My Year in Roadfood (2012)

I miss Roscoe's.  In 2007-08, one of my major clients was at Edwards AFB, and we'd have to frequently travel out there for testing.
 
Usually the procedure was:
1. Evening flight from BOS->LAS
2. Drive to Palmdale, sleep until early morning, often catching dinner in LA (Pink's was a frequent destination)
3. Breakfast at the now-defunct Pines Cafe in Palmdale (best Chicken fried steak I've had outside the South)
4. Drive to Edwards.   Test until 4pm or so.
5. Drive back to LA.  Celebrate a successful day of testing with chicken and waffles at Roscoe's.
6. Catch red-eye back to Boston.
 
Did this at least a dozen times.  After a while, testing got more complicated and shifted to a 6pm finish, which made the Red-eye too hard to catch, so then the routine ended with
 
5. Drive to El Segundo, get a hotel room for the night
6. Dinner in Manhattan Beach
7. Sleep
8. Breakfast at Uncle Bill's Pancake House in Manhattan Beach
9. Catch a morning flight back.

BB - may have been one more TTM at a little burger joint just north of the CT border!
 
Buddy - That's some story...Turn Me Over!

kaszeta-
That sounds like a very tiring schedule, but as long as Roscoe's is included, it must have been worth it!
 
CTD-
Yes, you are correct!  Let me see if I can find that photo.

Where is the final chicken photo from?  Looks like it might be White Fence Farm or Brookville Hotel, but please tell!
 
One of my favorite places for chicken decor was the late-lamented Mrs. Peters Chicken Dinners in Kansas City, Kansas.  Great chicken, too!
 

rumaki-
That giant chicken, which has to be around four feet tall, is at AQ Chicken House in Springdale, AR.
 
On my first visit to Kansas City, I pulled into the parking lot of Mrs. Peters Chicken Dinners, only to find they had recently gone out of business. So disappointing to just miss out on a place I have read so many great things about over the years.

The Collins Creamery at Powder Hill. Is that the Powder Hill in Connecticut?

Michael-
Yes, Collins Creamery it is in Enfield, CT, not far from the Massachusetts state line.  You recognized the name?

buffetbuster


Michael-
Yes, Collins Creamery it is in Enfield, CT, not far from the Massachusetts state line.  You recognized the name?

It wasn't what I was thinking. The Powder Hill I know is at Middlefield, Connecticut. It's a ski resort started by a cousin of mine. As a matter of fact, I helped build it, using a D7 bulldozer to sculpt moguls and to dig a pond for water for the snow-making machines. It's now called Powder Ridge.

BB:  Your pic of Youngs Jersey ice cream just south of Springfield, OH was always a pretty and delicious ice cream and burger stop.  Thanks for the memory.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Buffetbuster
 
Mrs Peters was a classic KC  chicken  joint.  That's where I met Chicken Betty Lucas  so long ago.

Paul-
Other than the places here in Pittsburgh, I have probably been to Young's Jersey Dairy more than any other Roadfood place.  The fact that he can stop in at 7:00AM for a couple of scoops just makes me love the place even more.
 
PP-
Since you have been everywhere, no surprise that you made it to Mrs. Peters.  I have to ask.....  Who is Chicken Betty Lucas?

My photos for many of the restaurants on the best breakfast list is downright awful.  I would love to blame it on the camera not being ready first thing in the morning, but the photographer might have something to do with it.  So, without photos.....
 
Best Breakfasts
 
10)  Marcy Joe's Mealhouse - Columbia, TN
Owned partially by the country singing duo or Joey & Rory, this place was a smash hit!  My eggs and country ham were very good, but ChiTownDiner's breakfast, called Rory's Overalls on the menu was something special.  This was biscuits, eggs, high quality bacon in a sausage gravy with cheese.  He talked about this item for the rest of the day!
 
9) Hash House a Go Go - Las Vegas, NV
Yeah, this place has a touristy vibe and brash, but there is no denying that our food was good.  Mine was the meatloaf hash, with huge chunks of the meat mixed in with peppers, spinach and mozzarella cheese.  The portion size was so big, there was no chance of finishing it.  They get big bonus points for offering tangerine juice.  TTM's chicken and waffles, and I swear I am not making this up, was about a foot tall.
 
