CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Dining, Donuts, Dives and Diatribes

  • Recent Comments

    Marines Michalowski's avatarMarines Michalowski on Spain Restaurant
    Steve's avatarSteve on Columbus Pizza History: A Slic…
    Sharyn Smith Skelton's avatarSharyn Smith Skelton on Columbus Pizza History: A Slic…
    Linda shaw's avatarLinda shaw on Ding Ho, Wor Sue Gai: Columbus…
    BoomerGenX's avatarBoomerGenX on SKY Gourmand: The Cooker is Ba…
    Betty's avatarBetty on R&M Bakery – Newark…
    scottalberts's avatarscottalberts on Columbus Pizza History: A Slic…

  • Categories

  • Top Posts

  • Archives: August 2006 to Now

Archive for the ‘Road Trip’ Category

Next Entries »

On the Road Again, Newark: The Eatery

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 23, 2009



The Eatery
44 West Locust Street (4th and Locust, off SR 13)
Newark (Nerk)
740.345.8000

Hours:
Monday to Saturday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sunday 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM

My job takes me on the road on occasion. Everytime I hit the road, I take a big hit because the work piles up in the office. However, the time behind the wheel is the only peace I get during the workweek – I can’t have a blackberry or a non Flintstone era laptop so the drivetime is dead time. My area is Columbus, Southeast Ohio and the non populated parts of Northeast Ohio. I see a lot of small towns and back roads. The real bonus is that I often get to eat lunch – as in sit at a table and eat an actual meal, something that rarely happens when I am in my cubical farm.

Other than NPR and some rocking i Pod playlists, what really makes my back road public service bearable is my sixth sense for good small town eateries, I can always find the best place to eat in any town I land in. When I was in Newark, my discovery was The Eatery.

Walking through the door I could have walked into 1961, 1978 or later, the place is a timeless small town diner. Whether you are 21 or 60 and whether your waitress is 16 or 36, you are going to be called hon or honey – multiple times. There is a round pie case on display just as you enter. It is stacked with some great looking pies that look like they should be on the cover of a magazine or maybe a centerfold. I knew this was going to be my lunch spot before my waitress called me hon and told me to sit wherever I liked. The locals tolerated me being a non local. I slid into my booth and surveyed the menu.

I ordered the Shepard’s Pie, a special for the day with a side of coleslaw. Both were good. Coleslaw is my diner canary in a coal mine, if it sucks so goes the meal. I was served the standard two rolls with butter swatches and plenty of refills on my beverage. I asked the waitress for pie guidance but she was stumped because “they are all so good, honey”. I believed her – I know good pie when I see it. Finally we decided I would have the double fudge cake because it just came out from the kitchen. Two layers of cake, separated by a dense, pudding like layer of fudge and encased in a thick chocolate icing with a big tear drop shaped dollop of buttercream frosting on top. Damn that cake was good.

The Eatery does breakfast all day – an essential for the quintessential Ohio diner. Some interesting deals are offered during the week. On Tuesdays, free dessert comes with your entree from 4PM to 7PM. On Wednesdays, there is a beat the clock feature on several dinner entrees. If you arrive before 5 PM, your meal is $5, if you arrive before 6:15 PM your meal is $6.15. Who in the heck would come after that anyway since the restaurant closes at 7PM?

Downtown Newark has an old school town square that is filled with independent businesses – not a Starbucks to be seen. Driving through I could see a sign for a big book store called Cindamar as well as The Buckeye Winery – two places that could keep me busy for a long time – if I had the time, but I had to get back on the road to my next appointment. I should have bought a whole pie before I left – the road can be lonely, but not when you have pie at your side.

Eatery on Urbanspoon

Posted in pies, Road Trip | 3 Comments »

Pie on the Highway – Henry’s Restaurant

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 21, 2009


Henry’s Restaurant
6275 US Highway 40
West Jefferson, OH 43162
614.879.9321
Call for Hours
Take Cash – No Credit Cards, No Checks

Philville Phil and I were en route to the US Air Force Museum in Dayton a while back – (which also included a trip to my favorite Dayton hippy lunch spot Christophers and purchase of a few Dorothy Lane Market Killer Brownies!). I am not a fan of driving on I 70 if the weather is nice and I am not on a timetable. As were neared exit 80 (OH-29/State Route 29/Urbana-West Jefferson) I had a notion that Phil could use some adventure in the form of pie.

Henry’s is the type of spot you are going to drive by. First, only locals drive on US 40. Second, the place looks closed and on occasion it looks abandoned. Such is not the case. Henry’s has a long tradition of creating old school, lard laced, sugar laden, fruit filled pies. Back in the day, the former pie mistress took her baked wares to the local fairs and won many a ribbon. In old editions of Road Food by Jane and Michael Stern, this place was listed as an essential Ohio stop. Today, the pies are still as good but the attention has faded.

Henrys was a filling station in a past life - gas(oline) not pie.

Henry's was a filling station in a past life - gas(oline) not pie.

We arrived about 8:45 AM and inquired about pie. We were told the cupboard was bare. The woman behind the counter could tell we were on a mission, so she asked if we might be passing back later in the day. I figured we would be done with our Dayton doings by mid-afternoon so I asked if they would have any pie after lunch. She said she would be glad to hold a few slices for us. When we asked what was baking she listed off a bakers dozen of varieties – maybe more – apple, cherry, peach, chocolate, peanut butter, coconut cream, several other creams, and more. We placed an order for a slice of Blackberry and a slice of Chocolate.

