I don't know how much I have written about it here,* but I have become really enamored of food since my college days. I have always really enjoyed eating it, and my physique has paid for it. That's certainly no surprise, but it has run much deeper than that I would say starting around my senior year at Wabash. *Or anywhere else, for that matter. It was over the summer between my junior and senior year that I was introduced to food history as a legitimate field of study. While I'd had some bits and pieces of this in conversations both in and out of class with my professors,* it never really occurred to me it could be a real discipline until I attended a talk over that summer. I attended quite a few of these talks from potential faculty over the summers, mostly for the free pizza. I'm not above admitting that. But coming away learning something new or considering something from a different perspective was a nice side effect. When it was the History Department's turn to go through the process, though, I paid a little more attention, hopefully for obvious reasons. *Particularly Dr. Warner about Mexican food. I don't remember the lady's name who gave this talk. She didn't end up getting the offer.* But her presentation about how World War I changed diets not only in Europe, with all the death and destruction going on, but also in the United States. While some of it make some sense that there would be some shortages with trying to supply an army, some of the other effects were less direct and led to changes that many of us now just assume Americans always ate. *The deck was stacked against her, there was already a current professor who was going to transition onto tenure track. I'm pretty sure the decision was made before the call ever went out for applicants. This introduction is has already gone long, so I'll try to wrap it up here. The point is, since that talk, I have spent a lot more time not only trying to get a deeper appreciation of the food I was eating and teaching myself how to really cook, but also getting into the history of cuisines. Why they evolved the way they did, and how they have bled into each other and influenced one another. I'm pretty sure this more critical eye toward food* is why I can think of at least one meal on just about every trip Kristine** and I have taken together that has really stuck with me. I've tried to compile a pretty good list of vacation food that I think about regularly. *In the academic sense. **It helps that she is a foodie, too, so she is totally down for planning vacations around finding great restaurants, too. Also, she took all the pictures for this post. And so, without further ado, in no particular order: St. Louis: Caleco's (Tortellini with Alfredo) Since I have a lot of extended family in southeastern Missouri, we have a yearly trip to the Parrish family reunion, and that almost always means a small detour through St. Louis for a Cardinals game. Being a pretty easy drive away, I've been to a handful of Blues games as well. Just about every trip to St. Louis to me means a stop at Caleco's. Despite all the family trips here, I discovered this place with Kristine during a trip here during her spring break. We didn't necessarily seek it out, it just happened to be an interesting looking place *If I didn't, then I probably ordered gnocchi. For whatever that's worth to you. **I'm assuming it was marinara, but I don't actually remember that for certain. I surprisingly don't have a picture of this, just the sign outside. But, you can probably picture it. There is nothing really "special" about it. No unexpected twist or ingredient or anything like that. But it is just so well executed. It's one of those dishes that reminds you why something has become a classic. It is the best Alfredo sauce I've ever had, and the pasta itself is damned good, too. Like I mentioned, you can't beat the location, so if you find yourself hungry in St. Louis with some time to kill, I can't recommend this place enough. Bimini: Beach Club (Sushi) This was on our honeymoon, so it's possible I have a pretty rosy view of everything on this trip. Kristine had a family friend who owned a condo at a resort in the Bahamas, so we rented her place for the week for cheap. For a minute, we didn't know if the trip would happen, as there was supposed to be a hurricane passing through. Thankfully, it generally missed the Bahamas. We mostly had the resort to ourselves as a result of the storm. This meant we had the restaurant to ourselves most nights, which led to very attentive staff and the ability to ask the band to play pretty much whatever we wanted. We had a lot of good food here, and the lobster was crazy cheap compared to what we would pay in Indiana. We watched one morning as a fishing boat pulled up the traps of lobster and crab just off the beach we were lounging on. Of the the food we had that week, though, it's the sushi think about the most. I won't say it's the best sushi I ever had,* but it was definitely unique and maybe the most interesting sushi I have had. *That's not to say that it wasn't good. It most definitely was. The overall quality just isn't why it stuck with me. The thing that