Getting Away

In July 2015 my dad passed away and it was and still is a huge loss for me.  I lost my mom in 2005 and really depended on my dad's guidance and wisdom for help on decisions and other things.  I will miss him terribly. 

I was given some time off from work and instead of just sitting around home I decided to just get away from the area for a while and just try to get my head back on straight.  I had wanted to get to the Charlotte area to try some more Triple D places so I thought that this would be a good time to do both.  Charlotte is only about a 6 to 7 hour drive so after dad's memorial service was over I headed south to North Carolina. 

After an overnight stop in the High Point area I headed south into Charlotte.  There were 6 places to try and I wanted to get them done over a day, maybe two.  I arrived in the area and headed to a west side neighborhood to my first stop.  "300 East" is a nice café style restaurant that is in an huge turn of the 20th Century home.  It get's it's name from the address 300 East Boulevard.  Inside it is very quaint.  I was seated in a small booth that was built into the curvature of the room.

300 East in Charlotte

I looked over the menu and there were a lot of old style southern meals available, some were a bit more expensive than I would have liked so I decided on one of the quintessential southern sandwiches, a grilled pimento cheese sandwich and kettle chips. 

My 300 East Pimento Cheese sandwich

The sandwich was tasty and not too spicy, which sometimes these sandwiches can be.  As I finished he chef came out to sign my book.  This was a good way to start my Triple D journey in Charlotte. 

I headed out to my next stop.  I knew this would be a very unique stop.  In one of he early seasons of Triple D (they are on season 22, as I write this) they visited a place in Charlotte called The Penguin Drive In.  It was a very cool and fun place but a few years ago the Penguin closed and the co-owner and chef decided to open a new place just a few miles away and purchased an old auto body shop and renovated it into a very eclectic restaurant which he called "Pinky's Westside".  All the fun energy from The Penguin is now at Pinky's and the place was very busy for a Tuesday lunch.  I was seated at a small bar style seat. 

The place was originally called Triple G Automotive and was a body shop that specialized in Volkswagen cars.  Their are two decorated VWs on site, one in the parking lot and one on the roof.  When Guy made his visit he mentioned the Triple G name as one of his Food Network shows is Guy's Grocery Games or Triple G.

Kept the original sign

Pinky's Westside

I decided to try two small items that were featured on the show.  I tried the Viking Dog, which is a fair style Corn Dog and the Crab Puppies, which are hush puppies with crab meat infused.  Both were excellent.  The Crab Puppies were served with a tartar sauce that had a very nice creamy flavor.  I got to talk to a few of the employees who came over to see my book.  The owner was really great and he told me about building the place and his friendship with Guy. 

Inside Pinky's

Viking Dog and Crab Puppies

Crab Puppies

Viking Dog

It was a great visit and if you want to try a real fun, funky joint then Pinky's Westside in Charlotte is the place to try.  I headed off to my next stop just a few miles away.  "Krazy Fish" is built in an old Pizza Hut building and joins Pinky's as a pretty funky joint.  I was warmly greeted by the server who was very enthusiastic and engaging.  I was pretty full from my other stops so I now that I would like to try something  light.  The menu was very eclectic as was the décor.  As I looked over the menu they featured foods and cuisine that was form all over the place, it was, as they put it pretty "krazy"!  There were items from just about every continent.  The menu had a lot of seafood, hence the name, but there were items to satisfy the non-seafood eater, too! 

I chose the Shrimp Gazpacho, which was served in an ice cream sundae glass bowl and featured 6 huge shrimp in a mildly spicy tomato sauce-soup.  I am not a big fan of spice so the mild spice really enhanced the shrimp.  I go tot talk with both the server and the owner and the eclectic décor was mostly given to the owners by guests.  They told a story that they had a 5 foot stuffed Yeti, but it was stolen by a group that had rented the place for a private party.  I think they were more surprised that someone would steal a 5 foot stuffed Yeti right in front of them as being upset that they had lost it!

Shrimp Gazpacho at Krazy Fish

After getting my book signed I headed out to get a place for the night and rest for a bit.  A few hours later I headed back out.  My next stop would be a first for me, a food truck that was featured on the show.  I was off to a truck called "The Tin Kitchen Food Truck".  I had to check their website to see where they would be.  They would be parked at a small brewery called Birdsong Brewery.   I arrived and there it was parked at the edge of the places parking lot.