We came back about 6 PM to find our pie was still waiting for us. We were lucky because most of the pies were gone – some eaten by the slice and others sold by the box. Since we had been eating all afternoon, I put off my pie until the next day. My slice looked average on the outside, not something that would appear on the cover of Gourmet but looks can be deceiving. My slice of black berry pie had expertly executed crust – flaky but not dry, dense but light, thick where it counted and a little chewy.

As for Philville Phil…apparently he forgot about his pie or his wife ate it, I’m not sure which. He would not elaborate and seemed to tear up when I asked about the disposition of his slice.

Posted in pies, Road Trip | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Taco Truck Tour (T3): April 25th, 1:30 PM

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 11, 2009

T# Logo

The initial taco truck trek has been completed and the eating public benefits from our efforts. The TacoTrucksColumbus.com team has tasted the tacos of every known mobile taco slinger in Columbus. We consumed the fare at many trucks twice and in a few instances – thrice. Now we are sharing the results of that research with you.

We picked four of the best trucks on the West Side and created a meat (meet) up style tour to explore La Vida Taco with some ordering advice and background information to boot. If you know you are coming please RSVP to: Hungry Woolf.

In the meantime, take a look at the TacoTrucksColumbus blog for more details and taco truck reviews.

Link to the printable full size T3 flyer by Taco Drew

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, Road Trip | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Pepperoni Rolls, Ramps, Hillbilly Hot Dogs and the Poky Dot

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 7, 2009

I am off the road and back to blogging. The previous three weeks have seen me in Honduras for family; Northeast Ohio: Dover, Cadiz, Steubenville, Toronto, East Liverpool, Lisbon and Kent for my paying profession; and Fairmont, West Virginia for my academic and avocational passions. It is good to be home.

Kevin Cordi - Storyteller and New Pepperoni Roll Researcher

Kevin Cordi - Storyteller and New Pepperoni Roll Researcher

So why West Virginia? (Why the other places as well…?) My friend Kevin Cordi is a professional Storyteller and the nations first Storyteller in Residence at The Ohio State University. He has started the internationally known – The Story Box Project. He was invited the Fairmont State University as the keynote speaker for the Mountain State Storytelling Institute. During Columbus Foodcast Episode Four – Storytelling Through Food, an idea started to stew in our heads about how food serves as connection for people. Below is part of our pitch to the Mountain State Story Telling Institute and the reason why I was riding shotgun and acting as a culinary guide on our Appalachian odyssey.

In addition to hosting an incredible weekend of Storytelling, the Mountain State Storytelling Institute, may well be the site of “conception” of a book by keynote speaker Kevin Cordi.

Mr. Cordi has been collaborating with freelance writer and social media guru Jim Ellison on a book combining two of their shared passions – storytelling and food (the order is different depending on the author). This ongoing project is titled “Food, Family, and Folk: A Feast of Stories from the Counters and Tables of the Heartland.” The recipe for this project mixes food lore, personal memories, local histories and the spices of life that help us all connect with the people through the foods of our home towns. The main focus is on iconic regional and local foods.

Kevin and Jim picked Fairmont and the Mountain State Storytelling Institute as the site to launch their journey of culinary discovery into the folkways and foodways of our country. Jim and Kevin’s storytelling heritage hails from generations of family history in the hills of West Virginia. Both look forward to the weekend in Fairmont as an opportunity to reconnect with their roots.

The two writers hope the weekend will end with a notebook, a laptop, a Macbook and two recorders full of memories of Pepperoni Rolls, Ramps, Hillbilly Hot Dogs (and more). These three foods are the focus of the first chapter of their book. They hope you can help with a serving for your thoughts on these West Virginia comfort foods.

As fate would have it, Fairmont is the undisputed home of the Pepperoni Roll, Ramps were in season and I can sniff out a hot dog within a three mile radius so this was the perfect time and place to launch our project. The addition of a free conference registration secured my spot in the Cordimobile.

Our mission was successful. Thanks to everyone at the Mountain Storytelling Institute for their support. I want to especially thank Dr. Judy Byers as well as the students and storytellers at Fairmont University who will be helping us with our melting pot of food stories. I would be remiss not to thank Kevin’s wife, Barbara Allen, for letting Kevin eat his research and for driving us when we were experiencing pepperoni overload induced dementia

In addition to two days of workshops – which included blogging, using Photostory, Ghost Tales, and such, Kevin and I did some serious food research in our off hours. Here are some highlights of our three day expedition.

What is a Pepperoni Roll? It is a small bun of bread with strips of pepperoni baked in the middle. Some places will add cheese, marinara sauce with peppers or other Italian influenced toppings to the mix. Pepperoni Rolls were designed as an easy to eat food for coal miners. It’s origin was at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont in 1927 or the 1940’s depending on whom you ask. Everyone agrees that the Pepperoni Roll (sometimes called a Pepperoni Bun) is the trademark food of Northcentral West Virginia (with appearances along the Ohio River in parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania).

I did not know that this part of the Mountain state had such a large Italian American population which continues a strong heritage to this day – there are some great Italian Restaurants sprinkled along I 79 from Morganstown to Clarksburg. These links will bring you up to speed on Pepperoni Rolls and their Italian connection.

Wikipedia on the Pepperoni Roll

Bob Heffner’s Pepperoni Roll Page

We dined at a few famous Pepperoni Roll restaurants in town. As researchers we paid our respects to the Country Club Bakery. We had to make a quick dash there in between seminars and before it closed for the weekend. They had sold out of Pepperoni Rolls for the day but Billie Joe behind the counter let me buy a bag set aside in the freezer for Monday’s restaurant orders. The bakery is a small and for pick up only. The walls are covered with articles about the bakery and its place in culinary history. The best article is in the January 2007 issue of Gourmet.

