Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012

The Travelin Man

Another tip - PVD-WAS (Providence to Washington) is $67 each way. You can also stop at any station along the way and so long as you reboard a train heading in the same direction within 24 hours, there is no change in fare. In other words, PVD-NYP-PHL-BAL-WAS is also $67, if you were so inclined as to do that kind of crazy itinerary over the course of one weekend, provided you book each train less then 24 hours after arrival in each city. It might be fun to "stop off" in Philadelphia for a cheesesteak, and reboard a train for Baltimore in four hours, for instance.

I'm intrigued by this approach.  How do the mechanics of this work?  Just get off the train, go to the ticket counter, and rebook for a trip leaving from the station in less than 24 hours?
I always thought it would be fun to do WRJ->NYP->PHL->BAL->WAS or some variant for one of my early summer trips, stopping off several times along the way.

kaszeta

The Travelin Man

Another tip - PVD-WAS (Providence to Washington) is $67 each way. You can also stop at any station along the way and so long as you reboard a train heading in the same direction within 24 hours, there is no change in fare. In other words, PVD-NYP-PHL-BAL-WAS is also $67, if you were so inclined as to do that kind of crazy itinerary over the course of one weekend, provided you book each train less then 24 hours after arrival in each city. It might be fun to "stop off" in Philadelphia for a cheesesteak, and reboard a train for Baltimore in four hours, for instance.

I'm intrigued by this approach.  How do the mechanics of this work?  Just get off the train, go to the ticket counter, and rebook for a trip leaving from the station in less than 24 hours?
I always thought it would be fun to do WRJ->NYP->PHL->BAL->WAS or some variant for one of my early summer trips, stopping off several times along the way.

Kaszeta
 
I did something very similar back in 2008. I took Amtrak from Kingston RI to Philly, then from Philly to DC, then DC to NYC then back to Kingston, all in one weekend (to see a Nationals Game and a Yankees Game) I got the ticket in advance and prepared my schedule on line. I suspect this is something that needs to be planned in advance either on line or by phone

kaszeta

The Travelin Man

Another tip - PVD-WAS (Providence to Washington) is $67 each way. You can also stop at any station along the way and so long as you reboard a train heading in the same direction within 24 hours, there is no change in fare. In other words, PVD-NYP-PHL-BAL-WAS is also $67, if you were so inclined as to do that kind of crazy itinerary over the course of one weekend, provided you book each train less then 24 hours after arrival in each city. It might be fun to "stop off" in Philadelphia for a cheesesteak, and reboard a train for Baltimore in four hours, for instance.

I'm intrigued by this approach.  How do the mechanics of this work?  Just get off the train, go to the ticket counter, and rebook for a trip leaving from the station in less than 24 hours?
I always thought it would be fun to do WRJ->NYP->PHL->BAL->WAS or some variant for one of my early summer trips, stopping off several times along the way.

WJ is correct. You do need to book the tickets in advance. There are very few routes on Amtrak that are open seating, so you need a ticket for the specific train on which you wish to travel. It used to be that with a rail pass, you could do just as you suggest - buy one ticket and hop on and off trains, as long as there was a seat available, with no advanced planning (my kind of deal!). Now, especially with Amtrak  introducing e-tickets, everything is for a specific train.
 
As an example, over the holidays, I priced out an itinerary from Wilmington, DE to NY. The ticket was $41 one-way. I could also book WLM-PHL//overnight in Philly//PHL-NYP for the same $41 total....but, yes, you need to book the trains in advance. And, as I said earlier, on all of the northeast corridor routes, there is a 25% discount for purchasing tickets 21 days in advance....which is a (relatively) huge discount for Amtrak travel.

wanderingjew

The Travelin Man


Instead of my usual snarky comments, you get helpful info today. :) 

Actually, I was hoping for some $$, points, credits..... I'll take anything.....

You can look at this one of two ways....
 
(1) Buy your ticket now. Compare the cost of the ticket in October to the $87 price you can find today and whatever you saved, you can consider my gift.  You'll find that I am surprisingly generous.
 
