Roadfood Junkie Travel Journal

Roadfood Junkie visits Toasters Family Diner in Cambridge, Ont.

2011-05-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since the roadfood junkies had been to Toasters in Cambridge. We had almost forgot about the place since we don’t travel the big cities often (not that Cambridge is that big) but errant's had to be run and we were near enough to make a small detour. Cambridge does have a few noteworthy, roadfood, diners, and dives.

For good roadfood visit, Toasters Family Diner
1531 Eagle St. Cambridge, Ontario.

Located in a strip mall, 'Toasters' is a small family diner that seats perhaps 50 people and it is usually filled to capacity. Their seating consists of booths and tables in an atmosphere reminiscent of true Mom and Pop operations. The menu states they are open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A grueling schedule to say the least, but it does not seem to interfere with their quality.

I love their painted signs and the advertising of an all day breakfast on the building walls. A true roadfood feel to the eatery; there is nothing like a breakfast for lunch, or dinner, but in this diner don’t think for a second that it means light, or diet eating. Their breakfast dishes are huge, small platters of delicious home cooking.

It didn’t take long to make up my mind what to order. I was choosing the Corn beef hash and eggs at $5.99 and the other road food junkie was feeling traditional and chose 2 eggs, sausage and home fries. $4.99. Coffee was extra and the waitress kept our cups full. Seems like a while since I last seen those heavy ceramic coffee mugs that were once common in every restaurant. Toasters definitely has that diner atmosphere, all they need is a juke box to finish it off.
We were both amazed at the speed in which we received our meals.

My corn beef hash although very good, wasn’t quite what I expected. Hash browns, diced red onions and slices of corn beef...diced. The taste of the corn beef was lost to the potatoes. They certainly weren’t stingy with the hash and the eggs were over easy as ordered.

The sausage, eggs and home fries were a belly buster for my friend. Four sausage links, that looked spectacular and ample golden potatoes accompanied the eggs.

I saw a couple of other meals come out that looked like excellent hungry-man specials.

I can just visualize their liver and onion dinner ($7.99) or Ny Steak dinner ($13.99). I guess a return visit will be in the forecast.

Service was good, maybe not all warm and fuzzy but that was okay, we were new kids in town; not regulars and the waitresses concentrated on business. No time for visitations or idle chatter, when working a packed house. I would have liked to ask a few questions about the history of the place or the ethnic origin.I just never got the opportunity....maybe, next time.

I love a good breakfast and Toasters is just the place to get a good breakfast at a reasonable cost.
Have to make it a point to go back and try the lunch menu.

Jane’s father decided to take all the family out to a restaurant for a meal. As he’d spent quite a lot of money for the meal he said to the waiter, “Could I have a bag to take the leftovers home for the dog?” “Gosh!” exclaimed Jane, “Are we getting a dog?”

A Special Dining-out Occasion with Special Friends

2010-09-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Pigtails and sauerkraut, Rolled Ribs stuffed with dressing, Schnitzel, sausages, pie, and draught beer the makings of, I have a dream.

Your invited out, Our Treat! was the phone message and I wasn't dreaming.
Friends Dianne and Murray were determined to take us out to a place we had never been too before.
They picked a good one. Kennedy's Country Tavern in St. Agatha, Ont. Approximately a hour plus drive from home.
I had never been to Kennedy's before, although it had been on my long list of places to try.
Sometimes, we get so entrenched in our thinking when we eat out, that we frequent the same place over and over.

It immediately had my attention when I seen pigtails on the marquee.

Seems the only place where pigtails are found on a menu is in Mennonite Country. St Agatha is Mennonite country, German food at its finest.

It has a interior that I love. Warm and friendly, good service and good fun.

Probably the stuffed rolled rib dinner is the top pick on the menu it certainly was my wife's first choice, plus our friends and by the looks of the dinner plates coming out of the kitchen, most every other diners choice.

I like to order, what I know won't be available at home, or for that matter, won't be on the menu of most other eateries.

The sauerkraut was not of the doctored up sweet kind. It had a nice tang but not overly sour. I really enjoyed it along with the good mashed potatoes and gravy.

The pigtails had a slight hint of curry, something I have never encountered before in any pigtails. My first taste, I thought, what the!!!! but, the balance of seasonings complimented the sticky gelatinous sweet meat. They were cooked to perfection.

I couln't help myself, I dived into them the second they hit the table and almost forgot a photograph.

About the only part of our dining out experience I didn't enjoy was the draught beer.

I like draught, not bottled beer, but I do not like the heavy hop, full bodied taste which is what I mistakenly ordered.

They had a long list of brews and I never chose wisely, for my taste.

So I had to have a second brew. Same bad luck.

I need to stick to the common brands like Golden Horseshoe, Canadian or Budweiser. Hey! I never said I was a beer connoisseur.

I looked the brand up on the net when I got home and it said; a wet-hopped 'Harvest' India Pale Ale brewed with copious amounts of freshly picked Cascade and Fuggle hops from Pictou County.

It must have been those fuggles and wet hops, I never cared for.

For desert they had pie, beautiful pie and cheese cake.

The other three diners all ordered something different and I tasted them all (just a fork full).

and it was down home goodness. My favorite would definitely have been the Pecan Pie which I rated the best Pecan I ever had.

They could give lessons to the state of Georgia, home of Jimmy Carter the Pecan King. Or was he that, Peanut King?

My wife shared her Cheese cake with Dianne for a piece of Pecan. Good choice, I got to sample both.

Good old down home boy Murray ordered a good old down home desert of Apple pie and ice cream. Made my mouth water, so I finished my beer and tried not to be tempted.

I am not big on desert, after a pigtail dinner, I have enough calories to burn off.

Maybe I will go jogging tomorrow. Maybe I will just think about that statement for a while longer.

Damn! Those pigtails were good. I will definitely return wearing my reading glasses next time (which, I forgot) to check out what other gourmet delights are on the menu.

GRILLING THE PERFECT HAMBURGER

2010-09-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

I asked a cook one day, what kind of ground beef they used in their excellent hamburgers.
She said, regular ground beef because fat gave it flavor.

Okay! So I am going to reduce a few calories, risk some flavor and keep the fat monitoring police from stopping by.

Start with medium fresh ground beef.

When forming patties, handle as little as possible.

Loosely packed burgers are crisper on the outside and juicier inside.
Shape into thin patties, about 1/2 inch thick and larger than your bun. (the meat will shrink)

Season with salt & pepper and press in a bit of chopped onion on both sides.

Dress the hamburgers to your taste, mustard, relish or pickle, onion, tomato and lettuce are most common toppings.

A local hamburger stand noted for some of the best burgers around town; use to paint a little melted butter with just a hint of garlic onto the grill and grill the buns. A board was used to apply a light pressure to the buns.

Roadfood Adventures on Isla Mujeres, Mexico

2010-05-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Roadfood-junkie travels to the island of women, once, a quaint fishing village now a tourist destination and with good reason.

Roadfood-junkie has a love affair with Mujeres; good food, good people; good prices, and great weather
Isla Mujeres is a small island off the mainland from Cancun, a 20 minute ferry ride away. The island has excellent shopping, great restaurants and beautiful beaches. At night, while sitting on a balcony eating great road food, or enjoying the sound of the surf as it rolls on to the beach of Isla Mujeres, you can see the lights of Cancun. Very scenic, and similar to what heaven must be like.

North Beach is quite noticeable from the aerial view.

Ferry Service

Isla Ferry Service

The preferred way to get to the island is by a very efficient ferry service. Two ferry companies’ shuttle passengers back and forth, the cost is about $3.50 US and they run every 20 mins.
Isla Mujeres is only 5 miles long, running north to south and ½ mile wide, east to west. Most tourist, stay towards the north end of the island in the vicinity of north beach, and its pristine white sand beach. Downtown area is a short walk of a couple of blocks. A taxi, bus, golf cart rental or motorbike are the ways to travel to south end of the island. Buses 35cents and taxi up to $5 are reasonable with golf cart the most expensive at $55 per day. Always negotiate price before getting in a taxi, that $5 ride might only be $2. We usually stay mid island, or to the south, so we rent a golf cart for the time spent there. Thus! We call it roadfood because we motor to all the great eating restaurants that are located all over the island. Basically we eat all meals out, two meals a day is sufficient for a roadfood-junkie.

