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Category: News (Page 3 of 25)

The French fries at Super Duper Weenie are hand-cut, fried in soybean oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Great Fries Are Important, Too

May 17, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We love top-notch burgers and dogs as much as anyone, and it’s not really going out on a limb to assert that quality French fries, preferably hand-cut from fresh potatoes,  are an equally important factor in the burgers/dogs/fries formula. It’s not that uncommon for food savvy folks to praise the potatoes that come out of McDonald’s fryers, and we’ll concede that they aren’t bad (we don’t find them particularly praise-worthy either) but we’re talking about fried potatoes that can compete in the major leagues, several levels of quality above the fast food chain circuit. Continue reading

True Chicago deep-dish pizza is coming to Phoenix, AZ today.

Lou Malnati’s Brings Real Deep Dish Pizza to Phoenix Today

May 16, 2016 / / 0 Comments

When? Today. The time? 4 p.m. What? Lou Malnati brings real deep-dish Chicago pizza to Phoenix, AZ. You’ll find them in Uptown Plaza, near the Shake Shack, at 100 East Camelback Road. These pies are deep, which means they take a while to cook. Malnati’s doesn’t take reservations but you can place your order with the host when you arrive to get a head start on the process. This will be the first Malnati’s location beyond Illinois’ borders, and it is not a franchise operation. Five members of their management team have made the permanent move to Arizona to see this project succeed. Take a look a the video below to see the construction of a sausage deep dish.

Ben's Chili Bowl's chili half-smoke is Washington's official food.

Washington Post: A Hefty Ben’s Bashing

May 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The chili at Ben’s Chili Bowl tastes burnt, a “one-note heat and salt lick,” the half-smoke “surrendered any juices it may have, long ago, had,” the bun is “soft, white and tasteless.” The chili half-smoke is proclaimed by Washington Post food writer Tom Sietsema, in a word, “awful.” Lemonade? “Ringer for a mix.” Burger? Would “taste of nothing” without cheese and ketchup. Lemon cake? “Equal parts sugar and artificial flavoring.” Does he like anything? Yes, the slaw, potato salad, and breakfast. Mr. Sietsema acknowledges the history, the significance, the nostalgia. The rest? Ouch!

We don't normally approve of folderol like mushrooms or tomato sauce on our cheesesteaks, but we have to admit that this specimen from Dalessandro's looks awfully good.

Yinzers’ Cheesesteak Sammiches Better’n Philly?

May 14, 2016 / / 2 Comments

USAToday’s 10Best poll to name Pennsylvania’s best cheesesteak took an unexpected turn, leaving Philly folks crying foul. Everyone knows the best cheesesteaks are found in Philadelphia, but 11 of the 20 cheesesteak candidates were from Philly, while only one came from Pittsburgh. With Philly residents splitting the vote eleven ways, Pittsburgh’s Groove Cheesesteak Co. came out on top. Said Brian Hickey of Philly Voice, “Pittsburgh cheats its way to victory .” Word is that second place finisher Dalessandro’s (of Philadelphia, of course) finished just a handful of votes behind Groove. Dal’s is the quintessential Philly steak joint. But how did Mama’s not make the top ten?

Jonathan Byrd's specialty, fried chicken, will be on the menu at the new restaurant opening in Westfield.

Jonathan Byrd’s of Greenwood IN Has Closed

May 13, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Man, the bad news doesn’t stop: Jonathan Byrd’s of Greenwood IN closed its doors permanently this past Sunday. Two years ago, the owners sold the building and scaled back the former 400-seat cafeteria to a 50-seat restaurant. Now, the new owners of the building are planning to sell it, and Jonathan Byrd’s is preparing to open a new restaurant in Westfield, in the northern suburbs of Indy, for which they will need to train the employees of the Greenwood place. So they felt now was the time to close the Greenwood restaurant. The Westfield restaurant, which will open next month as part of a 400-acre sports campus, does not sound like it will be a cafeteria but they will, thank goodness, serve Jonathan Byrd’s famous fried chicken.

Italian beef from Al's #1 of Chicago may be fast food but it's so much more satisfying than the arches or the colonel.

Alton Says Al’s Good, Johnnie’s Great

May 12, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Gotta give Alton Brown credit — for a man born in L.A. and raised in Georgia to come to Chicago, do an Italian beef taste-off, and publicly proclaim a winner (albeit after he left the town, although presumably he would like to return one day) — well, it takes some nerve. His social media tally came up with two finalists: the local mini-chain Al’s, and Johnnie’s of Elmwood Park. Alton sat blindfolded before the two sandwiches and went back and forth with hearty bites from each. Continue reading

A 92-year tradition is coming to an end this September in Omaha.

