Saw's Soul Kitchen Birmingham, Alabama

Every once in a while you have to be brave and try a place that maybe you would normally just pass by.   Saw's Soul Kitchen is just such a place.  Located in a less than pristine part of town, in a building that has seen better days, with bars on the doors and you can understand why we were glad to see 2 police officers having lunch there.   By the time we left we knew why this is one of the locals favorite places to eat.

Saw's Soul Kitchen

The menu, which is hand written on a chalk board just inside the door doesn't provide any real description making it hard to decide.  

We had heard about Saw's on the web and one of the items listed was the Pork and Greens so we knew we had to try that.  

Saw's Pork and Greens

Cheese Grits, Pulled Pork,  Greens and Homemade Onion Rings, what a great dish.  The cheesy flavor of the grits with the smokiness of the pork, the bitterness of the greens and the crunchiness of the homemade onion rings.  This is a must have dish.

Other than that, "What to Choose".  We as the officers and they suggested the Saw's Burger.  

Saw's Burger

Beef patty with american cheese, slice tomato, lettuce and Saw's special sauce.  We ordered the plate and got the Sweet Potato fries.  Either plate is enough for 2 so ordered accordingly.  

Saw's Soul Kitchen is definitely a keeper and we will stop here again when in Birmingham.

Saw's Soul Kitchen 

215 41st Street South

Birmingham, Al 35222

Until we meet again: Live well, Love Much, Laugh Often

One Hot Mama's Hilton Head Island South Carolina

Once in a while you find a restaurant the does a lot of things right ... One Hot Mama's (OHM) is such a place.  We found OHM shortly after we arrived at Hilton Head Island and have gone there many times.  OHM is an American grill which basically means they have a little of everything.  OHM menu includes  burgers, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, fish, brisket and even a  reuben sandwich.  The food is always well prepared and the portions are large.  OHM is most popular in the area for their barbecue ribs.  Their ribs are smothered in their "Mama's Perfect 10 Sauce".  There is a Rib Sampler that has ribs basted with  "Mama's Perfect 10 Sauce" the "Asian Sauce' and the "Chocolate Barbecue Sauce".  Yes, you read that right CHOCOLATE barbecue sauce.  The ribs are tender, meaty, flavorful and messy.  Here take a look:

One Hot Mama's ribs with 2 sides of Mac and Cheese and Cornbread

Ribs are not the only food that is good here.  The pulled pork is great, the burgers are a full 8 oz, cooked to your liking and topped with things like fried onion haystack, applewood bacon, grilled corn salsa or their own Devil Sauce.  Their other sandwiches are just as impressive.  I would recommend "The Big Daddy" ...  "Our Texas Beef Brisket & Pulled Pork with pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo, and coleslaw with our golden onion haystack served on our fresh baked yeast roll."  Let me tell you that is a mouthful of favor and if you are not careful it will spill onto your shirt.

On Sunday OMH has a great Sunday Brunch Buffet.  The lineup includes their pulled pork, cheese grits, home fries, fresh fruit, beans, coleslaw, fresh rolls, hot cinnamon rolls, waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, made to order omelets and don't forget the mimosa.  Needles to say it is quite a feast.

One Hot Mama's is one of our favorite places to eat a full meal, a Sunday brunch or Happy Hour.  Give it a try.

One Hot Mama's Hilton Head Island

Until Next Time: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often.

Harolds Diner Hilton Head Island South Carolina

Do you have a place you like to eat that just has good food and is fun?  Well Harold's Diner is that type of place.  A small place whose sign says, "Sorry We Are Open".   Harold's is similar to the many small family run diners that use to dot the entire country.  A service counter with stools and a few tables against the outside wall.  On Hilton Head Island, Harold's is famous for Good Food and Good service but they don't advertise as such.  They advertise as Bad Food and Lousy Service.  Not really true but we don't want to mess with their reputation.  The food is always good and the good service is always provided with a side order of sass.