North Beach rentals

Isla North Beach

North Beach is the preferred beach for swimming and lounging in the sand. The south and east sides are a more rugged coastline of coral not really safe for swimming but very scenic and a camera buffs dream. The waters around Isla Mujeres have some of the most colorful waters of azure blues and greens around Mexico. They have some really good snorkeling at Garrafon park.
It has only been that last 3 years that any hi-rise condos started to appear. Prior to 2006 three story accommodations was all that was allowed. The change has not been for the better; prices have started to inflate and the quaintness of the island will be destroyed if allowed to continue.

Isla Garrafon a great day of snorkeling. Click to enlarge the picture & notice Cancun in the distance.

Snorkeling Garrafon

Snorkeling at Garrafon is day well spent. Builds up an appetite for some great dining out

There are so many good restaurants and roadfood stops found on this small island that a month is needed to truly visit them all. There are also two grocery stores if you prefer to do your own cooking. The biggest, the Super Express store has all you could possibly need including beer and liquor. Mirita’s Grocery is quaint, smaller and more personal.

Down town shops and restaurants are plentiful.

Down town

There is not much you can't find in the way of Mexican souvenirs.

We enjoy trying all the restaurants. There is much more than Mexican food.

French Bistro, Lobster House

One of our favorite restaurants is the French Bistro.
This is the place for excellent service and steaks.
We prefer to sit in the opening and watch the street, alive with people.

Seafood Plate at Miramar Restaurant

Another favorite meal is at the Miramar.
Here is a mixed seafood platter. Octopus, shrimp, fish fillet, rice and potato. Excellent!

The restaurant was totally destroyed in the 2006 hurricane but rebuilt better than ever.

It is located close to the Ferry docks. Interesting to watch the ferrys and people come and go.

Picus Restaurant

Picus A favorite place to kick back with your feet in the sand and watch the fisherman boats come and go while swilling back a cold Cervesa(beer) and slurping your way through a big bowl of seafood soup. Some of the best, I have had.

Filleting Barracuda

People rave about Cerviche which is nothing more than raw fish
cooked by the acid of fresh squeezed lime juice.

I will say the fish is fresh. I watched this fisherman filleting fish
right on the beach a stons throw from Picus Restaurant.

Tics & Chix on a open fire pit.

Catch of the day being barbecued over an open fire at Playa Lanchero's a great place to spend a sunny day with your feet in the sand or under the shade of a palm tree.
While awaiting your seafood surprise.
They call it Tics & chix.
They serve one of these and it is an eye-popper when you receive it hanging over the plate. Enough for a table of four.

My complaint would be, that more often than not it is over cooked and dry.

Sergio's Bar as seen from their pier. Located on
North Beach; this is the meeting place of all the regulars who claim they founded Isla MujeresIsla Mujeres Chatter Board to share their knowledge.

Do yourself a favor and order a Can do Map it is the best investment you will make, and it is your personal guide of where everything is located on the island. They are a traveling companion that you will love to travel with. Cost is $10 and comes with a money back guarantee if not satisfied, but that won’t be a problem. I love my Can-do maps.

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Does the size of the burger count?

2010-05-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Does the size of the burger have to be big to be rated as good, or the best? When is a burger too big?
A burger spilling out its toppings is no better, than one that I can get my mouth around. Here are burgers all good, but the smaller ones I find as good as the towers or squirt burgers as I like to call them.

My Texas travels yielded this beauty a Whataburger.

I am partial to a Whataburger. They are very good and very reasonable. A double is about as big as I want to shove into my face. 2 patties of 100% pure American beef with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions, add cheese to kick it up a notch. They will dress it however you like even add jalapeno's.

When visiting Florida, I can hardly wait till I get my first Checker burger.

Checkers Big Buford is a real deal for a very good hamburger. You can get 2 for $5, which is, the price of one sold at most other hamburger joints. This signature burger is two juicy, all-beef patties and two slices of American cheese on a toasted bun. It’s loaded with mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, onions, crisp lettuce, tomatoes and mustard, all very fresh. They also have excellent French Fries.

In-N-Out Hamburger primarily a California family business.

California’s finest family owned business, one that has grown primarily via word-of-mouth, with very little advertising. Two 100% beef patties, lettuce, tomato, spread similar to thousand island, and two slices of cheese. You can get with raw or grilled onions.

HoDad Burger is a mammoth. Hodad's has been recognized as one of the top 5 burger joints in the country by CNN.

You need to unhinge your jaw, to get your mouth around this squirt burger. Wear a bib.
Although I have never had one, it is doubtful that I will lose sleep over a burger that is twice as big as the mouth it needs to fit in. All burgers come with; Lettuce tomato, pickle, onion, mayo, mustard, and ketchup unless you say otherwise.
A double cheese burger will cost $7.50. Big burg, big price.

The Big Mac® from the Golden Arches is a tasty burger.

It is freely available everywhere, so that makes it not so much a treat. This is the burger on the fly, when time is of the essence and of course, you just received; a two for the price of one….coupon. I like a Big Mac on occasion but don’t find them very filling. An hour later, I am hungry again. I refer to it as Chinese food, the twenty minute filler.

You can usually find an excellent hamburger in your own town.
Here is our home town Hero from Yen's Chinese in Waterford, Ontario.

Perhaps a burger tastes better when they are not freely available, sort of like what a cow would say....if it could talk, "that grass looks greener on the otherside of the fence".

I have never found a burger I disliked. Only ones I like better, than the last one. I just don’t fathom; that dripping condiments down my arm makes for a better hamburger.

Another Best of Roadfood Restaurants - Anna Mae’s

2010-04-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

Anna Mae’s Bakery and Restaurant is a roadfood gem amongst Ontario eateries. Located in Millbank Ontario, in the heart of Mennonite country.

Roadfood junkie say,” where the heck is Millbank"? What’s there, of interest? Well Millbank is west of Waterloo and St Jacobs in the County of Perth. About a 20 minute drive from St. Jacobs Farmers Market, through rolling hills and small villages like Heidelberg, St. Clements and Cross Hill. Blink twice and you will miss Millbank going in and going out.

It is a quaint rural hamlet that has all the influence of Mennonite life in the country. What makes Millbank standout is Anna Mae’s bakery and restaurant. This place was recommended to the roadfood junkie as well worth a drive, enjoy the scenic countryside and stop for some good eats.

I hate to get all bubbly and goo goo over a place but this restaurant deserves the best possible publicity, for excellence in the restaurant industry. Wish they had a cold draft beer but then they wouldn’t be able to hire the well mannered Mennonite waitresses who give excellent service and booze would only inflate prices. They do have a bakery and gift shop, in fact, gifts are part of the décor.

I will never again believe good food can’t be served at a reasonable family friendly price. Anna Mae’s serves the best food for the least. Serve good food at a good price and give good service and the people will come.
Service is excellent.

They have kind of a funny menu system; they do not have a long menu list but run daily specials. They are open six days a week (closed Sundays and holidays) from 7am to 8pm.

Breakfast special 2 eggs, ham, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and jam...$3.75 bottomless coffee. $1.19 (good coffee).
Luncheon specials, sandwiches for $3.25. Burgers and fries $4.99. Fish and chips $7.25.

We started our meal with a bowl of Potato Leek soup. It was absolute creamy luxury in a bowl. I could live on this soup but then there are other excellent menu items and it would be impossible to have to fore-go further dining pleasures.

The chicken dinner was 3 pcs of golden, non greasy, and surprisingly tender in an irresistibly crispy crust.
Coleslaw in place of vegetables was some of the best and creamiest I have ever tasted. I couldn’t make up my mind on potato(being the roadfood junkie, that I am, I ordered both; the real mashed and fries) I couldn’t tell if the fries were frozen or fresh cut, they were of excellent quality and smothered in delish brown gravy. I was in that heavenly food zone of non-concentration; just pure enjoyment of the task at hand.

We had coffee/tea and pie to finish off this excellent meal. I had French rhubarb; the others had raspberry custard and a raisin pie. We were still in disbelief that slices of pie were included in the meal price. On return day, I had a slice of Chocolate Cream Pie and remembered to photograph it before devouring every crumb.

The girls commented....they ate too much, and the guys just waddled up to the cash register with smiles of contentment on their faces. Our total bill for 4 dinners including tax was $52 and there was enough take home chicken left over to have chicken salad sandwiches the next day.

They have takeout chicken. 12 pcs at $16.95 or a dinner special, 3 pcs chicken, mashed or fries, coleslaw or vegetable, a roll and beverage for 7.45. Move over Colonel, Anna Mae has arrived.

Soon as you enter the building the sights,sounds, and smell of fresh baked bread and you will know you made an excellent dining choice.

