Where did you eat this summer?

OK, we're now two weeks past Labor Day and it's now time to turn-in your RoadFood scorecards as to where you ate this summer. I'll start with a few:

Maine...Moody's Diner, Waldoboro (superb, as always, including blueberry pie for breakfast); Gilbert's Chowder House, Portland (think, stoic chowder...thank you, wandering jew!); The Brown Bag, Rockland (perfect breakfast); Annabell's, Vinalhaven (a new favorite ice cream from this NH producer); Bob's Clam Hut, Kittery (a long-overlooked stop that we popped into after this summer's article in Down East -- a true diamond in the rough); and the Coal Wharf, North Haven (fresh, local scallops).

Massachusetts...Woodman's, Essex (great clams); and Kane's Doughnuts, Saugus (New England doughnuts don't get better than this, folks).

Connecticut...Phillip's Diner, Woodbury (overrated and disappointing); and UCONN Dairy Bar, Storrs (cute, very good ice cream).

New Jersey...Rutt's Hut, Clifton (always a hit -- especially for a 10 am "Ripper.")

Maryland...Timbuktu, Hanover (lunch with signman featuring crabcakes rivaling that of G&M); Bethesda Crab House, Bethesda (arm pit, yes, but darn good crabs); and Cantler's, Annapolis (ahh...rockfish with a water view).

Virginia...BBQ at Buz & Ned's (Richmond), Smoky Pig -- last weekend (Ashland) and Mighty Midget Kitchen (Leesburg) along with dinners at the jointly-owned Mamma Zu and Edo's Squid (both superb for whole fish), Richmond; Millie's, Richmond (there is no better brunch); Chick's Oyster Bar, Virginia Beach (again, superb food with great water view); and Doumar's, Virginia Beach (home of the ice cream cone).


I'm sure I've missed some -- and skipped the more mundane ones -- but, frankly, I'm stuffed.

We ate at the new New Paltz Indian Restaurant, a few blocks from our house. No one in the place speaks English and no one in my family speaks Hindi or any other of the 128 languages spoken on the sub-continent.

The menu advertised "a little Indian bird".
Me (to the waiter): "What's a little Indian bird"?
Waiter: (Looking where I'm pointing on the menu) "Yes, little Indian bird".
This act was repeated several times until I tired of it and ordered our lunch. The lunch turned out to be an excellent spicy soup and a loaf of very good bread, my little indian bird (about the size of a Robin) and more bread - this time a huge puffed up kind of pita, rice and a third bread, a kind of spicy lamb stew, and dessert. Actually ,I liked it all very much ,but next time I want to know how to say ,"Hold the bread".

And we ate BBQ in four joints in Lexington North Carolina - well worth the trip!

Cheers, John

I ate at Tony's, in Birch Run, Michigan. I had the BLT, which had a pound of bacon in it, and they cook the bacon in the deep fat fryer.

yes, it was as good as all that.

On one our road trips to Roanoke this summer Linda and I stopped for lunch at The Bedford Restaurant on U.S. Rt. 460 in Bedford, VA. It's a very friendly little restaurant that is patronized by the locals, and of course many of the customers knew one another. They have their own smokin' barbeque pit building out back, so we had to try the 'Q. Linda had the brisket sandwich platter, and I had the pulled pork sandwich platter. I thought mine was quite good, but Linda's was average at best. A nice pleasant place with friendly service. We would stop in again.

Frank

June: We ate halibut, king crab, shrimp on our boat.

July: We ate halibut, king crab, shrimp on our boat,

August: We ate halibut, king crab, shrimp AND salmon on our boat.
[|)][|)]

Our "Roadfood season" starts now, when we start travelling to the Lower 48 because the boat is out of the water!!!

Sweatman' BBQ in Holly Hill, SC; Everything it's cracked up to be!

Damn, I95 now I know why you couldn't make it to the Cheesesteak Tour! You were EVERYWHERE else!!!

quote:

Originally posted by CheeseWit

Damn, I95 now I know why you couldn't make it to the Cheesesteak Tour! You were EVERYWHERE else!!!

Not exotic, obviously, CW, but clearly focussed on the northeast quadrant. I hear that there are states south and west of the Mason Dixon line, too. Hmmmm.....

cheesesteak tour? I hate it when i miss cool stuff. I've really got to start checking this site out more often.

quote:

Originally posted by Goose

cheesesteak tour? I hate it when i miss cool stuff. I've really got to start checking this site out more often.

