You actually need to go inside this drive-in to get your food, but it is well worth it!
I don’t know about you, but seeing the word “hemi” brings to mind those entertaining Dodge Ram commercials from the past few years with comedian Jon Reep asking, “That thing got a HEMI?” The hemi I’m talking about is a triple-stack burger with plenty of toppings at The Penguin Drive-In (Charlotte, NC). Here’s some details on Roadfood.com and MySpace, but I haven’t had a burger in a while that was so big that it was hard enough just biting into it! Juicy, fresh toppings and a simple bun, I wolfed the Full Hemi down without hesitation and then sat there like a wounded bear. Needless to say, I wasn’t going to running around anytime soon, but it was well worth it.
When you drive up to this spot, odds are you’ll have to wait, as it is popular with everyone from bikers to suits. Swung by with my cousin and some friends, so we ordered a couple of Guinnesses and some of the best fried pickles around. I would say the inside can only seat about 40 people or so, but plenty of character with the dim lighting and eclectic patrons. There was a cool jukebox behind me and good prices on all the food. Sweet potatoe fries were a nice option as well.
Next time you find yourself in Charlotte craving a real burger, be sure to stop by the Penguin for a filling meal!
For those of you who aren’t in the know, Benjamin Franklin made the above statement and he is absolutely right. Let’s just say that I wasn’t the most spiritual guy in the world, but the first time I went to Stone Bistro and Gardens and looked into a glass of Cali-Belgique IPA I thought I was looking into the eyes of God. That statement isn’t blasphemous, the beer here is just that good. In fact, I am so confident in the quality of the brew at Stone, that I will the make the audacious statement that it is second only to having a Guinness at St. James Gate.
Stone Brewery was started in 1996 and after meager beginnings this brewery has exploded as one of the most renown craft brewerys in the world. It has been named as the number one brewery in the world and claims 5 of the top 25 beers in the world according to Beer Advocate. I know in admissions we normally don’t like ranking, but that gives you a pretty good idea that this place is legit. If you love beer (and I’m talking about love, not “oh I enjoy a Corona at the beach or a Sam Adams once a month”) and haven’t heard of/drunk their beer then it’s like loving Jim Belushi but never seeing Animal House.
Stone is known for having extremely hoppy beers and their ales are world-class. My personal favorite is the IPA I mentioned above for its unique, hybrid taste, but as a lover of all things Irish I must confess their 2008 Russian Imperial Stout gives Guinness a run for their money. This unbelievably dark stout has the perfect amount of bite and spice to make your winter blues go away forever. I think the only thing that could make me happier than drinking this beer is having a smooch session with Marissa Miller.
It goes without saying that Stone has phenomenal beer, but their brewery is one of the best in the country because they have a wonderful restaurant and an even better garden complete with gargoyles, ponds, and a waterfall. I’ll be honest, the food at the bistro uses local, organic ingredients, but I think it is a bit overpriced. They do a great job though of providing dishes that complement the beer they serve including desserts. Yeah, I said desserts because nothing goes better with chocolate than beer in my opinion. With that said, there is nothing in the world like taking a fresh-from-the-tap Stone beer, walking into their stone garden, sitting on a bench in perfect San Diego weather, and just enjoying every second of it. In fact, if there is a heaven, I pray that it is the Stone Garden. If you go to San Diego on a company credit card this is a must to go and see.
Everyone knows the oompa loompas do the bidding of the mysterious Willy Wonka. And if you’re from Milwaukee, Wisconsin you know that the Usinger’s elves are just as mysterious.
Located in the historic Third Ward, where cobblestone streets still jar motorists, Usinger’s has been serving America’s Finest Sausage since 1880. And, though I don’t date back to the 1880’s, I grew up on the stuff in the 1980’s. Sausages whose names I couldn’t even pronounce found their way into my family fridge and into my fond memories. Things like Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), Bratwurst and Summer Sausage are the stuff my childhood dreams are made of.
And no matter where my family goes, we always search for those Usinger’s elves at our local grocery store. So when my parents made a move to ATL, the first thing my mom did was search her neighborhood Kroger store for our favorite sausage. No luck. Good thing you can order the stuff!
My recommendations:
* Try the Braunschweiger. I know, it sounds scary (what doesn’t sound scary in German?). But I used to smear this on Saltine crackers to create the perfect appetizer.
* Trying to woo your sweetheart? I know the way to this girl’s heart and it’s the “Milwaukee’s Favorites” gift box. It’s all that and a cheese knife.
* If you buy nothing else from Usinger’s you must buy the Hickory Sticks. They come in both spicy and regular varieties. And they are the quintessential Milwaukee treat. My sister and I both favor the spicy.
It might not be as sweet as Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory but Usinger’s (and their little elves) is the stuff of legends.
I’m a huge fan of anything that comes from the ocean as the resident beach bum so here is the BEST place in the country to get fresh, simple seafood: Blue Water Seafood Market. This humble spot is right up India St. from the San Diego airport so it’s accesible to any travellers. Whether you just enjoy some shrimp every once in awhile or you’re an avid fisherman, this place will hit the spot like Tom Brady in the 4th quarter.
