Eating BIG in St. Louis Pt. 2

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- More exploring of The Gateway City

Was back down in Da Lou and also did some eating in the metro proper. Seeing as how it's baseball season right now this report might come in handy. St. Louis doesn't get lots of mentions as a great dining city but it's better than most people perceive it to be. Aside from the Cardinal fans its fun.

Falstaff, the Original Sam Adams

Upon getting into town and enjoying a few brews on a golf cart ride thru the neighborhood, yes this is a thing in Soulard, we headed over to 'Food Truck Friday's' at Tower Grove Park. On the second Friday of each month more than 20 trucks park around the circular park and the locals flood it for food and drink. So much so that literally every truck, despite there being at least 25, had a line no less than 20 deep. I wanted to watch the Bulls game so we had to take a pass but I will get back to try the Jambalaya Truck that was calling my name, mine and 50 others.

Food Truck Friday's

Quick snack before going over to my buddies watering hole for some bball. Spare No Rib is taking the three most trendy things in food over the last five years and putting them all under one roof.

Benton Park Neighborhood

This place is pushing BBQ, Beer, and Tacos. My friend had yet to stop in but he heard good things and we both smelled good things outside so a quick pour and a bite to eat were to be had. I forget what I drank but St. Louis has a helluva craft beer scene going on right now. Not sure how Budweiser feels about this but I imagine they'll just buy them all up at some time. Corn fritters to start were on point. These were fritters that can make a man a fiend.

Corn Fritters

The owner is from some Latin American country escaping me right now so the food has some flair in that regard. You can expect to find items like smoked chicken sopes and rib tacos on offer. Both of which we snacked on. The actual sope was a little too chewy but the smoked chicken meat was liked. The Rib Taco was worthy of another round. It just consisted of rib meat chopped down into pieces that came with a very nice smoke flavor to it. Topped with onion and cilantro it's hard to go wrong putting good BBQ in a tortilla.

Smoked Chicken Sope / The Rib Taco

Many people might be unaware but St. Louis shares a deep connection with New Orleans. I touched on this a little bit in a Missouri Roadfood post and in short summary St. Louis was founded by two guys from New Orleans and to this day the cities consider each other cousins. So much so that St. Louis has the second largest Mardi Gras Party in the country. Neither city is shy about their drinking.

Richmond Heights Neighborhood

Riverbend is one of my friends favorite stops. They used to be in a small hidden spot in the Soulard neighborhood but moved to larger digs early this year. I'm just realizing now that it was indeed a Friday when we were there but it was close to closing so I just told my friend to do the ordering so I forgot about the gumbo.

Crab Meat Stuffed Shrimp

If you saw my guy you'd know he knows the drill. Crabmeat stuffed shrimp brought me to New Orleans and thats what the owners expect, they're from there originally. Then there's the namesake Po Boy where they take their Roast Beef which is more debris than sliced and mix it with some hot ham, Swiss Cheese, and gravy from the beef. It gets dressed with the traditional po boy toppings and if not for the bread would have also took me straight to New Orleans. Not to knock it, this was an awesome sandwich is was just missing that sesame seeded crunch my favorite spots in NOLA have.

Riverbend Po Boy - Hot Ham, Roast Beef, Gravy, Swiss Cheese

As has been touched on donuts were trendy in St. Louis before trendy was a thing. The donut culture here goes deep. I don't eat donuts in the morning but I will scarf some down as a craving for my late night sweets need. So even better is the fact that most of the city's donut shops are open all day or in some cases they don't even open until the evening. Donut Drive-In has an all time classic as far as neon signs go and they also make tasty donuts that will cost you less than a buck. I wanna slap myself every time I stop into Stan's after payment. Go for the cake donuts.

Found in Lindenwood Park along Route 66

John's Donut Co. has become very popular since my last stop in. They've been around since the early 80's and have won awards before but have recently become a major hit with the drinking crowd which comes as young people move into the area.

