Southern Restraunt Sightings.

[blas]

Around this particular area, people have fallen in love with Southern food. There used to be 2 or 3 Southern restaurants around here, now there's only 1...I think.

Some guy took me on a date to the Southern restaurant. I hate to sound ignorant and dumb, but all the food in the menu, the descriptions sounded just disgusting and rancid.

It was probaby a bad idea to go there because I cannot stand spicey food, and nearly everything on the menu was described as being hot.

I ordered a mushroom swiss burger and fries. Of course, the fries were on fire with whatever spices they put in them, and the burger was even more on fire.

I picked at my fries, said I wasn't hungry, got a to-go box, and promptly gave it to my friend on my way home because she loves spicey food.

I'm picking the restaurants from now on.

[ArenaBoy]

I also miss Faygo...Vernors...White Castle(best after the bar)...Cheryl's Place(best breakfast in town 12 yrs running)...and all the yummy cherry items at the Traverse City Cherry fest(salsa, jam, jelly, pies, BBQ sauce, marinades, wine). My favorite pizza has always been Hungry Howies which I thought was a northerner thing but I just found out there are 2 within 15 miles of my house! WooHoo!!!

VERNORS!! The best ginger ale out there. I love giving that stuff to out of state folks, the reactions are always priceless. Faygo and White Castle are great and yes Hungry Howies has always been great but I'm more of a Buddy's fan. Speaking of which, I need to replenish my Vernors supply. Here's a little Wikipedia article on Vernors, I love the stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernors

[MystyGlyttyr]

Let's see...I'm from rural Arkansas, what food do we have...?

Well, snake tastes like a really bland chicken and alligator is just...wrong...fishy AND chickeny, yuck. Squirrel is all right, a bit on the stringy side. Crow is FOUL. Sorrel has a nice sour kick to it. Wild strawberries are too small most of the time. There are these tiny little purple flowers that taste just like lettuce, but they're a pain in the ass to gather up. Grasshopper is good so long as you burn it to a crisp. Tastes kind of like potato chips. And plums are best when they're still yellow.

Yeah, down here, we'll pretty much eat anything that holds still long enough.

[myswtghst]

Aren't they pronounced "gooey ducks"? Those things are *scary* looking.

And the best part is, I only recently learned about geoducks thanks to Top Chef on Bravo.

I'm from Chicago, so I have to stand up and say that I think we have the absolute best hot dogs, Italian beef, and pizza--especially the deep dish. When I went up to MI for college, I couldn't wait to come home for a visit, just to hit up Giordano's (best pizza) and Portillo's (hot dogs, cheese fries, shakes, Italian beef, etc) and do some pigging out.

I love hot dogs Chicago-style, though I generally leave off the relish. I think the celery salt is a great touch, and I eat 'em even though the onions give me tummyaches sometimes. There's a place near me called Fratello's, where you can get a Chi-style hot dog and a hug bag of fries for next to nothing.

As for MI, I miss Cottage Inn pizza--they had the best green olives and extra cheese pizza EVER. I also miss the cherries--we had dried TC cherries on the shelves at Meijer all the time.

And Zehnder's!! If you ever are dragged up to Frankenmuth, home of the biggest Christmas store ever, hit up Zehnders--the food is insane--fantastic fried chicken and huge portions. The meals come in courses, with cottage cheese (which I love) and all kinds of breads with jams and fruit butters. And after dinner, you can head down to the shop to buy most of what you just ate to take home--including the amazing cherry wines!

[XCashier]

in arizona you can get the classic places the water stores or the interesting ice cream joints and they all have different kinds of ice cream and i love the different feel they all have.

If you're ever in Phoenix, try Mary Coyle's Ice Cream: http://www.marycoyle.net/visit.html Their Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream during the holiday season is heavenly.

Pizza. Ok, New York can shell out good pizza too, but anywhere out of there, and the grade of pizza just isn't the same.

No kidding. I've only been to New York twice, but they've had the best pizza I have ever tasted. Now in Eugene, I have yet to find a really good pizza here. Have yet to find any good Mexican or Chinese food here as well.

Good seafood, on the other hand, is easy to find. For some truly excellent fish & chips, try the Wild Salmon Fish & Chips at Fisherman's Market http://www.plankfish.com/plank_who.htm They also have flavored tartar sauces; my favorites are the Mediterranean Madness (olives, capers, roasted garlic & sun dried tomato tartar sauce) and Bombay Bomber (yellow curry tartar sauce).

[ArenaBoy]

And Zehnder's!! If you ever are dragged up to Frankenmuth, home of the biggest Christmas store ever, hit up Zehnders--the food is insane--fantastic fried chicken and huge portions. The meals come in courses, with cottage cheese (which I love) and all kinds of breads with jams and fruit butters. And after dinner, you can head down to the shop to buy most of what you just ate to take home--including the amazing cherry wines!

Back when I ate meat I used to love going up to Frakenmuth. Don't forget Bronner's and the Bavarian Inn.

Myswtghst; I love Chicago style pizza, I ate at Pizzeria Deux when I was down there best pizza right up there with Buddy's and Shields in Detroit.

[JustADude]

just to hit up Giordano's (best pizza)

Mom lives in Chi-town (works for the university) and took me to Giordano's when I visited her last time. I wasn't too impressed, but I think that's more because I let her pick the toppings. She's the kind of person that will somehow, instinctively, pick the worst item on the menu.

[Kiwi]

I also grew up with sprite as lemonade, I got a mighty shock when the "real" stuff turned up.... although it is DELISHIOUS!!!!!!!

