Savannah Bound-- Part 22: Julie's Old House and a Low Country Boil

We then drove over to the house Julie lived in with her kids and ex-husband in Richmond Hills.  She lived within a few miles of Fort McAllister but only went there a very few times.  She is not much of a history buff.  It was sitting vacant when an upstairs pipe broke and flooded the whole place and led to a lot of damage, but the new owners are rebuilding it.

The traffic on I-95 was horrible coming back.

We had a Low Country Boil for dinner from a local place, Wood's Seafood.  If you're ever in Georgia or South Carolina and have the opportunity to have one of these, go for it.  It consists of sea food, sausage,  potatoes and corn on the cob.  Good eating.

And, a great price.  It is more than you can eat at one meal so leftovers and costs just $11.

Good Eating in the Neighborhood.  --RoadLowCountry

Savannah Bound-- Part 5: Where's My Gate, Cell Phones

April 3

I am on Concourse D and had seen at Gate 49.  It was at the end of a long hallway which then split and went in two directions.  I looked at a sign which told which gates were where.  But, no Gate 49.  One direction said Gates 36 to 48 and the other sign said Gates 51 to 58.  Walked around a bit, but didn't find any Gate 49.  Looked at my ticket again.

Oh, Gate 47.  I now knew where my gate was.

I had worked up a hunger and since there is very little food on the planes anymore, I went to a place and bought a $7 giant bagel with cream cheese.  Very filling.

I found out that my flight had been delayed 44 minutes.  No problem with my connection however.  Still had plenty of time in Atlanta to get tom my next gate.  Pretty much all Delta flights go through Atlanta.

So, I missed reading my book that I had somehow misplaced and sat at the gate watching people.  Everyone was on their cell phones.  But one guy was on a smart phone, but put it away and pulled out a book to read.  Whoa!!  What's this?  Then I saw he was charging his cell phone but evidently had a backup plan.

More and more people showed up and soon they announced that there was going to be a problem with carry on storage and they would check your carryon through to your destination with no charge.  I volunteered my piece.  However, my glasses were in it and I found that to be a problem when I got to Atlanta.  Everyone had carryon luggage.

--Still in the Airport.  --RoadDog

Just Looking for Some CB&C

Well, it's coming up on St. Patrick's Day again.  That means I am looking for some of that good old corned beef & cabbage CB&C).  I love that stuff.  I wish it would be available in places throughout the year, not just now.  I don't care about health questions, I just love it like good ol' Eastern Carolina BBQ (well, any sort of bbq).

And, as we start the final countdown to St. Patrick's Day (on a Sunday this year 9 days from now), I have two places pegged for some CB&C.  Next Saturday at the VFW in Lake Villa, Illinois, after the annual parade, next Sunday at the American Legion in Fox Lake and the following Thursday at the Fox Lake senior luncheon.

Looking for some places this weekend and maybe even some St. Patrick's parties.

--Road-O'Dog

Fried Chicken Po' Boy at Merichka's

Okay, here's one that I don't think is right on Route 66, but close to it.  And, here the fried chicken comes in a po' boy.

MERICHKA'S 604 Theodore Street, Crest Hill, Illinois.

In Crest Hill, near Joliet and a very popular local site.  They have been in business since 1933 and are known for their po' boys which also are made with chicken.  They are family-owned-and-operated and take great pride in using Chicago USDA and quality hand-cut meats, from the famed chicken to the freshly hand ground hamburger.

Merichka's is incredibly authentic and has an interior of the quintessential supper club, boasting dark rich paneling, red-checkered tablecloths and a generously-sized bar where you can order a libation or two before your meal.

Menu items include great steak and chops, as well as an extensive seafood selection.  And, then there is the fan-favorite Garlic Butterine that can be added to just about every item on the menu, enhancing the flavor of nearly any classic dish.

A 6 ounce Poor boy steak costs $13.95 and 6 ounce poor boy chicken $12.55.