8) Breakfast Shoppe - Severna Park, MD
Despite multiple trips to Maryland to visit family, somehow I only managed to hit the great Breakfast Shoppe only once.  They make a wide variety of Benedicts and this year I had their wonderful salmon version with some of the best Hollandaise sauce you will find anywhere.  Cousin Johnny loved his black and blue french toast, which came topped with blackberry and blueberry compotes.  To the surprise of no one TTM ordered the chicken and waffles.  What was unusual was that instead of syrup, it came with a cream gravy and the chicken was boneless strips.
 
7) Niecie's - Kansas City, MO
Service here is always top notch, but we wouldn't come back if the food wasn't as good as it is.  This year, it was an order of the pork chops "fried right", which is what they call it on the menu.  Johnny had as short stack of fluffy pancakes and if I have to tell you what TTM ordered, then you haven't been paying attention.  All followed up by a rich slice of chocolate cake.
 
6) Hash House - Las Vegas, NV
Even though the names of these two Las Vegas restaurants are so similar, they could not be more different.  Hash House is a quiet, unassuming place that just puts out quality breakfasts.  This year, I tried the party hash (no, I am not making that up, either), which combines the roast beef hash, the chicken hash, ham hash and corned beef hash.  That is a lot of different flavors at one time,but it works.  They also offer a colorful option of different jams for your toast and I went with pineapple and pomegranate.
 
5) Wink's - Salisbury, NC
All I ate here was a egg, sausage and cheese biscuit, but the cheese was some delicious homemade pimento.  Where has this been all of my life?
 
4) Teresa's Mosaic Cafe - Tucson, AZ
I ate the excellent huevos a la Mexicana (scrambled eggs with tomatoes,onions and green chiles), while Mariton had a bowl of menudo, despite not having a hangover.  To drink, made in house horchata and jamaica.  And this has to be the friendliest little cafe in Tucson.
 
3) Garcia's Kitchen - Albuquerque, NM
I have yet to eat anything at Garcia's that wasn't excellent.  The sopaipillas were piping hot, the chicharrones intensely flavored and the huevos racheros is an ideal version.
 
2) Pancake Pantry - Nashville, TN
As good as all their pancakes are, with the sugar and spice being my personal favorite, I am also a big fan of their powerful country ham.  Never had anything less than a great meal here.
 
1) Hominy Grill - Charleston, SC
Our first meal of the year was brunch at Hominy Grill on New Year's Day.  Fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese sauce?  Yes please!  That plus a cup of she crab soup and the best chocolate pudding on earth made my first meal of the year one of the best.
 
Honorable mention:
1) Pancake Shop - Hot Springs, AR
2) Spyro's Pancake House - Fort Wayne, IN
3) Original Pantry - Los Angeles, CA
4) Northstar Cafe - Columbus, OH
5) Classen Grill - Oklahoma City, OK

I don't know that my photos are any better, but here is a pic of the chicken and waffle dish from Hash House-a-Go-Go to which buffetbuster referred: 
 

 
And, yes, sir....there is bacon in them there waffles....
 

 
BB....seeing as how I am not usually up and out of bed before noon, how did I manage to accompany you on so many of your top breakfast excursions?

TTM-
Most likely by threats of me coming back and telling you how good the food was that you missed!
 
Thanks for posting the photo!  And it is definitely better than mine.  If memory serves me correctly, you ate the whole thing, didn't you?

I used the rosemary sprigs to pick my teeth.

BB,
Your Breakfast List is 5 Star!
If you're ever in Pensacola, FL, I recommend the Coffee Cup.
The Omelets, Biscuits, Gravy, and Nassau Grits while simple fare, are outstanding!

BB-  Betty Lucas and Helen Stroud  are the two pioneers of the fried chicken tradition in KC.  Almost any place you can name  (except Brookville)  was on the map if and only if they hired Betty Lucas to come in and show them how to do it.
Mrs. Peters,  Boots & Coates, RC?   That's all Chicken Betty.