stuck with me was how well the sushi matched the atmosphere. If I had one word to describe it, I would say "tropical." A lot of the sushi used a lot of fruit-type notes, which is something I had definitely never come across in Indiana. If you had told me this critique beforehand, I probably would have dismissed the idea. Sweet and sushi are not two things I normally equate, but it really worked here. The sweet and savory really worked together, which likely only worked so well because we were on an island. The quality of the seafood was obviously a cut above what's available in Indiana, but I think the beachy, island atmosphere all around all us also primed our taste buds to accept the mix. Taking the same sushi in Lafayette might not have struck me nearly the same way as it did in Bimini. But it definitely worked on the island, that's the most important thing. Galway: McDonagh's (Fish & Chips) This was a trip we were extremely fortunate to make happen when we did. My buddy Nelson was in Galway at the time getting his doctorate, so we took the time to visit him. We spent a lot of time catching up and going around and seeing so many of the sights of Western Ireland and partaking of all the great food and drink it had to offer. And it was all so good. The one that sticks with me, though, was one of the simplest. McDonagh's in Galway claims to have the best fish & chips in Ireland, and I have no trouble believing it. I have not had fish & chips anywhere in the world since St. Patrick's Day, 2014. They were really just that good, it made the thought of getting them anywhere else feel like a letdown. They ought to know what they're doing, of course. They've been in the same spot since 1902, so they've had plenty of time to perfect their craft. They very proudly claim there are only three ingredients to it: Potatoes, Fish, and Batter. Of course, "batter" is a bit more complicated than that, but whatever they do it, they do it perfectly. They add virtually no additional seasoning, and their tables offer only salt, pepper, and malted vinegar. And let me tell you, this fish on its own was mind-blowingly good. But once I added just a few sprinkles of the malted vinegar? It was an absolute revelation. I've been trying to chase that sort of flavor rush ever since and have never quite had it hit the same way. Nelson had primed me to expect that it would be good, and we rushed over after the parade to beat the crowd, which we just barely managed. But I think Nelson undersold the place. I walked in expecting damned good fish. I never expected to walk out of there having any other fish & chips in the world ruined for me. One of those blessing and curse things, you know? Seriously, I have seriously contemplated making a return trip to Ireland just for McDonagh's. As a side note, I would also add that Irish Guinness tastes completely different from American Guinness. We had it explained to us that the formula is different so it can survive the trip over the Atlantic. Whatever happens to it, I also have not had a Guinness since that trip, and I don't suppose I ever will again unless we make it back to Ireland. Washington, D.C. - Ben's Chili Bowl (Chili Half-Smoke) I was late to the party on this one. I had been to DC a few times before this trip, but I wasn't introduced to Ben's until Man vs. Food made a visit there. After watching that segment, I knew I had to visit this place the next time I had a chance. That episode aired in 2009, and given how religiously I watched that show,* I'm sure I watched it when it first aired. *I just happened to get in the inside track on that show. Adam Richman made an appearance on 1070 The Fan to promote the show early on, and he of course later had an episode in Indianapolis. Which was great, because there is a food scene in Indiana that goes overlooked and underappreciated. But that's probably my typical Midwestern-chip-on-the-shoulder attitude talking. It took until March of 2016 for my next trip to DC to happen. How it happened was kinda funny. Kyle and Katelyn (Kristine's siblings) had never flown anywhere. Kyle was terrified of it and Katelyn was enamored of the idea. Both seemed like good reasons to get them on a plane, and Southwest just happened to have a really cheap flight from Indy to DC. I drove overnight to pick them up from the airport, because Beth would have been seven months old at the time. We didn't want to deal with putting her car seat into a rental car and flying most of the other baby stuff we needed at the time for a week or so trip. There is definitely more I could write about this trip, but I'll keep it to Ben's. We got there before things got busy, which I think is one of the first things new parents learn to do. I was worried they would make us sit at the counter, since we were only a group of five if they were counting Beth, and she wasn't ordering off the menu yet. The staff was super gracious and gladly let us take the table and waited on us. I was (and remain) thankful for that small gesture. We got some chili fries to share. I got the half-smoke and the girls both got rice bowls. I don't remember what Kyle ordered. I'm fairly sure I swore at how good that chili was. This place is iconic for a reason, and you would expect the menu item it's named after to be good. But I think what took me a little off-guard was how good the sausage was. It had that very nice snap you expect of a natural-cased sausage, but is so often lacking now. And the meat itself was just so good. I don't know exactly what sort of beef and pork go into those, and I'm probably better off that way, but it was noticeably better than I think any other sausage or hot dog I've had. The pairing of chili and half-smoke explained perfectly why this place has become an attraction on its own. The food is strong enough to stand on its own. But the generosity and compassion of founder Ben Ali throughout its history truly makes it into an institution. I would be happy to give them my business on that alone, but that it's so damned good on top of it just seals the deal. Las Vegas - Scarpetta (Spaghetti) We whisked off to Vegas for my 30th birthday and Kristine booked a table at Scott Conant's restaurant for our first night. That was such a fun trip for a lot of reasons, but I should probably try to keep this focused for a bit. I actually wasn't all the impressed or taken with the Cosmopolitan, but I do have to admit this was a damned fine restaurant. It looked nice, we had a table overlooking the fountains at the Bellagio just as the sun started to set. It definitely fit the scene of what I would have expected the place of a celebrity chef to be like in Vegas. I will note here, though, that we somehow did not get any pictures of this one, which is a shame. It was the most elegantly plated noodles I will likely ever see. We did make a bit of a mistake, though. The pictures make this seem like an awfully small serving of spaghetti, but it is rich as hell. We definitely over-ordered in anticipation that the entree was going to be small, but we would have been fine ordering half as much. The pasta itself, though, was cooked to a perfect al dente, and the sauce was to die for. I was slightly worried, as I'm not a big basil fan, but I loved it. My only problem here was that we had gotten up so early to drive to Chicago for our flight and I didn't nap on the plane, so by the time we got to dinnertime in Nevada, I was wiped out. That was only furthered with a belly full of perfect pasta. I'm pretty sure we ended up back in the hotel room shortly after this meal and I passed out for about twelve hours. Kristine, rightfully bored with me, went down to the casino instead. She found a goldfish-themed slot machine and ended up winning $40 or so. I'm happy to report I bounced back fine the next day, and we both got super hot on the roulette wheel at MGM the next day. That made things slightly better when we learned why everyone hates Spirit Airlines to end that trip. New Albany - Lady Tron's (Just Everything) Finding this place was 100% pure luck, but I am so glad we did. We had a two-night comped stay at the Southern Indiana Horseshoe,* so we took advantage for Kristine's birthday a few years back. The problem was, though, Kristine forgot some of her prescriptions when she was packing. It took some phone calls, but she was able to get a couple day supply filled at a pharmacy in New Albany. As we were driving around trying to find the place, we saw this funky looking trailer in the middle of an otherwise pretty staid brick downtown. It definitely caught our attention, and after doing some quick research on it, we decided we had to check it out the next day. *At the time, this was still a riverboat and, well, a Horseshoe. It has since been re-branded as a Caesar's (which I'm pretty sure was the case when it first opened) and remodeled to bring the gambling back on land. We haven't revisited since all this has happened, though. We did, and it so thoroughly surpassed our expectations. The interior was just as funky and dorky as the inside, and the dude inside running the front of the house stuff was so nice. We were so impressed with it and talked with him at length. I think we broke his heart a little bit when he found out we were from out of town, so we wouldn't become regulars. If we were closer, we most definitely would be. The menu was all soups and sandwiches named for female sci-fi heroines, which just added to the atmosphere. They let me put on their Chewbacca mask while we waited on the food.* *I guess I should mention we were the only customers in the place at the time. Frankly, I don't think either of us were remotely prepared for how good the food would be once it came out. First off, the sandwiches were huge. I don't think either of us ended up needing the mushroom soup we ordered to pair with it, as good as it was. Kristine got the LT and I had the Ripley. As you can see from the menu, these were not just your typical diner fare. These were thoughtfully crafted, well-balanced sandwiches. We were both a bit blown away and just couldn't really believe the level of cooking we were getting from a blue and orange trailer with a cut-out lady robot outside. If I remember right, the chef and owner had cut her teeth in fine dining restaurants in San Francisco, but decided to move back home to do her own thing. And God damn, she is doing it. I was a little worried this would be exactly the sort of place that COVID-19 would kill, and in looking at their Facebook page to refresh my memory for writing this, it appears they have been closed for all of May and June. It does look like they are going to try to reopen in mid-July. So, you know, if you're in the area, please give them your support. We might have to make a special trip down after Norah is born just for this place. Salt Lake City - Freshie's (Lobster Roll) Kristine was sent out to Utah for a work trip, so it just cost for a couple extra seats on the plane for Beth and I to come along. So we did. Let me first say that I didn't really know what we would be getting into in Salt Lake City. But I was really super impressed in general. It didn't feel like a big city the way, like, Chicago or even Indianapolis does. It seemed so much more wide open and quiet and just slower paced. It was really nice. If it weren't for all the family here and my general stubborn Midwestern-ness, I would be perfectly happy to land there. Anyway, there was another restaurant we checked out the first day we were there called Pretty Bird that almost made the cut. It was some of the juiciest chicken I've ever had, and to put it bluntly, they do not fuck around when they call it hot chicken. I normally handle heat pretty well, but this place got me. As good as that was, though, it was these lobster rolls that really did it for me. We saw an ad for this place in our hotel, which informed us that it had won World's Best Lobster Roll. I can't speak for Kristine, but I know my first thought was "No fucking way." There was just no way in my mind that a place surrounded by all those mountains, hosted the Winter Olympics, and so many hundreds of miles away from anywhere they would conceivably be pulling wild lobsters out of the water could have stood a chance in any real contest like that. Of course, we had to make a visit with a claim like that. And I'll admit, on the drive there, my expectation was going to be like the lobster rolls we had at Luke's in DC: good, but I don't really get the hype. As you can probably guess, after the first bite, I understood the hype. I still don't understand how this was so good in the mountains in Utah, but my goodness. Not only was it the best lobster I had ever eaten,* it was one of the best things I had ever eaten, end of discussion. We had some lobster bisque and clam chowder that were also very good, too, but that lobster roll. My goodness. I understood how they could have won that award then. *Yes, even better than the Bahamas. This was definitely not some big, showy place, either. It was just nestled into what looked to be a mostly residential neighborhood. Nice houses, but nothing really out of the ordinary. But then you walked into this place and really just showed me what lobster really ought to be. This was the only other thing that really hit me the same sort of way the Irish fish & chips did. I guess, looking back now, part of the appeal was the surprise of it. In both cases, the places were talked up for sure. And I expected them to be good. But they just blindsided me with just how amazing. I don't know how many times life will bring me back out to Utah, but I'm definitely heading back here whenever it does. That's the list for now. This ended up being quite the undertaking, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think I also accidentally ended up doing the list in chronological order based on my first visit. That wasn't really how I intended to do it, but that's how things work out some times. There were some other places I could have added to this list, but with as long as it ended up being, I had to put the places that really hit me as something special. I guess the first Honorable Mention as my example here would be Miller's Pub in Chicago, right next door the the Palmer House. I popped in there just because of its location while Kristine was off getting pictures for a wedding she was in, and I fell in love with the place right away. I loved the drinks they had on tap, and the food has always been great. But, really, I think I love that place more for the location and atmosphere more than anything else. There are a lot of really cool places in Chicago that I love and visit regularly, but Miller's is the one place in Chicago that feels like home to me. That obviously makes it no less special, but it's not really about the food itself. Hopefully that makes sense. Some day I'll probably have to write the opposite list. Places that stick in my memory for how bad or terribly over-hyped they were. This list, though, is a lot more fun and positive to write, though. I believe I'm on record in several places in really trying to build people up and spread positivity, though. I think I even took a pledge about it. So maybe this list is enough. The world would probably be a better place if we all spent more time talking about the stuff we like instead of the things we don't. UPDATE: Kristine found some pictures she had squirrelled away elsewhere. So here is what she wanted me to share. Comments are closed.
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