The newbie to Harold's is easy to spot; they walk in, look around, realize they seat themselves, sit down and wait to be served .   Not going to happen!  At Harold's you better grab a menu when you walk in, fill it out and hand it to the person behind the counter and then shut up and wait for your food.  Oh, don't forget  to put your name on the menu.  When your food is done your name will be called and your food set before you.   Should you forget your name on the menu, don't worry they will find you with such flattering phrases as "Who is the Moron that doesn't know their own Name?"   Want to have more fun?  Complain about your food and the staff will begin to have fun at your expense (all in good taste).  The name of the game at Harold's is Good Food and Fun.

Harold Hours:

Monday thru Saturdays 6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Holidays  Sometimes
Sundays Never

The menu allows you to create your meal as you want.  For breakfast you can choose a sandwich with your choice of bread, fried egg or scrambled egg, sausage or bacon or ham, cheese and/or lettuce and tomato.

Fried Egg, Sausage, American Cheese on a Kaiser

Or a more traditional breakfast plate.

Eggs, Sausage, Home Fries and Toast

They also have pancakes, french toast and grits.  For lunch they have great sandwiches and fries.  

All of the staff members wear shirts that have Harold's famous saying, "Eat at Harold's or we both will Starve".   Harold's Diner Hilton Head Island is the place to go for breakfast or lunch if you want Good Food. Good Service and a little bit of fun.

Until Next Time: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often.

Dyer's Burgers Memphis Tennessee

What is better than a fresh, hot, delicious hamburger?  How about one that is fresh, hot, delicious and cooked in 90 year old grease?

Dyer's Burgers  Double with Cheese

Dyer's Burgers Store Front

Dyer's in Memphis Tennessee has been using the same grease since 1912 when Elmer "Doc" Dyer opened the restaurant.  Doc Dyer determined if he continued to use the same grease his burgers would taste better.  For over 90 years now the grease has been strained daily and protected from theft or contamination.  During the years the business has moved and in true fashion of moving a thing of value the grease was transported under the watchful eye of ARMED guards.  Seems like a bit much to me but  not to the owners.  

Dyer's Burgers 

The decor is diner style with a bit of wear but clean.  The menu is very basic, they have burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders and a few sides.  We ordered burgers and fries.

The Famous Grease

The burgers are cooked in this 14" cast iron skillet.  The burgers are basically deep fried in their own grease and the grease of thousands of burgers before them.  I guess if these were French burgers they would be called "Beef Confit".

Dyer's Burgers Single with Cheese and Fries

The burgers are very good.  The grease does not impart a heavy flavor to the burger but it does help to cook the outside of the burger very quickly helping to seal in the juices.  The fries are good but not truly notable.   Overall the meal was definitely worth the trip to Beale Street.

 
Until next time: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often

Dye's Gullah Fixins Hilton Head Island South Carolina

Dye's Gullah Fixins is home to a type of cooking known as Gullah.  Now, I thought this might be highly seasoned food similar to Creole or Cajun but it is not.  I am still trying to fully understand what Gullah cooking really means so here is a little research.   "The Gullah are the descendants of enslaved Africans who live in the Lowcountry region of the US states of South Carolina and Georgia", quoted from Wikipedia.  Now I thought since they are descendants of Africa then the food would be "African" in nature.  Spiced as African food and containing ingredients common to Africa. But I think that to get a true understanding you have to put yourself in the right frame of mind.  Consider that we are talking about "Slaves" not immigrants.  These people didn't send a note back home telling the family "Hey when you come over bring me some of those peppers we like so much so I can season up my greens."  On the contrary everything they had access to was given to them by the owners or was something they found growing wild.  So what type of seasoning do they have ... the answer: very little.   

Jackie order the Crab Cakes with Sweet Potatoes and Macaroni and Cheese.  I ordered the Fried Chicken with Greens and Sweet Potatoes.  After we ordered Dye brought out some of her Sweet Potato Corn bread.  The Corn Bread was great.  It has a nice sweet taste with a good texture.  It was drizzled with pure cane syrup which is very thick and dark.  

The food was presented very well.

