Tag: travel

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seafood travel

Hot N Juicy Crawfish (Orlando)

It’s funny. When I did a search of nearby restaurants on Yelp at my parents’ home in Orlando, all the restaurants were in Universal Studios or Disney World. I did see a restaurant in the strip mall close by called Hot N Juicy Crawfish. Dang. I’m there.

Apparently it’s a chain restaurant with restaurants spread all over the country –Las Vegas, California, D.C. and here in Orlando. Man vs Food TV show did a thing there —http://youtu.be/VbeCuujOvX0

We ordered The Drool bucket (1lb of Crawfish, 1lb of Shrimp, dozen slices of Andouille Sausages, 2 corn, 2 potatoes, 1/2lb of Snow Crab Legs and Calamari appetizer $37.99). They ran out of Snow Crab, so they gave us King Crab Legs. We also got the Etouffee ($6.99) and Fried Catfish Basket with Sweet Potato Fries ($11.99)

The waiter says the crawfish is flown in daily. Dang. That’s a lot of work. They were really juicy and flavorful …and kind of spicy. We got the lowest level of spice (Baby Spice) and that was still kind of spicy. It was the right amount of spiciness. But maybe the “Hot n Juicy Special” seasoning we ordered it with added to that heat. Really flavorful head sucking. I even sucked the heads of the shrimps.

The best deal is the all-day Happy Hour Monday through Thursdays $1 bottled beers! That’s any bottle beer, whether it’s Heineken or Blue Moon. Three per person, but still such a good deal.

Man, I wish there was a Hot N Juicy Crawfish in Brooklyn. But only if they can give me fresh crawfish at $10/lb and $1 beers. Dreamboarding it.

Hot N Juicy Crawfish - 7572 W Sand Lake Rd. Orlando, FL 32836

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tio wally travel

Tio Wally Eats America: Love’s Travel Stops

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in North Baltimore, Ohio.

Greetings from North Baltimore, Ohio
N 41° 10.462’ W 083° 39.101’ Elev. 704 ft.

We love Love’s. So much so that Love’s Travel Stops are the only truck stops where the crew of the SS Me So Hungry will fuel the land yacht. There are a few reasons for this.

One is that they are kept cleaner than most other truck stops. From the fuel islands to the bathrooms, Love’s makes a conscious effort to make its properties as inviting as it possibly can. And for good reason: It’s a highly competitive business to be in. Moreover, Love’s really goes out of its way to take good care of the commercial drivers.

All truck stops have some sort of Driver’s Reward Program. After you swipe your fuel card, you swipe your Reward Card and are awarded 1¢ for every gallon of fuel you purchase. Although a measly penny per gallon doesn’t sound like much, it adds up in a hurry when you’re purchasing an average of 100 gallons of fuel per day; a rule of thumb is a land yacht will average about 6 miles per gallon.

What makes Love’s Reward Program different from all the others is that after you purchase 1,000 gallons in a month you’re classified as Platinum. You have not only earned $10 in credit, you get unlimited free refills of any size coffee, iced or hot tea, or soda (providing you have your own cup) for the following month. They even have hot chocolate. You also get unlimited showers; other places give you a free shower with a minimum purchase of 50 gallons.

Again, that penny may not sound like a lot until you compare it to what the other truck stops are doing. For example, to earn a “free” refill at, say, Pilot/Flying J you have to buy 169 gallons of fuel and then if you use the points — Bam! — all of your points/credits are gone. Pilot/Flying J (it’s the same company) does have a so-called Coffee Club where every sixth cup is free. Thus, if you don’t use any of your Reward points, you pay only $8.45 to get a “free” cup of coffee. Such unbridled generosity.

I’ve never tallied it up but, at $1 per refill, I’m saving a minimum of $50-$60 every month on coffee by fueling at Love’s. But wait, there’s more!

You can use the Reward points for any food and merchandise in the store, except alcohol and tobacco. The points can also be used in many of the fast food restaurants affiliated with the Travel Stops, sometimes receiving a 10 percent discount to boot. Additionally, Love’s always has something or other on sale each month, and quite often it’s a good deal.

