Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip!

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (mar52)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:17:03 GMT

Great tie up to a great trip.

Nice to meet you both.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:59:47 GMT

A bit of an addendum. A short road trip to Toronto!
New Post - Toronto in September - another Food Network Star's restaurant. http://happymouth.ca/?p=5097

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:15:37 GMT

New Post: The 2011 Monster Road Trip Wrap-up!

http://happymouth.ca/?p=5044

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (Ralph Melton)

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:16:15 GMT

Excellent report. Thank you very much for sharing with us.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (ann peeples)

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:55:13 GMT

Truly enjoyed your travels. Looking forward to the next trip!!

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (HDtravlr1)

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:23:16 GMT

Great trip and report.

Thanks!

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:45:49 GMT

We are back home, in Ottawa, safe and sound, getting much love from our kitties.
Thank you all for your recommendations, feedback and support! Now to plan the next one!

I f you go to the opening post of this road trip you can find links to all of plast trips through the Southwest, The South East and the West Coast.

Thanks Again!

Rob
www.happymouth.ca

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:43:52 GMT

The beef certainly wasn't dry, but it just wasn't all that great. We went to Portillo's for dogs the day before, and didn't want to do the same place twice. Have to try it again next time...

I think I would order it with hot peppers and NOT dipped...

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (kland01s)

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 11:03:26 GMT

Sorry but those pictures of Italian beefs look like the worst beefs I have ever seen. The meat looks dry and old. Like I said above, I'm a huge fan of Portillo's Italian beefs and get mine soggy with extra hots and a lot of napkins! Yum.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (CajunKing)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:54:41 GMT

Whew - Thought I was the only one that never really got the idea of soggy bread. I want the bread to crackle when I bite into that wonderful roastbeef the inside can be soggy but NOT the whole thing!

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:46:35 GMT

New Post: Underwhelming response to a celebrated Chicago delicacy.
http://happymouth.ca/?p=5008

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (CajunKing)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:10:05 GMT

Sorry you missed Hot Doug's that place is AWESOME!

The jalapeno Rattlesnake sausage sounds wonderful

My favorite has been the currently titled Bridgette Bardot
Spicy Andouille - Yummmmmm I am drooling now

Have a safe flight back to Ottawa

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (ann peeples)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:22:42 GMT

I went on the search forum, typed in Portillos, and got plenty of reference...

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (Foodbme)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:56:37 GMT

ann peeples

Portillo's has been discussed here, but mostly for their Italian beef...

I did a search by the name, Portillo's, and nothing comes up. The posts may be archived.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (ann peeples)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:59:56 GMT

Portillo's has been discussed here, but mostly for their Italian beef...

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (kland01s)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:27:40 GMT

Foodbme

Your post was the first time I've heard of Portillo's. It would seem that it would have been discussed on here at some time so, I did a search and could not come up with any reference to it. Therefore your report is the first on the place. The place looks interesting and I would think our Chicagoland members would have something to say about the place as well as their other places - Barnelli's, Honey Jam Cafe, Luigi's House and Julians Plaza. Sounds like the guy, Dick Portillo started with a hot dog trailer in 1963 and built an empire! Would like to hear more about Portillo's from our Chicagolanders!
I'm sorry to see your roadtrip come to an end. You both have an excellent blog and a great reporting style Thank You Very Much!

I'm sure I have mentioned Portillo's at least a few times but probably in reference to Italian beef sandwiches which are my favorite there. I have even eaten at Dick Portillo's first trailer back in the 1960's, introduced to him by my friend who was a local cop and a regular at the stand. Just to clarify, Barnelli's is inside of a Portillo's, one line for regular Portillo's items, another line for Barnelli's with no crossover. My local Portillo's has this same situation with the one side specializing in ribs and salads. I also have a Honey Jam Cafe which is right next door to my Portillo's location. The place is always packed but for me, not to my liking. There are far better options for breakfast and lunch. We go to Luigi's now and then, the food is quite good. As with all of the Portillo locations, decor is as important as the food and the settings can be pretty elaborate. As mentioned in big666dog's blog, the ordering system at Portillo's is pretty amazing and even with long lines at the counter AND the drive up, you get your food pretty quickly. I have been in and out of the drive up with 15 cars ahead of me in about 10 minutes or less because they have people who come out to the car way ahead of the drive up window and take your order and radio it in. Efficiency and service are number 1 next to good food. BTW, on the other hand Luigi's is a fairly formal, nice sit down place. We have gone there to a nice formal wedding reception as well as work lunches. Honey Jam is also a standard sit down place. Sorry to stray away from big666dog's great thread!

