Train to Flavortown

DiPasquale's--Is that lasagna or is it a brick??

2010-08-31T14:19:00.006-04:00

Welcome back to Baltimore!! If I haven't said it before (and if I have it really bears repeating) Baltimore is one of--if not the--best Triple D town we've done so far. Don't get me wrong, I love Pittsburgh, and we found some amazing food, but there were some bumps along the way. Baltimore (Bal-more for you locals) has never failed us. It is a full 6 for 6 and I only wish that Guy would go back so we could keep exploring, but alas we work with what we've got. So today I bring you Part 1 of Baltimore 2.0. This was a Happy Valentine's Day trip for us, right after the insanity of Snowmaggedon out here on the East Coast. We headed out on a brisk February morning in search of good old fashioned comfort food, and we most definately found it...in the form of real deal Italian at DiPasquale's.

DiPasquale's had a reputation to live up to, because they were featured on the same episode as LoBello's (Real Deal Italian), so naturally we were going to compare and contrast the two, and since we loved LoBello's so much (Ben's actually heading back there this weekend...lucky dog) we had to wonder if this place would pale in comparison. We could not have been more wrong. As you know we're always looking for firsts in our Triple D adventures and DiPasquale's wins the prize for oldest joint visited yet...this was the first time we have been somewhere that's been open for almost 100 years. 2010 marks 96 years in the B-more for this place, so they've obviously been doing SOMETHING right to have stuck around that long. We don't see things like that anymore in America it seems. Family run places seem to be fading into the background. Everyone wants to follow their own goals and dreams and create something just their own, regardless of what Mom and Dad did--we just don't see multi-generation restaurants as often anymore. Fads are changing so quickly and everyone wants something fresh, new and different that the old landmarks get shunted off to the side. Thank God for the loyalty of Baltimorians though because this place is an institution that should never close.

While they aren't in the same location as the original DiPasquale's (for shame their like 3 blocks away now! LOL) it's still run by the DiPasquale family. The current owners are the grandkids of the original owners and they have been keeping things just the way Grandma and Grandpa intended with maybe a few new twists here and there. We've finally branched out from the Fells Point community of Baltimore and expanded out to Highlandtown, an older section of the city, with plenty of ethnic restaurants and markets to satisfy any craving. DiPasquale's is an unassuming, gorgeous, brick building that does take a little manuevering to find, but once you're there you're in heaven. The place packs a lot of stuff into such a tiny space. They've got a full Italian market with any product you could every hope to find, from huge gallons of olive oil to anchovies...if you're looking to do some authentic Italian cooking they can hook you up. Then on top of that they have a full service deli counter where you can get stuff to take home...so your meats, your cheeses, a bagillion kinds of olives (Ben got some to take home), any kind of cold salad you could want, plus deli meats. They wouldn't even need a restaurant really, you could find plenty of food at the deli to eat. BUT! They of course have a full scale restaurant here too. You can get it to go or find a seat at the one of the 8 or so tables they have tucked into the corner. I'm tellin' ya you'd think this place was huge, but it's pretty much the size of a standard store. Oh and I forgot they also have a full wine section for purchase.

We spent a good twenty minutes just wandering around the store looking at all the stuff they have, but then we finally got down to the business of ordering...which was no easy task. I had honestly planned my order in advance. If you remember way back when, when we talked about Big Jim's in Pittsburgh I mentioned that I always want lasagna but never order it. So I declared that this was the place to break that trend. This was where the lasagna drought ended, because when Guy had it on the show, it looked nothing short of amazing. I actually had to NOT look at the menu so I wouldn't be deterred from my plan, because trust me there was plenty of options that could have distracted me. Thank God I didn't give in. This lasagna was literally the size of a brick and easily, EASILY at least 8 layers if not more. Plus it came with homemade bread. Ya know how sometimes when you cut into a piece of lasagna all the stuff oozes out? Not here. This stuff is so dense it stays intact. From the slightly spicy sausage, to the creamy ricotta, down to the homemade sauce and pasta, this stuff was nothing short of incredible. I mean honestly there were no words. Ben went the sub route, but these weren't your stereotypical subs on Italian bread. No, no, no. They take literally a mini loaf of homemade Italian bread, and instead of cutting it in half, they cut off one end, pull out the middle, stuff the bottom with sauce and homemade mozzarella, load in the filling, and cover the top with the end of the bread. Ben went for the meatball, and he was in heaven. It looked like he was eating a meatball ice cream cone. That's really the only way to describe how this thing looked. It was kind of hilarious honestly. Now, Ben really was the lucky one here, because he got to have dessert. Unfortunately, we timed our trip during Lent and I give up sweets during Lent, so no dessert for me, but Ben went for their homemade, filled to order, cannoli. He got just a plain shell, even though they come chocolate covered too, and he said it was pretty awesome, but really I was so jealous I couldn't look at it so I can't describe it too well haha. Overall, this place stacked up to LoBello's beautifully, and for as much as I loved me my ravioli there, I think this place gets the edge. I can still remember what that lasagna tasted like...months later. BUT we aren't done with DiPasquale's yet. We'll hear from them again when we get to Baltimore 3.0...but not in the way you'd probably expect. For now...check back later for Baltimore 2.0 Part 2, where we'll wander to handest down the oddest location for a Triple D joint yet...

In the meantime...check out DiPasquale's revamped website. You can even see pics of the DiPasquale's who started the place 96 years ago...

www.dipasquales.com/home

Silk City Diner--Everything Old is New Again

2010-08-30T22:53:00.006-04:00

So I just finished watching the latest Triple D episode which featured a couple who recently made their 100th stop, yes you read correctly 1-0-0. At first I was disheartened, because let's face it we aren't even close to 100, and we will never actually be on Triple D, but then I started thinking...this is exactly what Triple D is about. What what we're doing is unique...it's unique within a community. There are tons of people who are out there doing exactly what we are, and there are some people who are at 100, but there are also people who are at 5 and are just as ecstatic. In the grand scheme of things, these people hittin' 100 are retired and have all the time in the world, and here Ben and I are both juggling grad school, living on opposite sides of the state, without excess time on our hands, and yet next Friday we'll be walkin' into numbers 30 and 31. In about a year and four months we've been able to hit up 29 places across 10 states! Holy crap I just realized we've done 10 states--only one is fully complete--but still 29 spots in 10 states in less than a year and a half...I must say it's impressive and it's been a blast. If this summer hadn't gotten so complicated we'd probably be near 40 but you do what you can and we've got upcoming trips planned, so I must say I salute the Holms' and their 100th visit (Hillbilly Hot Dogs was the big 1-0-0 for them), and I hope they enjoyed their hot dogs as much as Ben and I did when we were there. But for now...the blogging continues despite being a bit behind...so without further ado here's number 17...the Silk City Diner in the heard of Philadelphia (and thank you for listening to my digression)

If Daddypops was the uber traditional, classic silver car diner, then the Silk City Diner is silver car dining for the millenial generation. They're both beautiful silver cars, only 15 miles apart, and yet it is a completely different experience going to them. Walking into the Silk City is like night and day compared to Daddypops, which made it kind of awesome to do them in the same day. It was like a microcosm of what Triple D is all about...here were two owners who both were dedicated to keeping silver car diners alive, and yet they were doing it in their own unique, awesome ways, both cranking out amazing food, but from completely different angles. Don't walk into the Silk City expecting a stack of pancakes and a cup of coffee...walk in expecting Asian flair, kicked up French cooking, and old school classics with the slightest twist that blows your mind--I guess that's why their slogan is "Everything Old is New Again."

The Silk City is right in the heart of central city Philly, and believe me if you drive by you'll notice. The place is a blaze with neon, and honestly if you go at night it's pretty frickin' beautiful. Taking up easily half of a city block, the Silk City is the quintessential silver car diner, but they've added on to it with a nice big brick addition which holds the bar with a huge dance floor and has much more of a lounge feel. It's like two restaurants in one. You go into the silver car and you get the ambiance of a diner, while the other side is more like a club--not what you'd expect from a traditional diner right? Now--before we break this place down a word of logistical advice--parking at the Silk City is purely street parking and in Philly that's no pretty picture. However, if you are so fortunate as to find a spot outside of the restaurant, MAKE SURE TO PAY YOUR METER! I don't care what time it is, even if it's 5 minutes until the end time of meter paid parking--put your money in. Can you get the sense we learned this the hard way? Yes indeed...while we left with our stomachs full of amazing food, we also left with a beautiful parking ticket. So...you have been warned. Anyway--what does this place look like?

We only hung out in the silver car side of the restaurant, and it was almost surreal. It was practically completely dark inside, with the entire interior lit by Christmas lights around the booths and the counter, along with neon lights running along the ceiling. Their menu board even had neon marker. I'm tellin' ya if it wasn't for the vinyl seating in the booths, you'd never guess that you were sitting in a diner. This place has the feel of a hip, apres work hangout, rather than your grandma's nostalgic silver car. It was almost jarring going from Daddypops to here, but it was also awesome, because it was like we were traversing the silver car spectrum looking at just what you can do with a diner. Diners can't be pigeon-holed when there are places like the Silk City out there. There is nothing about this place that's stereotypical from the decor down to every ounce of the menu. If you're looking for spicy, funky, tricked out food then I'm tellin' ya head to Philly and good luck deciding what to get because the menu is insane.

So as you all know by now...we love our wings right? Right. Well, welcome to the home of the best wings of the Triple D gamut thus far. No joke. Best. Wings. Yet. and they're going to be pretty tough to top. They were really what made this one of the first joints we wanted to visit from Triple D--it just took a bit longer to get it on the schedule than we anticipated. Guy raved about these bad boys and man he wasn't kidding. They've got two options--Spicy Buffalo or Thai Chili glazed. We hands down went with the Thai Chili and I would recommend them to any future visitors. They're spicy, they're sweet, they're crispy, they're flat out, crazy good. They come completely coated in sauce and dusted with sesame seeds, and their homemade bleu cheese (yeah you read that right, homemade bleu cheese--I told you this place is crazy). The only thing I can compare these things too is like sesame chicken from a Chinese place. That's the flair they have and it's perfection. Probably one of my favorite things we've had ever, not just in the wing category. For my meal, I went for a smattering of appetizers--but the serving size was no where close to appetizers, these things were entree size. The highlight of my meal was the baked mac 'n cheese which is covered in a garlic bread crust. Wow. All I can really say. It's crazy creamy, with a little bit of a cayenne kick to it. It came out in a huge crock (kinda like what you'd serve French Onion Soup in) and the sauce was their homemade cheese sauce. Ben tried to steal it from me, but I didn't let that happen. I also got a "side" of fries, and when they say "side" they mean a bowl as big of your head...which also comes with 2 homemade dipping sauces--their cheese sauce and chipotle ketchup (also homemade) and then they're sprinkled with scallions. I could not finish these things...I desperately wanted to, but I'm tellin' ya the serving was so huge it was impossible, but they were so good I felt guilty leaving them on the table. Ben conceded that I won this place for best meal. We tend to compare and see who made the better choice and here I definately won. Ben's meal was good to, but how can you compare with mac 'n cheese right? Well, he tried by countering with their roast beef sandwich. It sounds so tame right? Wrong. Crunchy French bread, gruyere cheese, and black pepper horseradish sauce, oh yeah and a homemade French dip sauce. Sure that sounds just like a plain ole' roast beef sandwich. We were so full when we left we could barely move, and dessert was almost impossible to resist, but we did. The next time that will not happen. Not when there are options like hurricane key lime pie with pomegranate drizzle and banana praline gelato. Seriously...gelato...at a diner. This place takes tradition and throws some neon lights across it and coats it in thai chili sauce...off the hook. Go. Get in your car now and go. They're open until 2 am every night you could still make it.