Can't miss the sign to great family dining.

Roadfood-junkie’s favorite Brantford Restaurant Sammys Rec Room

2010-04-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Sammy’s Rec Room, a favorite eatery of the roadfood-junkie in Brantford, Ont. home of Wayne Gretzky ,worlds greatest hockey player. I love the friendly com-padr’e right along with the good food, good service and reasonable prices. Sammy’s is a rustic sports bar but it is also quite family oriented. Kids enjoy free soda refills.

What really makes Sammy’s special besides the food, is the staff. When you walk through the door and get greeted with a cheerful "Hi Boys" you imagine yourself in the TV show, Cheers. Sammy’s wife (Merri) remembers your preference of drinks and will most likely have it sitting in front of you, within seconds of seating.

Sammy’s has been a huge success since opening day. Word of mouth advertising has been the key to success.

Visit Brantford,Ont. and take a tour of the Bell Homestead see exhibits of the Alexander Graham Bell’s homestead and where the invention of the telephone took place. Then a approximately two miles north Stop at Sammy’s for a bite and some of the best chicken wings out side of Buffalo.

All portions of food here are belly busters, perfect dining for seniors who like to take home a doggie bag. You will leave satisfied and full.
Of course, my all time favorite is their frosty 20oz mugs of Golden Horseshoe draft beer, only $3.70. Wednesday & Tuesday is Big Bloke days $7.99, a cold beer with a lb of chicken wings.They now have a Thursday steak special an excellent 8oz NY striploin for $10.95.

This is one place you can be sure that you will get value & good food with a smile.

Quote- Without a doubt the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with chicken wings.
--Dave Barry

The Big Bloke Special; chicken wings & draught beer. Buffalo Wings hot are my preferred style and they manage to sauce mine perfectly.(not hot enough to be rude) These are not little fryer wings, they are big and meaty. Throw in a side of fries for $.99 and you will have all you can eat. They have many styles of sauce to choose for the wings. Order suicide, if you prefer pain.

A huge slab of meaty ribs and some chicken wings.A good deal at $11.99. Ribs are fall off the bone tender. Don't know what sauce they use, but it sure is good. So moist and tender, all a big eater can devour.

Ribs & Wings, what a beautiful sight. This is the half order, quite a bargain at $11.99.
Mouth watering tender ribs, a few hot buffalo wings, fresh cut french fries and a cold draft of golden horseshoe beer. Doesn’t get much better than this, it is enough food for two roadfood junkies to share

If you have a real appetite for ribs; Saturday is the day for all you can eat ribs; a full rack of ribs and french fries for $14.95. It takes a pretty big eater to finish this platter of tender ribs. If you do manage to finish and still feel like more, they are available, but please - no doggy bags. Bigger than most full racks at other places. Priced at $10.99. They are fall off the bone tender and juicy,smothered in a finger licking smokey sauce.

Watching your waste line, have a hankering for lighter fare, try a chicken wrap.

Of course, if you are looking for a full count of cholesterol, try the Poutine. French fries smothered in gravy and cheese - artery clogging but good.

Or you could order one of these cloggers. A Cardiac Platter of wings, onion rings, fries and garlic bread w/cheese.

Fridays all you can eat fish and chips. One plate full is all most people can eat. They serve a huge portion of melt in the mouth Cod. I have never had to ask for more, that would be just plain cruel to my stomach.

It is for certain a Sammys hot dog will not fall in diet food category.

“Merri! Golden Horseshoe, for me and a Red Leaf for Alan"; as if we need to ask.

Sammy's happens to be one of my favorite places to visit with friends. It has that atmosphere that is hard to explain. But the food is without doubt a big draw. But so is the recognition and friendliness of the owners.

Here are a couple of lunch plates that you can compare to other eateries. At Sammy's you get value for your money.
This is a Half Rack of Ribs.

A steak wrap. Giant in size with a mountain of excellent fresh cut fries. For under $8.My Buddy said it was excellent.

Quote- "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Benjamin Franklin, (1706-1790).

Roadfoodjunkie eating Texas

2010-03-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Roadfood eating in Texas is a dream and would be a life time achievement to cover the state.
Ontario, Canada has some great eating places but travels to far away places like Texas puts one into a whole different lifestyle. They have maintained that step back into time; that is mostly lost in Ontario. The whole US economy is based on small business, while in Ontario it is damn near impossible to start a business, without reams of government bureaucracy. I love the old world charm of some quaint, even run down shack, of a Mom and Pop’s road side restaurant where good food is being cranked out to support their family, and not a corporations bottom profit line.

South Padre Island and the surrounding towns of Port Isabel, Brownsville, Harlingen, Donna or Progreso have some great roadfood diners and dives. The food is no better than some of the places we have searched out in Ontario but what makes them unique is the rustic atmosphere. Laid back and economically friendly prices same as the service.

My utmost favorite place to eat breakfast was in Port Isabel at a little family hole in the wall, simply called Fisherman’s Restaurant. It was a treat walking in the door and getting that smile and “Hi! How you all doing today”. Momma, made some of the best pies on the planet, our favorite was her coconut cream pie. A loaded breakfast omelet was a special every morning at $3.99. The only thing that changed was the ingredients inside the omelet, ham, cheese, onion, pepper, tomato could very well be sausage or chorizo another day.

The son Steve was a treat to watch serving,such a fun guy. He could carry at least 5 plates on one arm outstretched like an airplane and had more dance steps than Fred Astaire. I was always waiting for a glass or cup of coffee to spill as he balanced them on his wrist along with both arms full of plates. We never did make it there for lunch always still full from breakfast.
We had a free continental breakfast available at our hotel but enjoyed the compadr’e of Fisherman’s Restaurant so much we opted to eat most breakfast’s there.

Another place I really enjoyed was Pier 19 Restaurant. It was situated out over the water and on a nice day seating was available outside on the pier.
Here it was more atmosphere than food, although, I had an awesome hamburger that was a good as it gets. The burger ranked right up there with my favorite cheeseburger in our home town of Waterford, Ont., at Yen’s Restaurant.
The onion rings were monster cuts and not worth ordering again. For some reason the south has to screw up their batter with cornmeal, I guess, they like the crispy crunch and not so much the flavor of a batter. In most places I have eaten in Texas, a 20oz. draft beer is the price of a soda pop at home $2 bucks is there any wonder why I like Texas?
The wife seldom drinks, but she did enjoy a huge frozen Margarita for $2 also.

One day we travelled to Donna Tx and ate out at Fat Daddy’s.
I simply loved the place and the décor. Rustic was putting it mildly. We all had Chicken Fried Steak. My wife ate little, she was turned off by the over abundance of cream gravy and deep fried minced steak. I had mine with Texas toothpicks (slivers of Jalapeno peppers and onions battered & fried. I loved it. What’s a little grease running down your chin when a big glass of cold beer is available to wash it all down? Prices were right; two could dine for under $25 bucks including drinks.

My wife loves pasta and pizza so I had to break down and go to something a little more upscale. One of her favorites was Marcello’s Italian Restaurant located just over the bridge in Port Isabel. Table clothes and candles, how romantic?
The food was good and not pricey; families could eat out and still have a buck left over ice-cream. She had manicotti ($11.95) and I had a baked ziti ($11.95) with side salad, plus 2 coffees and no alcool. Total including tips $30 one of the more expensive meals.

We found a little pizza joint on the island just down the road from where we stayed, and Yep! that was the name of it – Da Pizza Joint. One of the best pizzas I have ever had. We ordered a fairly basic small pizza, pepperoni, mushroom, half pineapple for her half and green olives for my half. Crust was crispy on the bottom without being hard. They have never heard the word skimpy ingredients; pizza was loaded with toppings and cheese. Excellent, 3 slices each was just the perfect amount with out over stuffing ourselves. Of course, they had good draught beer for 2 bucks a 20oz to wash it all down, Sprite for the Missus our bill was under $17 with tip. Every night they had a piano player and the place filled up. We seem to have perfect timing; walk in as some one was leaving and never had to wait.

Another place I visited all by myself was Joe’s Oyster Bar (wife hates seafood) and I needed at least one feed of raw oysters.

Joe’s Oyster Bar was running a special I couldn’t pass up; A dozen oysters in the half shell for $3.99, a splash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon, a large draught beer and I was in seafood heaven for under 6 bucks. I don’t know where the time went, but commitments kept me from getting back for another feed.

