Holly Moore

Jack's from the hills of Southern VA on the TN boarder which is probably why he understands Southern cuisine so well - though he'd probably say cookin' instead of cusine. He grew up on it. Suspect Jack agrees with you.

The purpose of the steak is to allow one to rationalize lapping up the equivalent of a bowl full for milk/pan gravy.

I've had a few great chicken fried steaks driving about Texas. Seeking out the ultimate Chicken Fried Steak, along with fried chicken and truckstop, is one of my quests when I travel. But the best I've found so far is here in Philadelphia. Jack McDavid's Down Home Diner in Reading Terminal Market. It's the gravy I remember most. Jack whips up a dang good milk gravy.

Don't confuse the guy from the West Coast. In Philadelphia's finer restaurants, Surf and Turf is a hot dog with a fish cake crammed on top of it.

No need to suffer. They sell cheesesteaks at the Farmer's Market in LA. And, extra special, the Farmer's Market version offers a choice of bean sprouts and avocado.

During my trip to Charleston SC I got to noticing the signs on restroom doors. Hardly anyone used Men and Women. My favorite three: Your Place: Inboards and Outboards - Inboards being women and Outboards, men. The Anchor Line: He Crabs and She Crabs The Wreck: Richards and Charlenes The Wreck is named for a famous post Hurricane Hugo Wreck. The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene

Interesting. Tony Luke's was my top of mind choice. But when I give it some thought, Carman's Country Kitchen

Home Fries on buttered toast.

How about regional Canadian? In the U.S. there is no national cuisine, but there are very identifiable regional cuisines such as New England, Southern, Low Country, Cajun/Creole etc. Many are influenced by the immigrants who settled in those regions. All take advantage of the region's bounty. Are there similar Canadian regional cuisines?

The restrooms are yet another aspect of Bowen's rustic charm. Fortunately Bowen's oysters are available in all but the summer months. And, as in any great restaurant, it is the overall Bowen's experience that makes it special - God's hand of course, but also the oysterman gathering the oysters every afternoon, the roasting room, the oysters arriving at the table by the shovelfull, the mandatory shower and first aid afterwards, and, of course, Bowen's unique, one of a kind ambience and hospitality. Alas, I miss Mrs. Bowen. But her son has carried on the Bowen's Island tradition quite nicely.

My pleasure. I've been to a couple of those on your list. Indeed, quite good. But no Bowen's Island??? My list: Bowen's Island The Wreck Your Place Seewee Gullah Cuisine Welcome to eGullet!!!

Charleston - Day 2 - Dinner Seewee Restaurant Rte 17 - 22 Miles north of Charleston Out in the middle of nowhere and a line out the door. Known best for their fried fish from local waters. That's the combo platter, above - fried oysters, shrimp, scallops and flounder - with fried green tomatoes, red rice and greens. Charleston - Day 3 Low Country Oyster Festival Boone Hall Plantation Mt. Pleasant SC 65,000 oysters, steamed bagfulls at a time. Bring your own shucking glove, oyster knife and a chair. A bucketful for $7.00. Place was packed despite the chill and showers. Serious oyster eaters hereabouts. Dinner Jestines Charleston SC Jestine is Jestine Matthews who in here 112 years learned a thing or two about good cooking. I went for shrimp and hominy grits, a Low Country tradition. Sides of greens and green bean caserole prepared with mushroom soup and onions. Not as good as my mom's. My only dessert of the trip - Coca Cola Cake (a southern speciality - coke goes in the batter.

Charleston - Day 2 - Lunch Your Place Charleston SC You know the burger will be outstanding when there is more grease on the outside of the bun than inside. Everyone I talked with prior to my trip recommended Your Place for burgers. As cab driver Danny put it, "Them three ladies know how to cook. I see a big lady wearing a greasy apron, the eatings is going to be good." These are half pound burgers, ground fresh daily by a nearby grill, hand formed into a ball and flattened on the grill. Tony the Peanut Man Charleston SC Tony sets up shop on a bench across from the City Market. Sells warm boiled peanuts for $3 a bag. He's been selling peanuts for at least the past 40 years. Off to the SeeWee for dinner