Don't believe the hype? Check it out for yourself...

www.silkcityphilly.com/

Daddypops--Kick back in the barber chair like it's 1950

2010-08-04T15:32:00.006-04:00

We have hit a part in the Triple D road trip where things have turned much more intentional, more planned out trips, more visits to cities specifically for Triple D, because once I moved out of Pittsburgh at the end of last summer and went back to school, we needed to start planning a bit more carefully. So round about November, we were starting to really hit Triple D withdrawal and decided to plan a day around the side of Pennsylvania we had yet to explore for Triple D--Philly. So we ordered some Sixers tickets, because really we felt like we needed more to do than just eat after driving all the way there, and we decided out of the three stops in Philly, which two we were going to head to for the day. What's kind of cool about Triple D Philadelphia style is that all three restaurants are variations on old silver car diners, so you get to really see how different restaurants treat the heritage they've inherited by buying a silver car diner.

We headed out from the Harrisburg area early, with the intention of wandering to the Philly suburb of Hatboro for some good ole Mom and Pop breakfast. Hatboro is a tiny hamlet north of the city that has a really strong, small town feel, even though you aren't that far from Center City. Serving as a centerpiece to that small town feel is the local diner: Daddypops. It's a Hatboro staple, serving up simple, just what you would expect from a silver car diner fare. Now I'll admit that we had a bit of trouble finding it, even though it's on the main drag of town, so if you're wandering out that way and think you've gone too far, keep driving, and eventually you'll reach the corner home of this quaint little diner. The outside makes you think that you've stepped back into the 1950's with it's big, wrought-iron clock, and a cute little well with Daddypops emblazoned across the top. The owners of Daddypops are silver car owners who have decided not to mess with the classics. They've fully renovated it to look like it did in it it's hay day. It's gleaming silver with green accents, and it is the type of place that is giving a new generation the hometown experience their parents had growing up. The inside makes you feel like you've stepped into your mom's kitchen and that everyone there loves you and wants you to sit down and have a good meal. They only have 7 or 8 booths inside and then seating at the counter so you might have a bit of a wait, especially if you're there at prime breakfast time like we were, but we were still seated quickly. While you wait though take advantage of soaking up the ambiance. While Daddypops is traditional, it definately has it's own little quirks that give it it's own special flair--from the fully restored jukebox and the two 1950's barber chairs that hold down the fort at both ends of the counter to the cove behind the counter that stores all the regular's coffee cups--this place makes you feel at home. They also have a huge old fashioned phone booth in the back by the restrooms which seems very random, but again adds to the fun atmosphere of the hometown joint.

Now since Daddypops is a traditional diner, don't go in expecting a huge, crazy menu. It's simple. It's full of homemade classics. The only unfortunate part about Daddypops for the Triple D enthusiast is that--like the Central City Cafe--they were featured on the rare 4 joint episode, and were the outsider that got the tiny 3 minute slot at the end. So because of that, we don't really get to see a ton of what Guy sampled, and unless you're an adventurer and want to experience the Pennsylvania Dutch "treat" of scrapple (all the parts of the pig that are left over in the form of a patty and then slapped on the griddle), then you're pretty much on your own for ordering. For me, this isn't difficult at a breakfast joint. As we've talked about I LOVE breakfast, and say it with me...Ben HATES breakfast. Given the spirit of the place we went with classics when we ordered. Ben opted for a monterey jack omelet with home fries (which he let me eat since he doesn't like them) and I went for their pancakes. Ben liked his omelet, but again since breakfast isn't really his thing he didn't have much to say about it. Guy had also tried their home fries, and I will tell you they were pretty darn awesome. They mix in lots of butter (always a sign of good food) and some onions for an added crunch and serve them up nice and hot. They were exactly what you'd expect from a diner wanting to do things the right way. If you want something to rave about though, go with the pancakes. They come out with a light coating of powerdered sugar, and even though I was supposed to get 3 with my order and only got 2, those 2 were plenty. These weren't your run of the mill flat pancakes. They were nice and fluffy with the perfect density, so you really felt like you were getting about 4 pancakes. They had the right amount of crisp on the outside from the griddle but inside were so soft and airy that they were perfection. One of their secrets to serving a great pancake though is that they mix in the slightest hint of nutmeg to their batter so you get this nice little nutty aftertaste that really makes them over the top.

Overall, there's a lot to love about Daddypops. It's simple. It's hometown. It's classic. It's tradition. It's doing everything right. If you're one of those Triple D-ers only looking for the eclectic, the crazy, the never before experienced, then Daddypops might not be your cup of tea, but if you're around Philly and you want a taste of home, head to Hatboro and have a cup of coffee and breakfast made from the heart.

No website kids so you're on your own to discover silver car dining done right.

Brick Oven Pizza--From Zero to Pizza in .2 Seconds

2010-05-05T09:48:00.006-04:00

Baltimore Take 2...after a lovely afternoon spent walking around the Inner Harbor and watching the O's cream the Indians we come upon our second Triple D stop of the day. Literally if you walk 1 block down and 1 block to the right of the Blue Moon, you will find yourself standing in front of a corner brick building with the heavenly smell of fresh baked pizza crust emanating from it. Welcome to Brick Oven Pizza. While the Blue Moon is kind of on the outskirts of Fells Point, B.O.P is right in the heart of it, and is a kind of landmark in the neighboorhood. This is one of those instances where widely popular opinion and Triple D meet. Most of the time Triple D highlights those places that are a a cross between diamond in the rough and local haunts, that people only know about if they've lived in the area for ages. That is not the case here. This is one of the most widely known places we've visited thus far. Their reputation would precede them, even without the bump from Food Network exposure. They have regularly been voted the Best Pizza in Baltimore by multiple magazines and are a hot spot for celebrities who are cruising through the area. One of the signs on the front of the building plays host to quotes from celebs ranging from the late, great George Carlin to Kevin Bacon all praising B.O.P for their awesome pizza.

You feel like you're at home at B.O.P. It rides the line between being a small, intimate, neighborhood restaurant and being a vastly popular late night hang-out perfectly. You get the sense that if you were to wander in around 1 am (and yes they are open that late) you would find the place packed, with everyone inside have a great time, ready for more food. The building itself is cute and quaint while also fitting into the old-fashioned feel of the neighborhood architecture. For appearing small on the outside, inside there are plenty of tables, and with how fast they crank out pies you will probably never be waiting too long for a table, if you have to wait at all. This place is colorful and full of excitement, it lives and breathes the city...from the huge mural of the neighboorhood on the wall to the maps of Fells Point which are the table tops, you feel you're experiencing Baltimore from the moment you sit down. There's so much to look at on the walls, from celebrity signed pictures to all the write-ups they've had in local and national magazines that you can get lost in everything and forget to order your pizza. This place is dominated by it's crown jewel...a huge, gleaming brick oven with huge gold B.O.P letters attached to the front. It's the first thing you see when you walk in and it really is one of the highlights of the restaurant, since it is so out in the open, right behind the counter.

Now, let's face it, this is a pizza joint. You're probably expecting a standard menu, nothing spectacular beyond the fact that Guy thought the pizza was better than others. On the contrary though, B.O.P is NOT your usual pizza parlor. The menu is in a word...huge. Huge to the point that it took Ben and I almost 15 minutes to decide what we wanted to order and we're usually pizza purists--pepperoni and bacon, no questions asked. At B.O.P though the options are endless. They have upwards of 50--yes 50!--toppings to choose from, on top of a great selection of specialty pizzas. If you're feeling crazy you can go for their Mac 'n Cheese pizza or for their true specialty--SPAM pizza. Ben refused to wander down this path, despite my desire for it, because my family is odd and I grew up living for the weekend and the joy of homemade pizza Friday nights where my Dad would make the most incredible pizza that was oddly enough topped with SPAM. But Ben turned me around from that trip down memory lane, and we faced a struggle between two choices...the 7 cheese or the Meat Lovers. We ended up going for the Meat Lovers and believe me this wasn't just your run-of-the-mill pepperoni, bacon, sausage pizza. No, no. This thing was laden down with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, hamburger, and possibly some other toppings I'm forgetting. Given the blazing brick oven, our pizza literally went from ordering to our table in about 5 minutes flat. The oven gets up to 700+ degrees and trust me that makes for some quick pizza. Other than the oven, one of the characteristics of B.O.P pizza is the cornmeal on the bottom of it. It helps make the pizza not burn in the oven or stick to it, and the crunch that this adds to the crust is simply...incredible. If you don't like cornmeal, I would beg you to try it out just once because it just gives this pizza an extra kick. B.O.P also has a fair number of dessert pizzas but when you're only 2 people it really limits how much of the menu you can sample when it comes to pizza so we weren't able to try this out, but believe me it looked good! One of the other cool things about B.O.P is that they have about 50 options for flavors you can get infused into your fountain drink for free...I mean we're talking from plain ole vanilla (which Ben and I both went with because we're dull) all the way to bubble gum, so that's just a fun little quirk, on top of the fact that they have both Coke and Pepsi fountains which is simply amazing for a Pepsi person living on an East Coast obsessed with Coke products.

Pizza places are tough to write about because, like I said, you only sample a small slice (no pun intended) of the menu, but this was one of those places that I really look forward to going back to, hopefully with a larger chunk of my family so that way we can try out a few more pizzas. So either way, whether you're a pizza junkie or just enjoy the occasional slice, check out B.O.P and you'll never think about pizza the same way again.

Per usual: http://www.boppizza.com/

Blue Moon Cafe--You and the Cap'n Make it Happen

2010-04-28T14:16:00.010-04:00

What do normal couples do on their 5 year anniversary? Well there's usually wine, roses, big fancy dinner, nice clothes, the whole nine yards. What do Ben and I do? We toss on our best jeans and t-shirts, go to a baseball game, and make it a Triple D double dip. Eh whatever, we admitted a long time ago that we aren't a normal couple. Baltimore has kind of become our mecca for Triple D days--it's a short drive and there's enough to do that you can fit in two meals with enough stuff in between so as not to be so ungodly full after your first meal that you never want to think about dinner. So for our 5 year anniversary at the end of August, we bought some O's tickets and planned a nice day in Baltimore sandwiched between breakfast at the Blue Moon Cafe and dinner at Brick Oven Pizza (check back later for that post).