They have a wide variety of fish from red snapper to yellowtail to Hawaiian ono and serve all of their dishes in one of three ways: a sandwich, a salad, or a taco. Everything on their menu seems so simple, but the ingredients make it unbelievable. Every morning BWSC gets the freshest fish from local boats. They also serve classic beach beers like Pacifico, Corona, Modelo Especial, and Dos Equis to wash down that pescadora goodness.
And for those of you not from southern CA saying, “fish taco? What the hell is that?” that’s like all of the people who missed out on Arrested Development and then watch it five years later only to realize it was the funniest show of all time. If you go to this place and don’t like their fish tacos there are 3:2 odds you don’t have a soul (seriously, Vegas made a line on it).
I haven’t been there in the past six months, but after this restaurant made an appearance on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives apparently there have been lines galore that you would have thought this place was called Mischa Barton Hamlet’s Soliloquy. This spot gets a major ACCEPT, in fact if i could give it a scholarship I would. Hell, if I could give it a sexual favor I would.
Everyone loves hamburgers because they’re American. If you don’t like hamburgers then you’re probably unAmerican and I don’t like you. So I figured I would give you the best hamburger spot I have found. It may come as no surprise that it’s in my hometown of San Diego: Tioli’s Crazee Burger.
Crazee Burger was founded by these two German guys who worked in fine dining back in their native land, but they decided to move to America’s Finest City and start up a burger joint. This isn’t your typical burgers with cheese, onions, and pickles, they offer a variety of burgers from venison, antelope, crocodile, kangaroo, to my personal favorite lamb burger. Where else can you eat ground up marsupial? Trust me, this isn’t some novelty item either, the kangaroo burger has a distinctive taste that I personally fine delicious (even though I cry every time I order it…kind of like my mom with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s when “Army Wives” comes on).
The best part about TCB is the sauces they make specifically for each kind of burger. For example, on the lamb burger they put on a ridiculous taziki sauce and for the antelope burger they put on a wine-infused pear with mushrooms, cream, and plum jelly. The other best part…beer. What’s a German establishment without some barley, hops, and water? From the local favorite Stone to some imported German hefeweizens, they offer a perfect compliment for each differing type of protein. So I would love someone to try and argue in a futile effort to convince me something different, but TCB tops my favorite burger list. Arguing otherwise would be like saying that Jordan isn’t the best of all time, or that DiCaprio didn’t peak with Titanic, or that Caddyshack isn’t the funniest movie ever…it would just be erroneous. I t goes without saying this is an ACCEPT. Here’s my other favorites:
1. TCB
2. In-n-Out (specifically a #1 animal style with a chocolate shake)
Being from the home of the Fighting Irish, I have to let everyone know about one of the most slept on spots in South Bend, IN (but is definitely gaining some fame). It’s called Trio’s and it is an upscale casual jazz bar and restaurant. The place exudes class without coming off as pretentious. It is American cuisine with inspirations coming from jazz hot spots Kansas City and New Orleans. Four nights a week they have live entertainment and the aucustics are great. Every Sunday from 10 to 3, they hold a champagne brunch and it is AWESOME. I mean I wasn’t a math major but (all you can eat) x (breakfast food+lunch food+dessert)+glass of champagne=the formula for happiness.
Ladies, break out the sexy cocktail dresses. Fellas, grab some dark jeans and a blazer.
The service is execellent, the managers and wait staff know my folks by name… I don’t know if its because they are that friendly or if my parents get stuck in restaurant ruts easily. Regardless, the food is great and the prices aren’t too bad. The dinner prices range between $15 and $30 per plate, with most dishes falling somewhere in the $18 to $22 range. Great place to take wifey material a date, friends, or family (please don’t bring family under the age of 13 they will not appreciate it and possibly ruin everyone’s dining experience). They have some decent week day drink and appetizer specials ranging from $2 domestics and $5 10″ chesse pizza to $5 premium martinis and mojitos and $6 gourmet cheese, cracker and fruit plates.
Needless to say, Trio’s is a definite Accept if you are in the South Bend area. I know when I go back home I will be hitting up Trio’s with the fam.
Hell0, World! Welcome to The Wait List. This whole project came about from conversations in and out of the office about food and beverage. Bert, who is the resident expert on EVERYTHING, would come over and tell myself an Double A about some restaurant he heard about on Food Network almost every day. Double A would talk about some cool brewry he heard about on the Travel Channel. I would talk about all the cool food I would like to eat when I start travel and ask them for suggestions. We talked, jokingly, about reviewing restaurants in the area for our school’s admissions blog. Then one day we just decided to do it. We are by no means professional food critics but we do get paid to judge whether or not a student should get into the school(s) that we work for, and if you can judge a person well damn it you can judge a steak. So The Wait List was born. We will not only review restaurants that we have been to, we will also provide info on places that we want to go, the best dive bars in different towns, funny stories and what not from the office or the road, and other food and/or beverage related items. Thanks for checking out the site, and check back regularly for updates.
