Dick's Drive-In

Name: Dick’s Drive-In

Location: Seattle, WA (Five, soon to be six, locations throughout the city)

Type: Burger joint

Meal: Two burgers, fries, and a milkshake

Seattle is easily associated with new. It is home to Microsoft, Amazon, and Cray Supercomputers. It’s coffee culture is now America’s coffee culture. Grunge and most of its most memorable acts all came out of Seattle and its food scene has long been ahead of the local/sustainable curve. With so much of Seattle that screams cutting edge it was a pleasant surprise to find that is does old quite well.

Dick’s Drive-In is a classic burger joint out of Hollywood casting central. A simple menu done well, a prominent yellow, orange, and white color scheme that screams the 1970s, and more than 50 years of success all contribute to a great experience.

The burgers were good; cheap and light enough that ordering more than one is not out of the question. The Dick’s Deluxe is two patties, cheese, lettuce, mayo, and chopped pickles. Their fries are all cut in-house and are similar enough to traditional fast food fries to be comforting but imperfect enough to be special. Tartar sauce seems to be the preferred condiment for the fries which is interesting because there is no fish on the menu. Milkshakes are made to order and as a fast food milkshake should be, are a bit thinner than what say, Silver Diner serves.

All told, grabbing lunch at the Dick’s window and heading back to your car to enjoy the food and people watch is a great meal. Seattle is many things and Dick’s Drive-In proves that the city always has been.

Dick's Deluxe

Lots more pictures after the jump.

Cheeseburger

French Fries and Tartar Sauce

Chocolate Milkshake

Booby's Charcoal Rib

Name: Bobby’s Charcoal Rib

Location: Niles, IL

Meal: Skirt Steak Sandwich, Fries, Cole Slaw, and a Coke

Type: Sandwich Shop

One of the culinary strengths of Chicago is that every neighborhood can be home a dozen great restaurants all representing different cuisines. Located to the north, Niles is one of the old Chicago suburbs and has the food heritage that comes with it. In determining where to eat during my limited time in Chicago, I kept hearing about Booby’s.

(Let’s just take a moment for the 11-year-old kid in all of us to giggle at the name.)

Booby’s is a old-school Greek owned counter service sandwich shop. They serve everything from sandwiches and gyros to salads and the ubiquitous Vienna Beef hot dogs.  The star of Booby’s is the steak sandwich, a healthy slice of skirt steak char-grilled,  smothered in BBQ sauce, and served plain on crusty bread that has just the right amount of chew to it. The sauce, despite being generously applied, is not overpowering; it provides just the right amount of flavor, letting the grilled taste really shine. Accompanying the meal were fries and cole slaw. Neither of them were too remarkable but that’s not their role, they direct the attention to the sandwich’s simplistic perfection.

As a visitor, and likely a resident, you’ll never have enough time fully explore all that Chicago has to offer your stomach. Booby’s makes my shorter list and I think you’ll agree it is worth it. My only advice, pay cash if there is any concern of Booby’s showing up on your credit card statement.

Steak Sandwich Lunch

More pictures after the Jump

Perfect crust to the roll

Steak Sandwich

Cole Slaw

Manhattan

Name: LOT No.3

Location: Bellevue,WA

Meal: Manhattans, Bacon, Onion Dip, Salami Sandwich

Type: Gastropub

Every once and a while you stumble across a place that just clicks with you: it serves the right food, it makes drinks the right way, or looks the way a good place should. LOT No.3 in Bellevue met all three of those conditions. I found myself in Bellevue, home to a wide range of restaurants, looking at websites, trying to figure out where to go for dinner (and possibly grab the end of happy hour). My search came to an end the moment I saw bacon as a menu item at LOT No.3.

Apparently the place is pretty new (14-15 weeks) and designed with a quite appropriate focus on spirits. Any place the includes a section of specialized Manhattans clearly knows that they’re doing. I started with a traditional Manhattan, not too sweet, not too dry, just right. Tyler, the bartender, makes most his own garnishes including a scratch made mix of cherries. At his recommendation I followed that up with two of the appetizers specials, sweet onion dip with chips and bacon. BACON. They serve a plate of bacon, regular and candied. The chips and dip were also good, smooth and creamy but not too thick and heavy. The bar menu was exactly what a good bar menu should be: interesting, salty, and a just filling enough to make you want to order dinner.