Kevin with Billie Joe at the Country Club Bakery

Kevin with Billie Joe at the Country Club Bakery

As is often the case, the best Pepperoni Roll was at a place we ate at my pure chance and dire circumstances. Mikey’s is a small, easy to miss six-seater sandwich shop near the Country Club Bakery. It was not on my research list. Since we were not inclined to eat the frozen rolls from the Country Club Bakery we needed a quick lunch spot close to the university and Mikey’s was our default choice.

We found the previous Pepperoni Rolls we sampled to be very “bready”. This was not the case here. At Mikey’s they split open the bun and remove a section of the roll for the pepperoni. Then the roll is buttered, cheese is added and on request, they add homemade coney sauce. The whole package goes into the oven for about 10 minutes to heat to a toasty and melting mass of yummy goodness.

Mikeys version of a pepperoni roll

Mikeys version of a pepperoni roll

Ramps were next on the list. I have heard about Ramps my whole life but I have never been in West Virginia during Ramp season. I was able to buy them fresh out of the ground. The gentleman I bought them from took extra time to show me how to handle the roots so that I can plant ramps in my garden so I can grow my own.

Having never eaten Ramps, I was at a loss for how to prepare them. I knew they were pungent with qualities of onions and garlic. One of the women at the Mountain Storytelling Institute had just the book I needed in this situation with recipes for ramps included. It is a great book on West Virgina wild foods by Anna Lee Robe-Terry.

Here is a resource on Ramps.

1985 NY Times article on Ramps

A Hillbilly Hot Dog includes mustard, chili or coney sauce and cole slaw. My mother proclaims that the best Hillbilly Hot Dogs hail from the King Tut Drive In in Beckley, West Virginia. Most mountaineers have strong opinions on their hot dogs and plenty of places to pacify their palates as they debate the merits of one place against another.

We had little time left to hit the Hillbilly Hot Dog hot spots but we did find some time and room for one wiener. In the process we found an incredible diner that was so good we visited it twice.

The Poky Dot

(Beware the music – The Restaurant Widow and I are of like mind about loud music in restaurant web sites – it turns our stomachs.)

At the Poky Dot, they added cheese and pickles to their hot dog. We also found a lot more on the menu that made our mouths water.

Hillbilly Deluxe

Hillbilly Deluxe

This is a classic 50’s style dinner with a funky, eclectic and fun decor. Their fare features incredible house made cheesecakes and pies, huge banana splits and too many items to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I will let the photos do the describing for me.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

Peanut Butter French Toast

Peanut Butter French Toast

To help ease my transition back to Ohio, I stopped at O’Betty’s in Athens for a “Blaze” Hot Dog – cole slaw with locally produced bacon.

This week I am working to refresh my relationship with vegetables. For those of you living in Clintonville: BEWARE, I will be cooking my ramps this weekend and the aroma does carry.

If you are interested in the Story Box Project, there is a box at Wild Goose Creative this month. Check out the WGC web site for more details. If you have a Pepperoni Roll, Ramp or Hillbilly Hot Dog story, send me an e-mail.

Posted in culinary knowledge, Diners, Road Trip | Tagged: , , , | 11 Comments »

Taco Truck Trek, Viva La Vida Taco

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 19, 2009

Do you know what a Taco Truck is? Do you know how many Taco Trucks are in Columbus? Do you know how good the food is at some of these trucks?

During this past winter a noble undertaking was begun to find out the answers to these questions. Several intrepid souls braved rain, extreme cold, language barriers, the threat of morbid obesity from testing out multiple tacos at multiple trucks in a day, snow and the wild, wild west side. It became a true odyssey, an obsession to find all of the trucks in Columbus. The chase was on.

In some cases there was good information on the exact location of a truck. Other times things were more vague. A post on Columbus Underground helped get a few good leads. There were also some fruitless searches, a Bermuda Triangle of non working trucks on Cleveland Ave and a failed expedition to Delaware looking for a truck that was last seen in 2007.

The next step was locating the trucks, figuring out hours and offerings as well as asking all kinds of questions in Spanish, English, Spanglish and a caveman style sign language. If you own a Taco Truck / Trailer when someone is asking a lot of questions and taking photos…you might get a bit nervous about what these loco people are doing. Unfortunately obsessive bloggers is not easy to translate into Spanish.

These hurdles were overcome and the results were tasty. A whole world of meats were opened up like a can of ….Lengua (tongue). In addition to the standard steak (carne) and pork (carnitas), there is Tripa (Tripe), Cabeza (head as in cow or pig) and so on. The menus included mixes of tacos, tortas, tostadas, tostones and all types of tortilla filled goodies.

The menus at these trucks are extensive and diverse. All have tacos but there are definite differences in the offerings depending on where the owners come from – some have sopes, others have huaraches. Exploring the variety of other cuisines is rewarding – these trucks offer items never seen on local Mexican restaurant menus. Most trucks also offer one or two special dishes on the weekends such as shrimp cocktail, seafood stew, goat stew and so on.

Visiting a truck is going to take most people out of their culinary comfort zones and probably their surburban comfort zones as well. The journey for Latino comfort food leads to parts of town most people pass over on a freeway. Many of these street food vendors are located in the Taco Truck Triangle of the West Side – bordered by Georgesville Road, West Broad Street and Sullivant Ave – areas that saw the recession before anyone else did. The food is worth the effort. Many of the cooks inside the trucks are among the most kind and friendly people you can meet while trying out new meats.

To find the answers to these questions:

Do you know what a Taco Truck is?
Do you know how many Taco Trucks are in Columbus?
Do you know how good the food is at some of these trucks?