Charleston - Day 1 So far this trip, my best investment, eating wise, has been the cab fare to the airport to pick up a rental car. My cab driver, Danny, is a former shrimp trawler crew hand. He knows his fish and he likes to eat. I hit two of his recommends today - The H & R Sweet Shop and the Anchor Line. In between, a stop at Jack's Cosmic Dogs. H & R Sweet Shop and Beauty Parlor Mount Pleasant, SC - Just north of Charleston "It's Firday. Everybody in Charleston eats Red Rice and Fish. But you have to know where to get it." Danny did - H & R Sweet Shop (the H & R Beauty Parlor shares the building). Red rice is a Gullah version of Dirty Rice. The red comes from tomatoes. Chunks of Sausage, diced bell pepper and onion too. The fish is fried whiting. A few fried unshelled tiny shrimp too. THe Anchor Line Folley Beach - Just south of Charleston "I was there with my wife for our anniversary. That's where she wanted to go. Nothing fancy. Just good food. People's plates and plastic forks." Just past Bowen's Island (roast oysters by the shovelful) which explains why I haven't found it before. Every time I'm on that road I head directly to Bowen's. Glad I mustered the mettle to drive a bit further. Carolina style fried seafood. I had oysters and shrimp. Hush puppies, fries and slaw. Jack's Cosmic Dogs Mount Pleasant I hit the trifecta here. A good hot dog, fresh cut french fries and an outstanding root beer float.

Big fan of La Lupe here. My two regular orders are huevos ranchero con chorizo and sopas. Plenty of flavor but not spicy hot. Not all Mexican food or chorizo is spicy. I've also had the enchaladas with green sauce. Nothing fancy. Friendly folk, down home Mexican fare. And especially a stop when the temperatures are warmer and their walls disappear into the ceiling.

Using an assumed name is short term. Eventually, if you develop as a food writer / reviewer, it will likely become known that at one point in your career you wrote paid reviews, your opinion was (and who knows maybe still is) for sale. That stigma can only damage your credibility in the long term.

If it has to be a review, I recommend you pass. Your reviewing opinions should not be for sale whether under your byline, an alias, or unattributed. If it can be content - straight forward: this is who they are, this is what they sell, this is how they describe their food, this is how they describe their restaurant. Interview the restaurant, but don't draw conclusions or offer opinions.

Holly, have I mentioned recently that you're my heeeeeeeero? Not often enough.

And many trips to the restroom, afterwards... It's all in the conditioning. My gullet is a finely greased machine. Can handle most anything. Never even a burp after lunch at the Varsity.

The Varsity is my first stop when visiting or passing through Atlanta. A riteof passage, perhaps, but one requiring frequent booster visits.

It has probably changed some now, but in the '70's I was a merchandiser for a discount supermarket chain. At that point our bottom line profit came from the terms (2% net 10) that we received from the manufacturers. The stores, themselves, were breakeven. At that time I don't think placement fees in terms of cash were dominant. But advantageous pricing and and advertising allowances for good product placement was. The limited shelf space keeps many a small and/or new manufacturer out of the major chains. Among the most coniving people in the business world are the store level employees of the manufacturers who delivered product and stocked their product on the shelves. A bit of an aside. I took that position (Director of Prepared Foods) upon leaving McDonald's. I was surprised that, because my cost of shortening got lumped in with the chains overall P&G purchases/pricing, and my cost for ground beef was worked into the overall meat purchases, I could often purchase items of equal or better quality at significantly lower prices than paid by McD's company stores.

Garden gnomes maybe, but not always gastro(g)nomes. All manner of gullets hereabouts. I'd head to the Varsity Drive-In for my MDR of grease, and the Busy Bee Cafe for a heaping plate of some of the best fried chicken anywhere and equally as good sides.

While I maintain that the only credible rating system is Grease Stains, I am glad Craig LaBan rings up four Liberty Bells for Django. Restaurants can provide an incredible overall expereince without all the fancy trimmings or expansive wine list of a Le Bec-Fin or a Fountain Room. Excellence can also be found sitting down at a table at Django or standing in line at Tony Luke's. Indeed, I'll buy into the Liberty Bell system when LaBan bongs four times for Tony Luke's.

It is indeed the glycemic index. As to store labels - Sugar Busters, at least, says go directly to the ingredient statement. Whole wheat flour is not acceptable. Only whole grain whole wheat flour is. Don't know what the difference is, just know that I'm down 60 lbs with Sugar Busters and that when, after surgery when I went off it for about 9 months, but ate reasonably, I didn't put back any of the lost pounds. Fortunately, here in Philadelphia, we have Metropolitan Bakery which bakes up some of the best bread I've ever had and who does a great whole grain sandwich loaf. But I've seen acceptable breads in Trader Joe's and Whole Foods too - just not nearly as good.

Nope, but that's the vehicle for the tour.