A Day Trip

[Daniel]

So yesterday morning we awoke feeling rather lousy.. It appears that greek wine sangria, a few ouzos, and a lot more sangria is not the best route one could take to prevent headaches and general discomfort.. After considering several different methods of recovery, we decided a burger would be the best avenue.. What better place to get a burger then "Louis Lunch" the argued birth place of the burger... So by 1030 we were out the door and on our way to New Haven CT..

While driving along, thanks to HollyEats.com and our previous trip, we were aware of a couple of little stops along the way and couple just passed our destination..

First Stop: Super Duper Weenie..

This is a beloved hot dog place in which the owner serves several homemade toppings as well as specially made dogs and buns.. We ordered two different type of dogs.. I ordered the New Englander while my girlfriend ordered the New Yorker..

Here is the New Yorker.. It has onions in a sauce, kraut,their own relish and mustard.. Now my girlfriend is not a hot dog fan, but after being reassured of its "healing" properties she decided to try it.. She really enjoyed it..

Here is the New Englander..You can really see how the hot dog has been split and grilled.. It had raw onion obviously, sweet relish, mustard, kraut, and supposedly bacon.. Mine came baconless!!!! At this point I waited too long, and didnt want to stop eating it.. For me I would say that everything about this place is excellent, with the exception of the hot dog.. For some reason, I really dont like the hot dogs they use.. The bun is amazing, the relish, the onion sauce, all were great.. But something about the dog i didnt care for..

The fries: Hand cut served with salt and pepper and more salt from me, they were really good.. They had such a strong potato skin flavor.. Very earthy, very crispy, very salted.. These fries take me back to carnivals, fairs, and boardwalks of my childhood..

After a semi positive experience at Super Duper Weenie we were quickly in New Haven standing outside Louis Lunch.. This place has been a destination of mine for some time.. I mean, how can one consider themselves a fan of the burger without having been to where it all started?

Louis' Lunch.. A little box of a place serving meat patties cook in a special sideways broiler..

Meat patties are placed 9 at time into a metal rack similar to a fish cooker and then clamped down.. Placed sideways in these ancient broiler, they are seasoned with salt and pepper and are served medium rare on white toast..

We were happy to see that the old women from the Hamburger Special was manning the broiler.. There was a long line and she was banging these burgers out at a fevered pace.. Here fingers and hands were so swollen with arthritis, that she was using her hands like a huge mit.. Palming onions while slicing them, using all her fingers as a single claw to grab things.. She was a real champ and had been doing this her whole life.. She worked with the skill of a craftsman..

Here is the final product.. There are just a few choices one has when dressing their burger.. You can get onion, tomato, and a cheese spread.. No ketchup, no mustard. The burger is really good.. Its a meat sandwich essentially. Served medium rare the meat was juicy and perfectly done.. This was great burger, not the best, but certainly great.. I really liked the cheese spread they used as well.

Edit to Add.. Whoops, didnt mean to post this so sooon.. I will continue posting the other places..

Edited July 17, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Next stop.. Ted's Cheeseburgers in Meriden CT..

We arrive at Ted Cheeseburgers to see a small box of a place.. This place has all the tale tell signs of a great spot.. It is small, unassuming, and there is sign hanging outside that says Open Since 1959.. I am a sucker for any place that has been open for a long time.. I figure, if a little burger shop has been making food for over 40 years, there has to be some years of grease flavoring the food.. Another sign was that there were cars parked across the street all along grass on the side of the road.. This meant people were going out of their way to pull up on the curb and cross a busy street just to get a burger..

Ted's is another place that uses a special contraption to make their burger.. Here they use a steamer.. They place ground meat in little metal containers and then put them into a steamer.. In addition to meat, they also steam chunks of a white cheddar cheese in these metal boxes as well..

Here you can see the little boxes on the counter that have been pulled out of the larger metal box where the steaming takes place.. Luckily for us, we had missed the lunch crowd and their werent too many people in the third lunch crowd, but if all the cooking is done in that little box, i would hate to see it when its busy there..

The dont serve fries at Ted's, they serve fried potatoes. We ordered these right away with cheese.. We were very curious to see how steamed cheese would come out.. Well, it came out excellent.. I would compare the consistancy to Greek Saganaki with out the fried shell .. It was melted, but firm and in one piece.. Outstanding..

The burger itself was great.. The patty had a strong oniony flavor, the cheese again was great and rather plentiful.. My only complaint would be the bun.. I really didnt think the bun went well with the burger.. It was too big and too bready.. This is just a minor complaint..

Might as well start another post now..

