Travel with Terri
Traveling this summer? Leave the chains behind
By Terri Farris
Walking through New York’s Times Square anyone would expect to see crowds of tourists staring up at the skyscrapers and the neon information overload flashing from every angle. But with New York’s culinary options, you might not expect to see so many crowds gathered into chain restaurants like TGI Fridays, Olive Garden and Applebee’s – places people eat all the time. If you are going to travel to a new city, why not experience something new for lunch or dinner? Even families can branch out from the everyday chains by trying interesting places with kid friendly options.
New York is known for the wide array of ethnic foods available throughout the city, but let’s keep it simple – something the kids will eat! There is always the option of a street vendor hot dog, but if you prefer to get your hot dogs from a location with running water, so the cook can actually wash his hands, hop on the subway and head to Gray’s Papaya at 72nd and Broadway on the Upper West Side. This 24 hour eating establishment is somewhere between a street vendor and fast food restaurant, but they do hot dogs (and only hot dogs) and they do them right. With an ongoing “recession special” of 2 dogs (sauerkraut or onion sauce optional) and a papaya smoothie made from a combination of papaya, pina colada and other juices for $4.45, this may very well be the cheapest meal in the city. Gray’s has been around since 1973 and has four locations on the Westside of Manhattan. Cheap eats and the kids will love it! www.grayspapaya.com
Deli’s are also popular in New York with Carnegie Deli being the most
well known. But those who venture out of midtown Manhattan to the lower east side can enjoy an authentic deli experience at Katz. Located on Houston Street, Katz has been around since 1888 and is popular for its pastrami sandwiches and hot dogs which are both considered to be among New York’s best. Katz’s serves 5,000 pounds of corned beef, 2,000 pounds of salami and 12,000 hot dogs each week! During World War II, Katz encouraged parents to “Send a salami to your boy in the Army“, a phrase that has become synonymous with Katz and a phrase that actually rhymes if you say it with a New York accent. The tradition of supporting American troops continues today. Katz has arranged international shipping to military addresses and has sent countless packages to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Katz will also be familiar to movie buffs. Anyone remember Meg Ryan’s infamous faked “experience” in When Harry Met Sally? Katz is where that was filmed. You can even request to sit at the infamous table and order what she had. You might not want to explain that to the kids! www.katzdeli.com
While New York has always been known for its culinary options, across the country in Los Angeles in the mid-1970’s restaurants were in short supply. Herb Hudson, a Harlem native, took note of the lack of interesting restaurants and opened Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. While it might sound like an odd combination, believe me it is worth a try. Nobody does fried chicken and waffles like Roscoe’s. Also famous for their greens, macaroni and cheese, hot water cornbread and red beans and rice, Roscoe’s brought soul food straight from Harlem to the people in Los Angeles! Hudson was friends with many Motown greats including Natalie Cole. After opening Roscoe’s in 1976, he introduced his restaurant to his friends and word quickly spread throughout the entertainment industry and beyond. The original location on Gower Street in Hollywood is still enormously popular with celebrities. Fans include Snoop Dogg, Larry King, David Beckham and Jimmy Kimmel. Notorious B.I.G. mentions Roscoe’s in his song Going Back to Cali. Also Ludacris mentioned it in his song Call up the Homies with the lyrics “Let’s roll to Roscoe’s and get somethin to eat“. It has also been mentioned in numerous movies. The Los Angeles Times refers to Roscoe’s as “such an LA institution that no one questions the strange combo anymore.” www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com
Plain and Fancy was a Broadway musical in 1955. The “plain” reference was to the Amish people and the “fancy” reference was to everyone else. The musical shed a spotlight on the Amish community and was the start of tourism in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country. Soon after the musical, a house and barn on Route 340 in Lancaster County opened as a place for barn dances and Amish house tours and borrowed the name of the musical. Brothers Christian and Robert Lapp bought the property in 1959 and opened a restaurant featuring long tables where food was passed around among guests “family-style”. The original dining room at Plain & Fancy seated 125 diners and an all-you-can-eat meal cost $1.50. Today the restaurant seats about 700 guests. The menu consists of an Amish farm feast with a focus on the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch menu. Don’t miss the “shoofly pie” chosen by USA Today as the signature food. Plain & Fancy uses a “farm to table” concept by purchasing many of their foods from local Amish farmers. The Amish people are dedicated to family and tradition. Where better place to have a family style meal? www.plainandfancyfarm.com
Chicago brought us the Ferris Wheel, Navy Pier, the Cubs and Oprah. More importantly, Chicago brought us “deep dish” pizza. History is a bit unclear as to who actually developed this delicious dish. A former University of Texas football player, Ike Sewell, is said to have created it at his Chicago bar and grill, Pizzeria Uno, in 1943 but there have also been claims it was invented by his restaurant manager, Rudy Malnati. Either way, once you sink your teeth into this deep pie you will be glad someone came up with the idea! Deep dish pizza has a buttery crust up to three inches tall at the edge. The crust acts as a bowl for the large amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce along with whatever toppings you choose. This is serious pizza! There are more than 2,000 pizzerias in Chicago, most of them serving deep dish pizza. My personal favorite is Gino’s East where guests are allowed to write graffiti on the walls. Now that should keep the kids entertained while you wait for lunch! www.ginoseast.com
And in the Deep South in Atlanta, The Varsity has been serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, fries, onion rings and fried peach pies for over 80 years. What Frank Gordy started in 1928 on a 70’ x 120’ lot with a white picket fence and $2,000 has grown into an Atlanta institution. The Downtown Atlanta location occupies more than two acres, accommodates 600 cars and over 800 people inside the restaurant. The Varsity serves up two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions, 2500 pounds of potatoes, 5000 fried pies and 300 gallons of chili – all made from scratch! In the 1950’s The Varsity had over 100 car hops known for their singing and dancing. The most famous was a man named “Flossie Mae” who sang the menu to customers for over 50 years. Nipsy Russell got his start at The Varsity as car hop # 46. The Varsity has had its share of celebrity visitors. During the opening of Gone With the Wind, Clark Gable stopped in. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. Bush and Bill Clinton have all eaten here. Be prepared, The Varsity may be in the South, but it is by no means a slow leisurely spot. A constant chorus of “What’ll Ya’ll Have?” can be heard above the crowds as you walk in, so have your order and money ready! www.thevarsity.com
This summer, if someone asks you “What’ll Ya’ll Have?”, please don’t say the usual. Leave those chains behind and have yourself a food adventure. Enjoy!
Terri is a freelance writer with regular columns on travel, chocolate and bar reviews. She is busy each month visiting new places to bring unique travel destinations and events to you. Yes, it is a sacrifice – but she is willing to do that for her readers! You can see more of Terri’s writing at www.examiner.com where she is the National Chocolate Examiner and at www.barzz.net. You can contact Terri at [email protected].