printersdevil78

^Yep, I had Mr. D’s address saved in my GPS in case the Bon Ton was closed (or out of chicken, which I understand happens sometimes). When I was planning the vacation, I originally thought about trying them both, but I would have had to have missed out on the Marion Barbecue or Mug ‘n’ Bun to do so due to their opening and closing times, respectively. Since I’m not a big fried chicken person to begin with, I figured I’d pick one or the other, and the Bon Ton had the better reputation. Now I’m curious as to what I missed. Probably won’t drive all the way back to Henderson to find out, though!

The quest for good food continues in Kentucky and moves north into Indiana. Enjoy! Still full the next morning, I drove into downtown Metropolis and spent a couple hours at the Super Museum, which was awesome! Because the town’s annual Superman Celebration started just a day or two later, they were already welcoming guests. I got to meet an actor who played Superboy in an unsold TV pilot in the 1960s. But that’s a topic for another thread (which I may or may not ever get around to starting). With half the day behind me and my Doe’s meal finally settled, I headed out in search of more. First restaurant of the day: Marion Barbecue in Marion, KY. This is where the magic happens. And this is where you sit after ordering the magic. The screens to keep the flies away were a nice touch. This was really good! For reasons I don’t quite understand, they tend to dress most pulled pork sandwiches in Kentucky with pickles and onion. I’m not a fan of raw onion, so I usually opted out of those. As for the pickles, when in Rome (or Kentucky)…. I drove a little out of my way to get to my next stop, in Sebree, KY: Bell’s Drug Store. It’s been here for a long time…. As I was on my way in, a regular customer on his way out, obviously noticing I was from out of town, smiled and said, “Get ready to step back in time.” It was a cool experience. They like Coke at this place. They really like Coke at this place! Do what the window says and no one gets hurt! However, I did not do what the window said. Instead, I ordered up the house-specialty orangeade. It was pretty good, but probably not worth driving a half hour out of my way for. I also probably should have tried the store’s other specialty, lemon ice: a cup of ice pellets filled with fresh lemon juice and salt, which somehow is supposed to give the lemons a “sweet” taste. With a number of restaurants left on the day’s agenda, I wasn’t feeling quite that adventurous. Next up was a place I had been wanting to try for quite some time. The outside of the Bon-Ton Mini Mart (which is really a restaurant, not a store) is nothing to write home about, and it’s located smack dab in the middle of Nowhere, USA (actually, Henderson, KY… but the “nowhere” part of Henderson), but the fried chicken served inside supposedly is the best to be had in the United States according to numerous polls. I was a little nervous about taking photos inside, as my entrance prompted one of those mass “You’re not from around here, are you?” stares from just about everyone in the restaurant. But I did sneak this one in. Notice that the tables and chairs are actually old kitchen and dining room sets. Unlike at Lynn’s Paradise Café, this wasn’t necessarily done for atmosphere; it’s just what was available. And here’s the main attraction. Only… I didn’t think it was that great. Now, I’m not much of a fried chicken person most of the time, and maybe that had something to do with it, but for the “best” fried chicken in the country, this didn’t impress me too much. The coleslaw, on the other hand, was my favorite kind… but since it was served at room temperature, leading me to believe it had been sitting out for awhile, I didn’t really trust it much beyond the first bite. The fries were fries, and the bread was a grilled hamburger roll. Afterward, I tried a slice of the Bon Ton’s chess pie, which was good, though not as good as what I got in Louisville. I had hoped they might have had Kool-Aid pie that day, as well, as I understand it’s an occasional special, but alas, they did not. After my somewhat disappointing experience at the Bon-Ton, I drove to the other side of town to sample some more mutton barbecue at Thomason’s Barbecue. Having a smoker door that opens right up into the order area is usually a good sign. And it definitely was in this case! The mutton was leaps and bounds above what I got at Moonlite (and the Moonlite version was pretty good itself, sans the bones). The beans were amazing, complemented with little bits of pulled pork… and even the lemonade was good! The ingredients: water, lemons, sugar. No preservatives here! Piggy says, “Thanks for ordering the lamb and not mama!” From there, it was a long drive to my next restaurant destination: the Mug ’N’ Bun Drive-In of Indianapolis, IN. Indy’s oldest drive-in has a lot of components. First, there’s the drive-in itself. Then there’s another building just for pizza… ...as well as a separate dine-in area. After a short wait, my food appeared. In case you’re wondering, the root beer wasn’t as good as Frostop or Stewart’s… but it was still pretty good. The “bun” in the drive-in’s name doesn’t allude to hamburgers (though they do serve burgers), but to the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, a Midwestern specialty. This was my first sampling, and I definitely want to try some more the next time I’m in that part of the country! The breading was so flaky and delicate, a small portion of it literally fell off inside the wrapper. As for the toppings… mustard and onion are traditional, but since I don’t like raw onion, the carhop suggested I try pickles instead. They were good, though next time I would take about two-thirds of them off; they sort of interfered with the goodness that was breaded pork. Believe it or not, after all that I still had one roadfood stop left to make for the evening: the Triple XXX Family Restaurant in Lafayette, IN. I’d actually tried to stop at one more place in Indianapolis, called Workingman’s Lunch, which was supposed to have really good hamburgers. However, when I got there, it didn’t look like it was open, and if my read of the neighborhood was correct, it didn’t seem like a great place to get out and start pulling on locked doors. Outside the Triple XXX, lighted, covered parking areas are for carhop service on the weekends. During the week, they’re just for parking. The Triple XXX, by the way, besides being redundant, doesn’t stand for what you might think. It’s actually America’s oldest commercial root beer brand, now only served in a handful of places. Like Frostop, the once-industrious Triple XXX drive-ins have all but faded from the scene, with only a couple independently owned examples left. Inside, everything is in “root beer” orange and brown (not sure how those came to be the nationally recognized colors of root beer, but they are, even though Triple XXX’s logo colors are red and yellow). Want a table or a booth? Tough. This counter snakes throughout the restaurant and provides the only seating. Not that that’s a bad thing. Like many good roadfood restaurants, the walls were covered with autographed photos of local “celebrities,” mostly Purdue University coaches and athletes. All the online reviews raved about the double “chop steak” sandwich (that’s a cheeseburger to you and me) and the root beer. Unfortunately, I thought the burger was just average, and the root beer was probably the worst I had the entire trip. I thought maybe the syrup in the machine was just low, but alas, a replacement beverage proved otherwise. Looks like Guy beat me again! A note about the root beer: My father likes to sample different soft drinks from around the country, so I got him a carton of Triple XXX to try. He’s not the biggest root beer fan, but he really liked it. So maybe there really was something wrong with the fountain the night I tried it. I don’t know; he’s supposed to be saving me a bottle so I can find out.

