printersdevil78

Well, the largest hurricane in my lifetime is bearing right down on me. What better time to update the Roadfood thread? One of the tourist attractions I visited near Cincinnati (in Fairfield, OH) was not a restaurant, but it is food-related, so I think it fits nicely with this thread. Jungle Jim’s is that attraction, and it’s a grocery store… but what a grocery store! Complete with audio-animatronics; international food, beer and wine sections the size of some entire normal grocery stores; and some of the world’s most famous bathrooms (really), this place must be seen to be believed! If this isn’t exactly what you came here for, feel free to skip it… but you’ll be sorry! Is that the old Kings Island monorail? Why, yes, yes it is. It now beckons shoppers to Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield, OH. This is the monorail station, on the other side of the parking lot. I’m not sure whether the monorail still runs at times, but it wasn’t the day I visited. Just like at a theme park, it’s a good idea to remember which section you parked in! Or you can just remember where your car is in relation to the giant sea monster. Whichever. Gorillas and giant fruit? Yep, that about sums up Jungle Jim’s! Much like Disneyland, the store has its own elephant bathing pool. “Welcome foodies!” Gentlemen… start your carts! Vrooom! Jungle Jim’s grew from a roadside produce stand. The version that stood in 1974 has been incorporated into the store’s main entrance. After losing their coveted Kitchen Cabaret gig to Mr. Ham and Mr. Eggs, Corn and Butter hit the Midwest comedy circuit in hopes of making it big on the grocery circuit. It’s like something out of Andy Warhol’s nightmares! An Elvis lion? Why not? They sang “Blue Moon.” Robin Hood welcomes you to the store’s “Foods of England” section. So does Maid Marion… …and Little John (and others). They’re reportedly never seen an elephant fly. A true story about getting old: Occasionally, I’ll poke my stepdaughter in the stomach and say “hoo-hoo!” She has absolutely no idea what that refers to. Someone took a wrong turn and ended up on top of the deli case. No… horse. Cakey cake cake cake cake… cake! I was hoping Morgan Freeman would narrate my grocery list when I walked down this aisle. I was disappointed. “Ma’am… I don’t mean to be rude… but something smells like fish.” They’re hoping to catch flying fish. Rickshaw! It’s a fire truck. Because hot sauce is hot. Get it? Asiantown! It’s just like being at Universal Studios! Fun fact: You can take a guided tour of Jungle Jim’s. A three hour tour…. (No, really, they do offer guided tours.) My favorite part of the store is that the giant boat in the seafood section included characters from the short-lived 1970s Filmation cartoon “The New Adventures of Gilligan’s Island” and even shorter-lived “Gilligan’s Planet.” How random is that? "Skipper!" In fairness to Filmation, Jungle Jim’s seafood section also rips off a few King Features characters. Each country has its own “storefront” in Jungle Jim’s international section. Beat it! (The drum, that is.) Did I mention that the bases for the shelves in Jungle Jim’s candy section are retired bumper cars from Cincinnati’s Coney Island amusement park? This 776-pound cheese will age at Jungle Jim’s for a year, then sold to unsuspecting customers. See? The store includes a small theater, presented by Kraft, with a nicely produced documentary about its history. I watched about five minutes of it and probably would have bought it on DVD had it been offered, just for the randomness of it. This is where the store holds cooking classes. Jungle Jim’s also features its own barber shop! But let’s get to those famous bathrooms, shall we? These are them! They look like port-a-potties… but once you open them up, you find yourself in a short hallway that leads to bathrooms fancy enough to put Club 33’s to shame! Part of the display in front includes monitors featuring (real) TV shows and news reports around the country that have featured them. I have no idea if this is real… …but this is what it looks like. Up next: More from Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.

I collected some sports cards when I was younger, but my real passion for decades has been non-sports cards (TV, movies, comics, war, etc.). In fact, last weekend I attended the semi-annual Philly Non-Sports Card Show in Pennsylvania (which I've posted about in the past on TPR) and found a ton of great stuff. I do regret having not purchased a graded 1965 Topps "King Kong" test that was on sale there for $90. I looked it up, and it's worth around $130; the cheapest one I can find online right now is $175, and that one isn't graded and is in lesser condition than the one I could have had for $90. Oh well; I spent too much as it was. Sports-wise, my dad leads the pack in my family. His mother was somewhat OCD, so not only did she keep her entire house, including his room, spotless, but she made him keep all of his comic books, baseball cards, toys, etc., in perfect shape and, when applicable, in their original boxes. Then when he moved out she sealed off his room as a sort of shrine. Today he has all kinds of great cards--original Mickey Mantles, Ted Williams-es, etc., in near-mint condition or better. And he hasn't bought a single one since 1982 (which is when he got his Ripken rookie, pulled from a 35-cent pack of Donruss that I think he probably bought just so I could have the bubble gum). Autograph-wise, my favorite is my Hank Aaron ball (which I know is legit because I watched him sign it).

Now I want a "Better Than You" FastPass! Can that be part of the next Club TPR package?

I want to ride the Bubble Ride!

^Thanks! I have a couple of friends with connections in Cincinnati; one prefers Skyline and the other Gold Star. I made a point of trying both (the Gold Star photos are coming up soon) and thought Skyline was slightly less greasy, but both were good. Better than Camp Washington for my money, at least. I brought home a can of each to my parents, who opted not to pour them over spaghetti. My mom even went so far as to buy spaghetti, but just couldn't bring herself to take the "unnatural" action of combining the two.

^Funny you should mention Terry’s Turf Club; that’s where I ate dinner that night (it’s coming up soon in the TR). I also thought about going to Findlay Market, but ran out of time. I was a little worried about the Tucker’s neighborhood, but it didn’t seem as bad as some I’ve been in. That said, I did go out of my way to park near a construction site down the street where there were plenty of people around. I figured it was safe enough at 9 a.m., though you’re right; I wouldn’t have gone there at night.