The first one was Sat. July 31st. We're hoping to have another one this fall in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

quote:

Originally posted by i95

quote:

Originally posted by CheeseWit

Damn, I95 now I know why you couldn't make it to the Cheesesteak Tour! You were EVERYWHERE else!!!

Not exotic, obviously, CW, but clearly focussed on the northeast quadrant. I hear that there are states south and west of the Mason Dixon line, too. Hmmmm.....

There are???

Central Texas: City Market, Luling; Black's, Lockhart; Kreutz, Lockhart- all excellent for Q as usual; Monument Cafe, Georgetown (CFS).

Between here and there: Vencik's Smokehouse, East Bernard: sausages and kolaches, worth a 120 mile round trip from Houston to stock up on sausages. Ruthie's, Navasota: brisket, sausage (Elgin hot guts), mutton ribs, this place is okay but not worth a 150 mile round trip from Houston. Consider it if you're visiting in nearby Bryan-College Station or touring Blue Bell at Brenham.

Fort Worth: Massey's for CFS - I don't know if this is the gold standard for CFS but it was awfully good and I loved the cute young waitress calling me 'hon.' Kincaid's - the burger; everything it's cracked up to be plus awesome onion rings (I've never had onion rings that cruncky and I liked 'em). Steak and Shake in Grapevine - original double and shake - excellent burger. I missed Babe's in Roanoke for fried chicken because it's closed on Monday.

Oklahoma: Johnnie's Grill, El Reno for excellent onion fried burger and coney island with sweet slaw.

Galveston: Leon's World's Finest In and Out BBQ - brisket, 'young and tender ribs,' 'Leon's special stepped-up rice,' - all excellent -this is the best bbq on the island and one of the best of the East Texas/Southern Black style of bbq. Benno's on the Beach - good Gulf Coast counter service seafood joint on Seawall Blvd overlooking the surf. Roger's Malt Shoppe (Dickinson) - so-so 50s burgers in a place that needed cleaning.

Closer to home, right here in Houston I made my first visits ever to Pig Stand # 7 for the CFS and pig sandwich. Great CFS but I wasn't that impressed with the pig sandwich. I've been hitting a lot of other local road food places recently with camera and notepad getting ready to post some reviews (I hope).

quote:

Originally posted by hermitt4d

Oklahoma: Johnnie's Grill, El Reno for excellent onion fried burger and coney island with sweet slaw.

I just completed a road trip eastbound on I-40 and returning westbound on I-10. I also ate at Johnnie's and enjoyed a coney with chili and slaw as well as the coconut cream pie. In addition, ate a Meersburger and a cherry cobbler at the Meers store. In Arkansas, ate BBQ at Sims in Little Rock and Craig's in DeVall's Bluff. Sim's is very good but Craig's was exceptional. Mary of The Family Pie shop was at the doctor so her pies were at Craig's. The chocolate cream pie was really good. Had Corky's ribs (without sauce) and tamales in Memphis. Followed with ribs at Dreamland in Birmingham, AL and ate chili dogs at the Varsity in Atlanta. Wanted to eat at Elizabeth's and Uglesich's in New Orleans but Hurricane Ivan chased us out so I had to settle for one meal at KPaul's which was very good. On the way out of New Orleans, ate boudin and lemon cake at a gas station in Lawtelle. By the time we got to Houston it was breakfast at the Waffle House and then the drive home. Next time, I won't try the drive during hurricane season.

1. The backyard picnic table-The Redtressed Home-Morgantown WV
2. The deck in the trees-The Redtressed Home-Morgantown WV
3. The Living Room-The Redtressed Home-Morgantown WV
4. The Dining Room- The RedtressedHome-Morgantown WV
5. My Bedroom-The Redtressed Home-Morgantown WV
6. The Wrap around porch-The Redtressed Home-Morgantown , WV
7. McDonalds-Westover WV
8. My ex-mother-in-laws-Bruceton Mills , WV

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

June: We ate halibut, king crab, shrimp on our boat.

July: We ate halibut, king crab, shrimp on our boat,

August: We ate halibut, king crab, shrimp AND salmon on our boat.
[|)][|)]

Our "Roadfood season" starts now, when we start travelling to the Lower 48 because the boat is out of the water!!!

Need a deckhand? I tie a mean bowlin'......

Let's see.....this summer......