In month’s past Love’s had been having Munchies® Sandwich Crackers on sale Three for $1. There are a handful of different varieties of these FritoLay products but my favorite are the ones filled with peanut butter between Ritz-like crackers. There are also peanut butter-filled cheese crackers but they are quite a bit saltier. All of them — cheese, jalapeño cheese, etc. — are pretty tasty. I think Munchies® are easily the best sandwich crackers on the market. And I swear the peanut butter ones are filled with Jif®. At least, it sure tastes like Jif®.

For November Love’s had been doing a Buy 1 Get 1 Free promotion on Double S Ranch (now Double S Foods) Natural Style Beef Jerky. This jerky is really good. Love’s carries two varieties, Original and Peppered; according to the package Double S also makes a Teriyaki flavor but Love’s doesn’t carry it.

It reminds me of some of the homemade jerky I’ve had. Although it’s chewy like run-of-the-mill jerky, unlike most of its bone-dry, shoe-leather counterparts, it’s moist and quite tender. The Peppered flavor is Mesquite Smoked and smells exactly like Campbell’s Vegetable Beef Soup. It also packs a little heat that builds up on your tongue after awhile. At $5.79 for two 3.25 ounce packages it makes for a cheap chew to keep your mouth occupied as you drag down the miles. What a bargain.

I’ve been taking packages of the jerky and distributing them to various folks when I take shore leave. It’s turned out to be a really a cheap way of buying a little bit of fast-fleeting popularity — about two seconds worth, to be precise.

Love’s also had Two for $1 Butterfinger® candy bars. I don’t eat much candy but I bought a half-dozen of the regulation-size 2.1 ounce bars anyway. Now I’m stocked with enough candy to last me until about June.

But the sweetest part of these deals is that it doesn’t cost me a cent. I couldn’t begin to guess how many penny points I’ve gone through over the years. I do know that, in addition to whatever snacks I’ve snagged, I’ve made off with a veritable fleet of die-cast cars of varying sizes for my great nephew.

It’s the little things that makes me love Love’s — from the cheerful greeting when you walk in to there always being a trash can strategically placed right next to the bathroom door so you can use your paper towel to grab the door handle, thus allowing you to make a clean, germ-free getaway. Even my evil twin, crack lead navigator Skippy, particularly likes this little amenity. It makes him feel hygienic. Dream on, Skippy, you mangy, scurvy dog.

And so we roll.

Love’s Travel Stops, nationwide

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.

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tio wally travel

Tio Wally Eats America: Lambert’s Cafe

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in Ozark, Missouri.

Greetings from Ozark, Missouri
N 37° 04.164′  W 093° 13.409′  Elev. 1271 ft.

Be forewarned: If you’re sitting in Lambert’s Cafe no one will yell “Incoming!” or “Heads Up!” You simply have to pay attention because some people just can’t catch very well and you may well end up having a piping hot, oven fresh dinner roll carom off the side of your head. You can expect that sort of thing here. After all, Lambert’s is the “Home of the Throwed Rolls.”

The first Lambert’s Cafe was established in 1942 by Earl and Agnes Lambert in Sikeston, Missouri. According to their hand-out, they began throwing rolls to folks on May 26, 1976 when, during an extremely busy lunch hour, a roll-jonesing customer yelled “Just throw the damn thing!” They did. And to the delight of children and adults alike a tradition was born. And they’re great rolls.

A guy rolls a cart through the restaurant laden with trays of fresh made rolls and throws them, often across the room, hopefully into the waiting hands of customers. There are many misses, but he’s got more rolls. (He has the best job in the restaurant if you ask me.) Following close behind the roll-pitching Muffin Man is another person with sorghum, which they’ll happily drizzle on your hot roll.

Lambert’s is truly a quirky, somewhat wacky place with large open dining rooms of wooden booths and some of the busiest interior decorating known to man. And the service is unique as well. After your server takes your order people wander around with “Norm’s Pass Arounds,” the aforementioned hot rolls and sorghum, sides of fried okra, fried potatoes and onion, black-eyed peas, and really great macaroni and tomatoes.