Cool report! Completely agree about In-N-Out, and I’d love to try Farrell’s sometime. Thanks for posting.

After this year’s East Coast Bash, I took a drive out to Ohio to visit Kings Island, along with a few roadside attractions and some unique local cuisine. Enjoy! On the way to Cincinnati, I made some stops in Columbus, OH, to visit a couple places I missed during my brief stopover there to visit Jungle Jack’s Landing earlier in the summer. First up: the Hey Hey Bar and Grill. The reason: fried sauerkraut balls! Honestly, I have no idea why these aren’t sold nationwide. They’re awesome! Stuffed with sauerkraut, sausage and some other unhealthy stuff, they kind of have a tangy-fried taste like fried pickle… but better! The waitress made a big deal when she found out this was my first time trying them. If I’m ever I this area again, I plan to stop in for more. Not far away is Schmidt’s Sausage Haus und Restaurant. This place is a landmark eatery in Columbus. The inside was packed. I read online to expect a half-hour wait, minimum, but since I was dining alone, I got a seat right away. Buf-fay! Schmidt’s has a regular menu, though almost no one orders from it (at least not while I was there). Like the Hey Hey, Schmidt’s also sells sauerkraut balls, but I figured going to the Hey Hey would give me a chance to try multiple restaurants in the area. Plus I would have felt kind of funny saying, “Yes, I’ll have the all-you-can-eat buffet… and some extra stuff, too, just in case that doesn’t cut it.” Plate No. 1! Schmidt’s is known for its “Bahama Mama” hot link, which I thought was good, but not great. The real star here, as far as I’m concerned, was the sausage stew (in front), which more or less tasted like a bratwurst slow-cooked in onions to the point of nearly falling apart, smothered in molasses-based barbecue sauce. The gray slab of meatloaf (I think it may have been veal-based, accounting for its color) was surprisingly good, as well, for buffet meatloaf. Apparently, it’s almost unheard of to go to Schmidt’s and not get one of their famous creampuffs. Online reviews described them as “softball-sized,” though mine was closer to the circumference of a six-pound bowling ball! This is the peanut butter-chocolate fudge version. I basically finished maybe a third of it, then put the rest in the refrigerator at the hotel and finished off a few nights later. The next day at Kings Island, I stood in line for a loooong time (with only two people in front of me) to try one of Cincinnati’s signature dishes. Kings Island was a great park, and the ride operations were good… but the service at the shops and restaurants was probably the worst I’ve ever experienced at a park, so much so that I gave up on a couple of the purchases I was hoping to make and just walked out. But the beyond-abysmal service meant most other people just gave up after awhile, too, so there were plenty good seats for lunch with views like this! This was the view in front of me. With the first bite, I became a huge fan of Cincinnati-style chili! For the uninitiated, Cincinnati-style starts with a base of spaghetti, followed by a layer of chili—with fine crumbles of ground beef and a thin, non-spicy broth—and a layer of cheese (a combination called a “three way”). Onions (and in some places, beans) are optional. After lunch I stopped by the park’s Graeter’s for some ice cream. I waited for 10 minutes at the one cash register they bothered to open (I guess all five employees standing behind the counter took turns not understanding how to run it?) while the couple in line in front of me sent back multiple wrong orders. Then I spent five more minutes sending back the multiple wrong orders they tried to give me. Seriously, how hard is it to scoop ice cream into a cone? After finishing up some rides at Kings Island and several painful attempts at buying souvenirs—some successful, some unsuccessful—it was time for some legendarily quality service. I headed north to Dayton and its historic Pine Club steakhouse. It was so dark inside that the only way I could get this photo to come out was to convert it into black and white… and even then it’s grainy. The Pine Club was built in 1946 and hasn’t really changed since. Everything inside is still all leather and dark wood. This time, Internet reports of minimum 30-minute waits turned out to be accurate, so I waited in the bar for a half hour. I brought a book to read, but there wasn’t enough light to even make out the words on the page, so I spent that time watching the beginning of a Reds game on a TV in the corner. Eventually, I was seated and had some decent light thanks to a small lamp that shone on a painting above my booth. This was the bread basket, and it was all good! My favorite was the “salt sticks,” sort of a cross between a breadstick and a soft pretzel. And then came the main course! They were all out of medium prime rib, which I was hoping to get, but again, Web reviews warned that particular cut is not always available, so I came with a backup in mind and ordered the ribeye. The steak itself was good, as were the onion r.ings. The creamed spinach wasn’t very good, but still better than the stewed tomatoes I substituted them for, which I absolutely hate. The potatoes were Lyonnaise style, which isn’t found at most restaurants anymore. It’s basically a big plate of hash browns with a core of sweet onions in the center. I kind of wish I had opted for the plain hash browns instead, but these were OK. On the way back to my hotel in Mason, OH, I stopped by Bill’s Donut Shop in Centerville, OH. There were a lot of “no loitering,” etc., signs posted inside, so I didn’t feel overly comfortable taking pictures in there. It’s basically an old-fashioned doughnut shop in very plain building (so plain that I actually drove by it the first time and likely would not have found it without the aid of GPS). The sidewalks and parking lot were full of high school (maybe college) kids hanging out with nothing better to do at 10 p.m. on weeknight — when I came out, a couple of them were making out in front of my car. That said, I got much more of a “kids being kids” vibe than the “kids being homicidal maniacs” vibe I got in Athens, OH, earlier in the summer. The selection at Bill’s was tremendous, but I settled on these three. I ate the sour cream doughnut (right) on the way to the hotel. All three were good, but that was the best of the bunch. The apple cider (top) was dessert the next night and actually had an apple-spice flavor to it (not just cinnamon, which I’ve found with other cider doughnuts). The peanut (bottom) was breakfast my last morning in Mason, and it was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. The next morning, I started my day in Cincinnati at Tucker’s Restaurant. Tucker’s is a traditional neighborhood diner. But there’s a reason I chose this diner over many others. What time is it...? Goetta time! I had read that Tucker’s was one of the prime places in Cincinnati to get this city specialty (lesser known than Cincinnati chili). That’s it at the top of the plate. I’ve written about scrapple before in this thread. Well, goetta is kind of the same thing, only made with ground pig parts and oatmeal instead of ground pig parts and cornmeal. It was really good! After breakfast, I made my way to the new home of the American Sign Museum I Cincinnati. If I ever get around to creating my roadside attraction thread, I plan to dedicate a post to it. In the meantime, it seemed appropriate to includes some of its more iconic food-related holdings here. For those who have been living under a rock for the past few decades, this is Frisch’s Big Boy (not to be confused with Bob’s Big Boy, which is a different regional franchise of the same chain, with a different version of the mascot). This McDonald’s sign came from Alabama. I know some of the museum’s Howard Johnson signs came from Times Square. Not sure if this one did or not, but that would explain the graffiti on the bottom. The new location includes a recreated American Main Street full of recreated storefronts with original neon signs. This is that street’s pizza parlor. Si! Right down the street from the museum is Camp Washington Chili. This place has been voted the best non-chain chili restaurant in Cincinnati. It’s chili time! It looks good! Sadly, this was probably the worst of all the chili I had in Cincinnati. That’s not to say it was bad… but it didn’t have as much flavor as the “chain” versions, and it was infinitely greasier. It was, however, the only chili I got to sample in Cincinnati with the addition of beans (a “four way”), so that was good. Up next: the world’s most unique grocery store.

