2008 The roadfood year in review and the best of

2008 was the biggest ROADFOOD year yet. It seemed like I was out of town almost every week, well, no actually that would be   Buffetbuster ,  however I probably did visit more new roadfood restaurants this year than any other year.

There was the Presidents Day weekend  trip in Mobile which also included me wandering around the South and meeting up with Porkbeaks for the first time at Blue Willow Inn

Of course who can forget not one but two trips to Maine  as well as my Cheesesteak Smackdown in Philly with  Cheesewit.

Then there was the the Connecticut Roadfood tour coordinated by Ayersian which included a surprise visit by the legend himself, Michael Stern  and of course the Katz's Deli meet up with Elise T as the "guest of honor"  and the Boston Tour led by Cecif (by the way where has she been lately?) and speaking of Cecif, there was also our last minute meet up at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester NH.

This Summer included the Marathon Baseball Tour in Denver, KC, Albuquerque and Omaha which included the Motley Crew of The Travelin Man and Buffetbuster as well as meetups with Biker Jim and Blizzardstormus.

I then continued on with an impromptu weekend visit to Burlington Vermont, and didn't even bother to take photos or do a trip report.

And although we didn't actually share a meal, seeing the Nationals game  in DC with Signman was a pleasure, in fact he was the first Roadfooder I ever met! just over 5 years ago at the Modern Diner in Pawtucket RI.

The end of summer culminated in my Great Lakes and Canadian Baseball trip with the highlights of meeting ChiTownDiner and Buddy Road House for the first time  both were great roadfood hosts and stopping at some of Chicago's best Roadfood Joints and culminated with another meet up with Buffetbuster in Buffalo

My roadfood year ended in an unexpected work related extended trip to Cleveland which yielded a few unexpected surprises including
an impromptu trip to Louisville and a visit with Al The Mayor Bowen
as well as Nashville and Indianapolis.

This years "best of list" is going to be a little different.
It's going to be a series of 4 lists which I will comprise over the next several days as follows

1.  The Top Ten Standbys- Every year I've dedicated the top 10 lists strictly to new restaurants, ignoring restaurants I previously visited. This year I am going to include these in the first list
2.  The Ten Runners Ups- These are new restaurants for 2008 that didn't meet the best of cut, but came close and deserve some kudos.
3.  The top Ten Desserts- Why not? I tend to omit roadfood joints in the top 10 list where I only had dessert only- They deserve just as much attention and will include enough pies that will make Buffetbuster proud.
4. And of course The Annual Top 10 Non Local Roadfood Restaurants first visited in 2008

Here is the the first List

Top Ten Standbys of 2008
(in no particular order)

1- 82 Queen- Charleston SC
First visited in 1999 and recommended by my good friend, Julianne.
This charming Low Country restaurant is probably one of my favorites of all time. I was delighted to see that the Sterns Recently
reviewed this place, deservingly so.









2- The Coffee Cup Grill- Charlotte NC

Since my first visit in 2002, there were rumors that this place was not what it used to be, I can assure you these rumors are completely false, although the old  building that once housed this roadfood classic is no more, the food itself is better than ever.




3- The Maine Diner- Wells ME

Included on my top ten breakfast list since I first visited in 2004, I discovered that every meal served here is outstanding, included this delicious lobster pie.




4- Gilbert's Chowder House- Portland ME

Any visit to Portland Maine is incomplete without a visit here. I've been going since 1995 and their chowder chockfull of shellfish is no doubt the best I've ever had.




5- Katz's Delicatessen -  New York, NY

16 years is too long an absence to visit this legendary New York Deli. This was my second visit and I can truly say it was better than my first. Sadly I forgot my camera. The following photo is courtesy of Elise T




6. Stroud's- Kansas City, MO

A Kansas City legend- no visit to KC is complete without a stop at Strouds and Iv'e gone every time since 2000, although the original roadhouse location is all but a memory, the place in my opinion serves up the best fried chicken that I've ever had.



7- Second Avenue Deli- New York NY

Dreams can come true. After my first visit in 2002, I thought that it would be my last visit after the Deli announced they were closing. I had to pinch my self when I found out that they were re-opening in
a new location.







8- The New Parthenon- Detroit MI

After an 8 year absence, my 3rd visit to the New Parthenon since 1998 proved to be a worthy one. Although Pastichio is no longer included in the Greek Combo, time has not altered the fantastic quality of this dish.





9- Sokolowski's- Cleveland OH

I was delighted to revisit this Polish Treasure first visited in 2003. Sokolowski's undoubtedly serves up the best pierogis I've ever had . Since I was with coworkers, I deliberately did not bring a camera, however I was glad to see that the Sterns finally completed a review of this very roadfood worthy restaurant. The following photo is courtesy of Michael Stern.




10- Blue Ash Chili- Cincinnati OH

My favorite chili parlor in Cincinnati since first visiting in 2000. A bowl of 5 way and a couple of cheese coneys are just what the doctor ordered.







And this concludes part 1 of the the best of 2008

 WJ:

OMG!!!!!!

Nice chronicle, WJ!
Hopefully I'll get to see you again on May 17th for that Western Mass. tour! (it's been awhile, huh?!)
Happy New Year and Happy 2009 Roadfood Adventures!

Part 1 was a Blockbuster, can hardly wait to see the sequel Part 2.

Nothing like a picture to set the endorphins into gear.