Oysters and clam chowder at Anthony's in Gig Harbor WA.
Prime Rib and Crab-stuffed Mushrooms on the sundeck in Mammoth Lakes CA....
Date Shakes at the Candy Kitchen in Santa Claus, CA
Squash Tamales with Cream Sauce and Grilled Pork with Pasilla Peppers at la Super Rica in Santa Barbara, CA
Cheese and Onion Quesadillas, Grilled Hamburgers and Porterhouse Steaks on the patio in Long Beach, CA for July 4th (great margaritas too!)
Chicken Fried Steak at the Mt. Whitney Family Restaurant in Lone Pine, CA and the Main Street Cafe in Ventura, CA
Green Tomato Pickles at Charlie Brown's in Littlerock, CA
Santa Maria Tri-Tip with Beans and Garlic Bread at one of the many weekend grills on Broadway in Santa Maria CA


Now I know why I gained weight this summer!

Massachusetts-close to home:
Londi's Roast Beef, Burlington-huge sandwiches
Augusta Market, Billerica-great Chicken Cutlet subs
Burlington Cold Cut and Grocery-another "real" chicken cutlet sub
Dandelion Green, Burlington
Boston: Plaza3,Kingfish Hall (dessert), La Famiglia Giorgio,Durgin Park,Border Cafe,Trattoria il Panino (express),Cafe Vittoria,Modern Pastry,Maria's Pastry,Bova Bakery, and the Ritz Carlton
Bella Luna Cafe, Salem...Deluxe Town Diner, Watertown (great breakfast food)...Arlington Diner, Arlington...George's Deli, Lowell (great steak subs)...Hawthorne Hotel, Salem (great jazz brunch)
Maine:
The Dog House, Kittery...Flo's Hot Dogs, York...Clay Hill Farm (our wedding reception),York..Gabriel's in Wells...Litchfield's in Wells...Big Daddy's in Wells (great ice cream)..Maine Diner, Wells...Dairy Queen...Kennebunk Sausage Company,Kennebunk...Federal Jack's/Kennebunkport Brewing Company....Squaretoes, Kennebunk (since sold to new owners)...Arundel Seafood Center, Arundel...Becky's Diner at Hobson's Wharf, Portland...Bet's Fish Fry, Boothbay (one of the best fish fries I have ever had) ...Moody's Diner, Waldoboro
Vermont:
Champlain Valley Fair...original A&W, Middlebury....Wayside Restaurant, Montpelier
Montreal (the Just for Laughs Festival in July):
Fairmount Bagel Bakery...St Viateur Bagels...Alouette Steak House...Le Keg Steakhouse...Le Jardin Nelson...Le 3 Brasseurs (post entertainment alcohol)...La Belle Province (poutine)....Second Cup for java....Frits Alors (belgian frites)....Montreal Pool Room (hot dogs)...Maple Delights (sweet snacks)...
Mail Carnival (more sweet snacks)..and of course..Schwartz's Hebrew Deli (king of smoked meat)
NH:
Down N' Dirty BBQ- Manchester...New Hampshire State Liquor Outlet (merlot and cosmo mix)
Maryland, NC, and Virginia( the honeymoon trip):
Brady's Bridge Diner, Havre de Grace...Milwaukee Frozen Custard,Manassas...Ben's Whole Hog BBQ, Manassas...Apple Barn BBQ, Front Royal....Mitchie Tavern,Charlottesville...Chaps Ice Cream,Charlottesville...Rostov's Coffee, Richmond...Galaxy Diner,Richmond...Buz and Ned's Real BBQ, Richmond...Biscuit Kitchen, New Bern,NC....Carolla Village BBQ, Carolla,NC
Key West:(evacuating company outing in Fort Lauderdale for Hurricane Jeanne)
2 Friends Patio(conch fritters,snapper and mahi-mahi)...Hard Rock Cafe...Hog's Breath Saloon (great punch)...Curry Mansion (breakfast on the veranda)....Turtle Kraals (yummy skirt steak and real mashed potatoes on the waterfront)...Flying Monkey (best frozen drink selection I have ever experienced while watching Yankees vs. Red Sox and 3 football games at the same time all during a Patriots bye week)
And Heather and I are off to Burlington,VT this weekend for more adventures....

i95
...and Cantler's, Annapolis...