A real popular spot on the island is a real success story of a guy that had a bait shop & a fishing boat. People convinced him he should serve food. The rest is history; he now owns 5 successful restaurants that are all packed on any given night. Out of the original restaurant he still sells fresh seafood retail, in fact you pass the seafood counter as you enter the restaurant.
The restaurant has the unlikely name of Dirty Al’s.

The food is good, the portions huge, prices reasonable and the beer is cold and cheap. Although, I prefer not to have beer from plastic cups, I give in to the ambiance of Dirty Al’s. A Mecca for diners and people watchers and it is anything but dirty. Al himself keeps a firm hand on business and is a friendly guy; he does not look anything like a very successful entrepreneur.

We ate at all his restaurants they all have a different theme and were all worthy of dining at.

Daddy’s, Seafood & Cajun Kitchen shared a chicken Po-Boy ($9.25) just alright. Margaritas were pricey at $5.25.

The Big Donkey, a Mexican Theme and the place for really good Margaritas.

We had a really good Nacho plate that we shared. We were there for the Happy Hour. Margaritas and draft beer. We had supper here one night, My friend Murray, and I had a blackened fish dish, the girls had Guacamole salad and Quesadilla. It was all thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to Murray, for a great choice of entrees.

Big Boys, had entertainment and dancing plus couple of pool tables.
Popular with old people line dancing and a fun place to sit and people watch if not into dancing.
The night we were there, the four of us all ordered ½ rack of ribs ($6.99). They were dry and overcooked but came served with a fully stuffed baked potato that was not only huge but excellent.

Al’s latest purchase is a restaurant on the mainland at Port Isabel. A beautiful setting right on the water called Pelican Junction. Very nice décor all with a railroad station and pelican theme. Huge windows to sit at and look out at life on the water. Birds, boats and traffic going over the two mile long bridge. I predicted the place will be a huge success. Carole and I visited to give it a luncheon try and to take in some scenery in a relaxing mode. She ordered a salad that was served in a huge taco shell that had been fried into the shape of a scalloped shell ($6.12). She loved it. I had Calamari ($5.61) and I loved them. Sprite for her and a couple of drafts for me and we had a bill of under 20 bucks.
We paid a second visit with our friends, Murray & Dianne for breakfast and had a really good breakfast of 2 eggs, bacon, beans & toast for $1.99. Carole had a ham biscuit for $1.99. They served her 2. Well! let me tell you that wasn’t a problem, I was there to help dispose of the second ham biscuit, which was very, very good.

I almost forgot one of my favorite places… Louis Backyard well known for their specials.

We went on a Thursday night for Ribs. A half a rack of meaty heavenly tender ribs at $6.99 a real bargain and included very good fries. Toss down a couple of beers and it was a must place to dine.

There were other places we ate at, after all, we were there for 17days and tried to hit as many places as possible. We did not have cooking facilities and besides, we were on vacation and that meant Carole also.She works hard enough at home planning meals.

Our worst meal was one night we decide to eat in after a day of running the roads. We bought a chicken from Wall-mart and a salad. When you’re not paying attention, (which seems to be more the norm in older years) you don’t always get what you want. What we wanted was a rotisserie chicken, what we got, was a dried out fried chicken. Could have gone a block further down the road and got some Church’s Fried Chicken. We gagged some down and threw out the rest.

Now that we are back home, I am paying the ultimate price, shedding some of the extra weight,I added. Oh well, 2 weeks of living high on the hog was worth it. Isn’t that what vacations are all about?

Roadfood-junkie Tours Restaurant, Diners, and Dives around Ontario's Small Towns

2010-02-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

Small towns are some times swallowed up by a bigger town. The town of Aldershott is now incorporated into the much bigger city of Burlington, which is part of the city of Hamilton. Roadfood-junkie takes a step back in time to the sixties to a very real old fashion Hot Dog stand.

This place has been serving up Hot Dogs & Hamburgers since the early 1930's. It’s a roadfood-junkie dream of memories gone by.
A look at the place from the outside would turn most modern diners away and the inside is no better, but who in their right mind would want to take a chance and play with success…and modernize. No matter the appearance, this rugged old shack has patrons lining up to sample fast food, the way it should be; with out the glamour and the glitz. A gastronomical treat for anyone’s palate.
Picture Easterbrookes entrance

Lining the walls are paper plates with felt tipped menus. There are so many combinations of hotdogs and all priced slightly different that it is mind boggling to decide which to choose.

Patrons from times past have carved their initials, addresses and I love U’s into the counters, chairs, booths, walls and even the ceiling. There is a wall of fame from celebrity visitors and clippings from old news papers extolling the virtues of a Easterbrooke' hot dog.
Picture Easterbrooke’s wall

Service is fast and food is good. You order, and they give you a little tab off the receipt. The number on it is what they call out when the order is ready. Roadfood junkie always waits to get a booth, he likes to eat in style.

Picture Easterbrookes counter

Up until a couple of years ago, it was the only place you could still get a bottle of soda pop out of one of those old fashion water coolers. Now a person has to settle for those crummy cans. I miss selecting soft drinks out of the water cooler. They had far more old fashion varieties than just coke & Pepsi.
Picture Easterbrookes Hot Dog

Hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, and onion rings is the bulk of their menu. But you can order hotdogs in numerous configurations and by numerous names off the paper plate menus located along the ceiling.

All hot dogs are foot long dogs.
Choices range from Sauerkraut to Chili and everything in between and all named appropriately on the fancy paper plate menus. Anything fancier would spoil the décor.

The regular 12” dog is mustard, relish and onion priced at $2.35, the dog is plump and juicy, steamed no doubt; and the bun has a slight crust to it about as fresh as a bun can get. I have yet to try their hamburger, since my love affair for their hotdogs. Onion rings are dark golden but a have soft onion interior. They are very good, but orders are small. Save your money for another hot dog.

They claim to have real ice cream not that icy gloop and their milkshakes are still made the old fashion way. If for no other reason than to satisfy your curiosity take a drive and enjoy good eats at Easterbrooke’s. Remember, the Roadfood-junkie motto, goodfood, good service, good prices and good fun. And when I say rustic, I mean rustic

You can always work up an appetite with a walk around the Royal Botanical Gardens which is directly across the street on Plains Rd; then head on over to Easterbrooke's for a gourmet treat. It is worth a drive to smell the flowers and eat an Easterbrooke's Hot Dog. Enjoy the adventure and a trip back in time.

Roadfood Junkie Memoirs

2010-02-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Roadfood junkie a self proclaimed Connoisseur of unpretentious eateries around small towns of Ontario.
Perhaps, it is the childhood memories, the rustic atmosphere of diners, dives and good roadfood of bygone days. Food, like Mom use to make. The older generation grew up in a time when eating out was a special event. The younger generation has been weaned on fast food, the drive up micro-waved burgers and frozen French fries. Where is the fun in eating out and dribbling special sauce down your front? I’d rather be sitting in a booth conversing and joking with the wait staff, enjoy a bountiful plate of flavorful food and knowing I was getting value for my hard earned dollars.

They say you can't tell a book by its cover. Same goes for diners, dives and roadfood restaurants.

Eating out has its moments. When you walk through that door; it may, or may not bring back memories of days gone by. The decor does have something to do with the look and feel. A jukebox or a pinball machine may stir up memories of that Mom and Pop diner that you loved so much. The mood is hard to explain but many people, feel it, and the experience is memorable.
Booths offer more privacy, while an open table concept may be preferred by larger roadfood junkies. Counter stools may host the local gossip crowd, capable of solving world problems.

This roadfood junkie wouldn’t think of wandering into an unknown eatery and ordering a full course meal. Ambiance alone is inspiration enough to look at the menu over a cup of coffee. Sit back and watch the plates of food being delivered, watch for happy faces, take a few deep breathes does it exercise the senses and listen to the compadr’e. When I feel satisfied, I eat.Of course, we also base our decisions on recommendations.
We are not talking fine dining, this not where the average person eats. Remember, parsley is not food, it is a decoration for lack of food.

It is the ambiance and the anticipation that sets a Mom & Pop restaurant apart from a fast food, or drive through establishments. There is no mystery to searching out precooked micro-waved hamburgers and hot dogs.

We travel a lot to roadfood destinations; quite often with other foodie friends. We all have a common interest in good food, but likes and dislikes differ dramatically. When we all agree about a fun food time, we enjoyed our meal, and feel like we got value for money, I write and give praise where I feel praise is due, and sometimes, we agree, when the experience is not memorable. I write about that too.
I like to leave with a smile and that warm fuzzy feeling, that a good meal and good fun, was had by all. We’ll be back.