Kosciusko Neighborhood

The reason it's so popular with the after hours crowd are the actual hours. They don't open until 11p so if you get there around Midnight you're getting fresh baked donuts still hot from the fryer. All that said you don't need to be sky high or shitfaced wasted to enjoy these. They're the real deal and the best donuts I've had in a city serious about them. I'm all about the blueberry cake kind found all over town and John's hits a home run with their rendition.

The Evenings Bounty

As regular readers know I like to explore regional offerings wherever it is that I am. Especially when it comes to burgers and tacos. I'd heard about this popular taco shop selling Iowa style tacos.

In the suburb of Brentwood

I just couldn't resist. Upon arrival these looked more like the odd offering at Obie's in Maquoketa than Tasty Tacos in Des Moines. Though Fort Taco was probably the best of the bunch. First because of the crunch and second because they offered your choice of hot (Salsa Verde) or Mild (Red Sauce) and the verde packed a little punch. It's just a drive thru in an old Rally's space and the line was pretty long by the time I was pulling out so I wouldn't be surprised to see them expand in the area. Just don't expect a real deal San Antonio style Puffy Taco going in. As Jim said these are Des Moines style puffy tacos, a kind all their own.

Des Moines Style Puffy Taco

A spot I like to go to in town is Lion's Choice. They're a local chain specializing in fresh baked roast beef sandwiches and they always hit the spot for a quick cheap snack. I don't seek them out but we were driving by and again, I just couldn't resist.

Locations found around town

What makes this place popular is the fact it's what Arby's used to be. It's not mystery meat and you can have as much au jus as you seem fit. Have a cup in place of some coffee if you want.

Au Jus for all

There's nothing special about these sandwiches like those found at Charlie's in Buffalo, but they're so much better than anything from any of the other fast food joints. This sandwich with some rare thinly sliced roast beef and cheese mixed with banana peppers and au jus was worth the pricetag. I'm sure they used to be better but they're still much better than their competition.

Roast Beef and Cheddar

Last couple of spots the night before I left, I was pretty much in a food coma at this point, trying to avoid those but STL sucked me in. My buddies female friend wanted to go to this popular Vietnamese Bistro called Little Saigon and with him flipping the bills I can oblige. I wasn't hungry anyway but ended up eating a good portion of that which was ordered. The lightly battered egg rolls were enjoyed as was a plate of Bò Lúc Lac. The latter being a tender cubed beef stir fried with onion and peppers with typical Vietnamese flavor profiles. Not bad at all.

Central West End

Viet Appetizers

Bò Lúc Lac

After dinner we hopped across the street to a place called Hot Box Cookies thats specializing in after hours hot cookies. I think he said they're from Columbia, MO. Fresh made hot cookies late at night will pretty much always be good by me as will St. Louis . . . as long as I'm not wearing a Cubs hat. Check out Part One of this series by clicking HERE.

Central West End

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Spare No Rib
2200 Gravois Ave #101
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 202-8244

Riverbend Restaurant and Bar
1059 S Big Bend Blvd
St Louis, MO 63117
(314) 664-8443

Donut Drive-In
6525 Chippewa St
St. Louis, MO 63109
(314) 645-7714

John's Donut Co
1618 S Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 241-3360

Fort Taco
8106 Manchester Rd
Saint Louis, MO 63144
(314) 647-2391

Lion's Choice

Little Saigon
10 N Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-8881

Hot Box Cookies
3 N Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 899-0909

Breakfast Tacos at Home

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

Breakfast tacos. Say the wrong thing about them and you may have a certain portion of Texas coming for your head. I like having my head on upright so I'm going to give readers a quick rundown of the breakfast tacos history. It's origins trace back to...Texas. Haha. Probably the Rio Grande or San Antonio. Definitely not Austin, though I will give props to ATX for being the place that many of us non-Texans came to cherish the breakfast taco. Nothing against San Antonio but Austin just has more for the out-of-towner as far as business and or entertainment so it's how many of us become familiar with this Texas treat. That said anyone who's been to DFW, Houston, and of course San Antonio has crossed paths with the breakfast taco. As Texas Taco Expert Jose Ralat says "Breakfast tacos belong to all Texans." Here are three (loose) recipes you can whip up a quick Texas breakfast with.

