Stonewood Grill & Tavern

Stonewood Grill & Tavern
100 S. Atlantic Ave.
Ormond Beach, FL 32176
(386)671-1200
www.stonewoodgrill.com

I finally called a mulligan on my horrible Carraba's anniversary dinner and went to Stonewood Grill & Tavern as I originally planned to do. From now on if I am thinking Stonewood, I'll be sticking to my guns and going. This place is the real deal.

We went on a Saturday evening and after being busy for most of the day, I didn't realize I probably should have called for a reservation until we hit the parking lot. I couldn't let this bother me, even after finding out our wait would be 45 minutes to an hour. Again, no worries for me as I sauntered myself right into the bar to order a nice cold beer. Julynn opted for a Coke and we took up position in the lobby. While waiting for our friend Jeff and Ronda, Stonewood really impressed me when a server started circling the lobby with appetizers for people to munch on during their wait. Really nice touch on their part, plus it probably played a part into the appetizers we ordered once seated.

Our wait didn't take the full 45 minutes, but I didn't really like where we were seated. I am a big fan of their main dining room and we were headed to the room right off of the bar area. It reminds me of a patio type room that doesn't have the same elegance as their main dining room. If it would have been just Julynn and I, we probably would have waited, but I didn't want to be "that guy" by making us wait longer. I am usually "that guy", but wasn't really feeling it that night, so I kept my mouth shut.

We ordered our drinks and got right at the menu to get things started. For appetizers we ordered the Buffalo Shrimp, Steak & Bleu Cheese Flatbread (which we sampled in the lobby), Bruschetta and I got a cup of Clam Chowder. All of the appetizers were incredible. If you visit Stonewood and want to try an appetizer full of flavor, you have to try the Steak & Bleu Cheese Flatbread. It is fabulous! The dish is oak grilled steak, caramelized onions and roasted red peppers on crisp flatbread, topped with bleu cheese dressing, bleu cheese crumbles and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. You will think you have died and gone to Heaven!

We ordered our entrees and were just as impressed upon their arrival. Ronda had the Tuscan Chicken, Jeff had the Ribeye, Julynn ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer as her entree and I had the Herb Encrusted Grouper. We were all very pleased.

Stonewood currently has 16 locations throughout Florida and one in Cary, NC. If you get the chance to visit one of their locations, I know you will be pleased. It should also be noted they just introduced a new seasonal dishes for the winter. They are offering a yellow-fin tuna marinated in a sesame ginger sauce and served on a bed of wasabi mashed potatoes and topped off with an Asian vegetable souffle. The second new offering is a pork porterhouse served with a port wine and fig demi-glace. In January they will add an offering of a six-ounce trout filet that will complement the other new dishes. If you have been a regular visitor to Stonewood, you now have a three great reasons to return.

For our visit to Stonewood Grill & Tavern, I have to give them five Stiffy's! This is one of the most consistent restaurants in our area and I have never been disappointed. I will hold-out the next time for a seat in the main dining room.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

McDonald's McRib

You'd have to be housed on the International Space Station to not know the McRib is back. The word seems to spread quickly among those that patiently await these announcements and sightings throughout the year and country. If you don't think the McRib is serious business, checkout this link http://www.kleincast.com/maps/mcrib.php. This will show you all of the locations across North America that currently offer the McRib sandwich and is updated constantly by McRibphiles from all over.

If you remember when the Chilean miners got trapped in that mine back in July, they originally said they wouldn't be able to get them out until Christmas. What most people don't know is when they began communicating with them through that small hole they dug, the miners told them you have to get us out before December. The McRib is coming back! I was watching the news yesterday and they showed all the miners attending an event in New York City. Do you really think it is a coincidence that they are here in our country at the same time the McRib is in market? I don't think so.

When it comes to the McRib, there are three kinds of people. Those that love it, those that hate it and those that have never tried it. I actually spoke to my buddy Jeff last night over dinner and he told me he had never tried one before. I told him he had to get one today! Hopefully he has heeded my advice and is now one of the lovers of the best tasting pieces of gelatinous, fatty, pressed, pork products in the world. As you can tell, I am fit into the category of those that love the McRib. Over the years I have developed to the point where I cannot eat most of the food at McDonald's without it upsetting my stomach. The only thing I can eat is what I like to call the Poor Man's Surf-N-Turf, which is a double cheese burger and a filet of fish. The McRib is the other thing I can eat and do so whenever it appears. In fact, I am five deep on the McRib sandwich for this year's appearance. Something I am not overly proud of, but it is what it is.

For me the attraction of the McRib is two-fold. First, this sandwich comes on what has to be the softest bun served in any quick service restaurant and the marriage of the tangy sauce, pickles and onions just works incredibly well. Yes, I said pickles. Most know I have this thing about pickles, but I can eat them on the McRib. (You can look back through this blog and find "The Pickle Story" for the inside scoop.) The second thing I like about the McRib is the genius in which McDonald's uses the sandwich. They built a cult following for this sandwich and use it strategically to boost profits at various times. They don't leave it in the market for too long allowing those to get tired of it, but bring it back in a mysterious way to create demand. I really thought KFC was going to use the Double Down in this manner, but it has remained on their menu and you don't even hear people talking about it anymore.

My guess is the McRib will only be around for a couple of more weeks, so you need to get out there and get all you can, while you can. If you have never tried one, go find out what all the hype is about. Everyone that loves the McRib knows they are not good for us, but it won't kill you to try it. The only problem is that you might like it and then you have another thing to worry about and that is when the McRib might be back next.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Mama Mia's Pizzeria

Mama Mia's Pizzeria
1345 W. Granada Blvd.
Ormond Beach, FL 32174
(386)673-4663

If you like authentic New York style pizza, your search is over in the Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area. I was craving a good pizza the other day and tried to call Joe's New York style pizza in Ormond Beach. The operator kindly told me the number was no longer in service. This was hard for me to believe since they really made a good pie. My taste buds were looking forward to something different and didn't want to settle for one of the chain pizza joints. I remembered my buddy Bob telling me about a place called Luigi's in Ormond Beach that had opened not long ago and decided to ride up there to order my pie. Nothing could have prepared me for what I found.

When I got to the Luigi's location, I found that it too had closed and was now named Mama Mia's Pizzeria. This location previously housed the Krispy Kreme location in Ormond Beach. Since I wanted a pizza this turned out to be a perfect opportunity to try a new location. Upon entering the first thing that struck me was the decor. They have done a really nice job of giving the place an authentic pizzeria feel. There are a number of tables with plenty of seating and an open kitchen where you can watch them make your pie. My order was a large pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and extra cheese. As I stood at the counter waiting for the server to grab me a beer I ordered, someone said hello to me from the kitchen. It was the same guy that used to make the pies at Joe's New York Pizza. I asked him what happened down at Joe's and he told me he really didn't know. They came into work one day and the place was closed. I told him that was too bad as I felt they made the best pizza around.

The restaurant was not really busy that night, but there were a few tables that were taken. I perused the menu while waiting for my pizza and noticed they serve just about everything you would expect to find in a pizzeria. Pasta dishes, sandwiches, calzones and what has to be one of the biggest strombolis I have ever seen in my life. A table for two ordered one near me and they seemed quite surprised when the server brought it to the table. This thing was the size of a small pillow. It was baked to a delicious looking golden brown and was clearly filled with mounds of goodness.

My pizza was boxed up and brought out to me and I got a surprise of my own. When the large was ordered, I hadn't really looked at the size. It turns out it was much bigger than I needed for my small family. After arriving home we dug into the pizza right away and it was incredible. The crust was baked perfectly, the sauce had a wonderful flavor and the toppings were all deliciously fresh. It is also clear Mama Mia's uses a good quality mozzarella cheese on their pizzas. It had a wonderful consistency and great flavor. The three of us were only able to eat half of the pizza. Good thing pizza is one of those foods that also tastes great the second time around.

