Hot Day, Hot Dog! - The Hot Dog House - Monroe, Michigan

Today has been the hottest day of the year in Michigan. 92 and humid. Of course the air conditioner in our 1 year old truck decides to quit working. My wife drives to Monroe, Michigan to take our truck to the dealer. Along the way, she passes a new place called The Hot Dog House. She wants us to to try it out on the return trip.
Hot Dogs....It seems you can get them everywhere these days. Gas stations, cafe's, festivals, fairs and even rummage sales sell them. Everybody thinks they can do a hot dog. It is rare though, to find a place that can do a hot dog the right way. The Hot Dog House located at 2020 S Custer (M50) in Monroe Michigan is not only a place that does everything right, they make it fun and interesting. From the toasted bun, to the Koegel dog itself, everything is right and tasty.
When you walk in, the big selection of dogs are located on the wall to the side of the counter.There is plenty of time to read the selections away from the counter. You can choose from dogs such as the Big Mack dog; which has 3 cheese grown up macaroni and cheese; the Duke that is covered with baked beans sauteed onions and bacon bits; a Guard Dog with sauerkraut, shredded Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing, a Bulldog which is modeled after a Chicago style hot dog with mustard, sweet relish, chopped onion , pickle spear and they even added the celery salt! There are many more dogs to choose from and they even have a kids dog selection. We ordered 4 different dogs, and loved them all. We especially liked the Duke and Guard Dog. They also offer fresh hand-cut fries, onion rings and deep fried mushrooms. Dunking dips are also available. These also come in many varieties such as Ranch, Parmesan Peppercorn, Honey Mustard, Spicy Mayo, and Honey Mustard.
We ordered the dogs to go, and were happily surprised that each container was labeled very clearly with a printed label. Try getting that kind of service and hot dog from the gas station!
The Hot Dog House is open from 10:30 A.M. - 7:30P.M. Monday - Saturday. They take phone orders for Business Lunch Delivery from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday - Friday. Phone them at 734-457-BARK (2275).

Charmed By the Charm City - Broadway Diner,Baltimore, Md.

It shouldn't be a surprise to anybody that follows this blog, that we are big Food Network fans.
After hanging around Pittsburgh for an afternoon, we went to our motel room and decided what to do next. Being a little crazy, we decided to
travel to Baltimore Md. to visit some other restaurants. Once again we decided to check out places we viewed on Diners, Drive Inns, and Dives. I don't know what it is, but Guy seems to pick out the places that we seem to like. While we were there , we thought we would check out the place Ace of Cakes is filmed at Charm City Cakes. We first made a stop at the Broadway Diner. Located at 6501 Eastern Ave,in Baltimore, the place looks like a huge diner car. As we entered, staring us in the face, was a huge desert case featuring cakes, pies, and many other sweet, delicious things too numerous to mention. I was glaring into the case when our hostess came to seat us. In my opinion, this happened way too fast. I could have looked at the case another 10 minutes or so, but I guess they get tired of wiping the drool off the thing.
Rebbel asked the waiter what was the best thing on the menu. His answer was everything is good. Then he told us that Guy had the goulash when he was there. I had to try it, and Rebbel decided to have the classic diner fare and went with meatloaf. The goulash was fantastic. I have never had goulash with roast beef. I am used to hamburger. The roast beef was extremely tender. The sauce had just a hint of tomato flavor. Rebbel's meatloaf was good too. I really think the waiter was right about the menu. We took desert to go, and enjoyed it back at the motel room. I had chocolate cake and Rebbel had a key lime cheesecake. Not the whole thing, just a slice. Both were good, although Rebbel liked the cheesecake better. More chocolate cke for me! We found Charm City Cakes. For some reason, they had
the windows shaded, the doors locked, and the security cameras focused. Must have heard we were coming! I was really impressed by Baltimore. It looked like an interesting city. You might say, we were charmed by the Charm City. You can read check out the Broadway Diner online by clicking on the title. Charm City Cakes is located at 2936 Remington Ave, Baltimore, Md. They are open by appointment only. You can find them at http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

The Best Eggs Benedict Evar! - The Dor-Stop Restaurant, Dormont, Pa.