(2) Use your good credit to apply for a ton of credit cards, all with huge signup bonuses. That is the way of the community known as "travel hackers." You can get free tickets on Southwest, free nights in hotels, and even free train rides. After you get the points posted to your account, cancel the credit cards. Rinse and repeat. If you need step-by-step details, then I can help - but, that would require a consultant's fee, payable in ribs.

wanderingjew

Funds are very, very tight this year.....(TTM and Buffetbuster, I'm accepting donations for the sake of Roadfood )

My contributions will be limited.  If you come to Pittsbugh, you can have a couple of free nights in the Cousin Johnny suite at Casa de Buster.

The Travelin Man
 

wanderingjew
 

The Travelin Man
 

Instead of my usual snarky comments, you get helpful info today. :)  

 
Actually, I was hoping for some $$, points, credits..... I'll take anything..... 

 
You can look at this one of two ways.... 

(1) Buy your ticket now. Compare the cost of the ticket in October to the $87 price you can find today and whatever you saved, you can consider my gift.  You'll find that I am surprisingly generous. 

(2) Use your good credit to apply for a ton of credit cards, all with huge signup bonuses. That is the way of the community known as "travel hackers." You can get free tickets on Southwest, free nights in hotels, and even free train rides. After you get the points posted to your account, cancel the credit cards. Rinse and repeat. If you need step-by-step details, then I can help - but, that would require a consultant's fee, payable in ribs. 

 

Thanks for the advice, but what I was really hoping for was YOUR $$ or YOUR points...
 
 
 
 
 

buffetbuster

wanderingjew

Funds are very, very tight this year.....(TTM and Buffetbuster, I'm accepting donations for the sake of Roadfood )

My contributions will be limited.  If you come to Pittsbugh, you can have a couple of free nights in the Cousin Johnny suite at Casa de Buster.

 
Thanks, if we do go, it will likely be a roadtrip which means I'll be able to reimburse you with Shoo fly Pie

wanderingjew

Thanks for the advice, but what I was really hoping for was YOUR $$ or YOUR points...

Give a man a fish and he can eat lutefisk for a day. Teach a man to fish and he can eat lutefisk....well, still only for a day. No one would eat that crap more than once.

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.    Sorry. This is a duplicate post and I don't know how to delete it.

The Travelin Man

wanderingjew

Thanks for the advice, but what I was really hoping for was YOUR $$ or YOUR points...

Give a man a fish and he can eat lutefisk for a day. Teach a man to fish and he can eat lutefisk....well, still only for a day. No one would eat that crap more than once.

 
Oh, frig, I was laughing so hard, I practically spit out my  Dr Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda

The Odd, the Weird and the Quirky
 
 
Just some stuff that made me do a double take throughout the year....
 
 

 
Where else but New Orleans?
 
 

 
Ditto.....
 
 

 
 
While walking down Royal Street in New Orleans, who would have thought that I would run into Chris' (Ayersian's)   long lost big armed cousin  (2nd from the right)..... 
 
 

 
The Shilo Museum of Ozark History Springdale AR
 
 
 


 
 
Sometimes surnames and professions just go hand in hand.....Fayetteville AR
 
 

 
Someone explain to me what TTM is doing to poor Mr. Piggy....Knockum Hill BBQ Herndon KY
 
 
 


 
 

 

 
Just some folk I ran into in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ
 
 
 

 
 

 
Ironically these two places are located right next door to eachother in Old Town Tempe AZ- make sense?
 
 

 
I wonder what weird little guitar dude is doing right now? San Antonio TX
 
 

 

I love craft beer too, I can take or leave "happy bacon" Austin TX
 
 

 
 
An intense game of chess in Downtown Atlanta
 
 

 
 

 
 
It's incredibly amazing how much these penguins resemble Ralph Melton and TTM !! - The Aviary Pittsburgh PA

Great, now I'm craving Stroud's Fried Chicken.

WJ.......loved the Chess pic!  Those of you old enough to remember "The Prisoner" with Patrick McGoohan will remember the real life Chess game (alas, the "pawns" got zapped!)  When we lived in the UK, we got to visit Portmerion in Wales where it was filmed and saw the Original Chessboard

FCF
 
The big chess board was definitely the oddest thing I saw on my "Whistlin' Dixie" trip.
Unfortunately I'm too young to remember "The Prisoner" but I do remember Patrick McGoohan.
--
On an aside
I may throw in a couple of extras over the weekend, however the big awards (honorable mentions and top 10 new restaurants of 2012) are slated for next week.

I definitely want to get this done by February 1

wanderingjew
Unfortunately I'm too young to remember "The Prisoner" ...