TTM-
Now that I really wish I had a good photo of that!
 
Foodbme-
Thanks!  I have been to The Coffee Cup in Pensacola and it is a wonderful place for breakfast.  Considering how close we will be during the Glee Club in Mobile, I am hoping we find a way to drive over one morning.
 
PP-
I had no idea.  Thanks for that info.  Did you ever eat at Boots & Coates?  I have read the reviews in the old Roadfood books and it sounds like I missed out on another great one.

BB-
   In KC, there was Stroud's at 85th & Troost, and then the rest of the pack.  The food in the other places was similar.  The draw was the ambiance.  Mrs. Peters was like going to some crazy aunt's for dinner.  She had chicken on the brain.
 
RC felt like you were eating in a warehouse.  Boot & Coates  was my personal favorite.  It had the feel of a private dining club.

TTM
Is that a weed sprouting on the top of your Chicken and Waffles??? or is it really The "Rosemary" Sprigs???

I love Hash House a Go Go!  I was there with redpatti and Jeff.  I didn't get any rosemary sprigs.

That was, indeed, rosemary.

Poverty Pete-
If only I had found Roadfood ten years earlier!  I missed out on some great places.

BB

I have been to Hash House a Go Go and what a breakfast it is.  I had the Eggs Benedict with the sage fried chicken and just like TTM's meal it was stacked a good foot high.  This was a seriously memorable meal.  I managed to eat the whole thing and my breakfast sustained me so well that the only thing ate the rest of the day was a banana at 11:00pm when I landed in Chicago. 
 
My wife had the scrambled eggs with sundried tomatoes, basil and goat cheese and loved them!
 
The owners/founders of Hash House A Go Go are from Indiana which leaves one question....why can't I find breakfasts like theirs in Indiana?

The original plan was to have this done by the end of the month, but I wasn't counting on coming down with strep throat. Other than going to the drs, I haven't left the house since Friday. This report will just take a little longer than expected to complete.

Feel better buckaroo!
 
Buddy

I hope you feel better soon BB. Great lists so far. Thanks. 

Get well soon!  

Thanks for the get well wishes!
 
Continuing on my with some of my favorite experiences of 2012.....
 
Back in January, TheTravelinMan let me know he was coming to Pittsburgh for the weekend.  He has been here often enough that I am running out of cool touristy places to take him.  Knowing he is a big baseball fan, I suggested the Roberto Clemente Musuem and he immediately responded that sounded like a great idea.
 
After an excellent lunch at Tessaro's for some of the best burgers

in the country (One of these days, either Ralph or I need to send in a formal Roadfood review, because it really is that good), TTM, my buddy Mike and I drove to the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh where the museum is located.  Owner Duane Rieder is a photographer who developed a relationship with the Clemente family and they donated much of what is on display.  The building is a beautiful old restored firehouse and yes, the pole

is still there! 
 
The museum is open by appointment only and there were a few other small groups joining us.  I had assumed that Duane would be leading the tour, but instead, a small older man with a thick accent arrived and was introduced to us as Les Banos.  He had been the team photographer for the Pirates and was a very close personal friend of Roberto.  Here is a photo of Les with Roberto back in the day


and Les on the day of our visit.  It was a very relaxed leisurely tour, with Les showing us the memorabilia and many of the photographs, which of course he taken himself and had since donated to the museum.







 
If all we did was look at some signed balls and some dusty old photographs, then we still would have had a fun afternoon.  But, it was so much more because of the stories.  Because of their friendship, Les was able to tell us what Roberto the person was really like.  He is so deified here in Pittsburgh, that it is easy to forget that he was a real person, with problems and faults just like anyone else.  And Les had countless great stories and through these it was still obvious that he admired the man.  Just every kid growing up in Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico did.  Some of the stories I was familiar with, but most were completely new to me.  Like when the Pirates were on the road in San Diego and Roberto got kidnapped and thrown in the trunk of a car.  Once the bad guys realized who he was, they dropped him back off at the hotel, apologizing the whole way.  By the way, Les was originally supposed to be on the plane to Managua, Nicaragua that carried earthquake relief supplies that crashed and killed Roberto.
 