My hopes are that Mama Mia's can make things work for them at this location as I plan on this being my go-to spot for pizza from now on. Of course there is also a plan to get in there one night to see what that stromboli is all about. For my first visit to Mama Mia's, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Lumpy's - Downtown

Lumpy's Downtown
145 Pierpont Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801)938-3070
www.lumpysdowntown.com

On our last day in Salt Lake City, a Sunday no less, we found ourselves standing outside a bar at 10:00AM waiting for the doors to open so we could watch some NFL football before heading to the airport. I knew Lumpy's had food, but was quite surprised when we sat down at the bar and the bartender asked if we were going to eat breakfast. This really excited me as breakfast is really my most favorite meal of the day. She gave us menus to review along with some really large mugs of beer, which would have been huge to me even if it was at 10:00PM.

We start to peruse the menu and I see a couple of things that pique my interest. First, they have an Eggs Benedict, which happens to be my all-time favorite breakfast offering. However, given that we are in a pub type atmosphere, I figure this is probably not the place for me to go that route. I have had my share of bad Hollandaise sauce. The next thing I notice is the Bubba's Benedict menu item. Bubba's Benedict consists of a biscuit split open and topped with two sausage patties, scrambled eggs, cheese and smothered in sausage gravy. I want to order this so bad, but feel it is not going to be a good accompaniment with the breakfast beverage I have chosen. In the end, I decide to play it safe and go with the three egg omelet stuffed with chirizo sausage, onions and peppers, cheese and potatoes with wheat toast. James played it safe and just got a two-egg breakfast with bacon and toast.

As we waited for our food we began to notice the place filling up quick as it got closer to kick-off. Both of us were amazed at the variety of teams being represented out there in Salt Lake. We probably saw jerseys for close to half of the league. Our food showed up pretty quickly and we started to dig in. My omelet was stuffed with sausage, potatoes, peppers and onions. The only issue I did have with it was how thin the egg was surrounding the stuffing. This is indicative of an omelet being made on a griddle versus in a pan. It is my belief that omelets should be fluffy, not thin.

We finished our breakfast and watched my Vikings stink up the place until I couldn't watch anymore. Plus, it was time to head out to the airport for our flights home. If I find myself back in Salt Lake City, I would return to Lumpy's as it is a great place to watch a game and I would try the Bubba's Benedict. For this visit, I have to give Lumpy's three Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Poplar Street Pub

Poplar Street Pub
242 S. 200 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801)532-2715
www.poplarstreetpub.com

After the final day of the JUS convention, James and I decided to just take a walk around downtown to find a place to eat. We stopped at a place called Lumpy's, but it was really crowded, so we just had a couple of beers while watching college football before continuing on with our search. We didn't have to venture far as about half a block away we found a jumpin' little place called the Poplar Street Pub. I found this very interesting since it is located on S. 200 West. Maybe it used to be known as Poplar Street, but this didn't deter me from entering.

From the outside this location doesn't look all that big, but when you enter the first room you come to is the dining room, which was quite large. You can walk through there to the bar area, which has a large patio area off to the side,followed by another large room with pool tables and other games. All of these areas have seating for dining, but James and I sat at the bar. The bartender was very prompt in taking our drink orders and asked if we wanted menus. We told him we did and started to decide what we wanted to eat.

James ordered a personal pizza and I ordered a grilled spicy chicken sandwich. In keeping with the spicy chicken theme, I decided to order some wings as an appetizer. The menu listed their hottest flavor as "Asian Heat." I had never heard of this, so I thought I would give it a try. I asked the bartender if they are hot and he said, "Very!" Most people would shy away from that response, but when a server tells me something is really hot or spicy, I begin to get excited. While sitting at the bar drinking our beers and waiting for our food, two guys sit down on the other side of James. We start chatting with them and we find out that they are homeless and living under a nearby overpass. At least that is what they told us. They seemed to be doing pretty well for homeless guys given that they had a few beers while we sat and chatted.

My wings arrive first and the bartender tells me, "Good luck with those." Now I am really pumped up when I hear that he thinks I am going to have a hard time with these wings. Not knowing what to expect from the "Asian Heat" spice, I was surprised that the wings had a sort of yellowish sauce on the wings, but there was no mistaking the powerful aroma of wasabi coming from the wings. I grabbed my first wing and took a bite to find the taste to be simply incredible. The wings were perfectly cooked and extremely hot. I had to let them sit on the plate for a couple of minutes before I could continue. When I did start eating again, the sweat started to bead on my forehead and nose with my scalp taking on a cool sensation. The wasabi flavored wings were definitely starting to fire me up. I ate most of the plate, but needed to save room for my chicken sandwich and didn't realize the plate of wings came with so many of them. James refused to touch them as they were way above his heat tolerance level. In hindsight, I should have offered them to the homeless guys, but the wings may have done them more harm than good.

James and I get our entrees and cannot believe the size of his pizza and may plate. This is really some serious pub food. The pizza James ordered could easily have fed two hungry people and my plate was loaded with fries accompanying the sandwich. My grilled spicy chicken sandwich was made so by including spices, pepper jack cheese, a Cajun sauce and slices of jalapenos piled high on the lettuce and tomato. I bit into my sandwich as was pleasantly surprised at how juicy and tender the chicken breast was and the incredible heat coming from the spices, cheese and jalapenos. The lettuce and tomato did a great job to help cool things off as much as possible, but it wasn't enough to keep me from sweating like crazy. The fries were incredibly tasty as they were infused with garlic. I have never tasted fries such as these before and they too were very hot and crispy. Even though I had eaten the wings previously, I did finish that sandwich completely and loved every fiery moment of it. Most of the fries though were left on my plate and that is a shame, but I just couldn't go the distance. James said his pizza tasted great, but there was no way he could finish it. Being the good guy that he is, he offered the homeless guys a couple of slices when the pie arrived and gave them what was left to take with them.

Salt Lake City seems to have a number of pubs, but Poplar Street Pub really impressed me with their food. This is definitely a spot I would hit again when back in town. As we were leaving I noticed a band setting up in the main dining room area and the place was starting to get packed with party people. We should have hung around, but I am getting old and just wanted to take it back to the hotel.

For my visit to Poplar Street Pub, I am going to give them five Stiffy's!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Lone Star Taqueria

Lone Star Taqueria
2265 Fort Union Blvd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
(801)944-2300
www.lonestartaqueria.com

After my lunch at The Beerhive, I really wasn't that hungry, but one of the main missions for this trip was to visit The Red Iguana previously featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." My buddy Dave, whom I used to work with at JumpTV and also lives in Salt Lake City, was going to pick us up at the hotel and drive us over. The initial plan was to meet at our hotel bar for a beer and then head over, but there was no parking for Dave, so we ran outside to head straight to the restaurant.

It was good to see Dave again as he's a great guy and knows just about everything and everybody in Salt Lake City. He drove us directly to The Red Iguana where I immediately noticed all of the people hanging around outside. We parked and Dave went in to find out how long the wait was going to be. He came out and told us at least 45 minutes. Now I see that as a good thing, but my com padres didn't want to wait that long. To me, that's a sure sign of some great food waiting inside. When I watched the segment on this restaurant on the Food Network, it was clear they offer authentic Mexican food.

Dave suggested we hit one of the other spots featured on the show, so we headed off to Lone Star Taqueria. They are famous for their fish tacos. We weren't exactly hungry at that point, so we drove to the other side of town and hit a bar right across the street from Lone Star. After a couple of beers, Dave and I went to eat, while James waited for us at the bar. Dave and I head across the street to Lone Star Taqueria and I notice that it looks like it used to be a fast food location. Dave confirmed that, telling me it was once an ice cream shop and a burger joint at one time as well.

We head inside to order and I notice a sign that says their fish being served that day was salmon. At first I was a little hesitant as I had never had fish tacos with salmon. I had the fish taco combo, which comes with one soft-shell taco, an order of rice and beans. The interior of the restaurant is rather small, but there are a number of tables located outside. I don't like eating outside much, but on this evening the temperature was just right as the sun had begun to set. As expected on a Friday night, the restaurant was crowded and seating on the outside was rather limited. However, while we were in line ordering a friend of Dave's appeared and said his wife was outside at a table, so we should join them. Dave really should consider running for Mayor as everywhere I go with him he runs into someone he knows.

We get outside and settle in at the table and it isn't long before our food comes to the table. All of the food is served in paper lined pie plates. The tacos were perfectly sized and soft. Dave told me to be sure to use the sauce they served with the tacos and it was delicious. My first bite of the taco told me that this place is special. The fish was flavorful and moist. The rice and beans were cooked perfectly and tasted simply delicious. I quickly forgot about the fact that I didn't get to go to The Red Iguana after eating this meal. The food was outstanding and Dave's friends were great to welcome us to their table and engaging in some stimulating conversation. This turned out to be a fantastic evening.