Stop in and try some exciting fried chicken at this icon of Old Route 66.  They also have a neat old sign.

--RoadChicken

Fried Chicken at White Fence Farm on Route 66 in Illinois-- Part 1

WHITE FENCE FARM

1376 Joliet Road, Romeoville

When you see the giant water tower with the letters "WWF" on it, you'll know you're at one of the earliest and most famous dining establishments along Route 66.  They are celebrating their 65th year in business and is an actual farm.

They have been serving up, as they brag, "The World's Greatest Chicken" to several generations of hungry travelers.  Fried chicken fans from all over the country are drawn by their twice cooked process, which involves baking and then frying the chicken to produce that distinctly thin yet crispy crust.

In keeping with the  authentic  farm theme, every meal comes with a selection of sides that have become as famous as the chicken:  cole slaw, cottage cheese, bean salad, pickled beets and mashed, baked or French-fried potatoes.

--RoadChicken

Eatin' Famous Fried Chicken on 66 in Illinois

From the Feb. 15, 2024, Northwest Herald "Famous Fried Chicken temps along Route 66" by Ryan Searl.

"Want a taste of real Americana on your Route 66 road trip?  This trio of fan-favorite dried chicken restaurants are must-stop destinations for foodies looking for a hot home-style meal.  

"As you travel along the Mother Road, you'll encounter some of the Midwest's most iconic eateries specializing in fried chicken, some of which have been serving up delicious golden-battered goodness for more that a half century.

"Be sure to start your journey hungry, you'll want to sample the food at each one of these time-tested locations."

Actually, it would be quite difficult to eat at each one as these three are all located near each other.  Liz and I ate at the first two places.

Wonder what their names are?  I'll be writing about them this week.

Greasy Fingers.  --Roadcheep

Regional Foods That Should Be in Military MREs-- Part 2: Musabi, Pepperoni Rolls and Cincinnati Chili

5.  Hawaiian Spam Musubi--  Regardless of what you think about SPAM, in Hawaii, its the bomb.  Musubi is fried or grilled SPAM on a bed of rice held together by  nori seaweed.

6.  Low Country Shrimp and Grits (South)

7.  West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls

8.  New Mexico Green Chili Stew

9.  Upstate New York's Utica Greens--  Any kind of leafy green sauteed in chicken broth and mixed with other items.

10.  Alaskan Akutiq--  Sometimes known as Alaskan ice cream

11.  Cincinnati Chili

I'd Like to Try Them All.  --RoadFood

Regional Foods That Should be in MREs-- Part 1: Crab Cakes and Biscuits & Gravy

From the April 21, 2022, We Are the Mighty  "11 regional foods we'd like to see in MREs" by Blake Stilwel.

He sure did a great job picking these.  I'd like to have them in anything, not just Meals Ready to Eat.

I did not recognize some of them and will tell what they are.  The ones I know, I just listed.

1.  A better Buffalo Wing.

2.  Baltimore Crab Cakes

3.  Southern-style biscuits and gravy

4.  South Dakota Chislic--  Grilled or fried chunks of meat, usually game or lamb, but can be beef.  Topped with seasoned salt or garlic salt and eaten with toothpicks.  And, don't forget the saltines.

--RoadDog

When & Where Was That Popular Eating Place Founded?-- Part 3: McDonald's, Pizza Hut & Red Lobster

13.  KFC--  Kentucky Fried Chicken--  Colonel Harland David Sanders was a real guy who opened his first chicken restaurant in North Corbin, Kentucky, in 1930.   More than 24,000 locations world wide.  I would have loved to be there when the Colonel met our Route 66's Ernie Edwards at the Pig Hip in Broadwell, Illinois, to watch them try to do business.

14.  McDONALD'S--  The original McDonald was opened by brothers Richard and Maurice in San Bernardino, California, in 1940.  They had nine restaurants before Ray Kroc got involved.  Ray Kroc's first McDonald's opened in Des Plaines, Illinois.