Wow, that was cool to see! Based on the size of the chunk taken out of that wheel, I'm going to have to guess it was from the car I rode on the Cyclone at Coney Island this past summer

Kelly and Lauryn just returned from a RCCL cruise to Bermuda with Kelly's family. They really, really enjoyed it... except for the Norwegian ship that came untethered in port and rammed their ship! Actually, I guess "brushed" their ship is more accurate, as it didn't really do any major damage... but wow. Kelly felt the impact and watched the aftermath from her balcony. Her sister and brother-in-law were on the dock with a bunch of Norwegian passengers who were freaked out because they thought their ship was leaving without them. Then a dock worker came along and asked for volunteers to help re-tether the ship. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and both ships were fine, but wow! Defintely some unexpected adventure for the passengers on both ships.

More great stuff! I had to look at that "Main Street" photo for a few moments to figure out what was "off" because it looked screwy to me, too. Then it hit me: There are no sidewalks! The "road" goes straight into the shops. I hope I get to do a TPR "Asian" trip at some point before I die.

^Yeah, after well-made pie, doughnuts are my favorite dessert, so I’m always on the lookout for a good doughnut shop. At some point I’ll have to post a photo of the ones from one of our local places, DeVage’s, in Salisbury, MD. They come from a recipe that originated in the ’50s at a restaurant called the Polar Bar. Several years ago, DeVage’s bought the Polar Bar’s old building and, with it, the doughnut recipe. They’re good any time of the day, but they’re especially great hot out of the fryer first thing in the morning. Peanut butter and cherry-coconut are my favorites. When I lived near there, I often stopped in for a couple early on Saturday mornings before going yard sale-ing. They’re also sort of a Christmas tradition in my office. The Doughnut Plant had been on my list to try for awhile. I think the only other “must try” doughnut place left on my list is Round Rock Doughnuts in Texas. Not sure when or if I’ll get there, but I hear they’re something else.