As usual, WJ does a very fine job recapping his widely traveled year.  I do not know how he and BB gets around so much.  They have one heck of a hobby.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Fantastic, W.J.I always enjoy your food( and other)adventures.Looking forward to part 2 and the 2009 reports!

Sundancer7


As usual, WJ does a very fine job recapping his widely traveled year.  I do not know how he and BB gets around so much.  They have one heck of a hobby.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I dare say that you travel more than just about anyone else on here!  The only difference is that most of yours is for work.

Great start WJ!  I really like the way you are doing this.  It is true that we talk about the new places we went to during the year and sometimes ignore the old favorites we hit, too.  Can't wait to see the rest!  Especially the desserts.
 
Hard to believe we were eating together three different times this year and it was never in Pittsburgh or Rhode Island! 

WJ, you are now officially on my naughty list and it is all because of that photo from Stroud's.  Now I HAVE to have fried chicken for lunch.  Just where am I going to find decent pan fried chicken in Pittsburgh?

Ellen, I'll be going on the Western MA tour only under the condition that Tiki goes, since he said he'll probably be going, then that means I'll probably go too.

Buffetbuster, wasn't there a place in downtown Pittsburgh- an "institution" that had  been around for decades and was cafeteria style that served fried chicken? I remember going but can't remember the name of the place.

WJ, Very nice rundown.  Excellent pics!

Part II  Honorable Mentions

These places didn't quite make the top 10, but still deserve attention.

Price's Chicken Coop- Charlotte NC

Extraordinary Fried chicken with ordinary sides. Next time I'll get 1/2 a chicken and forgo the sides




Killer Seafood- Mexico Beach FL

Spicy Seafood Stew and killer hushpuppies, this isn't the first time this restaurant will appear on this thread (hint hint)








Lorenzo's Pizza- Philadelphia PA

A cheesesteak should always have fried onions, not half raw onions, and these onions literally had the hell fried out of them, just the way they should be. The best cheesesteak on the Philly Smackdown tour




Oklahoma Joe's- Kansas City Kansas

There's a reason why they call this sandwich a smokey joe-




Stella's- Bellevue NE

There's no doubt in my mind that the mid section of our country has the best burgers and Stella's is no exception.





The Fort- Morrison CO

This came close to making the top 10- One word- Pearl Onions, they were in the buffalo stew and I don't like them. Now, if they were caramelized onions, it would have been a no-brainer.







El Taco De Mexico- Denver CO

Good cheap Mexican fare in the barrio. The Al Pastor Burrito was really good  but next time I'm gonna try the cheeks meat Burrito.




Sadie's- Albuquerque NM

They were incredulously busy, even during off hours, and although the blue corn enchiladas were fantastic, the service wasn't, this could have been a top 10.



Harry Carays- Chicago IL

My first try at Chicken Vesuvio was a memorable one. I'm glad I followed the waiters advice and ordered the chicken "bone in"




Arnold's Country Kitchen- Nashville TN

This classic mid south meat n three had some of the best meatloaf I've ever had with excellent sides, however I found the chess pie uninspiring

hey BB - don't forget Breezy's.......the indoor zoo alone should earn at least horable mention haha...merry xmas to all!!

That cheesesteak looks great, WJ !
I've gotta get to DeLorenzo's, ASAP!

And I do want to hit Omaha for Burgers !

WJ-
When high quality places like Arnold's Country Kitchen, The Fort and Harry Caray's don't make your top 10, this must be one heck of a list!  Keep the photos coming and and looking forward to more.   Oh, and "bone in" is definitely the way to go with Chicken Vesuvio.

I put on weight just reading the thread.
Incredible! wonderful photos and a excellent review.

What were those Jalapeno peppers stuffed with?

DougS


I put on weight just reading the thread.
Incredible! wonderful photos and a excellent review.

What were those Jalapeno peppers stuffed with?

Peanut butter!

wanderingjew

DougS


I put on weight just reading the thread.
Incredible! wonderful photos and a excellent review.

What were those Jalapeno peppers stuffed with?

Peanut butter!

Wait! What?!

braunsteinm

wanderingjew

DougS


I put on weight just reading the thread.
Incredible! wonderful photos and a excellent review.

What were those Jalapeno peppers stuffed with?

Peanut butter!

Wait! What?!

You heard correctly, the sinful combination of spicy pickled jalapenos and creamy peanut butter put the senses into overload.

WJ-
And that STILL wasn't enough to put The Fort in your top 10?  Sounds like you had to make some really tough choices!
 
BTW, you asked about cecif.  We exchanged some emails a while back.  She did get back from India, but then she was going to be in California for something like 6 weeks.  We will probably hear from her after the holidays.

Part 3- Top 10 Desserts of 2008

This is the list that is going to make Buffetbuster proud. This list is strictly going to be new desserts I've tried in 2008 at various roadfood establishments, although I may have visited these establishments previously. I will also include one  bonus dessert which I've enjoyed previously.


10-6 won't be in any particular order

5-1 will be in order with # 1 being the best dessert of 2008

10-  Peach Cobbler at Blue Willow Inn- Social Circle GA

Two things stood out at this southern lunch buffet, the Chicken and Dumpling Soup and the Peach Cobbler. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the meal was pretty good, but the Peach Cobbler was probably some of the best I've ever had.




9- Sweet Potato Cobbler at the Coffee Cup Grill- Charlotte NC

I knew I was in for a big surprise when I asked for dessert and was told it's still in the oven. 




