That Food Guy
Friday, August 12, 2016
Smoky Mountain Brewery - Maryville, Tennessee
About the 1970s a movement of creating
craft beers began. Americans consumers were looking for alternatives to the
pale lager beer sold by the major growing companies. If you wanted an old world
style beer you had to seek out an important. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed the H.R. 1337 bill and home brewing
became legal. With the increasing popularity of home
brewing and the emergence of micro-breweries it was only natural that the
brewery pair with the restaurant.
Nonetheless, it was a pleasant interlude, the sharing of a meal with good
friends. By prior arrangement we met Mariano and Abbie at the Smoky Mountain
Brewery. Although we came from opposite directions we arrived almost
simultaneously. We seem to have it down to the seconds…
We were seated almost immediately. Joanna. A most charming and efficient
young lady and our server, was there in seconds to greet us and take out
preliminary order for beverages. I must
add that during the meal she was usually close at hand but never obtrusive,
certainly an asset to the Smoky Mountain Brewery.
The menu has lots of choices including appetizers, deli-style sandwiches,
wings, salads, ribs, steak and chicken, pizzas and calzones and some pasta
dishes as well as a selection of “Brewery Burgers.” From their menu: “Brewhouse
Burgers – Ground fresh daily and served on your choice of sesame or whole-wheat
bun. Choice of any side.” Those sides include honey mustard potato salad, fresh
broccoli and beer cheese, baked macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, or a basket
of fries. Not surprisingly, we all ordered from the Brewhouse Burgers section
of the menu.
Abbie and Janis both ordered the Brewery Burger ($5.50), the basic burger
that can be outfitted to taste with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. Both
also chose the basket of fries for a side dish. The Brewhouse Burgers are in
the middle of the middle range of what could be called “gourmet burgers.” The meat,
somewhere between a third and half-pound patties, is cooked to order and the
chef has the cook time pretty well nailed; a nice sear on the outside and the
red to pink as ordered inside. The ladies seemed to enjoy their selections and
stated that they were quite good leaving only minor amounts for a doggie bag.
Mariano ordered the Grilled Mountain Melt (Swiss and American cheese, sautéed
onions, grilled rye bread - $6.50), basically a 2 cheese and onion hamburger on
rye. Mariano said it was a very tasty burger and that he did enjoy the
different taste and texture imparted by the grilled rye bread. He also noted
that it was a big sandwich, very tall and very filling.
Smoky Mountain Brewery
in Maryville,
Tennessee
743 Watkins Rd, Maryville, TN 37801
(865) 238-1900
There are a lot of
restaurants under the Copper Cellar family manner. They include such
restaurants as Calhoun’s, Cappuccino’s, Copper cellar and Copper Cellar
Catering, Cherokee Grill, Chesapeake’s and of course, Smoky Mountain Brewery.
There are four restaurants carrying the smoky Mountain brewery name. They are
all located in the greater Knoxville Tennessee area of eastern Tennessee and
are located in Turkey Creek, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Maryville. We visited
the Maryville location which is closest to our home.
About the 1970s a movement of creating
craft beers began. Americans consumers were looking for alternatives to the
pale lager beer sold by the major growing companies. If you wanted an old world
style beer you had to seek out an important. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed the H.R. 1337 bill and home brewing
became legal. With the increasing popularity of home
brewing and the emergence of micro-breweries it was only natural that the
brewery pair with the restaurant.
Following the trend, in 1996 the first
Smoky Mountain Brewery store opened in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. On their website
they state, ”… the
restaurant and brewery combination has been a fun place to take the family with
its fresh mountain micro-brewed beer plus traditional pizza, one-of-a-kind subs
and sandwiches.” The Maryville store boasts of over 40 hi-def video screens and
that it is a great place especially during sporting events. Our visit was
during the Olympics and we did have a great view of many of the Olympic venues.
We arrived a bit before the dinner hour and there was immediate seating and it
was not at all crowded. By the time we had finished our meal it was well into
the dinner hour and the seating was full and there was a waiting line to get
in; plan your visit. As with many places these days, the ceiling is unfinished,
sporting the semi-industrial look with exposes AC ducting and the like. All of
those hard surfaces reflect sound and a full restaurant is a noisy place.
Nonetheless, it was a pleasant interlude, the sharing of a meal with good
friends. By prior arrangement we met Mariano and Abbie at the Smoky Mountain
Brewery. Although we came from opposite directions we arrived almost
simultaneously. We seem to have it down to the seconds…
We were seated almost immediately. Joanna. A most charming and efficient
young lady and our server, was there in seconds to greet us and take out
preliminary order for beverages. I must
add that during the meal she was usually close at hand but never obtrusive,
certainly an asset to the Smoky Mountain Brewery. 
The menu has lots of choices including appetizers, deli-style sandwiches,
wings, salads, ribs, steak and chicken, pizzas and calzones and some pasta
dishes as well as a selection of “Brewery Burgers.” From their menu: “Brewhouse
Burgers – Ground fresh daily and served on your choice of sesame or whole-wheat
bun. Choice of any side.” Those sides include honey mustard potato salad, fresh
broccoli and beer cheese, baked macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, or a basket
of fries. Not surprisingly, we all ordered from the Brewhouse Burgers section
of the menu.