The New York adventure continues. Enjoy! The next day, we took a self-guided dining tour of several restaurants we read about online that we wanted to try in Manhattan, starting with breakfast at Doughnut Plant. So many to choose from! Even the (very limited) seats in the restaurant were doughnut-themed! Our order, clockwise from top left: peanut butter and jelly, cashew orange blossom, tres leches, black-out (devil’s food covered in chocolate with a chocolate pudding filling), coconut cream and carrot cake. A cross-section of the peanut butter and jelly. Most of the doughnuts were filled. The coconut cream had a sort of Bavarian cream inside, and the carrot cake was filled with cream cheese frosting. We both liked coconut the best, but the only one we didn’t really like at all was the cashew orange blossom; it tasted like doughy Froot Loops. Lunch took us to a place I had long wanted to try: the famous Katz’s Delicatessen. We arrived early to avoid the crowd, but the place was still swarming with people. Knoblewurst and knishes! I heard great things about both, but didn’t have a chance to try either. Katz’s is also famous for its salami… which I also didn’t try. I have lots of reasons to return! Or I could just have one sent to me…. The “Send a salami to your boy in the army” slogan began during World War II. They still use it today. Movie buffs, take note: The infamous “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in “When Harry Met Sally” was filmed at Katz’s. Most people order at the counter, then find a table in the communal seating area. Because we weren’t in that big of a hurry, because the wait was only about 15 minutes (if that) and because Kelly believes all counter service in crowded restaurants is disorderly and unorganized, we signed up for table service. As with the best traditional New York delis, our meal began with a complimentary plate of sour and half-sour pickles, as well as a pickled green tomato. I was surprised that I liked the tomato more than the pickles. I had read online that a number of people believe Katz’s hot dogs to be the best in New York. Though skeptical, I decided to try one. Personally, I like Nathan’s better… but I certainly wouldn’t turn down a Katz’s hot dog if it was offered! The egg cream soda made it taste even better. Fun fact: despite its name, the traditional New York egg cream contains neither eggs nor cream. It’s sort of like a chocolate milk, only foamed up with seltzer. Kelly opted for the corned beef Reuben, which was pretty good. At any other restaurant, it would be superior, but at Katz’s, a Reuben would be my third or fourth choice (and still a great one). This is the *real* reason I came to Katz’s: a giant pastrami sandwich! I really liked the fact that it was cut brisket-style instead of thin-sliced deli style. And the taste…. The sad fact of the matter is, I may never get to try Katz’s knoblewurst, regardless of how much I would like, because I don’t know if I could stand to return here and not get the pastrami! Or… I can have Katz’s bring the pastrami to me! Not so sure about those liver puffs, though. Just down the street from Katz’s is Economy Candy, where we stopped to kill some time and also check out its legendary assortment. This is a portion of one of the windows… which I thought would make a cool computer background. Unfortunately, I had a hard time being able to read my desktop files among all the candy-fied shapes and colors, so I reverted back to my former background, a view of Indiana Beach from across Lake Shafer. Despite being not quite twice the size of my living room, this story literally had just about every U.S. candy I could imagine, along with an interesting supply of vintage comic books and stacks of unopened boxes of late 1980s/early 1990s baseball cards. Unfortunately, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees that day and our being on foot for most of the afternoon, chocolate purchases were out of the question. Kelly bought some gifts here, but otherwise, we left empty-handed. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a long time! Sarita’s Macaroni and Cheese was our dinner stop for the day. But no one calls it that. Even the restaurant’s own marketing materials refer to it as simply “S’mac.” If you plan to dine in, plan to wait for a table! This is the entire seating area. Fortunately, we got lucky and snagged the last table in the place. Individual macaroni dish sizes range from “Nosh” (for one) to “Partay!” for 10 or so. We selected the sampler (one size only), which came with this handy identification card. Cheesy goodness! Our favorites were the Parisienne (with brie, roasted figs and mushrooms) and the Cajun (with peppers and andouille sausage). The Alpine (gruyere cheese and bacon) wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. Afterward, it was off to Little Italy for dessert at Rice to Riches. This futuristic-looking storefront is directly across the street from Lombardi’s Pizzeria (seen earlier in this thread). Think of Baskin Robbins. OK, now take away all the different flavors of ice cream and replace them with different flavors of rice pudding. That’s the concept behind Rice to Riches. Rice pudding porn! These are just a few of the flavors available. It helps to know what you want in advance, however; the clerk asked for (nay, demanded) our order long before we ever got far enough to see what was in the case. Don’t like rice pudding? Doesn’t matter; you’ll love it here! I ordered the cherry mascarpone, which wasn’t as good as I had hoped… though it was still pretty good. Kelly ordered the cheesecake flavor, which was absolutely phenomenal! We also bought a set of the unique bowls and spoons they used to serve the pudding (the largest size here is “Moby”). When (not if) we go back, both of us are excited to try the French toast flavor. Thankfully we don’t live closer; I anticipate roughly half our weekly income would go directly to this place! And if that wasn’t enough, it’s also Gary Coleman-approved! Up next: fried sauerkraut balls and Cincinnati chili.

^A wise choice!

Awesome TR! Thanks for taking the time to share. Is it just me, or does Larry's big, bright, blank orange T-shirt scream for a Photoshop contest?