8- Sour Cream Raisin Pie at Farmer's Kitchen- Atlantic IA

I find it amazing that someone who doesn't like raisins can bake such a fine pie. Blizzardstormus, your mom doesn't know what she's missing.



7- Italian Ice at Johnnie's- Elmwood Park IL

As much as I was stuffed from eating Chicago Style Dogs, Deep Dish Pizza and Italian Beef Sandwiches, my only regret is that I got a small instead of a large.



6- Apple Pie Custard at Eastcoast Custard- Lyndhurst OH

no photo

One of the few, I missed taking a photo of. After our perch dinner, we drove to this local custard chain in suburban Cleveland and I beat my coworker out of the last helping of Apple Pie Frozen Custard and I'm glad I did. It had real bits of apple pie in it...

5- Blueberry Pie at Maine Diner- Wells ME

This pie doesn't need whipped cream, although blueberrys were out of season at the time, this was still one heckuva slice of pie




4- Raisin Pie at Gray's Cafeteria- Mooresville IN

After an entire week of pies that just didn't do it for me, this one did, the gooey soft raisins left me
in an ecstatic trance




3- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie at Moody's Diner- Waldoboro, ME

the tart-sweet filling and flaky butter crust was a surprisingly amazing ending to a lackluster dinner.



2- Cinammon Graham Cracker Ice Cream at Ted and Wally's- Omaha NE

Not only the best icecream of the trip, but probably some of the best I ever had. Creamy pure butterfat with chunks of soft graham cracker, the taste I had of the French Toast Ice Cream was just as incredible.




And the # 1 dessert of 2008 is .................

Key Lime Pie at Killer Seafood- Mexico Beach FL

Cool- Tart- and Fan-freakin-tastic!




Although I had it before, I cannot omit the Carrot Cake at Sokolowski's in Cleveland OH
I was unable to take a photo, however here's a photo courtesy of their website..

I still say that you ordered wrong at Ted and Wally's!

WJ-
I sure don't think of you as being a dessert person, but that is quite a list.  When the peach cobbler at Blue Willow Inn doesn't make your top five, you have had a great dessert eating year. 

Considering the disappointing key lime pie I had recently in Tampa, that slice from Killer Seafood looks even better.  Besides, would CajunKing steer us wrong?  I don't think so! 

The Travelin Man


I still say that you ordered wrong at Ted and Wally's!

I know, The French Toast Ice Cream was amazing, but you know I had "cinnamon on the brain" after our experience at dinner the night before which by the way will also deserve its own special  award at the end of this thread.

Sensational report, Dale. You are one of the princes of roadfood.

Well.....

I'm not going to post the top 10 of 2008, just yet....I think I'm going to wait  until...well...the end of the year....

After reviewing Buffetbuster's top 10 breakfasts, I realized I'm not much of a breakfast person, usually forgoing big breakfasts for coffeehouses in order to enjoy lunches and dinners. And even though I don't even think I had the opportunity to enjoy 10 breakfasts this year, there were a few notable exceptional ones...

Although I don't have a "top 10" here are a few that enjoy special mention.

Kane's Donuts- Saugus MA

Just a mere 75 minutes away from me....this donut shop is just additional proof that Southern New England is definetely the donut capitol of the nation...

Here is their JUMBO coffee cake




and their Bismark




Frontier Restaurant- Albuquerque NM

The breakfast burrito deserves notable attention. Spend the few extra pennies and add some carne adovada. A spicy wake up call to begin your morning.




Northside Grill- Anne Arbor MI

These hearty apple oat bran pancakes were substantially delicious.



here's a closeup




and my#1  favorite breakfast of 2008

St Lawrence Market- Toronto Canada

The peameal bacon sandwich, a local Toronto Specialty is basically canadian bacon on steroids. oinky and full of character its served on a rugged sturdy roll and goes amazingly well with eggs.

I sure would love to sink that bismarck!  The breakfast burrito from The Frontier looks great, too.

WJ, that's got to be one of the very best collection of food reports and pictures I have ever seen on these pages.
You are to be commended. It's a literal catalogue of the best road food finds.
Thanks. I've salivated on each mouth watering picture.
 

wanderingjew
 
This is like a tennis match...U.S. Open level of play.  WJ from the baseline, check BB's post, back to WJ...etc, etc, etc!  Makes me want to get out and sample the goods.  You guys really demonstrate a diversity among your choices.  It's neat to recognize a few among the photos.  Keep it coming!

CTD-
I am trying to do things a little bit different from WJ, so we aren't posting the exact same categories.  But no doubt, he sets a high standard around here!

buffetbuster


CTD-
  But no doubt, he sets a high standard around here!

Why thank you, you're not so bad yourself !

We're still not ready  the top 10 of 2008 just yet....

50/50's

There's still some items that deserve recognition...

When I factor in the bests of the bests, I consider the following

•   the food itself, was every item (or most importantly the main part of the meal) outstanding ?
•  How was the service?
•  Is the atmosphere unique or indigenous to the region?

Sometimes certain parts of the meal stand out (secondary items), when perhaps the main part of the meal didn't, or maybe the atmosphere was blah and generic or perhaps the service just simply wasn't up to snuff. That's what this part of the thread is all about a few select items that really stood out when for some reason, nothing else did.