I decided on two small items, the beef bulgogi slider and the pork belly taco.  The server and chef were great!  Very friendly and I got to chat a but with the server as I awaited my food.  After getting it I went inside to get a drink and tried Birdsong's Peach Ale, a very strong peach based ale.  The two food items were delicious, if you are in Charlotte and see the Tin Kitchen it is a must try!

Where the Tin Kitchen was parked

My Tin Kitchen/Birdsong meal

Pork Bely Taco and Bulgogi Slider

Birdsong Peach Ale

From there I headed out to a place that had a very interesting cuisine combination.  "Intermezzo Pizzeria and Café" fuses Italian and Serbian cuisines.  Now I have had Italian food all my life so I had to try something from the Serbian side of the menu. 

Intermezzo Pizzeria and Café

I chose a traditional Serbian savory pastry meal sort of like an English Pastie that was filled with ground beef and spices.  It was very tasty and served with a green salad with a very tasty balsamic sauce.  I thought the Pastie was little over cooked but I really did enjoy it.  I got my book signed but the staff really seemed a bit confused on what I was doing. 

My Intermezzo meal

I headed off to my last place in Charlotte and this would be the most unique place on my entire Triple D journey!  In the northern area of Charlotte is a place called Victory Lane Carts and inside is a small café called "Pit Road Bar and Grill".  On the episode Guy and NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer visited to drive go karts and Guy tried out the small café, pretty much a large snack bar and I thought this would be good to try a dessert.  The menu is pretty crazy, right up Guy's alley!  One of the items is hamburger slider that incorporates the sweet treat Moon Pies!

I decided on the Hazelnut Nutella Brownie that was topped with Vanilla Ice Cream.  It was very sweet an pretty good and a good way to end the trip.  In the area there were a number of pictures of Guy and they day he was here filming.  He signed a checkered flag that was on display.  Although the food seemed pretty good,  y thought is that they went there so Guy and Clint could drive some karts!

Pit Road's Hazelnut Nutella Brownie

The next day I headed north to visit with some neighborhood friends that had moved to the Greensboro area.  I grew up with Anne and we went though school together and visited with her parents who were unable to get to dad's service, it was a great afternoon of talking about dad and reliving great memories.  From there I headed the small town of Mt. Airy, which is the boyhood home of Andy Griffith and is the basis for the town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS).

I visited the Andy Griffith Museum which are on the grounds of the Andy Griffith Playhouse.  The museum is filled with memorabilia form Andy's professional career focusing on both TAGS and Matlock, there are also posters and pictures from his many movies.  One note if you have never seen Andy's movie from 1957 called "A Face in the Crowd" it is a must see and it is NOT a comedy but a great drama directed by Elia Kazan.

Barney's Sidecar

Andy and Opie Fishin' Hole Statue erected by TV Land

From there I headed onto Main Street which is very much an homage to small town America.  Numerous shops sell TAGS shirts and memorabilia.  A stop in Mt. Airy requires a stop at a place that was mentioned on the show once and was a place that Andy ate at growing up, the Snappy Lunch.  It is a small café that has the "must eat" sandwich on any visit and has been called by North Carolina Magazine as the one sandwich that you must try while in North Carolina, the Snappy Lunch Pork Chop Sandwich, which is a boneless pork chop topped with Cole Slaw, chili tomato and a squirt of mustard, it is heavy and delicious.  I enjoyed it along with a Tenderloin Buscuit.

Downtown Mt. Airy

A Mayberry Must - The Snappy Lunch

Snappy's Tenderloin Buscuit

Snappy's World Famous Pork Chop Sandwich

I headed back home with my Triple D count at 415, but with a heavy heart, it was great to get away to clear my head for a few days, but I will really miss my dad, he will always be in my heart and I can honestly say that all the good that I have is due to him!