Abbie and Janis both ordered the Brewery Burger ($5.50), the basic burger
that can be outfitted to taste with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. Both
also chose the basket of fries for a side dish. The Brewhouse Burgers are in
the middle of the middle range of what could be called “gourmet burgers.” The meat,
somewhere between a third and half-pound patties, is cooked to order and the
chef has the cook time pretty well nailed; a nice sear on the outside and the
red to pink as ordered inside. The ladies seemed to enjoy their selections and
stated that they were quite good leaving only minor amounts for a doggie bag.
Mariano ordered the Grilled Mountain Melt (Swiss and American cheese, sautéed
onions, grilled rye bread - $6.50), basically a 2 cheese and onion hamburger on
rye. Mariano said it was a very tasty burger and that he did enjoy the
different taste and texture imparted by the grilled rye bread. He also noted
that it was a big sandwich, very tall and very filling.
I ordered the Swiss Mushroom Burger (mushrooms and Swiss cheese, $6.50). I
chose French fries as my side and a soft drink ($2.75 – when they glass gets
low it is quickly replace usually without asking. They serve Coca Cola
products.) When served the fries and burger were piping hot and the first bite
was a bit of a surprise. The burger was cooked to order. There was a good
portion of mushrooms covered with melted Swiss cheese. Served open face, the
opposite but had the lettuce, tomato, red onion slices and pickles. All of the
vegetables were fresh and appetizing looking.
When assembled it is a tall, imposing sandwich. First thought is, “How am I
going to get a bite of this?” No worries. When you are hungry and there is a
good burger in front of you it is certainly manageable. At first there is the tart
crispness of the pickles and onion. Then comes the silky smoothness of the
cheese, then the earthy goodness of the mushrooms and finally the juicy
goodness of the meat. Truly, the whole can be greater than the sum of its
parts. It was an excellent burger and one that I would definitely order again.
As it comes from the kitchen it is just about perfect. You don’t have to add
any condiments and what is on the burger already is just about right. I was
able to eat to the last one or two bites before the burger fell apart. The
French fries are whole potato fries, lightly seasoned and fried to a golden
brown, served hot, and a mere dash of salt is all that might be required plus a
dip once in a while in the ketchup.
It was a very pleasant meal; good food, good conversation in a congenial
atmosphere and amiable service people. The Smoky Mountain Brewery will
certainly be on our list of places we would like to return to.
Labels: American, brew, brewery, Brewhopuse, burger, cheese, craft beer, French fries, hamburger, Maryville, mushrooms, pickle, Smoky Mountain, Swiss, Tennessee
¶ 12:00 PM 0 Comments
Monday, January 27, 2014
SPARC After Holiday Party - Kristina's Cafe
.jpg "Panorama of SPARC. I hope I got everyone in the picture. Sorry if I left you out.")
Kristina’s Café
3590 34th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 526-6673
The St Petersburg Amateur Radio Club holds an annual after the holidays party. Traditionally it is held at Kristina’s Café. From the perspective of the club members it is a time to meet, come face to face with voices on the radio, remake and rekindle or make new friendships and, well I “gotta” say it, catch up on all the gossip all while having a lot of fun.
From the perspective of the harried servers and cooks at Kristina’s it is the sudden arrival of fifty plus ravenous appetites, loud and laughing and having a good time (but otherwise well behaved) customers all ordering at the same time and from the full menu. How can you possibly plan for that?
A special note at this year’s party was the attendance of Woody, K4SCL. The club honored Woody with a plaque citing his over forty years of Amateur Radio Service both to the club and to the community. Active in the club, serving in many roles, of late he has been a net control operator and liaison to the National Traffic Net spending many hours every day handling traffic for the net. I have talked with Woody many times on the radio but had never met him in person. In later years, as Bob, KC4SXO said, “Woody sightings have become few and far between.” Over ninety years of age, Woody has decided it is time to slow down a bit. We were all honored to have him and his wife join us for the After Holiday Party.
Usually a restaurant will offer a limited menu for large group gatherings. The constraints of so many people, such short time and so many possible selections can be wholly intimidating. Each year the staff of Kristina’s is up to the daunting challenge.
Although I saw dishes from all parts of the menu being served, I will only report on my wife Janis’ and my selection. Memory can be persistent even if only subliminally. Janis and I both duplicated our order from last year’s party almost exactly. It was good then so it will most likely be good again.
.jpg "A bowl of tasty potato soup - soup of the day for Sunday.")
Janis started off with a bowl of the soup of the day. Kristina features a
different soup each day of the week. Since this was Sunday, the selection was
Cream of Potato Soup ($2.25 bowl).
It was a nice thick and creamy soup with lots of potatoes and vegetables served with several packets of saltine crackers. She said it was very good, very tasty and she certainly had no trouble finishing her bowl of soup.
.jpg "Roast beef and turkey club with coleslaw.")
The main part of her meal was to be the Roast Beef and Turkey Club ($6.25);
the same as last year. Since she was having the soup, she didn’t want the side
order that would come with her sandwich. Since my plate is a convenient
depository for unwanted food, she asked me what I wanted her to order. I chose
the coleslaw since I was already having French fries with my order. The sandwich
was made with the thinner, sandwich sliced bread and toasted nicely. The thin
slices of bread mean that the filling has to be more than adequate to make the
sandwich stand out. There is plenty of beef and turkey as well as the lettuce
and tomato to fill the sandwich.
Janis enjoyed her sandwich saying that it was very good but could only eat half and asked for a take home container for the other half to enjoy at a later time.
.jpg "Steak Hoagie with beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms and Mozzarella cheese. What is not to like?")
