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Category: News (Page 8 of 25)

Tending the shoulders at Lexington Barbecue

Top 10: NC BBQ

August 1, 2015 / / 1 Comment

It seems to us that there’s more passion and disagreement over the subject of which barbecue joints reign supreme in the Carolinas than in any other barbecue-rich region of the country. Most everyone agrees on the identity of the major players in, say, Texas Hill Country and Memphis, but opinions range widely in the Tar Heel State. Which makes every media look at North Carolina Q more than a review of the usual suspects. Check out this story covering ten choice BBQ spots in North Carolina and see if you agree.

Daphne's Omelette: roasted peppers, sausage, mushrooms, spinach, cheese. Grits are always available to sub for home fries.

New Jersey Isn’t Boring! And Neither Is Daphne’s Diner

July 27, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Gotta agree with the name of the blog: New Jersey Isn’t Boring! (exclamation point theirs). They paid a visit to our local favorite Daphne’s Diner in Robbinsville and proclaimed it “a great diner experience with excellent food.” We always take houseguests to Daphne’s for breakfast (Cap’n Crunch French toast, anyone?). It seems dinner can, as well, be recommended. Have a look.

We love the little Texas wieners served at Scranton, PA's Coney Island Lunch, chosen as the 22nd best hot dog in the U.S.

Top 75 American Hot Dogs

July 19, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Fortunes are made on ground beef patties, but squirt the meat into a casing and you’re talking about one of the true mom-and-pop-dominated small businesses in the country. People love hot dogs from sea to shining sea but their regional tastes vary too much for an entrepreneur to hit the jackpot with a national frank. One happy result — no two hot dog joints are exactly alike, making for endless possibilities for tube steak lovers. Continue reading

Graeter's famous black raspberry chocolate chip is their best selling flavor.

An Interview with Richard Graeter of Graeter’s Ice Cream

July 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Richard Graeter, fourth generation owner of Graeter’s Ice Cream of Ohio, was recently interviewed by gothamist. He discusses their unique French pot, small batch method of producing their ice cream. They also get into Graeter’s NYC presence. Pints are available in Manhattan grocery stores, and they receive more mail orders from New York City than from any other place in the country, but… there are no plans to open a scoop shop on NYC streets in the near future. Richard sees that as a potential project for the next generation of Graeters.

Mustard, onions, chili, slaw - the classic Nu-Way configuration

The Story of Macon GA’s Nu-Way Weiners

July 11, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Sidney’s Salons is a series of talks and walking tours related to the history of Macon, Georgia. On July 14th, they will host Ed Grisamore, author of There Is More Than One Way to Spell Wiener: The Story of Nu-Way at the Sidney Lanier Cottage House Museum. Reception is at 5:30 p.m. and the talk is from 6 until 7 p.m. Nu-Way weiners will be served! For more information, see the Historic Macon website.

Is Shake Shack coming to the future home of the Atlanta Braves?

Shake Shack Colonizes NL East

July 10, 2015 / / 0 Comments

It began in 2009 with Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. When the stadium opened, Shake Shack was there, and it instantly became a huge hit. In 2011, Shake Shack traveled down I-95 to Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. where, despite its New York origins, the Shackburger and Nats fans have become fast friends. Latest word is that, when the Atlanta Braves open in the new SunTrust Park in 2017, Shake Shack will be there for the first pitch. At least, that’s what they’re hoping for, as the two parties are still in negotiations. All that’s left in the National League East would be Philadelphia and Miami. There are already Shake Shacks in both cities but our money is on Marlins Park, as Citizens Bank Park just added Wayback Burgers this year.

The Special Relationship Between Bill Cosby and Ben’s Chili Bowl

July 9, 2015 / / 0 Comments

As controversy and scandal continues to swirl around Bill Cosby, organizations and groups have been rushing to sever their ties to the entertainer — Disney is the latest example, as they recently removed a Cosby statue from their Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando. Yet Ben’s Chili Bowl of Washington, D.C. has not turned their back on Bill Cosby and appear unlikely to do so. Why is that? Tim Carman has written an interesting story on that subject, exploring the relationship between the two that goes much deeper than business. There are issues of family, loyalty, and morality at play, and the Ali family, longtime owners of Ben’s, has never shown an inclination to put their restaurant ahead of their sense of right and wrong. Read the full story here.

Ribs from Tennessee's Germantown Commissary

Banana Pudding Love

July 8, 2015 / / 0 Comments

We know Germantown Commissary, in the Memphis suburb of Germantown, as the site of classic Memphis barbecue — we’ve even mail-ordered first-rate Q from them — but if you’re dining in, you may want to avail yourself of the dessert menu. Michelle Lewis, writing for the alternative weekly Memphis Flyer, expresses her love for the Commissary’s homemade banana pudding, adding a little additional praise for their entire dessert menu. Read it all here.