Quick Trip to Milwaukee to say goodbye to a friend

One of my best and closest friends is Jeanne, I met her 25 years ago when we were both cruising  on a great old ocean liner called the SS Norway (originally the SS France).  Since then we have cruised together many times.  I have also cruised with two of her 4 sisters and we always have a great time together.  Jeanne and her family live in Wisconsin just outside Milwaukee.  In recent month's Jeanne mother had not been doing so well, Jeanne is a nurse so in her off times she has been taking care of her.  I knew that she was not doing well but was shocked and saddened when Jeanne called and told me that her mother had passed away.  I really waned to go to attend the funeral but figured that I wouldn't be able to get the time off to travel.  I was very surprised when my manager not only allowed me but almost insisted on it!  I work for a really great manager!

I decided that I would travel up the day before, flying to Chicago and driving up to her home town of Waukesha less than 2 hours drive from O'Hare and west of Milwaukee.  I had the night before the funeral free and figured that with two Triple D places in the area, why not try them out!  After taking a noon flight from Dulles, I got the car and headed toward Milwaukee.  Let me tell you the best job in the Chicago area might be a road contractor!  The roads all around O'Hare were pretty torn up and don't even ask me about the traffic lights near the Des Plaines METRA Rail stations, one was 4 minutes long!  I finally make it to the Illinois Thruway for the drive north.  I passed some pretty cool places like Six Flags America, Gurnee Mills, and the Cheese Castle! 

Both places I wanted to try were in the city and even though I arrived in the middle of the afternoon. traffic was not too bad.  My first stop was a place that is unique to Milwaukee "Cempazuchi" is a Mexican Café and the day I arrived was Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday. 

Cempazuchi - The Mexican Café in the middle of Milwaukee

FIESTA!

I was surprised as it was fairly busy, but not as busy as I thought it would be on a special Mexican day.  The place is decorated with a lot of bright colors and cool Mexican artwork.  After being seated I was served a bowl of house made chips and two different types of salsas. 

Chips and Salsa service at Cempazuchi

The salsas were very interesting.  One was in a red ramekin and that was very spicy so I just tried it once.  The other was in a yellow ramekin and it had a bit of a kick but was delicious.  There were a lot of spices in it but the one I really could taste was cinnamon, it remided me of the Cincinnati Chili at Hard Times Café in Manassas.  The home hamde chips were great, too!  I ordered one of the dishes that Guy made on his visit.  The Duck Taco plate. 

My Taco platter at Cempazuchi

The platter came with black beans, rice and a mango salsa.  The tacos was topped with cilantro and diced pineapple.  I must admit that I was a bit disappointed because the duck was diced small that it really didn't have much flavor and if I didn't know that is was duck I would have thought it was chicken.  The diced Mango salsa and rice were awesome!  The owner came out and signed my book and we spoke for a short moment.  I did like Cempazuchi and would like to go back and try something else.

I headed out to the next stop which was not too far away.  The place is well known amongst Triple D fans.  "Comet Café" is known to many as -The Bacon Place- each Sunday they serve bowls of bacon with all drink orders and their menu is very bacon oriented.  I was there on a Tuesday so no bacon bowl for me. 

Comet Café in Milwaukee

The Specialties of the Comet Cafe

Welcome to the Comet!

I decided to try the Open Face Meatloaf sandwich.  Not only was it one of the dishes that Guy made on the Comet episode but it also featured bacon!  The Meatloaf is encrusted in bacon and two strips topped the sandwich.  I wasn't sure what to expect but was very surprised when it arrived.

The Open Face Meatloaf Sandwich at Comet Cafe

Another view of my sandwich

The sandwich arrived and looked more like a small tower!  The base of the sandwich was a thick slice of Re bread with mashed potatoes, the meatloaf. tomatoes and onions, surrounded by a moat of gravy with a huge knife stuck through it!  This was a very full meal!  The meatloaf was awesome, potatoes very good, tasty sauce but as Guy would say "the kicker is" the Rye Bread, both delicious and salty to add great flavor.  My server signed my book and even though they had some great looking desserts I was way too full to try any.  As I was waiting for the check I noticed a lot of cool signs and place settings, this is a place that I really want to revisit. 

Weekly Drink Specials

I don't why but I really fund this a pretty cool place setting

I headed out a travelled west to Waukesha to visit with Jeanne and her family and celebrate her mother's life and support my friend.  My DDD count was now up to 408 but this was totally a bittersweet trip!