Food is a celebration of life and should be shared.

Breakfast for one

2010-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

Some days a big breakfast gets you through the day but when is a breakfast too big?

Mario's Cafe in Warren Street, London, has a big breakfast for 10 pounds (about $16 Canadian). Eat it all in 20 minutes with no drink to wash it down and you get it free.

It's 10 eggs, 10 bacon strips, 10 sausage links, 10 pieces of toast, 5 black puddings (oh yum!!!!), tomatoes, beans and mushrooms. No Chips !!!

Do you think this could rate as too big?

The breakfast packs in 5,000 calories - nearly twice the recommended daily intake for an average man.. A spokesman for the British Heart Foundation said: "Eating this amount in one sitting is not a good idea.". No Sh*t Sherlock!

Roadfoodjunkie Christmas Get Together

2009-12-11T07:40:00.000-08:00

Our annual Christmas get together was held at David’s a beautiful restaurant situated on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie just east of Port Dover, Ontario.

It had been in the works for months, voted on by the wives and agreed to by the husbands. Roadfoodjunkies would try another stab at a fine dining restaurant after having a couple of other disappointments. We opted for something a little more special. We had eaten previously at David’s, for Mother’s Day, and had an exceptionally excellent Prime Rib dinner.

David’s is a wonderful place to go to in the day-time; to have a drink, and sit in the beautiful lounge. Choose a table by the window, taking in the millionaire’s view of the lake. Night time is nothing special, still great ambiance but it is too dark to see anything. We had an evening sitting by the window and a dark view. I would rather have been by a fireplace. The room was too cool for dining and not at all comfortable.
What was nice, eight of us had our own room and privacy. We could enjoy conversation.

The specials of the night were a mixed grill of pork tenderloin, veal and shrimp served with grilled vegetables. $34. Mahi-Mahi was the seafood special of the night. $38.
I chose the mixed grill special and my wife had beef tenderloin from the menu.

We shared an appetizer of Brochette bread. 1 glass of wine (for her), 2 bottles of Ricker’s Red (for me) and one serving of key lime pie, for a bill totaling $127.50 minus tip.

The beer was good; I find beer chef’s usually consistent.

Our friend Gerry had a surf and turf. Steak and 2 pcs of perch.
It came with Fritos, which is not the usual fine dining gourmet fare, especially frozen fries. But Hey! What do you want for $35 or $40 bucks?

Fine dining means; exorbitant prices, gourmet food, exceptional service and ambiance. It means special; a night to remember. It was a great night with friends so it will be remembered, in fact, we will reminisce about the night many times over but it will not all be positive.

The wine was a half glass of Pinot Grigio for $9.00. Talk about a rip!
2 beer reasonable at $9.50 (or so I tell the wife).
The appetizer was wafer thin rounds of French bread. It was very good but way over priced at $10.00. Strike 1.

The mixed grill was an abomination reserved for amateur cooks. Grilled vegetables, peppers, snow peas, mushrooms. and purple potatoes. Lost amongst the vegetables were a couple of medallions about the size of a silver dollar, of pork and veal, on the side maybe 3 shrimp. There were no flavor bursts, no special sauce, nothing that stood out as different or should I say special. Not much of a bargain at $34 for an average dinner. Strike 2.

Unfortunately, even my camera was shaking.

My wife enjoyed her beef tenderloin ($39) although, she couldn’t eat the mashed potatoes. She wasn’t alone, a couple others felt the same way. They tasted as if vinegar had been added plus some unknown seasoning. I tasted them and they were definitely different. The women found them uneatable.
A consensus among others in the group was one of a less than a satisfying meal. Not one happy camper. The steaks were small, or they were not tender, the fish was just alright, or the vegetables were cool.
The Caesar salads were terrible, very little dressing and wilted lettuce. Strike 3.

Deserts were fine. Key lime pie

or a pecan tart with a very small scoop of vanilla ice cream were more of a bargain at $8.50.

And there was a lemon square that was supposedly very tasty.

A small cup of coffee($2.50) topped off the meal. There were no complaints with the service, in fact, what we were really paying for was ambiance and service; the food was below average for fine dining and way over priced.

There was perhaps, two other tables being served. The restaurant was not busy. Not hard to fathom, why?

That’s it for me and fine dining.
I have vowed to never again venture out fine dining and putting on the Ritz with over inflated prices. Hell, I will fill my own water glass, grind my own pepper or buy a whole bottle of wine if that is what it takes to classify an eating out experience, as Fine Dining. Maybe even have some Fine Dining Poutine.

Don’t expect Roadfood at Ged’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge

2009-11-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

It is fine dining at its best. Forget about Roadfood for one night, this is a special occasion and special occasion’s demand special attention. The Roadfood junkie gathered with family at Ged’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge in Brantford,On. to celebrate a 50th birthday. My! how time flies.

Along comes that special event; Eating out enjoying good food around the country at some wonderful family restaurants, diners and dives like we normally travel to just isn’t good enough. You need something special.....a memory.
In this case, it was dining at its finest.....Ged’s! which is located in a century home smack in the middle of a residential area that was once home of some of Brantford’s wealthiest.

The hostess makes your visit warm and inviting and service is tops. Food is superb. I would rate Ged’s as Brantford’s finest dining experience. Prices are also fine dining expectations. This is not a cheap diner but a special occasion, special event, share the love, kind of place. At least, until I win the lottery and then I plan on eating at Ged’s every day. You go to Ged’s, because you enjoy fine dining at its finest and because the quality of food is second to none, right along side the service.

I have heard comments from people who have traveled to various countries and they say Ged’s tops the list. Well I don’t have to travel the world, I know where to go and even though I am use to roadfood diner prices, I can enjoy the extra pampering.

We started the night with cocktails. My cocktail of choice, just happened to be my favorite......a draft beer. There are some things in culture I am not prepared to change. I am a purist. Others, opted for wine and mixed drink cocktails.

My appetizer was Wasabi-peanut crusted Ahi tuna (served rare) with a warm salad of shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, broccoli and citrus chili soy (wasabi and soy served on the side) $16. I now know for a fact that Wasabi is not for me, but the tuna was so good I ate it all before remembering to take a picture.

On this night I opted for something lighter than beef and chose a “Shrimp Scampi”: linguini, jumbo shrimp, organic olive oil, white wine, lemon and oven cured tomatoes with fresh spinach and grated Reggiano. $29

It was an excellent choice. When the other dishes came out I was doing some oohing! and aahing! but still happy with my choice. By design, I am a red meat eater, my wife is a switcher, from beef to chicken. She chose chicken.
A pomegranate glazed chicken breast with roasted fingerling potatoes, cabernet poached pears and grilled seasonal vegetables. $27

More often than not my wife won’t manage a full meal, so I get clean-up detail. I can tell you from first hand knowledge the chicken is very good.

Another mouth watering selection was the Char broiled “Delft Blue” 14oz veal chop with organic honey braised cippolini onions, whipped potatoes and grainy mustard demi-glace. $40.

Seems funny, how kids mature as they age. My daughter would never eat seafood in her younger years and now always orders seafood when dining out. She chose a lightly crusted Basa fish fillet that she deemed as excellent.

The Birthday Boy is definitely a traditionalist and chose the strip loin of Beef w/fries(By special request) and a draft beer.

You got to love a guy with good taste.Happy Birthday Wayne.

Cheese cake complete with sparkler topped off Birthday Boy’s meal.
I was a little slow with the camera and had to ask him to put the fork down, so I could get a quick shot of a Raspberry Cheese cake.

Everyone enjoyed their meal and I got a big surprise when we went to pay our bill. My kids had picked up the tab. Dining out in high style doesn’t get any better than this, especially when it is spent with a loving family.

Ged’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge is located at 97 Brant Ave. in Brantford, On.

Keg Restaurant

2009-11-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

Well eating out in upscale restaurants is getting to be a habit. Friends of ours are leaving to head south for the winter and we owed them a night out of dining without the dancing. They had taken us out for hotdogs, which I enjoyed immensely. My kind of comfort food, I am a cheap date.

We arrived at the Keg Steakhouse and told that it would be a 20 to 30 min wait for the dining room but tables were available in the lounge. We chose not to wait and hustled off to the lounge. One thing you can always depend on at the Keg is excellent friendly service.

The menu's are huge and lots of great mouth watering selections. My munchies endorphins were kicking in, but we had come for the Prime Rib and I fought the urge to break the bank with ordering one of every item on the menu.Never go dining hungry.

