Denver was our last DDD destination for this trip and we were looking forward to some great food.  The timing of our visit corresponded with the dispute between Page Productions and the Food Network.  I never got the particulars, but some of the places in Denver hadn’t aired yet (but all have since then as far as I know).

Our first day was more of a sampling menu, beginning with Lauer Krauts.  I picked up a few of the Kraut Burgers and a bowl of soup and brought them back to our motel.  They were good and it made for a nice breakfast.

Anna in front of Bang

We next headed over to Bang, and split a breakfast of bacon and eggs with biscuits and gravy.  We got a nice table on the back patio and were served by the owner, Chris, who took great care of us.  He told us about the house made ketchup and gave us a sample of that too.  I’m sure it would be great on the meatloaf (which looked good on the episode).  The food was great and we wished them lots of luck. Continue reading →

Sunday, May 29 2011

It was Memorial Day weekend and we were planning to spend the day enjoying the water parks at the Wisconsin Dells.  Unfortunately it was rainy and stormy, so we rolled into the twin cities a day early.  I always imagined that Minneapolis and St. Paul would be good looking cities and indeed they are.

Dari-ette in St. Paul

Our first stop in St. Paul was at the Dari-ette for an Italiano Sandwich which is basically an Italian sausage sandwich with red sauce and melted cheese on sliced bread.  The service was fast.

After getting settled into a motel room by the airport, we headed out for a beer at the Bryant-Lake Bowl.  The place was packed, every seat filled.  We didn’t have to wait too long for a table.  We ordered beer and an order of nachos.  The service was bad and the food was even worse.  I’ve had better nachos at a gas station. Continue reading →

Meat Lover Omelet
at White Palace Grill

We arrived at my Aunt’s house and hunkered down for three days in Chicago.  Our first morning driving into the city, we stopped at White Palace Grill for a breakfast.  There was no parking lot, but you can leave your car at the curb for 30 minutes or less provided that you leave on your emergency flashers. (Go figure)  We went in and found a comfortable booth where we could keep an eye on the car.  We ordered a meat lover’s omelet with toast and hash browns.  Our waitress was friendly, and efficient.  The food came right out and it was surprisingly delicious.  I was expecting a boring, run of the mill coffee shop breakfast, but this was clearly a step above.  The place was immaculately clean too and they had some great art work.  We always love it when we are pleasantly surprised and get more than what we were expecting.

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago

After a bit of time downtown, we drove up Lake Shore Drive where we found some free parking at a park (Lincoln Park?) and got out to walk around.  The wind blowing off Lake Michigan chilled to the bone, but we hung out there as long as we could stand it.  The bathrooms had heaters, but we couldn’t go in one together and give people the wrong impression. Continue reading →

Virgil’s Cafe

We arrived in Cincinnati in time for lunch and crossed the river into Bellevue, Kentucky.  Virgil’s Café is a charming little place, located on a charming little street full of shops and nice people.  We visited an art gallery, a tea house, gift shops, a creamery and more; and we bought a set of dishes that I couldn’t live without.  Be sure to allot yourself two or three hours to explore and enjoy some of the tasty treats. Unlike the corporate malls, these shops are owned and operated by real people with style and character who want to do things their way.

The Brat Dog at Virgil’s Cafe

Virgil’s Café is quaint and decorated quite nicely.  The dining room is cozy, but elegant with a high ceiling, and old world charm. This was one of those other places that slipped through the cracks planning wise.  I forgot about Chef/Owner Matthew Buschle, and all the wonderful food he made on the show (Etouffee, frogs legs, sausage biscuits and gravy, Andoulle, chili, cheddar and jalapeno hush puppies, and more).  I ordered a cheeseburger and Anna ordered a brat dog with blue-cheese cole slaw and bacon on a homemade brioche roll (which was buttered and grilled to perfection).  Both orders came with the house made potato chips.  Anna says it’s the best dog she’s ever had; and I suppose that’s because the house made brat was crafted by someone who really knows (and loves) food.

Cheeseburger at Virgil’s Cafe

As for the burger, I wasn’t expecting much; and when it first came out, I thought it looked dry and wasn’t very happy.  That all changed as soon as I took my first bite.  The burger was so good it was like a flavor explosion in my mouth.  This burger was one of my earlier experiences with a hand-crafted burger made by a chef who really understands food.  He starts with his own blend of chuck, short rib and brisket, tops it with sauteed mushrooms and onions, cheese (melted to perfection) and the kicker is the house made Kaiser roll which has to be experienced to be believed.  It’s light as a cloud, pillow-soft, oven warm, delicately grilled with just a hint of a satisfying crunch, all with a fantastic flavor that complements the burger without overpowering it.  A superb balance of ingredients, flavors, textures and aromas.  I just sat there, eating that burger bite after bite, shaking my head in disbelief that somebody could make a burger that good.  At the time, I didn’t realize the roll was fresh out of the oven.  Anna kept raving about how good the Brat-dog was, but I could have cared less.  I was in hamburger heaven. Continue reading →

Tacos at Parkview NiteClub
My PBR is just out of the shot

We rolled into Cleveland, no trouble, and headed straight for the Parkview Nite Club.  The place was super packed, but we got a table quickly.  I ordered a beer and a full complement of tacos.  It was a long wait for the food, and the tacos disappointed.  I suppose they could have been good, but they were prepared on deep fried flour tortillas, which ended up being dry and lacked flavor.  Out here in California, we only use corn tortillas for fried tacos, and it just doesn’t occur to me to ask when we’re away from home.  Flour tortillas can be just fine for tacos, but not deep-fried.  We were so hungry we just ate them anyway.  The rest of their food might be great, but we didn’t sample anything else.  The place is super popular with the locals.

Lucky’s Cafe

It was our first time to Cleveland and I knew we were going to get some killer food.  On our first morning we went to Lucky’s Café.  The place is charming, inside and out.  We were hoping to meet the owner and chef, Heather Haviland, but she was out sick.  Our server took excellent care of us, and we treated ourselves to some fresh coffee.  We ordered both items from the show, biscuits and gravy and a Reuben sandwich.  If you haven’t seen this segment, Heather makes everything from scratch, and I do mean everything.  She even corns her own beef. Continue reading →