My Déjà vu order was the Steak Hoagie ($6.25); similar to a Philly
cheesesteak sandwich but with sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms and melted
Mozzarella cheese all on a hot, toasted hoagie bun. My side of choice was French
fries but don’t forget, I was also having coleslaw. On arrival it was a full
plate and included a spear of dill pickle.
The sandwich was full of all kinds of good things, meat, peppers onions, mushrooms and cheese. So much in fact that picking up the sandwich dumped lots of the filling on the plate. No matter, it tasted just as good off a fork. It was nice tender beef with lots of flavor from the vegetables and cheese; a thoroughly and filling sandwich. The coleslaw, a small serving actually, was good. It is a finely chopped cabbage with a mild dressing, not too tart and not too sweet; enough to moisten the cabbage but not compete with the flavor and not too much to drip into the serving plate.A good accompaniment but not an all-star to stand by itself. The French fries, still hot from the fryer, were not oily, were crisp and tasty. They were good French fries. I enjoyed my meal very much. It was good food to start with but being surrounded by so many, as Donn, N4KII, would say, “hamsters” made it even more enjoyable. I am already looking forward to next year.
.jpg "Woody. K4SCL, receiving plaque of appreciation from Club President, Bob, N2ESP")
Kristina’s Café
3590 34th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 526-6673
The St Petersburg Amateur Radio Club holds an annual after the holidays party. Traditionally it is held at Kristina’s Café. From the perspective of the club members it is a time to meet, come face to face with voices on the radio, remake and rekindle or make new friendships and, well I “gotta” say it, catch up on all the gossip all while having a lot of fun.
From the perspective of the harried servers and cooks at Kristina’s it is the sudden arrival of fifty plus ravenous appetites, loud and laughing and having a good time (but otherwise well behaved) customers all ordering at the same time and from the full menu. How can you possibly plan for that?
A special note at this year’s party was the attendance of Woody, K4SCL. The club honored Woody with a plaque citing his over forty years of Amateur Radio Service both to the club and to the community. Active in the club, serving in many roles, of late he has been a net control operator and liaison to the National Traffic Net spending many hours every day handling traffic for the net. I have talked with Woody many times on the radio but had never met him in person. In later years, as Bob, KC4SXO said, “Woody sightings have become few and far between.” Over ninety years of age, Woody has decided it is time to slow down a bit. We were all honored to have him and his wife join us for the After Holiday Party.
Usually a restaurant will offer a limited menu for large group gatherings. The constraints of so many people, such short time and so many possible selections can be wholly intimidating. Each year the staff of Kristina’s is up to the daunting challenge.
Although I saw dishes from all parts of the menu being served, I will only report on my wife Janis’ and my selection. Memory can be persistent even if only subliminally. Janis and I both duplicated our order from last year’s party almost exactly. It was good then so it will most likely be good again.
Janis started off with a bowl of the soup of the day. Kristina features a
different soup each day of the week. Since this was Sunday, the selection was
Cream of Potato Soup ($2.25 bowl).It was a nice thick and creamy soup with lots of potatoes and vegetables served with several packets of saltine crackers. She said it was very good, very tasty and she certainly had no trouble finishing her bowl of soup.
The main part of her meal was to be the Roast Beef and Turkey Club ($6.25);
the same as last year. Since she was having the soup, she didn’t want the side
order that would come with her sandwich. Since my plate is a convenient
depository for unwanted food, she asked me what I wanted her to order. I chose
the coleslaw since I was already having French fries with my order. The sandwich
was made with the thinner, sandwich sliced bread and toasted nicely. The thin
slices of bread mean that the filling has to be more than adequate to make the
sandwich stand out. There is plenty of beef and turkey as well as the lettuce
and tomato to fill the sandwich.Janis enjoyed her sandwich saying that it was very good but could only eat half and asked for a take home container for the other half to enjoy at a later time.
My Déjà vu order was the Steak Hoagie ($6.25); similar to a Philly
cheesesteak sandwich but with sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms and melted
Mozzarella cheese all on a hot, toasted hoagie bun. My side of choice was French
fries but don’t forget, I was also having coleslaw. On arrival it was a full
plate and included a spear of dill pickle. The sandwich was full of all kinds of good things, meat, peppers onions, mushrooms and cheese. So much in fact that picking up the sandwich dumped lots of the filling on the plate. No matter, it tasted just as good off a fork. It was nice tender beef with lots of flavor from the vegetables and cheese; a thoroughly and filling sandwich. The coleslaw, a small serving actually, was good. It is a finely chopped cabbage with a mild dressing, not too tart and not too sweet; enough to moisten the cabbage but not compete with the flavor and not too much to drip into the serving plate.A good accompaniment but not an all-star to stand by itself. The French fries, still hot from the fryer, were not oily, were crisp and tasty. They were good French fries. I enjoyed my meal very much. It was good food to start with but being surrounded by so many, as Donn, N4KII, would say, “hamsters” made it even more enjoyable. I am already looking forward to next year.
Labels: After Holidays Party, Amateur Radio, cheese, cheesesteak, club sandwich, coleslaw, French fries, hoagie, Kristina's, mozzarella, mushrooms, pepper. onions, potato soup, roast beef, SPARC, St Petersburg, steak, turkey
¶ 10:05 AM 0 Comments
Monday, September 23, 2013
Checker's Drive In - Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Checkers Drive In 6730 Central Ave St Petersburg, FL 33707
(727) 347-4686 http://www.checkers.com/
If you drive any at all you have probably passed a Checkers
Drive in one time or another. They seem
to be in about thirty-two states, scattered coast to coast. In fact, there is a
Checkers Drive Thru a five minute walk from where I am sitting while I write
this. It is that close a walk but I would seldom venture there on foot. That
entails a crossing at a very busy divided highway intersection. A lot of
Florida’s old retirees regard the speed limit and red lights as merely
suggestions. Driving there entails getting the car to be going the right
direction on the proper side of the street which makes for a lot of going
around this or that block to get aligned; awkward to get to this store is one
of those places you wait until you just happen to go that way.