Mahi Sandwich at The  Orlando Alehouse- Orlando FL

Part of a regional chain, this place had the atmosphere of a generic sports bar.
The Travelin Man took me here after he picked me up at the Airport and we were on our way to Mobile. I never expected the Mahi Sandwich to be as good as it  was- it was a nice surprise.






West Indies Salad at Wintzells- Mobile AL

I'm not a huge fan of oysters, even when they're cooked and all dressed up, I don't dislike them, they're not what I would pick first, however the West Indies Salad which is basically marinated crab meat with onion is simply addicting. Although I shared this order, I could have easily made a meal out of two orders of this.




Chip Truck- Toronto Canada

Fries alone don't really excite me, and I can't really award a bunch of french fries a spot on the top 10 or runners up list, it just doesn't make any sense, however there is no doubt that these were the best fries I had all year. I couldn't even tell you the name of the chip truck I got them from.




Spring Rolls at Bun Saigon- Toronto Canada

I came here for Pho which was ok,  perhaps I'm just not a big "phan" of pho, but these spring rolls are probably the best I ever had.




Biscuits at Joe Hubers- Starlight IN


Al- The Mayor- Bowen took me here. I must have had close to 3 basket of these "melt in your mouth biscuits" I couldn't tell you much about the rest of the meal.




White Beans n Cornbread at Joe's Bar-b-que- Nashville TN

This entire meal could have possibly been at least a runner up if I knew what the hell I was doing- Nobody told me I had to put hot sauce on the fish! This pancake style cornbread was the best of the lot (I had it at two other places while in nashville) and the white beans were no slouch either

Thanks for the wonderful pictures.  Lucky you!

WJ

What an awesome "Best of" thread, I look forward to reading them every year.

It is hard to believe the year has gone by so fast.

Ok, we're getting close to the top 10 of 2008, but I thought I would keep you all in suspense for a another couple of days.....

It seems that The Travelin Man already beat me to this, but as you know there's always some bad that comes with the good...

Today's theme is   Rotten Tomatoes

Bub Sweatman's- Holly Hill SC
I never made it here. Thanks to my flight which was still grounded in Baltimore, I had to be re-routed through Philly and got into Raleigh 4 hours late, although I still had the chance to get there before it closed, I didn't want to risk the possibility of arriving there and have them run out of meat.

Allen and Sons-  Chapel Hill NC

I never made it here too. It's very rare I get "Travelin' Manned". Everyone here in Rhode Island always talks about "New England Weather" If you don't like the weather, just wait  a few minutes and it will change. Our "Travelin Friend" is just like New England weather, if he can't make it this time, just wait a few months and he'll be back. Because I don't travel for my job, I, unfortunately don't have that same opportunity.  If I can't make it the first time, it will likely be years, a decade or more before I make it back (and that's if I'm ever able to make it back at all) I've been known to "cut my nose to spite my face" in the past and deliberately spend time and hundreds of dollars just to go out of my way to make it back to a place that I missed the first time. This is why it's crucial for me to Plan in Advance because the way I see it is that If I don't make it there now, I'll never make it there again. Well, it didn't work this time. I called in advance and was assured they'd be open late, I got there at least an hour or more before they were supposed to close and they were closed...Thankfully I have a reason to return to North Carolina since my good friend lives in Charlotte.

J's Oyster- Portland ME

This place wins the arrogance award of the year.  Their customer service is deplorable and disgusting and apparently others have ranted on line about the same maneuver they pulled on me.  It's obvious from my experience that they only care about the locals who go there to drink (not eat).

Thunderbird Inn- Broomall PA

Where's the beef?




Arthur Bryants- Kansas City MO

What a bummer, what a dissapointment, you can see The Travelin Man's thread for further details. He summed it up perfectly..


Petrow's- Omaha NE

Unlike The Travelin Man,  I'm not going to gripe about the food, if I did, then I'd have to list at least 30 other places I visited over the year, most of which were recommended by the Sterns. It was ok, it wasn't bad, I've had better and much worse, however this place truly deserves THE WORST SERVICE award of the year.  When we walked in, before dinner hour, there was virtually no one in the place, yet it still took forever for the waiter to take our order.
We eventually had to flag down the waiter for dessert, I ordered Cinammon Ice Cream, he returned with Vanilla, I asked him to replace the order, he never returned to do so, eventually I had to walk over and ask another employee to find our waiter so we could get pay our check, again, keep in mind, there was no one else in the place!

Red's- Wiscasset ME

Shocker, right? Actually, no. Don't get me wrong, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the quality or quanity. Standing on line at this place got me thinking, most of the hyped up New England Seafood Shacks touted here on Roadfood are geared towards Touristas, not a local in sight anywhere (except across the street laughing at us touristas). The first place I went to on this particular trip that was obviously a local's place was Moody's Diner in Waldoboro.  I guess I was expecting gregorian chants and angels dancing around my head when I took my first bite into this lobster roll,  it didn't happen, and it's me, I now realize, I much prefer lobster in the shell versus in the roll.




Homemade Heaven Sandwich Shop- Ogallala NE

Reviewed favorably on Roadfood by Erika and Jon, they don't post much, but I believe it was Bruce Bilmes who noted that their reviews are right on the money. See the Travelin Man's thread, I believe we share the same opinino about the food here, however our opinions differ on dessert, although my pie did not win any best of awards, it was fine.