Sweet Potato Corn Bread

Crab Cakes with Sweet Potatoes and Macaroni and Cheese

Fried Chicken with Greens and Sweet Potatoes

Until Next Time: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often

Prime Rib - Lambert's House

When we were in Illinois this last time Theresa, my sister, and I went to Costco to do some shopping.  I found a great Prime Rib Roast, not only was it Prime Rib, it was "Prime" beef.  Prime beef is rare to find for most of us and who would have thought Costco of all places would have Prime beef.   I bought the whole rib roast and cut it into 5 small roast each weighing about 3 lbs.   The other night I decided to cook one for dinner.  As expected the beef was juicy, tender and delicious.  I served with a mixture of Brussel Sprouts and carrots with a Honey Balsamic reduction.  Here are a few pictures:

The whole Roast

The First Slice

Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Bacon with a Honey Balsamic Reduction

Until Next Time: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often

Mrs Wilkes' Dining Room Savannah Georgia

When you hear either Jackie or I talk about food in Savannah you will always hear us say that Mrs Wilkes' is our favorite place to eat.  Why?  Because the food is so good.  This is plain everyday food prepared very well.  Everything that is served there is prepared there.  Sysco be damned.  This is my kind of place.

The boarding house was taken over in 1943 by Selma Wilkes who was looking for a way to support her family.  Somewhere along the line the restaurant grew beyond the boarder and eventually the boarders became a thing of the past.  All of that is to our benefit.

Eating at Mrs Wilkes' is an adventure because no matter who you are, you are going to wait to get in to the restaurant and once inside you are going to eat with strangers.  How do you find Mrs Wilkes'?   Well that is easy, "Walk along West Jones Street until you smell fried chicken."   That is what we did.  If you know me then you know that Fried Chicken is one of my favorite meals.  But when you smell the chicken you also see the line to eat that chicken and while I love fried chicken there are few meals for which I will wait.  For some reason we began talking to a couple at the end of the line and they told us they were from Florida and every time they come to Savannah they stop at Mrs Wilkes' for lunch and that it was truly worth the wait.  We decided they were convincing and that we should try the food.  We ended up waiting over and hour and during that time we had a great conversation with many of the folks waiting in line, all of which turn out for the better because these are the people you are going to sit with.

When you enter the restaurant you are sitting at a table for 10 and unless you brought your own entourage some of these people are strangers.  They call it community seating in some restaurants but here it is just the boarding house way of life.  At each place there is a already a glass of tea.  Probably because who can go to Mrs Wilkes' and not drink the tea?  The table is already covered with plates and bowls of food and the staff are bringing out more items.  The menu changes slightly each day but they always have Fried Chicken, Biscuits, Corn Bread and Greens after that the list seems endless.  The day we were there they had Mashed Potatoes, Carrots and Raisin salad, Baked Beans, Beef Stew, Sausage and Rice, Cucumber salad, Creamed Corn, BBQ Pork, Okra and Tomato and the list just kept going.   After you have stuffed yourself silly they bring out Banana Pudding for dessert.  The Fried Chicken has a nice crispy skin, juicy inside and seasoned perfectly.  All of the food was done very well.  I didn't find a thing I did not like.  

Here is the recipe that was published in Epicurious magazine June 2001:

Fried Chicken

Epicurious  | June 2001

by Sema Wilkes

ingredients

• 1 (2 1/2-pound) fryer, cut up
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons water
• All-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil

preparation

Sprinkle the fryer with salt and pepper. Pour the milk and water over the fryer and marinate for about 10 minutes. Dip in a bowl of all-purpose flour. Shake off the excess flour. Heat oil to 300° and deep-fry (or heat oil to medium and panfry) the chicken. Make sure the chicken is covered with oil at all times. Fry until golden brown.

The idea of community seating bothers some but not us.  We first ran into concept at K Pauls' kitchen in New Orleans.  We ate lunch with another couple, had a great time and now we look forward to the opportunity. Besides, since you have to wait in line for an hour, you may as well get to know the people you around you.  And in true boarding house tradition, you are asked to carry your plate to the kitchen.

If you are torn between Mrs Wilkes' and The Lady and Sons, Paula Deen's restaurant, choose Mrs Wilkes' you will be glad you did

There are few places I would wait for 1 1/2 hours to eat, but this is the one.