15.  OLIVE GARDEN--  Launched in 1982 by the restaurant division of General Mills.  Nearly 900 locations globally.

16.  PIZZA HUT--  Opened 1958 in Wichita, Kansas.  Company sold to PepsiCo in 1977 for $300 million.

17.  RED LOBSTER--  1968, Lakeland, Florida.  Some 700 locations worldwide.

18.  SONIC-- Oklahoma in 1953.  First franchise location in 1956.

--RoadGarden

Two of the Oldest National State Fast-Food Sites on Route 66. Guess What They Are?

I was looking at a list of the oldest fast food places in every state.  Interesting list.

But, two of them are on Route 66.  Can you guess which two?

I'll give the answers next post.

Dem Dogs and Cream.  --RoadFood

Goetta's Got It Going in Cincinnati-- Part 9: It's a Goetta and Cincy Thing You Know

And, I owe a lot to buddy Denny for acquainting me with some neat food and places in Cincinnati.

FINDING JOY IN CINCINNATI

Cincinnati is well-represented in one of the country's most popular cookbooks, "Joy of Cooking," whose ninth edition hit the bookshelves on Nov. 12.  That's no coincidence:  Marion Becker, daughter of original "Joy" author Irma Rombauer, had a home near the city and added regional favorites to cookbook editions after her mother's death.

Those additions include Becker's recipe for goetta.

Co-author John Becker, grandson of Marion, says he wasn't raised on goetta in Cincinnati:  "My father (Ethan Becker) kept his cereals and breakfast meats separate -- usually in the form of halved, pan-fried sausage links and fried cornmeal mush.

These days, John Becker lives in Oregon but still has his Cincy favorites, like chili from Empress and Skyline, as well as ribs and thick chips from Montgomery Inn and "the impeccably roasted chicken" at Floyd's, which serves Lebanese food near the University of Cincinnati.

Other Ohio favorites in "Joy" include buckeye candy, Cincinnati chili Cockaigne, Cincinnati-style cheese Coney hot dog, Ohio farmhouse sausage chili and Ohio Shaker lemon pie.

Ya Goetta Believe.

Makes Me "Hongry" for a Cincinnati Eatin' Trip.  --RoadHog

Goetta's Got It Going in Cincinnati-- Part 8: And Then There's Glier's Goettafeast

The midsummer Glier's Goettafest began as a one day party in 2001 and has since expanded to eight days of goetta, beer, music and T-shirts emblazoned with slogans like "Goetta Grip" or "Goetta Life."  Goetta is sold in mac and cheese, omelets, nachos and fried rice.  Sliced goetta is fried for sliders, kabobs and glazed doughnuts.  Quesadillas, tacos and calzones are filled with the festival's namesake product.

"When people make this at home, and some still do," Glier says, "it's usually part of a meal at grandma's for Christmas."

This year, Glier's Goettafest runs for two weekend:  July 28-31 and August 4-7 at Newport, Kentucky's Festival Park, right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.

There will be entertainment all eight days, including one band I found to have quite the interesting name:  Right Turn Clyde.

Sounds Like a Hootta.  --RoadEtta

Goetta's Got It Going in Cincinnati-- Part 7: NOT Scrapple and Perhaps an Acquired Taste.

"We use the same premium meats for goetta," says Queen City Sausage marketing director Mark Balasa.  "Ours are not made with meat scraps" and onion is added to deepen flavor.  The company sells 5-pound bricks to pre-sliced packs of goetta.

"They look like hockey pucks," quips founder Elmer Hensler.

Goetta production has tripled in 10 years.

AND, DON'T call it scrapple because "that's mushier" and made with cornmeal, says Glier of Glier's Meats.  he considers it more like a hardy oatmeal than sausage.  Goetta usually stays softer inside than meatloaf, so it breaks apart more easily when sliced or fried.

The ratio of pork to beef matters.  So do the seasonings and choice of steel cut or pinhead oats as the binder.  The mixture simmers for several hours, until the oats balloon and soak in the flavor of the meaty broth.  