If there was a cool place like this serving fish tacos in Daytona Beach, I would be eating there all the time. This small place serving simple food with big flavor is truly a gift to the people of Salt Lake City. I cannot wait to get back out there for next year's Jus convention.

For my first and probably not my last visit to Lone Star Taqueria, I have to give them five Stiffy's. If you are ever in Salt Lake City and like fish tacos, you have to check this place out.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

The Beerhive Pub - Vienna Cafe

The Beerhive Pub - Vienna Cafe
128 S. Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1602
(801)364-4268

On the second day of our JUS convention we had a two hour break for lunch and decided to go out to find something. We walked around the corner from the hotel and along the way, passed a truck selling tacos on the street. This intrigued me quite a bit as I like exploring in this manner, but it was warm and there really wasn't any seating in the area. If you know me, I am not a big fan of al fresco dining and get even more jammed-up if I can't sit down and enjoy my meal comfortably, so we trudged along. We found a pub about twenty yards away and decided to venture inside.

On this day, The Beerhive had one guy sitting at the bar and it looked as if the place was brand new and had just opened recently. It was a beautiful bar and room with a ice trough along the bar meant to keep your drinks cold during your visit. I thought that was a nice touch. We asked for a menu and were informed that they don't have food, but they do serve food from the Vienna Cafe next door. This should explain the two names at the top of this post. The Beerhive had an incredible array of beers available, including many of the craft brews made by Squatters Pub. I was quite impressed with their offerings. I ordered a Poligamy Porter, with the understanding that you can't have just one. It was quite tasty to say the least.

For lunch my buddy James ordered the Chicken Roladen, which is a chicken breast stuffed with Guyere cheese and topped with a mushroom cream sauce and I ordered the Swiss bratwurst. We sipped our beers and chatted about the conference and it seems as if the food arrive in no time at all. James said his chicken meal was great, but he was all about the bratwurst I had ordered. The bratwurst came with German potato salad, a large dollop of brown spicy mustard, red cabbage and a large roll. The roll was actually split as if I would want to put the bratwurst on the bun, but it seemed to big for the roll to me. Additionally, I found the roll to be cold and hard and sent it back. Our bartender was very apologetic and came back with my roll having been toasted with butter on a grill. It was very good. My bratwurst had a wonderful pork flavor and went very well with the spicy mustard that accompanied it. I found the potato salad and the cabbage to be very flavorful as well. This was really great food.

James and I finished all of our lunch and were quite satisfied by the fact that we had stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant. The next time I am in Salt Lake City, I would love to go straight to the Vienna Cafe and have a great German meal. This meal brought back a ton of memories for me of when I lived in Germany while my father was in the military.

For my first visit to The Beerhive and Vienna Cafe, I have to give them four Stiffy's. Great food, great beers and a wonderful atmosphere!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Squatters Pub & Bar

Squatters Pub & Bar
147 West Broadway (300 South)
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801)363-2739
www.squatters.com

I recently spent a couple of days in Salt Lake City while attending the JUS convention. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to hit some of the spots I missed last time I visited and seek out new places. My main goal was to dine at The Red Iguana, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. However, I did make some wonderful discoveries, so not all was lost.

My flight got into Salt Lake City pretty late and by the time I reached the hotel it was close to 11:00 in the evening. Since I hadn't eaten much that day I decided to head out to see if we could find a spot nearby. My buddy James was with me for this convention and he wanting to grab a bite as well.

Not far from the hotel we found Squatters Pub & Bar. It should be noted I visited there that last time I was in town, but only had some of their great beer on that trip. We were surprised to find the location not only still serving food that late, but quite lively with a room full of people eating and enjoying their various beers. We settle in at the bar and order a couple of beers while perusing the menu. It was typical pub fare, so we both decided to order burgers. I got the Black & Bleu burger and James had the BBQ Buffalo Burger. Both came with a hearty serving of fries on the side and arrived after a very short wait.

When the bartender gave us our food I asked her for a bottle of ketchup. She turned around, grabbed one and gave it right to me with the label facing her. Since I recognized the shape of the bottle, I knew it was Heinz and was more than fine with that. I pour out a good portion of ketchup to accompany the fries and start to dig-in. At the very first bite, my first thought was that they had substituted Heinz in that particular bottle. It had a weird flavor that I really couldn't put my finger on. Trying to be a trooper I continued to forge ahead. However, after about my fourth or fifth French fry, I had to turn that bottle around and read the label. Turns out she gave me "Organic" ketchup. Now you would think this would not make a difference in the flavor, but I am here to tell you that it was a very noticeable change and not for the better if you ask me. I looked around for other ketchup bottles and noticed that there were a number of regular Heinz Ketchup bottles on various tables. My feeling is that the "Organic" ketchup should only be given to a person if that is what they specifically ask for, or when somebody asks for ketchup the wait staff should ask, "Regular or organic?" Just a bad way for me to get started. Although I am glad I didn't put it all over my burger.

James said his buffalo burger was good and I have to admit the burger I ordered was good as well. Squatters has some great beers on tap and seem to be known throughout the area for their beers as I found other locations pouring some of their brews through their taps. If you are ever in the area I suggest you try their Polygamy Porter. It is so good you won't be able to have just one!

I'd probably hit Squatters again if I got back to Salt Lake, but would probably just have some beers. My overall experience really got jammed-up by that rotten ketchup. For this visit to Squatters Pub & Bar, I have to give them three Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Five Guys vs The Brickyard

About seven or eight years ago while on a trip to Richmond, VA for a race, my cousin and I planned to meet for lunch. He told me he had a new place he wanted to take me that he thought I would really like. That place was Five Guys Burgers and Fries. They started that company in northern Virginia and were beginning to expand throughout the state at that time. I was really impressed with their burgers and fries and began telling everyone they needed to try this place when they had the chance. It took a while, but one day while driving around Orlando, I saw a new Five Guys opening and was ecstatic that they were now in Florida. I took some of the guys from our JumpTV office and they loved the burgers and fries as well. Five Guys makes good burgers and fries, but I have figured out why they are so successful.

In my opinion, Five Guys is so successful because they serve a good burger in a quick service manner that far surpasses their competitors. Their fries are also pretty tasty as well. However, I am going to tell you, they are not the best burger in my town. For me, that distinction goes to The Brickyard. I think it is important for me to break this argument down and tell you why I feel this way.

The other day I was on IM with a buddy of mine, affectionately known by me and a few others as Pony Keg, when he asked me if I have ever been to a Five Guys. I told him I had and liked their burgers, but I still felt there are better burgers out there. He too agreed, stating that he thought they were also a bit expensive. In fairness, I haven't done much comparison in that area, but do remember my last meal being over $10. He and I both went back and forth for a couple of exchanges saying there is something about Five Guys that isn't quite right, but we couldn't put our fingers on it. Finally, he pointed out the exact problem I have with them compared to others. His IM said, "I think it is that their meat has no flavor." At that moment, you could have knocked me over with a feather. It is exactly what I couldn't put my finger upon previously.

The Brickyard in Daytona Beach is an independently owned restaurant that serves great burgers. The burgers are cooked over an open flame and are made with prime ground chuck. I think what is most important that sets them apart from Five Guys is that you can get your burger cooked anyway you wish. At Five Guys, all burgers are served well done. Sorry, but I am a medium rare kind of guy that believes burgers are juicier and more flavorful when cooked in that manner. In the simplest terms, a burger at The Brickyard has far more beef flavor than a burger from Five Guys. It is something I thought during my last Brickyard visit about three weeks ago, but didn't confirm until Pony Keg broke me down.

The Brickyard is just a small restaurant here in Daytona Beach, but there are restaurants like this all over the globe. You just have to hunt them out and try different places. Again, don't get me wrong, Five Guys makes good burgers. I just think you can find even better if you look around and keep an open mind. The Five Guys in Port Orange opened a few months ago and now they are opening a new one right here in Daytona Beach about five miles from my house. Will I go there and have a burger when they open? Probably. Will that be my go-to place when I want a good burger? No. By default I will always choose The Brickyard as my first choice.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Carrabba's Italian Grill

Carrabba's Italian Grill
2200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
(386)255-3344
www.carrabbas.com

The generosity of women continues to amaze me. On September 4th, my wife and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. How she has put up with me for 11 years, I will never know. My hope is that what happened to us at Carrabba's on that day is not a hint of things to come.