With the years that he was around Major League Baseball, he had also become friends with many of the other great players.  And he had plenty of fun stories about them, too.  To the surprise of no one, Les said Ernie Banks and Stan Musial were just as nice in real life as they appeared.  I was a little surprised to hear such good things about Willie Mays, who was known to be a little cranky.  His story of Roberto introducing Willie to the Japanese ambassador on a downtown Pittsburgh street was probably my favorite all day.  There was one other superstar ballplayer of the era that Les had nothing good to say about, but I don't think it is appropriate for me to name that person here.  Ask me in person sometime.  Oh, and then there was the year he was responsible throughout spring training for taking Pie Traynor to the track.  And so many more. 
 
As if this wasn't interesting enough, he was also worked for one of the big wire services, so he ended up photographing and befriending some of the big Hollywood starlets at the time.  So we also heard stories about Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Crawford, etc.  There was a particularly good one about running into fellow Hungarian Zsa Zsa Gabor in the Cincinnati airport.
 
By the way, I do need to point something out.  This can make it seem like he was boasting about all the famous people he knew, but it wasn't like that at all.  The stories were so matter-of-fact, like me telling someone about my Aunt Edna's adnoids, he did not come across as a braggart in the slightest.
 
It was an absolutely fascinating couple of hours hearing Les.  But, my back was getting wonky, so I went downstairs to sit on one of the benches.  For the life of me, I couldn't understand why I had never heard of Les Banos before.  So, I googled his name on my smart phone and the first thing that came up was a Les Banos who was a spy during World War and was credited with saving countless lives.  What?  That couldn't possibly be the same Les Banos could it?  Just then, museum curator Duane Rieter walked by and I asked him.  Yes, it was the same man.  He had joined the SS in his native Hungary and acted as a double agent for the Allies, feeding them information and changing Nazi orders.  I was stunned.  How could one man have lived such an amazing life?  When Les (along with Mike and TTM) came downstairs, I asked him about his experiences during World War II.  As open as he was with the baseball stories, he was reluctant to discuss the war.  Which we understood.  He said he had seen too many horrifying things and he would rather just forget them.  He did tell me that he wrote a book about it.  Since he had a copy in his car, I was able to purchase it right there and have him sign it.  If you would like to see a short video of Les discussing the war, you can find it here.
 
We sat around for a while longer with Les, just chatting in general.  We couldn't stay forever, but the three of us didn't want to leave.  Finally, TTM snapped a photo of Mike, Les and I before we left.
  
I had plans of taking other friends who loved baseball to the museum and to meet Les, but it never materialized and Les passed away just a few months later.
 
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have thought about that afternoon and what a great time we had.  And how fortunate I feel to have met Les Banos, even if it was just for a few hours.

I love stories like that-I have many about famous people in Milwaukee, and its not name dropping-its just stories....and I do tell them......

Sorry to hear you've been feeling lousy. I'm over my cold and cough and Lisa's battling hers.
 
FYI: There are a couple of schools named for Clemente in my home town of New Haven, and at least one statue of him there, also.

I meant to post this yesterday.  Here is the obituary for Les Banos which tells more details about his amazing life.

buffetbuster


There was one other superstar ballplayer of the era that Les had nothing good to say about, but I don't think it is appropriate for me to name that person here.

I think it's pretty obvious that the player was Bob Uecker.

SC-
How could anyone say bad things about the great Mr Baseball!

I'm sure he has the same initials as Mickey Mouse...

That was a great day. 
 
And, just so you can all comprehend just how great a day it was....I had completely forgotten that we went to Tessaro's before the museum.

Wow! The visit to the Clemente museum and the opportunity to spend time with Mr. Banos are such such wonderful experiences. i envy you so  much. this has been one of the best threads you have ever created and I keep wondering what else awaits us.

mr chips-
Being the baseball fan and history fan that you are, no doubt you would have really enjoyed the Clemente Musuem and the stories from Mr. Banos as much as we did.  If you ever make it back to Pittsburgh, I would love to take you there.
 