Omaha’s Bohemian Cafe Closing

May 11, 2016 / / 2 Comments

We really hate to hear of a longtime restaurant classic closing its doors but we’ve long since learned that the only constant in life, especially restaurant life, is change. Which makes the 92-year run of Bohemian Cafe in Omaha, NE all the more extraordinary. That run will come to an end on September 24th, as an aging chef and staff, slowing business, and competition have combined to bring owner Terry Kapoun to his reluctant decision. Mr. Kapoun leaves open the possibility of a sale between now and September but it doesn’t sound promising. We’ll miss the kindly wait staff in old-world outfits as much as the liver dumpling soup and Czech-style sauerbraten.

Listen to the Bohemian Cafe song here.

That's no lie!

Aunt Lucy of Kingston ON Shuttered After 69 Years

May 10, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The long-time bastion of “normal food” in Kingston, Ontario, Aunt Lucy’s Dinner House, closed yesterday after 69 years of serving “time-tested recipes for that familiar taste of home.” In 1947, when the restaurant opened its doors for the first time, there really was an Aunt Lucy: Lucy Harper was the head cook and baker. The most recent owner, Bob Clark, purchased the restaurant in 2002. Mr. Clark passed away earlier this year. His nephew announced that the closing clears “the way for development of a new vision and future business opportunities,” in accordance with his uncle’s wishes. We are sorry to see Aunt Lucy go. See the LAF review of Aunt Lucy’s Dinner House.

We like to split an embarrassingly large lobster during our first visit each spring to Abbott's. This one was, yikes, 6 pounds!

?It’s the Most♪Wonderful Time♫Of the Year!

May 9, 2016 / / 0 Comments

No, not THAT time of the year — we’re talking about opening day at Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, in Noank CT. Hot steamers, clear chowder, hot lobster rolls and, best of all, steamed lobsters dunked in melted butter, enjoyed in the bright sunshine at a picnic table by the water, with a six-pack of cold microbrew from Universal Package Store up the street — it all began this past Friday. For those of us who do not live near the lobster shacks along the coast of Maine, Abbott’s is the best way we know of to usher in the spring and summer days. Here’s a look at this year’s opening day:

East Tennessee’s Dixie Barbeque Has Closed

May 7, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We’re certainly behind the curve on this news — the great Dixie Barbeque of Johnson City, Tennessee is closed permanently, and has been closed since the first of the year. Alan Howell simply decided to retire. It was no surprise – folks knew that December would be their final shot at his famous pulled pork and filled the place in record numbers all month. Today, there’s a “for sale” sign on the shuttered building. Mark Rutledge, writing for North Carolina’s Daily Reflector, mourns Dixie’s absence from his life: “Barbecue is not my religion, but if it were, Alan Howell . . . would be my preacher.”

An assortment of Franklin Barbecue's (of Austin) finest, newly profiled in Robb Walsh's just-revised Legends of Texas Barbecue

Legends of Texas Barbecue

May 6, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Published in 2002, Robb Walsh’s Legends of Texas Barbecue, Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses is nominally a cook book but in reality a tour through the varied world of Texas barbecue. For those who view the story of Texas Q as the story of smoked brisket and beef sausage, the book is an eye-opener, revealing the Lone Star State’s wide-ranging smoked meat traditions. Mr. Walsh has just released a revised edition of his book (with a slightly revised title: Pit Bosses has been changed to the slightly more egalitarian Pitmasters). Continue reading

Burt Katz, Giant of Chicago Pizza World, Dead at 78

May 5, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Burt Katz, one of the key players of the Chicago pizza scene for decades, passed away Saturday at the age of 78. He specialized in Chicago’s famed deep-dish pizza, which he preferred to call pan pizza. His pies were not quite as deep as a standard Chicago pizza, and they also featured a personal trademark that has become a local favorite: his caramelized crust, in which the outer rim of the pie is crusted over with almost-blackened chewy and crisp cheese. Continue reading

Prince's Hot Chicken is Nashville's original fiery chicken purveyor.

A Punishment and a Joy

April 28, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Andre Prince, owner of Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack of Nashville, TN, says eating Nashville hot chicken “is a punishment and a joy.” She knows that as well as anyone, as it was the philandering ways of Andre’s uncle Thornton that is responsible for the creation of the dish. The rapscallion’s wife punished him one day by loading his fried chicken with cayenne pepper. Unfortunately for her, the pain turned to pleasure, so much so, in fact, that uncle Thornton opened the chicken shack and began selling the stuff to the public! Continue reading

An overflowing fried shrimp po-boy from Parkway Bakery of New Orleans, currently leading the polling for best po-boy shop of Louisiana

Vote for the Best Ice Cream Parlor, Lobster Roll, Cuban Sandwich, …

April 27, 2016 / / 0 Comments

USA Today’s 10Best has got a mess o’ polls going on right now, many focused on regional food specialties across America. In each category, a team of experts has selected 20 candidates, and it’s up to you to choose the winner. For instance, in the category of Best Po’ Boy in Louisiana, one of our favorite spots, Parkway Bakery and Tavern in New Orleans, is currently leading the vote tally, which will continue to accumulate until May 9th. Continue reading

As far as we're concerned, Louie Mueller's smoked brisket is the Lone Star State's, and therefore America's, finest.

