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Lured by the Sign I must admit, I've been lured by many a sign, towards a dining adventure. Usually it's something a little more exciting, like a vintage neon sign. But this sign definitely caught my eye, last March. I love cows and this sign showed me a cow, in a spaceship! Lots of Signs! I followed! I headed down Agnes Road past some lounging cows! It said "Keep Going" beneath the arrow. I did as told. Where was this road going? After cow pastures, I suddenly spotted an RV park. Not a particularly attractive one. Then I saw some trucks and a building. I spotted this building and I said. "Nope." I was on my way to a garden nursery, less than 10 miles from home. I had just followed the sign because I was curious. I wasn't hungry. This building by the RV Park did not lure me. Back Again But I returned. This time I was with Don and we both were hungry. The metal building looked huge. Where was the entrance? We passed picnic tables and eventually found the door. Don does not look thrilled in this photo. But he was actually pretty game. First to Arrive We arrived right after the burger restaurant opened. Don and I both grinned. The place was huge and open and spotlessly clean. What was the story about this burger barn with a cow theme? More Signs The cow signs lured me initially. Now some important signs informed me. As we read the menu, a very nice young guy walked out from the kitchen area. He had some explaining to do. Although there was a video playing nearby, that told us about our robot service. Tap. Pour. Enjoy! The nice young guy took our order, but also made sure we noticed the self serve drink options. We could serve ourselves some IPA if we wanted! But it was just after 11. A little early for that. Shopping We could also do some grocery shopping while we waited. There was a case of WAGYU sausages and freezers full of all kinds of beef. If we got a little confused, we could just read one more sign, next to the freezer case. Wodagyu Beef I read that the beef was processed by master butchers and vacuum sealed. I could see that. I read that the cows (that become the beef) roam freely on land and are given happy, stress free lives. I like that. Then I learned that Wodagyu cattle have the same genetics as the infamous Kobe beef raised in Japan. Then I tried not to look at that sweet image... with big cow eyes. Seating Don and I had the pick of the place, for seating. We could have taken a seat on an orange stool, by a cow shaped sign, with stuff to teach. I could have learned from that labeled cow. I've seen images like this before, but I never tried to absorb the info. Where's the shank, or the flank located? I should know now, but I didn't want to remind myself. I Love Cows I really should be a vegetarian, because I love cows. I don't like to be reminded of where my burger meat comes from. So I studied the cow "art" that was cartoonish and whimsical. Look at that cow go! He's heading off in his flying saucer! We took a seat not far from the neon cow, in his burger shaped flying saucer! Buzzer Placement We were given a buzzer. That's nothing new. But we had to make sure we placed our buzzer properly on our table corner. Water Closet Then I raced off to wash hands. Mostly I was lured by the bathroom sign with figures and a WC. This Texas barn restaurant wasn't where I'd expect to see the Water Closet term. During my little hike back to the restroom, I passed about a million mailboxes. What was this all about? The RV park? I think there were showers somewhere too? This is one fancy RV Park restaurant, I guess! Waiting Patiently I happily sipped from my Flying Cow paper cup, while we waited for food delivery. I was getting very excited! Delivery by Robot! Then I spotted our robot. I was fairly giddy! While "You're So vain" played on the sound system, the glowing robot moved towards our buzzer. "Food Is Here" blinked on the top. Another cartoonish cow, (standing on a burger) reminded us "Best Burgers in the Galaxy" from the decorated side. Lunch for Two If we'd been dining with a family of 6, it would have been a lot more fun. Then all the trays would have been filled with orders! And the kiddos would have been squealing with delight. I had to do that part myself. Yum! Our order took up the top tray. Cheeseburgers, fries and some brisket tacos to take home with us. But before we got the food on the table, the sweet guy from the kitchen came running out and admitted he put the wrong food on the robot tray. Human error. That's okay. The food was mighty good and more diners had arrived, so we had some good people watching while we ate. I kind of liked the music that filled the place, too! Fun Time We left happy. We headed out and wandered to our car, looking out towards the RVs. If our young man from the kitchen hadn't been so busy, I would have asked about how this whole place got started! Sweet Cows I felt a little guilty as we passed the cows on our way out. I didn't stress over my guilt too long. I spotted something interesting far beyond the cows. A roof... Booth Public School Don and I passed the cows and headed down FM 2759 and made a turned down Booth Road. This school from 1912, just sat there in a field of wildflowers... as pretty as you please. I looked behind the school and saw the cows we passed and thought, what an odd little adventure! We live just 5 or so miles from this school (for 25 years) and never knew it existed. We didn't know there were fields and cows and a Flying Cow burger restaurant over here either!
I'd say that was the best little close-to-home-dining-adventure I've ever had!
