roadworn-and-hungry

[roadworn-and-hungry]

Roadworn & Hungry, the Greatest Hits

I really haven’t done very well with keeping up with this. Initially, I figured I’d be able to keep a running tally of the best places I’ve eaten at while on the road.

A little backstory, I travel about 1-2 times a month for work, amounting to about 6 days a month on the road. Outside of the occasional quick lunch, I do everything I can possibly do to avoid eating at a nation-wide chain or a restaurant that I can frequent in Omaha.

So to kick things off again, here’s a quick rundown of the *best eats* I’ve found while on the road.

Because I don’t remember everything, I reserve the right to change my own mind whenever the heck I feel like it.

Sandwich:

1. SteamAnchor (Fulton, IL) - This isn’t just the best sandwich I’ve found, it’s the best damn place I’ve eaten on the road. Fresh sandwiches and great portion sizes. One bite and you desire more. Highly recommend Mississippi Mud.

RIP: 3Cs Bistro (Charles City, IA) - A friend of mine continues to rage sandwich war on me for liking a Cuban sandwich made in Iowa, but it was legit.

Pizza:

1. Bill’s Pizza (Prescott, AZ) - Yes, the first time I went there, there was a banner on the wall telling me this was one of the best pizza places in America per TripAdvisor. Yes it was that good. After several trips, I never found a pizza I didn’t like. Highly Recommend Kevin Bacon and/or Chicken Pesto

2. Pizza E Birra (Middletown, NY) - I didn’t think I’d find a close second to Bill’s for a very long time, but it happened. That said, one of the two pizzas I had here wasn’t close, the other was uh-may-zing. Dollops, yes dollops of Ricotta on some of the pizzas. Only thing I’d change is the big-ass basil leafs on the pizzas. I love basil, but they were almost to difficult to cut up while eating this beauty. Highly recommend San Gimignano.

Barbecue:

1. Rib Crib (McAlester, OK) - No, this was not write home to tell mom about good. I mean, it’s not like it’s Oklahoma Joe’s or anything. However, those were some tasty ribs and being almost in the middle of nowhere made it a special find.

Burgers:

I’ll update this one when I remember where the best burger was.

[roadworn-and-hungry]

What’s a Cornhusker?

It’s a new year and it’s time for me to write again. For the past several days, I’ve been in a beautiful part of the country just north of NYC and for the past several days, I haven’t been sure how to get writing again.

Then, today happened. Actually, today wasn’t really worth writing about, but tonight certainly was.

I left the jobsite I was at around 830 local time and was determined to visit a local brewery where I’d eaten earlier in the week. Thinking I remembered where the brewery was, I took a chance and looked for it sans Google Maps. Getting somewhat close to the location, I found myself slightly lost and pulled up Maps to find that they aren’t open on Tuesdays.

Turning the car around, I came across a small bar and grill and decided it was worth the visit.

The meal was nothing exciting, decent burger, decent fries. It was the local conversation that had me all riled up.

As I’m sitting at the bar eating my burger, I was being watched by a young woman. Eventually, she got up the courage to say something to me, albeit not without her boyfriend trying to stop her.

The initial question was casual, common, virtually meaningless. She asked if I lived in Middletown. Answering honestly, I said “no, I’m from Nebraska.”

There are about 8 people in the bar including staff, so the discussion immediately turns to why the heck is there someone from Nebraska in this small hole-in-the-wall bar and grill.

She asks “what’s in Nebraska?” The gentleman to my right answers for me, “oooh, the Cornhuskers.”

This is where I can’t believe what I’m about to hear.

“What’s a Cornhusker?” she says.

Never, ever, ever, would I have guessed I could find someone in the United States who “loves football” (as she later confessed) but hadn’t heard of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. My opinion of New York immediately changed to the point where I now truly believe I could live here and never hear another word about that team.

Of course, living in Yankee land would do me little good as well, but the change of discussion topics would likely be worthwhile for a short time.

The conversation continued and I learned that she actually believed I was a cop at first which was why her boyfriend was trying to refrain her from sounding, well, silly.

So, another first, the first time I’ve been mistaken for a cop.

Over a couple more drinks, I understood that she knew basically nothing of my home state, but was eager to learn about the football team, the zoo and a smidge about the College World Series.

All of which could be best summed up by her lone statement.

“See there is something in Nebraska.”

I’m just not sure if she was trying to convince me.... or herself.

[roadworn-and-hungry]

My first trip to New Mexico

I’m in New Mexico for the first time today. Beautiful but very chilly.

So, the question becomes where did I have to stop to try the local eateries?

Fat Boys Deli

I wasn’t looking for Fat Boys. I don’t recall seeing it on TripAdvisor or Google Maps. I was actually looking for a Mexican restaurant right up to the point I crossed two lanes to pull into the small parking lot of this little deli.

The staff was great, gave me a quick rundown of what some of the local favorites were. I went with the Albuquerque Turkey panini.