 S'C'&C Breakfast Taco 

This is an original creation. Best made right about this time of the year when corn is in-season. I like to cut the corn off the cob and cook it in a little bit of grease obtained by cooking some loose breakfast sausage. Add in some diced onion and jalapeno and scrambled eggs if you want them. I then use a black bean spread across the tortilla before putting the sausage and corn mix on top and topping it with cheese. Add some cilantro and you got yourself a damn good breakfast taco.

Chorizo, Potato, Egg

This is my favorite type of breakfast taco. I make it in a variety of ways with just slight differences here and there. Sometimes I'll use corn tortillas, sometimes flour, sometimes scrambled eggs but I tend to go with an over easy fried egg as I prefer it that way. Sometimes I dont use any egg at all. One thing you do want to do is get your potatoes nice and crisp and to do that you need time. Once the potatoes are crisped up I like to add them separately so they dont turn to mush. Always delicious.

Puerco Guisado 

This is a taco that I just kind of created with what I had. Some nice pork loin which I diced up and browned. I followed that with chopped onion, jalapeno, garlic. All of that was spiced up with cumin, Mexican oregano, Magi seasoning sauce and such. Then I threw the meat back in with a can chicken stock to cover and little bit of red chile sauce I had made the previous week. Let cook until meat is just tender enough not to fall apart. Easily done with beef which would make it carne guisada. I like to smear my tortillas with rice and beans if making guisado tacos. These by the way are a popular breakfast snack in Texas but they also make great lunch or dinner. I'll be seeing y'all next time.

Aloha Poke Co.

-Grubbing in Chicago
New to the 'Scene'

Well I cant say that I'm surprised with one of the hottest food trends in our country right now. It was me who predicted that Hawaiian would be the nations next big food trend. It was last year while in San Francisco eating at one of the city's hottest restaurants that it occurred to me that Hawaiian food has next. Well I guess I'm somewhat right. While I haven't seen any trucks specializing in loco moco or a stall serving Spam Musabi at one of Chicago's new food halls, there's been plenty of Poke. The Hawaiian snack made with raw fish has taken the nation by storm. In the last few months Chicago has seen different poke shops open up with more coming. Same thing for NYC, Austin, and so on.

Newly Opened in Lakeview

Hawaiian style fish salad has always been a staple for both locals and also visitors to the island but in recent months it's becomes a staple for people in the lower 48. Well for those of us in trendy food cities anyway. When Aloha Poke Co. opened in the French Market there was as many tweets about the line as the product itself. It seemed like every influencer on instagram was sharing pictures of poke out of nowhere. Probably because they were invited to come try it for free but still it was as if I was suddenly following the social media accounts of Hawaii's food people. I wasn't going downtown, searching for parking, and then waiting in a long ass line but when a second location opened up I was there. On my first visit in the evening the Lakeview location of Aloha Poke was packed to the point where the total amount of people waiting for food only increased while there. So we left. I decided to go back the next day during the daytime and was able to walk right in and order an Aloha Bowl.

The "Aloha Bowl"

Aloha Poke Co. allows you to build your own bowl or you can request one of their own. The topping options seemed endless and I didn't want a bowl of toppings with some raw fish on the side so I opted for a specialized bowl. This one consisted of pineapple, cucumber, scallion, jalapeno, and Maui onion sesame vinaigrette. You choose your rice (white or brown) as well as your raw fish (tuna or salmon). As someone who's always loved raw tuna it's easy to like poke. But why the sudden boom? We've been eating sushi for decades. I dont have an answer but Mike Sula over at the Reader may. Check out his piece on the sudden fame of the Hawaiian snack which seems here to stay. Like it or not.

Up Close

Aloha Poke Co.
843 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
No Number Listed
Website

Animale

-Grubbing in Chicago
New to the 'Scene'

I guess today's the day I add my praise of Animale to all the others. The casual sitdown spot from the owners of Osteria Langhe has made some noise on the review circuit. It's the type of spot that attracts pretty much every single one of Chicago's major publications. People wanted to see how the guys behind one of the city's better Italian restaurants did with a more casual approach. So far so good.

