pennbrew

When does the Maine shrimp season end this year?? Thanks! ---Guy

"Town Hall Deli in South Orange, N.J., ... a sandwich that to this day is called the original sloppy Joe: layers of ham, tongue and Swiss cheese topped with coleslaw and Russian dressing, served on long, thin slices of soft buttered rye bread and sliced into four squares ($16.45). " $16.45? That's one expensive sandwich.

We're talking about the very geographically-limited, North-Jersey-style sloppy joe. It's a triple-decker sandwich on rye with meat, swiss cheese, coleslaw and russian dressing. No mustard, and certainly not a "Manwich" style sloppy joe. It's a great sandwich that tastes much better than it sounds. The whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

Where's everyones' favorite "Joe" sandwich? I'm partial to the Turkey Joe from the Hickory Deli in Chatham.

My all-time favorite pizzeria, Luigi's in Summit.

Oh, and I also like the dogs as served in New England. I had a few recently in NH which were (I think) Schonland brand (pronounced Skun-land by the person I asked). Good natural-casing dog.

I've read through this thread and feel I must chime in. Apparently my views are *very* contrarian to the NY/NJ-centric hotdog opinions expressed here. It must be my German nature, but to me the all-beef dog is the aberration. An all pork or pork & beef dog is my first choice. To me an all-beef dog is too dense and heavy tasting. Of course, natural casing, but: They should not be fried or grilled!! A properly cooked frank is simmered (not boiled!) until it reaches the right temperature. Boiling will overheat the dog and cause the casing to break, likewise grilling or frying will rupture the casing. Once the casing is broken the "snap" is gone. Then it is eaten by hand with a roll (semmel) on the side and a dab of mustard to dip into. Heresy, I know, but I gotta call 'em like I taste 'em. Union Pork Store german-style dogs are about the closest you can get to a proper German wiener. Of course I usually eat a few cold in the car, so I have to buy enough to make sure I'll still have some when I get home!!

I've recently tasted a few brews from Lakefront Brewing in Milwaukee...

Especially when the caption to the picture reads: "Domenico DeMarco insists on no less than three different cheeses on each pizza, and chowhounds line up. "

...and by the way, I just got back from a trip to Wisconsin. I passed thru Toledo earlier today and found that there *really is* a place called Packos serving Hungarian Hot Dogs! I remember that from the numerous mentions on M*A*S*H, I always figured it was fictitious. Awesome hot dog (actually a spiced sausage), best chili sauce I've ever had. Sorry for the non-Pennsylvania report, but I thought it fit this thread pretty well. ---Guy

I was referring to what I think is the original one, the one on Barney St. The Abe's on S. Main is (I believe) unaffiliated with the Barney St. Abe's. I've tried S. Main a few times and wasn't very impressed. As I'm sure you know, there's several other Abe's in the area which are affiliated with the Barney St. Abe's (Kingston, Mountaintop, W-B Rt. 309 next to the Pierogi shop, etc). The one in Mountaintop (where I live) I've stopped patronizing because the lady uses 3 times too much mustard and about 3 times too little sauce. ---Guy

Yes, the original post was referring to Allentown-etc (ABE). There happens to be a few hot dog places in the Wilkes-Barre area called Abe's, to which I was comparing Yoccos. Just a coincidence, the ABE/Abe's thing. ---Guy

Count me as another who doesn't "get" Yoccos. The chili sauce is very greasy and rather flavorless. I've asked for extra sauce and it only makes the hot dog messier without adding to the taste. I've tried Yoccos numerous times based on their reputation and several internet raves. Despite the mustard and (extra) sauce, the dogs have a very dry texture. My standard for Eastern Pennsylvania style dogs (mustard, onions, chili sauce) remains Abe's in Wilkes-Barre. ---Guy

Gotta mention.... DIXIE Beer! Disclaimer: Dixie used to provide my paycheck, it only occasionally bounced.

Yes or no? If no, can someone recommend good ham biscuits along I-40/85 between Durham and Winston-Salem? Thanks! ---Guy

Since this has devolved into a general thread about all things southern, how about Mountain Dew when it was Mountain Dew? In the green returnable bottles with the enamaled label featuring a hillbilly. Anyone else remember this? And BTW, sweet pickles are evil. ---Guy

Brooks--When I was at Dixie we tried to get a tour at Crystal. Kenny knew someone who worked there and we even offered to bring them some beer, but they wouldn't let us in. A worker had keeled over into a vat of mustard a few months previously and they said insurance issues prevented them from allowing visitors. I'd love to see them grinding a truckload of peppers! ---Guy

The best way to enjoy beer in Cologne is to get on the train and go to Duesseldorf for the far tastier Altbier.

What is the source of this "fact"?

I can assure you there's no chicken hearts in beer. I can also assure you that beer (even from the largest breweries) contains little, if any, "chemical additives". There's a lot of hogwash out there masquerading as "fact" about what's in beer.