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (Foodbme)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:48:07 GMT

The Vienna Beef Factory has an open to the public lunch room where you can get an Italian Beef. They're having a Tent Sale This Week!!!You can buy products to take home as well. You might be able to connect with our long time RF'er, Chicagostyledog, Mark Reitman for a tour. He's The Professor of Hot Dogs and runs The Hot Dog University there.
http://www.hotdogu.com/about_hot_dog_university/default.aspx
http://www.viennabeef.com/

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:10:22 GMT

Thanks for the encouragement. Tomorrow is our last day in Chicago and then we fly back home to Ottawa on Saturday. Tomorrow (actually today, when I'm writing this) we'll do some touristy stuff in the city, check out that other venerable Chicago institution, the Italian Beef, and see what other trouble we can get into.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (Foodbme)

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:25:04 GMT

Your post was the first time I've heard of Portillo's. It would seem that it would have been discussed on here at some time so, I did a search and could not come up with any reference to it. Therefore your report is the first on the place. The place looks interesting and I would think our Chicagoland members would have something to say about the place as well as their other places - Barnelli's, Honey Jam Cafe, Luigi's House and Julians Plaza. Sounds like the guy, Dick Portillo started with a hot dog trailer in 1963 and built an empire! Would like to hear more about Portillo's from our Chicagolanders!
I'm sorry to see your roadtrip come to an end. You both have an excellent blog and a great reporting style Thank You Very Much!

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (mar52)

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:34:37 GMT

I've never read a description of a hot dog more alluring.

I could take a bite out of that picture!

I'll be sad when you get home.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:47:17 GMT

New post: Classic Chicago-style hot dogs and great Italian!
http://happymouth.ca/?p=4945

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (CajunKing)

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:40:26 GMT

Your first day of the windy and cool city looked great. Malnati's pizza yummmmmmmmm. Now I am hungry

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:11:40 GMT

New post: Into the Windy City: Deep-dish pizza and Iconic Mexican cuisine!
http://happymouth.ca/?p=4822

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:10:22 GMT

Our CONCRETES were also kinda loose, but that was fine with us. We got the name wrong in our original post. We corrected it immediately after it was pointed out to us.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (CajunKing)

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:17:04 GMT

The last time I was at Ted Drewe's my concrete wasn't as thick as it should have been and when I turned it upside down to show some friends..... PLOP right on the ground. ( I did get a replacement and an apology for it not being so thick)

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (Foodbme)

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:40:46 GMT

Ted Drewes was on Man vs Food recently.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:58:11 GMT

New mini-post: Route 66 from St. Louis to Normal. Frozen Custard!
http://happymouth.ca/?p=4786

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (big666dog)

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:48:00 GMT

Think of the Snoots as pork cracklins or pork rinds. ...AND it was covered in SPECTACULAR BBQ sauce! I find that, you have to pick the right place to try the outlandish. This was the right place.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (mar52)

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:32:45 GMT

Snouts? SNOUTS? I saw them packaged as dog treats and couldn't even get my self to buy them at that time.

Don't know that I could do it, just like I couldn't do pickled pigs feet. I have eaten a couple White Castles.

I applaud you for your diverse food choices.

Your photography is amazing.

Re:Our Annual MONSTER Road Trip! (CajunKing)

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:24:59 GMT

Ok, I am caught from missing the weekend.

White Castle, Camels and Snoots OH MY!!

Papa Boudreaux's looked awesome, when I visit my father in Nashville we will have to head down and try it. I miss REAL cajun food.