the road | the food | a new direction
Faisal Ali has been a waiter at Detroit’s Lafayette Coney Island for 22 years – he started when he was 16. Mr. Ali says he enjoys his job, he still enjoys hot dogs (although, as a Muslim, he cannot eat Lafayette’s beef-and-pork tube steaks), and tells of the time he received a $400 tip. Watch the interview below:
The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas has a long-standing (and well-publicized) offer: consume a four-and-a-half pound steak dinner, with all the fixin’s (baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail, and roll) in an hour or less and it’s free. Last year, one Molly Schuyler, a 120-pound woman, consumed the dinner in under five minutes. And then went on to consume a second dinner in under ten minutes! On April 19th, Ms. Schuyler intends to consume three steak dinners in under an hour! We are both repulsed and in awe. Read about the event here.
The Financial Times takes a look at Schwartz’s Deli of Montreal, from a businessperson’s perspective. For instance, if you’re short on time the restaurant will be happy to deliver an order to your private jet at the airport (tip well!). If you have the time to eat there, FT says it’s worth the half-hour waits in freezing temperatures, as well as the lack of privacy (you are likely to share a table with strangers.). Schwartz’s GM explains their popularity: “[I]t’s so damn good.” Read the story here.
Alton Brown’s been crisscrossing the country with his live show recently and last night found him in the eminently edible city of Tucson, Arizona. It’s become a tradition for Alton to visit the culinary points of interest in town and tweet about them in the hours leading up to the show. What grabbed him in Tucson? The Tucson Tamale Company, where he says he enjoyed the best bite of the day, and perhaps the week. He wishes he ordered more food from TTC. See Alton Brown’s Tucson tweets here.
This weekend and next, maple producers all over New York State are presenting the best of their efforts to the public in the annual giant open house called Maple Weekend. Almost 160 producers are participating, each in their own way. The pancake breakfasts many of them host are so popular that the Maple Weekend website has a search function devoted just for that. While the offerings at each producer vary you can be sure you’ll get to pour house-made maple syrup at every one of the breakfasts! Continue reading
Maine means lobster for many of us, but Maine is also a great place to try all manner of seafood, including the fine smoked versions turned out by Grindstone Neck. Located on the picturesque Schoodic Peninsula, Grindstone is not a restaurant, but a seafood smokehouse, owned by a local restaurateur/innkeeper. There’s a retail store on the premises, but you’ll have to take your purchases elsewhere to enjoy them. Continue reading
Two writers for Pensacola Today tried eight burgers around town, looking for the city’s best. They agreed that The Blue Dot, a barbeque joint, is the source of Pensacola’s finest burger (they loved the buttered bun). The Tin Cow, a burger specialist, finished second (the garlic aioli won them over). They also sampled burgers from Jerry’s Drive-In, open since 1939, and Tops, where the Tater Tots “are a must.” See the story and photos here.
The Maine Human Rights Commission ruled last year that Moody’s Diner, of Waldoboro, Maine had discriminated against an employee on religious grounds, retaliated against that employee for pursuing the matter legally, and altered the conditions of her employment as a result. As the parties were in the process of trying to settle the matter out of court, Maine Governor LePage stepped in. He wants the Commission to reconsider the case, and is withholding revenues due the commission in order to coerce the commission into acceding to his wishes. The Commission will discuss the possibility of reopening the case on Monday.
Parkside Candy was founded in Buffalo by George Kaiser in 1927. In the 1980s current owner Philip Buffamonte purchased the historic candy store and ice cream parlor from Mr. Kaiser’s estate. He is now sole owner, and a hands-on owner at that – you might see him molding Easter bunnies or making lollipops. The Buffalo News spoke with Mr. Buffamonte about Parkside, and what it’s like to run one of Western New York’s classic candy stores. Read the interview here.
