At the end of the episode they show an outtake from the filming there and what Larry told me that when they filmed there it was so hot that the crew brought in portable fans and air conditioners and that Guy's son Hunter spent the entire shoot standing in front of the AC's.  I have very fond memories of The Dining Car!

Off to Sue's I went and after a fun time celebrating Keith's graduation I was planning a morning departure for Pittsburgh.  It was Mother's Day 2009 and I had no real time plans, I was just planning to leave as soon as I got up.  That night I just didn't sleep well, so at about 5, I decided to stop trying and get ready to go.  I left before 6am and headed west on I-80.  I got into the  city around 8 or 830a and went to the Dormont area of Pittsburgh to a place called the Dor-Stop.  It is THE place to go for weekend breakfast in Pittsburgh, so I saw there was lot of people standing around waiting to get a table I hunkered in for what I thought would be a long wait.  I guess this is where being a group of one pays off.  They seated me immediately at the last seat at the grill bar.  I got the Dor-Stop;s version of the 'mess' that I had eaten out in Long Beach and it was delicious.  Both the owner and chef that had cooked with Guy signed the book and seemed very happy and honored that I had made the trip to visit them, in honesty, the honor was all mine!

After checking in to a hotel for the night I went on to try two more places, the first was a smoky bar called "Nadines".  There was only one employee there and the places was packed with neighborhood regulars.  I waited a while to be served and tried something I had always been curious to try, "Grilled Bologna Sandwich".  I didn't realize that it was loaded with jalapenos so it was way too spicy for me.  Nadines is famous the DDD fans as the place that the oven door is held by a string that happened to break while they were filming.  I think the next time in go to Pittsburgh I am going to revisit Nadines.  Off to the next place a cool little diner in a strip mall in the Penn Hills section of the city called "Kelly O's".  Kelly O'Connor is a single mom who has created a very popular diner and had a great time cooking with Guy.  Since I had just eaten I decided to try a smaller dish and tried the pollenta that she had made with Guy.  It was pretty good and as I asked Kelly to sign the book she looked through it (her location wasn't in the book as her episode was featured after the book was published.  She chose to sign on the page for the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore saying about the owner Sara "She's seems like a pretty cool chick".  For dinner I headed to a small town call Blaunox to try a smokey place called the Starlite Lounge.  The Starlite is known for it's Perogies, the polish ravioli like pasta.  They were great and from there is was back home and now I had 30 places visited!