Left at the Fork

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Author: Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle (Page 40 of 61)

A mountain of boiled crawfish, ready for head-sucking and tail pinching!

Louisiana Crawfish Festival, Chalmette LA, March 26th through 29th 2015

March 23, 2015 / / 1 Comment

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

A pair of coneys from Lafayette Coney Island of Detroit

LAF in the A.M. March 23rd, 2015

March 23, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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

A pair of coneys from Lafayette Coney Island of Detroit

A Chat with Faisal Ali, Waiter at Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit

March 23, 2015 / / 1 Comment

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 famous 72-ounce steak dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch of Amarillo

Three 4 1/2-Pound Steak Dinners!

March 23, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

A Schwartz's smoked meat sandwich

Montreal Smoked Meat on Your Private Jet

March 23, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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 best bite of the day came from the Tucson Tamale Company.

Alton Loves Tucson Tamale

March 23, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

Can this be the most amazing-looking thing to do with pure maple syrup? Find the recipe for maple walnut bars at the Maple Weekend website!

Maple Weekend, Across New York State, March 21st and 22nd, 28th and 29th 2015

March 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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

Look for this sign heading north out of Winter Harbor.

Grindstone Neck of Maine, Winter Harbor ME

March 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

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

Dark chocolate-enrobed sponge candy

LAF in the A.M. March 22nd, 2015

March 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of LAF-Style Food News and Stories to Begin Your Day

 HAPPY WORLD WATER DAY!

A Conversation with Philip Buffamonte, Owner of Buffalo’s Parkside Candy

The Quest for Pensacola’s Best Burger

Maine Governor LePage Strong-Arming Rights Commission on Behalf of Moody’s Diner

Betty Lessard, Founder of Betty’s Pies of MN, Has Died

Jerry's Drive-In, slinging burgers since 1939.

The Quest for Pensacola’s Best Burger

March 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

Moody's Diner is a classic old Maine diner from 1927.

Maine Governor LePage Strong-Arming Rights Commission on Behalf of Moody’s Diner

March 22, 2015 / / 3 Comments

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.

Dark chocolate-enrobed sponge candy

A Conversation with Philip Buffamonte, Owner of Buffalo’s Parkside Candy

March 22, 2015 / / 1 Comment

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 Lessard, Founder of Betty’s Pies of MN, Has Died

March 22, 2015 / / 1 Comment

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.

We don't know what this dish is called but it sure looks like a variant of the Carolina Lowcountry favorite, Frogmore Stew (there's no frog in Frogmore Stew!)

Marco Island Seafood and Music Festival, Marco Island FL, March 20th through March 22nd 2015

March 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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

This is the plain zep: cooked salami, mild provolone, sliced tomato and onion, on a Conshohocken Bakery zep roll. Perfection. Chris said the salami reminds him of the "luncheon meat" he and Amy got in Africa! Actually, we believe it comes from Hatfield and, in this context, with these ingredients, it works. But do dress it with crushed red peppers from the jars on the table.

Checking In at: Lou’s Steak Shop, Norristown PA

March 21, 2015 / / 2 Comments

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

Mint Cookies & Cream is a limited edition flavor at Graeter's.

Graeter’s Arrives in Las Vegas

March 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

No sauce is needed (or available) on smoked brisket this good!

2nd Kreuz Market Now Open in Bryan TX

March 21, 2015 / / 1 Comment

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.

What Murray's has been famous for in Minneapolis since 1946

The Origins of Murray’s of Minneapolis

March 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

Dinner at Canlis is a visual feast as well.

New Chef at Seattle’s Canlis

March 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

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