Happy hour finished off with a different Manhattan, this one made with root beer bitters. Different yet great.

LOT No.3 is nice enough to include one of Seattle’s great ingredients on their menu, Salumi Salami. A Salumi sandwich on crusty bread with a local beer ended the meal. This was a meal that I was immediately impressed with and looking back it still holds up. I cannot speak highly enough of my experience at LOT No.3; it was great. This is a restaurant worth going pretty far out of your way for. Great food, only surpassed by great service.

Bacon, slab and candied.

More pictures after the jump.

Sweet onion dip and homemade chips

Manhattan #2

Mochiko Chicken

Name: Northshore Hawaiian BBQ

Location: Seattle, WA

Meal: Mochiko Chicken, Rice, and Macaroni Salad

Type: Pan-Asian

Seattle much like Hawaii is a mixture of various cultures and cuisine (many of them Asian). In driving around Seattle for lunch I spotted Northshore. I had been curious about Hawaiian BBQ, having seen a few TV spots on it. My plan was to order Hawaiian BBQ of some sort but upon sitting down I saw a dish headed to another table and ordered it on the spot. Chicken Mochiko soon was delivered hot and fresh to my table.

Big chunks of chicken thighs breaded in rice flour fresh out of the fryer tossed with a mixture of soy, ginger, garlic, and sugar is Chicken Mochiko (mochiko is rice flour). The plate comes served with two scoops of white rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. The rice makes sense for a Pan-Asian dish, the macaroni does not make sense but it certainly does work. The creamy soft texture of the macaroni salad balances the savory crunch of the chicken.

I don’t see myself getting to Hawaii anytime soon but I am quite happy I’ve had my small taste of the islands. I’m sure the BBQ would have been just a great like many other items on the menu. Every once and a while you need to go with your gut, put down the menu, look around, and order what you see.

Hawaiian Lunch Plate

More photos after the jump.

Crispy Chicken

Macaroni Salad

Destroyer Hoagie

Name: Triangle Bar & Grill

Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Swissvale neighborhood)

Meal: Italian Hoagie, Potato Chips, and Iced Tea

Type: Sandwich Shop

A sandwich made on a long French or Italian roll is and always will be a hoagie to me. I can thank my suburban Philadelphia roots for that. It is well documented that these sandwiches have many names all over the country but I’m always partial to any to any store with the good sense to call it a hoagie. Triangle Bar & Grill is one such sandwich shop. Their sign brags that it is the home of the Battleship and Destroyer sandwiches (take that submarine sandwich!).

Taking a naval theme their sandwiches ranges in size from Torpedos (4 inches) all the way up to Super Battleship (36+ inches). The varieties cover the usual mix of turkey, tuna salad, and cheesesteak but the star is the classic Italian. I opted for the classic Italian Destroyer, a little bit larger than a footlong. Classic Italian brings you salami, provolone, and ham topped with onion, tomato, lettuce, oil & vinegar, and salt & pepper. The sandwich was on point.

The sandwich has a sweetness to it, possibly from the mayo, possibly from the ham. The sweetness is not over the top though, balanced by the vinegar and salt. The meat and vegetable balance was just right. If I had to give it one critique it would be for a chewier roll (there’s my Philadelphia roots again). Paired with some potato chips and iced tea it has all the makings of a perfect meal. In all honesty an Italian hoagie paired like this is on my short list of last meals, were I ever forced to choose. Swissvale is not the most conveniently located of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods but Triangle Bar & Grill makes it worth the side trip when headed out to Monroeville.

Destroyer

More pictures after the jump.