Until next time: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often.

Corky's Memphis Tennessee

Corky's in Memphis is our favorite restaurant for Dry Rubbed Ribs.  We have tried many different barbecue joints in Memphis but none has matched or beat Corky's ribs.  The ribs are always tender and juicy and the flavor is outstanding.  The sides I have tried are the Bar-B-Q Baked Beans, ColeSlaw and Seasoned French Fries.  The beans are slow cooked with sweet Barbecue sauce with a touch of spice, a good choice.  Coleslaw is a mayonnaise base and the Seasoned fries are well prepared but the star of the meal is the Rack of Ribs.

Normally we order the Slab of Ribs (Set up for Two) which gives us a full rack of ribs (dry rub), 2 Coleslaw, 2 Bar-B-Q baked beans and fresh hot rolls.  This is great as far as I am concerned because Jackie does not eat Coleslaw so I get 2.  Life is good.  

The last time we went there we decided to order dessert.  After much debate I ordered the MIss Linda's Karo Pecan Pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I also order 2 spoons (see I can be a nice guy).  The pie is full of pecans and the crust was flaky, the filling was light and not super sweet.  It was a great dessert but probably the last one we will have at Corky's because when you go to Corky's you are going for the ribs so why waste space one other things.  

Pecan pie with Ice Cream, Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce.   Life is good.

Until next time: Live Well, Laugh Much, Love Often

Chompy's Phoenix, AZ

Chompy's is a misplaced New York style deli in the heart of the desert.  The food is unbelievable with fresh baked goods and sandwiches stacked so high that you will wish your jaw was hinged.  We visited Chompy's with our good friends Clyde and Nancy and their son Jeff.  We had to wait a few minutes to get a table because the place was busy, as it should be.  It was lunchtime and the food is great.  Waiting may seem like a bad thing but not really.  Look at the display in the waiting area. 

This is not one of those bakeries where things look great but have no taste.  Everything in this case is delicious and they were handing out samples.  What could be better?  Good Food, Good Friends, you get the idea.  The pastries are full of butter, sugar, freshness and other quality ingredients.  The breads were hearty and fresh, obviously made that day.  So as you can see waiting is really not a bad thing.   Also while waiting I saw a gentleman with a sandwich that looked great so I asked him what it was and he said it was the Lincoln Tunnel.  Well I convinced Jackie we should share a Lincoln Tunnel with sweet potato fries.  We were impressed.  The sandwich is served on Jewish Rye piled high with Hot Corned Beef, Pastrami and Turkey topped with 1000 Island Dressing and Coleslaw.  If you think that is a mouthful to say, well try to get your mouth around this sandwich  Here is a picture so that you can salivate all over the computer keyboard.

The Corned beef and the Pastrami are tender and flavorful with some good fat marbling and well seasoned.  The turkey is juicy and full of flavor, the Dressing add a little sweetness and the Coleslaw gives the sandwich a good crunch.  Very much a filling sandwich even when shared.  Don't forget leave room for a cookie.

Until next time: Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

New Orleans and Beignets

New Orleans is the place for great food and jazz.  Every where you turn there are great restaurants and one that I have to hit every time I am there ...  Cafe Du Monde.  Home of the Beignet and Cafe au lait.  What is there about the fluffy, sugary and messy beignet that is bad?  Answer: NOTHING.  They are perfect.   Cafe Du Monde has been in the French Market since 1862 and opened 24 hours a day.  That is impressive by anyone's standard.  There is nothing fancy or pretentious here just good fluffy, sweet goodness that begs to be washed down with the chicory laced cafe au lait.  

They do have other things to drink, but I always get the cafe au lait.  Just in case you need something else to drink here is the menu.

If you get to New Orleans stop in and enjoy.

