Home Cookin’ – DiGiorno Frozen Pizza Review, Pizzeria Style (new product)

Busman’s holiday. A funny phrase. It means I’m taking time off from my job as a write to write this, which is supposed to be a hoppy, but has turned into a second job. No rest for the wicked, as they say. Developed originally by Kraft, the DiGiorno frozen pizza line now calls Switzerland based… Continue reading Home Cookin’ – DiGiorno Frozen Pizza Review, Pizzeria Style (new product)

Elgin, IL – Kendalls Kountry Kitchen Review

Damn.  Old timey diner, affable chatty waitresses (including the owner),  great food, great value.  So unassuming from the outside (left) you’d be likely to pass by if you weren’t looking for it, or one of the locals that has made a daily habit of stopping in for the last couple decades.  I know I would… Continue reading Elgin, IL – Kendalls Kountry Kitchen Review

New Orleans, LA – Cafe Degas Review

(From our archives) I’ve intentionally shied away from the Café Degas, because it’s one of those places that many natives find absolutely thrilling. That’s usually my first clue to avoid it like the plague. I frequently find that my view of “outstanding” varies widely from my native friends, but that’s largely due to the fact… Continue reading New Orleans, LA – Cafe Degas Review

Duluth, MN – Tavern on the Hill Review

Due to an anticipated major shift in the demographics of school aged children, the city of Duluth, MN went through a significant reorganization of the public schools several years ago, closing some, modernizing some, and repurposing others. Part of this plan was demolishing one of the two junior high schools (grades 7-9) in the eastern… Continue reading Duluth, MN – Tavern on the Hill Review

Tennessee Pride Sausage Reviews

Today part of ConAgra, Odom’s Tennessee Pride was started in the mid 40s by two brothers whom combined their knowledge of the meat business and home delivery (from earlier jobs). Headquartered in Madison, TN, with plants in Tennessee and Arkansas, Tennessee Pride makes sausage in rolls, links, pre-cooked, and packaged sausage gravy. They have recently… Continue reading Tennessee Pride Sausage Reviews

Fried Onion Burger Recipe

Every year, in El Reno, Oklahoma, they hold the Fried Onion Burger Festival; they’ve been cooking up their special recipe burgers for nigh onto fifty years or more.  Local favorites include Robert’s Grill. I had a fancy to whip some up at home recently, with mixed results. In Oklahoma, a handful of fresh ground is… Continue reading Fried Onion Burger Recipe

Barrington, IL – Sergios Pizza Review

Some years ago, we relocated from Los Angeles to this Norman Rockwellian idyllic Chicago suburb. It was for our daughter’s benefit, we wanted her to have a great education in a safe environment, and grow up with midwestern values. For the most part, it was a successful move. At the time, after local exploration, (and… Continue reading Barrington, IL – Sergios Pizza Review

West Dundee, IL – Chubby Bullfrog Bar & Grill Review

I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to bars and restaurants in strip malls.  I guess it’s perfectly fine to younger generations, but the idea of trying to squeeze “ambiance” into a former yogurt shop or dry cleaner just seems a stretch to me. The Chubby Bullfrog sees itself as a sports bar, with… Continue reading West Dundee, IL – Chubby Bullfrog Bar & Grill Review

Fricks Ham Review

Ran into a product I hadn’t seen before, a boneless half  ham from Frick’s Meat, a purveyor from Washington, MO (about 40 miles west of St. Louis, halfway between I-70 on the north, and I-44 on the south.  Frick’s has been around for nearly a century and a quarter, and manufacturers processed pork products, including… Continue reading Fricks Ham Review