Moreover, you can get as much as you want of anything: entrees, pass arounds, rolls, etc. But if you get seconds on your entree you can’t get a to-go box. There’s actually a sign to that effect reading “Please, No Doggie Bags, Extra Plates or Sharing Plates!” in the entryway. But how anyone could order seconds is beyond me as the portions are so generous to begin with.

For entrees my Gang of Four ordered Shrimp ($15.99), huge shrimp deep-fried golden brown; Pork Chops ($13.99), which you can get grilled, smoked or deep-fried; and Golden Fried Chicken ($12.49). Because he ordered all white meat ($1 extra) the plate came with two giant breasts, of which he could only finish one. I ordered the XXL – Center Cut Ham ($14.99). The sugar-cured ham was definitely XXL, nearly covering the giant skillet it was served in. All the food was great.

Every entree comes with two sides, of which they have 18 choices. One of them, however, a Pineapple Walnut Salad, costs $1.99 extra. It sure is good though, and it’s a big bowl worth the extra couple of bucks.

At first glance at the menu, Lambert’s may seem sort of pricey but it’s more than made up for in gargantuan portions, and the rolling Roll Show. And, like I said, you can get a to-go box if you don’t order seconds. In fact, plan on having at least two meals from whatever you order.

There is also some true weirdness to be found on the menu as well, like “Somethin’ Southern.  All the white beans a body can eat with your choice of ham or fried bologna and 2 vegetables served with a King Edwards cigar or Big Red chewing gum.” It’s only $8.99. Those same white beans minus the meat are also one of the vegetable choices by the way. But why a mess of white beans comes with a cigar or chewing gum is anyone’s guess.

If you visit Lambert’s you can plan on waiting to get in, sometimes up to a good hour or more. We showed up about 10 a.m. for the 10:30 opening and there was already a line. Thankfully, it’s a fairly big place and we were seated immediately as soon as it opened. When we left, however, it was another story altogether, with a line out the door. A lot of this is a combination of its proximity to Branson  — it’s located right off US65, the road to (as Bart Simpson accurately described it) “Las Vegas as envisioned by Ned Flanders” — thus a must-stop for passing tour buses, and because the locals eat here as well.

Another weird quirk about Lambert’s is that they don’t take credit cards, which baffles me to no end. They only take cash or personal checks. As luck would have it, though, there is an ATM inconveniently located in the entryway (which they own, no doubt). Why it isn’t next to the cashier just adds to the bafflement. The rhyme and reason of some things seems to be on permanent holiday at Lambert’s.

Lambert’s Cafe is an extremely fun dining experience that more than lives up to its motto: “Come hungry, leave full, and hopefully have a laugh or two.”

And so we … roll.

Lambert’s Cafe, restaurants in Sikeston and Ozark, Missouri and Foley, Alabama

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.

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tio wally travel

Tio Wally Eats America: Oki Fried Rice

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in Galena, Missouri.

Greetings from Galena, Missouri
N 36° 47.079’  W 093° 30.350’  Elev. 885 ft.

The crew of the SS Me So Hungry got a few much needed days of shore leave recently. And as per usual we took full advantage of the chance to again use and abuse the overly generous hospitality of the Duke of Earl and his gracious family.

During this hiatus I made one of my real comfort foods, something that’s impossible to get “out there.” It’s a dish my Mom made when I was a kid that I loved. And because she didn’t make it very often — possibly because it’s kind of a pain in the butt — it was always a real treat whenever she made it.

For lack of a better name I called it “Okie Fried Rice” for years, which my mother vehemently objected to with marked indignation, and for good reason. You see, although she was born in Arizona, her family were Dust Bowl refugees and the term “Okie” was considered by her to be extraordinarily derogatory and downright hurtful. But I didn’t know what else to call it. After all, it has little in common with Chinese restaurant Fried Rice other than it contains rice.