Although nothing beats aussie ginger beer.... soo good!

I can not WAIT to go down to the southern american states to try soul food.... it all sounds mouth watering, apart from grits and that crackling in a burrito thing.

[Pagan]

Don't you rag on our effing architecture! A century and a half is pretty goddamn old for the west coast, especially when most cities just pull the things down and have done with it. You know nothing in this country measures up to Europe anyway.

Geez, ese, chill vato! I in no way was raggin’ on your architecture! Questioning the use of the word “ancient” isn’t disparaging the buildings themselves. There’s plenty of buildings (mostly missions) in California that are older that 150 yrs, seeing as it was a Spanish colony like NM. I was just wondering if you were being a bit sarcastic! I thought perhaps you were thinking just in terms of English colonization, as well.

Yes, there are places in Europe that are extremely old (i.e., the debris dating back 2000 yrs on Castle Rock in Edinburgh, Skara Brae in the Orkneys). But, Taos Pueblo (a World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark) has been inhabited for over 1000 yrs, Chaco Canyon (Anasazi) is over 1000 yrs old, Mesa Verde (Anasazi) may date back to 575 CE, some ruins Canyon de Chelly (Anasazi and Navajo) date back to 350 CE.

Plus, even though it’s not in the US, there are the ruins of a Viking settlement that dates to 1001 CE at L’Anse aux Meadows on Newfoundland in Canada.

So, yes, there are old things in Europe, but there’s a lot of old things here, too.

Sorry about the rant, but I get so peeved when people go on and on about nothing being old in the US. They’re usually talking about the East Coast and seem not to consider the pre-English/US history of the western part of the country!

[JustADude]

I can not WAIT to go down to the southern American states to try soul food.... it all sounds mouth watering, apart from grits and that crackling in a burrito thing.

As a guy who grew up in the heart of Arkansas (oddly, the least hillbilly part of the state) you definitely need to hit the little hole-in-the wall places to get the best soul food. If the place looks professional, or tourist-folksy, go somewhere else, because the good stuff is served in places that cater to the blue-collar workers and have a 'homey' vibe to 'em.

If you go through North Little Rock in AR, DO NOT leave without swinging by JoJo's for pulled pork sandwiches I haven't found the better of in a decade of looking.

[traylk]

As for MI, I miss Cottage Inn pizza--they had the best green olives and extra cheese pizza EVER. I also miss the cherries--we had dried TC cherries on the shelves at Meijer all the time.

OMG! I miss Meijer sooooo much! I wish they would expand faster and build one here.....lol

[rdp78]

I also grew up with sprite as lemonade, I got a mighty shock when the "real" stuff turned up.... although it is DELISHIOUS!!!!!!!

Um, just wandering why was Sprite called lemonade. It just doesn't really make sense to me I mean there is a lemony taste to Sprite I just find it a bit odd. Then again people are finding the whole sweet tea a bit odd too .

Anyway about the real lemonade you can't beat the freshly made stuff and when my family was doing festivals (my parents own a candy company that sold cotton candy to local stores, it went out business in '99) we made fresh squeezed lemonade (sometimes limeade, once in awhile cherry lemonade). We had a commercial lemon squeezer that we still have and so we were able to make really good lemonade. I think we used about two lemons for the 16oz cups and maybe 3 limes for limeades. First we just squeezed the lemons when the customer ordered it but then well, we figure it was going to take way to long so presqueezed the fruit and put it in containers using ladles. I think one ladle for 2 lemons maybe one and half I can't remember. For the sugar, my dad made sugar water using large coffer maker and put it in a used sno-kone (yes, we sold those too) pump. It was three squits for one cup then we add ice and water after that we put it in a martini shaker (yes, we still have couple of those left) then shook it really good then it's poured in a plastic cup. I would note my dad was one who mainly did the lemonade.

Heck, it was so good when they were opening the Explore Park they ask my dad to make them many gallons (I don't know the exact amount but I think it was close to hundred) of lemonade for the grande opening. After that we did the food and drink for the park for few years before they got the tavern restuarant.

[myswtghst]

OMG! I miss Meijer sooooo much! I wish they would expand faster and build one here.....lol

I was so happy that they built one out here the burbs around the time I moved home. I love being able to do my grocery shopping when I get off work at midnight.

[Kiwi]

Um, just wandering why was Sprite called lemonade. It just doesn't really make sense to me I mean there is a lemony taste to Sprite I just find it a bit odd.

Sprite is a clear soda, lemon-lime flavored, caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company.

Im guessing thats why? I dont know, but I guess its just a cultural thing... just like where Im from if you asked for a soda or a pop people would stare at you confused, just like when I asked for a soft drink when I first visited the states.

[rdp78]

Sprite is a clear soda, lemon-lime flavored, caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company.

Im guessing thats why? I dont know, but I guess its just a cultural thing... just like where Im from if you asked for a soda or a pop people would stare at you confused, just like when I asked for a soft drink when I first visited the states.

Well, this is the first time I heard people revering Sprite as lemonade so I didn't really understand it and yes, I assume it had to be a cultural thing. I tell ya I'm learning a lot about other culturals(even if they are in the same country) just on this thread, I'm thinking about making myself a Frito Pie (even through I'm trying to eat more healthy) one day it just sounds really good). Anyway I do call soft drinks soda most of the time.

Okay, speaking of good southern food my mom actually makes a pretty good okra and tomato dish (I think she uses the canned stuff) but it's much healthier then fried okra which is still good. I think she even uses okra in homemade soups sometimes.