When you’re in Blakely, not far from Georgia’s southwestern borders with Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, you’re in peanut country. You’ll see peanut farms all over the region, and it’s those hard-working farmers who are honored each year at the annual Peanut Proud Festival, which takes place this year on Saturday, March 28th. Continue reading
Month: March 2015 (Page 2 of 8)
Tripoli Bakery, Lawrence MA
REVIEW
Tripoli Bakery is a decades-old Italian/American bakery in the old Italian section of Lawrence. Most Northeast industrial cities have such a neighborhood, in varying stages of transition, and there’s usually a bakery or two that remain open. Some of these bakeries maintain the old traditions while others have seen better days. Tripoli is one of the good ones. Continue reading
“If Old School BBQ Is Your Thing, You Will Love Stubby’s”
The man’s talking about Stubby’s Bar B Que of Hot Springs, Arkansas in the title of this post, and that man is Louis Williams of the Arkansas Times. We agree 100%! Stubby’s has been doing it since 1952, and is a major reason why Hot Springs just might be our favorite barbecue city in the country. No other town has as effective a one-two punch as Hot Springs does in McClard’s and Stubby’s. Read Mr. Williams’ Stubby’s story here.
What Makes Memphis Barbecue Special?
Texas smokes beef, northwestern Kentucky smokes mutton, the Carolinas finely chop pork shoulder and dress it with an assortment of regional sauces, and all of America has gone barbecue mad. Yet, for many Americans, barbecue means Memphis and Memphis means barbecue. Here they specialize in slow-smoked ribs and pork shoulders, which are pulled apart into shreds and chunks and sandwiched along with cool, crunchy slaw. Read more about what makes Memphis barbecue special in this story from The Daily Helmsman, the student newspaper of The University of Memphis.
Top 9 Pierogi of Cleveland
You want to eat like a Clevelander while you’re in Cleveland? Then count on eating pierogi! There are plenty of places around town to sample the Eastern European stuffed dumpling, but why not start with the best? Here are the top nine Cleveland pierogi, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Among them: Sokolowski’s University Inn (“you can’t go to Sokolowski’s and skip the pierogi”), Perla Pierogies in Parma (“Perla’s Pierogies are rock star”), and the Little Polish Diner of Parma (“ridiculously good”).
Free Graeter’s Ice Cream in Florida
The Graeter’s ice cream truck has been traveling to groceries all over Florida for the last three weeks, and will continue to do so through April 13th, handing out free samples of their unique French pot process ice cream. Check this schedule on Graeter’s website to find out when the Graeter’s truck will be in your area.
Checking In at: Cocoa Bakery, Jersey City NJ
For some unfathomable reason we neglected to take any pictures at Cocoa Bakery, or any photos of the cake we brought to a friend’s place, but we do want to put in a good word, because Cocoa Bakery is far from your run-of-the-mill neighborhood bakery. The owner and pastry chef, Jessica Isaacs, was once head pastry chef at Nobu. Continue reading
In 1953, a man named Alfred Stucki began managing Elberta’s Locker Plant in Alabama and it was there he originated the famous Elberta German sausage. Mr. Stucki died in 1973, and over the ensuing years the recipe for the sausage has evolved, but its roots can be traced back to Mr. Stucki’s 1953 original. And it’s that sausage that is celebrated twice a year in the town of Elberta, on the last Saturday of March and October. One of those days, March 28th, 2015, is almost here! Continue reading
LAF in the A.M. March 25th, 2015
A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day
 HAPPY NATIONAL LOBSTER NEWBURG DAY!
Joe’s Steaks of Philly Opening 2nd Store April 1st
Take a BBQ Field Trip to Lockhart TX
Q&A with Todd Martin, Tucson Tamale Owner
Gus’s Fried Chicken Coming to St. Louis Burbs
Joe’s Steaks of Philly Opening 2nd Store April 1st
The arrival of a second Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop in Philadelphia has been delayed a few weeks from its planned opening last month, but a date has finally been announced. Next Wednesday, April 1st, Joe’s will open at 1 West Girard Avenue in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. The new spot will be run by Joe’s son, Patrick Groh, while Joe Groh will continue to operate the Torresdale original.