Thankfully providence raised its pretty little head when I had a friend over one day and made Okie Fried Rice. She ate a bowl of it and then another. While eating the second bowl my friend, who is Japanese, looked at me thoughtfully and asked, “What makes it ‘big’?” Confused, but ever the exemplarily mannered host, I asked: “What the f**k are you talking about? What the hell do you mean, ‘big’?” She then explained that “Oki” means “big” in Japanese.

Needless to say my mother was thrilled to learn that my name for this rice dish had lost a vowel and had become acceptable to her, if not downright respectable. So here’s the recipe for Oki Fried Rice:

8 cups cooked rice
6-8 stalks of Celery
2-3 large Green Bell Peppers
2-3 bunches Green Onion
3-5 cans of Tuna, drained
2-3 eggs

Yield: More than you’ll probably want. I always make a lot so adjust it to yield however much you want.

Roughly chop the veggies and mix all the ingredients together in a humongous mixing bowl. Then fry it in the cheapest oil you can find in the following fashion: Fill the bottom of the frying pan so that the rice is about a half-inch deep when it’s smashed down as much as possible. Let the mixture fry until you see the outer edges brown, then turn it over. If it’s fried the proper amount of time it will come apart sort of like hash browns. After turning it over, break it up with the front edge of the spatula and smash it down as before. Be aware that the “second side” will cook faster than the first and you shouldn’t let it get as brown.

After frying the rice, put it in a bowl or storage container lined with paper towels. This will help soak up whatever excess oil will drain through.

Then dish yourself a bowl of Oki Fried Rice, hit it with soy sauce to taste and …. (If I knew how to write Homer Simpson’s drooling, food-Nirvana utterance, I’d have written it here instead of an ellipses.)

Oki Fried Rice reheats marvelously in about a minute or so in a Nuke-Ro-Wave™. It’s great as a meal, a side dish or, topped with scrambled or fried eggs, for breakfast.

Another treat we had is one that is bafflingly hard to find on the road: Regular, so-called “American” waffles. You’d be amazed how many places only have the waffle bastardizations of the Belgian variety, which I hate.

It took awhile but — unless you want to pay $80 or more — I finally found an American waffle iron; you can find those Belgian waffle bastards for as little as $12 most anywhere. I found the American one for $9.50 at an ersatz antique shop (a brick-and-mortar flea market, really) in Crane, Missouri. The iron worked fine. But then a friend who had heard me bitching about my frustration of finding an American waffle iron showed up with an even better one, one with double-sided irons that worked even better. Both of the waffle irons are easily about as old as I am.

So we had American Waffle Day for the SS Me So Hungry crew and the kids, and we all got to enjoy real American waffles with Mrs. Buttersworth syrup, bacon that was perfectly fried (not too crispy), and farm fresh over-easy eggs. Life just doesn’t get much better than that.

And so we roll.

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.

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tio wally travel

Tio Wally Eats America: Sapp Bros

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Greetings from Cheyenne, Wyoming
N 41° 09.429’  W 104° 39.667’  Elev. 5979 ft.

I love Sapp Bros! Any company with enough class to dress up water towers — and storage tanks and light poles — into coffee pots has to be lovable.

The first Sapp Bros truck stop was founded by the four Sapp brothers in Omaha, Nebraska at the junction of I-80 and Highway 50 over 40 years ago. It now has 15 truck stops scattered mostly throughout the Midwest, with locations as far west as Salt Lake City and as far east as Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Needless to say, I’m attracted to it because of its funk … and the food. And the free WiFi is nice, too.

According to its website the Sapp Bros’ “iconic logo began as a simple water tower in 1971 to supply the needs of the businesses that were located to the west of the Omaha metropolitan area on Highway 50 and not accessible to the conveniences of city water and sewer. A few years later the coffee pot handle and pour spout were added to the refurbished water tower and the landmark became known to Omaha residents and I-80 travelers alike.” And it’s bitchen.

In years past Sapp Bros leased out its restaurant space, mainly to The Great American Restaurant. In recent years, however, the company has taken the spaces back, remodeling the restaurants and running them itself under the name Sapp Bros Cafe.