We had to attend a wedding that afternoon and on a whim decided to go to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We also invited our friends Ronda and her husband Jeff to join us. My thoughts about where to go included Stonewood Grill, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's or Gene's Steakhouse. How I made such a colossal mistake in choosing Carrabba's over all the others is still a mystery to me. We told Ronda and Jeff we would meet them around 4:00 at Carrabba's.

We get there a little bit late and find them waiting for us in the lobby area. I notice that there are a ton of tables open, so I ask Jeff how come they haven't gotten a table yet. Jeff tells me they were told they do not have enough wait staff to handle all of the tables at that point. I am sorry, but if you open your doors and you are short on staff then the manager on duty needs to take some tables. That's just my opinion. Admittedly, we only waited about 10 minutes, but when it was time to get a table we were escorted past no less than 20 tables and booths to a table located right outside the restrooms. I immediately voiced my displeasure and asked to be seated elsewhere. We did get another table suitable to our liking and sat down to peruse the menu.

Our waiter shows up pretty quickly to take our drink orders and we made our dinner choices. I ordered veal Marsala and decided to go with soup and garlic mashed potatoes as my side. Everyone else got salads with their entrees and vegetables as their side, except Ronda who also chose the mashed potatoes. Our soup and salads arrived in short order and the first thing I notice about my soup is a layer of grease across the top of my lentil and sausage. I decide to power on and give the soup a solid stir before taking my first taste. The soup was cold, so I remove the bay leaf I find on my spoon and sit it along with my spoon on my bread plate and begin to wait. Surely the waiter will come back to check on us and I can get him to bring me another soup or heat this up. Well, that never happened. After about 15 minutes our entrees show up. The expediter delivering our entrees sees that I have not eaten my soup and asks if there was anything wrong with it. When I tell her it was cold and I was waiting for our waiter to return to tell him, she immediately apologizes and makes an offer to get me another. However, at this point our entrees are on the table and I don't want to eat soup as my meal gets cold. Again she apologizes profusely, which I appreciate, and promises to send over the manager. She leaves and about 30 seconds later I hear the manager telling the kitchen to check the temperature on their soups. Oh well, too late for me, but maybe that will help others.

I cut into my veal Marsala to find it nice and tender. It has a great flavor, but when I take a bite of my garlic mashed potatoes, they are cold as well. I am beginning to see what is going on here. Either these foods are not being stored at safe temperatures or sides are being put on the plates way too early before the main course. I ask Ronda how her potatoes are and she agrees that they are cold. At this point, I just really want to get out of there. I leave my potatoes on the plate and finish my veal. The manager never comes to our table, so I ask for the check. Next to us is a table of six with a number of children and when I see their dishes come out it is clear the way to go at Carrabba's is pasta. All of the pasta dishes being served were steaming hot.

I take full responsibility for this debacle as I should never have gone to a chain like this for an anniversary dinner. Its just that I like Carrabba's and we never go because my daughter doesn't like it. Given that she put the kibosh on a suggestion of Bennigan's two years ago and then they closed their doors two weeks later, I should be taking her advice. I was so upset after this meal that if Johnny and Damian would have been in the restaurant that evening, I would have clunked their heads together they way Moe does Larry and Curly. It was the worst!

I have had good meals at Carrabba's in the past, but I am done with them now. For this, my last visit to Carrabba's, I give them one Stiffy.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Havana Cuba Restaurant

Havana Cuba Restaurant
210 N. Woodland Blvd.
DeLand, FL 32720
(386)736-7726
www.planetdeland.com/havanacuba

In posts past I have commented on the plethora of independently owned restaurants located in DeLand. I continue to be amazed with the number of these restaurants and the good food that they serve. Unintentionally, my friend Kelly has seemed to become my DeLand restaurant dining partner. She and I have discovered a few places and have also failed to find some locations we were looking for, but that is the beauty of having so many choices. Recently, Kelly told me about a small Cuban location called Havana Cuba that we needed to check out. Since I am always ready for a new food adventure and love Cuban food, I immediately agreed.

Kelly and I arrived at Havana Cuba just a little before noon and it is a good thing that we did. The restaurant is small and cozy with seating for about 30. As soon as we sat down we were greeted by our waitress who took our drink orders. We ordered sodas, but it should be noted they do have a selection of Cuban sodas available. I thought that was a great touch that added to the authenticity of the place and made a mental note to try one on my next visit. For lunch, I ordered the Cuban Sandwich and Kelly ordered Arroz con Pollo, chicken with yellow rice. After taking our order our waitress took our ticket to a gentleman sitting at a table with a couple of other people and he went straight to the kitchen. The restaurant began to fill with others while we waited for our food and chatted. It wasn't ten minutes before our waitress returned with our food. This was really quick service.

I ordered the full sandwich, but will tell you a half would have been plenty. As a matter of fact, their special that day was a half of sandwich with a side of black beans and rice. I did order a side of beans and rice, but with a full sandwich it was way too much food. The portions here are generous. Kelly's chicken and rice looked outstanding and she confirmed my suspicions by saying it tasted really good. My sandwich was packed with ham, pork and cheese with a great Cuban bread pressed just right. The beans were flavorful and the rice fluffy and hot. We were very pleased with our food. Our waitress came back to check on us often and kept our glasses full.

It appears this restaurant is family owned with everyone pitching in. While it is small, they serve up food that is big on flavor and size. If you enjoy Cuban food and like a nice, family atmosphere when you dine out, you have to check out Havana Cuba Restaurant. I know I'll be back often.

For my first visit to Havana Cuba Restaurant, I give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

P.F. Changs Frozen Entrees

Eating out all the time can get rather expensive as you well know, so I thought I would share with you a meal we had here at the house recently. My wife brought home some of the frozen entrees made by P.F. Changs. In the past these ready made meals have not been a big part of our purchases and diet, but that may change.

My wife bought the General Tso's Chicken, which is the one thing I usually get when we go to P.F. Changs. All of the contents are in the bag, which you just place into a pan and heat within about 15 minutes. We made some rice and spooned the chicken and vegetables to make an entire meal. These meals are incredibly similar to what you are used to being served in the actual restaurant. The General Tso's Chicken was quite spicy with some excellent kick to it. The vegetables had a nice snap to them and the sauce was very flavorful. I was more than a little bit surprised and pleased with how quickly and easily you can put a great meal on the table just by opening a bag.

If you are a fan of Chinese food and P.F. Changs for that matter, take a look in your grocer's freezer to see if they carry these entrees. My guess is you will be very pleased with these meals once you try them.

For my experience with P.F. Changs frozen entrees, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

The $69 Hot Dog

I don't know if you saw this over the weekend or not, but an ice cream shop in New York City has created a $69 hot dog. The shop in question is named Serendipity III and is located midtown east in the city. It should be noted they also created a $25,000 sundae at one time. You may have heard of this place before.

Here's what I have to say about a $69 hot dog. ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!?!? For me, this speaks directly to the law of diminishing returns. I understand that the hot dog is made with truffle oil, duck foie gras and black truffles, but at the end of the day it is still just a hot dog. Don't get me wrong, gourmet food is an extravagance that should be enjoyed by everyone from time-to-time, but to do this to the most basic of American foods is pure blasphemy.

The beauty of the hot dog is its simplicity. When done right it starts with high quality beef, gets perfectly grilled and is served on a warm toasted, grilled or steamed bun. Adding just mustard at this point takes it to another level, which is still quite enjoyable. Most people like to take it to higher levels by adding onions, sauerkraut, chili and cheese, relish, bacon and even cole slaw. But again, all of these additions are simplistic in their nature, but add a wonderful flair of sophistication to the simple hot dog. The $69 Hot Dog makes it something it isn't even supposed to be and I would venture to guess the pretzel roll is far to dense and chewy to provide the typical hot dog eater with a dining experience they will enjoy.