The Blue Moon is in one of the most laidback, indie, trendy areas of Baltimore. A few miles east of the Inner Harbor is Fells Point, an eclectic li'l neighborhood full of tiny cafes and shops, plus a huge bread factory, which leaves the whole area smelling heavenly for most of the morning hours. Fells Point shares "borders" with Little Italy, which you have to drive through in order to actually get to Fells Point so there's always the danger that while driving with the best intentions towards this area of town for dinner or lunch or whatever, you'll detour into a little Italian eatery and you'll never get to experience the joy that is the Blue Moon Cafe. The Blue Moon was another re-visit for us. It was one of the 3 places that we had gone to before officially starting out on this crazy adventure, so since we've already covered Big Jim's and Blimpy's, the Blue Moon (apparently we only went to places that started with B before we started actually recording our visits) is the last on the short list of places that helped really spur this journey. What's also kind of cool about the Blue Moon is that it helped contribute to us almost completing a full episode of Triple D because it was featured on "Comfort Food" along with Grampa's and the Central City. If it had been a normal episode we would have completed it, since most episodes are only 3 visits, but of course, this was one of those rare episodes with 4, so alas we are still in search of completing a full episode, since we have yet to wander down to Texas to visit the Tip Top Cafe, which would make "Comfort Food" complete...but I'm getting off track.

It's kind of hard to not notice the Blue Moon when you're driving through Fells Point--not because it has some kind of crazy exterior or because it's huge or anything like that--no you notice the Blue Moon because of the massive throng of people always outside of the building any day of the week between the hours of 9am and 2pm. This is hands down the most popular place we've visited. When you combine amazing food, with an extremely tiny seating area (seriously we're talking like 7 tables), and a very very dedicated fan base the result is a very long wait. If you're planning on making the jaunt down to Baltimore plan your entire morning around the Blue Moon. Average wait is around an hour/hour and 15, longer if you've got a big party--honestly I would probably say if you have more than 4 people I wouldn't even try in the morning because they'll probably just tell you to come back later. Most of the time they tell you to wander around the area and go shopping and then check back, it's just that popular. Ben and I have taken to bringing books with us and sitting on the sidewalk outside while we wait, and I'd highly recommend that tactic. The Blue Moon is an experience, and one that you'll enjoy only if you go into it willing to wait and with patience. There's something oddly comforting about standing outside a restaurant with ten to fifteen other people all just waiting to eat, it makes you feel like you're a part of something bigger than yourself, and it also makes you feel like you're in on a big city secret, because people will drive by and look at all of you like you're crazy for waiting that long for food, but you know it's totally worth it and they're missing out. Plus, with that many people waiting there's guaranteed to be other Triple D visitors--it's happened both times we've visited, which makes for some interesting conversations and a great opportunity to swap stories about all the places you've visited. Believe me when I say though that the wait is worth it...when the wait is over an hour and people are willing to do it without a care in the world you know there's something good on the other side of that wait...and ya know what that is?? Cap'n Crunch French Toast.

This was once just a special at the Blue Moon--one of those things only on the menu..wait for it..once in a Blue Moon (ba-dum-bah), but it has become a standard on the menu because it's just that popular. If you haven't learned by now, I don't deviate when I find something I like, and that's why no matter how many times we have gone and will go to the Blue Moon I will always get this french toast. My good God is it good. I don't even use syrup on this stuff, and I love syrup so believe me it's not needed. 3 thick slices of Texas toast, coated in crushed up Cap'n Crunch and then cooked on a griddle so they get all crispy and carmelized and delicious. Then if that wasn't enough they top it with homemade whipped cream, blueberries, and strawberries. This is honestly probably my favorite meal I've ever had at any Triple D stop. I'm a sucker for sweet breakfast (pancakes, french toast, I'm sold), but this was beyond anything I've ever eaten before. Now my darling Ben kind of hates breakfast--especially sweet breakfast, so he always has a bit more of an issue ordering at places like this. However, he loves the Blue Moon because they have an awesome menu when it comes to breakfast gone Mexican. He's at various points gotten their breakfast burritos--which were huuuuge, to the point that he couldn't finish them because yes there were two--and their Mexican scramble, which was eggs, cheese, peppers, chorizo, salsa all that good stuff. For it being breakfast, he loves their food! When you order off of the menu, you get their homemade biscuits too, which are big, fluffy, and moist, essentially they're perfect. Now Ben's a wonderful boyfriend and since he knows I love bread, he let me have his biscuits, but I share as much as I can. Lastly, a ritual for us at the Blue Moon is ordering one of their plate size homemade cinnamon rolls for a kind of appetizer. They warm them up for you, and they're gooey and every ounce of them is homemade down to the filling in the dough. They are like Grands Cinnamon Rolls times 100. In some ways they're my favorite part of the meal, because they are just that good. Hopefully, that gives you a clue as to why this place is worth the wait. I would wait hours for my french toast and cinnamon roll...sometimes good food just takes patience, and that staff appreciates that you've waited that long so they don't rush you, they make sure your food is great, and that you enjoy your time. They give you a quality experience because they know how long you've waited to be there. They are nothing short of gracious, which is sometimes rare in places this busy.

Just a few more tips other than being willing to wait: they're only open until 2 in the afternoon most days, and then sometimes they re-open at like 7pm, but we've only ever gone in the morning, so plan accordingly. I would recommend giving it a morning visit. Also, parking is on the street, so have someone who doesn't mind parallel parking. Lastly, like I said before, bring a book!! It'll make the time go faster I promise.

No website for them--it helps them keep as low a profile as possible...being on Food Network doesn't really help that much :-)

Krazy Jim's Bilmpy Burger--Forever #1

2010-04-27T14:22:00.008-04:00

The Triple D road is long and winding, criss-crossing the country, moving from small--almost invisible towns--to the largest cities in America. This process will most likely be one that Ben and I will be pursuing for the rest of our lives (a fact we are not afraid to admit), so it may seem a bit premature to proclaim that we've found the place that will always be #1, but trust me when I say, I don't see it changing. It won't change because Blimpy's holds a special place in our world for multiple reasons, the main one being that it's where this whole crazy thing started. Flashback with me to the early months of 2008, the beginning of our final semester of college. We'd taken to watching Triple D a little bit more frequently than usual. Food Network used to simply be what we turned on at night, but with little regard for what we were actually watching, but somewhere along the way we become Triple D fans, and then one night it happened. We were watching a particularly yummy episode (Burgers, Rings, and Fries to be exact) and what we saw was the most incredibly, greasy, delicious looking burger shack we'd ever seen. Now if you haven't noticed by now, Ben and I are suckers for grease. I'll admit it, even if the woman in my head who controls keeping track of my Weight Watchers points wishes she could kill this part of my personality. We love greasy food. It's actually one of the things that we bonded over when we started dating--Ben loved that I wasn't afraid to finish a meal in front of him (little did he know the life he had ahead of him with me constantly intoning "but I'm on points" but I digress...) . Now as we're watching I realize (and say out loud) "That girl is wearing a Michigan shirt!" which was then followed by "OH MY GOD IS THIS PLACE IN ANN ARBOR!?!?" Cue immediate jumping off of the bed and cueing up Google as quickly as possible (God bless the internet) and there it was....Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger S. Division St., Ann Arbor, MI. My beloved Ann Arbor. My favorite city in the world to hang out in was home to this burger mecca. "HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS PLACE?!?!" I immediately made plans to seek this place out over Spring Break...and thus the Triple D adventure began.

Yes, I went to Blimpy's for the first time without Ben...I'm not proud of it, but hey you do what you gotta do for a good burger, and now over 2 years later, it is our most frequented Triple D spot. It's a go-to whenever we wander back to Michigan. It's like a cosmic pull on my car whenever I go to Ann Arbor...and it's just that good...trust me. It's true from the outside, hell from the inside, Blimpy's looks a bit odd. It's not creepy--it's not near as creepy as some places we've been, but it's tiny, it never ceases to be hot from the grill that is always going in, and it's always busy (expect a line people), and let's face it, it's a dive. It's not fancy, it's not designed for comfort or convenience, it's there to give you a good burger, fast. Blimpy's is not a place for the faint of heart. The cooks yell, they get frustrated, and you see your burger getting banged out on the grill in front of you--so if you're one of those people who can eat greasy foods as long as you don't have to see how greasy it really is, don't go, plain and simple. Here's what I would honestly advise...if you make the trek to Blimpy's use the buddy system, preferably with a Blimpy's veteran. If you don't know anyone in the good old A2, then watch the Triple D clip (it's on YouTube) and take notes, or check out their website and take notes. No I am not screwing with you. I'm being honest to God serious, take notes. The first time I walked into Blimpy's I had notes written on my hand on how to order, because honestly it's a strict process....

Blimpy's niche is sliders, you don't just order a burger (you have to be under the age of 7 to get a single patty burger no joke), you order a burger by the number of tiny patties you want on it, they'll go up us high as you want even though I think beyond 10 they might question your sanity. BUT again it's all part of a process so I'll walk you through the steps.

1.) Get a drink. It'll be the first thing you pass in line, so decide if you want a fountain pop or one of the umpteen bottled pops they have (I always go with IBC Cream Soda, Ben Stewart's Key Lime).
2.) Ask yourself: Am I eating here or getting it to go? I would advise eating there, unless you aren't travelling far. Travel too far with your burger and the grease becomes a bit of an issue when it comes to soggyness, I've done it once and it was my least favorite Blimpy's experience to date). IF AND ONLY IF you are eating THERE: Grab a tray. Getting it to go? DON'T TOUCH THE TRAYS. (You think I'm kidding about the rules? I'm not. Don't believe me? Try to screw with the process and see what happens)

3.) Do you want anything fried? They'll ask you if you want anything from the fryer. We loooooove their onion rings, they seriously take 3 days to make and they're friggin' amazing. But they also do all forms of veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, etc.) and of course fries, but we've only ever gotten the rings.

4.) Now it's time for your burger...PAY ATTENTION!!! You order the number of patties (double, triple, quad, quint, etc...), the type of bun you want (regular, onion, pumpernickel), and if you want anything grilled on it (bacon, onions, mushrooms, egg). DO NOT I repeat DO NOT talk about cheese at this point. I have seen many a poor soul get yelled at for ordering a bacon cheeseburger in line. They will ask you about your cheese before your burger is done...let them ask you.

5.) Cheese: like I said someone will ask you if you want cheese, just wait for the question.

6.) The guy at the end of the counter will ask you about other toppings: give him your wet ones first (mayo, ketchup, etc.) then the dry (lettuce, tomato, you get the picture).

Then you're good to go, but beware they only take cash!!! No credit cards here people! And expect to be handed your change in 50 cent pieces and $2 bills (again I'm not kidding). I know it seems complicated but it's worth it and after the first trip you'll be good to go and ordering will be as easy as riding a bike, just push through that first time. My ideal Blimpy's meal? IBC Cream Soda, onion rings, and a triple on a regular bun with bacon, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, ketchup, mayo, and lettuce. It's heavenly. If heaven is a big ball of grease in the sky that is. I've never deviated in my order...ever. Same thing every time. Ben has branched out...he's even gotten a quint--yes that's 5 sliders on a bun and yes he did finish it, it was nothing short of impressive. Don't plan on having a big dinner after you eat at Blimpy's, believe me when I say you won't need it. And one last thing, don't be intimidated by the process, don't be intimidated by the line. Because of the strict ordering, things move quickly, and they mean business so the line will dwindle fast, don't walk out because it's busy, you might never eat there if that's the case because it's always busy. If you are looking for a convenient time here's what I'd suggest: go in the summer. This place is a haunt for U of M students because it's in the middle of campus. If you go in the summer you cut down the number of people a ton. And again with a huge DO NOT!! go in the fall on a Saturday when the Wolverines have got a football game at home...it's a bad idea. So if it's a Saturday between September and November, check U of M's football schedule first, trust me. So is it hard to believe that after all rules that this place is our favorite? Maybe...but doesn't that tell you just how good the food is???