^Wow, that’s crazy! The ones I’ve been looking at just pick one state (or two or three, if it’s an area where they’re all close at hand) and visit 8-12 restaurants over the course of a day or weekend. I really thought about doing the New Jersey Hot Dog Tour this year, but I’m on a goal to finish my current diet by the end of the year, and that would have gone a long way toward sidelining that goal. After I returned from my 10-day vacation in June, Kelly lamented the fact that we would not get to take a trip together this summer (she was saving her vacation days for a cruise with her family in September, when I’m unable to take off work). To rectify that, she suggested that we take a long weekend together for my birthday to a destination of my choosing. Originally, we were going to visit Phoenixville, PA, where the classic horror film “The Blob” was shot, to attend the town’s annual Blobfest. A couple weeks before the trip, however, I started thinking about Coney Island. Another visit to New York this year was fine with Kelly, so plans were set. Thanks to Larry, we not only had an idea about some of the better pizza places in the area; we also knew where to park (though getting out of said parking lot turned out to be more difficult than getting in thanks to a Deadhead convention that grew as the day went on). I’m not sure our day at Coney would have been as successful without his advice… so thanks, Larry! And now… on to the photos! After a morning of picture taking and a ride on the Cyclone that left me in pain for much of the rest of the day, we made our way a few blocks inland to hit Totonno’s Pizzeria at opening The place is small, and seating is at a premium. The walls are decorated with vintage photos and newspaper clippings, mostly relating to Coney Island in general and Totonno’s specifically. We had to wait awhile for our pizza, but when it finally came… oh man! Pepperoni, sausage and fresh garlic is our traditional New York pizza order, and Totonno’s didn’t disappoint. This was the line to get in by the time we left. I wanted to make Totonno’s our stop for lunch instead of dinner in part so we could get there early enough not to have to wait, as well as to make sure we got in at all. To ensure freshness (and probably to decrease money spent on unused food), the restaurant makes a certain amount of dough for the day, and when that dough is gone, the doors are locked. No pizza for you! Back at the beach, we made a quick stop to check out Williams Candy. If nothing else, the window displays were colorful. The store was small, and choices consisted mainly of fudge or a limited assortment of bulk candy. I’m sure all of it was good… but I doubt any of it could hold a candle to Williams’ nut rolls. Each consisted of a marshmallow center enrobed in caramel and covered with your choice of peanuts, cashews, walnuts or pecans, the latter two being my favorites. After touring the Coney Island museum and its adjacent sideshows (which were the highlight of the trip), we stopped at the Paul’s Daughter restaurant—formerly Gregory and Paul’s—to grab something to drink. Gregory and Paul’s is one of a handful of landmarks that was spared (grudgingly) during the “cleanup” of Coney Island that saw Astroland, Shoot the Freak and a number of other attractions removed. Its claim to fame is a pair of repurposed fiberglass A&W root beer stand figures. Witness Papa Burger… …and Mama Burger. This is what the place looked like in what I’m guessing was the late ‘40s or early ‘50s. Despite hearing about knish’s on reruns of “Welcome Back, Kotter,” I’d never had one, so I decided to try one. For the uninitiated, it’s sort of like a McDonald’s apple pie, only with piping hot mashed potatoes instead of imitation apple filling. I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. Legend has it that the hot dog was invited in Coney Island. Feltman’s isn’t around anymore… …but Nathan’s Famous is! Home to the famous annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest (made even more famous by Big Mike’s presence there a year or two ago), Nathan’s was one institution whose future never was in doubt during the Coney Island cleanup. It’s a hot dog eating contest for all nations… but mostly America. I thought it was interesting that Nathan’s listed a calorie count for each item on its menu board. I’m sure that’s another one of those wacky New York health laws… like the attempt to ban large sodas. What’s in the box? A pair of beauties! But luscious tube steaks aren’t all Nathan’s has to offer. There’s also the wide-cut French fries! And, of course, Nathan’s provides a French fry fork. Anything else would be uncivilized. Just across the street is the newest member of the Grimaldi’s Pizzeria family. Unfortunately, the restaurant was having a lot of problems the day we visited. Shortly after we placed our order, they were turning people away because they ran out of dough and would spend the next hour or so preparing more… at 5 p.m. on a Saturday. It was still neat to watch the guys stretching and tossing the dough right in the middle of the dining room, however. We got our order in right before the big dough rush, but it still took some time. I enjoyed this bottle of Olde Brooklyn grape soda while we waited. When the pizza did finally arrive, it looked good… but I didn’t think it tasted that great. The sauce seemed a little “off,” and I found at least two bone chips in the sausage, leading me to believe it wasn’t very high quality. Not to mention the service was not the greatest. We were one of three tables seated in the restaurant, and it seemed like the wait staff entirely disappeared for awhile. When we did finally snag someone to ask for our bill, it took another 15 minutes. I can only imagine how much longer we would have been there had we not paid with cash. Though we didn’t stop by Ruby’s Bar and Grill, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention it as one of the grand dames of Coney Island. Besides Paul’s Daughter, it supposedly was about the only business of note in the area that was allowed to stay open during the city’s great Coney Island “cleanup.” Next up: a self-guided dining tour through lower Manhattan.

Good stuff! My barbecue-nut friend loves Butt Rub. I think he even used it on lamb chops in his Egg once. Have you ever tried making a fatty? It's basically cheese wrapped in breakfast sausage, wrapped in a woven bacon "blanket," covered with barbecue sauce and smoked. He makes one for us every Thanksgiving (not sure if he cooks it with the Egg or with his drum smoker). He's always experimenting with add-ins. Last year, he basically just cleaned out his refrigerator and went a little crazy with it, including onions, peppers, two different kinds of cheese, chopped brisket and rib meat. It was literally the best thing I've ever eaten!

^Thanks! Believe it or not, there are people who actually do offer those services. Just as TPR does theme park tours, there are groups (like Scott's Pizza Tours) that do food tours of specific regions or specialties. The annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour is coming up later this month....

Sadly, I once again likely will not be able to do a TPR trip this year. But the three I've been on have been three of my top five best vacations (and the Behemoth-Flyer tour provided what I still consider the best "OMG, how is this even possible?" day of my life thus far). For anyone who may question the amount of planning and expertise that goes into these iteneraries, consider not only the "rain detour" on the recent Levia-Thon tour, but also this: The year I was on the UK trip was the same year Mt. Whatchamacallit was erupting and wreaking all sorts of havoc on European air (and in some cases land) travel. Fortunately, the eruptions stopped by the time of the trip, and it turned out to be a non-issue... but from what I understand, Robb and Elissa had a volcano contingency plan in place just in case. Let me repeat that: a Volcano. Contingency. Plan. If Holiday World isn't included on a trip, there's a reason for it. If the route a bus takes seems a little "odd," there's a reason for it (often with bonus ERT at the end). If the ratio of Peanut M&Ms to Starburst in the TPR snack bag is 40-60, there's a reason for it. And all of these reasons work out in your favor. Just go with it. I'll admit that I was slightly skeptical on my first trip, handing over a grand to some random people I had never met so I could get on a bus with 40 strangers and ride roller coasters for five days (and I didn't even like coasters at the time--I just wanted to see the parks). It turned out to be the best decision I've ever made, and the Alveys have received some portion of my annual gross income every year since. That said, is there any way to add a few days in Disneyland onto the Mexico tour? I think that would really justify the cost of that trip. And maybe we could stop by Castles and Coasters on the way. I've been thinking about this for the past 10 minutes, and I see no reason why it couldn't be incorporated. Thank you for your consideration of my brilliance.