Go to: Taco Trucks of Columbus

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, Road Trip, sandwiches | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

The Ides of March Returneth: My Fifteen Food Favorites of the last 365 days

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 14, 2009

It is time for my second annual Ides of March reflection. I look back at the year and ask myself “ate for 2 Brute”. These are my fifteen favorite meals or moments from the last 365 days. Thanks to those that shared these morsels with me.

1. Hot Dog Daze: A Dirty Franks Field Trip (Posted November 17th)

2. Slow Food Columbus – Celebrated the one year anniversary with a dinner at Rigsby’s on March 2nd. I’m a proud member and I currently serve on the event planning committee. All SFC events rocked. The requirement of a chapter is to have one event per year – Slow Food Columbus often has one per week. We have one of the most active memberships in the country. Read about our adventures in eating and education in the Slow Food Blog.

3) Columbus Foodcast Episode 21 – Pattycake Bakery.

4) Hungry Woolf’s Blog – My cheeky British meal mate Bethia has one of the best blogs in town. This post marks the debut of the new Hungry Woolf Approved (HWA) logo.

That is a jar of Marmite in the paw.

That is a jar of Marmite in the paw.

5. Taco Trucks Columbus – There is a lot of Taco Truck culture in Columbus – go check it out. Viva la Vida Taco!

6. Pizza Grand Prix III – exceeded my expectations for quality of pizza and people and quantity of pizza and people.

7. Bono Pizza (Bedtime for Bono – Posted December 11th, 2008)

8. Hills Market Wine and Cheese Tastings – Tied with judging for the Fiery Foods Festival at North Market. (Posted February 2009)

9. Ice Cream Sandwiches with Pattycake Tollhouse Cookies (Joining Jennie and Jeni – Posted November 24th)

10. Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company in Australia: I discovered this magnificent microbrewery while returning to Melbourne from the Yarra Valley with my mates Mandy, Dan and Katie. The beer is great, they have a wonderful tasting flight and it is a green business. The recent wild fires in Victoria destroyed this place. I hope it comes back. The Yarra Valley is the home of my discovery of wine and my obsession with all things Australian.

11. In April, I found the best cheese in the world. It is Whitestone Windsor Organic Blue Cheese. This New Zealand cheese was suggested to me by a cheesemonger from the East Coast and I found it in Australia at The Queen Victoria Market. That is kind of how my life rolls.

12. The Ritual Tavern, San Diego. After a day in Mexico, I found myself in my “dream seating” for all my tastes – local, organic, everything made in house and a perfect dining companion. I’m heading back next winter to keep my new West Coast winter warmth tradition alive.

13. The Liberty Bar, San Antonio. I continued my quest for sun in the winter with a trip to San Antonio. This was a wonderful food field trip for me. My favorite meal (all of my dines in SA were impressive) was a simple dish of thick, crusty, homemade bread with a Mexican brown sugar style dipping sauce and fresh goat cheese. Dios Mio! I spent the night at the bar and headed back the next day for lunch. The Liberty Bar is is worth visiting for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the same day.

14. The End of Prohibition Anniversary Party – Highland Estates, December 2008. This party inspired my purchase of a vintage Tuxedo and flask. This was not posted to protect the innocent and the guilty.

15. Eating Frank Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven, Connecticut (the end of a 5 year quest) with my friend Lee and her sister Kathy. New Haven pizza is considered to be a unique style of pizza making like New York or Chicago. When I was researching for a pizza book in 2004, this was on my hit list. Scratch one pizza. Next – Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.

Best Photo: I want a better camera, perfect lighting and a free week to master Photoshop. Until then I will be frustrated with white plates that do not cooperate and shots that scream for a flash or special setting in environments which call for decorum and discretion. This shot from the New Year’s Eve tasting menu at Details came out just the way I wanted.

My best shpt of the year.

My best shot of the year.

Posted in Road Trip | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Hot Dog Daze: A Dirty Franks Field Trip

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 17, 2008

Coming Soon

Several times per week people will ask or e-mail me – “When is Dirty Franks going to open?” My answer is: not soon enough. However, like a fine red wine, a fine red hot hot dog place needs time to age. Progress has been slow but sure, however the wait will be worth it.

Take the site of the former Queen Bee Diner. Then mix in the power of Liz Lessner and Harold LaRue as well as many others and you get Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace.

Columbus has been waiting for a dining destination in the Red Brick District (south part of downtown). Dirty Franks aims to deliver in the form of hip hot dogs and comfort food at comforting prices.

The Palace is inspired by Liz’s love of Chicago style hot dogs. Liz and Tim Lessner spent their formative years in Chicago. Dirty Franks aims to bring the authentic tastes of Chicago hot dog and beef stands to our fair city. You will see elements of the other Liz Lessner Restaurants – Betty’s, Surly Girl, and Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails but Dirty Franks will stand apart with a Chicago focused menu and some new twists on old favorites.

You will find this hot dog hot spot at:

248 South 4th Street
Downtown / Red Brick District

Dirty Franks on MySpace

While we are waiting, Liz, Harold and company are building the palace. In the pursuit of the perfect hot dog, Liz arranged a tour of the Vienna Beef plant in Chicago as well as a few days to research as many places as possible. The key to having an authentic Chicago style sandwich making Mecca is to get immersed in all things Chicago. And the only way to do that is to go there and “get it”.

By getting it, I mean learning every little thing that is needed to do a Chicago Dog outside the Windy City. The ingredients are the easy part. The hard part is getting a million other little things right. What temperature is the best for cooking a hot dog? Where do you find the best equipment? Who has the best bun?

When Liz mentioned she was making a run to Chicago – I volunteered to go as a one-man focus group. Liz was gracious enough to let me join her crew for a day so I put my money where my mouth was and flew up for a thirteen hours of relentless research. The night before I had dreams of hot dogs dancing in my head.