Perfect Meal

Triangle Bar & Grill

French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich

Name: Philippe the Original

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Meal: French Dip Sandwich, Potato Salad, Pickles, Pie, and Lemonade

Type: Sandwich Shop

Sandwiches, done well, tend to simple, wholesome meals. Philippe’s has primarily been making sandwiches for 100 years; they have mastered the simple and wholesome. Located in Los Angeles on the edge of Chinatown, Philippe’s is a restaurant for the everyman. Regards of who you may be outside the restaurant inside you stand in line and  order from the counter just like everyone else. You pay for your food, in cash, and make your way to a shared table often asking your neighbor to pass a bottle of mustard. The reward for checking your ego at the door is a meal that is on many levels satisfying.

The origins of the french dip are debated back and forth but what is important is that it is delicious. Meat is roasted in the oven, sliced thin, and served up a roll which is dunked in au jus at the last moment. The finishing touch of the sandwich is applied at the table when you apply the homemade hot mustard. They warn that the mustard is hot and they are not lying, it is a warming horseradish hot not a spicy, pepper burn hot. I opted for the original roast beef though you can have turkey, lamb, pork, or ham (lamb was a tempting choice).  Rounding out the meal you can add a number of different sides: salads (potato, macaroni, or cole slaw), pickles (eggs,pigs feet, olives, etc.), and desserts. I decided that potato salad, two gherkin pickles, and a slice of blackberry pie would make me quite happy. The potato salad was good, soft but not mushy, enough salt with a touch of sweetness, and with a creaminess to counteract the hot mustard of the sandwich.

All together, my lunch at Philippe’s was one of my more memorable in California though as I was just coming off a five day battle with food poisoning my standards may have been a little off. I know this was a great meal regardless, it had all the benchmarks. History? Check. Simple menu? Check. Diverse clientele? Check. Value? Check. All the things that make for a great lunch spot are there in abundance at Philippe the Original.

Lunch tray at Philippe the Original

More pictures after the jump.

Potato Salad

Blackberry Pie

Rolled Tacos

Name: Las Cuatro Milpas

Location: San Diego, CA

Meal: Rolled Tacos, Rice and Beans, Tortilla, and a Pepsi

Type: Mexican

Las Cuatro Milpas can be described in two words: Awe. Some. Really, the food is just incredible. Southern California is home to countless hole in the wall Mexican restaurants. One of the best and more well known places in San Diego is Las Cuatro Milpas in the Logan Barrio neighborhood. I walked from my hotel downtown to the restaurant, passing through some not so great parts of town. The reward though was a simple meal, done well for a cheap price. Lots more pictures after the jump.

Rolled Tacos, Rice and Beans, Tortilla

The rolled tacos were delicious, filled with a slow cooked pork and masa mixture. The tacos were then covered in salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and finally cojita cheese. The small size rice and beans were extraordinary, best topped with the bowl of onion, cilantro, and lemons that comes with the meal. All together this meal was just incredible and by far one of my best in Southern California.

Rice and Beans

Condiments

Rolled Tacos

Ambiance

Las Cuatro Milpas

Las Cuatro Milpas

Serious Pie

Name: Serious Pie

Location: Seattle, WA

Meal: Pizza with salami, caramelized onions, and sardegna

Type: Pizza

First order of business is to get the cliché out of the way; Serious Pie is seriously good. Now that’s out of the system and we can focus on the more important things about Serious Pie, mainly how tantalizingly good it is. Tom Douglas is Mr.Seattle Restaurant; located mainly all within the same area he currently has five different restaurants. My trip to Seattle had me staying only a few blocks from Serious Pie so I made walk over. For all the strengths of Serious Pie is does have one glaring drawback, it is tiny. The entire place holds a small counter, wood fire oven, prep area, all the baking for Chef Douglas’s other restaurants, and maybe a dozen or so long hightop tables. Guests are sat in a communal style I’ve only really seen in Seattle, at the same table as other parties often in elbow striking distance. The cramped quarters don’t seem to deter too many. More focused on eating and getting some sleep (first night in Seattle) I took advantage of their take out option and got my pie to go.