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Harbor Dining in Cinque Terre In April (2023) Don and I dined at this sweet little place overlooking the smallest harbor in Cinque Terre, Italy. The deck with (unnecessary) umbrellas, was perched right over it. View From our Hotel We only had 2 nights in the sweet village of Riomaggiore. Our hotel balcony offered us our own table view of the harbor. We could keep an eye on the outdoor diners, from our balcony. Old Building Modern Look The restaurant was only open one of the 2 days, during our visit. On the day it was open, I trotted over around noon and made dinner reservations. The modern interior had a very different feel, than the rugged building that housed the restaurant. 7:00 Reservations Unsure of weather, we reserved an inside table for 7:00. We stepped inside and admired the white-washed space with vaulted ceiling. It looked like the restaurant had been carved out of a cliff. The modern artwork was a fun contrast to the exposed rough-hewn stone! Menu of Ligurian Dishes Like most restaurants in Cinque Terre, the focus was on traditional seafood dishes. With fishing boats resting beneath the restaurant's deck, it made sense that the seafood was netted from the nearby sea. Red Wine? Don and I knew that Riomaggiore was known for white wine. We thought we had ordered a local white wine... But the wine that was delivered along with our bread, looked mighty red. If we spoke more than a few words of Italian, we would have discussed this. Instead, we drank. Testaroli i Al Pesto Noce We tried to order dishes that were from the region. My dish came looking like spongy pieces of dark pancake, with walnuts. I had expected pine nuts, but again my Italian is limited. I enjoyed this rich little dish. Ravioli Di Pesce Don is the fish guy, so he ordered the fish ravioli, with chopped shrimp and vegetable sauce. Peas and carrots added a dash of color to our table. Both dishes were rich and interesting, but not out of this world. The service was also not overly memorable. A team of women servers worked swiftly to serve all the tables at once. It seemed tricky to have all diners arriving at the same time, when the restaurant reopened at 7. Checking Out We didn't linger over dessert. Don checked us out at a little window, which also made the experience less personal. I wish we'd had more interaction with the staff, but at least the people watching had been entertaining. No Americans at all. Quick Dash Down... Our lack of lingering worked for us. We were able to dash down the stairs and walk towards the sea, just after sunset. We passed numerous boats. We headed along the walkway, on the left side of the marina. And then we climbed! After about 100 steps, we reached a lovely spot for viewing the orange horizon. We also had a good view of our sweet hotel, tucked into the cliff.
What a lovely way to burn off our pasta calories! Dinner followed by a brief walk and a glorious view! What a perfect combo! Donut Day! Nothing like a glowing neon sign, tempt me! Especially when I see the word DONUTS! The silly man on the clock face also inspired me! I felt like I should prance over to Stan's and get me some donuts! Rain in Chicago! We did just that, last October. Don and I were visiting the windy city with our daughter, to attend a wedding. It rained the whole time, but we rewarded ourselves with sweets. Stan's was just a short walk from our hotel. Donut Shopping in the City The idea of donuts on a rainy day seemed perfect. The revolving door made donut purchasing even more fun! Festive Cozy! It was warm inside and the smells were wonderful! Fresh donuts and fresh coffee! The colorful display of blenders was festive! The colorful display of fresh donuts was mouthwatering. Actually the only colorful donut we purchased was green. Lemon Pistaccio! History? I knew nothing about the history of Stan's. I thought we had come upon an iconic, one of a kind donut place. But the decorated tile on the exterior told me that the original Stan's was in Los Angeles. It opened in 1965. Hot Dogs...Steak Sandwich! Our Stan's As it turns out there are about 6 Stan's in Chicago. And I don't think any of them is older than a decade. There was no grand history to our little corner oasis on a wet day. But we were plenty happy with our purchase. We took our cute box (covered in plastic wrap) and headed back to the hotel. Somebody... I am naming no names... ... took a bite before I could snap a photo. At the Willows It was a rainy and windy day in Chicago and we had donuts and coffee! What a cozy place to enjoy our sweet feast! The Willows Hotel! Oh how I love the name and the coziness of this place! It's been nearly a half year since our donut morning! I need to start planning another donut day for June 7, 2024.
That will be National Donut Day! A Fine Sign I spotted this fantastic vintage sign from a distance, while exploring downtown Dubuque. I love a good sign and I love a retro cafe. Good Building I love a good building, too! This 3-story charmer was sitting right on the corner, just west of the Mississippi River. Safe? I cut across a parking lot and headed closer, hoping I wouldn't discover a vacant building. I had been wandering for about 20 minutes after checking into our downtown hotel. I knew nothing about Dubuque. I wasn't sure if this was actually a safe area. But I had to get closer. Dottie's Lace Curtains How could a cafe named Dottie's, be anything but homey and sweet? I got up nice and close and peered in the window. It was closed, but I saw tables and chairs. Breakfast at 5:30? The word Welcome was written right on the door, along with the hours of service! Don and I could walk over for breakfast the next day, at 5:30 am! And what about those lace curtains? How could we stay in Dubuque one night and not visit Dottie's? Breakfast at 8:30 We gave the staff 3 hours to wake up and be ready for us. Almost every table was taken, but the dining counter was open. Lucky Us We lucked out and got a corner table, right next to the wispy lace curtains and a radiator. I had a good view of the early morning traffic. There wasn't much. Don had the best view. He could keep an eye on all the locals, chatting with one another. Full Plate and Funny Face Don captured an awkward shot of me with my food. However this image gives a glimpse of the happenings behind me. I could hear one couple congratulate another couple about their 50th anniversary. I heard Peggy (our very pleasant server) greet a couple by name. They made a beeline for the oddly placed table, behind the counter. Peggy asked, "Can I get you the usual?" Dottie's Menu I must share this menu to show off the prices. My Biscuits and Gravy is spotlighted, with too much glare. But my massive serving was only $5.95. Peggy was busy, but awfully cheery every time she refilled our coffees. I asked about the Dottie behind the cafe's name. She said Dottie was her mother in law. Sadly, Dottie is no longer with us. She passed in 2003. All in the Family I believe Peggy said she'd worked at the cafe since 1990, which is about the time Dottie and her husband Vernon opened the place. They had 11 kids, so it's no surprise there were family members available to pitch in over the years. Don ordered the daily special. Eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast, for $5.79! His breakfast and my biscuits and gravy were cooked by Peggy's daughter Stacy. I believe Dottie had 32 grandchildren when she died 2 decades ago. So I wonder how many cousins Stacy has now? Good-Bye to Dottie's Don and I apologized to Peggy for not cleaning our plates. "So good, but just too much!" As we headed out we had the fun of recognizing some guests from our hotel. We stopped and conversed near their table. What a hoot to sort of pretend we were locals, chatting it up with friends! We headed out and I paused to study the old sign one more time. What's the story of the sign? "Travelers Cafe" was the name of the biz, that came before Dottie's opened, in 1990. Hmmm? Could Dottie have replaced Travelers, with her name? What came before the other cafe? The internet tells me the structure was built in 1891. There must be many stories about this building. Why didn't I at least ask what was above the cafe?
So many questions and few answers on the internet. We'll have to go back and ask more! Good Name I love a cafe in the woods. I especially love a cafe with a friendly name. Who was Beckie? Minutes from Crater Lake Don and I passed Beckie's when we left Crater Lake Lodge, last June. We didn't have time to stop, but I took a photo and hoped we could someday return. A Week Later We did! A week later! We had our granddaughter and her parents with us. We were headed on a road trip from Portland to Austin, Texas. Breakfast at Beckie's was the perfect stop at the beginning of our 10-day trip. Since 1926! Beckie's is on the Register of National Historic Places. It sits right on the road, across from Union Creek Resort. Union Creek Resort Union Creek Lodge was built in 1922, but it had to be rebuilt after a fire in the 1930's. You can still stay in the lodge, where famous guests like Herbert Hoover and Jack London once spent a night. Waiting for a Table Beckie's probably served some famous guests, back in the day. We weren't famous enough to jump the line. We had to wait a while for table. While we waited, I entertained Charlie with some sticks. Charlie entertained some other waiting guests, with her jumping skills. Lots of Wood When our table was ready, we stepped into the cozy interior and admired the shiny wood walls and ceiling. I loved the wooden stools. They didn't look exactly comfy, but they amused me! Like giant wooden checkers, balancing on carved poles! Dining Booths We were shown to a table in a larger room, but I begged (politely) to be seated in one of the little nooks in the front room. The curvy table legs looked like horns! The red curtains and cushions made the space cozy, like Grandma's Cottage. Or was it Aunt Beckie's house? Who was Beckie? Ed Beckleheiemer The name Beckie was actually the nickname of Ed Becklehimer, who ran the restaurant and gas station, until the late 1960's. I'm guessing that's him, standing on the porch. After Mr. Beckie died, his wife Cecil took over. She evidently had fiery red hair and a glass eye. It's a little hard to tell, but that could be her, next to Ed. When she took over the biz, guests began calling her Beckie. She was known for her huckleberry pies. Time to Eat We were hungry by the time we sat in our cozy booth. We studied the menu and enjoyed coffee in cute mugs. While waiting on our orders, I chatted with Charlie and tried to understand her pacifier language. She and her Paci have been best buds for 2.5 years! We chatted a bit about pancakes (her order) and maybe even about pacifiers. I told her we had a "Paci Bed" waiting for her in Texas. (I had a good-by paci plan) Mouth Ready When Beckie's Hotcakes arrived, Charlie promptly removed the paci. Suddenly Charlie let out a squeal and announced clearly in non-paci-launguage, "OH PANCAKES! THANK YOU!!" Don's Omelet Don's expression is not as over the top as his granddaughter's. But he was happy with his ham and cheese omelet. He had extra good words for the thick, sweet ham. My soft, moist biscuit was served in a sea of sausage gravy! Pretty epic! If only we'd had room for some huckleberry pie! Next Time Sadly we didn't all finish our plates. We had no cooler for taking leftovers with us. We headed for the cars, full and happy. I glanced across the street at the old stone water fountain and the cabins under the tall pines. I don't know when we'll be out this way again, but we'll have to stay a night at Union Creek Resort! Then we can try the dinner menu and even enjoy a beverage besides coffee! And of course, some pie!
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
November 2023
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