Frankly, my decision boiled down to two things. One, the menu was outrageously large for a deli that had about 10 seats in it - easily 40+ wiches of all sorts. Second, the Albuquerque Turkey sounded like it wasn’t going to be over-the-top in calories like some of the other wiches (see anything w/ bacon).

For about $9 the wich came with a salad, making this lunch deal a pretty wise investment.

The salad - it was served in a plastic to-go container. Very leafy and fresh, it was a great opener. It automatically came with ranch dressing. The dressing was a little thick, had to be scooped out of the dressing tub, but was enough to coat the salad. One of the ingredients did feel a little misplaced taste wise. I think it was the onions. It may very well have been that they were fresh sweet onions rather than store-bought and lacked the bite that I typically prefer.

The wich - I love paninis, and this one held its own. I felt that it may have been a bit too “smushed” but the flavor was there and the avocado was a great touch. The rest of the veggies along with the turkey tasted fresh and deserved credit.

Last Thoughts - If I lived here, I’d be back. The combo for $9 filled me up to the point I felt too full when I left. I’d love to try some of their other flavors and sandwich/wrap styles, and maybe I will if time allows.

Three Rivers Eatery & Brewery

After I left the eatery, I noticed that their next door pizzeria neighbor (also owned by Three Rivers) had pizzas at half-price on Tuesdays. Cost wise, that sounds like it would have been the better option.

But.... burger time it was.

I’d already asked some of the locals about the best burger in town and Three Rivers did not get mentioned. However, it was the only local brewery I could find (courtesy beerme) so it was my stop for the evening.

The Beer - The tap Pineberry IPA was good. While it wasn’t bitter-beer face hoppy, it had enough of a bite to keep me interested. The Cherry Wheat, left a bit to be desired. Sam Adams Cherry Wheat remains one of my favorite beers ever and the hope that this one would compare favorably was overly optimistic.

The Fries - Upon my first bite, I was ready to dismiss the fries as plain. They looked seasoned with a golden red color burned into them. But after a few bites, I found them the highlight of the dish.

The Burger -  I bought the Truffle Mushroom only because the deal of the day sounded like I would have a heart-attack before finishing even though it clearly sounded like the better burger. This burger was topped with fried onions (think French’s crispy onions) along with crimini mushrooms, swiss cheese, spinach and tomatoes. They claimed there were dill pickles, and while I saw them under the bun, I did not taste them.

The burger was over-cooked, and as this was not a cook-to-order burger, I was not surprised. Still it was a bit disappointing. The fried onions were also barely noticable and peeling back the Ciabatta bun, there weren’t many onions to entice me.

Last Thoughts - As a whole, the prices was reasonable. However, I thought the burger price was much too high ($14) especially considering the quality. The bun and the fries were the highlight of the meal and the beer helped make all of it more palatable.

Maybe day 2 will be more fruitful.

[roadworn-and-hungry]

Savory Street Tacos at The Corner Kick

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve been on the road for ScoreVision.

That’s enough time to go just a little stir crazy and combined with starting a new year, begs me to begin writing again. Without being able to talk about the great food finds on my travels, I’ll have to start with some Omaha area eateries.

Tonight we landed at The Corner Kick Cantina . The Corner Kick is the new moniker for The Taco Mill. I had not tried The Taco Mill when it was around, so I can’t compare the former and latter residents of the building.

From what I gather, The Corner Kick does however bear at least some resemblance to The Taco Mill as the menu’s highlights are tacos and nachos.

Started off with a bowl of chips and salsa. The salsa was good, the chips were even better particularly their fried soft shell chips.

Prices on the menu were very reasonable, family of four and we spent less than $30 before tip. Street tacos at $1.99 each, “normal” tacos at just over $3. This was a win-win. And it was very good.

I had three of the street tacos, the Asada Steak, Barbacoa and Carnitas. I thought the Carnitas was best, nice and tender pork, very flavorful. The two steak tacos were dry but still very good, the Asada had a bit of a kick to it as well.

The menu offered many more deals and combined with their nightly specials should make The Corner Kick a go-to for dinner.

The facility itself was nice, lots of open space and comfortable seating.

[roadworn-and-hungry]

The search for a Philly in Philly

I’ve been in Philadelphia for the better part of the last 3 days. Yet sadly, I have not had the chance to try a true Philly sandwich.

To be fair, I’m working and staying in a western suburb of Philadelphia. The area is beautiful and the people have been wonderful. The food thus far has been good but not great.

Maybe that’s because I haven’t had the city’s namesake sandwich. Several people suggested places to go to find the city/area’s best Philly. However with a limited schedule it becomes difficult to venture across a major metropolitan area to find that perfect meal.

Instead, I’ve been able to sample burgers, nachos and pizza, all of which I found tasty, none of which inspired me to talk about the restaurant.

So my goal prior to boarding my plane tomorrow afternoon (I suppose this afternoon since it’s after midnight) is to seek out and find a local spot known for its Philly sandwiches.

As far as the where, only time will tell.