Fixed!

Continuing on with the 2012 adventure, our next stop finds us crisscrossing the Kentucky-Tennessee border in search of barbecue and other delicacies. Onward! Perhaps it was Roadfood serendipity that I would take this particular road to my next destination. After a great afternoon at Beech Bend, I made a long detour to the self-proclaimed “Barbecue Capital of the World,” Owensboro, KY, for a stop at its most famous restaurant, Moonlite Bar-B-Que. After all, the best barbecue restaurant in the Barbecue Capital of the World should be the best barbecue restaurant in the world… right? All the online reviews said to go for the buffet, so I did. Well, it was good barbecue… but definitely not the best I’ve ever had. The ribs were a little fatty for my taste, and the pulled pork was just OK; it might have been better without the “warming lamp” texture. The mutton was good — it was my first experience with lamb barbecue — but I found a few bone chips in my second helping, which was a big turn-off. The country ham was really good and salty, but I liked it better once I sampled it on its own instead of inside the hard, dry biscuit. Moonlite offered sorghum to go with the roles, which also was a new experience for me. I didn’t care for it as much as I thought I would have. The desserts were really good! Check out the chocolate-covered pecan pie! Out of tradition, I sampled the banana pudding. I’m not really a banana-flavored-things person, but I liked it. The blackberry pie, on the other hand, was OK, but kind of tart for my taste. Next door sat a small walkup ice cream, burger and hot dog place, the Big Dipper. I was way too full to try it, and I couldn’t imagine it being much of a draw next to the world’s leading barbecue buffet, but it had a pretty good line. The next day, it was on down to Nashville, TN, where I made a mid-morning stop at the Elliston Place Soda Shop. Let’s step inside, shall we? Oh my. And to think that I almost missed this! The landmark restaurant nearly closed last year when it ran into some problems with its lease. It’s safe… for now. – I took a seat at the counter, and this was my view. All that’s missing is Fonzie! I had hoped to try another slice of chess pie here, but they didn’t have any that day, so I settled on this pineapple soda instead. Apparently, I kind of stuck out as a non-regular; when I placed my order, the waitress asked, “Um… you know that has ice cream in it, right? It’s not just pineapple-flavored soda.” I assured her I did. It was larger than I expected… and it was awesome! On my way back up north (but not too far north), I took a barbecue break and opted for a hamburger at Ferrell’s Snappy Service in Cadiz, KY. The building isn’t much to look at from the outside. Inside, however, is quite a different story! It packs a lot of character into a very tiny place. I don’t usually get noticed too often while taking food photos, but when I snapped a shot of my Ferrell’s hamburger, it raised a lot of eyebrows! Not in a “What’s this guy up to?” sort of way, but more in a way that I could tell that the “Someone took a picture of his hamburger at Ferrell’s!” story was going to get a lot of play throughout the Cadiz grapevine. For what it’s worth, the burger itself was just a notch above McDonald’s… but the experience was fun! My main reasons for adding Nashville to my trip had been to pick up some barbecue sauce and rub at the legendary Rippy’s for my friend Travis, to have lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory (a great chain restaurant not available in my area, but not exactly roadfood, so not included in this thread) and to visit the American Pickers’ store. Or, as I now like to call it, the American Pickers’ T-shirt shop and museum. There weren’t exactly a lot of antiques for sale…. Regardless, it all turned out to be a little more complicated than planned, as I ended up visiting on the first day of CMA Fan Fest, which apparently is to country music fans what Holiwood Nights is to coaster enthusiasts. The place was mobbed and not entirely easy to get around… though because of that, I did end up accidentally attending the induction of Steve Winwood into the Music City Walk of Fame. So after my prolonged Nashville experience, it was nice to get back on the road and have a mid-afternoon snack at Heaton’s Bar-B-Que in Princeton, KY, said to be the best gas station barbecue in these parts. They even have a drive-thru! These are the choices. For these little mini-stops, I almost always get pulled pork. In this case, I chose wisely. It was really good! Up next was yet another barbecue place, Starnes’ Barbecue in Paducah, KY. Oh, and here’s a better view of that billboard that was peeking into the photo above, in case anyone’s interested. Starnes’ is just a little green-and-white shack, and I got there about 20 minutes before closing. There's barely enough room for stools and a three-sided counter inside. This is pretty much the menu: potato chips, candy bars and snack cakes. Plus a mint vending machine near the door, benefiting the local Lions Club. Oh, and they serve pulled pork sandwiches. They’re pretty bare bones: a pile of pulled pork with sauce on nearly-burned toast. But you know what? If I had to choose the best pulled pork of the trip, this would be it! It’s a prime example of doing one thing and doing it really, really well. After checking into my hotel that evening in Metropolis, IL, I made my way back across the bridge to downtown Paducah, KY (with its wonderful giant free parking lot in the heart of the entertainment district — why more downtown revitalization efforts don’t follow this model I’ll never know), to visit Doe’s Eat Place, one of the premier steakhouses in the United States. This is what’s known as “atmosphere.” First up: chili and tamales. Normally I wouldn’t order either at a steak place, but most reviews I read said these were a highly recommended Doe’s tradition. I thought the tamales were kind of “eh,” but the chili was amazing! I would gladly order it again. Then came the rest of the meal. If I have one complaint about Doe’s, it’s that I wish they offered smaller portions for solo diners. I’m not a big “salad” person, but the salad was excellent, thanks in large part to what I assume was made-from-scratch blue cheese dressing. The French fries were French fries, and the bread was bread… but oh, that steak! I left about half of it behind, which I hated to do, but there was just no more room! The smallest you can order is “steak for two,” which, with the sides, could feed at least three people, in my opinion. Up next: More Kentucky goodness!

^Ah, right you are! When I checked on Graeter’s website, they listed their corporate office as being in Louisville. But a closer look shows that they have corporate offices in Cincinnati and in Louisville. I guess one has the first half of the instructions for the French pot process and the other has the second half so that if one is attacked, the ice cream terrorists still can’t duplicate the recipe? I literally just got back from Cincinnati about four hours ago, and Aglamesis Brothers was on my list as a “possible.” Unfortunately, a calcium-induced kidney stone the week before (my first in five years) left me with the idea that excess ice cream probably wouldn’t be a good thing to indulge in on vacation, so I saved most of my calcium allowance for cheese coneys and four-way chili!

Not a problem. If you're that close to Disneyland and adding an "OBO," however, I would bump the price up to $30-$35. You have a better chance out there of some Disney nut stumbling across it and falling in love with it. And if you put OBO, most smart people are going to ask you to knock $5-$10 off of it, anyway. Hope it sells (and hope my analysis was right--I'd hate to lose you money)!