Final update from the Delaware-Maryland-West Virginia-Kentucky-Tennessee-Illinois-Indiana-Michigan-Ohio-Pennsylvania trip. Enjoy! Once I was back on the road, I headed south to Lima, OH, home of one of the few remaining restaurants that once comprised the Kewpee Hamburgers chain. It’s a tiny, tiny building compared to the giant skyscrapers all around it. The kewpie motif is continued inside, as well. Kewpee has been around since 1923, hence the reason many “grandpappys” have eaten here. I enjoyed this slogan so much that I bought a mug featuring it. The elderly ladies working the counter were hugely impressed when they found out I drove all the way from Delaware (the state, not the town in Ohio, I clarified for them upon request) to sample their hamburgers. As I stood in line a second time for my mug, one asked how the burger was. I told her it was really good, and she seemed a little disappointed. I later realized the answer she was looking for was, “It made my heart go flippity-flop!” I had read about the restaurant’s unique olive burger online. Indeed, it was really good, but next time I would go without the olives. The burger itself was the star, not the toppings. To the left is a slice of sugar cream pie. Absolutely delicious! On my way out of Lima, I passed this stand, and though it wasn’t on my itinerary, I immediately made a U-turn. I mean, who wouldn’t? Turns out I had stumbled upon the Thunder Road Drive-In. No wonder this place gets so much business… it’s a speed trap! Fortunately, the police car is just for show. I’ll spare you photos of the crude renditions of Betty Boop and Big Boy that adorned the fence. Inspired by the giant mug on top and still full from my double lunch at Packo’s and Kewpee, I limited my order here to only a root beer. Unfortunately, it ranked up there with Triple XXX among the worst root beer of the trip, and the elderly gentleman who served it to me seemed none too happy that I had pulled up and disturbed his peaceful relaxation. But compared to the scene I came upon in Athens, OH, a number of hours later, that old man was Little Mary Sunshine! As I searched for street parking for O’Betty’s Red Hots, I dodged beer cans being thrown from front yards, witnessed some dudes watching a hockey game on a big-screen TV propped against a tree and tried to make my way through a street overcrowded with drunken college students in various states of dress with little regard for pedestrian or traffic safety laws. I ended up parked next to a group of guys sitting on the sidewalk in a circle, smoking (cigarettes… maybe) around a keg. Speaking of various states of dress, here’s the O’Betty’s mascot. When I tried the door to the restaurant at 9:30 p.m., it was locked. A college-aged kid who reminded me of Shaggy from “Scooby Doo” stuck his head out from what turned out to be the walk-up window and told me I’d have to order from him. I was slightly disappointed, as the restaurant’s website had advertised later hours, the building supposedly also contained a hot dog museum (which I didn’t get to see), and the walk-up menu did not include one of the two items I was hoping to order. While waiting for my order, I witnessed two guys beating on each other in the middle of the street because one supposedly made an inappropriate remark toward the other’s girlfriend (who, based on her wardrobe, was on her way to film a porno). Wanting to get my order as fast as I could and get the heck out of there, for fear of my car’s safety as much as my own, I drove a little ways to the parking lot of a Kentucky Fried Chicken before unwrapping and enjoying my hot dogs. All the dogs are named after burlesque dancers and/or strippers. First up was Blaze, my substitute dog for Bettie, the Sheboygan-style bratwurst that was not available that evening from the walk-up window. It turns out that was a good thing after all. Between the sweet coleslaw on top and the smoked bacon beneath, Blaze was the second-best hot dog I had the entire trip (after Hillbilly Hot Dog). My first choice, Varla, also was good, but a bit disappointed compared to Blaze. It contained everything a good hot dog should—sauerkraut, bacon pieces, horseradish sauce and thousand island dressing… yet somehow, the flavors just didn’t blend as well as Blaze’s, in my opinion. I recently had a chance to go back to O’Betty’s, and based on these two dogs I almost did… but my experience in downtown Athens left a pretty big impression (not necessarily a good one), and because of that, I took a detour on that trip and tried some other Roadfood places instead. But that’s a story for another post! I never realized how desolate eastern Ohio was! On my way from Athens to Parkersburg, WV, the road was so empty, I was afraid I was going to run out of gas before passing another station. When I finally did find one, I was excited to find Vernor’s ginger ale, for which I had searched unsuccessfully at the convenience stores I had stopped at in Michigan (the state where the soda originated). After some interesting detours (“No, GPS, that’s not a road, that’s a drainage ditch…”), I finally made it to my hotel and decided a late-night snack was in order. Nothing like a stroopwafel (which I sampled for the first time several years ago during a TPR snack exchange) from Nelis’ Dutch Village to end the day! The next morning, I got up bright and early to make sure I got to Tomaro’s Bakery in Clarksburg, WV, while they still had pepperoni rolls available. Though my pepperoni roll run was initially scheduled for this day, I had tried to move it up on the calendar and stop when I drove through Clarksburg on my way to Huntington at the beginning of the trip. Sadly, the bakery on that day was closed by the time I got there. But not this time! These were fresh-baked and everything a good pepperoni roll should be. Following that unconventional breakfast, I made my way east to Hagerstown, MD, where lunch awaited at Schmankerl Stube, the area’s only Bavarian restaurant to my knowledge. I had been here once before a few years earlier, so I knew what to expect… and I wasn’t disappointed. The wienerschnitzel was outstanding, and even the carrots were good. I do wish I had gotten spaetzle instead of potato salad, but hindsight is 20/20. Later that evening, dinner was a roast beef sandwich at the Market Street Pub in Denton, MD, which I’ve written about before in this thread. While there, however, I picked up a brochure for a new barbecue joint, Pig Point BBQ that was literally just around the corner, so I stopped in there for a post-dinner snack, as it were. Taxidermy cosplay! The menu was interesting, combining traditional barbecue with Tex-Mex favorites. I stuck to the pulled pork, which was… OK. Market Street will still be my go-to restaurant in Denton, but if it’s closed, I wouldn’t mind checking out some of Pig Point’s more unique combos. Up next: Coney Island!

I didn't even remember having re-qualified for the ducky contest! Not knowing enough to wager on any of the upcoming major sporting events (the ones that haven't already been picked, anyway), I'll take Delaware in the Miss USA Pageant.