Over many years I have been to Checkers only a few
times. I suppose that if it were a Red
Robin I would have been a more frequent customer. That got me to thinking about what it was
about Checkers that didn’t draw me as perhaps another brand name would It also
got me to thinking about the criteria I use when I critique a food
establishment. All of this came about as
a result of an advertisement I read in the local paper one morning; Philly
Cheesesteak Sandwich, $1.99.
I have never had anything bad at Checkers. I have just never
had anything exceptional at either. If I
had to rate them against other fast food restaurants I would have to rank them
a bit below the more popular McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s. In spite of all the advertising hoopla I
think a blind taste test of similar items would prove to be very difficult to
tell the major players apart. Checkers is not quite to that level but then
Checkers menu is less expensive than the others. Checker’s offerings are
consistent and okay, just not great. Perhaps that is why I haven’t written
about checkers before. It is hard, for me at least, to grasp just what they are
and where they fit into the scheme of fast food restaurants.
Many food critics compare food to a fixed arbitrary
standard; sometime very picayune standards. I am a bit more liberal and judge
on a relative scale, by what I and you would expect to be proper for that
establishment. For example, if I go to
a McDonald’s and I am served a perfect a perfect Big Mac I would rate that
McDonald’s as excellent. But if I was served that very same Big Mac at a Red
Robin I would have to note that Red Robin was not serving food up to the
expected standard. Both the Big Mac and
the Red Robin burgers are great and I would love to have one or the other right
now at this late night hour. Neither is bad, one is just inherently better than
the other and I would judge them on the basis of what I would expect from that
establishment. 
That brings us to the inspiration for this blog, the
Checkers Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. It is too new an offering to be listed on
their on-line menu as of yet. I learned about it from a newspaper insert
offering the new Philly Cheesesteak Sub for $1.99. Ask anyone from “Philly” and
they will tell you an authentic cheesesteak sandwich is made thin sliced rib
eye steak and onions grilled and chopped to perfection, loaded on an Italian
roll and most often served with cheese, Cheese
Whiz or provolone. Anything else is just a poor copy.
Copies that they may be, local restaurants Feola’s and
Kissin’ Cuzzins offer their versions made with steak, onions, peppers and
mushrooms all covered in mozzarella cheese. They are scrumptious. But what about Checkers?
Checkers offering is steak and onions grilled with Swiss cheese on a sub roll.
Pretty close to the “Philly” standard. You can when ordering, augment you
sandwich with the burger topping at hand, lettuce, tomato and bacon. When I
ordered at the drive-thru they asked if I wanted to add bacon to it. Bacon?
What’s to lose? I said put it all on. That got me the lettuce and tomato. In
retrospect that was a mistake although not a bad one. There were enough flavors
in the meat and onions that the lettuce and tomato were almost lost. It would have
been better if they were not there but it was no great distraction either. I
had to look but there was bacon, also almost lost in the main ingredients. I
haven’t had an authentic Philly Cheesesteak sandwich since 1958 and have no
basis for comparison. Therefore I will compare Checkers to Feola’s and Kissin’
Cuzzins and I love both of their sandwiches. Checker’s is a bit smaller, has
Swiss rather than the mozzarella and it doesn’t have the grilled peppers and
mushrooms. Those things aside, the fillings all taste very much the same; all
are very tasty and satisfying. The Checker’s sandwich delivers a lot of good
flavor. Given the choice between a Feola’s and
Checker’s sandwich I would of course choose the Feola’s offering. But if
Feola’s or Kissin’ Kuzzins is not available, then Checker’s is a most worth
substitute. Considering that I can buy
three Checker’s sandwiches for the price of one at the other restaurants makes
the Checker’s offering a very good deal indeed. I also did a comparison picture
of the advertising picture and the product as delivered; very close indeed, one
is recognizable as the other.
Just a footnote:
Most Checker’s are prefabricated clone structures that make
setting up a new store almost a weekend affair after the foundation is laid.
They feature double drive through lanes, one on each side of the building. There
is no inside seating but most offer a small patio area for walk up customers.
Some new stores that have been placed in dense urban areas are using the store
front scheme as well. It may be a fluke of geography but the three closest Checker’s
to my location are on busy divided highway intersection corners. Plan your
visit ahead of time.
Labels: Checkers, cheese, Cheese Whiz, cheeseburger, cheesesteak, chicken, drive thru, fish, hamburger, mozzarella, mushrooms, onions, peppers, Philly, provolone, rib eye, spicy, steak
¶ 11:54 AM 0 Comments
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Kissin Cuzzins - St. Petersburg, Florida a 2013 Revisit
KissinCuzzins
2013
Jeri’s sandwich had an attractive plating, the light rye bread toasted to a “pretty as a picture’ golden brown. It was a large sandwich with the corned beef spilling out over the sides of the bread. It came with a dill pickle spear and a small bowl of coleslaw. She said the sandwich was excellent, very tasty. The preparation was well practiced, not too much dressing to make it wet nor too little and make it dry; just right. The bread was crispy toasted on the outside, soft, tender and hot bread spreading a wonderful rye smell. The meat was tender and tasty. In spite of being a large sandwich, she managed to finish her meal. The slaw was of green cabbage, fresh and crisp with a mild, favorable dressing. A thoroughly filling and enjoyable meal.
