Sunday, May 7, 2017

ELEVATION BURGER - MARYLAND HOUSE, MARYLAND

It was a road trip from hell. The traffic was insufferable, we were both car weary, famished for something good to eat and the GPS was offering us nothing exciting to detour toward. When we reached the Maryland House, one of the I-95 Travel Plazas, I was determined to find something other than chips and soda pop for us to eat.

Recently renovated, the new 42,000 square-foot facility features food from Deli & Co., Wendy's, Phillips Seafood, Dunkin' Donuts, Jerry's Subs & Pizza, Currito, Nathan's Famous, Auntie Anne's and Carvel. There's also a  new 5,700 square-foot A-Plus convenience store at the Sunoco high-speed fueling station which features food from Elevation Burger.

Elevation Burger is an American fast casual restaurant chain which features burgers made of organic meat, fresh cut French fries cooked in olive oil, a burger that can be made with as many as ten patties  - a vertigo burger, two kinds of veggie burger and hand-blended milkshakes made from hand-scooped ice cream.

So, this was not bad. We both ordered the elevation burger which was two patties, lettuce, tomato, and their special elevation sauce. There wasn't enough special sauce for Big Daddy so he added mayo to his. But the burger was really quite tasty and had great flavor. I found the fries slightly greasy and it surprised me because they're supposed to be fried in olive oil, but I think it was because they needed to drain a minute or two longer but their was a crowd and lengthy line and the two young men working were trying hard to keep up and keep the customers happy.

We both know that it will never be our go-to burger place but we would stop again if we needed to. I've heard that reviews are mixed about the food chain but it would seem that most of this has to do with the service and necessarily the quality of the food. We had a great experience, excellent service for a rest stop and no complaints.

Friday, May 5, 2017

JOHN'S PIZZA - STAMFORD, CT


A literary event took me back to my hometown recently. I was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut a quaint, sleepy little town located some thirty miles from Manhattan. Time has transformed the landscape from a quaint, sleepy little town into a bustling metropolis that holds much less charm. But a continued staple that made the three day trip well worth it was a much beloved pizza shop that still sits at the intersection of Grove Street and Strawberry Hill.

I grew up on John's Pizza. It was a weekly staple that my parents never waivered from. John's Pizza is a family-owned business that has been around since 1968. Theirs is a Greek-styled pan pizza and I'm told that they recipe has never been changed.

Friday nights my father would come through the door with pizza boxes stacked five high and it was sheer heaven! I was so excited to share that memory and that experience with the big guy so John's Pizza was one of our first stops after arriving in the city.

Everything about the meal screamed home and comfort. The crust was still as flavorful with just the right about of crisp that I remembered. The sauce was precision, the medley of tomatoes and seasonings sheer bliss. We ordered pepperoni and days later I regretted not ordering a sausage pie, and maybe two or three others to take back home with us. It was just that good.

After savoring the delight I was excited to hear what the big guy had to say and with two thumbs up he said he'd definitely eat there again. I didn't need to say that I would do so also without a moments hesitation.

I did, however, have one complaint. The pies seemed amazingly smaller than I remembered. But as both my parents noted, back then, I had been much smaller as well, so of course, back then, they seemed humongous in my mind!




Friday, April 7, 2017

SKIPPER'S FISH FRY - APEX, NC

So, there is this cute little joint in Apex, North Carolina called Skipper's Fish Fry. It was highly recommended and when we found ourselves in the area we figured we'd stop and give it a try. The atmosphere was quaint and friendly. The space was exceptionally clean and had a light, airy vibe. The spot reminded me of fish joints you find close to the coast. Where you can get a good fish dinner while wearing your swim suit and sandals!

I ordered the catfish platter which consisted of one piece of catfish with fries and coleslaw. I also added the clam chowder because when I saw it on the menu I immediately missed my favorite New England chowder. Big Daddy ordered the fish sandwich with fries and a hotdog. Yes. A hotdog. Because there was a sign on the wall that said their hotdog was voted the best. It wasn't. Not even close.
The fish was okay. Nothing to get overly excited about but if you wanted a quick fish dinner, this would be an okay go-to spot. Big Daddy gave the whole meal a shrug. He didn't get excited and said even if he was in the area he didn't know if he'd go out of his way to eat their again.