It's hard to say without seeing the item in person, as condition, materials, age and authenticity all play into the equation. Based on what you have here, I would guess that this is a knock-off and not an official Disney piece (see the comment above on Mickey's wearing Minnie's shoes). The top looks like pressboard instead of real wood, which lowers the value and dates it to probably the late '70s/early '80s. It also looks like the desk and chair both have some chips and dings, which devalues it even more. Knock off some additional cash if the joints aren't tight or the fasteners exhibit any rust. The region you're selling it in also makes a difference, as prices tend to be higher in places like New York and southern California than they would be elsewhere (this is why the buyers and sellers on "Storage Wars" claim they can get $5 each for Coke bottles mass produced in 2000 that wouldn't be worth $1 in the rest of the U.S.--that and it makes for good television). On a really, really, really good day, if you find just the right Disney-ophile, you might get $25-$30. More realistically, if someone offers you $15, I would take it and run. Again, that's based solely on the photos, and because of that, some of the assumptions may be incorrect. Rust or wobbly joints would knock that estimate down to $10, if that. Jason "Not an official appraiser, but I've collected antiques and Disney memorabilia for nearly a quarter-century" R.

Onward to Louisville, KY, in this installment. Enjoy! Back in Huntington, WV, on my way to Camden Park, I decided to stop by Tudor’s Biscuit World, a West Virginia franchise I’ve seen many times, but never tried. Short story: The employees were rude, and the service sucked. And the food? I opted for a fried apple biscuit as dessert following Hillbilly Hot Dogs, and it was… edible. That’s about all that can be said for it. I likely will not be going back to Biscuit World. A stop at a gas station just over the Kentucky state line unearthed this curious ginger ale brand. It was pretty good. After an eventful afternoon, I found myself at Lynn’s Paradise Café in Louisville, KY. This place is famous among roadfooders, and its signature seems to be this eternally pouring teapot, though it’s no more or less eclectic than anything else outside the restaurant… … or inside! Note the mismatched kitchen tables and chairs scattered throughout the main dining area. That’s called “theming.” Each table had a basket of trivia and “would you rather” cards on it for entertainment purposes, which I appreciated since I accidentally left my book in the car. Each year, the restaurant holds an “ugliest lamp” contest, and the winners are placed on the tables, as well. This was the one I ended up seated next to. Sadly, I didn’t think the food lived up to the hype. It was good… but not great. I started with fried green tomatoes. For the main course, I had a Kentucky Reuben quesadilla, which is corned beef and fried cabbage grilled between two quesadillas and served with Jack Daniel’s thousand island dressing. Which would make this more of a “Tennessee” Reuben, I would think, since that’s where Jack Daniel’s is based. But that’s just me, I guess. What the sandwich lacked in flavor it made up for in size — I ended up leaving about half of it, along with a couple of the fried tomatoes behind. But the main reason I came here was for the baked macaroni and cheese. I had heard wondrous things about this and was hoping for something along the lines of what my grandmother used to make. It looked good… but unfortunately, it tasted like nothing more than plain boiled noodles. It was probably the blandest thing I sampled the entire trip. Back outside, I stopped to admire the flip-flop-phone… …and this little guy. Afterward, I made my way down the street a ways to the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen (HICPK), one of several in Louisville. So many choices! They also make wedding cakes. I actually knew what I wanted before I even set foot in the door, thanks to online recommendations. This particular slice of chess pie was the absolute best dessert of the trip! For those who don’t