Chicago Hot Dog land

The tour started at 9:00. I arrived at Midway just after 6:00 AM. So what does one do to get ready for a day of heavy eating? If you are me, you head to the original Billy Goat Tavern for a Cheeseburger and a coke. This is one of my favorite places in Chicago, I always feel at home the second I walk in the door.

Billy Goat

Vienna Beef Factory Store & Deli
2501 North Damen Ave
Chicago
773 435 2277
Vienna Beef

Vienna Beef Sign

Hot Dog Truck

Our Crew (from left to right) consisted of: Tonya Harris – chef for all Liz Lessner restaurants and a key fixture at Betty’s, Harold LaRue, Dirty Franks visionary, Liz Lessner (of Bettys, Surly Girl, Tip Top and Dirty Franks), (brother) Tim Lessner, (Tip Top) and CMH Gourmand – self appointed taste tester, focus group, and comic relief.

The Crew - before

By stroke of luck, we were joined by Mark Reitman, (PhD, Professor of Hot Dogs) who operates Hot Dog U. Mark helps people start their own hot dog cart business and he was in town to give one of his students a tour. Mark knows all things hot dog. He was an incredible resource to have before, during, and after the tour.

Mark

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
taking notes

Our tour was led by Bob Schwartz, Vice President at Vienna Beef. Bob is one of the nicest and most knowledgeable people I have met in the food business. He knows his meats – hot dogs, Italian Beef, Pastrami, Corned Beef, Brisket and more. He is the author of an excellent book of Chicago Hot Dog lore – Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog. Bob is in the middle of the photo below.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Bob in the Middle

It is a fair assumption that meat permeates his work day.

plate

Chicago takes hot dogs seriously. There is a true culture to the Chicago hot dog with an unwritten code, mores, rituals and the like. The prime directive of a Chicago Dog – no ketchup!

NK 17 sign

Vienna Beef signs can be found throughout the Chicago metro area. There are hundreds of restaurants, hot dog stands and the like that serve Vienna Beef products 24/7.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
into the plant

Our tour lasted well over three hours and we saw everything. Bob led us throughout the plant. Vienna Beef produces multiple types of hot dogs and sausages. Hot dogs make up a faction of the business. Vienna Beef also cooks up pastrami, brisket, corned beef, soup, and beef for Italian beef sandwiches.

Hot Dogs

HD Tour

HD tour

The meat of the matter is the meat. We started with meat processing. We followed the meat as it was cut, sliced, and cooked into final forms. The process uses minimal automation. We saw workers hand slicing cuts of meat, individually seasoning pastrami, and everything else that transforms meat into what we eat. The plant is cleaned three times per day and has USDA inspectors on site. Going behind the scenes was really amazing. We were all impressed with the quality of the products and the pride that everyone takes in their work. It was like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in some ways. I have toured all types of factories: chocolate (Cadbury in New Zealand among them), ice cream (countlress places), beer (several in Australia and the West Coast), and many others. I would pick the Vienna Beef tour as the best.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
me at the plant

At the end of the tour we went to the test kitchen to “assist” with quality control. Bob tasted one type of hot dog that did not quite met muster so that entire batch was scrapped. Vienna Beef takes quality and consistency seriously. We we also able to sample several of the soups which were the best pre-made soups I have encountered anywhere.

Test Kitchen

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
test kitchen 2

We wrapped up our tour in the company cafeteria. Bob brought Vienna Beef products in their final form for us to sample the final cut. We consumed hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, Polish sausage, pastrami and corned beef. I liked all of them. Their corned beef was the best I have tasted.

Bob asked what we had in mind for the rest of the day. Liz let him know the plan was to sample from as many places as possible so that Dirty Franks can create the true Chicago experience. Bob put together a list of places to hit and we were off.

Before I get started on the hot dog road show, there will be an intermission to explain what we were eating.

A Chicago Style Hot Dog:
pure beef frankfurter
steamed poppy seed bun
yellow mustard
relish (often of the neon variety)
onions
tomatoes
two serrano “sport” peppers
kosher pickle
dash of celery salt

An Italian Beef:
thin slices of seasoned roast beef
long Italian-style roll (dense and chewy to hold in the meat and juices)
Chicago-style giardiniera (called “hot”)
– a mix of jalepeno peppers, carrots, celery, olives, vinegar, spices and a few other ingredients
sauteed, green Italian sweet peppers (called “sweet”)
au ju – aka: “gravy”

There are several ways to order a beef, here are a few:

Hot, wet: Italian beef on gravy-soaked bread and giardiniera
Combo, hot: Italian beef and polish sausage with giardiniera
Sweet, dry: Italian beef piled into dry bread, topped with sweet peppers

Cheesy beef or “cheef”: Italian beef with cheese (provolone, mozzarella or, rarely, cheddar). There is some controvesy on this one. Hard core beef eaters, including Bob, will tell you – NO cheese on a Beef.

If you want to learn more about Chicago food, take a look at my Sidedish Sidetrip – Chicago at the top of the blog.

Johnnie’s Beef
7500 W. North Ave
Elmwood Park
708 452 6000

Johnnies

Our first stop was at one of my favorites. Johnnies has been one of my preferred beef stands for several years. This place often has long lines but the wait is minimal because they move customers quickly. It is easy to panic when ordering so you really need to know what you want before you go through the door.

To help you out, this is what you want to say:

“Beef – Hot, Wet, Fries, Large Ice, Hot Dog – Everything”.

Johnnies does not take American Express, or Visa but a beef and an ice are priceless. Take cash. And for goodness sake if you are in line keep the door closed – trust me. They serve one type of Italian Ice – lemon. This is one of the finest Italian ices I have had in my life. Just get a large and don’t plan on sharing.