Newly Opened in Bucktown 

Animale sits under the Western avenue blue line stop. The mural on the outside of the building has for sure turned some heads that were driving by. So far they've been able to do what the previous tenant of this space wasn't able to do and that's attract a crowd. The design is nice but the food is the reason people are coming in for lunch/dinner. So far I've ate maybe half the menu and pretty much loved all of it. It sounds crazy to say but the best thing on the menu might be their fries. These are the best thick cut fries I've ever come across and I'm not sitting solo in that camp. Legit as it gets.

Chunky Puppies

The thick cut fries are served salted with a tangy dipping sauce and that's really all you need. But if you're feeling like a food beast you could unleash your feelings on the Ferocious Puppies. This decadent dish consists of Fries, Pancetta, Peppered Onions, Calabrian Chiles, Arugula, Fontina, and a Sunnyside Egg. It's like Irish Nachos like with an Italian influence as far as the toppings. This dish was spicy, rich, and delicious all at the same time. Might want to eat these with a couple others.

Ferocious Puppies

The menu is pretty much it's own thing but the Plin Pasta that's popular at Osteria Langhe makes an appearance. Here it comes dressed with house Pancetta and Arugula. It might be even better than the version at Osteria Langhe. You know that old saying that "bacon makes everything better" well the same goes for Pancetta. They roast in-house and some of it sprinkled onto the pasta is perfect.

Plin Pasta

The "un-traditional parts" of the menu is what has most people excited. These are dishes featuring some not so common animal organs. You'll find stuff like sweets breads, beef tongue, and blood sausage as well as other things. So far we tried the tripe dish which was almost stew like. Honestly I prefer my tripe fried crispy so this wasn't my favorite item on the menu. The rabbit livers were interesting indeed. Something most any offal lover would enjoy. Unique flavors for sure.

Rabbit Livers - Thyme, Mushrooms, Shallots, Madeira, Toast

So far the star of the show for me has been the Pancetta sandwich. It's called a carbonara because it includes the house roasted pancetta which gets sliced extra thin as well as an egg. I guess the bread plays the role of pasta. Whatever you want to call it is fine by me because it's a damn fine specimen.

Carbonara Sandwich 

Can't make a carbonara without any cheese and this one has that (Parmigiano). It also has some expertly prepared grilled onions as well as a runny egg. It's not stacked high with meat but they put just enough in to make this a sandwich that most any person would enjoy. Go see for yourself.

The insides 

Animale
1904 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(872) 315-3912
Website

Buck's Chicken & Biscuits

-Weekend Brunchin'

Buck's is the product of a re-brand. Formerly Carriage House it's now an upscale fried chicken shack. They played the media game well and had lots of instagrammers instagramming pictures during their first few months open. My fiance spied those pics and deemed the chicken looked good enough to try. That's what most of the people on instagram said but you never know when they're eating for free.

Fried Chicken in Wicker Park 

Buck's labels itself as purveyors of "Southern Fried Funk" and that's a decent description. It's a lowkey spot. Casual for sure. Brunch is pretty damn popular with the fried chicken being the main draw with a few other options as well. Most of the stuff is fried so if you're looking for a salad head elsewhere. If looking to kill a hangover the Country Fried Steak Biscuit is a good way to combat that. A crispy coating slides off when biting into the sandwich but the crunch and seasoning that come with it are still pretty damn good. It was hard to eat this thing as a sandwich but I managed to fix it up when it fell apart. The biscuit was pretty damn good especially for Chicago. Good hangover food.

Chicken Fried Steak

The main draw is the fried bird. That's what most people dining in are chowing on. She says it's one of the better birds we'll find in Chicago and she says that as someone who has been here and there. That said I've been to more famous fried chicken spots than she has and I'd call this second tier, albeit near the top. It's not going to crack my top 5 all time but it deserves mention when discussing Chicago's best fried chicken. The coating is just right and the meat was moist especially for white meat. If you love fried chicken than you might want to check out what Buck is doing. Go on, git.