know what chess pie is, it’s basically a baked sticky/custardy concoction of butter, sugar and eggs in a pie shell. But as simple as it sounds, there are a lot of ways to screw it up. This one was as close to perfection as it gets. This one and the one on the left below took a tumble in the car and got a little mashed up on the way to the hotel. This is HICPK’s signature caramel-iced Dutch apple pie. Nothing could compare to that chess pie, so it was a slight disappointment, but still really good. I had it for breakfast the next morning. The shaker sugar pie on the left below was basically caramelized brown sugar between two crusts! It was so sweet, it took me three nights to finish it off. I also bought the caramel upside-down cupcake on the right to try. Caramel cake was a specialty of my grandmother (not the macaroni-and-cheese grandmother; the other one), and I wanted to see how it compared. Grandmom’s was better, but this one wasn’t bad. It was so big and I had so many other stops along the way that I actually saved most of it for the night after I got home. OK, I know what you’re thinking: “Dude, you already had four desserts today. You’re honestly going to stop for more?” You’re darned right I am! Graeter’s came highly recommended by a friend of mine from Cincinnati, where its ice cream reigns supreme… even though the company is based in Louisville. In honor of my visit to Kentucky, I got a cone of bourbon ball ice cream. Now, I’m not usually one to drive out of my way for ice cream. With the exception of one dairy farm near my house, which offers a particularly excellent product, I’ve always pretty much thought most ice cream was the same. Well, Graeter’s uses what it calls a “French pot” method of injecting the chocolate pieces into its ice cream. I have no idea what that actually means, but I’m here to tell you that it works! This was delectable. What’s this? Another dessert? Yep! I’ve expounded on Krispy Kreme on the boards before, but here’s the short story: They opened one up near me when I was in college. My friends and I went there so often that we developed a crack-like addiction, especially to the hot original glazed. Then Krispy Kreme fell on hard financial times and closed every one of its stores within 200 miles of me. Now I make it a point to stop there whenever I’m on vacation in the South. I mean, wouldn’t you? The next morning, after my caramel apple pie breakfast and a visit to Caufield’s Novelty, I went downtown to visit the historic Brown Hotel. Not bad, eh? More specifically, however, I went to visit J. Graham’s Café inside the Brown Hotel. Why? This is why: the Hot Brown sandwich. It’s basically Texas toast, turkey, bacon, cheese and two tomato slices (which I picked out after taking the photo) covered in Hollandaise sauce and broiled. And its whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. This was marvelous! Plus it was nice to check off a lingering “roadfood” item I had wanted to try when Kelly and I visited in 2009, but got sidetracked by a different restaurant instead. For dessert, I picked up a “Blue Monday” candy bar from the hotel gift shop. It’s made by Ruth Hunt Candies, which offered tours at its nearby factory. Had I not already had a full itinerary for the day, I probably would have stopped there. The bar itself was sort of a powdery cream-like filling (think the stuff in the middle of Cow Tails or Goetz’ Caramel Creams) enrobed in chocolate. Interesting… but I don’t need to sample another. This is where I spent the evening, in Cave City, KY. Look familiar, Chadster? The complex included a small room with ice and this drink machine advertising a soft drink brand I hadn’t heard of before. It was pretty good… kind of like a Sprite, but with orange instead of lime. I found a wild cherry version at a gas station down the road the next day, which I didn’t like as much. Unfortunately, I later read the labels of both and found out that, although Ski isn’t a cola, its flavors do contain caffeine, which I’m supposed to avoid. Oops. Up next: the self-proclaimed “Bar-B-Q Capital of the World,” a brief detour to Nashville and lots more Kentucky.