Hitting the Road after a hard winter! "Here I come Atlantic City"

After a pretty hard winter and having passed the milestone 400th visit a few months back it was time to get back on the DDD road. 

One sidebar story, a few weeks before making this trip I was interviewed on a television show called "Potluck" which is produced and shown on the Fairfax Cable Access station Channel 10.  As I write this it has yet to be shown but in the next few days it will be and then it will be posted on You Tube.  The show is hosted by Laura Hartman and she interviewed me about my DDD travels.  It was fun and turned out pretty well.  Their website is www.potluck-online.org .Hope you get the chance to catch it

Guy is opening a restaurant in one of the casinos in Atlantic City (AC) and while he was there overseeing it's construction he visited 6 places.  AC is within driving distance so I figured "why not".  I left Dulles about 9a for the drive up and after having to make a detour through DC due to the Beltway traffic I made pretty good time.  The drive through rural Southern New Jersey is pretty interesting!  You pass the Cow Town Rodeo center, the town of Elmer, and a place called Kountry Kitchen which advertises "Good Vittles"!

I arrived about 1p at my first stop in the town of Somers Point.  "Grilled Cheese & Crab Cake Company" is a small restaurant in a strip mall near the center of town.  It seats about 30 and does a huge carry-out business.  The place is decorated with beach and seaside photos and pictures.  I decided to try one of the sandwiches that Guy tried, the Grilled Crabby Melt.  It's a grilled Monterrey Cheese sandwich with a Crab Cake center, it was very good.  The bread was thick and toasted hard.  It was better to eat it open faced.  The crab cake was tasty and the cheese very gooey.

The Crabby Melt

The Goodies Inside

I really like the food but I found the service to be just adequate and not very friendly.  When I asked to get my book signed they seemed to be taken aback and finally the server took it back to someone to sign it, so all in all the food was very good but not a place I would go back to unless I was in the area.

I headed to my second place which was also in Somers Point but on the other side of town, it took me about 10 minutes to get there.  "The Anchorage Tavern" is a huge seaside building that looks more like a bed and breakfast with a big front porch.  As I entered I was surprised because I thought it would be more of a turn of the 20th Century motif but there was a huge bar in the center of the room and tables around the rest of the room.  I was warmly greeted by the wait staff and my server reminded me of the two dishes that Guy had, the main meal was a dinner only choice and the other was a appetizer, and I told "That's what I want!".

The appetizer was a meat stuffed cannelloni.  It was a perfect size for me and tasted great.  Covered in a tasty tomato sauce, it really hit the spot.  The chef who did all the prep work for their DDD episode came out and signed my book and we chatted for a few minutes about the shoot.  This was such a change from my first stop, I would like to come back and visit this place, the menu was large and varied.

My Cannelloni Appetizer

The Meat Stuffing

I headed out from Somers Point to the town of Northfield.  The drive took about 20 minutes and when I arrived at "Carluccio's Coal Fired Pizza" I was taken aback because it looked like it might have been born as a doughnut shop, but as I entered I knew this was no doughnut shop!  The wonderful smell of tomato sauce and pizzas wafted through the place.  I decided to get a slice to go to try later.  I asked to get my book signed and I was able to meet Mr. and Mrs. Carluccio and the manager.  We had a wonderful conversation and they told me about the shoot and some of the crew.  It was funny because a customer or two heard the conversation and chimed in.  Carluccio's has a very loyal following , it is a Northfield favorite!

Pizza Selections in the window

I chose a Meat Lover's slice and it was loaded with Sausage, Meatballs, and Pepperoni and topped with sun dried tomatoes, smelled great in the car and was tasty both hot and cold!

From Northfield I made the 20 minute drive into Atlantic City to my hotel to settle in a relax for a few hours.  Atlantic City is interesting, on the Boardwalk (which is right on the ocean) and by the Marina there are several big and glitzy hotels and casinos.  My hotel was right next to Resorts and from my room I could see the Trump Taj Mahal and Bally's.  Out on the Marina there is Harrah's and the Borgata.  There are a few more but those were the ones closest to where I stayed.  Just a few blocks away it is very poor, very sad to see.