Fried Chicken

Buck's Chicken & Biscuits
1700 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 384-9700
Website

Especialidad de la Casa Pt. 5

-Eating like a Mayan King in the Windy City

I notice it's been a while since we rolled out one of these specials. As time goes on you can expect a few more to follow as Chicago is seeing a boom in Mexican places specializing in something. This is as good of a trend as any as I've long maintained I wish there were more specialty shops opening up. What's a specialty shop? To me it's a place that's specializing in one (maybe more) certain item that they used to make while back home. A spot that has more to it's menu than the regulars of tacos, burritos, tortas, etc all offered with the same standard meats. The places that are so passionate about their family recipes that they feel the need to push them to the consumer such as myself.
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Golden Tuzo

Locals Favorite in Belmont-Cragin

I start with this Hildalgo style empanada shop because it's owner is doing something that I wish more Mexican restaurants would do. Realizing there's countless taco shops scattered all over the city he wanted to try something different. So he opened his shop with no taco menu in sight. Want a burrito? Go across the street. Here they have Mexican style Pastes / empanadas which you dont see everywhere.

Part of the Menu

These pastry treats are a specialty of the city of Pachuca located in the state of Hidalgo. Called Pastes they're basically Mexico's version of a Pasty minus the blandness. Meats and or veggies get piled into a super delicate pastry that's just strong enough to hold everything together. It feels like it could break apart the entire time you're eating one but they always stick together. My favorite filling is the red mole with shredded chicken. The deeply flavorful mole goes great with the pastry shell which is sprinkled with sesame seeds either for more flavor or to easily identity what type of paste it is.  

Red Mole Paste

Equally delicious are the meat and potato options. I prefer the beef to the chorizo but both are quite good. The potatoes are always cooked perfectly to the point where they're not too tender nor too tough. The meat is more like a seasoning and with the beef they also have some medium in heat peppers chopped in with the other stuff. One of my favorite snacks in the city. Love this spot.

Beef / Potato Paste

I stop into Golden Tuzo whenever I can but it's usually on the weekdays. So when I stopped in this past weekend I was surprised to find that they have a few weekend only specials. Well actually just one item right now but you can expect to see some Pachuca style Tlacoyos in the coming weeks. In the meantime he's making Chalupas just like those back home. No, Taco Bell didn't invent this dish. It's a common antojito (snack) in Mexico. Usually found along the streets in the middle of town.

Chalupas

The closest thing to some real deal chalupas is the San Antonio style puffy taco. That's what eating these chalupas reminded me of. It's a slightly puffed (fried) tortilla that's dressed with a variety of toppings which in this case was a spicy potato mixture. Served like a tostada but ate like a taco.

Folder over and ate like a taco

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La Jaiba

Locals Favorite on 63rd st

One day this past Spring while riding in West Lawn a sign with a crab caught my eye. I've rolled around this city so much I immediately know when a new place is open. Just by the looks and colors of the sign etc. So this place was new to me but so the sign said it was just pizza and such. Until I spied a handwritten sign advertising "Antojitos de Veracruz" which is the street food of Veracruz.

The Specialty Menu

This is what it's all about. I love finding spots like this. If just driving by without a keen eye you wouldn't think twice about this place. But as soon as you see the hand written sign you know you need to stop. La Jaiba offers six different items you can commonly find on the streets of Veracruz, Mexico. I've only tried a couple of them but both were rock solid snacks. I prefer the Garnachas which are another relative of the tostada. Crisped up tortillas are topped with a spicy tomato based sauce which is then topped with shredded meat and some lightly pickled onions. The combination of fried tortilla with the sauce mixed with meat is one I found myself enjoying. Check them out.

Garnachas

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 Gorditas La Tia Susy

 Newly Opened on Western in Clearing

Another antojitos spot. See what I'm saying? Specialty spots are in. This place used to be a cute little Puerto Rican joint and now it's a charming little Mexican spot specializing in some Norteno style food. Mexican cowboy food consists of alot of stewed meats, gorditas, and burritos with handmade flour tortillas being the focal point. All of which can be found here. It's a Durango style eatery.