[Daniel]

Next Stop: A recent favorite.. Lenny and Joes Fishtail..

On my previous post, Driving from New York to Maine, we had stopped here and had really enjoyed the lobster roll... In fact, it is my girlfriends favorite place to get a hot buttered lobster roll.. So since she is my co-pilot and in charge of directions, i was unknowningly directed here.. As we were approaching the place, I knew I had been tricked.. Oh well..

We go inside and I obviously know where she is going to order, so i decided i would try something new...

Here is the lobster roll.. Looks like some sort of buttery boat, with the lobster claw as a sail.. It is still outstanding.. The butter still squirts out and hit unsuspecting chiildren and passerbyes.. Its just a fantastic sandwich and a special place for us..

I ordered the scallop roll.. I really wasnt expecting a fried scallop sandwich!? I never heard of anyone deep frying or breading a scallop before.. Who would you do such a thing.. Scallops are served medium rare or raw..

Lets just say, I was wrong.. Although I do prefer scallops raw or cooked medium, I like it this way too.. The scallops were still moist and chewy while they just had a fried outer shell.. This was a fantastic sandwich.. I was shocked and surprised..

[Verjuice]

You rock.

I went to school in New Haven a few years back. I was an art major, and for one of my photography projects, I set out to photograph every diner in the state of CT. I gained sixty pounds and eventually lost interest in the project (though not at the same time).

But I think that you might actually be even more nuts than I was.

Awesome.

[Daniel]

So being that we have driven all around the country.. I have really noticed a lot of things about people and their behavior while driving.. I will not go into some rant complaing about how people like to speed up just so you cant pass them.. Or how people tend to hang out in the left lane even though they are going below the speed limit.. Or how people tend to enjoy the safety and security of driving in slow packs blocking all the lanes while there is huge open highway stretching for miles beyond them, perhaps going back to the hunter gatherer days..

I just have one question to ask.. Do people know about flashing your brights at oncomming traffic when you see a cop using radar on their lane? Perhaps its just something my father taught me and what he did.. We would always warn the cars traveling in the opposite direction with our lights.. Thus telling them to slow down, there is a radar jocky looking to ruin your day over some arbitrary nonsense like a speed limit.. This is a practice I still do and have not in the last 18 thousand miles once been warned..

Next Stop: Stanleys.

Another place that has been opened forever.. I believe it is 1933.. Opened during the depression it still using the same philosophy that made it successful during the Depression.. Good food, cheap..

We started with the "Quebec Fries".. This is a bad version of Poutine.. Using Mozz instead of curds, gravy and homemade fries.. Call it disco fries, call it cheese fries and gravy "just please dont call it jelly".. The name Quebec fries had my psyched for Poutine and its a bad version.. However, taking it for disco fries, I still didnt like it.. Something about those fries made them flat and just ok..

The burger on the other hand is the real star of the show.. As you park in their lot, you can smell the onions bursting from their walls.. The burger is served thin, fried and just perfect.. Covered with tons of cheese, fried onions on the bottom, it was the best burger I had all day.. It was the best burger I have had in a long time..

MMM..It is taking all of my commensense to not stop typing and to jump in the old family truckster and head right back there..

So now what? I thought this was a day trip.. We are now a couple hours from home and its getting dark.. After deciding not to continue to Maine and then Quebec, and then eventually running away from home and devoting our lives to eating at every burger place in the North America, we decide on dessert..

We head over to Gray's Ice Cream in Newport..

They make all their ice creams.. It is very New England in that I havent heard of some of their flavors. Frozen Pudding, GrapeNuts, what the hells a cabinet?(Milkshake) I opted for the buttercrunch while my co-pilot got the coffee.. The coffee was soome of the better coffee ice cream I have had.. The buttercrunch on the other hand was good but not great.. I lacked any crunch, it was more like butter.. All in all a good ending.. I also have a problem where I dont like to eat ice cream with anything but a small little spoon.. I nomally ask for the tasting spoon, but this little wood guy was all they had.. It worked.

It is amazing to see how many options New England has.. I could take the same route 20 times and never eat at the same place twice.. You guys are really lucky up there.. I cant wait to visit again.. What an easy and great trip..

Edited July 17, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[HungryChris]

Yet another fine effort in gastronomy and documentation. Keep up the good work, Daniel!

Cheers,

HC

[Theven]

That Burger from louis looked AMAZING!

Now that I'm done reading this post I must go eat.

Thanks for the great post dan.

[docsconz]

Amazing! This and many of your other topics should be highlighted for the Slow food organization. This is what it is all about.