 
Who are you tryin' to kid?
 
Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse

wanderingjew
Unfortunately I'm too young to remember "The Prisoner" ...

Who are you tryin' to kid?

Buddy

 
According to wikipedia the series ended in 1968 which would have made me 3 years old. Believe it or not I'm going to 48 in March, most people think I'm much younger because of my "baby face"

I just figured someone as smart and handsome as you are had to be my contemporary.
 
Buddy

WJ, so love your reports and "The Best Of's" Always hate when I have to wait for next year's edition!

Cool Atmosphere, Neon Etc
 
Besides regional food one of things I enjoy when visiting a roadfood restaurant is a unique cool atmosphere...
This is probably one of the reasons why I tend to stay away from generic greasy spoons/carts/food trucks...
 
 

 
Enrico Biscotti Pittsburgh PA
 
 
 

 
 
The Colonnade Restaurant Atlanta GA
 
 
 

 
Southern Pit BBQ Griffin GA
 
 
 

 
 
Ye Old Colonial Restaurant Madison GA
 
 
 

 
Fat Matt's Rib Shack Atlanta GA
 
 
 

 
The Varsity Atlanta GA
 
 
 

 
 
Spiced Right BBQ - Roswell GA
 
 

 
Texas Cafe- Hutto TX
 
 
 

 
 
Smitty's Market Lockhart TX
 
 
 
 

 
Texas Chili Parlor Austin TX
 
 
 

 
 
Luther's Cafe San Antonio TX
 
 
 

 
 
Justin's Ice Cream Company San Antonio TX
 
 

 
 
Mi Tierra San Antonio TX
 
 

 
La Tolteca Restaurant and Market  Phoenix AZ
 
 

 
Rosita's Place Phoenix AZ
 
 
 

 
Taqueria Pico De Gallo Tucson AZ
 
 
 

 
 
Theresa's Mosaic Cafe Tucson AZ
 
 
 

 
Tacos De Juarez Phoenix AZ
 
 

 
 
Loveless Cafe Nashville TN
 
 
 

 
 
Elliston Place Soda Shop Nashville TN
 
 
 

 
The Beacon Light Tea Room Bon Aqua TN
 
 
 

 
 

 
Neal's Cafe Springdale AR
 
 

 
Catfish Hole Alma AR
 
 

 
Ajax Diner Oxford MS
 
 

 
 

 
Taylor Grocery Taylor MS
 
 

 
Crechales Cafe Jackson MS
 
 

 
The Dinner Bell McComb MS
 
 

 
Weidmann's Meridian MS
 
 

 
Tujague's Restaurant New Orleans LA
 
 

 
Napoleon House New Orleans LA

Well, I was already to post my honorable mentions and somehow everything got deleted.... I included captions, but I'll probably try tomorrow without them...and maybe add them on when I find some time...
 
 
guess I'll just BUMP this anyway, hey....why not...?
 

Honorable Mentions of 2012 (new restaurants)
(in no particular order)
(captions to follow)

1. Enrico Biscotti Pittsburgh PA
 


 




 

 
 

 


 
Most us agreed that Enrico Biscotti was the best restaurant (besides Josza Corner) during our get together in Pittsburgh this past June...Offering interesting lunch options such as the ham, mozzarella, shroom and greens sangawheech, the margherita pizza and capricossa.  The special that weekend was wild salmon imported from the pacific northwest.  However my favorite part of the meal were the mini italian pastries and cookies.......
 
 
 
2. Bon Ton Cafe New Orleans LA
 

 
 

 
 


 
 

 
 

 
 


 
There are very few restaurants in New Orleans that serve bad food (although a few like the Gumbo Shop do) The Bon Ton Cafe is no exeption. From the gumbo to the crispy hand breaded onion rings,  there was nothing that fell short of my expectations. The waitress was nice enough to let me order a half plate of shrimp etoufee and a half plate of crawfish etoufee. And the bread pudding doused with rum left me completely intoxicated..
 