Take a BBQ Field Trip to Lockhart TX
Not long ago Austin, TX was practically a barbecue wasteland. Oh, you could find plenty of Q and, if you arrived in Austin from barbecue-deprived regions of the country, it was more than OK, but by Texas Hill Country standards, it was decidedly second-rate. While that’s no longer the case, it’s still fun to take a trip to Lockhart, less than an hour away and home to some of the all-time greats of American barbecue, to sample the wares of the city’s historic pits. Take a look at this overview of Lockhart barbecue.
Todd Martin started a catering company for film sets in 1983, then ran a restaurant and nightclub. Next, he joined the corporate world in Tucson while his future wife attended college. It wasn’t until 2008 that he and his wife, Sherry, opened Tucson Tamale Company, which has become one of the most highly regarded tamale producers in the country. Read more about Todd Martin and Tucson Tamale in this Arizona Daily Star story.
Gus’s Fried Chicken Coming to St. Louis Burbs
As part of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken‘s big expansion this year, they will be setting up shop in the St. Louis suburban city of Maplewood this summer. The address:Â 7434 Manchester Road. This will be Missouri’s first taste of Gus’s. A Kansas City Gus’s is planned for later this year.
LAF in the A.M. March 24th, 2015
A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day
HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISINS DAY!
Springtime Opening of Root Beer Stand in Sharonville OH
Maine Panel Rejects Governor’s Request to Reconsider Moody’s Ruling
Public Memorial in San Diego for Hodad’s Owner
James Beard Award Finalists Announced
Maine Panel Rejects Governor’s Request to Reconsider Moody’s Ruling
The Maine Human Rights Commission yesterday considered and denied a request from Governor LePage that the commission reconsider its finding that Moody’s Diner of Waldoboro was guilty of discrimination against an employee on religious grounds. They also voted to take no further action against Moody’s, such as taking them to court over the matter. The woman who was found to be the victim of discrimination intends to sue Moody’s in federal court, “out of reach of Maine politicians,” according to her attorney.
The many fans of Ocean Beach’s Hodad’s and the man who ran the burger stand, Mike “Bossman” Hardin, were shocked and grief-stricken at the news of Mr. Hardin’s untimely passing last month at the age of 56. This Saturday, friends and family of Mike Hardin will hold an event at Petco’s Park in the Park in San Diego in his honor, to begin at 11:11 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. There will be a special video tribute and live musical performances. The memorial is free and open to the public.
Springtime Opening of Root Beer Stand in Sharonville OH
Spring is bustin’ out all over! The latest sign? Sharonville, OH’s Root Beer Stand (in the northern Cincinnati suburbs), founded in 1957, opened for the season last week. You can once again quaff an icy mug of house-brewed, original recipe root beer made with water from their 280-foot deep well. Cincinnati station WLWT paid a visit to the Root Beer Stand. Watch below:
James Beard Award Finalists Announced
The finalists for the annual James Beard Awards were announced this morning. Some of our personal favorites among the nominees include: Continue reading
Louisiana Crawfish Festival, Chalmette LA, March 26th through 29th 2015
Are you ready to pinch some tails and suck some heads? Crawfish season has arrived, and with it comes the annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Chalmette! This celebration of the local mudbug began in 1975, and has grown in popularity over the years. Today, people arrive from all over the country to consume crawfish in every way imaginable and then some. The most popular way to eat the tiny shellfish is boiled. The meat is in the tail, and you “pinch” the tail to extract the tasty morsel. Many folks like to “suck the heads,” where the juicy and flavorful crawfish “fat” is located. Continue reading
LAF in the A.M. March 23rd, 2015
A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day
 HAPPY NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY!
A Chat with Faisal Ali, Waiter at Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit
Three 4 1/2-Pound Steak Dinners!
Montreal Smoked Meat on Your Private Jet
Alton Loves Tucson Tamale
