Holly Moore

Way back in the late '60s - when I was abusing my McDonald's expense account - Eli's The Place For Steak was a poplular out-of-town franchisee entertainment destination. I recall a very good steak. What's the story on the place now? While I'm at it, whatever Happend to Don Roth's Blackhawk? I have fond memories of their famous "Spinning Salad Bowl" and of the bar, where I watched the US land on the moon.

The original Gastonia Fish Camp was just that. A field kitchen by the river where Mr. Lineberger cleaned and cooked up the fish other folks caught. The ultimate entrepreneur. Saw a need. And filled it exceptionally well. And kicked off a local culinary tradition.

This is neat. Just saw Steven's post now and then, this morning, just got an email from someone named Ellen offering to take a pic of the sign for me. I re-read the email now. Sure enough, the Ellen is not just any ol' Ellen, but the Ellen - Mrs. Fat Guy. One reason to head back to Twin Tops is that a waitress there who worked the original Gastonia Fish Camp - Linebergers - from the start. She is a repository of fish camp lore. I wasn't in the area long enough, but as Stephen will be there for a while, I'm hoping he'll be researching all six Gastonia Fish Camps. That's why they invented Lipitor.

When doing the Burger King H&H opening I learned about "Horn and Hardart tomato soup." The free hot water and the free ketchup. A favorite of street people, actors and other down and out types.

One more. Taking the train from New New Jersey to Los Angeles and back. The Union Pacific. Silver chief as I remember. Did this a few times. The dining car. The crisp white, starched linen. Plates sliding around. The waiters. Scrambled eggs and shrimp for breakfast. A perfect Shirley Temple at dinner time. Howard Johnsons did a good Shirley Temple too. Lunch at the Brown Derby. They insisted on serving salad at the start of the meal. At home it was always after. From that day on I always considered salad before the meal to be California style.

Oh yeah. The Howard Johnsons on Rte 46 in Parsippany. Hot dogs on toasted and buttered New England Style hot dog buns for lunch. Our regular out-to-dinner (non-special occasions) place. Fried clams with extra tartar sauce. Clam chowder to start. Hot fudge sundae for dessert. Simple Simon and the Pieman on the placemats. All sorts of items all over the placement. While waiting, we'd play find the whatever. Kept me reasonably occupied and well-behaved. Going to Maine every summer and finding the exact same fried clams at the Howard Johnson's in Naples. Chocolate Chip Mint ice cream cones. Driving Cape Cod with my mother. Stopping at a Howard Johnsons. Ordered fried clams. There was something totally wrong. The clams were soft and had big mushy ends. I never really trusted Howard Johnson's again, except for the ones in Parsippany and Naples. Now, of course, having put away at least some of my childish ways, I have come to realize the clams on Cape Cod were whole belly and a delicacy compared to the clam strips served everywhere else.

Pizza L'oven, 1259 Wyoming Avenue in Exeter PA sells the rectangular pizzas that are discussed on the LaForge Pizza thread. We run programs just outside of Exeter a few times a year and Friday night is always Pizza L'oven night. They are great pizzas. Truly great pizzas.

Way into my 50's here. Going to the Automat with my father. The chicken pot pie and the lemon meringue pie. Trying to see through the doors to what was happening in the kitchen. Watching to see how fast an item was replaced. Getting quarters from the change lady. The clank of those quarters on the marble. How the Automat has changed? They're all Burger Kings and I'm the dumb son-of-a-bitch that worked for Burger King at the time (mid 70's) and arranged for the grand opening of the first conversion on 59th, off 5th. Hope the automats truly to return. Tad's Steakhouse. A giant thin steak for $1.19, as I recall.

No slaw dogs at Gray's

Gray's is ok. It's the difference between shopping at K-Mart and Bergdorf's. Do both, but I'm betting you'll prefer Papaya King. A class act and a better and far fresher dog.

I haven't seen anyone even attempt Italian Beef since that Vienna Frank place had a 6 month run on South Street back in the early 90's or late 80's. Closest in terms of messiness and juiciness would probably be a sandwich from George's on the north side of 9th just south of Christian in the Italian Market. Below are pics of an Italian Beef sandwich from Max's in Chicago and a bucket of their giardinara which was my favorite when I was in Chicago last year.

Totally agree re the experience of professional reviewers relating to a meal. I once calculated, on eGullet as I recall, that a typical restaurant may serve 70,000 to 100,000 or more meals in the course of a year, yet a reviewer's review is based on the 8 or 10 covers that you mention. Sometimes, with cheaper editors and publications, only one or two covers. A very thin sample, indeed. Fat Guy don't allow no hyperbole slopping 'round here.

Marinade - The professionals part was said mostly in jest. Though with a profesional reviewer one can consider a review based on that person's track record. The rest of the statement - eGulleteers have proven themselves extraordinarily effective at seeing through shills and evil doers. I don't think there need be a concern about the veracity of reviews hereabouts.

Mike - My only real dispute with the guide - other than reviewing should be left to we professionals - is a fear that many of the top rankings are based on hear-say rather than actual experience. Think it's human nature, for some at least, to give high ratings to the four Bell places whether or not one has actually dined there. Has Zagart ever tried to quantify this? That said, Zagart and I usually agree, so they must be accurate.

I've got a bunch of places along your way on my site: URL=http://www.hollyeats.com]HollyEats. Check the South, Charleston and Carolina BBQ pages. A must stop is Carl's Frozen Custard in Fredricksburg VA. This is the real stuff. And they hand dip it to make it look like it came from a soft serve machine. Just off I-95 and will tide you over til you get to Petersburg. If you're in Wilminton NC, you'll probably be driving past Calabash NC on the NC/SC border. Get off and head to the Calabash Seafood Hut. All over the Carolina's you'll see signs for Calabash style fried seafood. This is where it all started. If the Calabash Seafood Hut is closed, try Ella's, across the street. At least once, when you see a sign for boiled peanuts. Stop. They're awfully good and way too habit forming. Have a great trip and report back on your discoveries.