One of Graeter's most popular seasonal flavors: peach

Graeter’s Now Open in Oxford OH

July 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The Oxford, Ohio Graeter’s ice cream shop that, last we heard, was slated for a May 2015 opening finally opened its doors to the town at 1 p.m. yesterday. Their address is 29 West High Street.The owners say business at the store, which specializes in handcrafted French pot ice cream, was very good on opening day and about as expected. An official grand opening has not yet been announced.

A basket of Evelyn's clam cakes, here seen without its constant companion, Rhode Island clam chowder

Rhode Island Clam Cakes and Chow Mein Sandwiches

July 6, 2015 / / 11 Comments

It’s the smallest state in the union, by area, yet Rhode Island provides the culinarily curious with a surprisingly extensive selection of local cuisine. Much of it can be sampled at Evelyn’s Drive-In, a summer-only shack on the water in Tiverton. You’ll find The Ocean State’s unique and fabulous clear-broth clam chowder, and those fried balls of clam-spiked dough that go so well with the chowder, clam cakes. Stuffies, lobster rolls, fried belly clams, Grape Nut pudding, and frappes are also on Evelyn’s menu (as well as the notorious chow mein sandwich). Read more about Evelyn’s in this profile in The Boston Globe.

Make us a great banana pudding, like the one from Hoover's, and we'll love you forever!

Hoover’s Cooking of Austin Wins Award!

July 5, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Chef and owner Hoover Alexander and General Manager Alvin “Skip” Walker of Austin’s crowd-pleasing Hoover’s Cooking were named Outstanding Restaurateurs of 2015 by the Greater Austin Chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association. Said Hoover, “I am just a working man, and am so humbled and honored to be chosen for this by my peers who best understand the sweat, sleepless nights, sacrifices and hard work that goes into our business.” Congrats to Mr. Alexander and Mr. Walker!

From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam ...

A Judge’s Eye View of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

July 4, 2015 / / 0 Comments

“The hot-dog contest is a physical manifestation of the concept of freedom.” Those are the words of George Shea, the man behind the annual 4th of July Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York. Have you ever heard a bigger pile of horseshit in your life? (Well, election season is upon us, so sure you have, but you get the point.) We love the spirit nonetheless! Ken Hoffman, who has been a judge at the contest for 10 years, takes a backstage look at this Independence Day tradition, from the highs (free dogs and fries for judges) to the lows (getting splashed when a contestant experiences what is euphemistically referred to as “reversal of fortune”). Celebrate America and have a read.

A quintet of only-in-Rhode-Island pups from Olneyville New York System of Providence

Not Grilling? Head out for the Best Dogs and Burgers

July 3, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Not everyone will be grilling this holiday weekend, but most everyone will still want to partake in the 4th of July tradition of burgers and dogs. Larry Olmsted, writing for USA Today, surveys his favorite spots in America to consume beef and pork in disc and tube form, from the site of the annual Independence Day hot dog eating contest, Nathan’s of Coney Island, NYC (though we quibble with his description of Nathan’s dogs as “better-than-average but not-quite-great.” If you get a Nathan’s frank in natural casing — the casing’s important —  you are enjoying one of the world’s greatest dogs) to Santa Fe Bite‘s (yes, in Santa Fe, NM) truly superlative green chile cheeseburger. Have a look.

Chicago Beer Withdrawn from Trump Purchased by Gino’s East to Benefit Latino Center

July 1, 2015 / / 0 Comments

5 Rabbit Cerveceria, the first Latin microbrewery in the U.S., located in a Chicago suburb, brewed an exclusive beer for Rebar, a Trump Hotel Chicago bar. That is, until Donald Trump opened his mouth. 5 Rabbit severed their ties to Rebar, which left them with a load of kegs of Rebar beer. In swooped Gino’s East, who will purchase those kegs, sell the beer at Gino’s East restaurants, and donate the proceeds from sale of the beer to Chicago’s International Latino Cultural Center. No word yet on whether Gino’s will continue to use the founder’s new name for the beer, Chinga tu Pelo. Silver linings and karma in action!

Timothy’s of Bridgeport CT Named Best Ice Cream

June 29, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

The sandwich is unwieldy. The delicate fillets are fresh.

New Sandusky Fish Company Wins Award!

June 28, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

Is it your birthday? The Big Texan offers a free prime rib or chicken-fried steak dinner!

TX Panhandle Kitsch

June 27, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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.

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

Ben’s Chili Bowl Expanding in DC July 8th

June 26, 2015 / / 0 Comments

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!

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