My Philly
sub was a plateful. With that kind of sandwich I suppose it is hard to be
artistic in plating. However, all the good filling in the sandwiches and the
pile of French fries with a dill spear garnish looked very food to me. “The
proof…” they say, “is in the eating.” The crinkle cut fries were done to a nice
golden brown, fresh out of the fryer, hot and crispy. With a sprinkle of salt,
they were excellent. I ate the pickle, it was crisp, but I don’t remember much
about it as I was very much preoccupied with the sandwich. First off, when you make a sandwich like this,
cutting through and leaving a bit of crust for a hinge, the bread has to be
fresh. If the bread is not fresh it will fall apart on the first bite spilling
the contents onto the plate or your lap. In this instance the bread was very
fresh, the crust a nice elastic; slightly chewy. The bread folded over the
ample filling making a nice easy to eat bundle. There was lots of beef, grilled
onions, mushrooms and peppers all slathered with stringy melted Mozzarella
cheese. What’s not to like? It was indeed an excellent sandwich and made for a
filling meal. I will, in all probability, order the Philly sub if ever I make it back to Kissin Cuzzins
again.
KissinCuzzins
2013
951 34th St N
St Petersburg, FL 33733
Neighborhood: Tyrone
St Petersburg, FL 33733
Neighborhood: Tyrone
(727) 323-3915
Mon-Fri 7a – 2p Sat-Sun 7a – 3p
On the very first journey to Florida to
meet the soon to be in-laws, they just had to take me to one of their favorite
places to go for a breakfast out. As they grew older, mother and father in-law
cooked and ate in less and ate out more often; often enough that they were
known by the serving staff on a first name basis. Back then there were three
Kissin Cuzzins, long established casual family eateries. Over the years the
neighborhood demographics changed and more and more fast food servers moved
into the neighborhood. One family restaurant,
all brand new with shiny chrome, set up shop only two blocks down the street. Such
intense competition had severe consequences for Kissin Cuzzins. The two other
stores closed some years ago and only the 34th St store, the
flagship store, remained open. In a well thought out move, Cuzzins went lean
and mean paring down hours, closing in the midafternoon, concentrating on their
forte, breakfast and lunch. Cuzzins has survived and is still here as well as
the fast food emporiums that abound all along 34th Street. However,
the upstart that opened just two blocks down the street closed a year or so ago,
fenced off and looking forlorn, weeds poking up through the parking lot, it has
long been up for sale.
The in-laws have passed on. But in their
tradition, that visitors to the Jones house must partake of a breakfast at the
Kissin Cuzzins, lives on. After a morning of busy sightseeing activity, I took our
California house guest, Jeri, to lunch. The Cuzzins was moderately busy and we
had to park in the overflow lot. However, we got immediate seating in a booth
on the north side. As is usual for the Cuzzins, the hostess and the servers we
quick and courteous.
Sipping on our already arrived beverages,
we studied the menu. Jeri chose The Rueben ($7.49 Corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss on
grilled rye). I was about to go with my usual standby, the cheeseburger, when
the Philly-Style Hoagie ($7.99 Thinly sliced beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms and
Mozzarella cheese on a toasted sun roll) caught my eye. I had recently had a
Philly sub from another restaurant and on impulse I decided to compare the two.
Jeri’s sandwich had an attractive plating, the light rye bread toasted to a “pretty as a picture’ golden brown. It was a large sandwich with the corned beef spilling out over the sides of the bread. It came with a dill pickle spear and a small bowl of coleslaw. She said the sandwich was excellent, very tasty. The preparation was well practiced, not too much dressing to make it wet nor too little and make it dry; just right. The bread was crispy toasted on the outside, soft, tender and hot bread spreading a wonderful rye smell. The meat was tender and tasty. In spite of being a large sandwich, she managed to finish her meal. The slaw was of green cabbage, fresh and crisp with a mild, favorable dressing. A thoroughly filling and enjoyable meal.