Actually just one crossword puzzle a day. I'm sure someone has proved a correlation between IQ and the Times puzzles which become progressively more difficult through the course of a week. I was bursting with pride when I evolved from being a "Tuesday" to a "Wednesday."

It has become a morning tradition for me - at least on those days when I don't hike the few extra blocks to La Colombe - to settle into one of those big overstuffed club-like easy chairs at the Starbucks closest to my business. Knock back a "triple, no-foam, skinny latte grande" while working my way through the Times, including - on Monday thru Wednesday, often Thursday and rarely Friday - the crossword puzzle. Shock and awe this morning. Gone were my comfy easy chairs only to be replaced by awkward, wood frame chairs with ill-placed padding that look like they were purchased, on sale, from IKEA. All the comfort of a Motel 6 lobby. I am wondering if this is a nationwide travesty in the making, or just a local bit of poor judgement.

About two years ago a friend and I dined at his other place, La Ferme de Mon Père in Megève. It was a wonderful experience. Alas I forget most of the details. What I do remember has little to do with the food itself: When we made our reservations, the only time they could fit us in was 7 PM. As it turned out we took a few wrong turns on the way there and did not get to our hotel until 8:30. The concierge called and was able to get us in at 9:30. We went for the full menu. About half way through I started feeling unusally full. I had been having some digestion problems prior to the trip to France which later turned out to be a blockage of the intestine. At this point it was just a semi-blockage I figure. Anyway at that point I started taking just a bite or two, either sharing it with my partner or returning it partially eaten. Evidently they noticed because when desert time came the server brought me a porrige/pudding instead of one of their regular desserts. It was greatfully appreciated. I'm assuming they made it just for me. As far as I'm concerned we had the best seat in the house. Right next to a glass wall - behind which were a bunch of chickens in a barn yard setting. A fascinating floor show complete with a king of the mountain competition and multiple demonstraions of the end result of a chicken's digestive process. Veyrat at the time paired the breads to the course. Three different breads offered through the meal. Service wise it appeared he had raided the local high school's science lab. Flasks, syringes, beakers. A novel gimick I enjoyed. All I can remember about the food itself is that it was exciting and very, very good. We had dined at Taillevent in Paris two days earlier and while the cuisine and hospitality at both was excellent, La Ferme de Mon Père was a lot more interesting and a lot more fun.

Chewing back through my memories, I also remember a excellent chicken fried steak at Hoovers in Austin TX

Yes I close the waffle iron. It makes the grid on both sides of the sandwich. Great guidelines for neat and orderly eaters. Also great is the chess that oozes out of the sandwich and grills rigid between the crevices. Not sure about Gourmet, but I have written of it elsewhere. It is also published in the companion book to "Sandwiches That You Will Like" as "My Father's Grilled Cheese Sandwich." Hopefully a pic will follow soon.

Got some pics and recommends on my site. In the do not miss category, though, breakfast at Loveless. I've been told ownership has changed or is the process of changing. I'm hoping it stays the same. Also a fan of Rotier's.

Supermarket White Bread. Whole wheat and rye work good too. Aged Cheddar - As aged as available. I like the 5 year old cheddar from WholeFoods. Baked Ham or Bacon Jersey Tomato Butter on outside only Cook on a basic waffle iron (small ridges - not Belgian waffle style iron).

OK - I'll probably be in Chicago in May for the NRA show and in August for another convention. Should we coordinate schedules or simply risk an accidental encounter and hope it doesn't come to words or blows? Most of the time I take pictures for my web site. Some have then been purchased for publication. So I claim at least a quasi-professional/journalistic entitlement. But those are not fine dining restaurants. Well a place like Superdawg is indeed fine dining, but probably not what most consider to be fine dining. And I do believe that some of the grill men, beef dippers, hot dog steamers and chicken fryers and their gastronomic artistry do indeed merit cult status. I also often photograph my occasional foray into the world of high cuisine. I do it for a few reasons. Mostly for the memory, the opportunity to re-savor a meal at some point down the road. Also for reference in case I am later stirred to take pen in hand and share my meal with others. And of course to gloatingly show off the meal to hopefully envious friends. And fortunately, having mastered the simulataneous skills of gum chewing and walking many years ago, I am able to take pictures, offer sparkling conversation, have a good time, chew food and sip liquids all in the course of a meal.

I used to use a Fuji MX-2700 which was fairly inconspicuous. I've traded up to a Canon G5 (a wonderful camera) and am now much more obvious. For the pics I take for HollyEats.Com I rarely ask unless I'm hoping to shoot pictures of the place's bbq pit or grill from behind the counter or in the kitchen. The reason I don't ask is I don't want special treatment nor do I want them to feel obligated to comp me or to think I am expecting free food. This does cause problems as sometimes people think I am trying to rip off their menu or copy their decor. Often they are curious and if they ask I tell them. On a few occasions I have been challenged and asked to not take any more pictures. When that happens I comply with interior pictures, but shoot away outside. In finer dining venues, it depends on the lighting. If I don't need a flash, or if a flash wouldn't spoil the mood, I don't ask. When it will I ask. As I have posted elsewhere, best handling of such a request was by Trio. They offered to bring my camera into the kitchen where Chef Grant or other staff would snap photos. A mixed blessing. I got some great pics and some pics I wouldn't have otherwise been able to take. But, probably because they weren't used to my camera or to food photography, some of the pictures were not as good as I would have liked.

It need not be an "either/or" choice. Both.