TTM-
You forgot about Tessaro's?  Now that is really saying something!
 
Wintahaba-
Good guess, but you would be Mostly Mistaken! 

One final link about Les Banos.....
 
He plays a minor in this excellent article about the mystery surrounding the bat Roberto got his 3,000th hit.  They do claim to have it at the Clemente Museum, but then so does the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I missed the Clemente Museum. Did get to the Andy Warhol Museum. :)

buffetbuster


One final link about Les Banos.....

He plays a minor in this excellent article about the mystery surrounding the bat Roberto got his 3,000th hit.  They do claim to have it at the Clemente Museum, but then so does the Baseball Hall of Fame.

These Les Banos and Roberto Clemente stories are some of the most awesome reading ever!  Thank you for posting them.

will_work_4_bbq-
Thanks so much for the reply and I am so glad that you enjoyed it.  I found it really interesting that so many different people think they had the bat in question.  It should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
 
 
 
Between the Los Angeles thread and this one, I have been working on a trip report for two months and feeling a little burned out.  So, a couple of sections that were planned are getting cut.  It will be put to bed this week or bust!

A collection of some of my favorite memories from 2012: 
 
* It is easy to complain when you get TravelinManned or have other bad luck, but there are certainly times when the Roadfood Gods are smiling upon you.  And these need to be acknowledged, also. 
 
Henry's in West Jefferson, OH is one of America's premier pie palaces, that is unfortunately closed on Sundays.  But, you never know when a restaurant changes their hours.  So, I called on a Sunday morning driving back from Indy to surprisingly find them open.  I was told on the phone that we aren't normally open on Sundays, but they are today.  And not only were they open, they had the full repertiore of pies available, too! 

Woo-Hoo!!!   BTW, it was explained to me (over the two slices of pie I ate there, plus three more bagged to go) that Henry's opens on Sundays before major holidays and that happened to be the weekend before Easter.  That little nugget of information has been stored away for future use!
 
Also, a visit to Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Fort Lawn, SC was also on a Sunday.  Although I knew they would be open, what was unexpected was that it was buffet day, which meant all the fried squash you can eat, plus it is the only day they offer their excellent, vanilla-wafer heavy, banana pudding.

 
* During a visit to Chef's Dog House in Newington, CT, we sat down next to these charming two ladies,

who had never seen anyone taking photos of their food before.  Once we explained why, along with the fact that we were in Connecticut for a bus tour of the local restaurants, they went from thinking we were crazy to getting so enthusiastic they wanted to join us on the road!
 
* The offficial greeter and house mascot of Bogus Creek Cafe in Stockholm, WI is Bogus. 

He is a rescue dog, who is seen resting after his recent procedure, which was necessitated by his amorous adventures.  He did still have enough energy to share my bacon with me.
 
* In previous trips to The Varsity in Atlanta, the people who waited on me ran the gamut of indifference to downright surly.  This year, I was finally greeted with the famed "What'll you have, what'll you have" by this young lady

with the great smile.  Apparently, the secret to good service at The Varsity is to take wanderingjew with you.
 
* My mother loves German food, but she is also a picky eater.  This made me a little nervous about our lunch at a place I found and reviewed near Harrisburg called Josie's.  Not only did she like it,

she called it the best meal she has had in years!  Taking her to someplace she really likes is no small accomplishment.  And who doesn't like to make their mom happy?
 
* One of the most fun weekends we had all year was spent in Fort Wayne, IN.  No, that is not a typo.  It happened to be right before Halloween and the city went all out.  There were hundreds of people walking around downtown all dressed as zombies, which was truly an eerie sight.  And then, we watched the great 1920 silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in the atmospheric, old Embassy Theater. 

There was even a organist to accompany the film.  Mariton and I both agreed that this made for the best Halloween we have ever had.
 
* Meeting Rory Lee Feek (seen here with ChiTownDiner) 

of the country music duo Joey + Rory at their restaurant, Marcy Jo's Mealhouse, just south of Nashville.  Not only was the food wonderful, but CTD also bought a music CD and their song Cheater,Cheater become the unofficial anthem for the rest of our time in Tennessee.
 