And that chowder? It was a waste of our money, tasting overly fishy with the texture of paste. It ruined the moment and now I'm still missing my favorite clam chowder.





Wednesday, April 5, 2017

LYNNWOOD GRILL - RALEIGH, NC


Nothing in the world beats a great neighborhood sports bar and Lynnwood Grill on Grove Barton Road in Raleigh is a great neighborhood spot to hang out, mingle with friends, and watch the game of the moment. It's been a staple in the area for ten-plus years and we've watched it grow into a something really spectacular for casual dining. We've gotten to know the staff and have seen many earn tips for school before moving on in their young lives.

Monday night is wing night and when we usually find our way there. Wings are .50 each and select beers are $4. Weekly specials abound and they have a better than average menu of wraps, sandwiches, pizza and bar food.


Lynnwood Grill is also a brewery with a very nice selection of craft beers. The Lynnwood Light is one Big Daddy orders every time we're there and I really enjoy it as well.

If by chance you are ever in the neighborhood, stop in and say hey! And order yourself some wings! You have to order a minimum of six at a time and there is an assortment of flavors. The garlic pepper parmesan and mild barbecue are really good!




Monday, April 3, 2017

DAME'S CHICKEN AND WAFFLE - DURHAM, NC

A recent family celebration took us to DAME'S CHICKEN AND WAFFLES in downtown Durham, North Carolina. For obvious reasons we were excited to order the Chicken and Waffles, but were not at all prepared for the many choices that were available to us. It was the list of SHMEARS and DRIZZLES that had us both shaking our heads!

Now a shmear is a sweet crème butter delicately whipped with the freshest, natural ingredients. The list of flavors included strawberry-crème, chocolate hazelnut, maple-pecan, baby-blueberry, vanilla-almond, peach apricot, and orange-honeycomb.  The list of drizzles, flavored nuts and syrups, is as lengthy, and then of course, there are the waffle choices which include classic, sweet potato, gingerbread, blueberry and vegan. It's a lot, but thankfully they have a number of "inspirations" or combinations of flavors paired for you.

Big Daddy ordered the Carolina Cockerel which was three large wings, a blueberry waffle with the peach and apricot shmear. I ordered the Light Brown Leghorns, four drumsticks with a classic waffle and chocolate hazelnut shmear drizzled with caramel and cashews. We added sides of southern potato salad, mean collard greens and Ceci's mac and cheese.

From start to finish we both enjoyed our meals. The chicken was really good! Not great, but good. It was tender with a nicely crisped outside. Now, they are definitely heavy handed with the seasonings! Everything was highly flavored. The greens were cooked to perfection with just the right amount of bite but for me, the red pepper had it too hot to truly be enjoyable. We both enjoyed the potato salad and neither one of us is a fan of the macaroni and cheese. There was nothing cheesy about the mac and it was seasoned with  something that tasted very "green" and "earthy". I got a basil taste but Big Daddy thought it might be something else. We would order the potato salad and the greens again, but would pass on the macaroni.

And I have to talk about the SHMEAR! That was some sort of good and slathered on the fluffiest, perfectly cooked waffle made it the highlight of the meal for me. I liked my chocolate-hazelnut and I liked Big Daddy's peach and apricot. I could have done without the caramel and cashew drizzle. I found that too sweet for my palate but he enjoyed it.

Our favorite uncle joined us for this meal and he was excited to share his impressions of our dinner. Like Big Daddy he had the Carolina Cockerel. He scored the greens highly, giving them an 8. He enjoyed the spicy heat. We all agreed the potato salad was a solid 10 and he found the chicken fair, feeling the pieces were a little too large for his tastes and seasoned with an herb he thought took away from the overall flavor.
The portions were generous and everyone walked out with leftovers for a late night snack. And I have to rave about the sweet tea. I drank three extremely large glasses and could have guzzled a gallon more.

Dame's Chicken and Waffle won't take the title for best fried chicken but they were a good time and the meal was enjoyable. We'll definitely visit them again.