Johnnies Spread

Gene and Judes

Gene & Jude’s Red Hot Stand
2720 River Rd
River Grove
708 452 7634

Johnnies is fast. Gene and Jude’s is faster. Strangely, the guy that served me looked like Donnie Wahlberg plus he had a New Jersey style accent and attitude. He crisply let me know “no photos”. Below you are not seeing a photo of a Gene and Jude’s hot dog with fries. The fries are served on top of the dog and the whole package is wrapped in wax paper to move the line along at breakneck speed.

G J Dog with Fries

Frannies Beef and Catering
4304 N. River Rd
Schiller Park
847 678 7771

The award winner here is the combo. Italian beef and Polish sausage are sandwiched into the same roll. It is the perfect thing to order if you are undecided or if you have a good HDL count and health insurance. The combo is topped with their homemade giardinera. It was at this point that I started to wonder which Chicago Hospital has the Vienna Beef Heart wing. A word for the wise, Frannies has Italian ice in several flavors. If you are just going to have one ice in Chicago go to Johnnies. When you decide to have two, go to Marios Lemonade in Little Italy. I’m just sayin’.

Frannies

Combo

Poochies
3832 Dempster St.
Skokie
847 673 0100

Poochies

Poochies Spread

Poochies has the look of a classic Chicago Hot Dog shop. It is a cool and friendly place to hang out. Two things that stood out to me were the Char Dog and their fries. Their Char dog is steamed in water and then char grilled to give it just a bit of extra snap when you bite in to it and some searing for extra flavor. I can not describe why the the fries struck a cord with me, but after a day of eating french fried potatoes, these stood out. Another item of note is their grilled salami sandwich – served simply on a bun with mustard.

Group at Poochies

Herm’s Hot Dog Palace
3406 Dempster St
Skokie
847 673 9757

Herms Palace

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Herms Food

By the time we arrived at Herm’s we were started to wear down and bloat up a bit. Herm’s had the largest menu we encountered all day. They seem to offer just about everything. The Herm’s crew were also the most friendly behind the counter people I have met in a long time. The family takes a lot of pride in their place and their products. Marla Shane runs Herm’s with her sons Scott and Craig. She fell into the business as a fluke. The location was in the neighborhood. She started out helping out and eventually her family bought it. The family is a fixture at Herm’s and in the community. Tim and I walked in first. I ordered an Italian Beef cut into four pieces and a hot dog the same way for sampling. Then I started asking a lot of questions as I am prone to do. The family figured out what we were up to when the rest of out team arrived. More food starting flowing out of the kitchen. Even though we were stuffed, we ate it all since it was so good. We did defer on their hamburgers even though it is one of their signature items. Herm’s made the best steamed hot dog I had all day – the crunch and the temperature were perfect. The presentation of their hot dogs were really impressive as well. Thanks Herms – I’ll be back.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Herms Chicago Dog

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Group Photo herms

Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
4802 N. Broadway St
Chicago
773 878 5552

Green Mill

Many people would have stopped after the first couple places. But when the mission is to create the finest hot dog palace on the planet the only option is to press on. However, after Herm’s, we needed a break to recharge, regroup, refresh, and try not to regurgitate. We all needed a drink as well. Tim led us to the Green Mill, which used to be Al Capone’s hang out. This place has 110% character. I felt like I was in the 1930’s. The Juke Box still has 78’s from that era and we filled it up with every quarter we had.

Green Mill’s History

Murphy’s
1211 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago
773 935 2882

Murphys outside

Murphy’s was our last stop, it was about 6:00 PM and I needed to slow down so I could fit into my plane seat in a few hours. There are a lot of interesting things about Murphy’s. The most intriguing is that there is a second location in Hiroshima, Japan. Everything was good here. However I was beefed out and dog tired when I finished up here so my memory was a little nitrate hazy and my notes are unintelligable.

Murphy Dog

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Tim with Tray

Harold LaRue is also known as the Michael Moore of Chicago Hot Dogs. However, when Tim brought a tray of eats to the table, I think Harold was mildly shocked.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Harold

This was easily the best 13 hours of eating I have ever engaged in. I could not have been with a better group of people to fine tune my Chicago cuisine knowledge. This trip is a sample of the passion that is going into the creation of Dirty Franks. It is worth the wait but the waiting is the hardest part.

If you want to add to the tour on your own, take a look at the site below to build your own hot dog hit list.

Chicago Hot Dog Style

Posted in culinary knowledge, hot dogs, restaurants, Road Trip | Tagged: | 7 Comments »

Slow Food Columbus: Snails Slide South

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 13, 2008


At some time or another, a food blogger will beg forgiveness for not posting or not posting well. That time has come for me. (CMH Gourmand is a pro bono blog). I have been swamped professionally and personally – mostly for the good… I think : >, for several months. So I ran away to San Diego for the Food and Wine Festival to get caught up on my writing in between meals.

on the farm

On November 2, eighteen members of Slow Food Columbus headed to tour Athens. The trip was coordinated by members Alyssa, Liesl, and Arlene. The symbol of Slow Food is a snail. So we called the tour “Snails Slide South”. I’ll take a little credit for the name. I have posted a lot about Athens. I must admit I have always been smitten with Athens, especially the food scene.

So what is Slow Food? A quick answer is it is the opposite of fast food. The general concepts of Slow Food are: knowing where your food comes from, knowing who is growing or preparing it, eating local and seasonal food when possible, and getting to know the people at the table while you enjoy as well as learn about what you eat. Slow Food links well with the Mark Bittman and Michael Pollan posts from a few weeks ago.