As usual here's the website, much more user friendly in the post-Triple D days...

http://www.blimpyburger.com/ (notice there's a tab on ordering...they are getting nicer believe me)

Nadine's--"It's a scuzzy bar..."

2010-04-23T23:32:00.002-04:00

For those of you who watch Bones, you'll hopefully recognize fairly quickly that my title is an homage to one of my favorite episodes, an oldie but goodie from Season 2. The joy here is that when you are so invested in so many facets of pop culture, eventually there will be realms where your some of your loves collide, and this would be one of those moments, because no matter how many times I tried to think of a better title for this place, all I could here was Sully in my head telling Brennan he was taking her to a scuzzy bar. As it happens, one fateful day near the end of July, I think I was about 3 days away from finally finishing my hospital work in Pittsburgh, our date night (which was more of an afternoon in this case) ended up being to a scuzzy bar. Now, I'm sure that most people would read that and assume that either the food was total crap or the place was scary enough that we would never darken the door again...ya know the things we do for Triple D. However, while yes I'll admit I was a bit terrified when we stood outside Nadine's, it has become something of a haunt for us now. It's a bar, that oddly enough cranks out some of the most honest to goodness comfort food, that makes one forget that they're sitting on a squeaky, plastic covered bar stool, but rather leaves one imagining that they're sitting at their grandmother's kitchen table eating a big family dinner.

There is little to commend Nadine's to the mere passer-by unless you are one of two things (or possibly both): a. A local who has known about this place since you were 2 or b. A Triple D addict. Seeing as Ben and I fit one of those categories, we approached Nadine's, after an unbelievably frustrating 20 minutes spent searching for parking in Pittsburgh's Southside construction hell-zone. In all honesty, one would probably never simply pass by Nadine's. It's tucked away on a side street, surrounded on both sides by streets filled with cute little pizza places and eateries. Needless to say, in this part of town if you're looking for food, Nadine's probably wouldn't be your top choice. The outside is unassuming and the sign on the front reading "No one under 18 admitted" isn't exactly welcoming, but trust me on this...push on through. Fight off your tendency to judge a book by it's cover and believe me you'll be thanking me...if you like hot roast beef sandwiches that is.

Nadine's is run by a little, tiny, Italian fireball of a woman...Nadine (obviously). She runs the place with her kids and their significant others, and regardless of whether you're actually related to any of them, once you walk in you're treated like family. What makes Nadine's unique is that while there's a set menu, you don't really ever look at it. No, the second you walk in you look to the specials board on your left next to the door. That's what makes this place a diamond in the rough. Everyday they crank out 4 or 5 of their 11 specials, and once they're gone, they're gone, and when you're competing with hungry construction workers, you better get there at a decent time if you want to find some food. If you saw the show, you know that they cook all their food from two ovens, one of which is literally held together by string, but I'm tellin' ya that might just be the secret to their success. The first time we went we had a pretty broad range of specials: Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches with Mashed Potatoes, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Meatball Hoagies, and Chicken Salad Sandwiches. The roast beef is where you want to go, I promise. Guy loved this stuff, and so did we. Now I'll confess, I can be a picky eater, ESPECIALLY when it comes to soggy bread, so usually the whole hot sandwich and gravy thing is something I avoid, but for the sake of Triple D (and how good this stuff smelled) I went for it and oh. my. God. The helpings are huge and if you didn't get enough to eat on the first go round, they'll give you seconds. Yes seconds. For freakin' free!!! Ben, of course, took them up on this and to give you a glimpse of the type of woman/mom Nadine is, here's how that conversation went:

Ben: Do you do seconds on the roast beef?

Nadine: You want some more? Are you still hungry? (said like a total sweet Mom)

Ben: That's be great.

Nadine: You better eat it all or you'll be back here doin' dishes."

And I'm telling you she wasn't kidding, and yes she did check to make sure Ben ate all of his second helping. And if the second helpings weren't enough to add to the familiy feel, there's a big "Happy Birthday" banner that hangs over the bar with a detachable end, where they stick the names of regulars when it's there birthday. It was Joe's birthday when we were there, and it was just one of those unique little things that you find at Triple D places that just makes them all the more awesome. 'Cuz that's really the thing about Triple D...it might not be hard to find good food, especially in a city like Pittsburgh, but it isn't all that easy to find a place that knows it's customers birthday's by heart and is willing to feed you until you're full. The unique twists are what make Triple D places great.

Here's some tips for you though if you're planning on visiting Na's in the Southside:

1. Be prepared to fight for parking and walk. There's always a ton of construction so parking is a bit of a pain in the ass.
2. If you don't like smoke, don't go. Nadine's is a bar after all and they still are a smoking establishment, so just be prepared.

3. Be ready for it to be packed (you'll get a table) but it is a bar and they'll take care of you like you're one of their own, but don't expect an intimate setting.

4. If you want to change the TV channel or adjust the volume, check with the guys at the bar and then go do it yourself.

5. Again! Don't judge a book by it's cover. I'm tellin' ya the place is awesome.

We've also tried a couple of their appetizers on our various trips. Their wings are alright, they aren't great. They aren't covered in sauce, you drizzle it on yourself so these aren't your stereotypical wings. We've also gotten their fried mac 'n cheese which is quite awesome, but a little pricey compared to the specials. Personally, I'd say just stick to the specials board and it'll be smooth sailing. The prices are insanely cheap and the food's awesome, you really couldn't ask for anything more.

Per usual here's the website so you can judge for yourselves:

http://www.nadinesbar.com/

Kelly O's--Triple D goes to the Strip Mall???

2010-02-22T22:32:00.007-05:00

If you want to see two people disagree about a restaurant, bring up Kelly O's in front of Ben and I. This was by far our most contested visit. Usually our impressions of a place are pretty similar--it's rare that one of us walks away having hated our meal and the other loving it--that's part of the fun of Triple D is that our taste in food is similar enough that it's rare one of us is left disappointed. This, unfortunately, was not the case when we decided to head to the North Hills of Pittsburgh to discover the hidden diner among a cluttered strip mall...welcome to Kelly O's.

We had spent a long day at Kennywood in the indecisive weather, which fluctuated all day between blistering heat and torrential down pours. We knew we were getting to the end of my summer working in Pittsburgh, and still had two more stops to make if we were going to get through Pittsburgh Triple D before I left to go back to Michigan. So we decided that we would bug out of Kennywood early and make the trek up to the North Hills in an attempt to make it to Kelly O's before they closed at 5. Now what made this a tough trip was that neither of us were particularly looking forward to it...in all honesty we were more nervous as odd as that may sound. Guy sampled a curious range of things at Kelly O's--none of which were overly appealing for us--mush (bad for Ben), polenta with veal bolognse sauce (bad for me), and Haluski (something neither of us had heard of). So we headed up with some hesitation...Ben more so than me, because here's the thing...I was intrigued by the Haluski, Ben however, hates cabbage and was wondering if he was going to be screwed out of a good dinner.

What's most impressive about Kelly O's though is that Kelly O'Connell has developed a popular diner in the middle of a strip mall, with ZERO restaurant experience. She just decided after years of waitressing that she wanted her own place, so she got a loan, and started her diner. Now she's a member of a group called the "Diner Ladies..." 3 or 4 women in Pittsburgh who all own diners and are doin' things their own way. Kelly O's is hands down the winner when it comes to the restaurant that has embraced it's Triple D affiliation the most. They have signs all over the place, it's on their shirts, they have a collage of pics from Guy's visit, a shirt he signed framed on the wall, and little mini menus on the table of just the stuff he featured. They love that Triple D has put them more on the map than they already were, and you can tell they're grateful. One word of advice I'd give to future visitors though...for a full Kelly O's experience...go early in the day, because then you won't be the only people in the place. At 4:30 on a Saturday, a half hour before closing, we were the only people there, and our waiter knew from our order that we were Triple D trekkers. The place is really cute though, with a classic diner bar with silver bar stools and black and white checkered tile. It feels homey. What was really cool was that they have a guest book for people to sign, and it was here we got to really see that we were definitely not the only people making the Triple D rounds. It makes you feel a bit connected to something outside of yourself--I know it sounds corny, but we've actually met some pretty cool people at places just from talking about Guy. Alright, so let's get down to it...what happened during this divisive dinner???

The menu for lunch/dinner is small (if I could ever convince Ben to go back-I'd go for breakfast, another piece of advice for future visitors). We ordered dominantly off of the Triple D menu, and like we've talked about before we're becoming soup people thanks to Triple D. Kelly O's speciality is Turkey Pot Pie soup, and it's exactly what it sound like. Homemade crumbled pieces of pot pie crust on top of a thick, creamy soup of peas, carrots, and chicken. We both agreed on this part of the meal that it was really, really good. For me, anything with crust on it is a-ok so it would've been tough to displease me. So here's the deal...like I said...I was intrigued by the Haluski. Ben's usually the adventurous eater out of the two of us, I like to play it safe. What I love about Triple D is that it makes me expand my culinary boundaries, and at Kelly O's I decided to do just that. It's not that Haluski is particularly crazy, but for me it's out of the normal realm of dinner choices. A Polish staple, at Kelly O's it's made with egg noodles, cabbage, onion, bacon, asiago cheese and a lot of butter. This was honestly probably the biggest serving of food I've ever gotten at a Triple D restaurant (just look at the picture!! Ignore my hair--remember blistering heat and rain earlier, it doesn't make for a great picture) I couldn't finish my dinner. It was actually really, really good, but it was one of those meals I didn't appreciate until I'd had some distance from it. I didn't realize until the next day, when I was still thinking about it that I realized I had really liked my out of the ordinary pick. Ben, however, was nothing short of unimpressed. He got a cheesesteak and fries, nothing too crazy, but then it ended up being not too great either. It wasn't bad...but when you've been spoiled with meals like we've had at other visits, it was kind of a let down. It was a visit that didn't go quite as planned, and it was a bit disappointing, but it did leave us with some great Triple D swag...they loaded us up with bumper stickers, pens, all sorts of stuff they'd gotten made after Guy's visit. So if you were to ask me if you should visit, I'd say yes. Go try the Haluski or go for breakfast and see if Kelly O's lives up to it's "Nice Eggs" motto emblazoned on their t-shirts, form your own opinion, maybe we were there on an off day. If you were to ask Ben...well, it wouldn't be a great response, but here's what we both figure...this is a long road trip we're on and not everywhere is going to be perfect, but if we were to skip them the trip wouldn't be complete...and hey I tried something new which made the trip worth it for me.