3. El Guero Canelo Tucson AZ
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
My expectations were low, walking into El Guero Canelo, I'm usually very skeptical when trying regional variations of burgers and hot dogs. Although the horchata was just way...way....too overly sweet for my palate, consider me a diehard fan of the Sonoran Dog....Having tried  it for the first time it won me over
 
4. Catfish Hole Alma AR
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Finding Catfish Hole on line, I was wondering if it would live up to the positive reviews it got. My concerns quickly subsided as soon as I arrived to find a big crowd (on a Tuesday evening no less) Nothing fell short during this meal and the fact that they had pickle relish confirmed my suspicions that this place is the real deal. From the oniony hushpuppies to the crispy clean tasting catfish and the hand cut fries Catfish Hole is everything a catfish house is meant to be...The only disappointing part of the meal was the very pedestrian fried pie for dessert.

5. Southside Market Elgin TX
 

 
 

 

 
 
   It's no wonder that Texas BBQ is my favorite style of Q. The fact that whole chili peppers were available at Southside Market made the place even more special....Stay tuned, this isn't the first Texas Q joint that will receive accoladades on my year end list.
 
6. Nana's Soul Fod Kitchen Charlotte NC
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 Now that the Coffee Cup is long gone, I'm torn between Nana's and La'Wans  as my new favorite soul food restaurant in Charlotte. Sure the corn bread is better at Nana's and perhaps the veggie's may have a slight edge, however the fried chicken at La'Wan's is second to none and the atmosphere can't be beat , although the banana pudding at Nana's leaves something to be desired, I'm glad that both Nana's and La'Wans are around.
 
7.  Tujague's New Orleans LA
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
If there is one last appropriate dinner in New Orleans, I vote for Tujague's.  This multi course meal didn't disappoint. The Shrimp remoulade, gumbo and brisket with creole sauce tickled the senses. The crispy, garlicky Chicken Bon Femme was completely orgasmic. Unfortunately the very ho-hum bread pudding was anti climactic.
 
8 . Mi Nidito Tucson AZ
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
I knew I was in for something good when I approached Mi Nidito before they opened their doors and there was already a line to get in....This is where you will find classic Sonoran Arizona Mex cuisine...

 
9. Matthew's Cafeteria Tucker GA
 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
A classic southern cafeteria... I was so impressed with Matthew's Cafeteria that I ended up visiting two days in  a row. Although the pork chops and fried chicken were fine, the veggies are the classic textbook definitiion of what southern veggies should be. They were outstanding. Oh and the banana pudding and peach cobbler were the best of the trip.     
 
10. Long Creek Fish Fry Dallas NC
 

 
 

 
 



 
Considering just about all restaurants in rural Charlotte are closed on Sundays, forced me to do some research. 
I came across this oasis in a sea of closed restaurants in the Gastonia area. Long Creek Fish fry. It's no wonder this place has been around for over 60 years. Despite the "assembly line cole slaw' the super corny hushpuppies, crispy fried catfish and hand cut fries were some of the best I had...Oh and the portions were so huge I took half of it back to my friend's place for dinner the next day.

Great lists. Love the pics. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Texascajun
 
 
On an aside....Captions have been updated.....

a-ha!
 
you DID eat a pizza

Tujague's brisket. Love that stuff.

kaszeta
 
I don't know when I'll ever find myself in New Orleans again, but I would certainly return to Tujague's again for that fine brisket in creole sauce.
 
TJ
 
Oh, I had plenty of pizza (and apizza) this year, all local (RI-CT-MA) so that cancels out eligibilty for the best of list. I also had pizza at one of my favorite pizza joints on Long Island at Station Pizza in Setauket, but since they made the honorable mention list back in 2009, that cancels out eligiblity again until 2013.

If some excellent places like Southside Market, Mi Nidito, Bon Ton Cafe and El Guero Canelo (a personal favorite of mine) could only make it to your honorable mentions list, then you have an incredibly strong Top 10.  Can't wait to see it!
 
And I had forgotten what a great meal we had at Enrico Biscotti.  Thanks for the reminder.

Buffetbuster
 
Just to give you an idea- 2 restaurants on the top 10 are  in Mississippi.
I'll post the finale on Thursday...
--
on an aside...Billyboy was nice enough to send me some photos from Wo Hop in NYC since I didn't have any photos to post. I'll probably post those tonight.

wanderingjew

kaszeta
 
I don't know when I'll ever find myself in New Orleans again, but I would certainly return to Tujague's again for that fine brisket in creole sauce.

Several of my favorite food pics are from there:

I'm always amazed at the wide variety of restaurant interiors and signage! Beautiful pictures. Great report as always WJ!l

I wish you would get around to Aunt B's southern cooking all you can eat in Kingsland Ga.