^I appreciate your respect. I just kind of “play it as it lies” when it comes to restaurants on vacation. If I’m passing through areas where there are, say, six restaurants in a day I want to try, I’ll do my best to hit all six, even if I have to make slight detours to fit them all in. If I’ve done the research and there really isn’t anything around at all I’m particularly interested in trying, I’ll start looking for some of my favorite chains that aren’t available near where I live. That’s what happened recently during my drive from Richmond, VA, to Cincinnati; there were few, if any, independent restaurants between Richmond and Columbus that I wanted to try, so I found a Waffle House for lunch. Sometimes it’s all about what’s available. While driving from Four Corners to Monument Valley in Utah a couple years ago, I’m not sure we passed half a dozen restaurants—and that includes the hot dog carousels at the gas stations. That day, I ate lunch at a hole-in-the-wall place I probably otherwise would not have set foot in. The food wasn’t great, but it was there. I’ve been fortunate that only two places I’ve eaten on vacation have had unfortunate gastronomic effects. I got heartburn from Lou Malnati’s, the famous pizza place in Chicago, and I partook of the IHOP all-you-can-eat bacon buffet a little too liberally early on during the TPR West Coast Tour, leading to an ill feeling on the bus ride that morning to Gilroy Gardens. Fortunately, I was feeling pretty good by the end of ERT and well enough by the end of our stay at Gilroy to sample a plate of garlic fries (which weren’t that great, unfortunately). That said, I do have limits. On this particular trip, there were three other restaurants I would have liked to have tried in Indianapolis. I did check one out, but it looked closed and was in what appeared to have been an exceedingly bad neighborhood, so I’m not sure I would have gotten out of the car even if it had been open. The other two I had on my list as “backups” in case I got to my first choice, the Mug ’n’ Bun Drive-In, a little too late; as it was, I made it there before closing. I’ll keep them on my list in case I pass near Indianapolis again, but on that particular day, I just couldn’t have handled two more restaurants, despite the fact that, both geographically and chronologically, they were available. And with that, here are some more of the restaurants I did get to. Enjoy! After a visit to Michigan’s Adventure, I spotted this branch of the Great Traverse Pie Company on my way to my hotel for the evening in Lansing. I’d never eaten at one of these, but I’d read about them, so I stopped in to give it a try. After some deliberation, I settled on a slice of blueberry crumb pie, which wasn’t bad, though probably not something I’d go out of my way for. Overall, the restaurant reminded me a lot of Panera, only with pies instead of bread. I had two hot dog stops scheduled in Grand Rapids, the first being Yesterdog. Fun fact: Yesterdog was featured in the movie “American Pie.” I mean, they gave it a different name and everything, but this is where they filmed part of it. The inside was covered with vintage tin and porcelain signs. They also had lots of interesting old coin-operated machines, like this one for popcorn, and some of them even worked! Hooray for cool old jukeboxes! As much as I liked Yesterdog’s décor and as good as this “Ultradog” was (I especially liked the shredded pickles), I was really turned off by the service, which was rushed and somewhat rude. I’m glad I had a chance to sample Yesterdog… because I likely won’t be going back. Fortunately, I had a much better experience at the Grand Coney Diner, also in Grand Rapids. Counter dining for me again! Notice the top special on the board in front: sweet potato tots with a marshmallow dipping sauce! Though I was on the verge of full, I was already making plans to try an order of these for dessert… when, before seating me, the hostess came and wrote “Sold Out” next to the sign in big letters Oh well. I wasn’t even able to finish what I did order, so it’s just as well. I got a combo platter that included two Coney dogs (named so due to the type of sauce, not geographic location) and chili-cheese fries (which I likely would not have gotten had they not come with the combo — but they were good, nonetheless). I also opted to diversify my Coney samplings to include both types served at the Grand Coney – Detroit (traditional red chili) and Flint (loose hamburger meat in a light au jus). I thought I would like the Flint style better, but surprisingly, I preferred the Detroit sauce. Bright and early the next morning, I found myself at Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, MI. It’s sort of a combination upscale food store and restaurant. The Zingerman’s empire also includes a roadhouse, bakery and branded candy bars. Seating choices included dining al fresco at one of the tables outside the deli or in the building next door. Since it was only about 9 a.m., it wasn’t unbearably hot outside, so I chose an open-air table. Zingerman’s is famous for its corned beef. Since I knew I wouldn’t be around for a lunchtime sandwich, I had specifically planned to get its equally famous corned beef hash. It wasn’t as good as I anticipated (I’ve never had corned beef hash with vegetables other than potatoes, so I was caught a little off guard), but still decent, with chunks of corned beef brisket throughout. It came with a side of house-made spicy ketchup, which I thought was more sweet than spicy. It was for the hash, but I ended up enjoying it more on the toast. The golden (spicy) ginger ale on the left was a gift for my dad. The pale dry (sweet) ginger ale on the right was my breakfast accompaniment. The candy bar in front cost $6! I never would have bought it had I known that before reaching the register. Apparently these have been featured on the Food Network, which is nice and everything… but I later found out the reason they cost $6 is that they were once featured on an Oprah “favorite things” episode. For the record, this is what a $6 candy bar looks like. To add insult to injury, it wasn’t even very good. Personally, I would much rather have had six $1 Mr. Goodbars. Bacon is always a welcome gift! Later that morning, I made it to Tony Packo’s in Toldeo, OH, shortly after opening. I’d been there once before — and loved it! I didn’t take too many pictures on my return trip, so I borrowed some photos from 2009 to recreate the experience. Sorry if these are repeats for anyone. The place is a lot larger on the inside than it looks on the outside. And, of course, the signature items here — literally — are the celebrity-signed replica hot dog buns mounted literally everywhere throughout the restaurant. Unlike the signed photos at the Triple XXX, these were autographed by people you’ve probably actually heard of. Had I been pressured into immediately placing an order here as I was at Yesterdog, I would have had no problem: Hungarian hot dog with chili (“sauce”) and an order of chili-mac, which is spaetzle covered with chili covered with cheese. It’s pretty amazing! Accompanying it were a handful of Packo’s famous spicy thick pickle slices, which come with just about every meal, and a bowl of coleslaw, mostly because it came with the combo. Delicious, all! I had a hard time turning onto the main highway from the gas station I stopped at across the street from Tony Packo’s, so instead I turned onto a side street to turn around… and found this! Up next: I risk my life (or at least it felt like it at the time) for some of Ohio’s best hot dogs.

