Travels in the South

 Yum!  Can you say that?  Double Yum.  When mom/dad went to Chicago back in May, Aunt Tina took them to a place called Pilot Pete’s.  This restaurant was on a small airfield.  You could eat in the restaurant and watch small plans come/go.  It was totally neat.

Aunt Tina ordered some wings.  You want them a little hot but you don’t want them swimming so bad in the sauce that you end up wearing the sauce.  You know what I mean?  So Aunt Tina got the sauce on the side with some blue cheese.

These wings were totally delicious and yummy.  Go ahead.  I won’t tell anyone if you lick the screen 🙂

 

Travels in Chicago

Last week we talked further about our trip to Chicago, Illinois and a visit to a little restaurant called Portillo’s.  Portillo’s has great Italian beef sandwiches… however, they also have great dogs.  You might be asking yourself at this point just how good is the food at this joint?  Well, I can tell you a short story and you decide.  We went one day to try this restaurant and its great food.  The next morning we planned to eat at a different restaurant after my sister ran an errand.  While my sister was running her early morning errand, a decision was voted on in her absence.  When my sister returned, we explained to her that the breakfast place was a most followed by a second breakfast back at Portillo’s.  Yep, you heard that right… a second breakfast.  That’s how great Portillo’s is to eat.  Now don’t worry, the first breakfast place will be highlighted next week.  But this week, let’s finish up Portillo’s.

They have awesome dogs!  My hub *had* to try an original Chicago style dog.  It came with mustard, relish, celery salt, freshly chopped onions, sliced red tomatoes, kosher pickle and sport peppers on a steamed poppy seed bun.  Doesn’t it look awesome?  Of course we learned really quick that a true Chicagoan refers to this style of a hot dog as “dragging the dog through the garden“.  Fitting huh?

Now, I found fascination in the char-grilled Maxwell Street polish sausage dog.  You can also get this dog filled high with grilled onions.  This day, I passed on the onions and just went mustard and sausage dog.  I couldn’t get enough of these dogs!!  You could hear and feel the ‘snap’ of the casing of the sausage.  That is a true sign of greatness in my book.

It didn’t matter which side you go on these dogs, both of them were great on their own… even if it was a second breakfast of the day – giggles.

 

Travels in Chicago

 No trip to Chicago, Illinois is complete without a visit to Portillo’s.  All I can say is bring an appetite!  You will want to try one of everything… and I think we did.  We were visiting for three days and visited Portillo’s twice.  Does that tell you anything about their awesome food?  This place is so busy that the line can be seen during the day out the door!  And to hear people order is a treat in itself.  Some people know the lingo of how to order while me the virgin of ordering just explained what I wanted – LOL.  On the first visit, we *had* to try an Italian Beef – loaded!  The Italian beef comes in two sizes – regular and big.  We went regular this day and still had enough to share.  It’s made with their famous thin sliced roast beef topped with sweet peppers.  And here’s a hint for you – there’s three ways to order it.  Standard with a splash of ‘gravy’; Dipped which means the whole sandwich is dipped into the ‘gravy’; or Dry with very little ‘gravy’.  “Gravy” is referred to the natural juices from the slow roasted beef.  This day, we went dry.  We didn’t want to wear the gravy all day if you know what I mean – ha!  And it was delicious!  The meat was tender, the sandwich was juicy and it felt like we belonged there eating this Italian Beef all of our lives.

The next day – yep the NEXT day – we had to come back and try some more delicacies again.  Since the beef was so delicious the day before, we thought we would try it again in a different form.  This time we split a Beef-n-Cheddar Croissant.  The same thin layers of Italian beef with cheddar cheese all over it on a nice toasted croissant.  Closing my eyes just thinking of this yummy sammy – it was that good!

Which one was better?  It’s hard to say.  Both of these were so delicious…. maybe I need to try both again before I can make a decision 🙂

 

We Have a Birthday in the House!

Okay maybe not in the house but close enough – snorts with piggy laughter.  My boy Bashful has been hanging out in Florida these past couple of months with Ellis, Allie and Raz having a blast in the sun.  Well guess what?

Today is Bashful’s birthday!!