An acquired taste?  Maybe?

Well, I had some goetta at the suggestion of buddy Denny once in Cincinnati at a neat little breakfast joint, and I liked it right away.  No acquired taste for me.

Hell, I Wanted Seconds.  Gotta Goetta My Goetta.  --RoadGoetta

Goetta's Got It Going in Cincinnati-- Part 5: It's All About Tradition

A mile north at Findlay Market, midday entrees at French Crust Cafe & Bistro include a flaky pastry with a sauteed veggie relish, poached egg, hollandaise sauce and goetta.  The restaurant is operated by chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, who also brought five-star dining to Cincinnati.  (Who needs five-star dining when you have Cincy Chili!!!)

Eckerlin Meats, a block away sell goetta by the loaf and pound, or sliced and grilled on egg-and-cheese sandwiches.  Eckerland sells 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of goetta weekly.  It's made with only pork shoulder and beef chuck, meaning it's "leaner, higher in fiber and less sloppy," says Josh Lillis, one of several family members working at the butcher shop that's over 150 years old,  The seasoning blend, although proprietary, "is nothing crazy or super unique."

"Goetta used to be made out of necessity,"  Lillis notes.  "Feeding a family meant using an animal from head to toe."

Lollis saus that Cincinnatians care deeply about goetta, especially the West Side neighborhoods that stick to tradition.

"They talk about whether it's too meaty, has too much oats or doesn't flip properly," Lillis says.

--RoadGoetta

Goetta's Got It Going in Cincinnati-- Part 4: How Many Ways?

Chefs across the city have embraced goetta as a local product and some are taking culinary risks with it, spicing it up with jalapeno and cayenne.

For the city's famed Oktoberfest (there is a lot of German heritage there), Bisken Bakery made glazed doughnuts filled with cinnamon crunch ice cream and goetta.  Another vendor called "Hey Hey" sold goetta sauerkraut balls.  (Now that sounds real good.)

Taste of Belgium at the Banks, known for its waffles and crepes, serves the slightly sweet Naticrape, filled with a fried egg, goetta, havarti cheese, roasted peppers and onions.

The Netherland eggs Benedict combines goetta, roasted tomatoes and a bernaise aioli on an English muffin at the Grille at Palm Court, inside Cincinnati's downtown Hilton, where executive chef George Zappas makes his own goetta -- a recipe developed while working as the hotel's butcher.

--Roadetta

Along66, Sept. 2021: Big Eatin' at the Big Texan

SEPTEMBER 16

Big Eatin' at the Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas.  This venerable place recently marked its 10,000th 72-ounce Steak Challenge.

The steak dinner was eaten on September 1st by John Lamons.  He finished it with just seconds to spare before the 60 minute limit expired.

This meal comes with the 72-ounce steak, salad, roll, shrimp cocktail & baked potato.  If you do not succeed, it will cost you $72.  Ouch!!

This challenge started in November 1960.

He was not the record-holder however.  It is held by 128-pound Molly Schuyler who ate a meal in twenty minutes.   NO, WAIT!!!!!!!  She ate THREE MEALS in twenty minutes.

She CONSUMED/Inhaled her first meal in 4 minutes and 18 seconds, also a record.

She is a competitive eater.

This is on You Tube.  Not for the faint of heart.  

Just Keep Your Hands and feet Away from  Her Mouth and You'll Be Okay.  --RoadDog

Thanksgiving with the V.

Stayed home for Thanksgiving this year.

While my mom was alive and after Dad died, I used to drive 1100 miles every Thanksgiving to spend time with her and family in North Carolina, but since she's been gone (in 2016) I just stay here in  Illinois.  Most Thanksgivings, we go over to McHenry and have T-giving dinner at the Grand Buffet, a Chinese place.  Love that selection and food.  

After that, we go to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg and talk with friends while watching some NFL football.