A contingent of noisy Revellers kept our conversation at low levels of internal screaming and head shaking. We wanted to eat and get out into the world of sanity. Water for all, with a slice of lemon, was enough to rush our dinner along. We would stop for coffee and desert someplace quiet were we could talk without the scream.

Prime Rib meal came and it was lovely to say the least. The Keg has excellent food. Creamy garlic mashed potatoes were to die for, along with another of my favorites grilled vegetables. Colorful strips of peppers and green beans. The cut of meat was thinner than most prime rib of beef I have had there in the past(about 1/2")but deliciously cooked to perfection. There were no complaints, we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Dinner for 4 was just under $140 and that included the tip.

In hindsight,a Mom and Pop operation Brown's Country Restaurant would have saved a big bill. The atmosphere would have been normal chatting level. But what is a bill when your impressing friends?

Lunch in High Style

2009-10-21T03:19:00.000-07:00

The Roadfood junkie put on a change of denim jeans, shaved, and combed his hair, he was about to experience a fine dining lunch.
We were invited out to lunch by a friend from the West Coast (Vancouver Island). She was flying east to Ottawa on business and we invited her to stop over for a couple of nights. As luck would have it, she was also meeting, a might have been sister-in-law, that is, if her friend had not passed away. They were meeting for the first time. The sister-in-law chose the eating place, a fine dining Country Bistro and our friend was treating. This was not the time to kick up my heals and cry, "I'm hungry, I want roadfood".

Devlin’s Country Bistro is located in Mount Pleasant, On.
704 Mount Pleasant Rd. (519)484-2258 Reservations are recommended.

The interior is charming. I was surprised at the size of the rooms and the number of people this place could potentially seat.

They even had a lounge side.

and a bar.

On the menu it promotes its self as Contemporary Italian Cuisine with a California Flair.
For starters (not appetizers but starters) they had some of the following delectable choices.
Caesar Salad $8.00
Smoked Salmon & Sweet Corn Chowder $8.50
Chinese Duck Pancake $14.50
Pumpernickel Toast w/Chevre & Mixed Mushrooms $14.50
Fried Soft Shell Crab Sandwich w/sweet potato fries $15.00
Nut Crusted Goat Cheese w/Fig Compote $11.00
3 BBQ Lamb Chops w/Gin & Mint Sauce $14.00

Pizza and Pasta
Thin Crust Pizza w/Glazed Onions, Olives & Gorgonzola $14.00
Zucchini Ribbons w/Marinara Sauce, Artichokes & Roast Garlic Toes $13.00(And you thought garlic was all fingers?)
Penne w/Smoked Chicken & Pesto Cream $15.00

We tossed around the Chef’s Surprise a 6 Course Dinner at $75 per person.
But there were so many main courses to choose, we decided a 6 course dinner might be a little over the top- for lunch. After all, we are watching our waist-lines grow fast enough and I figured, I might have to save room for a foot long hotdog depending on the portions.

So! It was on to the main course. (after the starter’s you must have the finisher’s) Well! Maybe not for lunch.

Black Cod w/Spring Onion Sauce $34.00
½ House Smoked Chicken w/Garlic Mashed $23.50
New Zealand Rack of Lamb w/fresh Rosemary Jus $34.00
Filet Mignon Stuffed w/Stilton $36.00

Or how about, bringing it down to a Roadfood level....how about a Burger?
Kobe Burger w/Grilled Vegetable Skewer $18.50
Double Pork Chop w/Root Beer Glaze $27.00

I was so pleased to get to go out to lunch and try something truly different, exotic and expensive, something from a small Country Bistro. I was even over-joyed that I was not paying the bill.

We had a lovely lunch, each of us choosing something different and declaring it has very good to excellent.

We started with Clams Casino. I did find the Clams Casino were not my favorites. I have had much better.

I moved on to my next choice.
A lovely light and tasty Smoked Salmon & Sweet Corn Chowder.

I was determined to finish this lunch with grace, flair and few calories, so my final'ly, was a simple Caesar salad wish I loved and could have ate several more but I was saving room for a hot dog and a beer.

Our friend chose PEI Mussels w/Chorizo, Leeks and Pesto Cream

It is not as if a rowdy bunch had invaded the Bistro but this was the only table occupied on a beautiful luncheon day in the country.

It was kind of nice to have the place to ourselves and the waitress was friendly.

Those worthless money saving devices called a freezer

2009-10-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Are freezers really the money saving devices you believe them to be?
They are long lasting appliances that come in a couple of styles, upright, chest or a section of the refrigerator. You shop for those bargains from the supermarket, and store them away for another day.

A few months later, you root around the freezer like a possum on a garbage bag looking for that cut of meat, you know, just has to be there somewhere. Along the way, you find a few bargains that really need to be disposed of.

Just how long can you keep a bargain buy? Between hydro bills and disposal that good buy just may be costing you more than the trip to buy fresh ingredients.

A suggestion that we find helpful since there is only two of us.
We break most all meat purchases down into individual units. For instance a package 6 chicken breasts, would get laid onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and froze overnight. The frozen meat will be packaged into freezer bags, that have been identified and dated. Pre-freezing prevents sticking together. No more thawing out a package of six or more units for a two unit meal.

When Hunger Strikes a Roadfood junkie

2009-10-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

I can’t always be running the roads in search of roadfood. There are days when work around the farm just has to get done.
‘Hungry as a horse’, ‘feed the masses’, ‘stomach is touching the back bone’, whatever justification I can use for eating out sometimes gives way to getting out the fry pan and cooking up a storm.

When the roadfood junkie cooks, it has to be fast and simple but tasty. I ignore calories. I also like to trial recipes that I pick up around the web. I have found that tastes differ dramatically from web cooks, or is it, that some recipes are just plain out to lunch? Did they forget a few ingredients? Also, does the recipe feed one hungry person, or an army of diners? I have wasted a few ingredients by not digesting the recipe first.

A person surfing the web late at night can be sure the munchies will take hold of ones inner-self like a claw hammer, and pound you into submission if you are not strong enough to resist temptation.

I came across a site talking about Spam. Suddenly! the lights of food from days gone by came on.....Spam! Wasn’t that what we sometimes ate as a kid? Next day the Roadfood Junkie's fat mobile made the trip to search for Spam. Never realizing, Spam, is still a popular food. I made the purchase and headed straight home to make my very own Spam sandwich.

Spam and Sauerkraut cooking

Sauerkraut and Spam, touch of mustard on White.
Top it off with some dill slices and a slice of cheese, and you have a sandwich fit for any roadfoodie. Hey! a fellows got to use what is on hand.

How to build a quality Spam sandwich

Finished product ready to enjoy. Maybe an Italian roll would make a difference but it was awfully good on fresh white bread.

Spam sandwich on white

Another recipe I was dying to try was Texas Hot Sauce. Hot dogs smothered in a sauce with mustard and chopped onion. Being the hot dog freak that I am, and being that the clock had not struck midnight and not afraid to turn into a pumpkin, I cranked up the heat and put a pot on the burner.

Cooking Texas Hot Sauce

The finish product was quite good. The recipe made enough to open my own hot dog stand. I put the left over sauce in ice cube trays and froze the remainder for another day.

Texas Hots

The finished product was grilled Schneider wieners with mustard, onions on steamed buns and smothered in Texas Hot sauce.

Infamous Roadfood, Diners, and Dives.

2009-09-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Places the Roadfood junkie will not be eating at.
Restaurants, diners and dives that will never measure up to roadfood standards. The names, say it all. What on earth were the owners thinking?

Some pictures of places, friends have sent me; their whereabouts remain unknown.

Think about it before you take your blind date here.
Imagine yourself asking her, “Would you like to go to The Big Wong”?

Have you ever felt like your a little bound up after eating at the Bung Hole?

Actually! I am a little hesitant about picking up the fork I dropped at ....

I have never tried them before. Don’t believe, I ever will.

Crabby Dicks should share their dip recipe with Chewy Balls.

They are Crabby, they are Chewy, and they are dirty. Not exactly a roadfood diner, I would visit.

Served hot or cold, I guess a required taste?

I don’t think so! there is something about your shrimp dishes I don’t like.

Smile and the whole world will smile with you. Show crack and all your friends will come.

I know Miss Tandoori, but I do have standards.

I can remember, when I was put on a pedestal.

Some girls thought I was Hot.

I was just a young roadfood junkie back then.

I never ate out when shorts were required apparel.

It is not nice to call a fellow roadfood diner, names.

What was in that rice?