What awaited me back at my hotel was not the most traditional pizza I’ve ever had but still one of the top pies. Serious Pie was created with the idea of it being a baker’s pizzeria; the bread gets, rightfully so, a lot of attention. The pies are all oblong, creating a nice symmetrical divide of pieces heavy with toppings and others primarily crust. I had gone for the pie with salami, onions, and sardegna (a goat’s milk cheese originally from the Sardinia region of Italy) which instantly converted me to salami on pizza. The sweetness of the onions, tangyness of the salami, and the creaminess of the cheese all combine well. The crust is divine, chewy yet light and airy inside with a sprinkling of Parmesan but more importantly salt around the edge of the crust.

A food trip to Seattle would be too short, no matter how long you stayed but Serious Pie (and likely Tom Douglas’s other restaurants) deserve heavy consideration for the short list. There are two great non-traditional ways to enjoy Serious Pie. First, take advantage of their Happy Hour specials ($5 mini pies) to taste a wider assortment then you’d ever manage off the full menu. Second, Serious Pie has a number of chilled wine to go; call your order a head, pick up a pie or two and a bottle of wine or two (companion optional). Go, you’ll enjoy it, seriously with out a doubt.

Serious Pie with salami, caramelized onions, and sardegna

Amazing crust

Serious Pie

Location: Atlanta, GA

Meal: Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Collard Greens, Macaroni and cheese, Corn Bread, Sweet Tea, and Red Velvet cake for dessert

Type: Cafeteria

Certain foods get better the closer you get to their natural habitat. Soul food’s natural habitat is the South. Atlanta is home to a number of great restaurants that on focus on producing delivering great tasting classic made with obvious amounts of love. K & K Soul Food is exactly that type of restaurant. To be fair, K & K is not in the a very good neighborhood, and ordering your food through security glass is not for everyone but it is for me.

Soul Food Plate

Lots of pictures after the jump.

Every item I had was as delicious as they look here. Of course you couldn’t eat this food every day but when you’re looking for that classic soul food that just takes GOOD, this is what I think of. The chicken was crispy and well seasoned, the collards meaty with a ting of bitterness, the potatoes smooth, and the mac and cheese was every bit as cheesy and gooey as it should be. The plate benefited from a liberal application of hot sauce but the again most plates with fried chicken will. It would have been an abomination if I drank anything but sweet tea with my meal; rest assured it was perfectly sweet and cold.

K & K isn’t the only soul food restaurant in Atlanta but definitely is one of the best. It might be an adventure for some but all will find it worth while to make a trip to Atlanta’s Bankhead neighborhood. K & K will not disappoint but plan ahead; you eat too much.

Corn Bread

Fried Chicken Wings

Collard Greens

Macaroni and Cheese

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Red Velvet Cake

Teriyaki Chicken

Name: Gourmet Teriyaki

Location: Mercer Island, WA (Seattle)

Meal: Teriyaki Chicken, White Rice, and a Salad

Type: Teriyaki Shop

Teriyaki is the silent champion of Seattle. Philadelphia is aggressive about cheesesteaks, Chicago  the hot dogs, and New York never stops talking about their pizza (rightfully so). When you bring up teriyaki to a transplanted Seattle native you seem to be reminding them how prominent the food is and which store is their favorite. In the Seattle area there are hundreds of tiny mom and pop stores that sell just about only teriyaki; you’ll be lucky to find a dozen items on the menu.

*Note: The rice came with the smiley face on it because Seattle is awesome.

Taste is reason number one to love teriyaki but if you needed more there is price. Cheap. Teriyaki is dirt cheap yet completely filling. For  typically $5-$8 you get over a pound of cooked to order meat, a mound or two of rice, and a side salad. The sauce is how individual restaurants stand out from the competition; each one a little different from the other. Sweet, spicy, hints of ginger and salty soy all mix together with the tender grilled chicken. Teriyaki chicken, as seen here, is as Japanese as fortune cookies are Chinese. It is a completely American invention; a fusion of immigrant flavors and technique with American taste buds in mind. It helps that the city-wide taste buds of Seattle are probably some of the most sophisticated taste buds in the country.

When you’re in Seattle and it comes to teriyaki there are few things to keep in mind. For one, you can’t go wrong; they’re all delicious, cheap, and filling. Two, you can’t miss them. So keep any eye out and plan a lunch at a teriyaki store. You will be quite happy, and full.

Teriyaki Chicken