Does that pony seriously have a walker? That looks like something out of one of those fake ads in MAD magazine.

^What he said! I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by the waffle dogs or by the fact that the mall had its own sea lion show. Thanks for giving up sleep to intrigue us, Larry!

I'll go with 10 duckies, as well.

Normally I don’t take the time to do extensive TRs of single restaurants in this thread, but Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, WV, merits an exception. Enjoy! This sign came up so fast, I actually had to turn around and drive back, even though I was actively looking for it. It’s literally nothing… nothing… nothing… landmark hot dog stand… nothing… nothing… wait a minute! Of course, Guy already beat me here. According to signs inside, he rated it one of the top 10 places he’s ever visited on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” I actually caught a rerun of his segment on the place a couple weeks after I dined there. With décor like this, it would be easy to guess this place was all about atmosphere rather than food. Fortunately, that guess would be wrong! Though the atmosphere is good. Here’s the line inside (I got there 15 minutes before opening, and the line was already out the door). You place your order, then they ring a bell and call your name when it’s ready for pickup at the counter. Whenever someone tips, the entire staff sings a song praising the owner and his wife with the tagline, “We got the weenies!” It’s infectious and pretty hilarious at the same time. The waitresses do a great job hamming up the “hillbilly” aspect (“Y’all come and git it!”). There’s also a big announcement whenever someone orders a “Homewrecker” — a 15-pound hot dog with the works! Outside seating takes place beneath a weather-worn boat. Indoor seating is in one of two buses repurposed for dining. I chose the bus. Did I mention that graffiti is encouraged? TPR represent! There are roughly several bajillion hot dogs to choose from, and I don’t remember what mine was called, but it had grilled onions, chili, bacon, cheese and some other stuff on it. I also opted for an order of garlic ranch fries… because really, who wouldn’t opt for an order of garlic ranch fries? I did decline extra bacon on them, however. You know… the diet. A cross-section of the hot dog to prove there really is a hot dog in there… and it was phenomenal! If I’m ever in this area again, I’m definitely stopping by. Disney-approved! This is what is called “roadfood foreshadowing.” But we have awhile before we get that far. Up next: one more holdover from West Virginia, then it’s on to Louisville, KY, for more landmark restaurants and dessert-a-palooza!

I agree that the Bar-B-Q Shop's sandwich looks best. I had my first pulled-pork-on-toast experience last month, and I was surprised that the crunchy texture really did add to the sandwich. Did you actually get to see pigs dance? Too bad you missed Rendevouz; that was my favorite restaurant in Memphis when I was there a few years ago. Blues City Cafe was pretty good, as well; I especially liked their fried pies.