If anybody that reads this finds themselves in New York City and is so inclined to try this hot dog, I would love to hear your thoughts on it. In the meantime, I'll continue to try some of the best hot dogs I can find in the $3.00-$5.00 range. You don't have to spend $69 to find the "best hot dog you ever ate."

Remember, you can dress a pig in a pretty pink dress, but its still a pig.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
2514 W. Int'l. Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
(386)226-2005
www.bjsbrewhouse.com

Daytona Beach has its newest restaurant and I have to tell you it is a good one. My buddy Ryan hit me up a week ago saying we needed to get together and catch-up. I had been wanting to try BJ's, so we both decided this would be a good time to do it. Ryan had been there previously and had a beer, but hadn't eaten yet. I received an invitation to attend their orientation week where everyone was given one free entree, but I just couldn't make it work with my schedule. This did seem to me to be a great gesture by the restaurant to give them the opportunity to work out some kinks before opening and providing residents with a free meal. More restaurants should open in this manner. I think it endears them to the community.

The first thing I notice upon entering is that the place is big and really nicely done inside. It immediately reminded me of Vince Carter's in that there is a lot of dark wood and chrome with a very upscale feel to it. Ryan and I were meeting for lunch, so I spent my time at the table checking out the crowd while waiting for Ryan. I was quite impressed with how crowded they were for a Tuesday and noticed the restaurant was bustling. Our waiter came to the table to welcome me and take my drink order. He explained to me that they brew their own beers and also make their own root beer and a couple of other sodas. I told him I would wait until my other person arrived and he said he would come back. Ryan gets in and I order a Pepsi, Ryan gets an ice water, but tells the waiter he will try one of their beers later.

My second observation about BJ's is in regards to their menu. It reminds me of The Cheesesteak Factory. It is quite extensive with all kinds of food offerings. To make things easy, I decide just to order from the lunch menu, which Ryan decides as well. He orders Soup and Salad and I order Soup and Sandwich. Ryan's salad is a good size wedge of lettuce with Bleu cheese dressing and sprinkled with bacon. For his soup, he ordered the tomato bisque. I chose a half of turkey club sandwich with a bowl of clam chowder. The half of sandwich also came with a small order of fries, which you can choose shoestring or seasoned potato wedges. I chose the wedges.

Ryan and I chatted after placing our orders and were quickly approached by an expediter from the kitchen with two appetizers. We told her they were not for us and she took off. As we continued to chat, we were approached again with another order, but again it was not ours. In short order my sandwich and fries show up and the young lady asks if there will be anything else. I explain to her that I had ordered Soup and Sandwich. She says she'll be right back, so I just wait to see if Ryan's food is going to show up anytime soon. She brings my chowder to the table, but still nothing for Ryan. Finally, they bring his salad out and tell him his soup will be coming, but they had dropped his first bowl. Sometimes the less said, the better.

Ryan gets his soup, so we start eating once everything is on the table. The turkey club was a really good sandwich, but what blew me away were there seasoned potato wedges. They had a great crunchy outside, with a pillowy, creamy center. It was almost like mashed potatoes inside. As I have stated before, I am a big fan of clam chowder and this one will go down as one of my favorites. The chowder had a rich, creamy flavor and full of potatoes. The clams were plentiful, sweet and tender. If you like clam chowder you should give BJ's version a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Originally upon arriving, I thought I was going to have a burger given how hungry I was, but this Soup and Sandwich was more than enough. On top of how good the meal was, as a lunch special it only cost $6.95. Quite a bargain if you ask me.

Ryan and I were both very happy with our meals and I plan to go with some other friends for dinner this weekend. Ryan wanted to order his beer, but the waiter brought our check and stood it on the table. He shorted himself out of a bigger tip. As we were finishing our meals we got approached one final time with another two entrees that we obviously didn't order. We probably could have eaten all afternoon if we would have just accepted everything that was brought to the table.

We did eventually move to the bar and had a couple of their beers. They do have some good beers they brew themselves and I would guess about another 25 craft beers on tap. If you like beer, you will really enjoy a visit to BJ's. I hope they do well as we previously had a Hop's Restaurant right down the street with the same concept that went out of business. However, my feeling is that the food at BJ's is much better than what Hop's had. Only time will tell.

For my lunch visit to BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Smoke Shack BBQ

The fun about writing this blog is not just that I get to eat great food at a number of interesting restaurants, but also the many anecdotes that come out of some of my visits. These anecdotes tend to range from the treatment I received from a particular waitress, my having to send soup back a couple of times because it isn't hot or just about one of my dining companions. This is one of those times.

My buddy Gary was in town from NYC and hadn't had any good barbecue since he left Florida, so we decided to hit the Smoke Shack in Ormond Beach. I have written about the Smoke Shack before, so this is less about the food we had that day and more about one of our friends that joined us. Just as I was getting ready to leave the house to meet Gary, I decided to shoot a note to our friend Dan to see if he could meet us as well. He loves barbecue as much as we do and I knew if he could swing it, he would be there. I was a bit worried as this was the Friday of the Coca-Cola 400 weekend at Daytona International Speedway and thought he might be jammed-up with the race, but he was able to meet for lunch after all. Looking back, I am glad he did as once again, he didn't disappoint.

It is here that I should really break you down on the legend of our good friend. And please trust me when I tell you, he is a legend. A few years ago, a number of folks went to lunch one day at P.F. Chang's. Somebody noticed that one of the menu items was the Spicy Dan-Dan Noodles. From that day on, Dan was known as "Spicy." I'm not real sure he has really liked the nickname, but sometimes you just can't fight it and I think he has given up at this point. One of the things I have noticed is that most of our female friends still call him "Spicy", but many of us guys just simply call him "Spice." Whenever somebody brings up something about Dan, inevitably somebody will reply, "The Spice is nice!" He's just a great guy that brings a smile to every one's face when you think about him and all he has going on. The Spice name has bled over into his family with many of us affectionately referring to is wife as "The Spice Rack", his triplet daughters are "The Spice Girls" and his father is "Old Spice." So you see that it all works out and makes perfect sense.

My best way to describe Dan is to tell you he is the Asian George Costanza. He always has something going on that has him jammed-up. Like the time he called Animal Services and told them he had raccoons in his attic he needed them to come remove. They told him they don't remove raccoons, only alligators. He said, "Well, it might be an alligator." Or the time he was driving home from work in the rain and did a 180 spin that left him facing in the other direction only to see a cop sitting at the light looking right at him. Then there was the time he hit a curb in his new BMW and jacked-up the rim on his tire. He called the insurance company to tell them this should be covered, only to find out he would have to pay since he said he hit a curb and not a pothole. "That will be $1,200 please." I think you get the idea of what we are dealing with here.

I get to the Smoke Shack to find Gary had just arrived. Spice hadn't made it yet, so we hang out and wait for him before ordering. Spice finally gets there and says to us, "You guys are not going to believe what happened to me. I'll tell you when we get to the table." He jumps in line in front of us and orders his food. He didn't realize we were waiting for him and hadn't ordered yet. Gary and I place our orders and cannot wait to get to the table to find out what has happened to Spice.

We sit down and he proceeds to tell us that he was a little late joining us because he car wouldn't turn off. Seems something was going wrong with his car's electrical system and it wouldn't turn off. He cut his engine off and removed the key, but the radio and air conditioning still continued to run. But, in typical Spice fashion, he came on into the restaurant to eat and just let it run.

Spice ordered pulled pork and Gary and I ordered some monster sandwich that was comprised of beef brisket, pulled pork, cole slaw, shredded cheddar cheese and jalapenos. I had the macaroni and cheese as well as the baked beans as my sides. Their mac-n-cheese is really good, but their beans have a surprise in that they add small chunks of pineapple to give the beans a sneaky, sweet flavor. They are really good. The sandwich I had was incredibly tasty and quite filling. Don't order this sandwich if you are not really hungry. You'll kick yourself for having to throw away all of that good stuff. The brisket and pork were tender and had a great smoky flavor. The jalapenos added a nice kick. This is by far, the best barbecue available in the Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area.