Form your own opinions folks:

http://www.kellyos.com/

Hillbilly Hot Dogs--"We've got the weenies!"

2010-02-21T21:39:00.006-05:00

It has been far far too long...For those wondering if I'd simply jumped ship, fear not, I simply allowed myself to slack off far too much...if you were wondering if the road trips has ceased, again fear not. It is February 21, 2010--and we have just come off a Triple D day yesterday, and our next stop will be a watermark for us...for alas our next trip will bring us to restaurant #20. That's right, in less than a year we will have reached 20 spots--assuming all goes as planned, which hopefully we will. Reinspired by this upcoming milestone, our day spent in Baltimore re-invigorating our love of Triple D, and a first time viewing of Julie & Julia, I am re-committing to this joyous ride that has taken us to places we never quite expected. So...previously I had left us wandering around the streets of Huntington, WV after an extremely low-key meal at the Central City Cafe. In pure Triple D fashion, our next stop in West Virginia--the only other Triple D joint in West Virginia--took us to what is still the strangest, most unique, and quite insane place we've been thus far. This place was really the reason for the road trip in the first place. If you travel about 20 miles north of Huntington, you will see a highway exit for the small town of Lesage. I can't say for sure whether we actually say the town of Lesage, but we for sure saw one of it's claims to fame--possibly it's only claim to fame. If you weren't paying attention you would probably pass by the road side shack (that truly is the only word for this place) and possibly question what on earth was that place with all the junk in the front yard...but if you know what you're looking for you will find yourself in the gravel parking lot of Hillbilly Hot Dogs...the original hot dog stand that now has outlets in Huntington and LaValette.

If you watch Triple D, you may remember this place as the home of the HOOOOOOOOMEWREEEECKER where everyone eats inside of old school buses covered in graffiti. If you don't watch Triple D, let me try to explain. Hillbilly Hot Dogs is the brain child of Sonny and Sharie. Sonny's a West Virginia by birth, and when he moved to California he met Sharie. They decided after they got married that all they really wanted to do was head back to West Virgnia and do something where they could simply be together. The result a 12x16 shack that they affectionately labeled "The Weenie Stand." Opened on September 6, 1999--Hillbilly Hot Dogs was so named because they wanted something that epitomized hillbilly kickin back, taking it easy, and loving life. They wanted their customers to be comfortable, to relax, to not feel constrained by typical restaurant stuffiness. So the bought a couple old school buses, attached them to the shack, and they had instant seating. They put any and every kind of scrap antique and collectible they could find inside the shack and when that was full they started putting stuff outside. From the wall covered in 8 tracks to the tree outside completely covered in license plates it's hard to miss this place. They decided to let their customers leave their mark, so they started laying out permanent markers and letting people go to town. A decade later--there isn't an inch of space on any surface of the place that hasn't been enshrined with the names of happy customers. This is by far the most laid back, comfortable place we've ever visited, and they're more than happy to embrace the publicity Triple D has given them--from the place on the front door where Guy signed his name and wrote in big letters, "DINERS DRIVE-INS AND DIVES WAS HERE" to the continuous loop of their clip, Sonny and Sharie are nothing short of grateful for all the people the show has guided to their little place. We met a few other people who were there because of Triple D, including a couple celebrating their 10th anniversary with a Triple D trek. We goofed around with Sonny, who when asked if they took credit replied they took anything from spare tires to chickens. When Ben asked if they took girlfriends, Sonny gave me a wink and said sure, I could use another one with Sharie. The menu is impossible to choose from, but it's so cheap (the cheapest we've found in fact) that you can order 3 or 4 different hot dogs and not break the bank.

Now HHD is famous for the Homewrecker--featured on Travel Channel as well as Food Network. It's a 3 1/2 pound hot dog loaded with every topping they have and if you finish it in 12 minutes or less you get a free t-shirt. Now in all honesty, we debated it, but we decided we'd rather explore the menu. We went with an order of beer battered onion rings to split--which were thickly breaded, hot, and yuuuuummmmy. Honestly probably the 2nd best onion rings I've ever had (gimme a couple more posts and you'll see the best). Then we both got 2 dogs each, allowing us to sample 4 from their menu of over 20 options. Ben went with a classic and with a crazy--The Out Wayne Dog and the Taco Dog. The Out Wayne is a bit more traditional, but still a bit nuts, covered in nacho cheese, homemade chili, bacon, onion and jalapenos. The taco dog is exactly what it sounds like--jalapenos, nacho cheese (can you tell he likes nacho cheese??), crushed nacho chips, homemade chili, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Essentially a taco on a hot dog, and amazingly it was really good. I went with a classic and then broke out of hot dog tradition--The West Virginia Dog and Pistol Pete's Chicken Parmesan. The West Virginia dog is a classic in the world of hot dog stands--homemade chili, mustard, onions, and cole slaw. Now I usually can't eat hot dogs without ketchup, but this absolutely didn't need it. The cole slaw was cool and creamy, and gave the dog a nice crunchy texture. The only warning I would give is, if you don't like your hot dog buns mushy, eat anything with cole slaw first, because it gets mushy quick--I made that mistake. My other choice was out of the ordinary, but sounded too good to pass up. Pistol Pete's dog is a chicken tender on a hot dog bun, with a mozzarella stick, marinara sauce, and shredded cheese. It sounds crazy, but honestly this has been one of my favorite things I've ever eaten courtesy of Triple D. Hey anything with a cheese stick on it can't be bad right?? We ate in the middle of a school bus and etched our names on a window and on our table. It was crazy and fun and weird and soooooooooo good. Ben still talks about driving the 4 hours from Pittsburgh just to go there again...it was that good. So if you're in West Virginia looking for a place to kick up your heels and tap into your inner hillbilly, go visit Sonny and Sharie and write your name inside the bus!

Don't believe how crazy this place is, see for yourself...

http://www.hillbillyhotdogs.com/

Central City Cafe--Simplicity, Simplicity

2009-09-09T22:40:00.007-04:00

As fun as Pittsburgh is to wander around in, finding the different little areas, and their classic restaurants, Ben and I decided we needed a little vacation. I'd been working my tail off all summer, so it was time to take off and get out of the city for a few days. Now usually West Virginia wouldn't be our top choice, but we decided it was close enough to make a good weekend, and we could finish off the entire gamut of Triple D West Virginia in one weekend--since there are only two places! A lot of people thought that we were crazy for driving 4 hours just to go to a couple restaurants, but if we're serious about this thing we've gotta be willing to travel a little bit, and this was the first chance to really do a road trip like Guy--unfortunately we rolled out in a Ford Fusion not a '67 red Camero. We took off on a Friday afternoon and headed straight for Old Central City, Huntington, WV to discover the comfort food of the Central City Cafe.

Old Central City is the old downtown of Huntington, home to the old factories, 100 year old buildings, and tons of antique shops. Right in the heart of this cozy district, right across from a revamped, white gazebo is a brick building, highlighted by its green bunting, with old English lettering declaring you've reached the Central City Cafe. Open since 1993, Dave and Sherry Louther opened up the cafe after Dave retired from working on the railroad for 17 years. He was in charge of the railcar, cranking out 11 meals a week for 85 men--so now he cranks out just as many meals for all the Huntington locals looking for some heart-warming, just like Mom made food. This was probably one of the biggest places we've been in. Triple D has made us get used to cramped quarters, but at the Central City you've got plenty of room from the bar area in front to the full dining room attached to it. A shrine to Marshall University's Thundering Herd dominates the bar area, and you know that everyone in the place is devoted to the Herd and can't wait for football season. Inside the dining area, the walls are covered with old newspapers, antiques, Frank Sinatra's mug shot, and if you're a fan of the show Chuck like we are, a huge plastic marlin. They're famous for their homemade food, and our waiter--possibly the owner's son--gave us the low down on all the food Guy tried. Oddly enough we mentioned that we were checking out the other places in the area, and it turns out our waiter's sister is dating the son of the couple who own Hillbilly Hot Dogs--our other place to visit (check back in for their post 'cuz it'll be crazy). Guy didn't try a ton here--at least not that was aired, but the menu isn't huge, so we didn't have too tough of a choice. In pure cafe style they have about 9 hot dinners, 8 homemade soups, and tons of sandwiches...we opted for soup and some dinner.

Like I mentioned with LoBello's we had to try the soup that Guy tried even though we aren't really soup people--plus the soup came with their famous, brick sized cornbread, so we really couldn't say no. We went with the White Chili, which was spicy and warm, the type of thing you'd love to have a huge bowl of in the middle of December. The cornbread is literally the size of a small brick, super dense, and super moist. It isn't necessarily a sweet cornbread, but the texture was perfect and it was a good start to the meal. Now in terms of dinner, Ben and I had different opinons. He wasn't a huge fan of his dinner, and it's true the portions are kinda small, but it's a cafe so it comes with the territory a bit. He had the hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and cottage cheese. I opted for the meatloaf with mashed potatoes, peas, and cornbread. Now unfortunately they forgot my peas, but the mashed potatoes were absolutely insane. Hands down some of the best that I've ever had, very creamy, awesome seasoning, a great side to the meatloaf. The meatloaf had a very interesting seasoning, what we think was sage, which isn't usually how meatloaf tastes, but it was really really good--plus it was topped with ketchup so you can't go wrong. Overall, I liked my meal, but like Ben, I would say it was a one time stop--it was worth the visit, but there isn't anything that screams at me that we had that would made me itch to go back, but hey this was the first place that was a little rough for us, and that ratio isn't that bad, and we'd still recommend it to anyone who wants to do the Triple D rounds. Oh and try to get there early before they run out of the homemade desserts which we missed out on.

No website, but if you Google "Old Central City" you'll get a little information on the cafe.

LoBello's Spaghetti House--Picture it Sicily...

2009-09-06T23:20:00.006-04:00

So if you ever find yourself cruising up 79 around Pittsburgh you'll eventually find yourself driving past the ghosts of steel mills and a city that was once the central hub of the steel industry...Coraopolis, PA. It can now be easy to breeze past the now small suburb and ignore it while heading onto bigger and better things, however if you persuade your car to pull off at the State Street exit you'll find in the heart of 5th avenue a little Italian restaurant that's been around for 65 years, a favorite of locals and used-to-be locals alike, and may just be the most talked about Triple D place we've encountered yet.

Of all the places we've visited no other has had so many accompanying stories from outside the confines of Food Network. It seems like everyone I know who has grown up or gone to school in Pittsburgh has a LoBello's story...Ben's parents used to eat there with some of their college friends, one of my friends from Seminary used to go there with his wife once a week, even at the hospital I worked at all summer I had veterans telling me that if I'm ever in Coraopolis I have to check out LoBello's. It wasn't just Guy telling us to discover the wonders of their real deal Italian but apparently everyone we came into contact with. Italian isn't how this place started out though...it all started with...hot dogs...yes hot dogs. 65 years ago when Rose LoBello's parents immigrated to the US from Italy they decided to open up a 24/7 hot dog stand, and by the time she was 14 Rose was waitressing and helping out her parents, but eventually the hot dogs lost their luster and they decided to go back to their roots and recreate their restaurant with the recipes they'd brought with them from Italy. Now years later Rose is still wandering around the tables chatting up regulars with plenty of hugs to go around, and the food is still as Italian as you can get. It's a small place, cozy, perfectly romantic Italian, with 8 booths and 3 tables as close together as you can get. Their history is literally written on the walls since the thing that you first notice when you walk in is that every wooden surface is covered with the carved names of past and present patrons (including the blonde haired Food Network star himself). Pictures of Rose's parents are still on the walls and the machinery they used 65 years ago are still hand-cranking out dozens of ravioli one order at a time, but believe me they're worth the wait.