While Blue Bayou is, as Wes said, the place to impress at Disneyland, it may be difficult to get in if you don't have reservations, and reservations can be hard to come by if you don't make them a few weeks (up to two months) in advance. It's also fairly pricey. If you aren't able to get in there, a nice alternative is the Cafe Orleans, right next door. Even if you experience a wait there, I've never gone more than 20 minutes or so before getting a table. The outside dining provides a sidewalk cafe-like experience perfect for people watching, with a view of the Rivers of America, and you may even luck up on some jazz entertainment from the nearby streetmosphere performers. Or, if you go in the evening, try to plan your meal shortly before Fantasmic starts and stay for the show during dessert. The restaurant offers some of the same menu items as Blue Bayou at a slightly reduced price, if I remember correctly. Bonus: Both Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans are just steps away from the largely forgotten Court of Angels, just behind the shops near Pirates of the Caribbean. If you're looking for some alone time in a romantic atmosphere, steal away back there for awhile, perhaps with a couple of cool beverages from the nearby Mint Julep Bar (by the train station). It's my go-to spot at Disneyland for getting away from the crowds. The only other time I've ever seen anyone else back there (including times when the park was filled to capacity), was when a photographer was using it as a backdrop for a couple's engagement photo. Big Thunder Trail is also good for getting away from the crowds, and though I think the Court of Angels is more picturesque, the dimly-lit Trail does offer its own special atmosphere at night.

But... I thought there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime. Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Wow, that park has the best signs and structures ever! Too bad it was lacking in other ways. Thanks for sharing!

^Nice! Although that does explain why I had to put in a claim at UPS today for a package that apparently was lost somewhere in New Jersey about two weeks ago. Big Mike goes on vacation, and the whole place goes to pot!

I took the Pirate’s Flight sign photo on opening weekend. Maybe it’s gone already? Unfortunately, I probably won’t be back to check until Fright Fest. As for Beech Bend, I didn’t take any interior photos of the Haunted House (I generally don’t take any on-ride photos unless it’s specifically spelled out that it’s allowed), but here are some views of the outside from last month. The exterior doesn’t really seem to have changed much, based on photos I’ve seen.

Larry, I’m not sure if this photo of Zero-G at Beech Bend is good enough for the index, but it’s the only one I could find in my pictures from my recent visit there. Also thought you might be able to use this photo of the new Pirate’s Flight sign from SFA. In addition, some ride closing/re-opening updates I noticed while going through the index just now: Avalanche at SFA is no more (it wasn’t there last year, if I remember correctly). The Haunted House at Beech Bend, however, has re-opened, and it looks pretty good inside.

^^Throughout my travels, I’ve noticed that just about every root beer place uses an orange-and-black or orange-and-brown color scheme (there are some more examples coming up in the thread). I have no idea how those became the official colors for root beer, but it seems to be nearly as universal as striped poles for barber shops.

In early June, I completed a nine-day, 10-state driving vacation that took me to amusement parks, roadside attractions and restaurants in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. During that time, I managed to gain no fewer than 14 pounds! Here’s why. Not counting a Hardee’s breakfast sandwich that morning (all diet bets were off for this trip), my first stop of the vacation was Cumberland, MD, for… Coney Island hot dogs? Oh noes! Fortunately, Curtis’ was the place I had intended to go to all along. I didn’t even know that other Coney Island place existed until I ended up parking in front of its now-empty shell. “When Johnny was marching off to war… we were making Coney Island sauce!” Check out the menu. I had actually been to Curtis’ a few years earlier. Beneath the piece of cardboard listing Cherry Coke is a portion of the sign that reads “Cherry Smash,” a Virginia-based soft drink that was quite good. I was sad to see they had taken it off the menu. Apparently the change took place shortly after my last visit; the waitress said Curtis’ was the only restaurant in the area that was still stocking it, and the company stopped sending delivery drivers all that way for a single order. My regular order at Curtis’: two with sauce, hold the onions. They were as fantastic as I remembered. I also got to see the cook (but alas, failed to get a picture) line a quantity of them up his arm and dress them in bulk. Fun stuff! Several hours and several antique stores later, I pulled into Huntington, WV, where my first stop was the Frostop Drive-Inn. Check out the giant root beer mug on the roof! It rotates. Much like A&W, Frostop was once a drive-in hot dog and root beer chain that later bottled its brew for sales in stores. Today, only a few individual restaurants remain. It looks just like the one on the roof! The hot dog was great! The chili actually tasted just like its counterpart at one of my favorite hot dog joints, Ann’s Dari-Creme in Glen Burnie, MD, which I’ve written about elsewhere on TPR, if not in this thread. The slaw (a traditional hot dog topping in West Virginia) could have been a little better, but it was still good. And the carhop was very friendly, welcoming me when she found out it was not only my first time at a Frostop, but in Huntington, as well. Let’s talk about this root beer for a moment. It was quite probably the best root beer I’ve ever had! Very sweet, with a strong hint of vanilla, served in a chilled mug. What’s not to like? Next up on the hot dog trail was Stewart’s Hot Dogs. There are several branches of this very local chain in Huntington, but this little orange stand is the original. In fact, it’s so small, I accidentally drove by it during my first pass. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not related to the Stewart’s bottled sodas or the Stewart’s Original drive-ins of New Jersey. As good as Frostop? Let’s find out. OK, the root beer was really good, if not quite as good as Frostop (and not served in a frosted mug, obviously). The dogs were… not great. I really liked the coleslaw, but the chili just kind of tasted like “glop,” and the dogs were nothing special. The onion rings were 99 percent grease, and I ended up leaving most of them behind. Honestly, I probably would have gone with the one-dog, one-root beer order here as I did at Frostop had I not had a coupon for the extra dog and onion rings. My last stop before checking into the hotel after a long day: Jolly Pirate Donuts… And gyros! Retro packaging! The doughnuts here were pretty good overall. The glazed wasn’t half bad… …while the apple fritter was great! I saved mine for breakfast the next morning. Up next: Hillbilly Hot Dogs! You won't want to miss this one.