I headed off for dinner at a place that is about 20 minutes drive north in n the town of Leeds Point.  "The Oyster Creek Inn Restaurant" is on the Oyster Creek and in a very marshy area.  It is not too far from the ocean and you can smell the salt air as you walk to the entrance.  The place looks like a typical seaside lodge.  They also have a pier for those that want to boat in!

If you want to boat in, here is your parking!

I entered into a big place and was seated at a table in the middle of the room.  I had chosen this place for dinner because it's only open for dinner and on Thursday (the day I was going to visit) they have a Customer Appreciation Menu for $24 and the choices are vast, a full 4 course meal.  I arrived about 5:15p and as I looked over the menu I noticed that they have a daily early bird menu that was good until 5:30p, which wasn't as vast as the Customer Appreciation Menu but was full of great choices at $17, so I chose that.  The menu includes an appetizer or soup, salad, main entrée with two sides and dessert. On the table were fresh rolls, butter and a bowl of huge Oyster Crackers.  After making my dinner choices I noticed on the wall the original menu signs from when the place opened in 1938.  Can you imagine Fish Platter for under a buck or a case of beer for 2 bucks!

The original menu signs

I had a choice of Salmon Croquettes or soup as my appetizer and it came out with a balsamic sauce.  Very good, like a crab cake but with salmon. The salad came out next and those Oyster cracker made really good croutons for the salad!

Salmon Croquettes Appetizer

Salad service with a big bowl of Oyster crackers

I had asked the server which main meal she recommended and she immediately said the crab cake, which is perfect as that's my favorite seafood dish!  I chose the wild rice and glazed carrots as the sides.  The cake was small but had little to no filling, it was all crab and delicious!  I guess I have never had real glazed carrots, the glaze was orange based and a bit on the sweet side but delicious. 

Crab Cake Dinner with Rice and Glazed Carrots

I was getting pretty full and almost passed on the dessert and then was told that the dessert were mini sized choices.  Now I figure that many of you figure that mini size is cheating but in reality mini size is the perfect ending to a great meal and I chose the mini cheesecake.  Not too big but perfectly sized tasty!

My dessert

I headed back to the hotel after a great first day of this DDD trip.  Just two more places to try in the morning and then back home. 

I headed out about 8am to a place in Atlantic City about 10 minutes from the hotel.  On Melrose Avenue you'll find "Kelsey and Kim's Southern Café".  I entered the place which is in a strip mall that like some of the places that are in Ocean City, Maryland.  I was warmly greeted by Juan who was both greeter and server.  This is very southern cuisine and I chose the Chicken and Waffles.  Juan told me that it would take about 20 minutes because they cook to order, not a problem for me!  He was very warm with both me and the family that was also there.  He signed my book during the wait and told me about their filming.  He said to me "You're a Foodie" and I said that I wasn't too sure about that but I was a Guy-ie!  The entire staff will be Guy's guests then they open the local AC restaurant in the near future which will be called "Guy's Chophouse"

Juan brought my meal and warned me that the chicken was hot and it was, just out of the fryer.  I waited for a few minutes before enjoying the meal.  The chicken's batter was really good and I could taste a hint of horseradish in the batter, so maybe I am a foodie, after all.  The waffle was really delicious and served with warm syrup.  This is one place that if you are in AC make a side trip to Kelsey and Kim's!

I left and headed to my last place which wasn't a restaurant at all.  About 10 minutes north in the town of Brigantine is the "Ernest and Son Butcher Shop".  This is a real butcher and sandwich shop.  When I made my sandwich choice the butcher told me to pick my roll.  In a covered bin in front of the display  case were4 or 5 different styles of rolls.  I chose a Kaiser style roll and the butcher made my "The Pete" sandwich with Turkey, onion, sweet peppers, oil, oregano, and the item that really made this a great sandwich, sharp provolone cheese!  This was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. 

The "Guy Ate Here" on a cooking sheet pan

My "The Pete" sandwich

I didn't eat it immediately but had it a few hours later and this is the way to do because all the ingredients sort of mix and marinate to make a great sandwich even better.

I headed home and it took almost 5 hours!  Isn't 95 a great road, someone please tell me why all the slow cars drive in the left lane, just wondering!?

Getting back on the road was great and now my count is at 406!