[Daniel]

Hmm. Dont know anything about the Slow Food Organization..I thought slow food was mainly stewed foods.. I would love to hear more about them..

[Bux]

. . . .I never heard of anyone deep frying or breading a scallop before.. Who would you do such a thing.. Scallops are served medium rare or raw..

Lets just say, I was wrong.. Although I do prefer scallops raw or cooked medium, I like it this way too.. The scallops were still moist and chewy while they just had a fried outer shell.. This was a fantastic sandwich.. I was shocked and surprised..

←

Kid, there was a time in this country when scallops were always breaded and deep fried. Well not always, but usually and you were not likely to get them anyway but opaque through and through. In a diner, greasy spoon, or any place that promised to serve you home cooking, the odds weren't bad that you what got wasn't scallops, but plugs cut from skate and usually frozen. Who could tell what was under that breading anyway. I guess we've always had raw clams and oysters, but the rest of America's seafood was usually cooked and most often overcooked. I'm still shocked there's an audience for translucent scallops, and lobster and shrimp that's not rubbery. Still, there's nothing in wrong in frying just about anything if it's done right.

There is, or was, a fried clam place in southern RI, just across the border from CT. What I remember most about it is not the fried clams or fish, but the Rhode Island clam chowder. It tasted like clams instead of cream or tomatoes.

[Holly Moore]

Amazing! This and many of your other topics should be highlighted for the Slow food organization. This is what it is all about.

←

I'm not sure that Daniel's whirlwind approach to a road trip qualifies as Slow Food.

[ErinB]

Thanks for the post. It's great to hear about all of these places. I have just moved to RI, and just went to Gray's last week.

I got the grape nut ice cream, which was good, but I wish the grape nuts were crunchier. Next time, I'll get the coffee.

BTW, the grape nut ice cream is vanilla with grape nuts ....

[munchymom]

Daniel, I love reading all your threads. If you look like the picture in your avatar, there must be a painting of a guy who weighs 500 pounds stashed in your attic. I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at this stuff...

[Daniel]

Now thats very very funny.. Dorian Gray, I am not, Although people have said "the ruddiness of health suffused his cheeks; his eyes sparkled with wholesome fun, good humor, and high thoughts ...He was the sort of boy who makes the world seem jolly even when the east wind blows" O.W. That pic was taken not too long ago, so I am sure someone is paying the consequences of my eating.. I am sure glad its not me.. Anyway, thank you so much for reading my thread and more so responding..

Edit to add: Just posted the other half of my weekend in New York, in New York Board.. new york sunday

Edited July 18, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[johnnyd]

Great work D! We really must find a way to write off your gas expenses... anyone?

the Rhode Island clam chowder. It tasted like clams instead of cream or tomatoes.

Hmmm... tomatoes.

Tomatoes.... in chowder? You New Yorkers crack me up!

[Daniel]

Thanks Johnny,

If you can find away before my August road trip I would be much obliged..

[Chantilly Bob]

Thanks for the post.  It's great to hear about all of these places.  I have just moved to RI, and just went to Gray's last week.

I got the grape nut ice cream, which was good, but I wish the grape nuts were crunchier.  Next time, I'll get the coffee. 

BTW, the grape nut ice cream is vanilla with grape nuts ....

←

One thing I really miss from my years in RI is grapenut custard pudding. It's just plain ol' custard with a layer of grapenuts underneath. We used to get it at Miller's, which no longer exists, and Davis', which still does, in the same spot on Hope St. in Providence.

What is it with Rhode Islanders and grapenuts?

[Chantilly Bob]

There is, or was, a fried clam place in southern RI, just across the border from CT. What I remember most about it is not the fried clams or fish, but the Rhode Island clam chowder. It tasted like clams instead of cream or tomatoes.

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RI chowder is vastly underappreciated. If you like clams, once you've had a bowl of this stuff, you'll equate NE chowder with library paste. Manhattan chowder is a joke and worthy of no further discussion.

[Chantilly Bob]

Great travelogue!

Regarding Stanleys, I thought I'd mention that it's located in the sad-sack one-square-mile city of Central Falls, RI (AKA "CEE-EFF"), a place held in such low regard that even people in Pawtucket (where I grew up) make fun of it.

I was living so close to Stanleys all those years and never heard of the place and therefore never got to try a Stanleyburger. It will definitely be on the agenda for our next trip to RI.

[Daniel]

Nice nice.. I hope Stanley's builds a bridge betweem Pawtucket and Central Falls.. There are also a bunch of good looking Spanish Restaurants in town, but I havent been to any..