A picture is worth a thousand words, Slow Food deserves much more than a sound byte / bite, so I am going to show you my Snails Slide South photos to help explain what the Slow Food is about. We have a very active chapter in Columbus with over 90 members. Check out the Slow Food Columbus blog to learn more about upcoming events and how to become a member.

Another benefit of Slow Food is fine friendships. I have the honor to call the Columbus Convivium leaders Colleen and Bear Braumoeller my friends and co-conspirators. Colleen has started working at the Greener Grocer at the North Market which is a natural extension of Slow “Fooding”. See Colleen below doing some Slow Food / Greener Grocer field research.

In the Field

My best Brit, Bethia, aka Hungry Woolf is a member as well. She writes excellent posts about many of the Slow Food events and eating adventures.

Our first Stop was Village Bakery (268 East State Street).

Village Bakery

We started with brunch, basking in the sun on the patio of Village Bakery’s night time pizza place – Del Zona Pizza.

Del Zona

I opted for the Huevos Rancheros.

Huevos

In between good food and conversation, we had the opportunity to hear from the people behind the counter at Village Bakery. We learned about their business, food philosophy and how they connect with the community. We were also able to ask questions and sample some of their baked goods. Village Bakery was packed with people waking up from Halloween the night before so our speakers alternated with each other so they could cover the kitchen.

Lecture 1

It was a pleasure to met with Christine Hughes, the owner of Village Bakery. She is a prime mover in the Athens food scene. She is also growing the Green Plate Club to help improve school lunches and food education in Athens schools.

lecture 2 Hughes

Christine then headed with us to Green Edge Gardens about 15 minutes outside of Athens for a farm tour. We toured the growing area for their multiple varieties of mushrooms (which are used at several of my favorite restaurants in Columbus). Christine helped us understand the connections between local farms and business.

Mushrooms

We then moved on to see their microgreens (as seen with my Huevos Rancheros).

Micro Greens

I encountered something I had never seen before, this plant with the colorful off shoots is called Freckles.

Freckles

We wrapped up with a tour of the fields to learn about the variety of crops Green Edge grows as well as the innovative techniques they use to produce their mostly organic produce through Ohio’s often variable four seasons.

After the farm it was back to Athens to visit Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery, for a microbrewery tasting and tour.

Jackie O’s

Jackie O’s brewer, Brad Clark, poured through their microbrewed beers, offering samples of each and telling us the story of how each beer came to life, often with the addition of local ingredients.

brews

brews

We also had an opportunity to eat an example of Slow Food in action. Jackie O’s incorporates spent wheat used in brewing into their house made pizzas.

pizza

Bear, is our bourbon expert. He does not have much affinity for beer in his spirit world. However, he discovered a Bear friendly beer at Jackie O’s – Joe the Plum.

Bear Beer

Hmm, looking at the ingredients it is easy to see how this beer has courted Bear’s taste. Joe the Plum is an excellent example of Slow Food in action. The wee comes from Village Bakery. The mix is soured with local micro flora. The 10.5% alcohol content might help a bit as well. However, I believe the key to the magic the brew brings to Bear is it’s aging process. And, the use of the barrel promotes recycling.

Barrel aged

After sampling Jackie O’s selections, we were able to go behind the scenes and tap into the brewers knowledge of the beer making process.

Brewing

At the end of our tour several of us walked to Casa Nueva for a sample of salsas and appetizers before hitting the road back to Columbus.

Many of the Athens restaurant owners and food purveyors grew their roots at Casa Nueva, which is an employee owned cooperative restaurant. Looking at the back of the “Casa” menu, there is a long list of local suppliers. The cooperative mindset continues after people leave Casa to start new businesses. These folks continue to work together to support each others ventures instead of competing for consumer dollars. This is how they are growing sustainable local eating one bite at a time.

Posted in bakery, beer, culinary knowledge, events, Road Trip, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Granville Goodies

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 19, 2008

Welcome to Granville, home of Dennison University and a street lined with great dining destinations. This is the perfect sleepy little college town for an afternoon frolic any season.

The downtown looks like it was pulled out of a Norman Rockwell painting with a touch of Mayberry thrown in for good measure.

Del Mar

Del Mar
136 North Prospect St
740.587.4701

The Del Mar will be a favorite for fans of the Rossi and Club 185. If you like these restaurants you will find the best of both in Granville. The Del Mar has the same owners. The food a fusion of both menus with a few extras and specials thrown in. The bill of fare includes pizza, the Club 185 burger, macaroni and cheese, and several daily specials.

The decor inside is urban cool. Looking out the window, the view is hometown Ohio – old houses and the local fire station.

I ordered the pizza because I love Rossi’s pizza – Del Mar’s is close but something is missing – maybe it is the oven or the way they toss the dough, but I found the pizza to be a B+ compared to the Rossi’s solid A.


Above is a view inside the Del Mar.

Brews Cafe and Deli
128 Broadway East
740.587.0249

Brews is a local favorite and standby. If you if have not been back to brews recently, the owners changed the menu in August but everything else is the same – crowded booths of regulars, beer, and pub food. If you get there at the right time, you might score one of the balcony tables with ancient ceiling fans to help a brew, or two, cool you off as you watch people pass by on Prospect Street.


Whits Frozen Custard
138 Broadway East
740.587.3620

Whit’s has just a few standard flavors and a flavor of the week – but the combination of choices is large – multiple types of cones and sundaes. This is worth skipping dessert at the other places. A scoop of custard is the perfect prop for a walk down Prospect.

Buxton Inn
313 Broadway East
740.587.0001


There isa famous Inn in town – The Granville Inn. Across the street is the Buxton Inn, a bit smaller but a lot more fun. There is a cool bar in the basement that serves as a nice respite on a cool or cold evening. The Inn has been around almost 200 years – they know what they are doing.