I hope Dan is not upset about this post being mainly about him and I appreciate your taking the time to read it. For this visit to the Smoke Shack, including the great food and great company, I have to give them five Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

O'Steens Restaurant

O'Steens Restaurant
205 Anastasia Blvd.
St. Augustine, FL 32080
(904)829-6974

A bunch of us piled into the car on Saturday heading to St. Augustine to watch the USA/Ghana soccer match. Originally, I wanted to watch it at the Oyster Pub only to eat some oysters before this oil spill makes eating oysters impossible or too unaffordable. Gary wanted to watch it at a British pub to really get the great crowd feeling, so I agreed that would be good. Little did I know that oysters were still in my immediate future. Our group consisted of Gary, Gary Sr., Gary's brother Steve, Kelly, Frank and myself.

When we get to St. Augustine, Gary has to make a U-Turn in front of O'Steens to double back to the pub. As he does, he says that O'Steens has the best fried shrimp he has ever eaten. I notice there are people sitting in chairs outside the restaurant waiting to be seated inside. This is about lunchtime, so I don't see this as unusual at the time. We head into the pub and Frank asks the owner if they serve food. He tells us they don't, but we are welcome to order from O'Steens and bring the food inside. At this point, Gary Sr. steps up and decides to make a run for takeout. We all order our beers and get ready for the start of the soccer match.

When Gary Sr. returns about 15 minutes later he has about five shrimp platters and one oyster platter. Each comes with cole slaw, French fries, hush puppies and a wonderful dipping sauce. The oyster platter that I get is accompanied with tartar sauce. I open my platter and it is filled with goodness. O'Steens platters are stocked with seafood and we are all quite happy. They devein and butterfly their shrimp before cooking them, but what I notice the most is their batter. The batter almost reminds me of a tempura batter, but it is thicker than that, but not as thick as the batter you normally find on shrimp and oysters. It is just the right amount and I have to agree that this is the best fried shrimp I have ever eaten. The oysters are great as well. The fries are hot and crispy, the cole slaw creamy with a great flavor and hush puppies the size of golf balls.

This has to be one of the best seafood platters I have eaten in a while and cannot wait to head back to St. Augustine to dine in at this location. Upon our departure from the pub after that crushing loss to Ghana, I notice there is even a larger crowd waiting to get into O'Steens for their dinner rush.

If you are in the St. Augustine area and like seafood, I strongly suggest you check-out O'Steens. The feeling I got from seeing the people waiting for a table is that they are a favorite for people that return on vacation year after year.

For my first, but not last visit to O'Steens, I have to give them five Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Boston Market

I do 99.9% of the cooking in my house, but the other night, I had NOTHING! Absolutely no idea what to cook for dinner and quite honestly, was not that hungry. My wife must have sensed this as she just decided to make a stop at Boston Market on the way home. Usually when she goes to Boston Market, she brings me chicken with a side or two, but this night she brought home a chicken pot pie.

As a general rule, I am a huge fan of the pot pie. It has everything you need all packaged up in a tasty bundle. Plus, this one came as a total surprise to me so that was an added bonus. The first thing I notice is the huge, crust on the top of the pie. It is perfectly golden brown and I found it to be quite flaky when I applied the fork to it. Inside the pie was filled with chunks of juicy chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas and gravy. Everything was perfect except the gravy. I found it to be rather bland and it wasn't that hot. In fairness to Boston Market, it could have cooled considerably on the ride home or they don't serve pot pies right out of the oven to avoid a law suit from someone that is stupid enough to burn their mouth. I am one of those crazy people that likes to start getting after my pot pie when the inside is the same temperature as flowing lava. I need to go to a Boston Market location and order the pot pie to eat in-house. Then I'll have a better feel for this item.

If you like pot pies, I would tell you this is worth a try. It certainly comes through in the pinch when you consider most take about an hour and fifteen minutes to heat one up at home.

For my first pot pie experience from Boston Market, I am going to have to give them three Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich

A couple of weeks ago I received an invitation to try the Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich before it actually went on sale. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, you probably saw the same offer from one of your friends or followers. I picked my date and time to pick-up my sandwich, but on the appointed day, something came up and I didn't make the trip. Yesterday, my friend Kelly asked me if I had tried the sandwich yet and when I told her I hadn't, she said, "You have to go get one." Since Kelly has never steered me wrong regarding food, I figured today would be a great time to give it a try for lunch.

After running my appointed errands late this morning, I headed to the local Chick-fil-A in Ormond Beach. Given today's heat index of over 100 degrees, my mind was made up that the drive-thru was the only way to go. You've probably read my comments here about my drive-thru experiences and know this decision was not taken lightly. However, I will tell you Chick-fil-A is probably the most reliable in the QSR industry when it comes to speed and accuracy of delivering your order. I was pleasantly surprised to see on the menu board that Chick-fil-A offers their spicy chicken sandwich in the regular format of their chicken sandwiches and a deluxe version. The deluxe version includes lettuce, tomato, and a slice of pepper jack cheese. I ordered the meal, which included fries and a Coke and headed home.

When I got home and opened my sandwich to put mayonnaise on the bun, I immediately noticed two things. The first was how buttery and soft the bun was and secondly, how incredibly green and fresh the lettuce was. I find it rare when you get lettuce from a QSR on your sandwich and it isn't light green or white in color. This was a refreshing surprise. I take my first bite into the sandwich and got another pleasant surprise. When you first bite into this sandwich you can taste the spice right away, but then suddenly, you taste the all too familiar flavor of the original Chick-fil-A sandwich. It seems as if Chick-fil-A has added spices to their original spice mix to achieve the heat level they want, but maintaining the integrity of their original sandwich. It reminded me of an old friend suddenly showing up at your house when you least expected them. It was great! The sandwich has great spicy flavor, but the lettuce and tomato add a nice cooling effect to counter the pepper jack cheese and the spices. It wasn't too hot while I was eating it, but I noticed a nice burn that lingered on my tongue after I had finished the sandwich. This will probably be my new spot for spicy chicken sandwiches forever. So long Wendy's!

If you like spicy chicken and you have always been a fan of Chick-fil-A, you have to try this sandwich. I promise you will not be disappointed. For my visit to Chick-fil-A today, I have to give them four very solid Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry! By the way, Lakers win!

Harry

Mel's Hot Dogs

Mel's Hot Dogs
4136 E. Busch Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33617
(813)985-8000
www.melshotdogs.com

In 1982, I piled into a car with three of my fellow coworkers from Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, with the goal of reaching Tampa, FL safely. We planned to visit Busch Gardens, Tampa, party our butts off and chase a little Yellowtail at the USF campus. Unbeknownst to me, my future wife at the time was a 15-year-old high school freshman residing just down the street from my Bacchanalian shenanigans. Sometime during the week of our visit one of the young ladies told us she was going to take us to get the best hot dog we had ever eaten. She took us to a place called, Mel's Hot Dogs. Last September, my wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary and I can tell you that Mel's Hot Dogs is still selling some of the best Chicago Style Vienna Beef hot dogs around. It is kind of funny how things come full circle.

I had to go to Tampa this week for an interview and one of the top things on my mind was hitting Mel's while I was there. I got there around 2:00 and found that the usual lunch crowd was long gone. In fact, there were only two tables occupied upon my arrival. Mel's has plenty of seating and is usually crowded during the prime lunch and dinner times, so I considered myself lucky.

I ordered a couple of Mel's chili dogs as a basket, which includes fries and cole slaw. Mel's has a very extensive menu with a dog to satisfy every one's palate. I sat down, checked messages on my phone and waited for my name to be called. My order came up within about five minutes and I couldn't have been happier. However, when I took my first bite, I found my chili dogs didn't have mustard or onions as described on the menu board. I guess I was supposed to mention that in my order, but if the menu board says that is what it comes with, I don't think the customer needs to specifically mention all of the elements they want on their dog. That's going to cost them a Stiffy for sure.

Anyway, Mel's serves all of their dogs on soft, steamed poppy seed rolls just like they do in Chicago. The hot dog had a wonderful snap to it and the chili was flavorful. I went to the condiment counter and put on my own mustard. The fries were hot, crispy and flavorful as well. Usually, I am not much of a cole slaw guy, but theirs was really good. Not too much mayonnaise and just enough crunch from the cabbage and carrot slices to make the slaw really solid. My meal was so tasty I had to celebrate it by purchasing one of their Mel's t-shirts.