Pancake Pantry- Nashville TN

There are many on the forum, who have given this place high marks. I guess my expectations were extremely high walking into the place, and don't get me wrong, the smoky mountain buckwheat cakes weren't bad, but I didn't think they were anything special, perhaps I ordered the wrong item...






The #1 dissapointment of 2008 

Harold's BBQ- Atlanta GA 

OLD-ROTTEN-RANCID

These are the different ways that three different roadfooders (including myself) described the food (specifically the BBQ Pork) here. The Brunswick Stew and Cracklin Corn bread were actually pretty good, but after a forkful of the RANCID pork it completely spoiled my appetite, completely nauseated me and I actually wondered the rest of the evening  if I was going to come down with food poisoning. Not only that but the bbq sauce tasted like diluded ketchup.  I've mentioned previously that I'm utterly amazed  that why certain worthy roadfood stops (ie Juice Kaboose in La Jolla CA) were removed from the restaurant section of the forum and why this one remains is just completely beyond me.



 

Whew....I was holding my breath on our Chicago stops!

Wanderingjew, I aplaud you for giving us the worst.  

I like knowing places to avoid or at least dishes to avoid.

I enjoy all of your posts so that you for 2008!

Have a Happy, Healthy 2009 along with the rest of you!

wanderingjew


If I can't make it the first time, it will likely be years, a decade or more before I make it back (and that's if I'm ever able to make it back at all) I've been known to "cut my nose to spite my face" in the past and deliberately spend time and hundreds of dollars just to go out of my way to make it back to a place that I missed the first time. This is why it's crucial for me to Plan in Advance because the way I see it is that If I don't make it there now, I'll never make it there again.

To paraphrase a Baltimore food blogger; relax, it's only food.   I am the first to admit that my "go with the flow" nature can lead to some closed restaurants or tourist spots, and it is certainly a result of my bounty of travel.  Understand that when I do travel for work, my days are much more regimented.  Yes, I can plan my schedule, but I have a lot less flexibility than you would think - and very little opportunity to expand my travels beyond my work territories - that is why you find an abundance of NY and TX trips, as well as an annual trip out to the pacific northwest.  But, when I am on vacation - well, I am on vacation.  To me, planning out every minute - and to that end, every meal - is nothing that I could ever do for an extended time.  I like to sleep in some days, I like to see where the wind blows some days.  Is there some compromise between the two?  Sure.  But, I insist that you set yourself up for far more disappointments than I do when you put such pressure on a meal to live up to whatever ideals you've built up in your head - especially when that wait is, as you say, "decades" in the making.

wanderingjew


Petrow's- Omaha NE

Unlike The Travelin Man,  I'm not going to gripe about the food, if I did, then I'd have to list at least 30 other places I visited over the year, most of which were recommended by the Sterns.

Two things.  I never said that the food was bad.  I said it was "ordinary."  It was ordinary.  There was nothing exceptional about this place, except the exceptionally lousy service.  For that matter, I would venture a guess that my meal was better than yours!    But, it placed on my disappointment list for the lost opportunity of the meal that I know we could have had elsewhere, which would have been top notch.

If you have a list of 30 (or more) places, recommended by Jane and Michael Stern, at which you dined in this past year, that were worse than Petrow's, I'd like to see it.

wanderingjew

Red's- Wiscasset ME

Shocker, right? Actually, no. Don't get me wrong, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the quality or quanity. Standing on line at this place got me thinking, most of the hyped up New England Seafood Shacks touted here on Roadfood are geared towards Touristas, not a local in sight anywhere (except across the street laughing at us touristas). The first place I went to on this particular trip that was obviously a local's place was Moody's Diner in Waldoboro.  I guess I was expecting gregorian chants and angels dancing around my head when I took my first bite into this lobster roll,  it didn't happen, and it's me, I now realize, I much prefer lobster in the shell versus in the roll.

Help me out with something here.  Was this place a disappointment because the food wasn't good, or because of the perception that this place caters to some tourist trade? 

I'm not quite sure that I've ever seen the fascination with eating where the locals eat, because, for the most part, the locals are morons.  Here, the locals pack the parking lot on any given night at Red Lobster and Olive Garden, when fresh, local seafood and very good Italian food can be had within a few blocks.  Katz's Deli, Carnegie Deli, Primanti's, Dixie Crossroads, Harry Caray's and many, many more places have all been accused of being "tourist traps," but all are considered to still be serving quality meals.  So, what difference does it make who is eating it?  If it is the food that was a disappointment, I may have just misread your post.

The Travelin Man

wanderingjew


If I can't make it the first time, it will likely be years, a decade or more before I make it back (and that's if I'm ever able to make it back at all) I've been known to "cut my nose to spite my face" in the past and deliberately spend time and hundreds of dollars just to go out of my way to make it back to a place that I missed the first time. This is why it's crucial for me to Plan in Advance because the way I see it is that If I don't make it there now, I'll never make it there again.

To paraphrase a Baltimore food blogger; relax, it's only food.   I am the first to admit that my "go with the flow" nature can lead to some closed restaurants or tourist spots, and it is certainly a result of my bounty of travel.  Understand that when I do travel for work, my days are much more regimented.  Yes, I can plan my schedule, but I have a lot less flexibility than you would think - and very little opportunity to expand my travels beyond my work territories - that is why you find an abundance of NY and TX trips, as well as an annual trip out to the pacific northwest.  But, when I am on vacation - well, I am on vacation.  To me, planning out every minute - and to that end, every meal - is nothing that I could ever do for an extended time.  I like to sleep in some days, I like to see where the wind blows some days.  Is there some compromise between the two?  Sure.  But, I insist that you set yourself up for far more disappointments than I do when you put such pressure on a meal to live up to whatever ideals you've built up in your head - especially when that wait is, as you say, "decades" in the making.
 