All their pasta is cooked to order after each dozen is rolled out individually once the order rolls in. This is probably one of the few places where Ben and I haven't tried to cover as much of the menu as possible, but stuck to the classics...ravioli all the way. Before we got to the ravioli though we took a trip down the soup aisle, which is something we owe to Triple D. Soup is usually something we skip at restaurants, when the option is soup or salad we always go salad, never soup, but Guy loves trying restaurant's soups and LoBello's is no exception. Their specialty is Pasta Fagoli, made with homemade noodles creating a kind of Italian chili, thick, hearty, and heart-warming. The secret apparently lies in browning the garlic powder and gives it the kick it's become known for, and trust me it packs a punch for soup, but the next time I need something to warm me up during a Pittsburgh winter, this soup would be the number one choice. But if we thought the soup was good, dinner only got better. We got an order of meat ravioli and an order of cheese then split, but the edge would probably go to the meat, which tasted like there was a homemade mini-meatball inside. The dough was light and fluffy, yet dense enough to fill you up. The sauce is really the kicker though--don't expect a thick meat sauce at LoBello's--no no--their homemade sauce is thin with a depth of flavor I haven't found anywhere else...there's a kick to the spices and it's the perfect texture to be sopped up with the bread you get with your meal. While we weren't able to engrave our names on a booth, we will definately get another chance soon because they deserve a second (and third and fourth) visit to check out more of the menu and more real deal Italian.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THEIR HOURS!!! They're very different everyday so check out the schedule and of course the menu (same for lunch and dinner just different prices)

http://lobellosspaghettihouse.com/

Dor-Stop--Welcome to the Pancake Jungle

2009-09-01T21:30:00.006-04:00

Here's the cool thing about doing this Triple D thing...it isn't just Ben and I who are makin' the rounds. My sisters were really the ones who got us into Food Network, and we all love Guy, it was just Ben and I who decided to really crank these trips into a legit goal, but occasionally our schedule works out that we're able to get everybody to some stops. It's actually fun 'cuz my sisters have started keeping track of how many places they've been to too. So around mid-June, my family were swinging into Pittsburgh for my brother-in-law's birthday, and my oldest sister had seen "this place with amazing breakfast food" on an episode she was watching, so we decided that we'd head to the Dor-Stop while she was in town. Dormont is another one of those weird suburbs of Pittsburgh that is still technically in the Pittsburgh zip code, but is really it's own little area. It's kind of like this little town that refuses to become part of the city, and still has the small town feel from the small antique shops right down to the local diner that everyone flocks to every weekend...the Dor-Stop.

The Dor-Stop has been the go-to breakfast joint for Dormont locals for 23 years, and what put them on the map were their pancakes--or hotcakes as Vicki Lawhorne calls them. The Lawhorne's decided in the mid-80's that they really wanted a diner of their own, because as Vicki says she's a diner person, she cooks like she's in a diner, talks like she's in a diner, she is 100% diner. According to Vicki what really defines her as a diner owner is that the recipe they're most famous for isn't really a recipe at all...their hotcakes are different with every order because she just eyeballs the batter, but trust me she doesn't make mistakes, none of us had a bad pancake. Now the most popular question they get at the Dor-Stop is why that name?? They've gotten asked so many times that they've put the answer on the menu and on the tables. To make a long story short they took the beginning of the town=DOR and combined it with the fact that they are in close proximity to the Dormont Transit STOP, put the two together and you've got the Dor-Stop. Regardless of how they got the name though, the food they're cranking out is enough to put a line out the door anyday of the week. We got there around 10am on a Saturday morning and there was a line out the door! There wasn't even enough room inside to wait, because trust this place is tiny, but they pack in as many people as the fire marshall will allow. Now you can choose to sit outside, but when you've got a party of 9 to cram in an outside table isn't really possible. What's really cool about the people at the Dor-Stop though is they take care of you even before you've sat down. A waitress came out and brought everyone coffee while they waited and made sure they had a menu to keep them busy. Despite the number of people there though we only waited 20 minutes and then we were in for the best pancakes I've ever had.

Inside there are tons of tiny tables as close together as possible, and the walls are covered with pictures from when the town was being built and the railroads came in, plus tons of black and white pictures of old little league teams, so there's plenty to look at. The kitchen is right in the dining room and you can see the cooks going crazy on the line trying to make as many hotcakes as possible to keep everyone happy. Now most of us got hotcakes, but that didn't mean we all ate the same thing...there are at leat 10 different options for pancakes (so many choices Guy called this place the Pancake Jungle) on the menu so we all got something a little different. My sister got the Banana Oatmeal, which had this awesome texture that you really can't describe. My brother-in-law and I both got the Pumpkin, and let me tell you these things tasted like cake, no joke. They were crisp but soft and kinda dense, but so good, trust me I think about these things on a weekly basis. Now the pancakes aren't the only famous thing here. After they were open for a few years, people started to want something a little different from pancakes, so one of the managers whipped up one of the best things on their menu, the Raspberry Stuffed French Toast. My other sister and Ben got this, and then we all split out meals. The french toast is coated with corn flakes so they're really crunchy, then covered with a raspberry cream cheese and sauce, it's practically like eating dessert for breakfast. But if a sweet breakfast isn't what you're looking for don't worry...just try the jumbot. Now on Triple D this meal goes by a couple names, garbage plates, schultzy's mess, but at the Dor-Stop it's the jumbot. A crazy combination of eggs, potatoes, tomato, peppers, cheese, ham, and sausage, pretty much everything you can imagine, and when you put it together it's insane. We got one as an appetizer so everyone could try it, cuz that's what we try to do when we have enough people--sample a little bit of everything Guy tried, and with 9 people that's what we were able to do. This place is going to be a regular stop whenever we're in Pittsburgh, in fact I'll probably be there this weekend, now I just have to decide between the pancakes and the french toast...how does one Food Network fan make that kind of decision???

Check out all the hotcake flavors and the clip of the Jumbot..

http://www.dor-stoprestaurant.com/

Starlite Lounge--Holy Pierogi Batman

2009-08-10T23:35:00.006-04:00

Let's say you're driving around Pittsburgh and you find yourself crossing the Highland Park bridge. You decide to take the first exit ramp towards Aspinwall and start cruising down Freeport Road. You pass a few Italian markets, some hockey gear stores, a mall, and then you enter the little town of Blawnox, Pennsylvania. Now you're starting to feel a little hungry, so you decided to see what Blawnox has to offer, it's a nice enough little 'burb, they must have something right? So you start looking around the main drag, and you pass by a pretty square looking building, just painted blue, nothing distinguishable to it, it just looks like well...a bar. A big, blue bar with no sign on the front, it's only once you pass it that you see the little board identifying it as the Starlite Lounge, but the place looked pretty bland right? Nothing too exciting?? Pretty boring...it's just a bar...just booze and peanuts right?? WRONG! You just cruised right on past one of the best restaurants Pittsburgh and it's surrounding areas has to offer...so pull a U-turn, find a parking spot, grab a beer and check out Moondog and the Starlite.

14 years ago a former musician decided to change careers and buy the local bar around the block...the Starlite. Around since '54, the Starlite is a favorite place to catch the Pirates' game, catch up with your buddies, and kick back with a Yuengling. The former owner sold the place to Ron--Moondog to everyone who knows the Starlite--he did so with one rule...the name stays. Moondog wasn't gettin' the Starlite unless it stayed the Starlite, so he kept the name and added his own touch to the menu, turning your typical bar food into one of the best meals I've ever eaten. Now you can definately still get your standard bar food, ya know wings, burgers, potato skins, that type of thing, but if you're lookin' for something more you can get that too from their fettuncini alfredo with chicken and mushrooms to meatloaf to the infamous chicken diablo, a spicy chicken and pasta dish that is a local legend. The one thing everyone says that you've gotta have at the Starlite though is the pierogis. Pittsburgh is a Polish town, and that means they've got some killer homemade pierogis. So whatever else you get on the menu make sure you're addin' on a pierogi appetizer, homemade with every order from the same recipe used by one of the Starlite's waitress' Grandma. These things are flying out of the kitchen so fast that on their website they actually recommend that you call ahead and pre-order them so they can have em ready for you. So when Ben and I strolled out of the movies on a Wednesday afternoon, we called the Starlite, ordered our pierogis and headed into Blawnox to see what else Moondog had to offer.

If you haven't figured it out yet, Ben and I are suckers for some good bar food. We would prefer a big plate of wings to the fanciest meal you could place in front of us, and because of that, the Starlite is in our top three of places we've been from Triple D (they're actually number 2 but I haven't told you guys about number 1 yet). We decided to mix up how we order a little bit so that we could both get a taste of everything, and I think our waitress thought we were a little crazy for it. Plus we were the only people in the bar eating, we didn't go into the actually dining room area where a couple other groups were. We decided to order a ton of food and just split everything and it was an excellent idea. We, obviously, had the pierogis and wow, better than could've been expected. Sauteed with butter and onions, and filled with cheese and potato these things (3 to an order) were huge and hearty. They were seriously a meal in themselves, served up with a side of applesauce, that my apple-hating boyfriend steered clear of. They were dense and fluffy all at the same time, a definate repeat order for the next time we roll into the bar. On top of those, we also got some BBQ wings, which weren't just your run of the mill drummies, no no, these things were whole wings, slathered in Moondog's famous sauce--they were Ben's favorite part of the meal. My favorite part was yet to come though...the Cowboy Burger. A huge burger covered in cheddar cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce, plus fries that tasted like they were right off the boardwalk. Definately in the top 3 burgers I've ever had, and trust me I've had a lot of burgers, and few compare (again just wait for the number one Triple D joint). Our waitress expected us to need a box, but no way, we were there for dinner and we cleaned out plates and were ready for seconds. Everytime we talked about going out to dinner from this night on the Starlite always came up, but we haven't made it back yet, even though we absolutely will be back soon, and will probably order the exact same thing, because let's face it, why change a great thing???

Check out their Triple D clip and their menu:

http://www.moondogs.us/StarliteHome.html

Crystal Restaurant--Lamb on the Strip

2009-08-05T21:15:00.007-04:00

So we've discovered "the run" in Pittsburgh, now it's time to meander to the Strip District. The Strip District runs through Pittsburgh and kind of has little districts even within itself. It runs along the Allegheny River and extends about 22 blocks through the middle of downtown, ranging through Smallman St., Penn Ave., and Liberty Ave. What started out as the home of the steel mills and wholesale warehouses in the 1800's has now become a hot spot for trendy restaurants and antique stores. No matter what you're looking for in Pittsburgh you can most likely find it in the Strip, and that includes Lebanese food. When we checked out Guy's index on Food Network's website, this was one of the few places in Pittsburgh we hadn't heard of or seen the clip for, so initially we weren't really sure what we were going to find. So as we were planning our date night for that week we looked up Crystal's and found the clip of it's food on YouTube and it turned out this place was a bar hidden in the heart of the Strip serving up authentic Lebanese cuisine along with your typical bar fare.