If you find yourself in Tampa, you have to stop by Mel's Hot Dogs. If you like hot dogs, I promise you will not be disappointed. After I arrived I noticed a number of tourists that came in to eat. Mel's is located right next to Busch Gardens, so I am sure people from all over the world find this little piece of hot dog heaven.

For my visit to Mel's Hot Dogs, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Doritos Third Degree Burn Chips

My buddy Nick shot me a note the other day and asked if I had tried the 2nd Degree Burn Chips that Doritos now markets. Nick had tried them and knowing my desire to eat hot-n-spicy foods, thought this would be a no brainer for me. He said I had to try them. Not surprisingly, I hadn't tried them given my position regarding Doritos.

As a much younger man living in Virginia, I used to spend some time each summer at a vacation house in Nags Head, NC. A bunch of us would go down there each year for a week at a time and do nothing but drink beer, lay on the beach and just have the times of our lives. I am going to show my age now and tell you that one summer Doritos brought out their new Cool Ranch flavor. In preparing for the long week, we bought numerous bags of this new flavor to check them out.

We spent the day on the beach drinking beer and having a good time before returning to the house for showers, dinner and more beer. For some reason I didn't eat dinner that night and settled in for a long night of Budweiser and debauchery. After plenty of both, I found myself hungry sometime around 1:00 in the morning and opened a bag of the Cool Ranch chips. After eating the first chip and finding it quite tasty, I told others they needed to try them. A couple of people got after them with me, but for the most part, I finished that entire bag myself as I drank more beer well into the morning. When the bag was finished, I turned in and called it a night. The next morning I woke up and the roof of my mouth felt like a hundred miles of rough road. As everyone knows, Doritos have sharp edges and should be eaten delicately. Especially, if you are drinking beer as if your favorite brewer is about to be bought out in a hostile takeover. The cuts on the roof of my mouth, mixed with the spice and coolness of the ranch flavor had me jacked-up for days. I don't think I had a Doritos chip since and that was when Tears for Fears ruled the airways.

After stopping for gas the other day, I went into the store and saw a display of Doritos chips. Immediately, I knew I had to look for the 2nd Degree Burn chips to try them out. Only, they didn't have any 2nd Degree Burn chips, but they did have 3rd Degree Burn chips. Now I am in a quandary because I cannot remember if the worst heat will come from 3rd Degree Burn or 1st Degree Burn chips. I figure I'll just check these out as 3rd Degree was all they had. Not until I finished my chips did I look on the back of the bag and see they were promoting their hottest 1st Degree Burn chips. Now I know I had the weakest of them all.

If you like hot foods and snacks, you have to try these chips. Even though these were the weakest, I found them to be quite hot. My lips immediately started tingling and my tongue got a little lit up as well. I have been looking for the 2nd and 1st Degree Burn chips, but haven't found any yet. I'll be sure to let you know my thoughts on them once I find them.

For my first foray back into the Dorito world, I have to give the 3rd Degree Burn Chips three Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Interview with a Young Food Critic

I have written before about my daughter Kennedy and her eating habits. She has tagged along with me to many a restaurant and made comments about the food. In fact, she did a stretch with me one week when Bennigan's was running that $5.00 special right before they closed. She had to come with me to the office each day and everyone in the office was all about saving money with the Bennigan's special. She quietly went to lunch with us on Monday and Tuesday, but on Wednesday when I told her it was time for lunch she replied, "As long as it is not Bennigan's again." It wasn't two weeks later that Bennigan's shut their doors. I think she might have had something to do with that.

I thought I would do a quick interview with her regarding a problem she recently had with a restaurant. You'll see the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.

Me: Thank you for sitting down with me for this interview.

Kennedy: OK.

Me: What is your full name?

Kennedy: Kennedy Noelle Stiff

Me: How old are you?

Kennedy: Eight and a half.

Me: Where do you go to school?

Kennedy: Calvary Christian Academy

Me: What is your favorite food?

Kennedy: Hmm, that's a toughie. You have to be kidding me, you already know that.

Me: No I don't.

Kennedy: Sushi

Me: What about my lasagna?

Kennedy: Yeah, that is good. Probably also one of my favorites.

Me: So you went to Wendy's a couple of weeks ago with your mother and had a problem. What happened?

Kennedy: Easy. They only gave me two chicken nuggets in my kid's meal.

Me: How many nuggets were you supposed to get?

Kennedy: Easy. It should have been six.

Me: Are you sure about that?

Kennedy: Yeah. I'm not sure. Wait. Yeah, six.

Me: When did you figure out that Wendy's messed up?

Kennedy: When I started eating them after we got home.

Me: So you ordered at the drive-thru?

Kennedy: Yes.

Me: How did that make you feel?

Kennedy: About the two chicken nuggets? Mad and surprised.

Me: Why were you surprised?

Kennedy: That they only gave me two chicken nuggets instead of six. They usually give the exact number of the same you order.

Me: What should happen to Wendy's for doing that to you?

Kennedy: They should slow down and do better. I think they were going too fast. It was busy there. It was a lot of people inside and some outside.

Me: Will you go back to Wendy's for chicken nuggets in the future?

Kennedy: Maybe.

Me: I want to thank you for your time this evening. Will you do another interview with me if I need you?

Kennedy: Maybe. Only if I get upset.

Me: Thank you. You can go play Club Penguin now.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Wendy's

By now you have heard me express my utter disdain for Wendy's time and again via this blog. Not so much for their food, but for their terrible service in the area of order accuracy in the drive-thru. I am sure there are those of you that have never had a problem in the drive-thru at Wendy's. However, I offer you the following story that actually took place at the Wendy's nearest my house. I have tried to warn people about this Wendy's location for years. Finally, things have boiled over.

http://www.wftv.com/volusiacounty/23579965/detail.html

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Gino's East

Gino's East
162 E. Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312)266-DEEP (3337)
www.ginoseast.com

It's Saturday, the day I am scheduled to leave Chicago and return to Daytona Beach. My flight is not until 6:00PM, so there is time for me to take one last stab at hitting one of my food targets before I leave. Zee and Lynden have decided to catch the train into the city for some quick shopping and tell me they will accompany me to any restaurant I want to visit if I tag along. Sounds like a good idea to me. I figure if we are going to be right downtown, we have to check out Gino's East for some real Chicago deep dish pizza. My luck is definitely starting to turn.

We get into the city after a pretty uneventful train ride and start walking around. Our shopping destination is the American Girl store on North Michigan Avenue. If you don't know what American Girl is it is a doll store where all the dolls come with a story about their origin. I am sure it is much more than that as the store we entered was packed and some of these people were crazed. I wandered off to find a bathroom and passed an area of the store where they had a beauty shop. People actually bring their dolls to the store to get their hair done. God only knows what that must cost. Since I am there, I call my daughter Kennedy to ask if she wants anything and she tells me she doesn't like American Girl. I hang up and think my luck is really beginning to turn in my favor. I guess I'll be keeping that cash in my pocket.

Heading back to find Zee and Lynden, I feel my phone go off in my pocket. It's from an (800) number that I vaguely recognize, so I go ahead and answer it. It is a recorded message from Delta telling me my flight has been canceled and I have been rescheduled for 7:00AM the next morning. What? This cannot be happening to me. If you remember this was when those terrible rain storms passed through Atlanta and continued on through Tennessee, which suffered from major flooding. Me having to stay in Chicago another night pales in comparison to what those folks had to go through. I consider myself blessed.

We head on over to Gino's East and find a short line outside. The guy working the door says it is going to be about 20 minutes for a table, so we decide to wait. The line does move quickly and we find ourselves being escorted to the upstairs section of the restaurant. Gino's East seems like a fun place. The walls are covered with pictures of famous people that have stopped in for a pie and graffiti from many past patrons. I have never quite understood the fascination with signing your name on the wall of a restaurant, so we skip that process. Our waiter promptly comes to the table and we order drinks. The ladies opt for sodas, but with my recent news that I was stuck in Chicago, I order a Budweiser. I actually got a Bud Light when he returned, but again, what are you going to do? I drank it just the same.

Lynden and I again decide we are going to split our order. We decide to keep it simple and order a small deep dish pepperoni. Zee goes off the board and orders a stromboli or calzone that had spinach in it. The thing to remember about these deep dish pizzas when ordering them is they take 45 minutes to bake. We use the time to chit-chat and check out the crowd.