Great report! I've never seen the Rolo walk-around before, so that was a treat (no pun intended). Thanks for posting.

After a few months’ hiatus, the Roadfood thread returns! But this time, the reason for the delay is more than just my usual busy-ness. In late January, I started a major diet and, save for a few weekend trips, vacations and special occasions, I really haven’t gone to many Roadfood-style places. In fact, with the exception of my weekly bar trivia night and a few work-related events, I really haven’t dined out much at all this year. The good news is, a couple months ago, Kelly decided to make it a “family diet,” and in the past couple months, she and Lauryn have lost weight, as well. Then a few of our friends joined in… so we have kind of a “Biggest Loser” thing going on. That said, I do have some fun places to report on… and they’re 100 percent scrapple-free! Enjoy! I’m not sure how this place has escaped the Roadfood thread thus far, but Thrasher’s French Fries is an Ocean City, MD, tradition dating back to the 1920s. This was the “crowd” when I stopped by during a visit to the boardwalk the first week of January to take a photo to enter into one of Big Mike’s contests. In the summer, the line can stretch for what seems like a mile. However, there is a dirty little secret: Besides the main location pictured here, there are other Thrasher’s locations further down the boardwalk that almost never have lines… and the fries there are just as good, no matter what anyone tells you. This is a “small” (sizes go all the way up to a popcorn-style bucket) with sea salt and vinegar, the way God intended Thrasher’s fries to be eaten! The only items served besides fries are Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, poured into cups from two-liter bottles. And don’t even think about asking for ketchup. It’s not available at Thrasher’s, and the Boog’s Barbecue restaurant next door (owned by and named for Baltimore Orioles Hall-of-Famer John “Boog” Powell) has signs sternly warning patrons that its ketchup is not to be used on Thrasher’s fries… or else. In early March, Lauryn started talking about how much she wanted to visit New York. I have no idea what prompted this sudden urge to see the Big Apple, but I suspect it was because the main characters from “iCarly” or “Big Time Rush” or “Victorious” or some other interchangeable show probably went there. Kelly and I started talking about a visit… then the next day at work, a friend of mine who runs bus trips told me she still had tickets available for her next trip to New York a few weeks later if I knew anyone who was interested. It was kismet! Kelly wanted to spend the day taking Lauryn shopping in the Times Square area, and I reluctantly agreed… provided I got to choose the restaurants. First up: John’s Pizzeria. I came thisclose to changing my mind once I realized that Shake Shack was right across the street (and the grill smell coming from there was amazing), but since I had been denied a chance to visit John’s once before during a group holiday trip when the wait proved to be too long, I had incentive to see what I had missed out on. Next time I’ll visit Shake Shack to see what I missed out on this time! How many pizza joints have you been to with a ceiling like this? This particular branch of John’s (with several locations throughout the city) was built inside a defunct church! The view from our table. Not too shabby! Stained glass windows on the other side. But forget about the view… this is where the magic happens! On Scott’s Pizza Tour last year, I learned that the best pizzas come from coal-fired ovens like this. Lauryn had a bad experience with pizza last year (she will forever associate tomato sauce with the flu), so she doesn’t particularly care for it anymore. However, she is a garlic bread fiend. Personally, I thought John’s’ variety was a little bland, but she enjoyed it, which is what counts. Ladies and gentlemen, this pepperoni-sausage-garlic-cheese, coal-fired, thin-crust pizza from John’s is quite probably the best pizza I have eaten thus far in my life. Kelly said the same thing… and we’ve eaten a lot of pizza! Maybe it’s because it was the first “junk” food I’d had in more than two months at that point. Maybe it really was that good. I don’t know. But to this day, I still have dreams about that wonderful pie. Originally, I wanted to go to the Carnegie Deli for dinner. However, in researching the trip, Kelly decided it was too far to walk. Plus, she really hates crowded, chaotic