We enjoyed a leisurely drive down Interstate 5, stopping for the night in Red Bluff, California (where we indulged in a King Arthur Supreme Pizza from the friendly crew at Round Table Pizza).

Although we were heading directly south for Sacramento, we decided on the fly to veer west for Winters, and the Putah Creek Café.  We arrived in Winters and enjoyed taking in the beautiful downtown area and finding a place to park.

It was late morning and we didn’t know if we were in the mood for a late breakfast or an early lunch.  We walked in to the Putah Creek Café and got a nice booth along the front.  The place is gorgeous inside, very inviting, tastefully decorated, and has a very large dining room adjacent to the booths in front.  Our waitress was friendly and answered all of our questions about Winters and the Putah Creek Café.  She was obviously very proud and we could see why.

California Burger at Putah Creek Cafe

As for the meal question, it turns out that Tuesday is their buy one get one free burger special, which turned the question into a no-brainer for us (which is a good thing when you’re on the road).  We ordered a California Burger, which included jack cheese and avocado; and our second pick was a chili-size with the house made chili con carne.  We were hungry and both burgers hit the spot.  The fries and rings were good too.  In addition to all the good food and great service, they also have an old world style pizza oven out front (it’s mobile).  If I remember right, our waitress said they fire that up once a week or so and make some wood fired pizzas.  Winters may be a small little town, but the people who live there will not have to worry about finding a good place to eat.  There’s also a famous steak house across the street.  Winters is a little out of the way, but we’re glad we made the trip; and give the Putah Creek Café our highest recommendation. Continue reading →

We rolled out of Boise, taking the same route as before, and stopping to visit the same old friend in Moscow.  Unlike before, we didn’t cut through Pullman and head up the 195.  Instead, Jill took us through the Palouse Scenic Byway.  I didn’t like not knowing exactly where I was at, and I didn’t like slowing to a crawl for every little burg along the way; but, it was a beautiful drive.  I loved the pastoral countryside and marveled at all the agriculture. Washington is a very beautiful state and this was just one little slice of it.

Jill eventually put us back on the 195 and we rolled into Spokane just in time for dinner at Waddell’s Pub and Grille.  We didn’t make it to Waddell’s on our previous trip to Spokane, but figured that we probably didn’t miss anything special.  Boy were we wrong.  Waddell’s rocks.

They were packed and we had a short wait for a table.  I don’t know what their business was like before Guy Fieri rolled through, but they need to add on another dining room.  Waddell’s has one of the most impressive burger menu’s I’ve ever seen.  It’s on the net if you want to check it out.  We really wanted the nachos, but knew we’d be full before our burgers came.  Four people can split an order of nachos, but it’s usually too much food for two people.  We had a very difficult time trying to figure out what to order.  Anna has a penchant for the barbecue style burgers with the barbecue sauce and onion rings, so her decision was a little easier than mine.

Big Dog Burger at Waddells

I ordered the Big Dog, which is two big hamburger patties, jalapenos, Zag sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled ham, pepper jack cheese and topped with an onion ring.  The “Zag” is an homage to nearby Gonzaga University, and the sauce is a special blend of marinade seasonings, BBQ sauce, hot sauce and mayonnaise.  This burger was featured on the show, and if you saw it, you’d want to order it too.  You can see from the picture that the burger is a masterpiece, and it was just as much fun to eat as it looks and sounds.  The fries were excellent too. Continue reading →

Anna and I have driven through Salt Lake City on many occasions, but we never had any reason to stop there before DDD.  This is the beginning of another three week trip with stops in Boise, Spokane, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento and the bay area.

We passed through Las Vegas on our way to SLC and enjoyed another Stromboli at the Four Kegs.  Yum.

Carne Asada Taco at Lone Star Taqueria

Our first stop in SLC was the Lone Star Taqueria for a light lunch.  Anna and I shared a carne asada taco and a carne adovada quesadilla.  The food was quite tasty and we enjoyed the salsa bar as well.  I would have liked to eat more, but we had to save room for other stops.

Steak Quesadilla at
Lone Star Taqueria

We next headed into downtown and tried to find a nice motel for a few nights.  They didn’t have any rooms available at the first place we stopped.  While we were in the lobby trying to make other arrangements, a very well dressed, very attractive woman came into the lobby and waited behind us.  The clerk told us that we could get a nice room at a different location just north of town, but if we wanted to stay at her location to check back after 6:00 p.m.  We thanked her and went out to the car.  After a few minutes, the attractive woman came out to the car parked next to ours.  Actually, attractive doesn’t quite do it.  She was stunning. Continue reading →

Our second trip to Los Angeles started from San Diego and we pulled into Fountain Valley for some food at Paul’s Coffee Shop.  It was late morning and we didn’t know if we’d rather have breakfast or lunch.  Given that the vibe of the place reminded me of Hawaii, I decided to order the loco moco which is a hamburger patty over rice topped with gravy and fried eggs.  We shared.

I went back to wash my hands.  I had to wait for the bathroom, which gave me the time to read some humorous Marine Corps Rules which were interesting.  Rule 5:  Be polite.  Be professional.  But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.  Rule 6:  Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a “4”.  Fun stuff.

To make a long story short.  The food wasn’t very good and the service was even worse, bordering on rudeness. I guess it’s a great spot for regulars, but no one else. Who knows?

Following that, we drove around the harbor to San Pedro and settled into a nice booth at the Gaffey Street Diner. Continue reading →

Monday, March 5, 2012:

Hodad’s Ocean Beach
World’s Best Burgers

Of all the DDD places ever featured on the show, our number one all-time favorite has got to be Hodad’s.  Of course Guy himself is funny and highly entertaining; and Mike Hardin (HoDaddy) is the coolest guy in the world and has a brilliant sense of humor.  Put the two of them together and look out.  That’s to say nothing of the killer burgers and shakes.  It’s kind of a fluke that we didn’t get to San Diego sooner than we did, but Hodad’s was always the place we wanted to visit the most.  The undisputed Mecca of hamburger greatness at a cool little spot where the ocean meets the shore, on Seaside Eats (Episode 206). Continue reading →