You must jump over and visit Ellis, Allie and Raz and see the birthday party they are throwing Bashful.  It’s a hoot!!

 

 

Travels in the South

The question is why is mom/dad posting this delectable picture of goodness at the beginning of the new year?  Why mom/dad?  Please explain.  Well, they said they had this dessert last year.  Okay, sure mom/dad.   Sure.  It does look yummy though, right?

Mom/dad found it at a restaurant that they don’t frequent very often – but they might now because of this dessert.  This delicious dessert is called a Goo Goo Cluster.  It has creamy layers of chocolate fudge, peanut butter mousse and nougat cream topped with caramel, chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream and Nashville’s original candy ~ chopped Goo Goo Cluster ®.  (That’s what it says on the restaurants website).

Nods head.  Mom/dad says it tastes as good as it sounds… not that she will be tasting it anytime soon this year – snorts with piggy laughter.

 

Travels in the South

If happiness had to be explained in a picture – well there you go.  This is one of mom’s all time favorite desserts.  I know – I know.  Has there ever been a dessert that mom has turned her back to?  Of course not.  But this one she said is exceptional.

Right now the current thing for deserts are those molten lava cakes.  This is one of those with a twist.  The inside of this cake is filled with caramel.  Then the topping is ice cream.  All of the dusting around the plate and on top – that would be salted caramel.  Go ahead.  I’ll give you a moment to ooh and aaw.

Mom says it’s very sweet but when you need something straight up with some extra special kick, go for this treat… the salted caramel lava cake.

 

Travels in the South

Sometimes you just need a little comfort food.  You know something warm to your belly and tasty… don’t forget tasty.  A couple of weeks ago, mom was craving some comfort food just like this.  So her and daddy went to a local pub that has what mom calls the *best* grilled cheese sandwich evah.  Why do you ask is it the best?  This is what it has on it:  American cheese, cheddar cheese and pimento cheese… and mom added gulps bacon to it with a side of crispy french fries.  Hey I can overlook the bacon when it brings a smile to mom’s face like this lunch did.  Have you ever had something so cheesy and good?

 

Travels in the South

Can you look at that picture and say yummo!?  Mom recently got a coupon – the woman is Queen of coupons here at the Hotel Thompson.  This coupon was buy one 12 piece shrimp and get one for free.  Now mom/dad have gotten these shrimp at a local ‘bar’ restaurant before and they have been awesome.  They usually get them medium extra crispy with a side of blue cheese.  But the restaurant has recently changed their sauces.  The usual sauce esd a light colored less saucy kind of yum.  These were more wet and you could smell the heat before you even bit one. In fact, dad was the one that brought up the smell of the new sauce before mom did.  The restaurant did not tell us about the change in the sauce before we ordered.

These were H.O.T.  Mom/dad ate them but way prefer their old sauce more.  Why do restaurants do this and change a good thing?  They hope this restaurant brings it back or gives the patrons a choice in the future.  But hey, free buffalo shrimp you still can pass up, right?

 

Travels in the South

Sometimes you want food that just screams comfort to you.  My mom’s comfort food when she is feeling really bad – are you ready for this – is a Happy Meal from McDonald’s.  Can you believe that?  She has been recuperating from her surgery, some days are good and some days are testing her ability not to scream.  Well one of her friends brought her a hamburger Happy Meal ordered with extra happy for her one day.  Wasn’t that awesome?  I’m not sure if it was the Happy Meal or the extra happy that made mom’s day but it did.

Mom had to take this picture of everything.  That is a hamburger, two bags of cut up apples (I guess that was the extra happy, you think?) a small fries, a drink and of course a girl toy.  And yes, please check out the size of that fries in relationship to the hamburger.  Do you think they could be any smaller?  Snorts and rolls with piggy laughter.

 

Travels in the South

Can you say buffet fun?  Mom/dad went out with some friends to a local hamburger joint called Krystal’s.  Look it up to see if you have one in the area.  Kind of like White Castle but better… we think.  A group of four went out to eat and got all of this food and four drinks for $15.00 – not bad huh?  We call that cheap eats here.  They have miniature square hamburgers that are awesome hot off of the grill.  Their chicken wings are also awesome – they have a little heat though and will give you a kick.  Have you tried any of these?