This is both good and bad. Good because they’ve introduced more consistency to its restaurants. But bad because with all the remodeling and such all the really funky stuff is gone, like the “ass-dentations” in the all-too well-worn booths, the separate “Drivers Only” room with a  phone at each table (this was BC — before cell phones) where truck drivers still smoked cigarettes and used “spicy” language, and the regular folk just weren’t invited to hear the truck drivers — who, curiously, had plenty of time to hang out in truck stops — tell endless lies about how much money they made.

But the food, I think, has improved as a result. Or, rather, it’s a little safer to order with confidence and knowledge that you’ll get what you ordered, and expected, regardless of time of day; they serve the full menu when its open. Then again, they’re no longer 24-hour affairs, which kind of sucks.

I’ve eaten in three of the Sapp Bros Cafes but will focus on the last one I ate at, in Salt Lake City, where I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak. For $9.99 you get the Steak, one side, and the soup/salad bar.

This is classic Chicken Fried Steak. It’s nicely breaded, crispy outside and tender inside, and truly a generous portion. It comes smothered in homemade country gravy that is, easily, the best I’ve ever had on the road. Made from scratch, it’s got a lot of nice little bits of sausage in it, and the gravy’s consistency is perfect, not too thin or thick, and it actually has flavor.

As my side I chose mashed potatoes — they have real mashed potatoes! But damn: Again I forgot to ask if they had chicken gravy. I love chicken gravy, but it’s rarely found. The meal is rounded out with Texas toast that is really tasty, toasted on the griddle and mildly garlicky.

The soup/salad bar is always sort of funny. But the soups are usually great. This visit they had chili, which I thought could’ve been spicier, and a chicken-tomato soup that was awesome. Basically a chicken vegetable soup, it had big noodles in it. I’ve experienced similar noodles elsewhere and they were gummy, poorly made crapoids — usually billed as “dumplings” — but these were delicious. The broth was sort of a chicken stock with hints of tomato. God, I wish I had a sophisticated enough palate to describe it because that broth was awesome: light, tomato-ish, homey, refreshing … and it had a generous amount of chunks of white meat chicken in it.

The salad bars on the other hand are always kind of small and minimal at the Sapp Bros Cafes, but yet there are always surprises. On this visit I made up a fruit salad plate. When I got back to my table I discovered that the cantaloupe had fresh, ripe pineapple in it. Fresh, ripe pineapple! It’s one of those fruits that we forget how good it is until we have it.

For dessert I ordered a giant piece of Carrot Cake ($3.59) to go. It too was great. A nice touch, I thought, was that the honey-cream cheese frosting was decorated with slivers of shaved carrot. It took me awhile to figure it out. It was a nice crunchy touch.

Not all of the Sapp Bros Travel Centers (all the truck stops are “travel centers” these days to upgrade their image) have restaurants, but the ones that do are worth a visit if you’re traveling. They’re good folks and they’ll take good care of you.

And so we roll.

Sapp Bros. Truck Stops, 15 locations scattered between Salt Lake City, Utah and Clearfield, Pennsylvania

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.

 

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italian tio wally travel

Tio Wally Eats America: Alfredo’s Pizza & Pasta

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in Lewisville, Texas.

Some people are so unique, so special that they’re hard to describe. Such is Freida, the gregarious owner (along with her ultra-low key husband, Richard) of Alfredo’s Pizza & Pasta in Lewisville, Texas.

I was introduced to Alfredo’s by a woman I went to high school with and her beau; I believe they’re possibly the handsomest Hog-straddling couple in Texas. I stop and visit them whenever I pass through the Dallas area if time permits.

On the way to the restaurant she described Freida as “one of those people who calls everyone ‘sweetie.’ You’re going to love her,” she said. She then told me an anecdote that turned out to exemplify Freida to a T: The first time she went to Alfredo’s she wasn’t able to finish all of her food. So she got a to-go box and asked Freida, How do I reheat this? “I can’t tell you. It would put me out of business,” Freida snapped, and walked away. A short time later Freida returned and said, “I like you, so I’ll tell you.”

It being my first time there, I was really looking forward to meeting — or should I say “experiencing” — Freida. Unfortunately she wasn’t there.