The Dor - Stop Restaurant is located in Dormont right outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. To get to the restaurant, we had to go up what looked like Mount Everest to my wife. We don't know if there was another way up, that was the way our trusty Tom Tom took us. Once there, my wife had the best breakfast evar! She ordered the Eggs Benedict which I am convinced are the best anywhere! Two eggs served on top of Italian bread and covered with Hollandaise sauce. Even the home fries were delicious. I had the Pumpkin Hot Cakes. The hot cakes were, in my opinion, made just right. They had a little bit of crisp on the outside, but the inside was very soft and delicious.
We also had the ham that was cut from the bone in the restaurant. It had a mild not too salty taste that accented the breakfasts we ordered. The breakfast we had made the trip up the big hill worthwhile. Of course we had to get back down, and Rebbel hates downhill more than she does uphill. It was still worth the trip. If you would like to visit them, they are located at 1430 Potomac Ave, Dormont, Pa. Click the title to go to their web site.

A Toledo Area Secret - Mr Freeze - Toledo and Perrysburg, Ohio

I have been traveling to the Toledo area since I was a young boy. I have never heard of Mr Freeze until about a month ago. Somebody from work let me in on this secret. Mr Freeze is an ice cream place located at 2031 N McCord Rd in Toledo and 627 W South Boundary in Perrysburg, Ohio. They are known for their Turtle Sundae and Buckeye Sundae. They come in a styrofoam cup. The Turtle was loaded with ice cream caramel sauce, pecans, chocolate and whipped cream. The Buckye Sundae had ice cream, peanut butter filled buckye candy, peanut butter sauce, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I ordered a small and it was all I could do to finish it. They have a lot of choices not mentioned here. The prices are very reasonable. There is one thing, be prepared to stand in line for a while. Evidently some people are already in on the secret!

I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing - Update... Hillbilly Hot Dog, Lesage, West Va.

Well, I did it! I ate the Home Wrecker. The Home Wrecker is a 1lb, 15 in. deep fried pure beef hot dog that is sold at Hillbilly Hot Dog in Lesage, West Virginia. It also has coleslaw, sauteed peppers and onions, nacho cheese, ketchup, nacho cheese, jalapenos, shredded cheese, mustard, homemade
chili sauce, tomatoes and lettuce. If you eat this mammoth in 12 minutes you get a shirt. I opted out and chose to take my time, and buy a shirt. I already was making a spectacle of myself.
I don't know what my time was, but I did manage to eat it. It tasted pretty spicy, but it was good.
I imagine I could have done it. Maybe next time. If you would like to visit one of the Hillbilly Hot Dogs, visit their site by clicking the title. You can read about our other visit on the archive. You will definitely have a good time visiting them.

The Taste of Pittsburgh - Primanti Brothers - Pittsburgh, Pa

When I first heard about the sandwiches at Primanti Bros., I was kind of hesitant. The sandwiches were topped with coleslaw, tomatoes, and french fries. The french fries were the thing that I really thought were going to be the grossest. I kept hearing how the sandwiches were a local favorite, so I thought that since I was going to be in Pittsburgh, I would give it a try. I must say, it was a very good sandwich. The french fries seemed to blend in very well. I had the Colossal Fish and Cheese Sandwich. It was served on white bread and the fish protruded about 3 inches on each side. It was colossal. Rebbel had the Pastrami and Cheese Sandwich. It was also very tasty.
We visited the original restaurant in the strip district neighborhood. It is open 24 hours. They have a total of 15 restaurants located throughout Pittsburgh and even 2 in Florida. The atmosphere there is a bar feel, that serves sandwiches. The sandwiches are not gourmet, or anything fancy, just a sandwich on good white bread stuffed with meat. If you want a genuine taste of Pittsburgh, you should try one of these sandwiches. Click on the title for their web site.

Do I Smell Cake? - Cupcake Delights - Mount Dora Florida

Let me start off by saying that I am not a big cupcake fan. Cupcakes are usually crusty, small, and you have to peel the paper peel off . No just give me a big slice of moist 4 layer cake and I will be happy. The Cupcake Delights Shop located at 112 E Fifth Ave, in Mount Dora Florida might have changed some of that.
They rotate between flavors and display at least 14 flavors of cupcakes a day.
The cupcakes are flavorful and delicious. You will definitely have trouble making up your mind just which tasty sensation you will pick. My wife chose three for us. We had a Key Lime Delight, which is yellow cake, stuffed with butter cream, key lime butter cream, and graham cracker, and
sprinkled with green sugar, a Peanut Butter Crunch and a Coconut Dream.
You can drive yourself crazy and go to their link by clicking the title, or better yet, just go there and try them all.