First of all, what the hell are you doing up at 3am! I'm already 4 hours into dreamland at that time....Easier said than done. I notice my flexibility eases based on the following criteria, how recently I visited, how frequently I visited.  Obviously places I go to somewhat frequently ie Maine, Philly, Baltimore, upstate NY, Long Island, DC, and even places down south, I'll be much more flexible and be more of a "go with the flow" kind of guy versus places I rarely ever get to , ie Omaha, Denver, and any other place "out west". But it does seem like you make your rounds to certain places with much more frequency than I do. You were just in Omaha a few years back, right? Yes its only food, but keep in mind that the only time I really have a chance to eat is when I'm on vacation. I don't think anyone can appreciate what I eat when I'm home, it's for the most part, healthy and not very exiting. When were at Oklahoma Joe's, I showed Buffetbuster my daily snack, a small 290 calorie bag of peanuts (which I switch off with almonds)- real exciting  you should have seen the look of "pity" in his eyes, so yes, food is everything when I travel 

wanderingjew

Petrow's- Omaha NE
Unlike The Travelin Man,  I'm not going to gripe about the food, if I did, then I'd have to list at least 30 other places I visited over the year, most of which were recommended by the Sterns.

The Travelin Man

Two things.  I never said that the food was bad.  I said it was "ordinary."  It was ordinary.  There was nothing exceptional about this place, except the exceptionally lousy service.  For that matter, I would venture a guess that my meal was better than yours!    But, it placed on my disappointment list for the lost opportunity of the meal that I know we could have had elsewhere, which would have been top notch.

If you have a list of 30 (or more) places, recommended by Jane and Michael Stern, at which you dined in this past year, that were worse than Petrow's, I'd like to see it.

Other than Petrow's, I could think of at least half a dozen (or more) other places I would  have liked to check out, including Don and Millies, Louie M's, King Kong, Goldbergs, Gorats and any one of the series of cafes that served the "potato casserole dishes" that Neb Guy and Plano Jim mentioned unfortunately Italian wasn't one of them and we talked about that before we went on the trip. I live within a 3 mile radius of at least 2 dozen Italian restaurants that range from "outstanding" to "orgasmic" and funny thing is the part of Rhode Island I live in is not even that Italian!There's no such thing as "mediocre" Italian food here in Rhode Island.
As you know, Petrow's came with high recommendations from NEB GUY as well as the owner of Johnny's cafe. As we discussed before, you believe that  recommendations from the Sterns almost always  seem to be more reliable than recommendations from others. I've been to several hit and miss places recommended by the Sterns, but agreen in the scheme of things they've been few. I've also been to a few hit and miss places recommended by others and again they seem to be few 
 
here is a list of Sterns reviewed places I visited in 2008 that I thought were "ok" to
just outright dissapointing, Maybe I exaggerated when I said 30, but I'm half there, although I never did say 30 places that were worse than petrow's but 30 places that were just as "ordinary"
 
1- Blue Willow Inn-Blue Willow GA The Chicken Dumpling Soup and Dessert were exceptional, everything else was just "ok" I think Porkbeaks agrees with me (at least regarding the soup)
2- Harold's BBQ-Atlanta GA You know I don't have to go into detail on this one
3- Dew Drop Inn-Mobile AL- Ditto
4- Bob's Clam Hut- Kittery ME- OK- But I did go off season 
5- Moody's Diner- Waldoboro ME- With the exception of dessert- lackluster 
6- Marcy's Diner- Portland ME- My benchmark for Pancakes has always been places like Dots and BlueBenn In Vermont, Pamelas in Pittsburgh and The Modern Diner in Pawtucket, so maybe I'm being to hard on them. I did have a good muffin and good corned beef hash there a decade ago, so maybe I ordered the wrong thing.
7- Arthur Bryants- Kansas City MO- You know I don't have to go into details. I was so dissapointed that when I do return to KC in 2010 its almost 100% likely that I will not be going back here.
8- Wayside Restaurant and Bakery- Barre VT- I love the atmosphere here- like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, however other than Dessert, I found the food "ordinary"
9- Tony Packos- Toledo OH- Ok, this one is my fault, I ordered the Chicken Paprikash, the Chicken was tastless and dry
10- Charlie The Butcher- Buffalo NY- definetely not my fault, the roastbeef was overdone and dry
11- Pucketts- Franklin TN- Could be me, but there was nothing exciting about the chocolate chess pie
12- Homemade Pie and Icecream- Louisville KY- I thought the pies looked better than they tasted, again nothing exciting (and I went twice too)
13- Pancake Pantry- Nashville TN- I would definetely give this place another chance- again, maybe I ordered the wrong thing.
14- Sams NY System Warwick RI- Simply cannot compare to Olneyville NY System (which I think did end up in the recent roadfood book)
ok, maybe not 30, but I'm half there

wanderingjew

Red's- Wiscasset ME

Shocker, right? Actually, no. Don't get me wrong, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the quality or quanity. Standing on line at this place got me thinking, most of the hyped up New England Seafood Shacks touted here on Roadfood are geared towards Touristas, not a local in sight anywhere (except across the street laughing at us touristas). The first place I went to on this particular trip that was obviously a local's place was Moody's Diner in Waldoboro.  I guess I was expecting gregorian chants and angels dancing around my head when I took my first bite into this lobster roll,  it didn't happen, and it's me, I now realize, I much prefer lobster in the shell versus in the roll.