My Philly
sub was a plateful. With that kind of sandwich I suppose it is hard to be
artistic in plating. However, all the good filling in the sandwiches and the
pile of French fries with a dill spear garnish looked very food to me. “The
proof…” they say, “is in the eating.” The crinkle cut fries were done to a nice
golden brown, fresh out of the fryer, hot and crispy. With a sprinkle of salt,
they were excellent. I ate the pickle, it was crisp, but I don’t remember much
about it as I was very much preoccupied with the sandwich. First off, when you make a sandwich like this,
cutting through and leaving a bit of crust for a hinge, the bread has to be
fresh. If the bread is not fresh it will fall apart on the first bite spilling
the contents onto the plate or your lap. In this instance the bread was very
fresh, the crust a nice elastic; slightly chewy. The bread folded over the
ample filling making a nice easy to eat bundle. There was lots of beef, grilled
onions, mushrooms and peppers all slathered with stringy melted Mozzarella
cheese. What’s not to like? It was indeed an excellent sandwich and made for a
filling meal. I will, in all probability, order the Philly sub if ever I make it back to Kissin Cuzzins
again.Labels: beef, coleslaw, corned beef, Cuzzins, dill pickle, Florida, French fries, Kissin, mushrooms, onions, peppers, Philly cheesesteak, Reuben, St Petersburg
¶ 11:21 AM 0 Comments
Friday, October 12, 2012
Lighthouse Restaurant - Haines, Alaska
Lighthouse Restaurant - Haines, Alaska
Front St - Near the Marina
(907) 766-2442
I had a few days to wait before catching the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Bellingham, Washington. Right next to the RV park where I was staying is the Harbor Bar and Lighthouse Restaurant. It is close enough that even with the frigid wind coming down the Lynn Canal off the glaciers and ice fields it wasn’t a bad walk. And, since I had been doing the frugal cooking bit in the RV for several days, it was time for a change of pace, for a bit of more extravagant food. Haines is a small, isolated town and although change takes place it happens at a more relaxed pace than in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Come to find out that the Harbor Bar and Lighthouse Restaurant has a bit of history associated with it. It is reported that the bar is located directly o
ver the very first US Southeast Alaska survey marker, marker number 1, dating from 1890. The bar dating back to 1890 was originally located in Skagway, Alaska and was moved to Haines, a distance of 15 sea miles, in the early 1900s. Several businesses occupied the building over the years. In the early 1960s Charlie Barnett and Jack Martin opened the Harbor Bar. Charlie had an untimely death on the premises and his ghost has been reported many times over the years by the bar’s employees. Jack Martin’s wife, Ramona, opened the Lighthouse Restaurant back in 1976. It continues handily to this day. It is the end of the season. The cruise ships won’t be back until next year and the town is winding down for a long winter’s nap. I was late for a lunch and early for a dinner so it was no surprise that I was the only customer. I had my choice of seating, a booth that let me look out over the Haines small boat harbor.
ver the very first US Southeast Alaska survey marker, marker number 1, dating from 1890. The bar dating back to 1890 was originally located in Skagway, Alaska and was moved to Haines, a distance of 15 sea miles, in the early 1900s. Several businesses occupied the building over the years. In the early 1960s Charlie Barnett and Jack Martin opened the Harbor Bar. Charlie had an untimely death on the premises and his ghost has been reported many times over the years by the bar’s employees. Jack Martin’s wife, Ramona, opened the Lighthouse Restaurant back in 1976. It continues handily to this day. It is the end of the season. The cruise ships won’t be back until next year and the town is winding down for a long winter’s nap. I was late for a lunch and early for a dinner so it was no surprise that I was the only customer. I had my choice of seating, a booth that let me look out over the Haines small boat harbor.
First off we need to talk about food prices in Alaska, especially restaurant prices. The farther away you are from the supply hub, usually Anchorage, and closer to the end of the road you are, the higher the menu prices will be. That’s the awful truth; a fact of life we have to live with here in Alaska. I was in Haines and Haines is at the very end of the road. So when I opened the Lighthouse 
Restaurant menu I held my breath. It is an interesting menu unlike most I have seen elsewhere in Alaska. True, it features entrees with hefty prices such as seared halibut and stir-fry vegetables for $26.99 or the Captain’s Platter, a choice of seafood either deep fried or sautéed with a baked potato and steamed vegetables for $34.99. On the other hand it also features more reasonably priced items in the Local Favorites section such as a six-piece chicken strip dinner with French fries for $8.99. There are several children’s selections for $5.99. The page that most caught my eye was the Hamburger and Sandwich page.I ordered the Portage Cove Burger (A 1/3 of a pound beef with sautéed mushrooms and covered with melted Swiss cheese, served on a toasted sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickles. $9.49) To the order I added a side of French fries, $2.00, and a Coca Cola®, $2.00. My server, Erica, was courteous and patient abiding my questions. She apparently had visited here once before and became enchanted with Haines and has since moved here. She is girding for her first winter in Southeast Alaska. The soft drink was the first to arrive. It was a can of soda. I have no problem with that – it wasn’t a watered down fountain drink. It came with a brew pub glass and some ice. The glass was just the right size to hold the soda. Not long after came the burger. It was nicely arranged open-faced on a platter with a generous portion of French fries. The fries were piping hot out of the fryer but well drained and not at all greasy, crispy outside and 
tender inside. They were all good fries, not a lot of ends and pieces; an ideal batch of French fries. The lettuce leaf was fresh and crispy. The tomato was ripe and firm and it was a nice thick slice. The burger patty was cooked through but still juicy, not at all dried out. Although it doesn’t show well in the picture,
Restaurant menu I held my breath. It is an interesting menu unlike most I have seen elsewhere in Alaska. True, it features entrees with hefty prices such as seared halibut and stir-fry vegetables for $26.99 or the Captain’s Platter, a choice of seafood either deep fried or sautéed with a baked potato and steamed vegetables for $34.99. On the other hand it also features more reasonably priced items in the Local Favorites section such as a six-piece chicken strip dinner with French fries for $8.99. There are several children’s selections for $5.99. The page that most caught my eye was the Hamburger and Sandwich page.I ordered the Portage Cove Burger (A 1/3 of a pound beef with sautéed mushrooms and covered with melted Swiss cheese, served on a toasted sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickles. $9.49) To the order I added a side of French fries, $2.00, and a Coca Cola®, $2.00. My server, Erica, was courteous and patient abiding my questions. She apparently had visited here once before and became enchanted with Haines and has since moved here. She is girding for her first winter in Southeast Alaska. The soft drink was the first to arrive. It was a can of soda. I have no problem with that – it wasn’t a watered down fountain drink. It came with a brew pub glass and some ice. The glass was just the right size to hold the soda. Not long after came the burger. It was nicely arranged open-faced on a platter with a generous portion of French fries. The fries were piping hot out of the fryer but well drained and not at all greasy, crispy outside and 
tender inside. They were all good fries, not a lot of ends and pieces; an ideal batch of French fries. The lettuce leaf was fresh and crispy. The tomato was ripe and firm and it was a nice thick slice. The burger patty was cooked through but still juicy, not at all dried out. Although it doesn’t show well in the picture,
there were four dill hamburger slices served on the side. It was as simple as turning one bun onto the other and the burger was ready to eat. I wanted to try the first bite before deciding if I wanted any more dressing. With the juicy burger patty and the mayo already on the bun it was just right. The chef has the
assembly down pat. It was an excellent hamburger. The patty and cheese were hot and juicy, the lettuce and tomato cool and crisp all making for a satisfying mix of tastes, textures and temperatures in a single bite. I thoroughly enjoyed my leisurely meal while I watched the activity in the harbor. I wish I could have told the chef, “Ya done good.” I was a stranger in a small town but treated as one of the locals. My server, Erica, was most pleasant and the interlude in the Lighthouse Restaurant will add to the charm of Haines and made it a place that I will have to return to some day.