In this installment: Indiana Beach and onward into Michigan. Enjoy! I don’t usually include theme park food in the roadfood thread, but in the case of Indiana Beach, I’ll make an exception… mostly because I discovered the park itself contained two limited Roadfood chains that I’d wanted to try for awhile. First up: Dog ’N’ Suds. Let me say that the service here wasn’t great, nor was the root beer. But the hot dog was… decent. The chili seemed to be a sweet version of Cincinnati style instead of the savory Texas variety I was expecting, so that was a surprise. I probably would have left off the mustard had I realized that in advance. Then came Pronto Pup. No problems with the service here. And the dog was good, too! It had been more than a decade since I last had a corndog (at the Maryland State Fair in 1999, I think), and this one did not disappoint. For the record, I also tried one of IB’s “world-famous” tacos, which was… a taco, nothing more, nothing less. Back in Lafayette, I had read about the Pizza King and wanted to try it for ambience as much as anything else. Kelly told me there used to be one near her when she lived in Indiana, and it wasn’t very good, so I didn’t have high hopes about the food. What’s this? Looks like the king is eating a crispy thin-crust pizza cut into squares… one of my favorite styles! I came here with the intention of getting just a soda and maybe some fries, and then leaving for my “real” dinner destination, but seeing the king’s pizza of choice sort of changed things. I actually arrived a half hour before the train room — the main reason for adding Pizza King to my itinerary — opened, so I sat in the parking lot and read a book (I always keep one in the car for just such an occasion). And what is the train room? Why, it’s a room shaped like the inside of a train, of course! But wait… there’s more! Each booth was its own private compartment, like the sleeping car of a train. The coin-operated TV in the center provided a half-hour’s worth of real-time cable programming for just 25 cents. Mine was broken, unfortunately, but I heard the people in the next booth over watching “Auction Hunters.” And when it came time to order, why, there was no wait staff; you ordered via intercom! But the real reason I wanted to stop by Pizza King… is that a model train actually delivers your drink to your table! (You have to walk to the counter in the back and pick up your food when it’s ready; they call you on your intercom.) Sausage and pepperoni pizza and a train-delivered drink. Who could ask for anything more? I hadn’t planned on the hot dogs at Indiana Beach or the pizza at Pizza King, so by the time I reached my final restaurant destination of the day, South Street Smokehouse in West Lafayette, IN, I really wasn’t that hungry. But I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to try what have been called some of Indiana’s best ribs! Meat wagon! It’s the Easter Piggy! I had to stand in a long-ish line to order these ribs, and seating in the restaurant was at a premium… but boy, they were good ribs! Maybe the best I’ve had outside of Memphis and St. Louis (though to be fair, I haven’t had ribs in Kansas City or Texas yet). The sauces weren’t bad, but not really necessary, either. A sign up front advertised deep-fried pecan pie, which I would have liked to have tried because… deep-fried pecan pie! Unfortunately, the line was even longer by that point, I was nearly as stuffed as I had been at Doe’s Eat Place, and I doubted deep-fried pie would taste that great in the morning, so I skipped it. Noted! The next day, I left West Lafayette at 6 a.m. and made the drive up the Michigan coast to Nelis’ Dutch Village in Holland, MI. It was a really nice little park with a few adult-sized rides, but mostly a lot of fiberglass statues and demonstration areas showing the history and tradition of Holland. I really enjoyed the park, as well as the shops, and was looking forward to a nice Dutch lunch at the Duchman Café, which is adjacent to the park. It turned out to be the perfect way to end my visit there. I always make a point of doing what shoes tell me to do. This place is delicious… and educational! At the park, I got to see how edam cheese was made… …so, of course, I had to try some at the restaurant! That’s an edam cheese (from the park) and currant bun sandwich to the right. To be honest, it was kind of bland… but everything else I had here was phenomenal! My main course was mettwurst with red cabbage and sauerkraut. It was so good, I decided to sample a few other things I had been eyeing on the menu, like this pig-in-a-blanket… AKA sausage wrapped in phyllo dough. It was the best thing at the restaurant… and at this restaurant, that’s really saying something! This pig-in-a-blanket doppelganger is actually a babka. Seinfeld fans will note that it is not a chocolate babka, but the “lesser” cinnamon variety. I was pretty stuffed after the pig-in-a-blanket, so I saved the babka for a snack later that evening. At the candy store next door, I also got some cashew brittle to try. It wasn’t half bad, but got a little gummy in the heat after sitting in my car for a few days. The clerk also gave me a sample of the store’s fudge, made with real butter and cream. They had signs everywhere proclaiming that it had been voted the “Best in Michigan,” but fudge is kind of the same as ice cream to me. With the exception of one really good place I’ve found in Ocean City, MD, and the clotted cream variety I had in England, one place’s fudge is just as good as the next, in my opinion. Up next: more pie, more hot dogs and a $6 candy bar!

Just reading that phrase made my sternum hurt! I prefer to remember the crepe girls instead

^If I ever make it out to Holiday World again, I'm hoping to take the same detour to Jasper, IN, that we did in 2009 after we saw a brochure for Schnitzelbank. It's still the best German resturant I've been to.