The next visit, however, I had the good fortune of meeting her. And she was everything my friend said. Alternately warm and no-nonsense, it was obvious she didn’t take crap from anybody. In fact, when I gave her some good-natured lip she was quick to let me know that her sons, who work in the restaurant, knew karate. It was hard to tell if she was serious about what seemed to be a not-so veiled insinuation that, on her orders, they’d happily take me out back for a good thrashing and probably toss me in a dumpster, but I got the message. Truth is, though, that Freida is a genuine sweetheart who not only seems to remember every customer who’s ever come in, she treats everyone like family.

On my third visit to Alfredo’s Freida demanded to know what I’d done with the pictures of her I’d taken previously (which she was none too happy about. And as you can see by the photo of Richard, he too was excited to have his picture taken. “Thanks,” he deadpanned.). I detected a complete lack of trust in my propriety in the use of her image. Evidently, in addition to being a motherly type, Freida is also an excellent judge of character.

The food at Alfredo’s is great tasting and a great value. Every time I’ve been there I’ve ordered either Veal Parmigiana ($10.25) or Eggplant Parmigiana ($8.50). The entrees are served with a side salad and a side of spaghetti, along with really, really great homemade bread (rolls).

I also usually get to-go orders of either Meat or Cheese Ravioli ($7.50 and $6.50, respectively), or an order of each. The raviolis are huge, about 3-inches around, and very generously stuffed.

My friends always order pizza when we go. I haven’t tried it but they say it’s great. The thin-crust pies sure look tasty though.

In addition to pizzas and pastas, Alfredo’s also makes hot and cold Subs, as well as a handful of both appetizers and desserts. (Damn, I just noticed they have a Sausage and Green Pepper Sub on the menu — my favorite! I guess I know what I’ll be ordering next time.)

Alfredo’s, which is open seven days a week, is tucked away in the corner of a little shopping mall. Although you have to look to find it, once you do you will be back.

By the way, I would’ve taken more pictures the last time I was there but I was sort of afraid … of Freida. Without reason, of course.

And so we roll.

Alfredo’s Pizza & Pasta, 2305 State Hwy 121, Ste 225, Lewisville, Texas

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.

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bar/drinking travel

The Oxford Saloon & Cafe (Missoula, MT)

My buddy Will was showing me some photos from one of his favorite places in Missoula, MT –The Oxford Saloon. It sounded awesome and their J.J.’s Chicken Fried Steak looked great. Somehow he was able to send me these photos and type this all while we were both talking. I don’t know how he did it.

“It’s like drivin 22 hours on a high mountain pass close to runnin outta gas and feeling tha lord ticklin yer hiney cuz you honna eat simethin divine!!! Amazing. Makes me feel like Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.”

JJ’s Chicken Fried Steak

The Oxford Saloon Menu

He elaborated further in another email…

“The Oxford Saloon in Missoula has been running since 1883. Missoula was incorporated as a town on a few years before that so its definitely a community fixture. It is part Saloon, All-Night Diner, and Casino where there is live poker played through the night. It used to have a strip club called Mulligans that was in the rear but sadly that went out of business about 10 yrs ago. When it was open it was interesting to say the least, the place was a one-stop shop of vices I guess.

It is known for its brains and eggs, which I heard they can’t serve anymore due to health code, WTF? But its really an awesome place to people watch and take in the vibe of a classic western saloon. There are definitely some rough characters that frequent the place but its worth putting up with them to eat their classic JJ’s Chicken Fried Steak. This is an 8oz chopped sirloin fried and smothered with a unique red eye gravy, accompanied by eggs, texas toast and hashbrowns.”

I like his email subjects for the photos…

Big medicine

Poker all night

“Oh one other thing to note is their world class gun collection that sits over the bar, just in case someone gets a hankerin’!”

Gunz n booze

The Oxford Saloon & Cafe – 337 N Higgins Ave. Missoula, MT 59802

William Brockmeyer is the Creative Director at Mirror NYC.