Labels: Alaska, Coca Cola, French fries, Haines, hamburger, Lighthouse, mushrooms, restaurant, Swiss cheese
¶ 8:57 PM 2 Comments
Friday, May 18, 2012
Longhorn Steakhouse - Ellijay, GA
Longhorn Steakhouse
30 Highland Xing South East Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 515-0050
It was a weeklong trip to Georgia. We went to get a little “away time” and to help Cousin Bill finish some chore at his mountain cabin. It is located in rural and mountainous north-west Georgia near some historic Civil War battlefields. There was a sink to install and a pesky problem with the wiring in a three-way stairway light circuit. After the bugs had been ironed out there was some time to walk the dogs along Shakerag Creek and enjoy the night sky; brilliant when not overwhelmed by the lights of the city. A full moon crossed the late evening sky and the telescope was able to depict the rough, irregular outline of lunar mountains on the curved edge of the moon. Deer and black bear were seen in the area. It was all very awe-inspiring, relaxing and an enjoyable break from routine.
During the week we ate simple fare. No need to stock the pantry with food items to lure critters big and small into the cabin when it is closed for the season. By the week’s end we were ready for something more suitable for ravenous carnivores. Known from previous visits, Bill led us to the Longhorn Steakhouse in Ellijay, the small town closest to his mountain cabin retreat. The Longhorn Steakhouse is part of a chain of 354 restaurants located across 33 states. The original Longhorn opened in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. Not doing well at first, a quirk of weather, a snowstorm that stranded hundreds of motorists, allowed the fledgling restaurant to garner customers with the offer of $1 drinks. More successes followed and the chain has grown considerably since. If you are interested in more history of the Longhorn Steakhouse, Wikipedia has an excellent article. Sporting a western theme, the steakhouse is decorated with paintings and western-cowboy memorabilia.
We were walk-in customers and we had a short wait in the adequate waiting area, about five minutes before a table was available. There is also a lounge if you desire. We were led to a booth that is roomy and comfortable. As I mentioned the ambiance is set by the western themed decorations but it is hampered by being woefully under lit. It is just plain dark. (I apologize ahead of time for the poor quality of the photos as I don’t use flash in the restaurants.) I had left my reading glasses back at the cabin. As a result I was unable to read the menu. It looked like a bunch of smudges on the paper under the pictures. I had to wait until my wife had made her selection and borrow her glasses to see what wonders the menu held in store.
Known for their steaks and fine meat cuts, their signature dish is Flo’s Filet. However, we chose other delectable’s from the menu. The wife chose a Prime Rib ((Slow-roasted USDA Choice prime rib served au jus and horseradish sauce. While available 12-oz $19.79 16-oz $22.49) I chose a new menu item, Fire-Grilled Flat Iron Steak (A marinated 8-oz Flat Iron steak with the hearty flavor of a sirloin. $12.99) The steaks and prime rib are served with a choice of side, salad and “unlimited freshly-baked Honey Wheat bread.” Additional sides are available at $2.69 to $3.99. Also offered are “Great Steak Additions” ranging from lobster tail ($9.29) to sautéed mushrooms ($3.49). I chose the sautéed mushrooms.
The wife’s prime rib was a large luscious center-cut that needed a platter. It was cooked as ordered to medium-rare. With the baked potato and the bread it was much more than she could finish and the left-over carried home in a doggie bag provided a tasty lunch the next day.
The meals were preceded by a salad; a nice bowl of mixed greens, shredded carrots and croutons. Adequate dressing was provided and with the hot buttered bread made a nice introduction to the meal. I ordered the “loaded” baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives. It had all that and they didn’t skimp. There was still a lot of butter and cream in the last bites of the potato. I also appreciated that the potato skins were oven baked and not steamed in a wrapping of aluminum foil. The slightly crispy skin is so good when cut up with the last bits of potato. The steak was a nice large piece of meat, nicely grilled and cooked to order, medium with a warm pink center. The meat was tender cutting easily with a knife, easy to chew and had a very good flavor. By the end of the meal, unfortunately, there was nothing left to take home for tomorrow’s lunch. The additional side order of sautéed mushrooms were served in a large ramekin. It was a nice large serving of button mushrooms, nicely butter fried. I ladled them on the potato and steak but they would have been just as good had I ate them as a vegetable side dish.