Our food comes and it looks really good. Finally, I am going to get into some deep dish pizza from Gino's East. The waiter serves Lynden and I each a slice and Zee starts getting after her food. The pizza had a great sauce, the cheese was really good, but I don't think I am a fan of the crust. It is a yellow, egg-based dough that is just a little tough for my taste. I understand that it has to be in able to hold up to the weight of the toppings, but there was just something about the flavor that didn't quite grab me. Zee and Lynden both felt the same way, but overall it was pretty good. There will always be the question of Chicago or New York, deep dish or thin crust, but I have to say I must be a thin crust New York pizza guy. It just comes down to what you are used to eating and which one you prefer. That doesn't make either of them bad. In fact, they are both good in their own right.

We finish and pay our tab to begin making our way back to the American Girl store. Lynden is leaving from Midway Airport and had left her bag at the store. We have to take the train back to the hotel and then O'Hare. At least, Zee has to get to O'Hare. I am not leaving until the morning now. We say our good-byes to Lynden and head to the train station. As we are waiting for the train, I comment to Zee my amazement at how clean the train and stations are in Chicago. As I say that, the train pulls into the station and the doors open. As I go to get onto the train, a man passes me sloppily eating a piece of chicken and smelling of urine. I mean, this guy couldn't have smelled more of urine if his name was I.P. Freeley. My gosh it was horrible! Then I start to sit down and he must have been sitting in the seat previously as there are fries and chicken bones on the floor along with his lingering odor. It is at this time I decide to quit making anymore comments about anything until I am back home. Every time I make some comment or have some thought on this trip, the opposite happens to me.

All-in-all, it was a great trip and I did get to hit one of the Man v. Food locations. If you are a fan of deep dish pizza, you should give Gino's East a try. For our visit to Gino's East, I have to give them three Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Maki Sushi & Noodle Shop

Maki Sushi & Noodle Shop
12 S. Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, IL 60068
www.makisushirestaurant.com

I got busted up pretty good by my buddy Steve on Facebook this morning about my blog. He told me to go out and eat something already as my blog was getting stale. I should have told him to pick a restaurant and take me out to dinner so I could get some new material. The truth of the matter is I have a lot of material, but have just been very busy with other things. However, in honor of Steve, I'll finish up about my recent trip to Chicago.

While in Chicago for the most recent conference I had to attend, one of my goals was to get to a couple of places I had seen on Man v. Food. Number one on my list was Al's #1 Italian Beef. As we were breaking from our meeting the question was asked if sushi was all right for dinner. I said, "No." I quickly realized how selfish I was being and did go for sushi, but I had been thinking about that beef for probably six months. Thirty lashes with a wet noodle for me for acting like a jerk.

We all pile into the shuttle bus and take a ride to Maki Sushi & Noodle Shop. I have never spent any time in the Rosemont area out near O'Hare Airport, but was quite impressed with everything I saw during my stay. You can hit a lot of the same restaurants in Rosemont that are located in the city as I was about to find out.

The shuttle ride was pretty uneventful with people chatting amongst each other. We make a couple of turns around some blocks and the driver pulls up to Maki's Sushi and says he's going to pull down the street just a little further to drop us off. Guess where he dropped us off? Yep! Right smack dab in front of Al's #1 Italian Beef! Now my mind is racing. How am I going to pull this off? I decide in my mind that I will go light on the sushi and then grab a beef sandwich to take back and hammer in my room. Things are really starting to look up for me.

We go into Maki's and it has a pretty good crowd going for a Friday night. Diners of all ages are scattered about the room and the place has a real nice ambiance. They set up tables and chairs for our group and a waiter promptly comes to the table to take our drink orders. I am on the fence between ordering a Japanese beer or a flight of sake. Not being able to choose, I order the beer and decide to share my flight of sake with Lynden. I met Lynden on this trip through my friend Zee. When the waiter asks Lynden what she wants she replies, "I'll split the sake with him." Meaning me. Well our waiter is either the smartest man in the world or doesn't speak English to well as he showed up with two flights of sake. When Lynden tried to tell him she was splitting the sake with me he says, "Yes. Flight of sake for you." What are you going to do? I wonder how many extra flights of sake this guys sales a night using that approach?

We order up a huge amount of sushi for the table and start to drink our sake. Our flights were made up of three sakes named Kaori, Kaguyahime, Outouka. They will all very good with the Kaori having a mild flavor, the Kaguyahime a sweet flavor and the Outouka being the strongest of the three. You won't be drinking many of these. Lynden and I ended up sharing our flights with a couple of others at the table. The sushi arrives and it all looks really good. I grab a couple of pieces and can't wait to eat as now I am hungry after drinking some sake. All the while reminding myself that there is still a beef sandwich in my immediate future. Well as it turns out, the sushi is really good. It is incredibly fresh and the tuna practically melted in my mouth. I tried a number of different rolls and found that to be the case with each I tried. This is truly good sushi.

We have a very nice evening chatting, eating and drinking, but it is getting about time to head back to the hotel. I pay my portion of the tab and then get ready to make my dash to Al's for my sandwich. You know, I think overall I am a pretty nice guy and try to treat people with love and respect. I don't litter. I always put down the toilet seat and I hold doors for little old ladies. So why in the world would Al's #1 Italian Beef be closed when I get back outside???? Foiled again!! So now not only am I not getting my beef sandwich, but I am hungry because I didn't each much sushi. I'm getting killed!

We get back on the bus and I just ride in silence. I need to do some deep reflecting on my life to determine what I am doing wrong to bring about this bad luck. The best thing about the evening is that I did meet new friends, the sushi I did eat was fabulous and I found a new place to recommend in Rosemont. If you are a sushi person and ever get stranded or find yourself staying out near O'Hare, visit Maki's Sushi & Noodle Shop. You'll be glad that you did.

For this visit to Maki's I have to give them four Stiffy's based only on their food and atmosphere. I am not taking into account my bad luck. LOL

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Harry Caray's

Harry Caray's
10233 West Higgins
Rosemont, IL 60018
(847)699-1200
www.harrycarays.com

Holy Cow! That's exactly what I thought when the shuttle bus pulled up to the Holiday Inn & Suites where I was staying and recognized there was a Harry Caray's connected to the hotel. I knew this conference I was going to attend would be a success.

I am going to post on both of the meals I had at Harry Caray's in this one post. My first dining experience at Harry Caray's was a lunch we did the first day of our conference. I really wasn't feeling all that hungry, so I did something that will shock every reader of this blog. I went soup and salad. You have to remember, I had just eaten a big burger and tater tots the night before at Four Shadows. I got the clam chowder and Caesar Salad. The one thing I seriously contemplated was the salmon burger, which was ordered by my friend Zee. She was kind enough to break me off a piece of her salmon and it was definitely something I wish I had ordered. The salmon was very well prepared and had great flavor. At least I have something to look forward to the next time I am in town.

The clam chowder I had was great, although I ordered a bowl and only got a cup. Whenever I order something in a restaurant and get a smaller size or a healthier choice, I always look at it as God's way of telling me I really didn't need what I had originally ordered. For instance, the difference between the bowl and cup in this example or if I order an extra side and it doesn't come out. I don't complain and accept it as God's will, but I always check my bill to make sure I am not charged for my original order. Call me crazy, but that's how I roll. The Caesar Salad I ordered was good, but what do I really know about salads? I mean, it had Romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and a good dressing, but I really like it when the restaurant isn't scared to serve it with anchovies as it was meant to be. It is rare to find a restaurant to go the distance with the Caesar. Overall, lunch was great!

The next day I had the opportunity to eat breakfast at Harry Caray's. Once again, I went after one of my favorites and ordered the eggs benedict. The eggs were perfectly poached, the Canadian bacon great and the English muffin wonderfully toasted. The only issue I had was the hollandaise sauce was a little bit lemony for my taste. The home fried potatoes were great and overall, it was a great meal. I love eggs benedict and will always go that option if available at a new restaurant in which I have never eaten breakfast.

Overall, Harry Caray's is a great sports bar and wonderful restaurant. While I was not at their original location, this location seemed just as consistent as the other. I would highly recommend having a meal at Harry Caray's no matter which location you find yourself in around Chicago.

For my meals at Harry Caray's, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry