Feasting On Americana

Taste Alike: Waffle House Cheesy Eggs!

2011-08-15T16:20:00.004-05:00

Those of you who visit our sister site Cooking at Cafe D know that every once in a blue moon we feature "Taste Alikes" - our own interpretations of dishes such as Corner Bakery's Chicken Pesto Cavatappi, Sizzler's Malibu Chicken, and Oliva Garden's Zuppa Toscana.

Since it's a travel food...
Today we're putting our Taste Alike of Waffle House's Cheesy Eggs here on Feasting On Americana.
(Yeah, we know it's really "Cheese N' Eggs" but we call 'em Cheesy. It's our thing.)

Here's what I do to get buttery, cheesy, light deliciously scrambled Cheesy Eggs that my family loves. Put a pat of butter in a small non-stick egg pan on LOW. Real salted butter. Not margarine, olive oil spread, spray canny stuff. Butter.
(Go ahead and splurge - I won't tell.)

On the landing plate, I put shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese and a couple small butter pieces.

While your butter melts, scramble up 3 eggs.
I don't scramble them too much because I want a little white to show on the plate.

Let the butter melt on LOW. If your pan is too high the butter will brown.
(This is great for pasta - but we're making eggs here.)

Add your eggs - still on low.

Right away, add your shredded cheddar on top with a small couple pieces of butter.

Still on low, wait for the cheese to melt.

When the cheese is melted, turn the heat up a smidge.
Take your favorite spatula (for eggs, my favorite tool is a pancake turner. Seriously.) and start to move the eggs around. The eggs should pull away completely off the bottom. If not, turn down the heat.

On a side note:
Yeah, *poof* the pan got dirty around the edges.
Do not take a phone call in the middle of your cheesy egg tutorial.
Or, you'll end up having to make two batches of eggs.

Soon the curds will start to form.

Plate them while they are just a tad wet.
The carry-over heat will continue to cook them a bit on the plate and they'll be perfect when you hand them to your family. Yum.

Our disclaimer:
Now, this might now be how they make the eggs at the Waffle House.
But, to our family, these *taste* like theirs do :)
When you make them, let us know what you think!

Do you live in a state with Waffle Houses?

What's your favorite meal there?

Tell us in the comments section below!

Cornbread, Cracklins, and Recipe - and Soundtrack for Fun.

2011-08-14T20:15:00.007-05:00

Ah, cornbread. I love it.

Oh, first things first. Our post today comes with its own soundtrack. So, if you wish, click on the video below and enjoy a silly song from Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five.(Highly recommend them)

Cornbread. Sigh.
Have it with your fried chicken to sop up your gravy. Have it with your chili to provide some texture and mop up all that tasty chili juice in your dish. (What adults do when liking the bowl would be all undignified and stuff.)

Heck you can even make baked cornbread french toast with the leftovers as we featured on our sister site Cooking at Cafe D.

Recently we were traveling through Kentucky and Tennessee headed to Georgia and we stopped in Indiana for the night. Our campfire was longing for some hot dogs so we hit the local Kroger's. Imagine our surprise when we saw Cracklins. Just sitting there - begging to be added to some cornbread.

You know cracklins, right?
Crunchy salty pork parts perfect for your cornbread.

Sadly, it was literally 105 degrees out and we were crazy for even having a campfire for hotdogs let alone making cornbread and chili...so we skipped 'em. But, we made a mental note. And, trust me - we'll remember to pick up some cracklins for an autumn campfire really soon.

Need a cornbread recipe?
I have used this one from Alton Brown many times to my family's delight. (No, there's no crackins, but you can add them, I won't tell.) Even if I tweak the recipe, or use a completely different one - I always follow the technique Alton suggests with preheating the cast iron skillet. It makes for a great crust. Yum.

So, do you like corn bread?

Were you raised with it?

What do you eat it with?

World Largest? Maybe Not - But Tasty!

2011-08-11T19:10:00.002-05:00

This is one SERIOUS S'MORE!
To give you some perspective.
That's one WHOLE UNBROKEN graham cracker.
With a WHOLE HERSHEY chocolate bar!

Once the munchkin spotted the bag of giant marshmallows...
we knew we'd have to get 'em.

First, there's some whittling...

He made 3 "landing spots" - one for each of us - before we even got to toasting.

Yeah, Dad's pretty excited about it, too :)

Mmmublehs tabehasth mgreatmm.
(I think he likes it.)

Course, he needs another one.
He says he can skip the chocolate and the rest...
Now, that's one darn happy camper.
Darn sticky, too!

What's your favorite part about camping?
Tell us in the comments below!

2 Worlds Largest Bats...and a Ball, too!

2011-07-11T07:16:00.012-05:00

So, here we are...
Tiny ants standing next to the World's Largest Bat located in Louisville, KY.

To our surprise, the bat was a little unstable.
So we did our best to prop it up.
Okay, not really.

So, if you were the Kentucky Mirror and Plate Glass Shop...
and you were located directly next door to the Louisville Slugger Museum...
and World's Largest Bat...

What would you do?
That's right!

Now, we thought we had seen all there was to see regarding the World's Largest Bat...

Then my husband's keen eye spotted this...
On the side of a building.

Yep, the OTHER World's Largest Bat.
Courtesy of Caufield's Novelty Shop - also in Louisville.
Judging by their sense of humor, I bet it's a fun shop.

So, what fun businesses can you think of that could play off on the World's Largest Bat theme? Tell us in the comments below, or on Facebook .
We'd love to hear from you!

Real Money Saving Tips and Creative Family Adventures!

2011-07-02T15:44:00.007-05:00

We're leaving on vacation soon...and the wallet? Well, it's a little tight.
So, we're doing upfront brainstorming and planning to see how many smiles we can get for very little green.
AND, WE WOULD LOVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!

Looking on line, most of the "Top 10 Tips for Saving Money on Your Family Vacations" lists are - to say the least - unhelpful. To say the most, hilarious - at least for us. One actually said, "In addition to staying only in hotels with kitchenettes, you should stay where a shopping service is available so you can leave a grocery list at the front desk and come back to a kitchenette stocked with your groceries."

Okay, sure that might be perfect for some, but we're more the "camping to save money" type of family. Dollar menus....work. Shopping service? Um, no.

To here's our working list
We'd love you to add your ideas in the comments.

1.Doing things that cost $0.
Luckily we're into stopping and taking photos with large fiberglass objects. Normally that's free. We use sites like Roadside America. Matter of fact, you can submit YOUR OWN family photos to that site! (Our family is featured in many places on the site - very fun!)

We also love a site called Go Big or Go Home. It's a from family, much like ours, who travel the country stopping for the wacky and the wonderful! Great for fun (many free!) family ideas.

2. Toss in a little adventure.

We like caves. A lot. So, when we are playing car games trying see who can find each letter of the alphabet on the road the fastest - we keep our eyes peeled for billboards announcing where the caves are. (It's online, of course, too.)

3. Think Outside of the Box

We stayed at The Shady Dell on our Honeymoon. Rates start at $55 a night - our trailer was a more luxurious model which Lucy and Desi would have been comfortable with. Creative doesn't have to cost a lot. When your dollar been stretched too far, stretch your creativity a bit.

4. Hit the Official State Rest Stops - Keep an open mind...

See that pic above? It's the GORGEOUS Chamberlain Rest Stop in South Dakota. It's situated on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River and is on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

As a matter of fact, that rest stop has its own walking trail - where the munchkin was bitten by a snake. Okay, not really...

5. Drop Your Trash, Leave With Great Ideas.

We bag up our car trash and toss it out at the rest stop like the rest of the world. But for us rest stops are tools. Did you know that most Exit 1 rest stops give away free maps to the state you are entering? (Many states offer free maps at all their rest stops.) We grab the free state map and then peruse the brochure displays. There we fine the Disney's and the waterparks. But, we also find "off the beaten path" places. (On our honeymooon, we found a tiny family run winery in New Mexico. A great find.) You can find free or cheap attractions like the SPAM Museum in Austin, MN. Which was very fun. And, of course, we had SPAM and eggs over the campfire the next morning. :)

6. Camping

We like tent camping - which comes in hand for keeping costs down. Sometimes we find amazing spots like the Flying Goose Campground which we hit twice because we liked it so much. (Those bathrooms were spotless.) We called it Camp Goose Liver. Cuz we could. Yeah, it doens't have to make sense.

7. Keeping Kool (and dry) at the KOA.

When camping isn't an option - or if it's raining and we've just had enough - we hit the local Kampgrounds of America site. Rates vary, but a one room Kabin (Yeah, they make their C's into K's at the KOA) kan, I mean, can run you about $50. There's a double bed, a bunk bed, and a porch swing. BYOSB and P. (Bring your own sleeping bag and pillow.) Pretend you're 12 again and on a retreat when you walk down a ways for the restrooms and showers. You can join their membership club for deals and discounts. (The KOA's - not the restrooms.) Many, if not all are franchises. (Again, the KOA's - not the restrooms.) We met folks in the Kabin next to ours who owned a KOA down in New Orleans. They gave us their card and who knows - we might just drop in sometime. Be sure to stop in at the desk and chat up the nice ladies and gents. They'll tell you about where THEY like to eat if you ask. (We ALWAYS ask.)

8. Food.
Man, you can drop some serious dough on food. (Pardon the pun.)
Now, we LOVE good food. That includes owner-operated diners with biscuits and gravy and greasy cheeseburgers. Always with a side of pleasant conversation. It's a balancing act. If we do the whole homemade breakfast thing - where we chat up the waitress for wacky and wild things to do in the area - we try to keep lunch cheap and then maybe hot dogs, for dinner. (If we are staying at a campsite or KOA for 2 nights we might make a nice pork shoulder, stew, or chili in our dutch oven.)

But, if we're saving up our pennies that day for a nice dinner, we're gonna be doing Continental Breakfasts of danishes and donuts or fruit and cheese if we get all fancified. If we want a treat, we'll hit the McD or BK Dollar Menu. Nuff said.

9. History - Without the Histronics

Love National Parks but tired of tourists? Try some of the bazillion (roughly) smalller fascinating parks. In that pic, we're climbing around in side one of the thousands of cavates at Bandelier National Monument. (Which this very minute is surrounded by the Las Conchas wildfire and is at risk.) Don't worry, the public is allowed to climb and crawl into the cavates - well, at least the ones we were in. We would never trespass or damage historic property. These cavates, produced by voids in the volcanic tuff of the canyon wall and carved out further by humans, date back to 1150. Yep, you read that right. Amazing, right? So, head to the link above to the National Parks Service site and see what's right for your family!

A little Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, anyone?

Perhaps a trip including El Morro National Park where we stumbled on a rare opportunity to take a sunset walk on the bluffs with members of the Zuni Nation on the eve of the last day of their centennial celebration. (200 years? 500? I can't remember.) There were only 26 of us, if I remember correctly. And, we were treated to stories, music, and the silence with the wind in our faces while we sat and pondered the majesty around us.

10. The National Parks Pass

Get it. I mean, if you like to hit the Parks, just do it. We didn't, and I regret it. We thought, "How many National Park Service sites will we be hitting in 1 year?" The nice man at the gate handed us a short list and we thought, "Nah." The list didn't include a BUNCH of things we were already planning. And, every $5 or $15 dollar fee adds up. Let's see, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Mount Rushmore, El Morro, Bandelier, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some...we should have gotten the pass. LOL. Leave it in the glove box so you'll always have it.

11. Gift Cards.

I've emptied out my purse and found every gift card we own. From Subway to Menard's we're be using them all. (Who doesn't need another bungee cord?) I'm tired of toting those gift cards around and we will enjoy that Subway sammy beside a beautiful beach, next to a giant fiberglass apple, or on top of a gorgeous bluff.

NOW, it' your turn!
Okay, so those are OUR "Top 10 - er - 11 Tips."
Now, tell us yours!
You can find us on Facebook at Feasting on Americana or....
Comment below!

$1 Jimmy John's - Customer Appreciation Day!

2011-06-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Are you a fan of Jimmy John's?
Want a $1 sub?

Count me in!

Details are available here.

Thursday, June 9, 2011 is Customer Appreciation Day!
Chicagoland, this is from 11-3pm.
Enjoy!

Vintage Eames Chairs Available! - Truly Amazing.

2011-06-07T10:05:00.002-05:00

Isn't that chair amazing?!
It's a vintage blue fiberglass chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames.

Many of you are aware that we have a (mostly) vintage online shop called Cafe D. We also have a new shop called Rustic Wedding Style featuring...yep, you guessed it.

Well, I was browsing some of the other shops today and stumbled on this one called Chair Form. Such amazing finds here. Now, they don't have a large quantity. But, simply looking at the photos, it appears there's some nice vintage quality going on here.

So, if you are in the market for a pair of fabulous authentic Eames / Herman Miller chairs, head over to shop their wares. (Oh, and by the way, that blue chair above comes in a set, too.)

Now, Caveat Emptor here folks. While they look like true blue beauties, don't take my word for it. Looks like there are vintage tags on these chairs, but only you can decide if they are authentic - it's your pocketbook paying the price of admission.

Now, the folks who run the Chair Form shop don't know me from Adam - or would that be Eve? Well, they don't know me from Audrey, either, if we are on a roll. So, they didn't cut me a check to type this or anything like that. I just think their shop looks amazing. Full stop. Though, you can certainly tell them you found them through FeastingOnAmericana.com.

Want keep up with all the latest Feasting On Americana has to offer?

Like us on our Feasting on Americana Facebook Page. Or see the Twitter, Pinterest and other links at the top :)

Quick! Own a Piece of Americana! (And, a GIVEAWAY!)

2011-03-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

First, this important message...

Just spotted this!
Own your own vintage slide of a piece of Americana.
This eBay seller is selling a 35mm slide of the Wigwam Village.
Now, I have NO CONNECTION with this seller.
(So caveat emptor.) But, seriously, how cool is this?
At the moment, it's a $5 opening bid. (You can Buy It Now for $10.)

Now, off you go to check out our GIVEAWAY!
On our sister blog!

Carnivals - The Sights, The Sounds! GIVEAWAY TIME!

2011-03-18T16:32:00.001-05:00

I LOVED being dizzy as a kid!

At our sister site, Cooking at Cafe D, we are hosting a Fine Art GIVEAWAY!
As part of our Featured Artist Fridays - you can win your choice of a free 8x10 or 8x8 photograph
from an amazing artist. There's a Buy one / Get one sale - exclusively for our readers, too!

I love carnivals, how 'bout you?

Amusement parks at night.
The lights, the sounds, the beeps and dings of the games arcade.
The screams in the background as folks are lifted up,up!
Then...plunge!

And, there's lots more than carnivals...

Dontcha just love old streets?

There hundreds of photographs to choose from at Mistflower Photo - architecture - flowers - industrial - and you pick the one you want to win.

So head to Cooking At Cafe D - entering is easy.
Simply leave a comment on Cooking At Cafe D telling us your favorite photo!

Off you to go - ENTER NOW! And good luck!

Love Cool Fonts? Check out this Artist Fontographer!

2011-03-11T09:36:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love the passion of artists?
We are beginning a new feature on our other blog, Cooking At Café D.
Join us TODAY for our first "Artist Feature Friday!" Interview with the artist and special offers for our readers!

Come on over and take a look!

If you love fonts, scrapbooking - or just a good story, you won't want to miss it.

REALLY nice special offers, too.
*cough* 40% off *cough*

We'll make it easy - click HERE!

Vintage Coffee and Tobacco Can - Candles!

2011-03-01T21:09:00.000-06:00

Isn't that can great?
It's a candle!

Many of you know that we have an Etsy shop called Cafe D where we sell vintage china and rustic wares.

Well, I was searching around - window shopping - when I spotted this fabulous shop Jackson of All Trades.
The shopkeep goes by the name Candice Jackson.

Isn't that darling? Now don't get me wrong - I loved each and every one of my wedding presents. But, I sure could have made some room for that li'l cutie on our mantle! (I'm resisting the urge. For now.)

How about that one for the man in your life? Makes me smile.

Need something for the kitchen, or the dinning room? Seems Miss Candice has you covered there, too. (Might I suggest a Citrus & Cilantro scent?)

Bliss. Yep, that's my opinion of these candles - sheer bliss.
Now, Ms. Jackson didn't give me anything to say these kind things. Far as I know, she doesn't even know we exist. But, I just thought these adorable vintage candles were too good to keep a secret.

So, head on over and visit Candice over at Jackson of All Trades.Tell her Dana from CafeD says hi!

Remembering Our Visit to Kiddieland Amusement Park (Part 1) NOW CLOSED

2011-02-22T21:54:00.004-06:00

Kiddieland!
If you grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago - chances are good you've been there.
I remember heading there as a kid with my Dad. The train ride was right up in front. And, in the far back left corner there were GIANT, 100 story tall open air slides with no sides that you used a potato sack to slide down.
(At least that's how I remember it!)

When we heard that Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois was closing...we knew we had to go one last time.

There were only 2 weekend's left according to the website. And, since the college kids who were ride operators were heading back to school, the website said there were no guarantees as to which rides would be open if we waited a week. (They said they would do their best to rotate the ride ops around the park.)

Taking no chances, we went straight away, in August of 2009.
Wanna come with us? Here we go! Arms up!

We have lots of fun photos. But we ask that they NOT be used without our written consent.
Thank you in advance.

Here's a pic of the Little Dipper. According to wikipedia, Six Flags Great American in Gurnee, IL bought the ride for $33,000. A steal if you ask me!

The bumper cars we called Sooters and came in wonderful authentic vintage colors!

I'm pretty sure the smile on my face says it all.
There were 3 of us that day - we weren't married yet, and we had Tim's son with us who was celebrating his 12th birthday that weekend. It was my first time spending the day with him and I was over-the-top thrilled. And, since we were at Kiddieland - it was pretty much perfect.

Kiddieland wasn't a very BIG amusement park - every bit of space was used as efficiently as possible.
YOU ARE HERE!

Here's that train I was telling you about. The "Kiddieland Limited." I remember going on this as a kid with my dad. And, Tim and his son had lots of memories they shared on it, too.

Each car was crafted in wood - yeah it was hard on the bottoms, but the ride moved along pretty rapidly. Here's the Melrose Park car. (Wouldn't a car like this be perfect in a playroom?!)

Remember how I said they made use of every inch of land?
Well, you could wave at passing motorists and see if you could get them to honk!

There were unexpected dangers on the ride, too!
Watch out for free range fiberglass!

We have many more pictures and a lot more to see...So, I guess you'll just have to meet us back here.
Go ahead and book mark our page.
Or, you can "like" the Feasting on Americana Facebook Page

We'll see you back here for more adventure.
And, NIGHT TIME PICS!
Oh, how I love the night time at a Park.

So, tell us, what Park do you remember visiting as a child?

What's a favorite amusement park memory?

If you could own any piece of amusement park ride/game what would you choose?

Comment below!

Retro Wonderland!

2011-02-11T07:47:00.003-06:00

Love retro?
Here are 16 wonderful gift ideas for the special person in your life.

Click on the pictures above to to see more.
Enjoy!

Can You See It? Unique Piano Building - UPDATED!

2011-02-09T23:55:00.001-06:00

Oh, isn't this building the greatest?
Can you see the piano keyboard in the wall detailing?

It's a (sadly, closed) piano store. At least that's what the old sign used to say. It also said it was re-opening soon - but alas, best laid plans.... The sign has since been removed.

Someone does have a sense of humor, though - there's an OPEN sign on the front door.

I wonder if this building was originally a restaurant. There's a covered entrance and it reminds me a lot of 50's steak houses. It's located at Butterfield and Batavia Roads in Warrenville, Illinois.

UPDATE!
Valerie left a comment and it appears the building was home to Stresney & Sons Piano Co. Thanks for the tip!

So, anyone remember the piano store name? Anyone know what the building originally was? Comment and share!

Reminisce! Look What I found!

2011-01-26T05:56:00.005-06:00

Love stories about times gone by? I do!

Perhaps you already know about this magazine - I just found about it myself. It's Reminisce Magazine, which features reader-submitted stories (think Reader's Digest), old family photos, and even vintage ads.

Very fun!
The cover price is $3.95 US/$4.95 Canada at it's issued every two months. You can get a year's subscription (6 issues) for $12.98 at the link above. (Amazon is charging $2 more at the time of this printing - so buying directly from the publisher website seems to be the way to go.)

Free is good.
Perhaps you don't want to spend $12.98 for a subscription. Then what? Well, stop by your local library! See if they already subscribe. If not, suggest it. You bet folks will want to read it. Think of all the "Tour the Vineyard of France" sideshow presentations that library does each month. (That's if your library is anything like mine.) That demographic would love to read this magazine.

And...you can count me in, too.
Even BETTER news!
Head to Reminisce Magazine to read some online articles to help you decide if this is a good buy for you.
Enjoy!

Treasures in Unexpected Places

2011-01-18T09:55:00.002-06:00

Part of the fun of Feasting on Americana is finding wonderful things in unexpected places.
Today was no exception.

Perception is everything.

Now, if I say, "Oooh, I was just looking at some modern dining room furniture" - hearing that might not make your heart race.

But, what if I showed you these Mid-Century Modern inspired tables?
Without a doubt, these make my heart beat faster.

I imagine these table in a foyer of a 50s hotel back in the day. And, see that one in the front? Those smooth gentle curves? Love it!

Or, do you find your style is more Herman Miller?
Check out this beauty!

Darling? Yes?

Anyway, my point is this.
When you are searching for new furnishings for your home - or Airsteam trailer *grin* - be sure to think broadly. Keep your eyes open...you never know what treasures you'll find.

Now our "Thought for the day" -
Post a comment and let us know!

What piece of furniture or toy do you remember fondly from your childhood that you would LOVE to own today?

Giant Christmas Lights! And, Where Have We Been?

2010-12-30T13:24:00.001-06:00

Lovely, aren't they?
Spotted these babies on a wonderful family and decor blog called Sense and Simplicity.
Darn pretty lights in New York City.
(And, really nice blog Grace has over there at S&S.)

Sorry for the absence gang...
Okay, so where have we been?
We've been getting married!
Yep.

And, we took a WONDERFUL honeymoon to some fabulous vintage locales.
We just kept hittin' Route 66 without even trying.
Serendipity I tells ya!

So, we have LOTS of amazing pics to show you.
Soon. I promise.

Meanwhile, we wish you all the best this new year.
From our family to ours.

Wanna live in a Giant Golf Ball House?!

2010-09-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, my last post was a week before I became engaged. And, now I'm planning our honeymoon. Retro, of course. And, since we'll be in the Arizona area, my head almost exploded when I saw...The Golf Ball House!

There is an HGTV video where you can see the inside of the home, meet the owners, and get a little back-story.

(Basically, it was destined to become a restaurant, the Dinosphere, to attract customers to a new home development project which never took off.)

Well, if Tim and I ever retire our West...ah, never mind.
A gal can dream, can't she?

Day 4 - What's a Good Northern Girl To Do?

2010-04-12T18:35:00.002-05:00

Welcome back, campers!
Here is Day 4 of our Feasting on Americana adventure through Kentucky.

(With an tinsy bit of Indiana and a 'lil of Illinois.)

If you missed Days 1, 2 or 3, just head over to the archives on the right side to catch up.

We have quite the day ahead of us - filled with gigantic statues, chats with local law enforcement, a dedication to Duncan Hines (for much more than cake mix), and a bit of time travel in the shape of tourist courts.

Wave good by to the Wigwams.
We're off to see those cute little cottages we caught a glimpse of last night in the dark.
Rowr!
Oooh - scary dinosaur lurking behind a bush.

That giganto-saurus is more than just a pretty face.
He's an important piece of roadside history.

Let's talk a bit about "Giants" while we drive toward the cottages. Near as I can tell, the 60's were big on large statue advertising. Around 1963 the A&W family popped up on roadsides beckoning road-weary travelers to rest on the refreshing root beer. Soon others followed. Karen and I have quite a list of giants on our itinerary today, so this friendly fellow from Dinosaur World was a welcome site.

Off to find the cottages.
Hope they are as cute in the light as they looked last night.

The Oakes Motel, Cave City, KY

Ooooh!
Next time I am so staying here.
Look at this place.
It's ADOOOOOOOOORABLE.

This cute cottage is currently called the Oakes Motel.
But I think I found a postcard from back when it was the Rock Cottage.
Whattya think?
Same place?

I think it looks pretty darn close.

They have a website.
I, um, borrowed a picture of the interior.
Shh, don't tell.
Hey, it's free advertising.

Here's the kitchenette and the queen sized bed from the Tigger cabin.

That's a little piece of history I want to enjoy the next time I'm in town. That little tourist court was adorable.

Heading out of Cave City, we took US 31W towards Bowling Green. There was an old abandoned tourist court, also known as a tourist camp or auto camp, on that road once upon a time. And, I wanted to see if it was still standing.

Horseshoe Camp (Modern Cottages) - 5 Miles outside of Bowling Green, KY

It was still there! Yes!
I have no idea what the name of this place was.
It just says, "Camp. Modern Cottages."

But, there is a large horseshoe above the sign. Perhaps it was known as the Horseshoe Camp? I really don't know. But, I can tell you that in it's heyday, it musta been a really nice place.

We pulled up onto the gravel and got out to take a look around.
*Grrrrrrr*
Oooh!
OK, nice doggy.

The cabins were in the shape of, yes, a horseshoe.
From what I could tell, 14 in total, with an office on the right-hand leg of the upside-down U and a full-sized residence in the middle grassy area. The loud black beast was chained to a wire which extended from the residence to a line of hedges separating the house from the outlying cottages.

OK, he wasn't a beast.
But, that dog was loud.
And, quite frankly, he was disturbing my trespassing.
*Grin*

Since the adrenaline was flowing, I never did get a wide-shot of the whole place. I should have taken a picture from across the street.

(Hey, if anyone lives in the Bowling Green area and would be willing to take a picture, please contact me. I would be ever so grateful.)

Since the canine critter couldn't see over the chest high shrubbery, I went the long way around the office, avoiding the fence, and took some more photos. Wow, this was a really nice place at one point. Each cottage even had it's own car port.

It reminded me of the 1934 Frank Capra film "It Happened One Night" which highlighted a couple of tourist camps. Good movie.

I crept along the dirt drive shaped in the upside-down U running between the cottages and the shrubs protecting me from the canine. He stopped barking. That made me nervous. Every once in a while I looked behind me, glancing over the hedge, hoping I wouldn't see someone heading out of the house with a shotgun.

So far, this was a bright and sunshiny Monday morning.
I was not looking forward to a back-end of buckshot.

I kept walking. Wow, the place was soooooo nice. Well, considering it's age. I estimated it was from the 30's - like the film. And, matter of fact, like the Wigwams from the night before.

I turned around again.
Oh, no!
I had walked past the edge of the hedge.

While the dog couldn't reach me...he could certainly see me.
Yet, he was quiet.
Since he seemed ok with things, I kept going.
Er, mistake.
Apparently I had gone too far.
Back to barking.

Having seen enough, I retreated.
OK, honestly I hadn't seen enough.
There was still a yet-to-be investigated garage of sorts in the distance. Perhaps it was an out building with showers? (The movie had one.) Quite frankly, unfettered from dear poochie-woochie, I would have checked the place out from top to bottom.

Sullen, I tucked my tail between my legs and walked back around the main office. Karen was waiting for me, snapping pics from the street.

She's a Mom.
She has limits.
Besides, if we both went in, who would bail me out of jail?
But, she's not beyond egging me on...

"So, what's that thing over there?" She pointed.
"The thing sticking up."
Um, I dunno.

I headed back the long away around the office, once again passing the huge brown spider which had taken up residency at the side door.

Cool, it was an old mailbox.

Here's a shot from the left side of the horseshoe.
Looks like cabin 14 comes with it's own truck.

I am not sure why this tourist camp got to me.
I was in awe.
Perhaps it was because I had stumbled upon a mention it on the internet when doing my pre-trip research. One mention. One photo. It was from 2004, three years earlier, and the photographer wrote that the neighbor across the road thought the camp was scheduled to be demolished.

Yet, there it was. And, there was no telling how long it would be there. Oh, the stories it could tell of travelers riding the road between Bowling Green and Cave City.

I wonder when it opened? What was the cost of a room? (In the movie it was $2.00 a night.) I wonder if it was mainly a stop for businessmen on their way to and from Bowling Green? Or, was it more of a family place for folks on their way to conquer the caves? Was there a restaurant? The office had shelves on the walls. (Yeah, I peeked through the window.) It could have had a little food counter at one time. Maybe.

If anyone from Bowling Green would be kind enough to take an wide-angle photo from across the street, I would really be appreciative. And, if you happen to know anything about this place, please comment. I would love to find a postcard of it in it's heyday. I think my next step might be to call the Bowling Green tourist bureau.

I do know one thing.
Next time, I'm bringing doggy treats.

In retrospect, I should have left a note in the mailbox. I could have asked any other history hounds to leave their name, city, and the date so that future folks would have a record. Come to think if it...wonder if anyone else before me had done that very thing. Since I didn't open the box, I'll never know.

Bowling Green, KY - Home of Duncan Hines
Back on the road again, we headed south on US31W and hit Bowling Green after only 5 miles. I didn't realize it, but I think we were technically on the Duncan Hines Scenic Byway. If we had more time, we could have stopped at the Duncan Hines Museum located at Western Kentucky University. I think I would have enjoyed that.

Forgive me if I flub any facts, and I'll give you a little background on this respected road food warrior. "Duncan Hines: The Man Behind the Cake Mix" remains on my required reading list and is available from many locations, including Amazon. (And, a big thank you to the author Louis Hatchett, for his insightful tips before my trip...and for spotting a fact typo on my little blog.)

You see, many view Mr. Hines as being as instrumental to good road food as Harlan Sanders was to chicken. I'm one of them.

Duncan was born in 1880 in Bowling Green and attended Bowling Green Business University. He took a job as a Chicago salesman and spent much time on the road. Duncan soon came to realize that there was no reliable way of knowing where the next meal would be - let alone the next GOOD meal.

Sure, you could stop at a place in town that had a large sign that read "Eats." But were they good eats, or the kind that has you counting the bathroom tiles for days. (Quip courtesy of Alton Brown.)

Was the food tasty?
Hot?
Was the service any good?

Road-weary travelers and businessmen alike rolled the dice every day - hoping to find a clean reliable restaurant.

Duncan began to keep a journal of restaurant experiences. Soon, he had quite the list and he decided to share it with his family and friends. In 1935, Mr. Hines included the list in his Christmas card. It contained a whopping 167 of his favorite restaurants in 30 states.

He wrote: "I am passing this information on to you, hoping that it may yield enjoyment and delectation, should you find yourself in the vicinity of one of these 'harbors of refreshment' as you travel hither and yon."

In 1936, Duncan Hines published his first book, Adventures in Good Eating. Mr. Hines knew that the quality of a restaurant could change quickly, due to changes of ownership and the like. Accordingly, he worked hard to keep the price of his book low and encouraged his readership to buy his publication annually. And, they did.

In 1938, Mr. Hines published Lodging for a Night listing motels, hotels, travel courts and even campgrounds so travelers could anticipate their accommodations.

By 1939 a third book was added to his collection of annuals. Entitled, Adventures in Good Cooking and the Art of Carving in the Home, this book began to include recipe suggestions.

Duncan treasured his independence and chose to keep his costs in line by limiting the number of photos he included in his books - rather than succumbing to advertisements. He even published a disclaimer in his books, warning restaurants that if any person who stated that they were working for Mr. Hines asked for a meal, they should be refused. Duncan, his wife, Florence, and later a handful of others who tested restaurants would do so in anonymity - and, paying their own way.

In 1938, Frances passed away. Duncan continued to publish his books and refused many offers to endorse products. Around 1948 Mr. Hines was approached by Roy Park, a president of an advertising agency, who wanted to create an easily recognizable label that shoppers would associate with superior quality. Duncan went into business with Park, and soon hundreds of products bore the Hines-Park Food Corp. name. Many of these products were desserts, a favorite of Duncan Hines.

You know, before researching,
I never noticed that the Duncan Hines logo...
Is a BOOK!

I pulled my copy of Adventures in Good Eating of my bag and handed it to Karen. I think she enjoyed paging through it. I sure did.

Thanks, Duncan.
You're more than a cake mix - you're one cool culinarian.

Mary's Home Cooking - Bowling Green, KY
We tried to follow US31W but got all turned around and stumbled on this place. How I love serendipity. We saw the sign, looked good. Looked at the parking lots - lots of trucks. Let's try it.
Hmm. I'm a bit baffled.
Seems I only got a picture of MY food, not Karen's.

Yep, that's all mine.
First, I was hungry.
Trespassing takes a lot out of a girl.

Second, I knew this was my last day in Kentucky and I just wasn't passing anything up. Look, I went for the biscuits and gravy, grits, a scrambled egg, and a very nice cup o' joe. Oh, and the bacon.

Karen had... Geesh, I dunno.
A bacon omlete, I think, with grits, and another side of bacon.
And, sweet tea.

We should talk a bit about bacon.
Karen and I both like it.
A lot.
Extra crispy.

When I order coffee I use so much cream that I practically ask for my own cow.
When we order bacon, we pretty much have a side of pig on our table.

The food was good. Period.
We were glad we stopped there.

Well, I do remember that I tried butter in my grits.
Didn't like that. Won't be doing that again.
Ate them anyhow.

Now, the waitress was a doll and chatted us up. Seems she's originally from Michigan and she just loved talking to us. She wanted to know how we liked our Southern breakfast. Did it even compare to a Northern one? She said, it's been so long for her now. Compare? Nope. This was much better.

Karen and I had both raved about the bacon. It tasted like...pig. It was bacon-y. And, you know, so often, least up here, it's just greasy strips of fried tasteless fat. Our server said the secret was that we had ordered it extra crispy. The cook par-cooks it in the morning, then for extra-crispy orders drops it in the deep fat fryer. Well, goodness it worked. Still, besides the technique, there was something better about that bacon. It was true porky goodness.

Here's one last picture of Mary's.
I recommend it if you are in the neighborhood.
I cant' speak for Duncan, but it gets Dana's approval.

OK, off to Owensboro.
You may recall we talked the night before with the couple at the campfire about BBQ. Now, my friend Kristina swears by Moonlite. (And, honestly, I think it would be fun to go there with her sometime when we can meet up.) The couple at the campfire recommended stopping at Old South. On the internet, over at RoadFood, folks said they had enjoyed Moonlite and George's. (And, certainly other places, too, but I remembered those two.) Karen had found folks on the internet that said to skip Moonlite and head to Old Hickory.

Now, what's a northerner to do?
We had till Owensboro to figure out a plan.

We rolled into Owensboro and kept our eyes peeled for Old South. And, missed it anyway. It was lunchtime and they were busy - we had already called each place to see if they had a buffet and if they had mutton. (I like lamb and was on a mutton mission.) If I recall correctly, we never did get an answer at George's. It was Labor day and they might have been honoring the day.

So, we were on our own to find Old South. Hmm. Where to get directions? Hey, a tire place. These guys would know Q, right? I asked a guy holding a handful of lug nuts of he knew where Old South was. Hmm. He calls over another guy. Quiet guy. Old South, is that the place down there? He points. Quiet guy thinks. Lug Nut Guy says, the best place used to be ___ but they're closed now. Quiet Guy says, no I think Old South is down past the pool. But, I like Old Hickory, myself.

Lug Nut Guy points and tells me to take this road here, go past the pool, keep going, then look for it on the left in a strip mall. Then he drops his lug nuts. Quiet guy is quiet. And, nice. So, I ask where Lug Nut Guy would eat. He said, he really liked the place that was closed. OK, well, now where would he go? Moonlite? No, he didn't like them at all. (Note to self, that's two strikes on this trip.) Quiet guy says, "Old Hickory." Quiet the chatterbox, eh?

I explained that I had heard some questionable things about Moonlite (both nodded) and the person recommended Old South. Lug Nut Guy drops them again. OK, well, thanks much for the info. I really appreciate it. Lug nuts drop again. Can't make this stuff up.

So, we follow the road back and find Old South. Now, it might have been a slow day. So, don't skip them on my account. First we looked to the sky. No sign of smoke. Then we pulled into the parking lot which was full, and rolled down the window. No smell of smoke. Interesting. Channeling Alton Brown in Feasting on Asphalt 1 - Episode 4, I circled round to the back to look for two things. The wood was neatly piled and barley any was missing. Hmm. I decided to head back into town.

Pondering that perhaps I should have listened to Quiet Guy, we try to find Old Hickory. We stop in a parking lot next to an antique shop where a gentleman is leaving his truck. I asked if he knew where I could find Old Hickory. Old Hickory? Yes. Well... He thinks. Points. Says go there and take a left. Wait. Hmm. You know... He steps back about 10 feet and points through an alley. Well, that's it right there. You could just cut through here.

Score!
Final question.

Where would you go for BBQ?
"Me? Well, prolly Moonlite."
So, you like Moonlite more?
"Naw, it's just closer to my house."
(Then, a phrase that I will never forget.)
"I'm not much for BBQ."

OK, then.
Well, thanks much for your help.

Driving through the alley, we rolled down the windows and were greeted, no, bombarded with smoke smell. Yes! As we parked I checked out the wood stack. It had at least had a significant dent in it. And, the smell was telling. We had found our lunch.

Old Hickory, Owensboro, KY
We walked past a nice selection, I'm guessing it was for carry out, and waited to be seated. The server was very nice, and very helpful. Karen and I looked at the 3 meat combos and had a difficult time choosing. Karen said she was torn between the chopped pork and the sliced. "You want the sliced", the server said and smiled. OK, then. I asked our server if I wanted the chopped mutton or the sliced. "Chopped." Alrighty.

I ordered the burgoo as one of my sides, she said she would give me just a little dish with a few spoonfuls. That would fine by me. I just wanted a taste.

I double-checked the pronunciation with our server.
Was it bur-GOO here, or bur-GO?
Bur-GOO, apparently.
(And, my explanation that apparently in Evansville some folks call it bur-GO earned me a funny look.)

As for the other sides, they are proud of their potato salad so one of us ordered it. Who ordered what is kinda blurry. Let's see the photo.

OK, it's coming back to me.
Karen had the chicken breast. She enjoyed that. I think we both had the sliced pork. It was fork tender, juicy, not fatty. One of us ordered the potato salad. It was home-made, had lots of vinegar, pickles, little if any mustard, and tiny pieces of potato. The onion rings were, well, there. But, to be fair, we weren't there for the rings so we didn't give them much notice.

The server explained that the kitchen had given us a whole bowl of burgoo by accident. The burgoo had a very strong vinegar base, it was not spicy at all, had some corn, and there were hunks of potato.

Motton left to do but eat.
The chopped mutton was very, very vinegary. I mean, I like vinegar. Heck, I used to practically drink the stuff while making Easter eggs as a kid. But, perhaps my tastes have changed. The comment from the lady at the campfire, about not liking vinegar based BBQ was making sense now. Karen could taste the mutton under the vinegar. (Don't think she will order mutton again.) But, sadly, all I could taste was vinegar. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was bad.

I think next time I'll order it "Off the pit."
And, maybe then I'll be able to taste the mutton more.

The ribs.
Now, these were gooooood.
Can you see the pink smoke ring?

These were tender, flavorful, smoky goodness. And, they still had some chew to them. Not the fall-off-in-your-mouth mush that can sometimes happen. Oh, I guess I have an opinion on that.

We ate until we couldn't anymore.
Afterall, we had pretty much just had breakfast.
Then we hit the road again.

I stopped at a gas station for directions to Evansville. Over there, past there, then when you see the gas station that isn't a whatever anymore, turn left. Uh, ok. Tried to repeat them back. Failed miserably. Got a dirty look. Listened again. Nodded a lot.

Got in the car and told Karen we'd have to ask again. So, we took the first part of the directions and saw a cop on a quiet side street ahead of us. Waved toward him and he pulled over. Being a cop's daughter, I got out of the car slowly and walked up to him with my hands in front of me. Good thing, too, since he wasn't expecting me. Seems his pulling over was just to get some overdue paperwork out of the way. But, he was very nice and asked how he could help. I tried soooo hard not to glaze over while he gave me directions. And, I listened, I really did. Then he asked if I had that. I started to repeat them while his dispatcher called him. He slowly packed his papers up, still listening to me, and responded something to his dispatcher. Then he said, "Here, just follow me. I'll take you to the turn."

Now, there was nothing in his demeanor to indicate he was in a rush, but I just felt like I should jog. I jumped back into the car, started to thrown on my seatbelt, and he pulled out, sirens blaring. Karen's looks at me. I shrug. He said to follow him. She looks at me. I follow.

We go 2 or 3 streets before I see the sign for the road I need and he takes a sharp turn and flies away.

We pass the gas station that isn't called whatever it was at one point and head toward Evansville.

We need gas.
And, we are gonna need a map of Indiana.
Because apparently I'm really bad at listening to directions.
Damn, Northern ears.

Remembering what the nice man from Southern Illinois said at the campfire, I score me some Ski.
Not bad. Interesting note. We had been keeping an eye out for the lowest gas prices on the trip. This place, was tied with Corbin, KY for the lowest we had seen. $2.55 wow. That was about 40 less than back home.

Glancing at the map, the clock, and the sun, we needed a plan.
We had a handful of grocery men as wanted to see, along with a giant pink elephant drinking a martini, and.. Oh, I should mention these are the giants I spoke of at the top of the blog. Those huge cement and fiberglass replicas used for advertising over the years.

Well, there were 3 grocery men in the area.
Course, while they are only 1/4 of an inch apart on the map, it would actually take hours to drive between them and hit them all. Karen was very understanding and said that while it would be cool to see each of them one day, right now seeing one representative grocery man would fit the bill.

Mapping a quick route...
We headed north on US Route 41.

Jim Hipp Nursery, Haubstadt, IN. (US 64 & US 41)

This nursery is a one stop wonder of giants. We only saw a small part of it and were amazed. Apparently, there are many more giants living there, too. Here are a handful. One item we really wanted to see was the pink elephant drinking a martini. (There are a lot of this living in the States. Some of them are apparently myopic and sport black rimmed eyeglasses from the 1950's.) This elephant family seemed to have 20/20 vision.

The Jim Hipp Nursery,known for it's lovely topiaries, was started by Wendolyn Hipp, Jim's father. And, like the plants, it has flourished. Sadly, I believe Jim passed away last June. The family is continuing the tradition. Here is a very nice article in the Leaf Chronicle - Click.

If you get the opportunity, please visit, and patronize Jim Hipp's Nursery. They are maintaining a little piece of history with every giant they house.

Now...
Heading west on US62 over to Illinois, we are off to see a man about some groceries.

Little Giant Grocery Outlet - Carmi, IL
There are a handful of grocery men populating the States. Three of them are in the Evansville, IN / Paducah, KY area. If you are interested in giants or in historical (and sometimes hysterical) kitsch, be sure to check out RoadsideAmerica.com. That site was invaluable for planning this trip. Here's a link to some of the other grocery men - Click.

There was still a bit of sunlight left...so we headed back into Indiana, to see if we could find James.

Home of the Big Peach - Vincennes, IN (West side of Route 41)
To say we were chasing the sun is an understatement.
We headed back to US 41 and took it north.
While the farm store was closed for the day, we could still drive right up to the peach.

Now, here's a little secret.
Are you listening?
Promise to not tell a soul?
OK.

When we got to the peach, we were in quite a hurry. As you can see, the sun was falling right off the edge of that horizon back there. And, there was little time for photos. Matter of fact, some of the light shining on the peach was from headlights. So, if I wanted a picture with the fleshy fruit I needed to get up there quick.

It wasn't pretty. Luckily there was a handhold of sorts on the green base and I was able to pull myself up onto the platform. Rapid peachy paparazzi ensued as Karen snapped pictures fast and furiously.

Once documented, I walked around the peach - to see if the sunlight was better.

OK, ready for the secret?
Had I not been in such a hurry to get a photo with the fuzz-ball, I would have realized there were steps leading right up to it...on the other side.
D'oh!

Oh, well.
It was fun.
And, that's just between you, me and the clingstone.

Heading home.
Sort of.

First we had to stop briefly to meet the nice Sheriff and sign for our ticket. Apparently doing 70 in a 55 is frowned upon just north of Vincennes and the giant peach. Karen wondered if the officer's name was James.

A Look Back.
If you've followed these travels from Day 1, you might recall that originally the rough trip plan was to hit Dana, IN and Dana KY. If we followed a direct route, it would have looked something like this.

But, we weren't taking the big roads.
No. Matter of fact, we were trying to avoid the Federal Highway System.
So, our path ended up looking something more like this - follow the green line.

No, we didn't see Dana, KY. It was just too far east for this 4 day trip. And, no, we didn't hit Dana, IN either. We passed right by it...but it was dark...and raining. There was a vicious lightning storm heading out of the west and we were driving right into it. So, while we saw the sign for Dana - 9 mi. we just kept going.

After all, as I found out...
It's not about the destination, it's about the drive.

It's about:
Jay sharing his onion ring passion.
Having your first fried green tomatoes - and your second.
Trying corn pudding and loving it.
Learning a little about the legacies of Harlan Sanders and Duncan Hines.
Finding out the fireman figure on the weather vane is named Little Jimmy.
Following hay bales...on and on.
Trying Ale8 and Ski sodas - just because we could.
Finding out that Kentucky doesn't rent pigs.
And, that sometimes it's best not to ask why you can't get grits in a dry county.
Chatting up cheery servers who are proud of their cake
Tasting the cheeseburger you will remember for a lifetime.
Learning how devastating a drought can be on a farming community,
And, how tobacco legislation influenced it even more.
About legacy, and how it can be both a blessing and a burden for a family.
Chilling with Tigertoes the tabby.
The importance of knowing where to park.
Not being afraid to taste the sour mash,
And, walking quietly with the stray dogs through a cemetery.
Sleeping in a Wigwam.
Making s'mores with strangers who weren't strangers anymore.
Enjoying a campfire.
Learning that a bottle opener on a door from 1937 can make me smile.
Trespassing on a tourist court and be so wrong and feel so right.
That I don't like a lot of vinegar in my BBQ, but I like a lot of smoke.
And, not to speed 5 miles north of Vincennes, Indiana on Route 41.

Where's the next adventure?
Michigan!

With an open road,
A gift for the gab,
And growl in my tummy
It's gonna be quite an adventure!

Thank you to Karen for her willingness to go anywhere, The Good Eats Fan Page Message Board for all they are and all they do, to RoadFood.com for the helpful suggestions and fact checking.

And, most of all, thank you to Alton Brown, of Feasting on Asphalt, for inspiring my own little trip of travel food and fun, Feasting on Americana.

If you have comments or questions, please leave them below.
Or, feel free to e-mail me at FeastingOnAmericana@gmail.com

And, in case anyone is wondering...
The homemade cake from Crab Orchard, KY made for a wonderful breakfast the next day on the way to work!

Mary's Home Cooking
430 Center St
Bowling Green, KY
(270) 796-6946

Old Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q
338 Washington Ave
Owensboro, KY
(270) 926-9000

Read the whole Feasting on Americana! series:
Day 1 - Drive-In Owner Shares a Secret
Day 2 - My First Fried Green Tomatoes!
Day 3 - Confusion, Confession, and Reading Between the Lines
Day 4 - What's a good Northern girl to do?

I hope you enjoyed this Kentucky series. We have lots more to come! Michigan is on the way soon!

Day 3 - Confusion, Confessions and Reading Between The Lines

2010-03-26T09:12:00.005-05:00

That sign...stopped us in our tracks.
What?

Here there! Welcome back!
We're still in Corbin, KY

Don't stare... at those red velvet chairs... as you leave the motel room. (If the chairs have you baffled, see the Day 2 blog.)

Just avert your eyes, grab your Samsonite and head with us to the motel office.

We asked the very nice - very colorful - young man behind the counter the following question.

Any place - besides the Waffle House across the street - to eat breakfast?
That's gonna be tough seeing it's Sunday...and a dry county.

Aroooooooung?
Scooby head-tilt.

Um, I get the Sunday part. But, dry county?
Yep.

How's that affect breakfast? Whattya putting in those grits?
Well, there's the place across the street, that's good for breakfast, the Mexican place.

For breakfast, huh? (Hoping to hear about great huevos rancheros.)
Yep, they have beer there.

Beer. (I'm dumbfounded and need coffee.)
Yep. You see, even in a dry county, as long as the gross sales from wine and beer are less than 50% of the...

Kill... Me... Now.

It was a beautiful morning -
Not withstanding the lecture on local liquor legislation.

We headed towards Gravel Switch, KY.
Neither of us was starving and we had a lot of road to cover anyhow.

We took tiny roads and passed a funeral home that cracked me up.
There were all these folding chairs lined up along side this funeral home.

I just know my Dad woulda said,
"The chairs are for folks 'dying to get in.' "

Yeah...
Decrease in the caffeine level - increase in morbid humor.

The drive was really very nice.
Here are some lovely landscape shots.

Think of it as a little "scenic sorbet."

Past Time Cafe - Crab Orchard, KY
As we turned the corner Karen spotted a cafe with a sign in the window. They were open!

Quick u-turn later, we parked on the gravel out front.
Breakfast - here we come!

Too bad they were already on lunch.
Really? Still have any old gravy sitting in a pot? Old grits hanging around?

No? Nothing?
Yeah, lunch. I understand.

You know, it didn't dawn on me till this minute...how appropriate the name of that cafe was.

Our waitress was very nice and pointed out the lunch special written on the white board. Karen ordered the special which was pork steak, mashed potatoes, peas, corn, slaw and a roll. And, I think she got onion rings.

Karen was on a hand-dipped ring round-up the way I was taste-testing fried green tomatoes. And, sweet tea...but I digress.

The menu listed two kinds of onion rings: "hand dipped" and "regular." I ordered a cheeseburger, medium, with some mayo, lettuce and tomato. The waitress pointed out that they offered curly fries, steak fries and tater tots. I went with the...man, all I remember was the fantastic cheeseburger.

Let's check the replay.

Appears I ordered the rings.
You know, while I'm admitting things like my failing memory, I think I have something else to admit.

Confession.
The night before, in Corbin, was only the second time in my life I had tasted sweet tea. The first was at a friend's house. He was from Georgia. Um, ok, that really wasn't the confession. Here goes nothing. The sweet tea I had the night before was...from...McDonald's. There I said it. Yes, McDonald's.

I know, I know, fer shame. But, I only went through the drive-up. And, I just couldn't resist the call of the bright yellow sign offering "Large sweet tea $1."

Her siren's song was just too tempting.
I'm ashamed.
Truly.
Forgive me.
(But, it was good...)

Where were we...oh, Crab Orchard.

I think Karen liked the pork steak. I looked like it was breaded and then cooked on the flat top. Yum. She teased, offering me some, holding back the brown crunchy part for herself. Hey - can ya blame her? Not me. The peas seemed canned. Same for the corn. If I remember correctly, I think she enjoyed the mashed potatoes - real lumps.

Then there was the cheeseburger.
Where's a photo of the heavens opening with a choir of angels when I need one?

Heck, I'll just give you a close-up on the burger.

I loved this burger.
It was not overdone. Still juicy. The bun was toasted, again, flat top. It was just what I needed at that moment.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, while I had coffee, Karen had sweet tea. She loved the fact that it was just sitting in a Rubbermaid pitcher in a mini fridge by the register. Karen is quite the sweet tea connoisseur and says that the tea at this place was fresh brewed - that morning - and not overly sweet.

I took some tea to go, but all I can offer is it didn't taste like McDonald's. Hey, I'm new at the sweet tea thing. I'm learning.

A little girl a few tables over called out to the waitress, "Tina, can I have summore of suhweet tea puhlease?" I smiled. Seemed every child in Kentucky used their "please and thank you's." It was refreshing. (I actually thought she called our waitress "Dana" at first.)

Tina came by for our dessert order. Hmm. Nice pies written on the white board. I asked what she would recommend. She said the cream pies sell well.

Then I got the gumption to ask what I was truly wondering,
"Are any of them homemade?"
(Please say yes, please say yes....)

She hesitated. Not wanting to use the word no. Then it hit her and she smiled.

"Well the chocolate cake is made right here."
"Well then, I'd love a piece. To go, please."

She walked into the kitchen and brought out the cake platter, raised the lid and and carefully sliced off a hunk o' cake. Yum.

Before leaving, Karen and I snapped some last photos of the place. Tina was back chatting in the kitchen. She had been just so nice about allowing us to snap photos (we always asked first), and the food was just so good that I wanted to thank her again.

I walked to the open doorway and carefully stood at the line of demarcation - under the sign that said something like, "Absolutely no one beyond this point...except employees." I thanked her one more time and asked if I could take her photo. Sure, she said, while she was likely thinking I'm a real wierdo.

I took the picture - being sure to get the kitchen in the shot.

Now, that's Tina in pink. Babbie is in blue. (I hope I have that right - it didn't sound like Bobbie.) She's the talented cook.

And, er, yeah, that's the flat top.
It's an important part of the team.

I raved about the wonderful cheeseburger and told Babbie I had never had one quite that good in Chicago. She also thought I was a wierdo. And, I'm ok with that.

The ladies were very nice, the cheeseburger rocked, and the chocolate cake...well, I didn't eat it right away, so you're just gonna have to wait on that. For now, it went in the back seat of my car, into "Dana's Dessert Land."

Off we went.
Bellies full.
Homemade cake at the ready.
Sure am glad Karen saw the "open" sign in the window.

About this time I was really beginning to enjoy the landscape.
Bull.
No, I mean..."Bull!"

No, I have no idea why there is a giant fiberglass looking bull in the middle of a field.
But, he was cute.

On to Gravel Switch.
Turning south at Perryville - passing my first Confederate Cemetery,
Careening curved roads and straight-aways...

We passed lovely landscapes.

And, river ways.

Into the town and beyond a gigantic tin-sided building.

And, right through the other end of town. Over a creek, and then we finally saw...

Penn's Store - Gravel Switch, KY
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, Penn's is the oldest country store in America -run continuously by the same family. It has been in the Penn family since 1850.

The store has no running water.
And, it had no bathroom until 1992.
What kind of bathroom do you get for a 150 year old general store?
Penn's Privy.

I parked out of the way near the mailboxes on the brown dirt road (see photo above) and sat to play on the porch with the many cats and kitties and a sweet little girl. The little girl, handing me a kitten, explained that his name was Tiger Toes. Wanna see?

It didn't take long to figure out that the little girl was part of the family. Karen and I went inside and spoke with a very nice young woman named Dawn. She described how the store has been in the family for, I believe it was, 6 generations. Actually, I think the 6th was sitting on the front porch...or maybe she was the 7th.

We chatted and began to pick out souvenir shirts when a woman came in the screen door saying that someone outside had parked in the "middle of the road."

Now, I found that funny - seeing we were the only ones in the tiny building - and I really thought it was a joke.

I said, "Yeah, guess that'd be me."
She shrugged, and said, "Well, you might wanna move it or your gonna get hit."

Oh, God!
She's serious!
And...I just laughed at her!

"Oh, absolutely, sure, I'll move it right now."

I had a t-shirt in my hand... and a scene in my head...where I was handcuffed while the nice lady told the sheriff how I had "run right out the store with her shirt."

I laid the shirt on top of the old freezer and headed out to move the car. Then I stopped.
I sincerely didn't know WHERE to park.

Being as gentle as I could, I stepped back through the screen door and asked where the best place to park was.

"Right out front."

Of...course.
OK, folks, here it is again.
So, where would YOU park?

So...I parked parallel to the porch.
(God I hope that's right. Please let it be right.
Oh, no! That's prolly Mom who I yelled at. Geesh, could I feel any smaller?)

Three generations were present. Mom, daughter and granddaughter, who is 8. Daughter and granddaughter live 30 minutes away in...shoot. See, now there's the rub. I can't say. I spoke for 30 minutes with Mom - yes, we got past the whole "parking incident", 15 with Daughter and a good 10 with granddaughter while playing with the cats.

But, much of what they shared I can't type in a blog.
Wouldn't be right.

These are amazing folks. Who have a legacy.
And, it's both a blessing and a burden.

We stood and talked with tears falling from our eyes - about honoring history, legal issues, stagnant towns after folks send their children away to get an education to "find a better life," (both Mom and Daughter have degrees), the impact of tobacco legislation, the current drought of 15 inches in Kentucky and the resultant need to take time to water-down the cattle as well as pay for the water itself, and just plain maliciousness. Seems the store has been broken into a few times.

The women are good hearted, hard-working, and very, very nice. And, through the struggles, they manage to smile. They have had to reduce the hours, just to keep life manageable. They want to keep the store open, maintain the legacy, but it's difficult.

Penn's Store is worth seeing - but it's definitely a "call first" destination and I guess "don't bet the farm on it's being open" sort of place. If you want to read more about the store and their legacy, Dawn and her music, or if you just want to buy a ball cap or t-shirt you can head to http://www.pennsstore.com/

Oh, since this is a food blog...they serve sandwiches.

Mom (I think it's Jeanne) and I got to talking about restaurants and she said she believed Cedarwood might be open on Sundays. Here's one last look back at Penn's Store.

Cedarwood Restaurant - West on US 68 - 10 miles down.
Take-out tea time. They were open on Sunday, had very sweet tea, and the pies looked HOMEMADE! But...I already had cake in the back seat. I was soooo tempted. I didn't. And, I should have. That was the last homemade pie I would see on this trip.

Our next stop...well, our numerous attempts to reach the Monks in Trappist, KY were to no avail. Yes, I now get the irony. Monks. Silence. But, come on! They have an answering machine. Anyway, we heard they support themselves selling homemade fruitcake, cheese and bourbon fudge.

Determined, we headed toward Trappist, KY and the monks.
Karen and I were apparently the only people to visit Kentucky without going on a bourbon tour. OK, almost made it. We had no intention of seeing how bourbon was made. But, we had time on our hands.

Interestingly enough, on the road to the bourbon fudge making monks is...a distillery. Now, THERE's some irony for ya. Hey, it's Sunday, let's get some beer for breakfast, hit the distillery, then stop at the Abbey for some fruitcake. I was beginning to think maybe we shoulda had that beer.

Maker's Mark Distillery - Loretto, KY
It was a record breaking day in Kentucky - something like 96 degrees in October - and we found ourselves taking a tour through a boiler room. Man, we gotta get a new travel agent. Actually the tour was quite interesting, considering I don't drink bourbon.

We were able to jump right in on a free tour which was just starting. Our tour guide was cheery, considering the heat, and she really wanted to be sure we understood the specificity of the originators, the recipe, the method, and the difference in the taste of their product. I'll let you surf the web for all the other answers but I will tell you these two things: they don't use rye and theirs is a "tip of the tongue" taste.

Our smiling, yet very wilted tour guide, encouraged us to stick a finger in each sour mash batch and taste it. They were different ages. One was sorta sweet and the other was very sour. The process reminded me of sourdough bread since they reserve part of the previous mash for the next batch. Interesting. The vats were 100 year old cypress and were 12 feet across. And, the floor was wooden and below us you could see all kinds of machinations going on.

My what nice copper pots. And, the skinniest Dana ever - in the reflection.

We passed through a huge warehouse of aging barrels and then had a taste of Maker's Mark bourbon... and bourbon chocolate.

Wait one second!
Bourbon chocolate? Bourbon fudge!
The monks!

It took no time at all to get there.
Who woulda thunk that bourbon would be only 10 minutes down the Abbey road.
I'll just let it be.

Abbey of Gethsemani - Trappist, KY

Sadly, the gift store was closed.
Darn, I'll have to buy your Christmas fruitcakes online.

Yes, they have a website - the monks are masters at marketing - even with that whole vow of silence thing. Two loving dogs, one sleeping in the photo above, escorted us around the grounds. Karen and I stopped to look a very old cemetery. While the monastery was founded in 1848, I really think some of those headstones had dates preceding that.

Point of interest, Thomas Merton lived there for 27 years.
The dogs continued to follow us around until we had seen everything we could. Then a woman came from the parking lot asking if they were our dogs. We explained that we believed that they belonged there. The dogs seemed to know each other and be familiar with the place. She said they were probably dumped off. It happens regularly. Matter of fact, she had just placed a different dog the week before. She went inside, but I'm sure she knew that her two charges would be waiting for her to find them homes when she returned. This was a very sweet mangy mutt.

Seeing that we had reservations that night to "Sleep in a Wigwam," we needed to make some mileage. Perhaps in honor of the monks, we wanted to take the road less traveled, and boy we found it.

We took US 52 west then US 31E towards Hodgenville.
Till the road was closed.
I just stopped.
Looked around.
Er.

Nice man in a pickup truck pulled up to help with directions.
Right, left, left, right, blah, blah.
OK, I got it.
Didn't have it.

At least it was gorgeous out. We were in the middle of absolutely no where. I mean, we had no idea where we were - other than between two farms. We figured we had 2 compasses, and the sun. We sorta knew which direction to head. And, if we found ourselves literally on gravel, we would head back. Onward!

We thought maybe we knew where we were at one point - on McCubbins Road.
Good enough - McCubbins.
Till we hit an intersection, and the road was McCubbins.

Huh?
We were at McCubbins Road & Harned-McCubbins Road.

Believe it or not...we found THAT on the map.
Aha! My super-duper down to the tiny roads atlas came in handy. So, THAT way back to 31E again so we could hit 84 and continue on. Score. I wish we took a picture of the crossroad - but we were just too dumbfounded to take one.

Someplace between the Abbey and the Interstate - on a small road was the "We Don't Rent Pigs" sign. I have asked around but the best I've received are guesses to the meaning. Apparently it was a line in Lonesome Dove. However, someone said her grandfather used to say it, so it precedes the movie. If you know, please post a comment.

We headed toward the Interstate since it was getting dark and headed towards Cave City. We saw a truck which made me smile.

Cave City, KY
I really enjoyed seeing all of the old neon signs around town - even though it felt a bit like a ghost town and creeped me out. Big time. Not just economically depressed...but void. Sorry Cave City. I'm sure you're a lovely town. I just wasn't feeling it that night. But, here are some great signs.

Wigwam Village No. 2 - Cave City, KY
In 1933, Frank Redford built a teepee shaped building in Horse City, KY. (Yes, their technically teepee, not wigwams.) Adding more buildings, this eventually became Wigwam Village No. 1.

Redford applied for a patent in 1935 and it was granted in 1936.

In 1937, Wigwam Village No. 2 was built Cave City, KY, near Mammoth Cave National Park. By the early 1950s, seven wigwam villages had been built in the south and southwestern United States.

Three Wigwams Villages still exist: No. 2 in Cave City, No. 6 in Holbrook, AZ and No. 7 in Rialto- San Bernardino, CA.

As you can see from our photo above - while the gas pumps are long gone - not much has changed. Some of these following photos were taken the next morning in better light.

Where possible, I have included an original postcard as a historical touchstone. Some postcards are from other locations, and have slight differences, e.g. the Cave City location doesn't have windows in their bathroom. But, for the most part, the locations are - or, since most are gone, I should say - were- quite similar.

The Lunch Room above is the largest teepee, which now houses the motel office. Unfortunately, I didn't snap any photos of the inside when we checked in. It's still in very nice condition - the brown wood semi-circle counter is still in place.

Sadly, the office was still closed at 9 am when we departed.
No chance for photos.

In the postcard above, you can barely catch a glimpse of the tile work in the bathroom. Notice our photos below show the original tile work, the pointy "up and down" wigwam pattern - just like the pattern painted on the outside of the wigwams.

The bathroom was still in wonderful condition, considering it's from the 193o's. I really loved that there is still a bottle opener behind the door - and, they haven't painted over it. If only we had a bottle of Ale 8.

The double room was pretty snug. The singles, which are the same size, obviously have more more walking area. I found the bed quite cozy and the air conditioner kept us plenty cool - and, it was on in preparation for our arrival. There was a TV with cable, but I don't think there was a phone. We had our cell phones and had good reception.

For those with a touch of claustrophobia, note that there are only two small windows in each teepee - and one is filled with the air conditioner. There are jalousie windows (glass slats) in the doors. However, our door had a painted board tacked to the inside. I didn't take note - perhaps some of the rooms still have working windows in the doors. You can always ask when making the reservation. It's worth a shot.

Now, we stopped for dinner at a local steakhouse. It wasn't enjoyable. It tasted as though the steak had been marinating in steak sauce. I suppose I wouldn't have been so bothered if that were disclosed on the menu, but I didn't remember reading that. I want my steak to taste like...meat. And, maybe butter.

We're still at dinner in our story, but I need to stop and get this out in the open.

Here's the thing about the Wigwams - they are isolated. There are businesses across the street, but they close at night. In back is a large field and an active train line. (The good news is I couldn't hear any trains from inside with the AC on.) However, once it gets dark, there are only dim lights outside of each room. Otherwise, it's pitch black out.

By the time we checked in it was dusk. The office closed at 7 or 8. Then, as far as I can tell, you are on your own. (Keep in mind, I don't think there was a phone in the room. That's how we knew we had cell phone reception. We checked.) And, the fact that when I waved to the bikers in the last teepee - and they didn't wave back - well, that didn't give me comfort.

I can't really describe why...but I felt uneasy. And, I really needed to get my bearings around town. To Karen's credit, she said she wanted me to drive until I felt better, or we would just leave the key, forgo the cost, and drive on into the night. We started exploring.

One light moment - a welcome relief - showed itself when we passed huge tourist stop selling rocks on the side of the road. It was closed. Large signs, still visible in the dark, proclaimed that rocks on this table were 5 for $5... and rocks on that table were 5 for $25. Karen said it seemed that after 7 p.m. they were all free. Cracked me up.

We headed out to look around near Mammoth Cave. I thought we might find some activity there. Instead we just found dark roads. We headed back and passed what looked little adorable old cottages from an old tourist court. I made note to check those out in the daylight.

Back at the Wigwams, we shot some photos in the dark. We unpacked our bags and for the first time in the trip I got out my 3 cell Maglight and loaded the large heavy batteries. Yes, I really was that unnerved. I wanted the assurance of a large heavy flashlight.

There were kids playing outside in what Karen joked was the "mutant human habitrail" and swingset. They seemed to be having a great time. And, there were adults outside gathered around a fire pit. Drawn to the fire - and still needing to get a feel for my surroundings - I grabbed the key and went out to meet people.

Things take a turn for the better.
Karen stayed inside to call her family. I headed to the fire pit. I asked if everyone knew each other already - I didn't want to invite myself into their party. (I knew that the entire motel was booked the night before with a high school reunion and there was a chance these folks were all from that group.) Nope. They all just met that night. They immediately welcomed me and introductions were made all around.

There was a couple from Calumet City near Chicago. Another couple from kinda-sorta the Owensboro, KY area. Another from Nashville. And, so it went. More kids came out to run and roughhouse on the playground equipment and each time a parent came out we invited them to join us at the fire. Our numbers grew.

It was soul filling. I felt better. We were laughing and joking, swapping stories and recipes. And, in no time I knew my neighbors from rooms 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10.

I'm not saying my guard was down. Matter of fact, when I mentioned the fact that we were on our own - seeing the office had closed down for the night- I witnessed that part processing in the eyes of the man sitting next to me. I saw it sink in. But for those around the campfire - he, his wife, and their 9 year old daughter were alone. We looked at each other and nodded knowingly.

More adults joined us until we pretty much knew the occupants of each of the 15 rooms. The adults who didn't join us sat on the bench outside of their teepee and enjoyed the fire from afar.

The couple from Calumet Park were originally going to camp out like they usually do. But, since it was in the 90's they just felt it was too hot to camp. Our luck! They had brought their own firewood and snackage and in no time we were toasting up some s'mores.

The couple from KY offered up some input on BBQ places. When I said we were heading to Owensboro the following day, they asked if we were headed to Moonlite. Yep.

Conversation continued. Seems a few of us had less than desirable experiences at dinner that evening - even though we ate in different restaurants. When I said I wanted my steak to taste like... meat...the KY husband looked up from the fire and nodded.

After a few minutes of BBQ banter, the wife looked at the husband and said, "Should we tell her?" Apparently they weren't fond of Moonlite. They preferred Old South. Now, I had heard good reports of Old Hickory and George's. But, Old South was a new name to me. They were good folks. We seemed to have similar interests in food. I noted their preference for the next day.

Conversations continued about cooking and coal mining, reclamation, and how Cairo is pronounced Ki-ro in Egypt and Ka-ro in Illinois. The Calumet couple were on a mission for a friend who was "quite the chef" to find yellow farina. We, the fire folks, looked around. Yellow? White, sure. The lady from Calumet said he wanted it for dumplings. The young lady from KY said she used the same ingredients for her biscuits as her dumplings. My ears perked up. She said, flour, oil and...well, to be honest, if she wanted the yellow dumplings...she added a drop or two of yellow food coloring. Really? We all got a chuckle out of that.

Back on the topics of yellow farina, I mentioned that perhaps yellow farina was like cow tipping. They laughed and nodded. Maybe.

I pressed on about the KY lady's biscuits - by way of her dumplings. So, these are drop biscuits...I mean dumplings? Yep, though, she pointed to her husband and said he prefers cut. So, sometimes she'll roll them out and cut them into strips and squares and sometimes he just has to eat them her way. He looked up from the fire to interject that either way, they're good.

So, about those biscuits, you said oil. "Yep," she said. Shortening? "No." Canola, whatever she has on hand. Any shortening or lard or anything in your biscuits? No, she uses self-rising flour, oil, and water, if it needs it. That's it. Buttermilk? Some folks do, but she doesn't see a need. Score. I just love hearing about what other people rely on. Boy, southern cooks sure do like their self-rising flour. Until a year ago, I had never heard of the stuff.

We chatted about Ale 8, some had heard of it, some not. And, I found out about another local soda - Ski - which was described by the southern IL person as a blend of Mountain Dew and orange. He said we should be able to find it all over the lower part of Illinois.

Hours later, I said goodnight to the group and headed back up the little grassy incline back to the room. I smelled like campfire and my throat was a little hoarse from laughing so much. I felt a bit better. Still had the flashlight within reach. And, slept soundly.

We hit the ground running the next morning, dropped off the key with the maid, and snapped a few sunrise shots of the motel. We said so long to the adults I met the night before and saw kids heading to the "habitrail." And, then we waved goodbye to the Wigwams.

I am glad we stayed.
To be fair, I would rate the motel:
A for price.
A for authenticity.
B for cleanliness.

Yet, for safety's sake - I would only suggest staying there when the place is booked to capacity.

For those who are actually still reading...
Day 3, in retrospect, wasn't about cheeseburgers, general stores or vintage wigwams.

It was about the people.

People who served our food and invited us back. The heritage holding Penn family and their dedication to their local community and to a landmark. The folks around a fire pit whose roaring laughter and roasted marshmallows made the niggling night a bit more bearable.

Those moment touched me in a way I can't bring to life in a blog.
But, hopefully you at least felt part of their uniqueness in my notes.

Day 4 - our last day - will include some of my very favorite pictures.
We found a couple of vintage Tourist Courts and snapped some adorable shots of cottages - some still in use and others occupied only by kudzu.

Past Time Cafe
306 Stanford St
Crab Orchard, KY
(606) 355-0046

Penn's Store
Gravel Switch, KY
859-332-7706/7715 (Call Ahead)
www.pennsstore.com

Maker's Mark Distillery
3350 Burks Spring Road
Loretto, KY
(270) 865-2881

Abbey of Gethsemani
3642 Monks Road
Trappist, KY
(502)549-3117

Wigwam Village #2
601 North Dixie Hwy
Cave City, KY
(270) 773-3381

Read the whole Feasting on Americana! series:
Day 1 - Drive-In Owner Shares a Secret
Day 2 - My First Fried Green Tomatoes!
Day 3 - Confusion, Confession, and Reading Between the Lines
Day 4 - What's a good Northern girl to do?

Day 2: My First Fried Green Tomatoes!

2010-03-12T11:34:00.007-06:00

Ah, Day 2. Now, grab your coffee, jump in and buckle up.
We're going for a ride - a long one.
And, bear in mind...we did this in one day.

For the safety and comfort of others,
please keep your arms and legs inside the blog at all times.
Off we go!

We woke refreshed someplace south of Louisville...gassed up...
And giggled at the "Drive-through Donut Stand" at the BP.
That would explain the very friendly officers inside ;)

On the make for Lynne's Paradise Cafe, we headed back north to Louisville -over the bridge - which, in the wee hours made me feel like I was driving down a monster's gullet. It was that fabric stuff hanging from the top - looking like a soft palate - that freaked me out in the dark. In the daylight, the monster's not much of a meanie...

Back and forth we went across the bridge.
Note to self: There is no replacement for a city map.
A state map just won't do.
We had many maps, printouts - even our atlas didn't do the trick every time.

Finally, we found the cute neighborhood and were greeted by just the cutest produce stand. There were also small little cottages which housed art shops, a spice store, sellers of unique shirts and tea towels, etc.

Lynne's Paradise Cafe - Louisville, KY
Since it was 90 degrees in October (!) and still morning, we elected to wait about 40 minutes to eat breakfast inside. Luckily, Lynne's provides MORE than enough entertainment during the wait by means of kitsch. You name it, they have it. I was especially fond of the salt and pepper shakers and the "What Would Bacon Do?" spinner. The bottle cap belt was very nice and came complete with a bottle opener belt buckle.

Had I known that locally bottled beverages would play such an important role in our short journey, I would have bought the belt. Actually, the unofficial name for our trip should be "Sodas and Sheriffs" considering how much interaction we had with each. Remind me to tell you about the cop in Owensboro who....Aw, now, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Back to Lynne's.
Our names were called none to soon, as a pushing match was forming at the register as we jockied for position. I was stunned and then remembered that 90% of the people in the building were tourists. Grumpy tourists - and, upon closer examination, I deemed myself to be a card carrying member. I needed coffee - badly.

Our server was a pretty young blond woman in a spaghetti strapped black knit dress. She had a wonderful smile and some very nice tattoo art on both of her shoulder blades. I was going to ask if I could get a shot of her shoulders...but as I reached to put sugar in my coffee...I managed to knock an entire glass of ice water all over the table. Feeling bad, there was no way I was asking.

Karen ordered cheese grits, scrambled eggs (with tomatoes, white cheddar and bacon), buttermilk biscuits (which came with a yummy honey-butter), and iced tea. I had the biscuits and gravy, and my very first fried green tomatoes.

Fried. Green. Tomatoes.
Now, Karen isn't fond of FGT. I'd like to say that she just had enough of 'em growing up. She did. But, truth is, she never liked 'em. Still doesn't - at all.

So, I was on my own in the FGT taste test.

These FGT's were very thin and fried crispy. They came with a mayo horseradish sauce with slivers of horseradish in it - and, I think a whole lot of black pepper. The sauce was hot, but only on the tongue - not up the sinuses. I really enjoyed it. The tomatoes tasted good. But, since they were my first, all I can say is the tomato was very thin and I could have very well been eating fried zucchini - but for the fact I could see "hub and spoke" tomato shape.

Grits.
Cheese grits.

Kentucky white cheddar cheese grits (I think Karen saw that on the menu.) We were seated right out front of the kitchen door - which was perfect seating in our case. I caught a glimpse of someone with a cutting board full of pale yellow and orange 2x2 inch chunks which got dumped into...something. (The door swung closed.) We guessed it was the cheese for the grits. Karen just couldn't say enough about them. They were mighty tasty, very cheesy, not at all stringy, and gone waaaay too soon. Karen's only recommendation is that they serve an "All you can eat" cheesy grit bowl. She really loved them. I did, too.

Remember the hotness of the mayo horseradish sauce?
Well, I took a bite of biscuits and gravy and said they had really put too much pepper in the gravy? I had Karen try it and she tasted barely any pepper. I drank some water and tried again - this time finding little pepper. Apparently my palate was playing a trick, and my slightly abused tongue was hyper-sensitive from the horseradish.

Solution?
Eat the B&G, ignore the faux pepper signals being sent to my brain, and focus on finishing those yummy those tomatoes. OK, really it was all about...that sauce. Tongue torture and all - it was tremendous.

We admired the old stove (behind the lamp in the photo below), the stamped galvanized steel-ish looking things hanging from the ceiling (which we believe light up at night from the inside), the '60s style pants adorning the disembodied legs above the windows, and the giant Lite Brite on the wall near the "Where are you from?" map which invites visitors from all over the world to place a sticker on their point of origin.
Without rushing us, our waitress brought our check and asked if we would enjoy a coffee and tea to go.

Yes.
Yes, we would.
That was such a simple thing, but made us very happy.
The meal was worth the wait, the kitsch was...just the kitschiest.
And, the service was very, very good.

Hey, Lynne's!
We are serious about your needing an "All-you-can-eat cheesy grit bowl." ;)

We didn't get to see much of Louisville.
Here's just a bit of what we saw.

Stopped at a red light in downtown Louisville, we saw two girls holding "Free Hugs" signs.
No one was taking them up on it.
It was sad - if they were on my side of the car...I would have gotten out.
Ever see the video?
It's touching, pardon the pun. http://www.freehugscampaign.org/

There was a tap on my driver's side window.
Free hugs person?
Panhandler?
Nope.

"Wammabreecote?"
I heard through the window as the giant smiling face held up a can.

(Rolling down the window)

"Want a free Coke? It's 'Love Louisville Day' and God loves you!"
I thanked the person as I reached for the can.

We found one sign particularly puzzling.
How EXACTLY do you get on this bus? (See photo.)

The trip to the river town of Madison, IN was a pretty one.
And, it included a very retro looking motel.

Mundt's Candies - Madison, IN.
Recorded in the Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Mundt's has been confectionery shop and soda fountain - in spot since 1917.

For lovers of the small print - Mundt’s closed May 1966 and re-opened June 1998.

The people were nice.
The candy I sampled was good.
The building was well-preserved and in excellent condition - though it was so busy inside - I was distracted. It was the second touristy place of the day - and I think I just wanted something less chaotic. Here's a look at the place when it settled down a bit.
The ice cream was very creamy. The literature they provide on each table said that it's made in an old ice cream maker. I can tell you that the "Coffee Caramel Espresso" tasted like it had real chunks of coffee bean in it. This created a chewy - bean pieces in your teeth - texture that coffee lovers like me would enjoy. If you only kinda like coffee - then stay clear.
We took one last look around Madison, IN.
Karen noticed this cute town crier perched upon a fire station.

Update: A helpful poster on Roadfood.com, CajunKing, read the blog and provided some additional background on the lil gold guy in the photo above. Seems that particular fire station has quite the history. Apparently, that's the Fairplay Fire Company #1 - established on September 15, 1841 - and it's the oldest fire company in Indiana. The weather vane on top of the "Ones" station, is "Little Jimmy" - dressed as a turn-of-the-century firefighter. Here's a close up of him - now that we're on a first name basis. *grin*

We originally thought we might head to Dana, KY. But, it was about 2pm and we only had about 4 solid hours of daylight left. Single lane roads in foothills under dark...nah! Instead, we followed the river a bit - and a quite a mess of mobile hay - and headed toward a guaranteed non-tourist dinner in Cynthiana, KY. The tiny towns, twisty turns, and the tale of a renowned (?) piscator were just what my soul needed. The sign for "fair Verona" made me smile. And, here I will lay my photos... Biancke's Restaurant - Cynthiana, KY
This place is quaint - but it ain't small. There's room after room after room. I think almost everyone in town was seated for dinner, and most ordered off the blackboard instead of bothering with any silly menu.
Karen tried the smothered chicken and hand-dipped onion rings. I went for the "special" which was a baked spaghetti with yeast rolls. I chose corn pudding for a side, and decided that another helping of fried green tomatoes was in order. In her research, Karen learned that a ginger ale called "Ale-8 One" had been locally bottled in nearby Winchester, KY since 1926. We both ordered some.

I would love to tell you this was the greatest meal I have ever had.

Instead, I will tell you that it was the best corn puddin' I've ever had.

Having never had it before, I am now a BIG fan. It was sweet enough to be a dessert and had enough corn in it to be a meal. Nice texture. Very good stuff.

As for the rest of the meal, well, perhaps it was just my "out of town" taste buds. Everyone and their Momma ordered the spaghetti - like I did.

And, I thought it was ok.
Just ok.
Bland.

Karen said the smothered chicken was - yep, you guessed it - ok. It came out hot, and covered in cheese, peppers and onions. But, the chicken was a dry. And, I thought it was...bland. Karen said the onion rings were "Good, but they weren't 'Mug N Bun' good."

We were hungry and gladly ate our meals.
But, well... I hope you understand.

Fried Green Tomatoes - Round 2 *Ching*

These FGT's were slightly thicker than the ones I had that morning at Lynne's. Maybe 1/4th of an inch thick. These came with a pinkish sauce - the flavor of which I liked well enough, though can't remember it now. In the morning, when I tried FGTs for the first time - ever, Karen said that they can have a slightly sour taste that she doesn't like. I didn't taste that in the ones at Lynne's, but I understood now. It wasn't overwhelming, but I could taste it. Wasn't bad. Though I chose to finish the corn pudding and leave a lot of the FGTs behind.

I loved the yeast rolls.

Rolls and a large corn puddin' from Biancke's would make me a very happy camper.

Oh, I almost forgot the Ale-8.

We both enjoyed it. It was mild. Didn't have the bite of Vernor's - for those who are lucky enough to experience Vernor's. Oh, and even though its formal name is "Ale-8 One" seems it's just plain ol' Ale-8 to those in the know. ;)

I took a slice of apple pie with me for later.

The filling was quite tasty. All I'll say about that.

With our bellies full and our wallet wounded - it was getting dark, so we headed to the interstate. Sadly, we drove through a lot of horse country in the dark. So, no wonderful photos of that.

We stopped in Corbin, KY off of I-75. We thought we might hit the Burger Boy having heard good things. But, alas, we were still full. Burger Boy had a great sign.

Sanders Court and Cafe - Corbin, KY
Yep, "Harlan Sanders," the Colonel himself.

Like moths to a flame...or perhaps more like ants to a picnic...we were drawn to the Sanders Cafe and Museum. Harlan was an extraordinary guy. Yes, he created the "secret recipe" but there's more to Harlan's story.

You see, in 1930, at the age of 40, Harlan moved from Indiana to Corbin, KY. There he opened a service station with a lunchroom out back. By 1937, the Sanders Cafe was built which seated 142 food lovin' folks.

Now, Harlan's chicken was very popular. But, it took a long time to make good fried chicken. So, Harlan decided to use a pressure cooker - the increase in pressure would lower the boiling point of the oil and cook the chicken faster.

Oh, dear...I fear I've lost you.
Don't glaze over.
Here's the point.

The Cafe was sitting smack dab on Route 25 - a very busy route traveled by tourists on their way to and from Florida. So, while crunch and flavor mattered greatly - this IS after all the man who mastered the "11 herbs and spices" - time was also a test. The pressure cooker was the answer.

Bear in mind, Harlan had only formally complete sixth grade.
See, I told you he was extraordinary.

A fire razed the Cafe in 1939 and Harlan, seeing an opportunity, re-built the Cafe and added a motel - The Sanders Court.
Sadly, in 1956 plans were announced for a Federal Highway - Route 75. Traffic, both quad-wheeled and bipedal, would then bypass Route 25 and the Sanders Court and Cafe. Now this didn't stop Harlan. No siree. Harlan auctioned off the motel and cafe and began hitting the road himself - selling franchises - and, rumor is, making a nickel on every piece of chicken sold!

Oh, did I forget to mention that by this time, Harlan was 65!

Sorry about the rambling.
I told myself that I wouldn't drone on about the Colonel, that you could read all about him on the internet or by visiting the museum for yourselves - but can you blame me? I mean, this guy was... Say it with me now...extraordinary. (Grin.)

Oh, I just heard a rumor that KFC is changing their signs back to Kentucky Fried Chicken. Kudos for them, if it's true. Never should have been changed in the first place.

Pardon the disembodied head - AB, you rock.

The Museum folks were very polite as we wandered around gazing at the sample "cottage room" and the former kitchen. Finally, we headed out - thinking we would stop for the homemade root beer we heard about. We passed two cars (perhaps coming back from the local Oktoberfest) which had recently made the front doors of a local business into a drive-through. Yep, they drove right up the curb and into the building.

Passing the emergency vehicles, we found 3 more squad cars keeping the peace in a parking lot. Friendly bunch - they knew just the place I was looking for, "The Root Beer Stand," but it was closed for the season.

We stopped at the first motel we could find that had a room and pondered the two red velvet chairs - oddly placed in the pastel country motif of the Best Western - while I finished off the apple pie from earlier in the day.

Never got to see the famed lunar "Moonbow" in Corbin.
You can Google that one. Nice pics there.

Darn.
Well, at least I got to meet the Colonel.
Sort of.
I just couldn't keep Jay's onion ring secret any longer.
Well, that was Day 2.
You hung in there, nice job.

Day 3 to follow...Which will include the phrase "Beer for breakfast."
Your patience will be rewarded.
One last photo for especially for Rob - I call it "Taillights in Corbin."

Lynne's Paradise Cafe
984 Barret Ave
Louisville, KY
(502) 583-3447

Mundt's Candies
207 West Main St.
Madison, IN 47250
(812)265-6171

Biancke's Restaurant
102 South Main Street
Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859)234-0337

Sanders Cafe and Museum
Corbin, KY
606-528-2163

Read the whole Feasting on Americana! series:
Day 1 - Drive-In Owner Shares a Secret
Day 2 - My First Fried Green Tomatoes!
Day 3 - Confusion, Confession, and Reading Between the Lines
Day 4 - What's a good Northern girl to do?

Feasting On Americana! Day 1: Drive-In Owner Shares A Secret

2010-03-04T14:13:00.003-06:00

We're gonna jump back just a bit...to October of '07 to meet Jay.

Jay is a soft-spoken owner of the Mug N Bun Drive-In.
And, he makes the best hand-dipped onion rings I've ever had.
Full stop.

My friend Karen and I left town on Friday 4 pm and began our first "Feasting On Americana" trip. The voyage was inspired by Alton Brown's Feasting On Asphalt tours.

Now, I'll understand if you need to put it in reverse and check out our purpose... we'll sit here and idle a while.

And...we're off!

Mug N Bun, Indianapolis
In a successful attempt to bypass heavy Chicago traffic, we headed South on Route 47 to Champaign then East on I-74. We called ahead to see if we would make it to the Mug N Bun before they closed. The very nice man who answered gave directions, saying that once on 10th street we would see the sign.

"Sure, the red arrow, right?"
(Stunned silence.)

I think I surprised him...since I wasn't even in the area.
So I explained that I had done my research and many folks on the internet said his pork tenderloin was "not to be missed." He asked where we were from (I answered, Chicago) and he said to be sure to say hello when we arrived.

We were lucky enough to arrive in time to order and to get some pictures of the nice neon sign while it still glowed. We both ordered the pork tenderloin, hand-dipped onion rings, and after the server informed us that they had homemade root beer...we ordered that, too.

We clicked off more photos and our the waitress brought our food. She asked if we were the ladies who called (Yep!) then she handed each of us a heavy brown bag... with a souvenir mug inside...compliments of the owner.

Wow!
That was so kind.

I ran up to the drive-in window and thanked the owner, who promptly threw out a hand, introducing himself as Jay. We talked for a while about his business, how he loves meeting people from all over and how word of mouth is truly his best advertisement. He was very proud of his hand-dipped onion rings.

Then it hit me...
I hadn't even tasted the food.

I excused myself, returning to my car and digging in to the tasty, juicy, pork tenderloin sammy and tried a ring. Amazing. The tenderloin was piping hot and flavorful, not hard, crunchy and old...even though we ordered at 10:25pm ... 5 min before close. The sandwich was large enough to split, though we each ordered one. I only managed to finish half of the sandwich with a handful of giant onion rings before I was full. And, the homemade rootbeer was creamy, no bite, with a great mouth feel.
I just had to thank Jay one more time.
I raved about the onion rings while his face beamed. They were...crispy, cooked through but not mealy, the onion didn't pull out in one long strip, the breading stayed on the ring, they were huge, and the breading itself was tasty. Truly wonderful.

Politely accepting the compliment, Jay said he uses large Spanish onions. (He loves loves the springtime when he can get them from Texas - though sometimes those are so big the rings break in half.) He cooks all his food to order... including the rings. So, for a busy Friday night - where he can serve up to 900 tenderloins - he spends about 2.5 hours in the morning cutting onions.

Yes, 2.5 hours just cutting onions!

Then Jay swore me to secrecy and shared his "secret" to a good onion ring. The secret, according to Jay is...aw, now, I can't tell you that. But, I sure did appreciate his sharing it.

On and on we talked...
About how he bought the place in '98 (I think he said), his 50 item menu which includes oysters...his creamy and delicious homemade root beer. But, soon the neon lights went out and it was time for us to say goodbye.

Now, everyone, listen up :)
Jay asked me to tell folks who might visit to take a moment and introduce themselves.
He really loves meeting people. And, trust me, you want to meet this man with a passion for drive-in food.

We got back on the road, drove South of Louisville and stayed in a Hampton Inn. Appreciative of the comfy beds and thick luxurious duvets, we hit the sack to slumber while visions of hand-dipped onion rings filled our dreams.
Don't miss Day 2 of Feasting on Americana!

Mug N Bun
5211 W 10th St
Indianapolis, IN 46224
Phone: (317) 244-5669Read the whole Feasting on Americana! series:
COMING SOON! Day 2 - My First Fried Green Tomatoes!
COMING SOON! Day 3 - Confusion, Confession, and Reading Between the Lines
COMING SOON! Day 4 - What's a good Northern girl to do?

Thank you...
To all my friends at the Good Eats Fan Page Message Board and the very helpful folks at Roadfood.com forums for providing invaluable info on eateries. When it came to researching hole-in-the-wall dives, recommendations flooded forth about food they "never miss" when in town. In a way, they were my own little Duncan Hines researchers, and I am much obliged.

If you are not familiar with of Duncan Hines' instrumental involvement in food and lodging in the middle of the last century, request a copy of Adventures in Good Eating from your local library or head to Amazon for a copy of Louis Hatchett's book, Duncan Hines: The Man Behind the Cake Mix.

Read the whole Feasting on Americana! series:
Day 1 - Drive-In Owner Shares a Secret
Day 2 - My First Fried Green Tomatoes!
Day 3 - Confusion, Confession, and Reading Between the Lines
Day 4 - What's a good Northern girl to do?

Where Should We Go First?

2010-03-03T13:07:00.004-06:00

Well, where should go today? There's nothing quite like a 15 foot tall Superman wearing a Santa hat! At least the fine folks in Metropolis, Illinois think so!

Or, we could take some small roads...It's difficult to resist snapping a shot of a New Era Potato Chip silo while driving back roads in Portland, Michigan.

After eating potato chips from a silo, there's nothing quite as refreshing as a giant brew from the Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse in Gaylord, Michigan.

While I get our first trip lined up...
Go ahead and get settled in.

There are lots of large fiberglass object and off-the-beaten path food to come. And, we'll be taking some mini-trips visiting a state of two at a time.

So you don't miss any fun, you can bookmark us, or become a "Follower" via Twitter or Google Friend Connect (links are on the right side.)

Sit back, hang on, and enjoy the ride!

I Love the Smell of Leaded in the Morning!

2010-02-26T11:51:00.020-06:00

I love the smell of leaded in the morning!
And, I'm all excited about this new blog!

You see, the Feasting on Americana concept began in 2007 when my friend and I hit the open road. I posted the trip on my other blog, Cookin' At Café D.

After my first jaunt through parts of Indiana and Kentucky, my sis wanted to see some sights with her in Michigan. The more I traveled, the more people said they wanted to come along. The desire to hit the dirt road and get some grub is pretty contagious.

We'll start with some past trips - wonderful places with tasty vittles. And, since my pics have been stacking up, we have lots of new stuff to show you, too.

Feasting on Americana - Our Purpose:

1. To eat in diners and cafés while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere, good food and good people within their walls.
2. To visit some wacky road sites - like a giant pink elephant - before they are just a memory. (We love large fiberglass objects!)
3. To examine some of the history of road lodging - including refurbished as well as abandoned "tourist cottages." (Sleeping a night in the famed "Wigwam Motel No. 2" was quite memorable.)
4. To stop at interesting places which strike our fancy along the way.
5. (Oh, I almost forgot.) To forgo the Interstate System as much as possible, electing instead to travel the wee windy roads. (Disclaimer: For safety's sake, we take Interstates after dark.)
Ready to grab your hat?
Let's hit the dirt road and grab some grub along the way!

Thank you to Alton Brown for the inspiration that landed me back out on the road. His Feasting On Asphalt Series recharged the wanderlust that I had in college. That was the kick in the pants I needed to go exploring. That, and good company...and music, of course!