Crystal's has been in Pittsburgh for 5 years, so it's definately the "youngest" place we'd been to thus far on the Triple D road. Most places Guy samples tend to be decades old, and this place may still hold the record for being the place around for the shortest length of time. The restaurant got it's name from owner and head chef Crystal, who, despite never being in the restaurant business before, decided to open up a place where she could serve the food she liked to eat, the food that she grew up on, Middle Eastern fare. She hadn't been able to find a place in Pittsburgh serving up Lebanese food like her mom made so what better way to get that food than serving it yourself? So with the help of her mom--who still helps out in the kitchen (she's in charge of all the lamb sandwiches)--Crystal opened up this little bar on Penn Avenue. She's got a prime location, right in the heart of the stadium district, which serves her business well. In fact, only a few days before we'd wandered in, the place had been packed until 2 in the morning after the Pens had beaten my beloved Red Wings in one of the earlier games of the Stanley Cup finals. With an image like that, Crystal's really lives up to its motto of being a "meeting, eating, and drinking place." The atmosphere of this place is still probably my favorite in terms of an intimate setting--not something you usually find in a Triple D haunt. The place, despite the bar and Steelers' memorabilia, is covered in Christmas lights and each table has a candle on it which definately sets the tone for a date night. Crystal has covered the walls with old family wedding photos, so there's no shortage of things to look at while you're waiting for your meal. We were the only people there, except for a table of 4 regulars and Crystal--who was out and about making plans for the shipment of food she was getting ready to have delivered. Even with only two tables full though, the place looked packed, it's not that difficult when it's only got like 6 tables. Our waiter was really cool and asked if we'd ever been there, and when we told him no, he gave us all his recommendations off of the menu--"everything's fantastic, but go for the Lebanese." That's what we were there for since it's what this place is known for, and hey Guy featured it on a "Taste of Everywhere" so we couldn't just go and grab a burger, if we did Guy would've been disappointed. So what did we grab???

Ben and I are suckers for hummus, so we couldn't very well eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant without getting some, so that's how we started out our meal, and it was insane. Hummus can be a tricky food, some places have it too thick, others too creamy, but at Crystal's it's perfect, just the right combination. Plus, it came with fresh, warm pita, and a garlic dip that is one of the coolest things we've ever had at a Triple D joint. Every Lebanese meal at Crystal's comes with banana peppers, pita, and their homemade garlic dip, which is very cool and refreshing. Get yourself some pita covered in dip and hummus and you're in heaven, trust me. One of the things Guy raved about at Crystal's was the "Lamb on the Rod," and since I'm not big on the lamb (as we discussed at Grampa's) I let Ben cover that portion of the menu. The lamb gets marinated for 24 hours in oil, spices, and peppers, then gets grilled up. Now this isn't your average kabob with 4 pieces of meat, and tons of veggies--no no no not at Crystal's--the entire kabob is lamb. The best way to eat this stuff is make a little pita sandwich with a piece of lamb, garlic dip, and peppers and onions, even I thought this stuff was insane! I went for a more extreme form of Lebanese cuisine, with the combo platter featuring 3 different forms of Crystal's cookin'--grape leaves, tabbouli, and kibbee. I love grape leaves (Ben hates them so I got them all to myself) and these were definately some of the best I've ever had--heavy on the lemon juice and cooked perfectly. The tabbouli was what I dove into first, and it was exactly what you expect from tabbouli, clean, fresh, and bananas, but while the rest of my meal was good the kibbee stole the show. I'd never even heard of kibbee til Triple D, but man am I glad I did. It's ground beef, mixed up with spices and pine nuts then deep fried, and served in a kind of football form. Seriously with some pita and garlic dip, I couldn't get enough of this stuff. After we left Crystal's I said to Ben, ya know it's places like this that are the reason I love Triple D. If it wasn't for Guy, if we'd ever wandered into Crystal's I wouldn't have gone near the Lebanese food, I'd have played it safe with a burger, and never got to experience the reason Crystal opened up this place, her mom's home cookin'. So here's what I recommend, no matter if you love Lebanese food, or have never had it in your life, take a ride down the Strip and check out Crystal's if only to sample the garlic dip!

Check out all the Lebanese cuisine Crystal has to offer:

http://www.crystalonpenn.com/

Big Jim's--Veal Parm as Big as Your Head

2009-07-29T16:56:00.005-04:00

Big Jim's really starts a new phase in the Triple D journey for Ben and I--it was really like the starting place for a small goal within the larger one of hitting up every one of Guy's joints. Usually, central Pennsylvania is home, but when Ben got accepted to grad school in Pittsburgh, the perspective changed. We had the whole city in front of us and inside of this awesome city were 7 Triple D favs. So when I moved to Pittsburgh for the summer, we decided our goal was to work our way through the city before my 10 weeks of internship were up. We started with Big Jim's--a place we'd visited earlier in the year after we'd seen the episode on TV, but like every other place we'd already visited it hadn't been photographed. I started work at the end of May and to celebrate making it through my first day of workin' at the hospital we decided to kick off the summer with a trip to Big Jim's. We figured since it was a kind of celebration, it'd be better to start with a place we knew we liked, ya know jump start the summer with style, and what has more style than some homemade Italian food???

Any Pittsburgh local can probably tell you exactly where "the run" is. It's a small strip of the city on the outskirts of Southside, underneath the Hot Metal Bridge, home to some old fashioned houses and a building you'd probably drive right on past if you didn't know what you were looking for--Big Jim's. From the outside, Jim's looks like a typical dive bar, only noticeable because of the sign up on the outside wall, but it's really what's on the inside that counts right? And that's why locals have been packin' into this place for over thirty years. There's a reason Jim's was on the episode "Long Time Legends." It's called Pittsburgh home since 1977 when the current owner's Uncle Jim bought the place to start cooking up his Mom's homemade recipes she brought over from Italy. Jim's nephew bought the place in 1992 with a couple of partners to keep his uncle's traditions alive. It started out as just a bar with about ten tables not counting the bar stools, but they've added on with a larger dining area recently. No matter how many seats there are though the place is always packed, so if you're going around dinner expect a wait--but trust me it's worth it. The first time we went to Jim's it was in February, we got there around 5:30 right as a huge snow storm was brewing, the weather didn't stop business though. By the time we left there were three inches of snow on the ground and a line of people waiting to get in--talk about dedication! Ben and I usually sit in the bar area, mostly because I like to watch the TVs they always have tuned into ESPN, cuz hey it is a bar after all, even if the food they're crankin' out isn't your typical bar food.

The second time we went to Jim's I told myself I'd try something new, I promised myself this would be the time I tried their homemade pasta, try their big as a brick lasagna, but when it comes down to it, I know what I like, and what I like at Big Jim's is the chicken parm sub. I've had this thing twice and haven't been able to finish it in one sitting yet. The whole is probably pushin' 16 to 18 inches of homemade bread (that is some of the best I've ever had) stuffed full of provolone, chicken, and their homemade red sauce. Their definately famous for their sauce, which is of course a secret family recipe that hasn't been changed in thirty years. Ben's the more adventurous of the two of us, so he changed orders the second time around, but it still didn't lead to either of us trying any homemade pasta. This time Ben replaced his meatball sub (made with homemade fried meatballs) for the infamous veal parm. Now if you're a fan of the show, you know Guy's prone to exaggeration, but when he said this thing was as big as your head, he wasn't lying. This was the biggest sandwich I've ever seen, and is one of the house favorites. Both the chicken and the veal are fried to perfection. They're crisp and tender, but be careful cuz these things come out smokin' hot--I've burned my mouth both times, but for these subs it's totally worth it. So between the two of us, we've covered their sub section fairly well--even though there are plenty more than what we've tried, and we've hit up a couple of appetizers too. They're fryin' up provolone sticks and making an Italian wedding soup like you've never had, complete with homemade mini meatballs. Put some parmesan cheese on top of it and you'd think you were in heaven. I'm still holding out hope that the next time around I'll try some pasta, but when you've got something as good as their subs and soup, it's hard to pull yourself away. Here's what I've learned from Big Jim's though, and I think it's the perfect example of Guy's goal with Triple D (If it's funky we'll find it), you can't judge a place by the outside. Driving by Jim's you'd probably think it's just a run down bar, but you'd be missing out on some amazing food, so the next time you're in Pitt, head down to the run and check out Big Jim's...it'll be worth the wait.

They just set up their website since they opened up a new place outside the city, but the one you're lookin' for is Big Jim's Restaurant so check out the menu on the left

http://www.bigjimsrestaurant.com/

The Fly Trap--The Finer Diner

2009-07-27T14:14:00.008-04:00

While Ben and I's current locale is the great state of Pennsylvania, home for me will always be Michigan, between the Great Lakes and some of my favorite cities in the world, I really can't think of a better place to be than the Mitten State, but little did I know it was also home to some killer food in out of the way places. In all of my 22 years of living in Michigan, I'd never been to Ferndale--the polar opposite to Guy's hometown of Ferndale, CA--but of course that's what this show is all about, taking you to places you've never been, to experience food you'd never give a second thought to. Now, I must confess The Fly Trap isn't the first Triple D destination we've hit up in my home state, but it is the first that got documented (give us a few weeks and our official first will be made scrapbook official). Ferndale is a lesser known suburb of Detroit and about 45 minutes north of where I grew up. Luckily for us, it's actually only about 20 minutes from Lisa's sister's house, so we decided to take a day, go hang out with her adorable nieces and nephews and then roll into Ferndale to check out this self-proclaimed "finer diner." This was really only 2 days after we'd gotten back from Florida, so it was also marking the end of a pretty intense Triple D week, all that was left to see was how it compared to our previous two visits.

The couple who opened up The Fly Trap were lookin' to do a diner their own way after years in the restaurant biz--hence the moniker "finer diner." They wanted to spice things up and have a menu featuring the food they really liked to eat, so they suckered Kara's brother into being their dishwasher and opened up this tiny little joint along Woodward Avenue. The name "The Fly Trap" came from the fact that this place really was a fly trap when they bought it. They had to completely gut the place and start over--and it was no easy task, there are pictures documenting the transformation on their walls and the place was definately not a pretty sight originally. Today the place is insanely cool--with bright colors on the walls and a specials board that's written out in different colored chalk everyday on the wall, and hey it doesn't hurt that the entire outside of the building is painted lime green, it makes it easier to spot. What surprised us about this place was that it was tiny--after seeing the episode it looked a lot bigger, but that is only because of the mirror running along the back wall which makes it look twice its size. In reality, its a small place with about 10 tables and a few stools along the bar. When I asked about a t-shirt, our waitress popped open a closet crammed with shirts and a vaccuum cleaner and told me to go nuts. The lights were funky shapes and colors and really just gave the place a feel of its own that's almost indescribable, unless you ask my sister who'd call it "kitschy." Now anyone who wanders into Michigan is usually expecting some good down home food--burgers, fries, etc.,--not exactly a menu dominated by Asian cuisine with a twist, but that's what you find at The Fly Trap. Sean learned all his recipes from the Mom of his Japanese-American college roommate, who would feed them on weekends when they'd visit. This place definately still holds the distinction of most unique menu that we've experienced thus far, and because of that we're already planning our second visit in August, the off-the-hook menu won The Fly Trap the coveted prize of being my restaurant of choice for my birthday, but before I start planning my second meal there, let's talk about what we had the first time.