The ambient noise level was low and casual conversation across the table was easy and contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the evening. I noticed that they Longhorn does feature live entertainment. Considering the size of the dining room, entertainment sessions would make for a very loud environment. If you prefer casual conversation to raucous live music I suggest you check their entertainment schedule. We were fortunate to arrive in a quiet moment.
From our arrival to our departure, the staff were all amiable, courteous and very efficient. The initial greeting by the hostess, the server at our table, they all made us feel quite at home. It is a very well run organization. The food was good, had good presentation, the staff performed excellently. For our dinner, I have compliments and no complaints save one; turn up the lights a bit, please.
30 Highland Xing South East Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 515-0050
It was a weeklong trip to Georgia. We went to get a little “away time” and to help Cousin Bill finish some chore at his mountain cabin. It is located in rural and mountainous north-west Georgia near some historic Civil War battlefields. There was a sink to install and a pesky problem with the wiring in a three-way stairway light circuit. After the bugs had been ironed out there was some time to walk the dogs along Shakerag Creek and enjoy the night sky; brilliant when not overwhelmed by the lights of the city. A full moon crossed the late evening sky and the telescope was able to depict the rough, irregular outline of lunar mountains on the curved edge of the moon. Deer and black bear were seen in the area. It was all very awe-inspiring, relaxing and an enjoyable break from routine.
During the week we ate simple fare. No need to stock the pantry with food items to lure critters big and small into the cabin when it is closed for the season. By the week’s end we were ready for something more suitable for ravenous carnivores. Known from previous visits, Bill led us to the Longhorn Steakhouse in Ellijay, the small town closest to his mountain cabin retreat. The Longhorn Steakhouse is part of a chain of 354 restaurants located across 33 states. The original Longhorn opened in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. Not doing well at first, a quirk of weather, a snowstorm that stranded hundreds of motorists, allowed the fledgling restaurant to garner customers with the offer of $1 drinks. More successes followed and the chain has grown considerably since. If you are interested in more history of the Longhorn Steakhouse, Wikipedia has an excellent article. Sporting a western theme, the steakhouse is decorated with paintings and western-cowboy memorabilia.
We were walk-in customers and we had a short wait in the adequate waiting area, about five minutes before a table was available. There is also a lounge if you desire. We were led to a booth that is roomy and comfortable. As I mentioned the ambiance is set by the western themed decorations but it is hampered by being woefully under lit. It is just plain dark. (I apologize ahead of time for the poor quality of the photos as I don’t use flash in the restaurants.) I had left my reading glasses back at the cabin. As a result I was unable to read the menu. It looked like a bunch of smudges on the paper under the pictures. I had to wait until my wife had made her selection and borrow her glasses to see what wonders the menu held in store.
Known for their steaks and fine meat cuts, their signature dish is Flo’s Filet. However, we chose other delectable’s from the menu. The wife chose a Prime Rib ((Slow-roasted USDA Choice prime rib served au jus and horseradish sauce. While available 12-oz $19.79 16-oz $22.49) I chose a new menu item, Fire-Grilled Flat Iron Steak (A marinated 8-oz Flat Iron steak with the hearty flavor of a sirloin. $12.99) The steaks and prime rib are served with a choice of side, salad and “unlimited freshly-baked Honey Wheat bread.” Additional sides are available at $2.69 to $3.99. Also offered are “Great Steak Additions” ranging from lobster tail ($9.29) to sautéed mushrooms ($3.49). I chose the sautéed mushrooms.
The wife’s prime rib was a large luscious center-cut that needed a platter. It was cooked as ordered to medium-rare. With the baked potato and the bread it was much more than she could finish and the left-over carried home in a doggie bag provided a tasty lunch the next day.
The meals were preceded by a salad; a nice bowl of mixed greens, shredded carrots and croutons. Adequate dressing was provided and with the hot buttered bread made a nice introduction to the meal. I ordered the “loaded” baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives. It had all that and they didn’t skimp. There was still a lot of butter and cream in the last bites of the potato. I also appreciated that the potato skins were oven baked and not steamed in a wrapping of aluminum foil. The slightly crispy skin is so good when cut up with the last bits of potato. The steak was a nice large piece of meat, nicely grilled and cooked to order, medium with a warm pink center. The meat was tender cutting easily with a knife, easy to chew and had a very good flavor. By the end of the meal, unfortunately, there was nothing left to take home for tomorrow’s lunch. The additional side order of sautéed mushrooms were served in a large ramekin. It was a nice large serving of button mushrooms, nicely butter fried. I ladled them on the potato and steak but they would have been just as good had I ate them as a vegetable side dish.
The ambient noise level was low and casual conversation across the table was easy and contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the evening. I noticed that they Longhorn does feature live entertainment. Considering the size of the dining room, entertainment sessions would make for a very loud environment. If you prefer casual conversation to raucous live music I suggest you check their entertainment schedule. We were fortunate to arrive in a quiet moment.
From our arrival to our departure, the staff were all amiable, courteous and very efficient. The initial greeting by the hostess, the server at our table, they all made us feel quite at home. It is a very well run organization. The food was good, had good presentation, the staff performed excellently. For our dinner, I have compliments and no complaints save one; turn up the lights a bit, please.
Labels: Ellijay, flat iron, Geerogia, loaded baked potato, Longhorn, mushrooms, prime rib, steak, Steakhouse
¶ 12:00 PM 0 Comments