* People in restaurants like to give you things, especially when you have a camera and show enthusiasm for their food.  The manager of Ted's outside of Buffalo came over to say hello and ended up giving me a hat. 

When another customer at Zach's Hot Dogs in North Carolina heard that I was from out-of-town, he sent over a cheese dog

for me to try.  He told me, with much gusto, that he eats "four of five at a time!"  And during a visit to El Guero Canelo in Tucson, one of the employees sent a Sonoran Dog

over to Mariton, although that probably had very little to do with me or my camera!
 
* The nice people at Tastease Donuts in Hartford also gave me a donut, but I had to earn it, since I was able to help them with a couple of answers in the crossword puzzle they were working on.
 
* Cypress Grill is a wooden shack next to the river that specializes in river herring.  Because of that, they are only open during herring season, which is January though April.  On three previous visits to Cypress Grill, they couldn't sell the herring due to under population.  This year, I finally got to try this Eastern North Carolina specialty. 

Not the most delicious meal of the year, but at least I could knock it off my Roadfood bucket list!
 
* I am not someone who intimidates easily, but George Archibald, Jr. of Archibald's Bar-B-Q made me a little nervous.  I decided to sit inside the cramped quarters of the bbq parlor at one of the stools of the counter.  When I took a couple of photos of my pork bbq sandwich, Mr. Archibald (just a few feet away from me) said it a firm voice, "Sir.....  go ahead", while motioning to my food.  In other words, quit screwing around and eat already!  As it turns out, Mr. Archibald was a really nice guy and loved talking football, especially his Crimson Tide.  When I tried to steer the conversation to bbq, he quickly brought it right back to football!
 
* Meeting Sonya Hong

of Irv's Burgers in West Hollywood is a special experience.  Witty and warm, she makes you feel like you are a close friend instead of a customer making their first visit.  She even puts personalized messages

on your paper plate along with the burger.   

Rory and those overalls for breakfast...love that breakfast!  Thanks for recalling it for me! 

buffetbuster


Between the Los Angeles thread and this one, I have been working on a trip report for two months and feeling a little burned out.  So, a couple of sections that were planned are getting cut.  It will be put to bed this week or bust!

I'm just hoping you get it wrapped up before you start your 2013 report...
 
Don't leave anything out!  It's been great so far and if it takes a little longer it's worth it!

Thanks SC!  What is scary is that Glee Club is right around the corner!  That may take me into 2014!
 
CTD- 
So glad you bought that CD.  You may have to bring it to Mobile.

* During a weekend in New York City, we spent an afternoon visiting some of the cool and unusual Roadfood places that have been reviewed by billyboy. 
 
First up was the Doughnut Plant, which carries some of the biggest, most delicious doughnuts anywhere. 

Among the unusual flavors we tried and loved were the matcha green tea and peanut butter filled with blackberry jam.  These were outstanding!
 
Economy Candy makes you feel like you are 10 years old again.  The variety here is astonishing

and it would take hours at least to tryuly look through everything.  If they don't have it, it isn't available!  I loaded up on a few favorites that are tough to find at home, especially bottle caps.  And I also learned that Bosco made candy bars.

 
Another big hit with our group was sugar Sweet sunshine, a cupcake shop with such cool sounding flavors as Hollaback Girl, which is a banana cupcake with cream cheese frosting. 

Very simple and very good! 
 
Both Cousin Johnny and I are big fans of rice pudding, so Rice to Riches is right up our alley.  Along with Mariton, the three of us splits bowls of excellent rum raisin and gingerbread rice puddings. 

Adding to our affection for this place is some of the goofiest signage


we have seen.
 
If one restaurant can sell just rice pudding, why not have another that just sells macaroni and cheese named S'Mac?  Somehow we failed to try the six variety sampler, but still loved everything we tried, especially the La Mancha


featuring manchego cheese, plus fresh fennel and onions.
 