Until next time: Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Salmon Tacos

Things can get busy even when you are retired.  On Wednesday I had planned on having Salmon with Acorn Squash and Brown Rice for dinner but the Salmon wasn’t thawed out so we went to One Hot Mama’s for dinner.  On Thursday evening I had to do the shopping for the Snack Shack in the evening so we got a chicken from Sam’s club for dinner.  On Friday at 5:30 there is Meet and Greet and usually it last about an hour but this time it we finally left at 8:30.  Well the Salmon was still in the refrigerator, needing to be cooked, and we were not really hungry but the Salmon HAD to be cooked tonight.  What to do???  I decided to make Salmon Tacos.   So I took the Salmon sprinkled it with some Sea Salt, some fresh ground Pepper and a little Dill Weed and baked it at 350°for 20 minutes.   Then I made a sauce for the taco.  I took a ¼ C of Mayonnaise*, ½ tsp Dill Weed and 1 tsp Dill Relish mixed it together.  When the fish was done we took a warmed Tortilla put a little sauce on it, put some Salmon on and sprinkled some Cheddar Cheese on top.  They were very good and a fast, easy meal.  You could add other toppings if you wanted.  I would suggest some shredded Lettuce, chopped Tomatoes, perhaps a little Hot Sauce.  

• In the South, I found Duke’s Mayonnaise and it reminds me of the Homemade  Mayonnaise.  It is rich, thick and very tasty.  I highly recommend this product.

Salmon Tacos

8 oz Salmon Filet (with skin on)

Sea Salt TT*

Fresh Ground Black Pepper TT*

Dill Weed TT*

Sauce:

¼ C Mayonnaise (I use Duke’s)

½ tsp Dill Weed

1 tsp Dill Relish

4 6” Tortillas, warmed

½ C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Season Salmon with Sea Salt, Fresh Ground Pepper and Dill Weed.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until fish easily flakes.
4. In separate bowl mix the Mayonnaise, Dill Weed and Dill Relish.
5. Spread a Tortilla with a scant teaspoon of sauce.
6. Add ¼ of the Salmon and top with Cheese.

Suggested Toppings: Shredded lettuce, Hot Sauce, Salsa

* TT (To Taste)

Phillips Avenue Diner Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Phillips Avenue Diner:  A throwback to a simpler time with an upbeat menu.  The decor is reminisce of an small town diner with counter seating, booth seating and the modern addition of outdoors seating.  We were seated as soon as we entered and our waitress was there almost instantaneously to take drink orders.  The menu is varied with a few old diner favorites like Milk Shakes served in a tall glass with the extra still in the mixing cup, hamburgers and french fries.  But they also had a few items that set them apart from the standard diner.  The appetizers covered the gamut.  They had Diner Chislic, Fried Pickles, Poutine (a Canadian favorite of fries,meat, gravy and cheese curds), Cheese Curds, Hummus, Chicken Quesadilla and Tomato Bisque.  The entrees give everyone a choice from sandwiches to salads to full plate dinners.  

During our visit we had the Diner Chislic which was described as marinated Flank steak pieces, lightly fried with marinated tomatoes, a red pepper cream sauce and Tabasco Onion Rings.  The dish looked great and tasted fine.  The steak was more than lightly fried and the tomatoes were not marinated but the sauce and the onion rings were obviously home made and delicious.  We then had the Apple Jack Waffle which also looked great and tasted very good.  The apples were cooked without being overcooked and the pecans were toasted beautifully with a light sugar coating.  

Phillips Avenue Diner is definitely worth a visit.

Phillips Avenue Diner 

Diner Chislic

Apple Jack Waffle

Ratings on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10.  

Cleanliness  8

Service 9

Presentation 8

Value 9

Until we meet again: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often

Turning a new page

Since Jackie and I are so blessed to be able to travel this great country and experience not only the sights and the people but also the food, we want to try to share with our family and friends what we find.  With this blog I, with Jackie's help, will try to capture the food side of our travel experiences.  We will do reviews of restaurants, diners, drive-ins and dives and stores .  Also I want to share some of my  own recipes and experiences in learning new recipes and techniques while cooking in an RV.  I invite questions concerning cooking or cooking in an RV (which is a an adventure in itself).   Also if there is a restaurant you think we should try, let us know and we will do our best.  We also welcome comments concerning the format of the blog.   Enough blabbering, let's get started.