Over five tons of turkey is grilled outdoors over coals for McMinnville, Oregon’s annual Turkey Rama, held this year for the 55th time. The turkey is fantastic, smoky and seasoned to the bone, with luscious strips of skin. Choose white or dark. This is a huge festival that extends far beyond the consumption of the bird that was once, but is no longer, a major part of the local economy. Continue reading
Author: Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle (Page 25 of 61)
Timothy’s Ice Cream, founded in 1982 in Bridgeport, Connecticut by Timothy Larkin, was named the best ice cream in Fairfield County by readers of the Daily Voice of Wilton. Their best-selling flavor is French vanilla but our personal favorite is Black Rock (named for their Bridgeport neighborhood), which laces that vanilla with chocolate-covered almonds. Saugatuck Sweets of Westport finished second.
HAPPY NATIONAL ALMOND BUTTER CRUNCH DAY!
Yocco’s, Allentown PA
THIS LOCATION CLOSED
REVIEW
Hot dog places are often as much about the place as about the dog. That’s why we recommend that if you visit Yocco’s you head to the original downtown Allentown store rather than the newer branches. From the outside, the downtown location looks like a corner bar. Step inside to a narrow room with tables beyond the grill area and ordering counter up front. In keeping with the corner bar theme, there is a double-size self-serve cooler filled with beer, including the largest collection of oversize bottles we’ve ever seen. Continue reading
New Sandusky Fish Company Wins Award!
Billy Haggerty, Jr., owner of the New Sandusky Fish Company on the shores of Sandusky Bay in Sandusky, Ohio, was named co-winner of the annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award handed out by the Erie County Chamber of Commerce. We’ve enjoyed Billy’s amazing fried perch sandwiches and wish him continued success. But, is that a typo, or did New Sandusky Fish Company really open in 1818? That is difficult to believe.
HAPPY NATIONAL TAPIOCA DAY!
All you city slickers are probably wondering: what’s a thresher? It’s a piece of farm machinery that separates the kernel of a grain from the stalk. The Southeast Old Threshers’ Reunion claims to be “The Greatest Steam, Gas Engine & Antique Farm Show in the Southeastern U.S.” and we don’t doubt them. The part of the festival that intrigues us the most is the Tractor Ride, at $25/person. See, you drive the tractor! It’s not clear to us if they supply the tractor or you are supposed to bring your own. In any case, the ride comes with a t-shirt and lunch afterwards of BBQ pork or grilled chicken. Continue reading
Joe’s Pizza, New York NY
REVIEW
New Yorkers don’t have to be told where to get a good slice of pizza. Most people have their nearby favorites, and pretty much everyone knows that when you’re in the Village, Joe’s is the place to go; it’s no secret discovery. This tip is for visitors. Continue reading
TX Panhandle Kitsch
They’ve achieved a measure of national fame for the free 72-ounce steak dinners they offer those who can consume it in one hour, but there’s so much more to The Big Texan‘s kitsch quotient than that: they sell their own fudge; there’s a live rattlesnake in the gift shop; you’ll find bobcats (stuffed), stagecoaches, and giant rocking chairs and cowboy boots; you can buy a souvenir Texas mug. If you’re driving into town you’ll start to see their billboards hundreds of miles ahead of your destination. But the food’s better than you might expect! Read more about The Big Texan at the LA Times.
HAPPY NATIONAL ORANGE BLOSSOM DAY!
Traverse City, Michigan calls itself the Cherry Capital of the World and, judging by the eight-day cherry party they put on each summer, we’d have to agree. There are many, many opportunities to eat cherries at the National Cherry Festival. How about attending the Very Cherry Pancake Breakfast which will include locally sourced cherry topping? Or the Great American Picnic where the menu includes corn bread with dried cherries, cherry brats with cherry mustard chutney, smoked chicken wings with cherry-chipotle glaze, marinated green bean salad with cherry vinaigrette, pasta salad with dried cherry pesto, and a brownie with dried cherries! Continue reading
The Little King, Hamilton Square NJ
REVIEW
The Little King is the quintessential Central New Jersey sandwich shop, whose motto is, “Where a Sandwich Is a Full Meal.” Walk in to the strip mall eatery and head to the counter to place your order. It is there you’ll be confronted by dozens of signs touting special sandwiches, as well as a few dozen more to be found on the menu board on the wall. If you suffer from menu panic syndrome, simply step out of line and read to your heart’s content. Continue reading
Ben’s Chili Bowl Expanding in DC July 8th
Ben’s Chili Bowl of Washington, D.C. will be opening a new location in D.C., at 1001 H Street NE, on July 8th. This will be their third “regular” restaurant — the others are the original on U Street and one in Arlington, VA. Ben’s is also available at the two area ballparks and the airport. So you should never be without a chili-topped half-smoke!
HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PUDDING DAY!
Lexington County Peach Festival, Gilbert SC, July 4th 2015
Peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach sundaes, peach slush, peach tea, peach almond delights (what are they?!), and fresh peaches — that’s right, this isn’t one of those festivals where the local crop plays a strictly symbolic role. No, there WILL be peaches at the 57th annual Lexington County Peach Festival, and plenty of them! To go along with all those fresh peachy delights there will be plate lunches of barbecued pork and chicken.
Continue reading
Mamma Rosa Trattoria, San Casciano Val di Pesa, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
REVIEW
Like bruschetta, sliced cured meats are a constant on traditional Tuscan menus. The white stuff is lardo: cured pork fat. Tuscan prosciutto tends to be drier and saltier than silky prosciutto from Parma, but it is no less delicious.
The Story of the Sonoran Hot Dog
What makes the Sonoran hot dog? Is it enough to wrap a dog with bacon before cooking it? Does it have to be inserted into a bolillo? Or does it only become a Sonoran dog when the strangely compatible array of toppings — beans, tomatoes, onions, mustard, crema and/or mayo — lands atop the package? Dalina Castellanos writes about the Sonoran dogs’ origins in Hermosillo, Mexico, how it took hold in Tucson, Arizona, and Los Angeles’ eventual bastardization of the concept. Check it out.
HAPPY NATIONAL CATFISH DAY!
Mountain Rest, at the far western reaches of South Carolina, bordering Georgia, is certainly a part of Appalachia, but when they celebrate the 56th annual Hillbilly Day on the 4th of July you can be sure tongues are planted firmly in cheek. Which is not to say that the stereotypical “hillbilly” culture celebrated at this festival is entirely foreign to the thousands of folks who attend in fanciful getups each year. The old-timey banjo and fiddle music is for real, as are the cloggers. But don’t expect to run into the real Jed Clampett. Continue reading
Wert’s Cafe, Allentown PA
REVIEW
We both ordered burgers from the long burger menu: Sue a Wert’s Cheeseburger, Bruce an Alyssa’s Barbecue Cheeseburger. Bruce hoisted the burger to his mouth and took a bite, whereupon this virtual Super Soaker of a hamburger took aim on his shirt and pants. These are among the juiciest burgers we’ve ever enjoyed! They also taste very good. The namesake burgers are stuffed with mushrooms and onions. You can also get burgers without the “Wert’s” prefix; these are unstuffed. Continue reading
