Category: 4 Cars (Page 2 of 3)
Il Conte Matto, Trequanda, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
REVIEW
Composta di melanzane e pomodor in emulsione di basilico: molded eggplant and tomato in a basil oil
Gelateria Dondoli, San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
Greasy Nick’s, New Rochelle NY
REVIEW
For a summer patio picnic, Greasy Nick’s is just the ticket. A fiercely downscale New Rochelle spot, across the street from a gas station, there’s nothing refined about the food or setting. This urban shoreline treat is vaguely reminiscent of a New England clam shack, but with a city grit that is far removed from anything you’ll find along the coast of Maine. Continue reading
Forno Campo de’ Fiori, Rome Italy
Philadelphia Soft Pretzels, Inc., Philadelphia PA
REVIEW
Maybe you’ve tried those butter-sopped mall pretzels, or the smoky (and too often dry and stale) New York City street cart pretzels, but until you’ve eaten one in Philadelphia you haven’t had soft pretzels at their best. Most people pick them up locally from a convenience store, or in brown paper bags from a street vendor, and they’re quite alright, but if you really want to see how good they can be, head straight for the bakery. Continue reading
Portland Farmers Market, Portland OR
REVIEW
We have a particular fondness for farmers markets, even the three vendor kind found by the side of the road in small towns. They provide an opportunity to enjoy real, local food presented in-season, by folks who usually care deeply about the products they offer. Most will readily chat up anyone showing an interest. It’s both inspiring and reassuring to hear the enthusiasm of these craftspeople working outside of the mass-production system. Continue reading
Seaside Restaurant and Crab House, Glen Burnie MD
REVIEW
The dining room is packed and virtually every table is covered with brown paper and Callinectes sapidus in various stages of disassembly. These are old-hand locals, capable of locating the choice crab nuggets while devoting only half their attention to the hard-shelled creatures, the other half devoted to watching their beloved Orioles clobber the Red Sox on one of the TVs perched on the walls around the dining room. We love tearing apart steaming hot Old Bay-plastered crabs as much as the next guy but, today, we’re feeling lazy, and tired from the long drive. So crab cakes it is, without shame. Continue reading
Food at Fishers Station, Victor NY
REVIEW
If you choose to eat at Food at Fishers Station, you will wait in a line. Absolutely, no doubt about it, you will. If it’s your first time, and you let that be known, you’ll receive all kinds of info from your fellow standees: “they always have a special called 2-2-2, which is supposed to be two pancakes, two eggs, and two sausage patties; when it arrives there are usually way more than two pancakes, and they’re the best pancakes you’ll ever have”; “oh, great, now it’ll be even harder to get in” when we let slip that we might write about it on the net; “everything they make here is fantastic.” It’s all true. Continue reading
Harold’s New York Deli, Edison NJ
REVIEW
Harold’s Deli is a large, brash restaurant that serves enormous portions of food. Don’t be fooled by those comically large servings; quantity is not all at Harold’s. Owner Harold Jaffe, once of the legendary Carnegie Deli in New York, sells some of the finest Jewish deli dishes to be found in the New York City area. Continue reading
Fiore’s Deli, Hoboken NJ
REVIEW
We (meaning Bruce, along with Chris and Amy of ayersian fame) made our way up to Fiore’s counter, where we asked for the special hero of the day: house-roasted beef and gravy with house-made mozzarella on Hoboken bread. Anything else? We eyed gorgeous mozzarella braids directly in front of us, both regular and smoked. Half a braid, please. The gentleman at the counter informed us that it would be just a few minutes — the new batch was almost finished, and it needs to cool down a bit in order to “set.” Continue reading
Upperline, New Orleans LA
REVIEW
The famous Creole restaurants of New Orleans – Galatoire’s, Brennan’s, Commander’s Palace, Antoine’s, Arnaud’s – are long-operating, historic institutions. Some of them, like Galatoire’s, are among the finest restaurants in the country, while some of the others are less so, but what they have in common is a traditional approach to Creole cooking. Upperline also serves Creole food and we think it is as necessary to a visitor’s survey of Creole cuisine as the best of the old-line restaurants, but it’s only been around since the 1980s and it takes a more modern approach to Creole cooking. Continue reading
Vienna Beef Factory Store, Chicago IL
REVIEW
When we think of Chicago hot dogs we think of Vienna Beef, the Chicago company that produces the snapping-good garlicky franks used all over the city. Wouldn’t it be something if you could actually visit the factory and get a Chicago dog right there? Well, it turns out you can! Continue reading
Donkey’s Place, Camden NJ
REVIEW
How has this escaped our notice through the decades of living in The Garden State? Here in Camden is one of the great cheesesteaks to be found anywhere, in a soulfully satisfying setting to boot. Continue reading
REVIEW
Shoreline candy shops are a dime-a-dozen, and few are worthy of any serious attention (though, for sure, we’ve purchased our share of pastel-colored taffy, and tooth-achingly sweet fudge). An exception is Monica’s Chocolates, located a few hundred feet from the Canadian border in the Maine town of Lubec. Lubec is probably best known to travelers as the point at which one crosses by bridge to Campobello Island. Let it hereafter be also known for world-class chocolate. Continue reading
Green Dragon Farmers Market, Ephrata PA
REVIEW
One cannot help but be skeptical when confronting a “real” Amish anything in Pennsylvania Dutch country. This area has more than its share of cheap attempts to cash in on the Amish people who do in fact still live here, and the stream of visitors hungry for some contact with Amish culture. Most of these places seem about as authentic as an Arkansas merman. Continue reading
Taylor Grocery and Restaurant, Taylor MS
REVIEW
Taylor Gro. is a legend in these parts, and nationally, too. It closed down a while ago, but a new owner took over, and today it’s thriving. We never had the opportunity to visit the previous incarnation, but it couldn’t have been any more fun than today’s version. Continue reading
The Lobster Shack, Cape Elizabeth ME
REVIEW
The food at The Lobster Shack is good, in fact very good, but you can find better along the Maine coast. It’s not an undiscovered gem. In fact, there always seems to be a long line at the order counter. And the prices are a little higher than what you’ll find further up the coast, reflecting its proximity to the city of Portland. So why do we think The Lobster Shack is required eating for the visiting LAF pilgrim? Continue reading
Stanley’s Tavern, Chicago IL
REVIEW
Things are a little quiet here at Stanley’s after the lunch rush, so bartender Guy comes over to chat and do a little standup for the four of us. After every politically incorrect joke, each one filthier than the last, he slaps Sue’s brother Dave’s back and exclaims, “What! Ya killin’ me!” We like Guy. After he leaves to tend to other matters, owner Wanda, well into her 80s, sidles over, rolls her eyes, and sighs, “He’s a pain that no pill can cure.” Continue reading
Local Ocean Seafoods, Newport OR
REVIEW
If you plan to spend time in Newport, Oregon, you plan to eat seafood. Local Ocean Seafoods is the best seafood restaurant in Newport. Ergo… Continue reading