Yesterday, we just stayed home, but had a ham dinner with apple sauce, pineapples, green beans and Hawaiian rolls.  Not bad in these virus times.

Originally we had planned to be in Georgia where my sister had a dinner for family in Savannah.  Things must be much better in the south with the virus, because her two lids and their families were there (from Tifton, Georgia and Bluffton, South Carolina which are nearby) as were my brother and girlfriend from Goldsboro, North Carolina and nephews family from Nashville, Tennessee.

Maybe Next Year, hopefully.

--RoadDog

Eating Those American Pies (Pizza That Is)-- Part 2: California and New York Pizza

CALIFORNIA

CRUST:  Hand-tossed thin or cauliflower crust (figures)

CHEESE:  Mozzarella but also Monterey Jack and Romano.

TOPPING:  Farmers market veggies or combos such as barbecue sauce and chicken.  (Eating a healthy pizza?)

COOKING METHOD:  Baked in an open-hearth oven.

HOW TO EAT:  No utensils needed.

******************************************

NEW YORK CITY

CRUST:  Hand-tossed thin, chewy, foldable.

CHEESE:  Low-moisture shredded mozzarella.

TOPPING:  Classic has cheese only.

COOKING METHOD:  Baked in a gas deck oven.

HOW TO EAT:  From a white paper plate, using "fold-and-hold" technique.

I generally favor Chicago-style, but like BBQ, I've never met a pizza I didn't like.  

There is also a Quad City Style-pizza (Iowa and Illinois along the Mississippi River).  Click the label below to read about it.

--RoadPizza

About Those Resin Tables for Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg-- Part 1: The Old End-Of-The-Year Parties

As I said in the last post, since Illinois outside of Chicago, reopened its restaurants and bars yesterday for outside dining and drinking, I had told the owner of Sunnyside last Sunday that I had a couple resin tables I was no longer using and that she could have them if she wanted.

She did, so a couple days ago I went into the spare garage bay (we have four bays) looking for those tables.

Now, let me tell you, we used to use those tables at our end-of-the-school-year parties back when we were teaching.  We'd have teachers from both Liz's school, Ellis Elementary and mine, Magee Middle School, as well as other folks we knew come.

These were really big parties with as many as 100-140 people over the course of an afternoon and evening.  We'd go through as many as three kegs of beer, a pig roast and deep-fried turkeys.  We needed the table space.

But, we have not had an end-of-the-school-year party since 2006,that's 14 years.  And, I haven't cleaned out the garage since then (well, considerably before that either).  And, I tend to gather things and not get rid of things, so you might just get an idea of what I encountered.  Oh, yes, and did I say I tend to clutter.

What Did I See?  --RoadMyGosh

Where to Eat in Cincinnati, Well, You Say Cincinnati, I Say CHILI!!

From the March 22, 2020, Chicago Tribune  by Patti Nickell.

She says she has to get her Cincinnati fix at least once or twice a year.  She goes for the Queen City's cultural attractions and the for the food.

Cincinnati's culinary scene is influenced by several things, including German roots, regional produce and good beers.

She says chili doesn't come to mind for first time visitors, but those who know, know this is not so.  That is my first thought of eating in Cincinnati, thanks to buddy Denny.   He is the one who turned me on to this delicacy.  Something I seek out.  Cincy Chili.  Wow!!

Patti's first choice of chili is Camp Washington Chili.  This is where I got my first taste of Cincinnati chili as well when Denny took me there.  They offer other items, but those in there for the chili, order its 3-, 4- and 5-way chili.  And this is not a bowl of chili like you get most places outside of Cincinnati

Cincinnati chili is more like a thick sauce topping spaghetti, or, you can get it on a hot dog.

In case you're wondering:

3-way:  spaghetti, chili sauce and cheese (and they put lots and lots of finely grated cheese on these)

4-way:  spaghetti, chili sauce and your choice of beans or onions

5-way:  everything.

I usually get the 4-way with onions.

--RoadCincy