Meat, Smoke, and Time: America’s Best BBQ

April 26, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Where can you find the best barbecue in America? Leaving aside, for the moment, the silliness of seeking a single best barbecue joint, the answer to that question is a very personal one. Our favorite spots may not be your favorites. Do you like ribs, pulled pork, smoked brisket? Do you prefer a lot of smoke, or a subtle hit? Do you like it spicy or do you prefer to taste mostly meat? Do you want the meat to fall apart at the slightest prodding or do you think barbecue should retain an honest chew? Is sauce the most important factor to you? Continue reading

Wrap a Jim's cheesesteak in a slice of Lorenzo's pizza and you've got yourself a Philly Taco!

First Annual Philly Taco Challenge – Not What You Think!

April 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

This is not a Philadelphia eating contest to see who can eat the most tacos. That wouldn’t even make any sense in The City of Brotherly Love. No, the contest is as follows: who can eat a single Philly Taco the fastest? What’s a Philly Taco? You begin with a cheesesteak from Jim’s Steaks on South Street. Carry it down the street to Lorenzo’s Pizza, where you order one of their giant, pliable slices. Then you roll the cheesesteak in the pizza slice and begin eating! Obviously, this is not a dish born of straight and sober minds. Continue reading

A vegetarian sandwich to please the most dedicated carnivore: the Uncle Mike is filled with garlicky broccoli rabe and spinach, peppers, onions, and marinara. If you are not a vegan, we highly recommend adding sharp provolone. Spectacular!

Tony Luke’s Expanding Down East Coast

April 24, 2016 / / 6 Comments

Gotta admit, when we first started making regular visits to Tony Luke’s in South Philly in the early ’90s, we never imagined it would ever expand to a second Philadelphia outlet much less become franchised up and down the east coast. The roast pork Italian and Uncle Mike sandwiches had us thoroughly seduced, as did the very scruffy, bare-bones location, alongside a barbed wire encircled “parking area” beneath rumbling Interstate 95 next door. Continue reading

Homemade coffee bean ice cream as served in Santa Fe's Santacafe: dressed with piñon crisp and cajeta

Much More Than Chile in Santa Fe

April 23, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Sure, the you’ll find a blue corn this and roasted poblano that. The ubiquitous green chile cheeseburger (a good one!) can be enjoyed as well. A bit of red chile may even find its way into the occasional sauce or marinade. Just the same, the upscale 33-year-old Santacafé, in Santa Fé, NM, offers so much more than Southwest regional specialties – the menu probably sports as many Asian touches as Southwestern. If you’re visiting The City Different and plan to subsist on more than adovada and green chile (not that there’s anything wrong with that approach!), and don’t mind dressing a little, Santacafé may be just what you’re looking for. Read more about Santacafé in yesterday’s Albuquerque Journal review.

First Gentleman Candidate Pops into Pepe’s of New Haven

April 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The Clintons are pushing hard for the food savvy vote. Earlier this week, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton joined Stephen Colbert for a meal at New York’s famed Carnegie Deli. Yesterday, her husband and possible future First Gentleman, Bill, showed up at the home of the best pizza on earth, Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana, in New Haven, CT, the city where he and Hillary first met. He shook hands and gabbed, and even got close enough to some Pepe’s pies to appreciate their alluring scent. His current ascetic eating plan, however, apparently wouldn’t allow him to dine, as he departed without a bite. While we admire the former president’s willpower, surely a slice of founder Frank Pepe’s favorite pie, topped with tomatoes but no cheese, would have fit into his vegan diet!

Harold's Famous In-Between Triple Decker: those are potato pancakes between the layers of corned beef and pastrami.

Beef & Garlic, Spice & Smoke

April 21, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We’ve long maintained that Harold’s New York Deli in Edison, NJ serves New York’s most consistently delicious pastrami. In the latest issue of Saveur, Laura Hoffman takes a closer look at the famed Jersey deli, and its owner Harold Jaffe. What strikes first-time visitors immediately are the comically large portions. What surprises most of those fressers is how the quality surpasses the size. The great pastrami is made and smoked in-house, the matzo balls are as light as they are enormous, and even the coleslaw is top-notch. Continue reading

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