A Place A Guy Can Feel Comfortable - The Frosty Mug-Mount Dora Fla.

The town of Mount Dora Florida is filled with little shops, and interesting restaurants.
I was there this winter with my Mother In Law and wife. The town is located in Lake County in central Florida and is a whopping 184 above sea level, which is pretty high for Florida. After going from shop to shop, a guy can build up quite an appetite. Lets face it, it's not exactly what guys like to do. We like to eat. Now the Mother In Law was looking at a Tea Room she had frequented a few times. I was hesitant. The waiter standing outside tried to make me feel more comfortable. "Sure, it's fine. Guys eat here all the time. What little finger sandwich would you like, and which frilly hat do you want to put on???" We were out of there. As we walked down the street, we found a place called The Frosty Mug.The Frosty Mug bills themselves as an Icelandic restaurant and grill.
They had an interesting menu, and the surroundings looked interesting. Very Viking looking. You could eat open air, or in the restaurant. The food was outstanding. My Mother In Law got a pulled pork panini and sweet potato fries. I got the fish and chips and my wife got a Good French Man sandwich. All were happy. We would definitely go back. If you get a chance, try out the Frosty Mug. You can find them on the web at: http://www.thefrostymug.com/ or click on the title.

Early May In Western Michigan - Clementine's, South Haven,Mi

I have to say early May in Michigan is a beautiful time of year. The weather is usually mild and the trees and flowers are in bloom. Over in Holland Mi its tulip time.
This year the Holland Tulip Festival is May 2 - May 9. It is important to keep these dates because as a couple of our friends found out a few years back, if you get there late you will have to settle for the stem festival. I am betting that wasn't anywhere close to as beautiful. A little south of Holland on U.S. 31 is South Haven.
South Haven sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. In the town of South Haven is a restaurant called Clementine's.
Clementine's is located in what used to be the Citizen's bank building. The inside is very interesting. You are greeted by antiques, pictures of the town from way back,and it looks like you stepped back in the 1890's.
The food might not be the greatest that you have ever tasted, but it is pretty good.
They have everything from sandwiches on varied bread to entrees like steaks, fish, and even a wet burrito. Perhaps the thing you hear most about is their peg of golden brown onion rings. The rings come in on a 6 inch or 12 inch peg. According to their web site,they sold 6 miles last year, and we were responsible for 6 inches of that!
Clementine's is definately worth a visit. It's up to you if you decide to visit the Tulip Festival or the Stem Festival. I hear that the stem Festival is way less crowded. Clementine's is located at 500 Phoenix St in South Haven. They do not accept reservations, and I hear there can be lines at times. You can find out more about them at http://www.ohmydarling.com

Good Chowduh! - Shucker's Seafood and Pasta, Swanton,Ohio

I have heard of Shucker's Restaurant for quite some time. A reviewer in a Toledo newspaper had said that they had great clam chowder. I had somebody at work tell me that their all you can eat Alaskan Whitefish on Tuesday nights was very good. We went there on a Saturday hoping to check them out. We got there about 2:30 in the afternoon and found that there wasn't anybody there. They didn't open until 4:30 on Saturdays. We ended up eating at Friday's, and had to wait on the clam chowder.
We had other places to go for the next few weeks, so we tried to put it out of our minds (This is probably easier for Rebbel than it is for me). This Saturday we finally put our hunger pangs off until later and we finally made it through their door. We were glad we went.
We each had a cup of the chowder. I ranked it as number one on my list. It is chock full of clam, potato goodness and had a great taste Rebbel ranked it number three. She thought that it was very good, but she ranked the Outback's (which no longer has clam chowder and shouldn't count), and Red Lobster's as her #1 and #2.
There may be better on the east coast, but around these parts, thats how we rank them.
Besides the good chowder, they had a great grouper sandwich platter. A huge generous
slab of Florida Grouper, on a grilled bun with tomato,onion,and tarter sauce on the side. The fries were even good! Rebbel ordered the fried cod which was good, but when we tasted them side by side, the grouper was much better.
We really liked almost everything about the meal, and would definitely go back. If you go, leave plenty of room, they give you a lot of food. Most of the sandwich platters are around $10.00 and the fish dishes around $15.00. They have great specials during the week for $9.99. They are located at 142600 Airport Rd in Swanton,Ohio. Look for the boat on the roof.