Just bit south of downtown, there is a new restaurant worth checking out.

Short Story Brasserie
923 River Road
Granville
740.587.0281
Web Site

Hours:
TUES-WEDS 5:00-9:00
THURS-SAT 5:00-10:00

Luke from the restaurant was kind enough to send me an e-mail about this place which inspired me to head back to Granville after a long hiatus. Since his e-mail did such a good job convincing me to make a visit I am going to post a part of it below – maybe this will inspire you as well. Fate keeps getting in my way for plans of having a meal here – but I have a trip planned in October – so I will let you know all the details next month.

We offer fine food in a casual setting and our concept comes from the way Hemingway used food to bind together his stories. Our chefs are use classic french techniques (they have been at The Refectory, l’Antibes, Handke’s Table) but our food encompasses many culinary styles. We also have a 100 bottle wine list with many available by the glass.

We share some of the same favorites that are not too well known around Columbus. I really like Spain and Alana’s too and recommend them all the time. Our GM worked at Alana’s as well, so we have a nice tie to them.

The owners have a handy second business behind the building.

The Wine Cache
925 River Road
(Closed Sunday)

Posted in Ohio, restaurants, Road Trip | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Athens Food Tour – Roadtrip to Ruin

Posted by CMH Gourmand on August 4, 2008


Twice or thrice a year I drive down to Lake Hope State Park and rent a cabin for a long weekend. I hike at my favorite places – Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave and Moonville Tunnel. I make fires, get caught up on books and podcasts. I play a game Risk or Carcassone depending on the company of my companion(s). But the real reason I go is to eat like a fool in Athens, my favorite college town east of the Mississippi. Athens is a short 22 mile drive from Lake Hope which is about how long I can stay awake after what is typically a lunch at two…or more locations.

Avalanche Pizza

Avalanche Pizza
329 East State Street
740.594.4664

Avalanche Pizza web site

Avalanche pizza may look a bit cheesy from the outside but these guys know what they are doing. Avalanche has been voted as the best pizza in Athens eight years in a row. The shop has won several national and international pizza competition awards. Among their 45 plus toppings are Kimchi, Red Bliss potatoes, and cashews.

Pictured below are the two pizzas I tried on my last food tour

Ted Nugent Pizza

Ted Nugent – Genoa Salami, Chicken. Ham, Pepperoni, Steak, Meatballs Mozzarella and Provolone

The Godzilla

Godzilla – Best Pizza in World Pizza Championship (Italy) 2007
Spinach, Feta Cheese, Chicken, Sun dried Tomatoes, Provolone, and something else

Casa Nueva

Casa Nueva Restaurant, Bodega, and Cantina
6 West State Street
740.592.2016

Casa as the locals call it started in 1985 as a worker owned co-op restaurant. It is still worker owned today maintaining its hippy, tree hugger, whole foods roots and continuing to deliver some exceptional food at reasonable prices. The Bodega and Cantina are extensions to the original restaurant space. The Bodega offers quick meals and appetizers while the Cantina serves as a waiting area, fully serviced bar and venue for local performing acts.

As much of the food as possible is from local or Ohio suppliers whenever practical. The supplier lists features over 40 local farmers and food companies as well as Columbus Brewing Company and Marietta Brewing Company. The menu is changes each season to feature and showcase the produce available. A must try for any visit is the salsa sampler of chips with two or more salsas. You will not be disappointed. The menu does offer meat but is very vegetarian friendly. Most of the menu is Mexican themed or inspired but there are other food styles represented for personal as well as bio-diversity. Breakfast is really good as well and always busy on the weekends. There can be a wait at peak times but feel free to use my survival strategy, put your name on the wait list then walk across the street to O’Betty’s to order a hot dog and fries to go to make wait enjoyable.

O\'Betty\'s

O’Betty’s Red Hot Dogs and Sausages
15 West State Street
740.589.6111

According to Jim Ellison, O’Betty’s is the greatest hot dog place ever, in the history of the world. No doubt about it, this is a true fact. And you can get the full lowdown on the page I have devoted to O’Betty’s on this blog. O’Betty’s did a small expansion in 2008 adding about 5-6 seats which doubles the seating area. The variety and creativity of hot dog combinations that O’Betty’s puts together never cease to amaze me, see some examples below.

A true Athens experience is getting a burrito from the Burrito Buggy late at night in the heart of campus, the buggy was doing Chipotle before the concept was big, One little food cart makes a lot of yummy big burritos. I love this place and look for it whenever I am at Athens. Hours vary by time of year, number of students in town, and weather conditions.

Burrito Buggy Link

I should also mention Seven Sauces. It is supposed to be a great restaurant but I never have room left when I am in Athens, I will have to stay an extra day some time.

Seven Sauces Link

(Update May 2009 – I guess I should have gone, because the Seven Sauces sailed off). An alternative is Zoe’s. Another lower priced alternative is Jana’s. Both are very good.

There are two newer discoveries as well.

Mistretta’s Italian Market
9 North Shafer Street
740.594.4949

This little market is about the size of a garage. It has a small selection of fine wines, some miscellaneous gourmet items and cheeses, some chocolate and a large selection of deli style sandwiches and Italian paninni.

Miller’s Chicken (Poultry Company)
235 West State Street
740.593.6544

The Miller family has sold chicken, in various forms since the 1940’s. This simple, cinder block building is tucked away off the beaten path in town but is well known to locals You can buy buckets of chicken, pints of side dishes, or chicken hearts and gizzards. They make a fine fried chicken and the prices are very pocket friendly to promote poultry consumption.

Posted in Athens, Ohio, restaurants, Road Trip, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Next Entries »