Say What?

You keep eating at the wrong diners,

And you will soon be fat.

Cleanse your soul with a Golden Shower as you eat.

THE PERFECT BREAKFAST...AS A MAN SEES IT.....
YOU'RE SITTING AT THE TABLE AND YOUR SON IS ON THE COVER OF WHEATIES........
YOUR MISTRESS IS ON THE COVER OF PLAYBOY........
AND YOUR WIFE IS ON THE BACK OF THE MILK CARTON.

This is why you are Fat

2009-08-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided it is time to trim a few pounds. Eating out has its downside, eating at home can be a challenge also. Decisions, decisions, what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner means plans have to be made in advance, grocery shopping will be a must if you are following a recipe. There is rarely everything in the house to whip up a recipe.Well! you could cheat and adapt, use what you have on hand but then will the recipe be the same.
I am a firm believer in stick to the recipe.
So I searched the web and came up with a excellent site that will help me achieve my goal. It is my ambition to try each one of these recipes. What do you think I should make first? Check out my choices
My thanks to tiwyf for providing me with a meal plan.

Roadfood Junkie on Fine Dining

2009-08-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Fine Dining is for those special occasions, so is it any wonder a roadfood junkie would expect it to be special? What are the differences separating fine dining from roadfood or family dining? Is it the food? Specially prepared with the freshest of ingredients, giving it that unique blend of flavors not normally found in family dining, or could it be the atmosphere, the special attention to service? As far as service, I couldn’t give a rats.... if they grind my pepper or spread the napkin on my lap. I do expect friendly, and I do expect food taste to be a step beyond a Mom and Pop family diner.
It certainly can’t be the prices, unless putting out the bucks jerks your chain and makes you feel special.

It was our anniversary and the whole family got together for upscale dining at a fine dining restaurant in Port Dover,Ont. Hemming’s Broken Plate. Yes! Sometimes I upscale from roadfood eateries. It was wonderful to be with family and I looked forward to a new adventure in dining out. It was my choice where to go; I enjoy new adventures in dining. We had never eaten at this particular restaurant before and I had heard some mixed reviews.

The restaurant is a beautiful remodeled century home, they have maintained the charm and with the subdued lighting it had that romantic feeling. Our service was great.

The food was so, so. There were no rave reviews.
The meal started with a Caesar salad, which was very good.
My wife ordered beef tenderloin 8oz., garlic mashed potatoes and vegetable.
Tenderloin was an inch to inch and a quarter thick like a fillet’, vegetables equaled about a tablespoon. The plate did look lonely in my eyes...bring on the parsley decorations.
I had a 14oz rib eye steak with same sides. Daughter and son-in-law also had the rib eye steak, we all shared same comments.
The comments -
The rib eye- was a few ounces short 14 oz.The consensus was that if the wife’s beef tenderloin was sliced in half; both halves would equal one rib eye. Which was no more than ½ inch thick with a bone attached or.... was that gristle? It was doubtful, if it was a 10oz steak. It needed salt and lacked that fine dining special taste. Anyone can do steaks the same at home.
Beef tenderloin- wife enjoyed her steak, very tender. The vegetables she didn’t eat. Garlic potatoes were very good.

The vegetables bordered on uneatable, taste like they had been seasoned with Chili seasoning or Cumin and came from a can. Did I mention the sparse serving of vegetables which didn’t matter in this case?
Good serving of Garlic mashed potatoes which were very good.

The restaurant has all the ingredients for fine dining. Good atmosphere, good service, but not with a $34 meal that shouldn’t venture above 20 bucks and that is being generous. I was feeling less than satisfied and could have gone for a hot dog.

Roadfood junkie at Shriner’s Surf and Turf Cookout

2009-07-31T04:39:00.000-07:00

Roadfood by boat, are you kidding me? I was invited by friends to attend the 33rd annual Shriner’s Surf and Turf. Wasn’t that a party?
They sure know how to put on a fund raiser.

Who are the Shriners? They are an organization who raise money for kid’s hospitals. The branch holding this cookout were the Parry Sound branch.

The Surf and Turf was held at cottage country in the Georgian Bay area near Snugs Harbor in the District of Parry Sound. I really not sure if it was on mainland or one of the 30,000 islands. Yes! You heard correct, there are 30,000 islands and maybe more, we travelled by boat to get to the party. A Shriner member donated his property for the event and a beautiful piece of property it was. It was a well planned event with a large barge docked with at least six outhouses.

During the course of the day they had plenty to eat. Trays of smoke fish and smoked sausage were passed around continuously, along with huge veggie trays and dip. It was hard to leave room for the main event; Hips of beef and battered Pickerel along with four or five salads.

It was a great day and a good time was had by all. That is what these events are all about, good food, good times a day out with good friends.

The Shriners’are an organization that do good work to provide a better life for kids through medical care and hospitals. They wear those funny looking sand pail hats with a tassel and are not from the Middle East. Just a great group of guys who work hard to raise funds for less fortunate kids.

We travelled to the party aboard the red Tug.

On our way out of Snug Harbor on Georgian Bay. Day started out overcast but the sun came out for a great day.

The Snug Harbor Lighthouse.

The boys are arriving, the party can begin.

The beef is on the barbi.

The Turf part is looking good, another hour and we can check out the results.

Pickerel is the Surf part of the hungry equation.
These boys are cooking up a batch of fried Pickerel.

It was a great couple of days in the north country. Ontario has some of the most beautiful cottage country.

Roadfood cooks, How hungry are you?

2009-07-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Road food junkie sometimes wonder if collecting recipes is an addiction.
Do you search for recipes?
Do you save recipes?
How many of those saved recipes would ever make it to the table and they never quite turn out the way they look in pictures. Some don't even rank as edible recipes and don't forget there is the clean-up afterwards.

Maybe that is why I like to dine out but then again -
where am I going to get a Spam sandwich? Fried Spam, fried onions, fried sauerkraut,mustard....so good and my cholesterol never went over the top.

Now I better go find a good recipe for my next diet meal.

Eating out roadfood diners and dives

2009-07-26T03:52:00.000-07:00

Reviewing the places one eats at, certainly has its pit falls.On a recent roadfood roadtrip I gave glowing comments for a excellent dinner at a little known place. The place was small but the price,food,and service were great.We chose to go back a second time a week later for a breakfast buffet.
What could go wrong with a breakfast? In this case, it was a disaster.

Read the full review A Roadfood junkie review

Very unfortunate because their dinner was so good. I am sure they had a bad day that can be easily corrected.The roadfoodjunkie will give them a couple of weeks and then go back for another review.

Roadfood junkie Travel Tip

2009-07-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Roadfood junkie loved Texas and South Padre Island. It is a great place to go for a vacation and really good roadfood. The prices and service are exceptional, there are always specials to be found. Tons of places to eatout at, satisfying most hungry vacationers.

A car rental misadventure.
You need to get there. We flew into Huston, Tx from Detroit. Our travel arrangements were made through a local travel agent whom we had never dealt with before. A return flight that included a rental car(Alamo) for two weeks. May have to pay some local taxes. Sounded good, we had used Alamo rental before in Florida.

Alamo Car rental gouged us.
We were shocked to find those local taxes added up to $219.20. They really weren’t taxes, more like additional expenses that we had never been told about.
Customer Facility Charge $3,00 per day = $42.
Alamo busing recovery fee.(shuttle to kisok) 4.49
Concession recoup fee @ 11% 45.59
Vehicle License cost recover 2.34 per day 32.76
Motor Vehicle retail tax 10% 47.48
Harris Sports Auth tax 5% 23.74
Fuel service option 23.14 (this one I agree with- fuel)

3 months after returning I got another charge of $35 supposedly for a violation which I have no recollection of. Thanks to Visa they refused payment.

Roadfood junkie Travel tips.
Call Visa or other(credit card company) and advise them of your travel plans; When leaving and when returning. Tell them to accept no further charges from the travel destination upon your return.

Know complete details of rental agreement; the taxes, hidden or otherwise.

Know your Travel agent, get all travel details up front. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Beware! when the agent say’s there may be an extra charge. They should know all the details of your destination. Ours told us it was a couple hour drive from Houston to South Padre. It was a six hours drive with no stopping in between.

Unfortunately, the travel agent and Alamo Rental has lost our business forever.

A roadfood junkie beer review

2009-07-16T05:28:00.000-07:00

Roadfood junkie while surfing for information regarding a good White Ale happened to hit upon a beer review site (a forum). I don’t know what the heck the review is talking about, I am not sure whether to laugh, or shake my head in confusion. I have come to the conclusion after reading the beer review over several times, that the writer has inspirations of becoming a politician and practicing fork tongue conversation.