It took us all ages to figure out just what we wanted from this menu, because honestly each of us had about 3 or 4 things in mind that we wanted to try, and we definately ran the board on diversity. Ben was the only one of us that stuck to the Triple D menu and got the Lemongrass Pho Bowl with chicken, which was described by Guy as one of the best bowls he's ever had. This thing was huge and the flavor was crazy, it had a lot of spice--courtesy of the jalapenos, and was definately one of the most unique things I've ever tasted. I allowed myself to branch away from Guy's specialities cuz I'm a sucker for a good mac 'n cheese, or as they put it 3 cheese 'n mac--an intense mix of smoked gouda, cheddar, and blue cheese. The serving size was huge and it was by far some of the best mac 'n cheese I've ever had. Jenn covered the sandwiches with their Chicken Charmoula (North African Spiced Chicken Breast, Jack Cheese, Caramelized Onion on Grilled Sourdough with a Lemon, Garlic Aioli) that she definately said she'd get again, and Lisa handled breakfast with their Cowboy Curtis, a seared ribeye with "wildwest sauce" and some of the best potatoes she's ever had. Then to top it off--mostly because I couldn't decide between it and the mac 'n cheese--we all split their famous gingerbread waffle smothered in apples and dried Michigan cherries topped with their cinnamon syrup (which is probably going to be the winner of the birthday meal). The waffle probably stands in the top 3 of things I've sampled thanks to Triple D, and trust me that's sayin' a lot! And if our assortment of menu items wasn't enough, we didn't even touch that day's specials which ranged from a pulled pork omelette to cheddar cheese biscuits and gravy (oh and don't forget that Flavor of the Day shakes, which just happened to be strawberry). Guy featured them on "Off the Hook Specials" and they more than lived up to that expectation--this place had a funky atmosphere, a crazy unique menu, and I gotta say they definately got it right when they call themselves a "finer diner."

And if you don't believe me about the insane menu check out "Blunch"

http://www.theflytrapferndale.com/

11th Street Diner--A Taste of PA in Florida

2009-07-25T20:48:00.007-04:00

Ya know when you think about Miami a couple things come to mind--white beaches, seafood, and some of the best night clubs in the country, but one thing you don't usually think of is a classic American diner. However, when we were planning our trip to Florida and looking at the Triple D places around Miami a diner is exactly what we found. We knew that we would be spending the end of our trip to the Keys in Miami, and so we decided to take advantage of the chance to see at least one place Guy visited in the area. Most of my family doesn't really go crazy for seafood, so we decided to hit up the 11th Street Diner--home of some American classics, which were born along the east coast, but like most things in this country retired to Florida.

Lucky for us, this place just happened to be only about 6 blocks from our hotel in South Beach, so our first afternoon in the city, we decided to walk down to the diner. It's notorious for being the late night hangout for everyone who's partied a little too hardy down on the strip, and are in need of some comfort food to ward off their morning hangovers. We weren't there at 2am when this place is at it's busiest, so we almost had the place entirely to ourselves. Here's the cool thing about the diner, it was built in 1948 by a dining car company in New Jersey, and located in Wilkes-Barre, PA for 44 years. The east coast, mainly Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are known for their silver clad diners, but in the 1990's it was dismantled and moved down to South Beach as part of the Art Deco movement in the city. With the help of volunteers and the city, it was restored to its original art deco form and opened on September 11, 1992, and from that day on its been a cornerstone of the Art Deco district. The diner is exactly what you'd expect from an east coast transplant--a silver dining car, filled with red plastic booths, and a soda fountain right in front. The front portion of the diner is exactly what it looked like in the 40's, but they've recently added on a sports bar in the back. We sat in the front part of the diner in their corner booth, and were only the second group of people there. But we were the only group of people eating...

Guy sampled a lot of food while he was here, and covered the full range of what he called "American Classics," and that's pretty much what all our meals looked like. My mom and Jenn got their famous turkey dinner, complete with cranberry sauce and stuffing--so good that Guy commented on it when he signed the poster he gave to them ("Killer chops & turkey!"). Lisa got the Argentinian skirt steak, another of Guy's favorites, that she got with mashed potatoes and mac 'n cheese. Ben and I diverted from the Triple D specials though, because on top of being featured on Food Network, they've also been voted the best fried chicken in Miami by the New York Times, so that's the route Ben and I took, along with some sweet potato fries for me, black beans and rice for Ben, and the mac 'n cheese for both of us. Now I've gotta say for being in South Florida, the fried chicken was pretty phenomenal, and according to Ben it was the best beans and rice he's ever had. Overall, we were all pretty happy with our food. I had forgotten to check the specials board on the way in though, and after rewatching Guy's clip I wished I had tried their pork chops with apples and cherries, but still I was pretty happy with my fried chicken. Now here's the thing about the diner, the food was awesome, but our waiter wasn't really all that happy to have business in the middle of the afternoon, so we were kind of left to our own devices. We all left happy that we'd visited, but were somewhat unanimous in our vote that it was definately a one time stop on the Triple D train. The food was classic diner fare, and definately lived up to the American classics, which was a unique find in Miami, but there wasn't really a ton that jumped out at us that made us want to revisit the next time we rolled through Miami. That doesn't mean though that I wouldn't give it a hearty recommendation if you ever find yourselves in South Beach, and are just lookin' for some good ole' fashioned diner food.

Again, check out the website and see what this awesome diner car looks like plus you can check out the menu, the dishes with stars by them are the Triple D favs http://www.eleventhstreetdiner.com/

Grampa's Bakery & Restaurant--The Unexpected Visit

2009-07-24T20:36:00.004-04:00

It seemed appropriate that the first place we hit up (after deciding to start scrapping our progress that is) just kind of fell into our laps. In May, the two of us were travelling with my family down to Key West, but had flown into Fort Lauderdale and planned on making the drive down to the keys from there. Now here's the thing, we were initially planning on making a stop at a Triple D place while we were in Miami at the end of our vacation, so there was already one place in our sights. Here's the thing though, as we were pulling out of the Fort Lauderdale airport, we passed a sign that welcomed us to the booming metropolis of Dania Beach, FL. Now we both happened to remember that Grampa's (a place we had always wanted to visit after seeing their episode) was actually in Dania Beach, but we'd had no idea we would be driving through so we never thought about visiting when we were planning our trip to Florida. So once we'd hit the road, we just told everybody to keep their eyes peeled in case we passed by, and not even five minutes later we were pulling into the parking lot. Lucky for us, Grampa's is on the main drag through Dania Beach, and easy to spot from the road. We needed to eat lunch anyway, so like Guy says--it was funky and we found out, and our Triple D adventure began.

Grampa's was established in 1957 and is known around Dania Beach as being the best bakery around. The first thing that greets you from the road is a big red and yellow sign, with a smiling baker boy looking out at you, and while the sign is a great greeting, what's even better is what welcomes you to Grampa's once you walk in the door--their bakery. Three huge display cases featuring every kind of dessert you can imagine from homemade doughnuts, to cakes, cookies, and cream puffs, and that doesn't even begin to cover the wall behind the display cases with all their homemade bagels and breads--needless to say the place smelled phenomenal. The place itself is actually huge, with tons of tables and booths, plus a small bar along the back wall. They've got two huge, signed pictures of Guy on the wall, along with articles and other places that they've been featured. They were pretty busy, but we got a table near the bar and were greeted by one of the nicest waiters we've met thus far. Randy had noticed me taking a picture of Guy's picture and filled us in on all the specials that Guy had tried, and gave us some of Grampa's history. They're kind of a local legend and proud of it that's for sure. They still use the machinery from 1957 to make their breads and aren't looking to change anything anytime soon. So let's get down to it...what'd we eat???

Featured on the "Comfort Food" episode, we knew we were in for some stick to your ribs homecooking at Grampa's. Before we even got our meals, we knew we were in for some great food, just by the homemade danish and rolls that came with our meals. Since some of us had ordered breakfast, we were given two huge plates of homemade, warm apple and peach danishes that were so soft and gooey we couldn't stop eating them. Then since we had lunch orders too, we got a basket of their baseball sized, homemade dinner rolls. Now I'm a sucker for bread, and I can honestly say this was some of the best bread I've ever tasted. They were dense but light, and of course warm. But like I said those were just the beginners of our meal. By an awesome bit of luck, we were there on a Saturday which is the day they cook up their lamb shank special that Guy raved about. I'm not a huge fan of lamb so I stayed away other than a small bite, but Ben and my brother-in-law Jon had the lamb shank, a huge helping with a side of mashed potatoes and corn, all covered in the homemade sauce that comes with it. According to the boys, it was an amazing dinner, and well worth Guy's having it on the show. The rest of us had a pretty good mix of the menu, I had their blueberry pancakes--which were pretty incredible and also featured on the episode, my sister Jennifer had the largest turkey club sandwich you've ever seen, and my Mom and other sister Kristin had the hot, open-faced turkey sandwich, and our family friend, Lisa had an omelette. But of course we couldn't leave Grampa's without sampling the bakery, and believe me I wish we were going back to Florida sometime soon just to go and get some more dessert. We covered a whole range of snacks for the drive to the Keys--cinnamon doughnuts, Queen Anne's lace, mini baklava, cream puffs, macadamia nut cookies, and cream filled doughnuts. Needless to say it was a great start to our Triple D adventures, and if you're ever rolling through Dania Beach (or the Fort Lauderdale airport) check out Grampa's--you won't regret it!!

In case you're curious here's their website too (check out the pictures of the bakery) http://www.grampasbakery.com/index.html

Introductions are Money

2009-07-24T20:30:00.002-04:00

So here's the deal...for the past two years Ben and I have been watching Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and wishing that we had Guy's job and could go everywhere he went and eat all the awesome dishes he was eating. So about a year ago, we decided that we were gonna make it a goal...we were going to try to get to every place that Guy's visited and see where it takes us. In the past year we've hit up about 12 places, but have really been getting serious about it over this past summer, especially once I decided that I was going to start taking pictures of our visits and scrapbooking everywhere we've wandered to.

The idea for the blog followed pretty soon afterwards because we figured that this would be a great way to get in touch with other people who are doing the same thing we are and it was also a great way to let fans of the show know what the places they watch on tv are really like. So for now the updates will come in pretty quick succession to catch up to where we're at on the list, but after those are done, they'll be more slow going depending on how often we get to places, but for now enjoy the pictures and the stories and hop on the train to flavortown.