The Travelin Man

Help me out with something here.  Was this place a disappointment because the food wasn't good, or because of the perception that this place caters to some tourist trade? 

I'm not quite sure that I've ever seen the fascination with eating where the locals eat, because, for the most part, the locals are morons.  Here, the locals pack the parking lot on any given night at Red Lobster and Olive Garden, when fresh, local seafood and very good Italian food can be had within a few blocks.  Katz's Deli, Carnegie Deli, Primanti's, Dixie Crossroads, Harry Caray's and many, many more places have all been accused of being "tourist traps," but all are considered to still be serving quality meals.  So, what difference does it make who is eating it?  If it is the food that was a disappointment, I may have just misread your post.

You know I couldn't care less if a place is touristy. Some of the best roadfood I've had were from restaurants labeled as touristy (some would even go as far as to label them tourist traps)  ie Katz's, Durgin Park, Lady and Sons etc.
I just found it amusing that there was a line literally wrapped around this place and not one person there was a local, I'll go as far as to say not one person there was from the state of Maine. Being from Rhode Island, I think I was the person who had the least distance to get there. Even the people around me who I was talking to were if I recall from NY, Connecticut and Wisconsin. I thought I indicated that with all the hype, I was not overwhelmed, and that it most likely is because of a personal preference and that I prefer lobster directly from the shell versus in a roll.

mar52


Wanderingjew, I aplaud you for giving us the worst.  

I like knowing places to avoid or at least dishes to avoid.

I enjoy all of your posts so that you for 2008!

Have a Happy, Healthy 2009 along with the rest of you!

Thanks Marlene

You and everyone should have a happy fantastic 2009.

I think that tommorow it will finally be time for my "official" top 10 of 2008.

The envelope please....
And the winners are....
(Drum roll in background)

CajunKing


The envelope please....
And the winners are....
(Drum roll in background)

CajunKing
 
Your arms must be getting tired...
I hope those are drumsticks from Strouds that you're using...
 
This evening my friends...this evening......

Here They Are

THE TOP 10 ROADFOOD DELIGHTS OF 2008

(Cajun King you can put down the drumsticks now!)


The Wreck- Mt Pleasant SC

Trying to find this place after a 4 hour drive from Raleigh was a bear, but well worth it. The supersized grilled shrimp was the best I ever had and the fried oysters (which are the only way I like oysters) were top notch. My only complaint was that the delicious she crab soup was only a slight notch below the one served at 82 Queen Street.








The Brick Pit- Mobile AL

This truly was the real thing.  The original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa may be one of my favoriite rib joints of all time, however compared to ther outpost in Mobile, the sign at the Brick Pit says it all....










Yonah Schimmels- New York, NY

This place was truly an unexpected sleeper- Basically take out only, we came here after the Katz's deli meet up in May. I ordered the Sweet Potato Knish and the Kasha Knish to go and took it home with me back to Rhode Island. I had them the next day, the Sweet Potato Knish was really good but the Savory Kasha Knish was just utterly amazing.







(the preceding two photos are courtesy of BillyBoy from his hot dog tour in March since both your truly and The Travelin' Man happenned to forget to bring our cameras at the same time)


Five Island Lobster Company- Georgetown ME

This is the place that you can solely thank for putting Reds Eats on my rotten tomatos list. 

The only thing that supercedes the amazing view




 was the even more amazing lobster. Sweet nuggets of pure unadulterated bliss coupled with the cleanest steamers I ever had. A match made in heaven.







LC's Bar-B-Que- Kansas City MO

As far as I'm concerned, the best bbq I've had in Kansas City. The Burnt Ends present with the perfect balance of flavor and smoke and the golden crisp on the outside fresh cut fries were by far the best of the lot in Kansas City.










Johnny's Cafe- Omaha NE

Johnny's was by far my favorite roadfood restaurant in Omaha if not on the  entire June trip. The meal started with a blue cheese salad with homemade dressing loaded with chunks of blue cheese.
The Strip Steak was perfect- well marbled, seared on the outside and slightly pink on the inside. The Hashbrowns were an excellent accompanyment although I like mine just a tad crispier.
I didn't care that the apple pie sucked











The Buckhorn Exchange- Denver CO

Each city has a dining institution, a place that will always identify with the cultural, historical and culinary roots of that particular city and rightfully so, the Buckhorn Exchange is that institution.





Everything from the Crunchy and Chewy Rocky Mountain Oysters, the hearty and smokey bean soup to the rich and tender buffalo Prime Rib was just perfect, a classic taste of the old west.











Burt's Place- Morton Grove IL
Brooklyn has Dominic DeMarco of DiFara's Pizza, Chicago (or actually suburban Morton Grove) has
"Burt" and his namesake, Burts Place. Both are true artisans and craft their work accordingly. Most people think of Chicago Deep Dish Pizza as heavy,  leaden and doughy. The deep dish pizza served up at Burts" is  far from it, crisp with always fresh meat n veggies with just enough cheese that it doesn't hide the nuances of the other ingredients













Al Ameer- Dearborn MI

Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, is home to the largest concentration of folks of Middle Eastern Descent in the country, therfeore most of the Middle Eastern Restaurants are top notch and Al Ameer is no exception.
Warm Fresh bread begins the meal and continues on with a salad that can only be described as "refreshing" the delicious combo of various meats on a skewer along with  crispy felafel and creamy hummous complete the meal.