Gordita and Burrito

As good as the gorditas are from here, and they're as good as any in the city I've tried. The item that got me back not too long after my first visit is the burrito. Hopefully all of my regular readers understand that they do in fact eat burritos in Mexico they just dont stuff them with half of what's in the fridge. In Northern Mexico burritos are every bit as popular as tacos, in fact they are tacos. They're just rolled up as opposed to folded over. At Gorditas La Tia Susy they dont make the tortilla until you've ordered. Thus a warm handmade flour tortilla is the catalyst of this most excellent bite to eat. Not to be outdone the shredded beef inside is well spiced and cooked just right to where there's no stringy pieces to be found. It's paired with potatoes that still have texture and some sliced avocado. Add some salsa and that's all you need. Maybe the best burrito in Chicago.

The insides

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 Torteria San Lenchito

 Locals Favorite in Albany Park

Tucked away on a side street off of Montrose is this shop specializing in tortas. There's other things on the menu but as the name suggests it's all about the sandwiches. You can choose from about 20 options most of which sound delicious. I knew I was in for the goods when I was handed a complimentary bag of fresh fried chips topped with chopped wieners. Not something I've seen before. But what I have seen before is a fantastic salsa bar and when you have one of these it usually means the food is going to be good as well. It just makes sense that if they spend time perfecting the side stuff then they probably do the same with the main menu items. This is usually the case.

 Menu / Salsa Bar

Having a hard time deciding which torta to get I decided to go with the first one listed. This is something I've pointed out, more times than not a place will list what it feels is it's best item first as it's usually the first thing the consumer will see. So I got a chicken mole torta. As the menu described this was a pounded out chicken breast dressed with refried beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, and crispy onions aka an onion ring. The bread was soft, the mole was rich and the onion ring was lost in all of it. Still a damn good sandwich and for something like five dollars and change it was a winner. I should also mention that you get a side of fresh fried in-house potato chips with each sandwich order.

 Chicken Mole Torta

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Guapo Taco

Basket Tacos in Brighton Park

Located on 47th street just west of Western this place caught my eye with it's mention of Tacos de Canasta and a large basket sitting out in front of the store. It's owned by a young couple and the male went to culinary school. No way I wasn't going to stop in so I did so and got a few to go which I should've known better. Tacos de Canasta or "Basket Tacos" are steamed and can be a little messy when eaten in the car with bare hands. Anyways I enjoyed the trio and stopped back in the following weekend with the intent of dining in.

Menu

All tacos are $1 and anywhere from 5-8 if not more are in-store for someone who's hungry. So you might as well start with one of each. I've tried them all and enjoy each one of them though I'm always more partial to things with meat rather than without. They're made to order, with the tortillas and fillings already steaming. A tad bit of red chile sauce goes on the mini tortillas before they're filled and then topped with some potent grilled onions. These are some tasty little treats. However when I asked where the tortillas were from and he told me Sysco I was kind of shocked. I guess the steaming of them somewhat hides that fact. Either way, the fillings are fantastic and the tamales some of the best I've had. It has the feels of a place seeking expansion and they're looking around Fullerton and Western for their next spot. Wouldn't be surprised if this is the city's next mini taco empire.

Tacos de Canasta

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Previous Posts from this Series

Especialidad de la Casa Part 1

Especialidad de la Casa Part 2

Especialidad de la Casa Part 3

Especialidad de la Casa Part 4

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Golden Tuzo
5648 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
(773) 703-5048

La Jaiba
3956 W 63rd St
Chicago, IL 60629
(872) 267-5390

Gorditas La Tia Susy
3452 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
(872) 281-5099

Torteria San Lenchito
4810 N Drake Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 654-1547

Guapo Taco
2430 W 47th St
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 696-2777

Weekend in Portsmouth

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- New / Old in New Hampshire

While returning to Boston's Logan Airport from a fantastic trip to Maine last year we decided to stop in Portsmouth for lunch. Cool town. More going on here than I thought. I saw on twitter that Row 34 was worth checking out so we decided to do so. It's owned by the Island Creek Oyster people in Boston which is one of the city's most popular spots. Row 34 is equally as popular in these parts.