Cousin Johnny and I visited Peanut Butter & Co. on a previous visit to New York, but Mariton was skeptical about a peanut butter themed restaurant, so we had to go.  Highlights included the Elvis sandwich

and a sampler plate

where you get to try all their different peanut butters at once.
 
A big thanks to billyboy for finding these unique "only in New York" places and reviewing them for us.  Oh, and we did run into billyboy while out sightseeing, but since he was working,

we didn't want to bother him! 

Keep going..........you have plenty of time until Mobile!!

I love Rice to Riches. Going to Lombardi's and then following with a trip across the street for rice pudding has become one of my NYC routines.

lleechef-
There isn't that much time, considering some shopping needs done.  Mariton saw me in my Hawaiian shirt and insists I have to go out and get a new one!
 
kaszeta-
Of those mentioned above, Rice to Riches was clearly my favorite.

bb
What the hell were you doing prancing around Mars in a Hawaiian shirt in the middle of winter??? 

lleechef-
I don't think it is even physically possible for a guy my size to prance, regardless of the weather.  I tried on the Hawaiian shirt and it is now tight on me.  Obviously, it shrunk since the last time I wore it!

Hmmm... A prancing competition at the Brick Pit would be a fine social activity...Kind of like a round of "Musical Chairs", only we won't use any chairs !!!  So bring your Prancing shoes, BB !

mayor al


Hmmm... A prancing competition at the Brick Pit would be a fine social activity...Kind of like a round of "Musical Chairs", only we won't use any chairs !!!  So bring your Prancing shoes, BB !

This trip gets better and better!

Just so you know, with my hip replacement surgery coming up shortly after Mobile I've been barred from prancing. I'll let lleechef take my place.

Hoffman!!   Since it's going to be replaced anyway,  go ahead and wear it out!!!

Poverty Pete


Hoffman!!   Since it's going to be replaced anyway,  go ahead and wear it out!!!

I agree.  Give them even MORE reason to replace it.

I have enough trouble right now just walking. It's been worn out for a long time, and it has finally worn me out. That's why I'm having a new one plugged in. Coming Soon To A Theater Near You:
 
                           The Six Hundred Dollar Man

Great report BB. I can see the resemblance of your mother and you, good looking lady. Nothing like making your Mom happy.

My top ten restaurants is comprised of places that I visited for the first time in 2012.
 
Top Ten Roadfood Restaurants
 
10) El Campeon - San Juan Capistrano, CA





Located just a few blocks away from the famous Mission in San Juan Capistrano, the food here makes understand why the swallows return every year.  We tried seemingly half the menu, including tacos, a torta, carnitas combination plate and menudo and everything was very good.   But the items we enjoyed the most was the agua frescas, especially the fresh watermelon.  Almost no English is spoken here, but we never felt out of place.
 
9) Jocko's Steakhouse - Nipomo, CA





Jocko's is a small town steakhouse in a relaxed, casual atmosphere.  It is also a great place to get a great Santa Maria Barbecue meal, which includes a steak (that's a 20 oz. filet in the photo), salsa, garlic bread, relish tray, salad and pinquito beans.  The big surprise was the dessert that came with the meal, excellent spumoni!  Jocko's is truly where the locals eat.
 
8) Modern Apizza (New Haven, CT)





Credit for Modern Apizza's appearance in this list goes to Amy Briesch of the ayersian duo.  I have never been much of a pizza fan, but while we were in Connecticut for the bus tour, a group of us drove down to New Haven on the Saturday night.  The chicken parmesan sub and pizzas with toppings like eggplant were good.  But, it was Amy's suggestion of sausage and cherry peppers that really grabbed me.  I don't ever remember craving pizza before, but this I occasionally crave.
 
7) Second Avenue Deli (New York, NY)




No less an authority than wanderingjew said that this is his favorite New York deli and it is easy to see why.  We were here in the morning, so Mariton and I enjoyed breakfasts including a pastrami omelet and cherry blintzes.  Johnny wanted lunch so we went with matzoh bowl soup and half of a corned beef sandwich.  And as mentioned before, the manager was killing us with his humor.  An all-around great experience!
 