 
 
 

 

Nice write-up about the hometown 

Cantler's in today's (Annapolis) Capital, FYI:

 

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/bus/2009/11/08-75/Cantlers-crabs-a-hit-for-35-years.html

 

 

Our annual trip to FOLLY BEACH SC we dined at the following:

in Charleston - Jestine's Kitchen
                     Hyman's Seafood

in Mt Pleasant - Gullah Cusine

On the way home we ate at Parker's in Wilson NC and the Virginia Dinner in Waverly Va.

at home we ate at The Homeplace in Catawba VA

 Cherry Grove, SC (NMB) : Tried a little "hole-in-the-wall" burger joint called "Hamburger Heaven". Hands down, THE best burger on the Strand. I love me some River City Cafe burgers, but Hamburger Heaven was true to it's name. Also, the BIGGEST onion rings I've ever seen !!

southpaw

Our annual trip to FOLLY BEACH SC we dined at the following:

in Charleston - Jestine's Kitchen
                     Hyman's Seafood

in Mt Pleasant - Gullah Cusine

Southpaw, did you like Gullah Cusine?  What did you order there?  That's a stop on the big Glee Club tour of Charleston in February and I'm curious.  I have eaten at the other two and they're great!    Chris

Visiting family in California, got to try my first "In N Out burgers...great.

I ate Vienna sausages, sardines and Saltines out on a boat in the middle of Alum Creek Lake while fishing. Oh, yeah, and an old slice of blueberry pie that I found in my tackle box.

Lesage, WV - Hilbilly Hotdogs. Our third stop there. The dogs are good, and its just a fun place to visit. The owners and employees are a bunch of real characters. They go out of their way to make sure that the customers enjoy themselves.
Fayetteville, WV - Gumbo's. Advertised as the only Cajun restaurant in WV. They have the best dirty rice that I have had this side of Louisiana - other than my home-made, of course.
Urbana, OH - Crabill's. Those little burgers are absolutely addictive.
Gettysburg, PA - Hunt's Battlefield Fries. The fries are fresh-cut with the jackets on and cooked to order. Simple and delicious. The cheesesteak was a bit on the salty side but not too bad.
Unfortunately, I have to limit my Roadfood experiences in the future, Santa brought me a fine case of type 2 diabetes for Christmas.

Ah, Crabill's. Those burgers have absolutely no business at all being so wonderful. And then there's the fun of watching them build the things.

ayersian

Gullah Cusine ranks up there with some of the best food I've ever had. Period.
We had the pork chops, Gullah rice, collard greens, and mac and cheese. The ice tea is some of the best. So, yes we liked it very much and can't wait to go back.
They have a brunch on Sunday that we would like to try when time allows.
 
Hope you enjoy!
 
 
 

southpaw

Our annual trip to FOLLY BEACH SC we dined at the following:

in Charleston - Jestine's Kitchen
                    Hyman's Seafood

in Mt Pleasant - Gullah Cusine

Southpaw, did you like Gullah Cusine?  What did you order there?  That's a stop on the big Glee Club tour of Charleston in February and I'm curious.  I have eaten at the other two and they're great!    Chris

Roadkill Bill


Unfortunately, I have to limit my Roadfood experiences in the future, Santa brought me a fine case of type 2 diabetes for Christmas.

 

God, Santa!

(hope you're doing well, Bill)

God, Santa!

(hope you're doing well, Bill)


Thanks, Nancy. So far its under control with pills/exercise and that dirty word, diet. Sweets are out and I have to watch carbs closely but I can live with that, most any place other than fast-food has something I can eat.

 

 
Just an update to my original September 2004 post commencing this thread (and where I bemoaned a less-than-stellar experience at the former Phillip's Diner in Woodbury, Connecticut) to let you know that we patronized the place's successor (in the form of Dottie's Diner) this past weekend for breakfast.
 
As this site's review and RoadFood Digest reports concur, Dottie's is the real diner deal with exquisite, perfect doughnuts -- perhaps the best in the entire Nutmeg State. I'm now kicking myself for not purchasing a bag of day-olds on my way out that morning. Next tme!  

I came back from vacation in Rome NY. While I was there, I had a friday fish fry at the Polish home in Rome, BBQ pork and black raspberry ice cream at Voss's in Whitesboro,
cider donuts at the Fly Creek Cider Mill, strawberry ice cream soda at the Soda Shoppe in Remsen, buffalo wings in Sylvan Beach at the Inn on the Dock, fried dough at the West Rome drive in, ribs at the Dinosaur bbq, open faced hot turkey sandwich at the Little Gem diner, and pepperettes fron Liehs and Steigerwalds meat market in Syracuse