Betty Lassard agreed to run her family’s fish shack on Minnesota’s North Shore, but only for two weeks. It was 28 years before she left. Along the way, Betty began selling donuts, added a grill, and then, with a decision that would change her life, made and sold pies. By the time she sold the business in 1984 Betty’s Pies, of Two Harbors, MN, had become one of the region’s major destinations. Even after selling the business, Betty could often be found in the kitchen, giving the current owners pointers and recipes. Betty Lassard, whose license plate was once PIELADY, passed away Thursday night at the age of 90. We send our condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Lassard.
You’ve got until 9 p.m. tonight, and then all day tomorrow to enjoy the Marco Island Seafood and Music Festival, which began Friday morning. The annual festival, which was first held seven years ago, is put on by the local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs. Seafood and music – that’s what you’re here for! The fresh Florida seafood you’ll find includes fresh fish, grouper, crab cakes, stone crab, shrimp, crawdads, and chowder. That’s just for starters. Continue reading
The Chris half of ayersian and Bruce are sitting at the counter, waiting for their cheesesteak and zep, when an elderly gentleman approaches the register. Says the woman at the register, loud enough for half the place to hear: “Next time you decide to use the ladies room, put the seat down!” It sounds meaner on the page than it really was. They obviously have a history. That’s life at Lou’s. There’s no such thing as anonymity. Unlike at that Italian chain, when you’re here, you really are treated like family! Continue reading
The first branch of Graeter’s west of the Mississippi has recently opened in the Forum Food Court on the casino floor of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Gamblers, or gamers as they like to call them here, will now have the chance to drown their sorrows in Graeter’s unique French Pot-method ice cream, made two-and-a-half gallons at a time. Apparently, every good place to eat in America will eventually have a branch in Sin City.
Last month Kreuz Market of Lockhart, Texas opened a second location in the town of Bryan, a little less than two hours east of Austin. Kreuz owner Keith Schmidt has family connections to the rapidly growing Bryan-College Station region, and it seemed like a good spot for expansion. Lucky Houstonians have just saved about an hour-and-a-half off their round trip to the sauceless, forkless Kreuz! Read more in The Eagle of Bryan-College Station.
Food travelers know well the pleasures of dining on a Silver Butter Knife steak at the 69-year-old Murray’s of Minneapolis. But do you know how that Silver Butter Knife moniker originated? The Minneapolis Star Tribune raids its historical files on Murray’s, resulting in some fascinating reading about the original purchase of the building in 1946, the developing reputation of Murray’s, the use of 30 pounds of butter a day just for its famous garlic toast, and, yes, the man who went around the country awarding silver and gold butter knives to steak restaurants.
Canlis, in its own words, is “the swankest, dressiest restaurant in Seattle.” When we dined there we were won over by the luxurious cuisine and seduced by the stunning views and caring hospitality. They’ve been open for 64 years and are about to make only their fifth chef transition, as Brady Williams, formerly of Roberta’s in Brooklyn, New York will take over the kitchen at Canlis on April 13th. Read more about Canlis’ search for a new chef, how they came to hire Mr. Williams, and how they plan to balance tradition and relevance on the menu in this Seattle Met story.
Presented by the Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the third annual Arts & Seafood Celebration will feature a wide variety of fresh seafood from both local vendors and local chefs, along with a beer and wine garden. There’ll be live entertainment on the main stage all day, and arts and crafts vendors and artists galore. Witness performance artists creating works of art to music. There’s plenty of activities planned for the kids: a hands-on arts and crafts sand clinic, painting the fire truck, creating the Under the Sea mural, face painting, and rides. Watch as Team Sandtastic creates their massive sand sculpture all weekend. Continue reading
When we travel, we are tourists. We willingly accept that label, because it’s a simple fact. But like many tourists, we don’t always want to be around too many of our own kind. Myran’s Maison de Manger (Myran’s Eating House), in Arnaudville, is just the place for those times when you want to be the only outsider in the joint. It’s a local restaurant (not a “Cajun” restaurant) that tries to appeal to local tastes. Continue reading
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