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breakfast tio wally travel

Tio Wally Eats America: Uncle Pete’s Restaurant and Truck Stop

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Greetings from Lebanon, Tennessee
N 36° 11.084′  W 086° 16.051′  Elev. 595 ft.

Over 4,000 coffee mugs adorn the walls of Uncle Pete’s Restaurant. The collection began when truck drivers began bringing mugs to Uncle Pete, starting in 1955 or so. Because the collection is so large, the proprietor of Uncle Pete’s has a dream of one day getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. I don’t know if Uncle Pete is still alive but I do know this: If the man has gone to that great ceramic mug showroom in the sky it would unequivocally prove the adage “You can’t take it (4,000+ coffee mugs) with you.”

Although I generally avoid truck stop-type places — too many damn trucks! — I’ve taken to parking/sleeping at Pete’s Restaurant and Truck Stop when I’m in the neighborhood. It’s a puny, funky old place and, thus, pretty quiet.

On this particular day I woke up really hungry and decided I’d finally try the restaurant even though its food is touted as “Real Home Cookin'” or some such; I tend to be extremely wary of anything advertised as “home cooking” because I don’t know whose home it’s referring to.

As luck would have it the home cookin’ at Pete’s is quite good. Even though I ordered standard breakfast foods, there was ample opportunity to screw it up. But my eggs were perfectly cooked and, more so, they actually knew how to make grits!

I have a thing about grits. I love ’em. But most places don’t have a clue as to how to make them. And for reasons known only to the NSA and, perhaps, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Georgians are the worst makers of grits on the planet. More often than not grits are served either with the consistency of watery, gulag-worthy gruel or a sticky clomp of impenetrable gloop. But Pete’s were perfect.

(I don’t know where I got the idea but whenever I made grits I’d make extra, take the leftovers and put them in a dish lined with plastic wrap (they’ll stick like super glue to any surface) and put them in the refrigerator uncovered. The idea is to let the moisture evaporate; overnight works. Then I cut it up into my favorite shape and fry it just as you would polenta. I usually put a dash of salt on it if they were plain, though I’ve pre-made them with butter and sugar mixed in as well. Though I never got around to doing it I suspect they’d also be great with chopped green onion and minced celery or whatever mixed in.)

I ordered Mama’s Choice, the “Uncle Pete’s Breakfast”: three eggs, grits, sliced tomatoes, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, and two pork chops ($8.99). As I said, the over-easy eggs were perfect. But the gravy was kind of disgusting: no sausage, no flavor, just a bunch of white corn-starch goo masquerading as a food. (It’s unfair that I critique biscuits and gravy, I think. I have a sister who, though not professionally trained, is a world-class cook and baker, so I know what biscuits and gravy are supposed to taste like. I’m spoiled.) And the hash browns were kind of greasy with margarine prep. But the biscuits were passable, and the thin-cut pork chops perfect.

A real treat, curiously, were the tomatoes. While they weren’t garden fresh or anything, the thick-sliced fruit was flavorful and … who’d a’thunk of serving sliced tomatoes at breakfast? Uncle Pete? His Mama? I dunno. Nevertheless, lightly salted they were very tasty and very, very refreshing.

Although it was a lot of food I nearly ate it all. Thankfully, I had the good sense not to overeat and take a biscuit, a cut-to-fit piece of pork chop and a tomato slice and make a pork chop-and-tomato biscuit for later. And it was good.

As I was leaving Uncle Pete’s I noticed a sign (no picture, sorry) that read “Spring is in the air …” announcing that Vegetable #7 of the side choices was deep fried green beans, nine to an order! I thought that sounded good, perhaps they’d be tempura or beer battered or something.

I also noticed another sign at the entry that read “Breakfast Specials Served Anytime: $3.99 and up”. Per my usual modus operandi I’d asked about specials when I first sat down: “No specials on Sundays,” the waitress said, “Sorry.” Evidently Sundays don’t qualify as “anytime.” C’est la vie.

And so we roll.

Uncle Pete’s Restaurant and Truck Stop, 1210 Sparta Parkway (I-40 Exit 239), Lebanon, Tennessee

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.