 Located in Portwalk Place 

Apparently Island Creek and the Row 34 in Boston are so popular and thus hard to get into that people from there are driving out here just to get some of their stuff. I can see why. The oysters were saltier than normal this time of the year but I had no problem with the ones rec'd. I pretty much enjoy all cold water oysters and Row 34's selection from around these parts impressed.

 East Coast Oysters 

As far as bottom to top goes this was probably the best place we ate at all trip. The cocktails were easily the best and we went to all the hot spots in Portland, ME. The menu has probably changed but I doubt the overall product is any different. The brunch menu was on display for Labor Day so a few breakfast options were available including one of the best hashes I've ever had. Masterfully smoked pulled pork was matched with golden crisped potatoes and a perfectly poached egg. Fried Oyster lettuce cups with pickled onions were a winner as were the lobster tacos with mango salsa served in fresh fried mini tortillas. Go here if you're ever in the area.  We cant wait to go back.

Lobster Tacos. Fried Oyster Lettuce Wraps. Smoked Pork Hash. 

The lady was getting a little restless with all my food stops, as this was our last day, so I knew a trip to the local hot dog landmark Gilley's would have to be snuck in. Lucky for me it's right around the corner from Row 34 and there was a parking spot right in front and I had already dropped her off to put our name in. This was my chance.

A local downtown institution 

This place has history going back to 1912 when it was just a hot dog cart that parked in the center of town later at night. Something commonly found all over New England at the time. In 1940 a dining cart was built by the Worcester Diner Co. of Worcester, MA. Gilley's is one of just five that were built then, and it's the only one remaining in full operation today. At first the diner was hauled into Market Square each evening and parked in front of a Church in preparation for the evening's business. Originally it was towed by horse, then tractor, and finally by truck. Today it rests in the same place at all hours. Stepping inside is as close to time travel as we have. Just slide the front door open.

View from my front (Top) - View from my back (Bottom)

 As you can see in the pics it's one of the smallest eating establishments out there. Just eight seats. I ordered a wiener with everything and took one of those seats to enjoy a near flawless example of an All-American hot dog. Extra snappy wiener, I didn't ask what they were made of, goes into a soft New England Style bun and gets topped with your choice of stuff. Chili, with tons of kidney beans, and sauerkraut are popular options but I wanted to try the original on my first stop in. It was one of a few top notch hot dogs that I tried on this trip. New England knows wieners. Cool spot. I might do a night in Portsmouth mixed into a Boston and or a Maine trip next chance I get. I had forgot how much I like visiting New England when the weather is warm. As always, more to come.

 Hot Dog with Everything (Mustard, Relish, Onion)

Row 34
5 Portwalk Pl
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 319-5011

Gilley's PM Lunch
175 Fleet St
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 431-6343

Philly Bros

-The Sammy's of Chi

Always one to try an interesting menu item I was intrigued when I saw this West Side sandwich shops menu. It's the common type of eating establishment you'll find around these parts except you can tell they put a little more care into everything. What I mean by that is both the looks and feel of the restaurant itself as well as the menu which is a bit different than many of the other spots.

Locals Favorite on the Westside

The name of the place implies Philly Cheesesteaks and they do have those but I was interested in the Philly Cheeseburger Sandwich. As described it's a fresh angus patty that's grilled and then chopped and topped with ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and dill pickle. It's basically a loose meat hoagie and not something you see everywhere. Even if it's pretty damn easy to make one for yourself. I enjoyed this sandwich enough to warrant a return visit would be in-store. They have a sandwich called the Chicago avenue Signature Philly and it's made with said burger meat as well as chopped gyro meat and steak as well. Seems to be some sort of sandwich with Jim Shoe inspirations. Other fun menu items include fresh fried chips on a stick as well as baked potatoes loaded in the same way as their signature sandwiches. For the super decadent they also have deep fried Oreo's.

Cheeseburger Philly

Philly Bros
3944 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60651
(773) 661-1331