Balaton- Cleveland OH

Visiting Balaton was completely due to an unexpected work related trip I took to Cleveland this past fall.
Two Words- Szekely Goulash- This was an amazingly rich and hearty meal. The rich, creamy sauce and saurkraut intertwined harmoniously with the dumplings and meat. This is not something you should eat every day.
Unfortunately I did not take my camera so the following photos are not the meal I had but


 are courtesy of Michael Stern from the restaurant section of the Roadfood website.







Everyone have a happy and healthy 2009

great pics of your Top 10 , WJ !
Those ribs look just the way I like them ; crusty edges, but yet soft in the middle!!

WJ-
Excellent list and photos!  I am especially happy to see Balaton getting some love, because this wonderful place deserves it.  When conversations of Cleveland come up, I never hear it mentioned and I don't know why.  Maybe because it isn't in downtown.

Glad to see The Wreck on the list, too.  It well worth the aggravation of trying to find a place with no sign hidden in a residential neighborhood.

Your list is so good, it almost makes me forgive you for putting Pancake Pantry, Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen and Red's Eats (all three in my all-time top 10) under your disappointments.  Almost! 

It's been almost 8 years since we moved back south but 5 Islands was always our go to spot for great lobster when we were up there...glad to see it's still in business and doing well.

We missed Johnny's when last in Omaha for the Tom Petty concert (June?) but it's been a great stop for many years.

Fabulous report WJ (and I'm with you on the oysters...fried only)

WJ, I recall when we were in Mobile this past February.  I also like fried oysters but l also like them raw with hot sauce.  We do not have in place like Winzell's in Knoxville and that was a truly special place.
 
I certainly liked the deal when they gave us a good beer and a dozen on the half shell for $5.00.  That was worth the drive but the BBQ we got later on was even more special.
 
It was great when TTM and BB also made the show.  I hope Memphis will be as good this February.  I still treasure our group pic with the Hawaii shirts and unexpected guest.
 
Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN 

Buffetbuster, you know its a good Road Food year when Reds, Pancake Pantry and Pie Kitchen end up on my rotten Tomatoes list.
Keep in mind, they were on the list not because the food was bad,  but just because I don't think they lived up to the hype

RibRater,  Five Island will now be included as part of any in season visit to Maine..

Paul we had a blast in Mobile and I'm sure Memphis will be even better.

One of the downsides of the both of us doing so much of this eating together is that I could probably overlap with you on five of these places.  Fortunately, I had been to Johnny's several times prior, so that is one off the list, and I will use one of the remaining four for a special award.  Still, we would have three overlaps that are 100% no argument.

I am  not sure if this is an anomaly, but I believe that 6 (or is it 7) of your Top 10 are visits that included other Roadfooders?  I wonder if company has any influence over final outcome.  For that matter, I am sure if others were to contribute a Top 10 list, many who were in Mobile would likely include Wintzell's. 

Great job on the final report.  I am traveling today, so I am not sure if I will bring my thread to conclusion.  It may be that my list brings happiness into the new year!! 

wanderingjew -

Great list...I knew you were enjoying your Burt's visit, but Top 10!  Buddy will be smiling big time!  I really enjoyed all your comments...good, bad and ugly!  Thanks as many of us use this info to plan out other trips.

WJ

What an awesome year in review!!

Buffalo Prime Rib..... oh yeah!

[size=3 font="times new roman"]WJ – what an awesome report!! I love these kinds of posts because it makes me think about all the great (and not so great) food we’ve eaten over the past year too. Needless to say many of my favorites of 2008 are on your list as well. Also, I have some of your disappointments too. Since this year was a “slower” year for my family and our Roadfood stops, I am only going to do a Top 5. But first, I was wondering if I could have your blessing to start a new post of my own? Namely because I do not want to spoil your awesome thread but also because I have a few stories of my own.

Bluemaxx


I was wondering if I could have your blessing to start a new post of my own? Namely because I do not want to spoil your awesome thread but also because I have a few stories of my own.

I'm humbled sir...
You most certainly can....with the following criteria

A- No Burger Kings, McDonalds, Applebees, TGI Fridays etc, oh you get the picture

B- "My House" or actually "your house" is not one of the "best of" establishments, unless of course that's actually the name of the restaurant...

Go ahead- have at it!

Oh lordy, all those pictures....WJ, you've done it to me again. I'm not a seafood eater, but the pictures of the steaks and BBQ are making me crazy. I'm curious ( and concerned ) - the two times that I ate at Arthur Bryant's ( both in the ' 90s ), the food was fantastic. The second time I was there , with my then-girlfriend, we stuffed ourselves at lunchtime at ABs, and then we stuffed ourselves again at dinnertime at Stroud's ( guess what we had? ) - we both just about collapsed at the motel. Anyway, yours is not the only negative review of Arthur Bryant's that I've seen on the internet recently. What's going on? ( he asked nervously... ) Was it really that bad? It's really depressing to find out that such a roadfood treasure has gone downhill. I want to get back to KC in the near future, but I'm having second thoughts about going back to Bryant's. What to do, what to do.......                                Bob