6) Flip's - Wilmington, NC







This was another restaurant that we just ordered a bunch of items and with only one exception, everything was excellent.  We thoroughly enjoyed the chicken sandwich and the pork plate, but the almost black bologna sandiwch, topped with chili and cole slaw was a standout.  Side-wise, we loved trying the deep fried macaroni and cheese and deep fried cream corn and would order them again.  For dessert, one of the best banana puddings of the year.  The only misstep was the surprisingly bland brunswick stew.
 
5) Brophy Brothers - Santa Barbara, CA





Brophy Brothers had us won over before the food arrived.  Mariton was so enamored with the view of the ocean, marina and the mountains in the background that she couldn't be bothered looking at the menu,so I had to order for both of us.  Our meal started with warm, sour dough bread, which was the perfect way to mop up the leftover creamy clam chowder.  We also ate a plate filled with hot appetizers, such as steamed clams, steamed mussels, baked clams, oysters rockefeller and beer-boiled shrimp.  Everything was fresh and delicious.  Finally a wonderful shrimp and avocado salad.  We bought thought this was the best meal we ate during our California vacation.
 
4) Meers Store - Meers, OK





The Meers Store is one of the best known restaurants in the entire state and people drive from far away to eat here.  Of course they would have to, because it is in the middle of nowhere.  A rickety old building with atmosphere to spare, Johnny and I split the huge MeersCheeseburger, which comes served in a tin pan.  The deep fried pickles, known as frickles was the best side I ate all year.  The desserts, a cherry cobbler and a banana pudding were not only really good, but they were of epic porportions!
 
3) El Torero - Tucson, AZ






Honestly, the top three were so good, any one of them could have been number one.  At El Torero, we enjoyed such classic Tucson dishes as cheese crisp and green corn tamale, plus some items that were new to me such as albondigas (meatball) soup and turkey in an incredible mole sauce.  Very little English is spoken at El Torero, but we were made to feel welcome, especially by our waitress who went by the nickname of "Shorty".  One of my favorite moments came while we were eating the chips and salsa that they brought to the table when we first sat down.  Frustrated that it wasn't hot enough, Mariton, who can eat hotter foods than anyone I have ever seen, asked for the hot stuff.  They hesistated and looked at each other, before bringing out a bowl of salsa that was much darker red.  They watched in amazement as Mariton easily dispatched that salsa, too!
 
2) Babushka's Kitchen - Northfield Center, OH





With the possible exception of Thai, there is no food I enjoy more than Eastern European.  So, Babushka's Kitchen was right up my alley.  There was a group of five of us, including Ralph and Lori Melton and BuddyRoadhouse, so we were able to order plenty of food for sampling.  Among the highlights was the plate of pierogies, with several different varieties, such as potato, sauerkraut and the unusual mushroom swiss.  The Hunter's Feast, which was a sampler platter was another big hit with the group, but the it was the dish known as The Warsaw that I couldn't get enough of.  This is slow roasted pork, sandwiched by homemade potato pancakes, plus grilled onions, sour cream and sauerkraut, along with a side of haluski.  This was an incredible dish!  Having the company of my Roadfood friends only added to my enjoyment.
 
1) El Farolito - El Reno, NM






The food at El Farolito would make it a contender for the top spot alone.  Since I could not decide between the red or the green chile, I ordered a dish that starred each one.  The red chile on the chile relleno was thin, seriously hot and incredibly flavorful.  Still, the stuffed sopaipilla with the green chile was even better.  To drink, a Mexican hot chocolate.  El Farolito is located in a sleepy little village and you drive through some beautiful country to get there.  The building itself is small and the inside seats are picnic tables.  The walls are decorated with green chile awards and colorful murals.  I can't imagine going back to New Mexico without a return trip to this Roadfood gem.
 
 
Honorable Mention:
1) White River Fish Market - Tulsa, OK
2) Hank's Hamburgers - Tulsa, OK
3) Mario's Latin Cafe - Homestead, FL
4) Poe Boy Luncheon - Nashville, TN
5) Sweet Georgia Brown - Dallas, TX