Roadfood junkie warns you up front,the following is not my writing but some beer connoisseur wannabe whose write-up I have copied and pasted below. You will shake your head like a bobble doll and walk away talking to yourself as I did. Nothing has been changed, neither spelling, nor grammatical errors.

The Beer Review
For a Molson product it’s pretty good considering the route they are trying to go down. But this is no more than a poorman’s White. I could realistically rate this anywhere between 1.8 and 2.8. I wouldn’t even put a bottle of this on the same table as most others but I am very happy that I am not assaulted by ripe bananas cause that is just freaking annoying after awhile. I’ve had this on tap before but this review is from the White poured out of a bottle. Decent Metamucil appearance and a large white cap (too rocky) that has steady retension just above total surface cover with so-so spotty and minor ropy lacing. I was very suprised to see a bunch of brown sediment pour out into the crown. I remember the aroma on tap being alot better. This is an odd citrus scent with cardboard, something spicy (not sure if it is coriander) but maybe has a nutty quality - not too sure about that as there is something here that I cannot nail down. I know there was more lemon scent on tap. Taste is fake in comparision to anything else of the style. The dominant fruit flavour would be oranges. There is a decent ammount of spices as well. The flavour finishes with some sourness. Mouthfeel is fairly smooth with ample carbonation. Finishes with a slight spice and a bit more bitterness than expected but overall it’s not a bad thing. With all the negative things said, this is still a drinkable beer, but I cannot see myself bothering ordering it. I’ll order a Rickards Red and be less dissapointed....but still dissapointed. Now I’m wondering if a 1.9 is too generous...I think it is. As a Wheat Ale this is 86% crap and obviously a terrible attempt to copy the style. As an alternate to other brews from the big 2 breweries here in Canada this is a decent product and I’m glad to see some progression towards flavourful beer. Per style this is a very low end beer. As for drinkablity and enjoyment it does pretty good. I’ve rated on style.

I believe,I have been too generous in my expectations and review of my favorite beverage.

So the next time I want a beer,I am going to consider the crown that is not too rocky but with a decent Metamucil with a large white cap that has retentions and minor roping with a so-so spotty that is not fake on the mouth feel so I will be less disappointed. As for drinkability and enjoyment it does pretty good but is crap.

For more great Ontario reviews

Time out with friends

2009-07-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

A great day dining with good friends. Family and friends kicks dining up a couple of notches.There is nothing more enjoyable than meeting at a restaurant and discussing world events and the happenings on the home front. The menu gets well covered as much as world events. Laughter and fun times is what dining out is all about, seconded by good food. If the mood isn't there, the taste isn't there.

As the old saying goes, "take time to smell the roses". In this case, take time to appreciate the hard work the staff goes through every day to bring food to your table. If your unhappy there is no sense trying to ruin some one else's day; Stay home or write the restaurant off your 'dining-out list'. You know, the one with the heading - Places to never go back too.

Your first choice could be, go to www.roadfoodjunkie.com for recommended restaurants, we certainly don't fall in the category of food snobs.We just enjoy having a good time, eating good food, with fun service and still have a little change left over after paying the bill.

Roadfood Junkie asks, To tip, or not to tip

2009-07-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Basically, I consider roadfood junkie a good tipper. But tipping has become a habit, a requirement, no reason, other than being served food.The staff work for wages same as everyone...Why tip?

The thoughts behind tipping is because a person receives extra ordinary service. Friendly efficient service, with a smile.
Many of today's servers are untrained and putting in their time. They don't go that extra mile to earn a tip. Travel to other countries, you will see there is little tipping.

Why have we adopted the American way of life and tip for any kind of service, good, bad or downright ugly?
We need to get back to tipping for good service.

A hard day on the water

2009-07-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

Fishing has been tough this year. We hear, "you should have been here yesterday", quite often this year.
Our favorite lady is one who fillets our fish for a small fee. While she is busy we slip into Port Dover and have a bite to eat. Usually our favorite stop is the Norfolk Tavern. Two major reasons,they have room for us to park truck and boat, and the lady behind the counter is one of the nicest(remembers us year to year).
But fortunately, the food is not great at times. The beer is always fine.This weeks chicken wings were raw in the middle. Yuck.

Port Dover and roadfood price comparison

2009-06-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

The good woman was in no cooking mode and suggested we take a drive to the beach. Off we went on a roadfood adventure to get.....What? a hot dog. Port Dover is our favorite drive and it is a great place to sit and share with the birds and people watch. There is nothing quite like being around the water to relax the body and the mind.
I always combine a little work with a little enjoyment of eating out.
Tonight, I thought I would check some prices and do a little comparison from the 3 most popular eateries of hamburgers and hot dogs.
1. The Arbor- hot dogs $3.95 and Hamburgs more?
2. Knechtal's- hot dogs $3.29 and hamburgs $3.49
3. Willie's - hot dogs $3.19 and hamburgs $3.19

I guess this gives me a pretty good idea where to eat next trip.
There is next to no difference between quality, they all serve up a Schnieder's Weenie.It is easier to find parking at the Arbor, I guess we pay for it.

Roadfood Luck

2009-06-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile good luck strikes. That is the way it was this week for the roadfood junkie. We drove out of town to check out a restaurant that we had heard served up good roadfood. At least, that is what a write up on a restaurant review website said.
The place didn't even exist had been departed at least a couple of years according to the variety store owner that now sat on the address.

Since we were already in a unknown area and were just burning up gas we decided to just go to a phone booth and look anything we could find up in the yellow pages. We didn't have to look far, a place stared us in the face right in the mini mall where we pulled off the road.
You can read more about it at Roadfood junkie Hespeler

Misleading recommendations on where to Eat Out

2009-06-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

The roadfood junkie while surfing the web came across a restaurant review site that people write into with their own reviews. Sounded interesting, so I visited a couple that had real favorable reviews.
Not so! in fact, downright terrible. Reviews must be written by the owners to plug their own place.
First clue should be when only a couple of reviews are written. Where are the crowds?

I have also seen food reviews of popular restaurants where out of the blue someone writes a real negative review, everyone else has written a favorable review.
Could that be a competitor trying to narrow the gap, or is the person a wannabe food critic.

Reviews at www.Roadfoodjunkie.com tells it like it is. The good, the bad, the ugly. Today was ugly, no food served after reading a great food review. That was fine,place was a dump.

Port Dover a Beach Town

2009-06-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Friends called and wanted to drive to Port Dover.
It was a hot day and no one was up to cooking.
We decided to give Knechtals a try, they have a sit down area inside.
Meals chosen were 3 individual Perch Dinners($9.99 each) and one Scallop Dinner($8.99).All served up with plastic utensils and styrofoam plates.

5 pieces of seafood on each plate with cabbage slaw and French Fries. Oh!and a stale dinner roll.
Fries were not great, perch rated as just okay.Some like a thick batter and others prefer the thinner batter.
Best part of the meal was the small salad bar.

It was a bikini day at the beach, though. Something had to save a less than great dining experience.

Fathers Day Treat

2009-06-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

Went to La Spagett a small Italian eatery on upper James in Hamilton. A Fathers Day treat from my daughter and family.

Place is small, maybe 9 or 10 tables. The waiter was extremely busy but service was still good and the food was incredibly off the scale for excellence. Different method of ordering you order a sauce of choice and a pasta of choice and you receive a meal prepared perfectly balanced in flavor with the freshest of ingredients, I had a linguini topped with a light cream sauce, fully loaded with smoked salmon, vegetables and herbs. Caesar salad and bruchetta bread (some of the best I have tasted) the meal was bursting with flavor. They are definitely not stingy in portions or ingredients. Not overly priced but glad I wasn’t paying the bill.

Reservations are a must; they have 3 sittings and are always packed.

My website Roadfoodjunkie.com

2009-06-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

A work that is on going http://www.roadfoodjunkie.com/index.html but we get to eatout at some great places. This week in review Anna Mae's in Millbank was a great food experience, especially when you get to meet friends you have not seen in a while.

In search of good roadfood

2009-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Finding good places to eat are not as easy as it sounds. There are hundreds of roadfood places and many of them serve goodfood but perhaps have bad attitude, lousy service, high prices or no value for the dollar spent.
I like a friendly atmosphere, a fun dining experience and value for my money. I am not a foodie snob, good food speaks for its self.