places, and neither of us was sure how well Lauryn would do in that type of atmosphere after getting up at 4 a.m. and spending the day walking several miles through New York. I wasn’t sure how long our wait would be, and I read a lot of mixed reviews online. Ultimately, we decided it would be best to skip it this time and try something else. When I read about Junior’s, it sounded like the perfect substitution. How can you have a Brooklyn-themed restaurant without featuring Ebbets Field? “Forget Ebbets Field… where’s the food?” Our meal began with complimentary sour pickles, beets and coleslaw. I had read good things about the matzo ball soup, so Kelly and I each got a bowl. They were huge! I really wish we had just got one to split; it was a meal unto itself. I got the half corned beef, half pastrami sandwich. It looks good here… but in actuality, it was pretty dry. I’ve had better. Kelly went for the pastrami burger with fries and onion r.ings, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Lauryn got the same thing, only without the pastrami and r.ings. The onion r.ings were the size of doughnuts! That’s not an exaggeration. Full as we were, we weren’t about to leave without sampling a slice of Junior’s’ famous cheesecake. They’re even sold on QVC, according to my mother. We got a piece to split three ways. Om nom nom! At the Toys “R” Us in Times Square, I picked up some bacon-flavored jellybeans and cheese-flavored fried worms. The worms tasted like… nothing, really. The jellybeans, on the other hand, were absolutely horrible! Kelly got mad at me after she ate one on the way home. I still have most of them left… though I did palm some off to the kids who attended Lauryn’s birthday party last month (they got mad at me, too). In April, my friend from whom we bought the New York tickets called and let me know she had a few empty seats left on her bus trip to the 100th anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., that she was willing to give away, lest they be wasted. Lauryn was spending her spring break with her father in Kentucky, and Kelly wasn’t really interested, so I went solo. After the massive parade, I made my way to the Sakura Matsuri street festival. I was looking forward to sampling authentic Japanese cuisine… …like Big Macs! Um… let’s go with whatever this guy is making instead. The lines for the Japanese food vendors were insane and not even remotely organized. You would stand in one line for 20 minutes only to find out it wasn’t a line at all, but a dead end. In the end, it was more of a “next person who shouts their order is the next person who gets waited on” deal. This pork bun was OK. Not really worth waiting 45 minutes for, but… OK. I had better luck at the pre-packaged, grab-and-go booths. I’m not really sure what these things were, but they were incredible! Far and away the best food I had at the festival. Unfortunately, I pushed my luck too far. As a fan of “Lost,” I certainly wasn’t going to pass up on the opportunity to try an actual fish biscuit! It was filled with bean paste, and didn’t have much taste. I’m not sure what those things next to it were called, but they were kind of like a dense marshmallow-flavored dough coated in chunky Karo syrup, if that even makes sense. By the time I finished all three skewers, I felt pretty sick. That was the last “cheat” day until Memorial Day weekend, when I made a special trip to Bethlehem, PA, to see Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica perform during “Luau at Levitt” at the Levitt Pavilion at the SteelStacks arts and entertainment complex. This was the snack bar inside. Apparently the Just Born candy company, maker of Peeps and Mike and Ikes, is a big sponsor. These were the benches! I opted for the outdoor catering, which was a bit more luau-themed! Roast pig sandwich with mango chutney (pineapple salsa also available), taro chips (listed as “homemade,” though they obviously weren’t) and a mai tai… now that’s living! That’s all for this installment. Stay tuned for more!

Nice! Congrats, Robb! This sounds much more promising than the behind-the-scenes tour of the apple fries kitchen. Yeah, I'd watch that!

Thanks again, Larry! Since the Grimaldi's on Front Street was one of the two restaurants I had to cut from the itenerary due to logistics (Peter Luger was the other; I'll get there eventually), that's especially good news. We're talking about doing both Totonno's and Grimaldi's at Coney now... with Nathan's thrown in for good measure, naturally.