My family and I recently returned from a fantastic vacation focusing on our American history. We crammed in as much as we could in as little time as possible. Because Steve is such a foodie and wanted to make eating part of the experience, he researched what eateries Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and Man v. Food had featured along our route. Needless to say, we ate well.
Our first stop was in Cleveland, OH. Geraci's Restaurant, an upscale pizza place (with white tablecloths) where they make their own pepperoni. We got 4 different kinds and loved all of them. The manager was sitting near us and overheard our conversation with our waitress and the neighboring booth and had them comp us a dessert that tasted like donuts, but may have been pizza dough, fried, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The girls licked every bit of powdered sugar off of the plate.
Silk City, in downtown Philadelphia, PA is known for starting out in a trolley car by a French chef. They're known for their wings, empanadas, and spring rolls. Everything had a gourmet twist and was mah-velous!
We were seated outside (in 90+ weather with 80%+ humidity) due to the size of our party, but were kept entertained by our surroundings. A mermaid fountain was hiding in one corner, so the girls loved checking on her. The boys were totally mortified by the lack of her modesty and quickly turned around and walked back to the table with cheeks blushing and giggles muffled. I strategically took this picture of the girls with her so that no one else would be embarrassed.
Below is the gate looking into our patio seating. Bright and cheery.
After a full day in Philly, we had to get ourselves a philly cheese steak sandwich. Tony Luke's was featured on Man v. Food. Adam, the host, had to eat a philly cheesesteak loaded with 5 lbs of meat and 1 lb of cheese. We bought this bad boy for our whole family (and added a hot dog for Lizzie). All I got was the meat that fell out of the boys' sandwiches and the mushrooms meant as a side or topping. Sadly enough, the Steve and Braxton came away still hungry. Unbelievable!
The challenge!
In Washington D.C., we had to visit Ben's Chili Bowl. The service was impeccable! They seated us in a backroom (to accomodate our large number) and even showed us the 10 minute video about the beginning of the restaurant, it's airing on DDD, and the recognition it has received from the city and its famous residents. Pictures of Obama, Denzel Washington, Bill Cosby, Will Smith, Bill Clinton, and many others adorn the walls.
Most of us got the 1/2 smoke, which is what they're known for. It's basically a chili dog. I do not like hot dogs, but I do have to admit, this was delicious.
Our descent home began at the Broadway Diner in Baltimore, MD. This was my favorite! It's a good thing I didn't see the desserts before I walked in because they looked amazing and I was too full to even be tested! Oh, well.
As you can tell, this was a thumbs up for the kids.
I got the featured potato encrusted salmon on a bed of spinach. I had eaten half before I realized how much was gone. Wow! To die for! Many of the kids got spaghetti and kept repeating the phrase "Mama mia" in an attempted Italian accent. I think they think it means "Oh, my goodness!"
We put some more road behind us and ended up in Toledo, Ohio. Olive Garden became the spot of choice (since Steve didn't want fast food). We did have the kids try calamari and it was a hit!
Most of us got the 1/2 smoke, which is what they're known for. It's basically a chili dog. I do not like hot dogs, but I do have to admit, this was delicious.
Our descent home began at the Broadway Diner in Baltimore, MD. This was my favorite! It's a good thing I didn't see the desserts before I walked in because they looked amazing and I was too full to even be tested! Oh, well.
As you can tell, this was a thumbs up for the kids. I got the featured potato encrusted salmon on a bed of spinach. I had eaten half before I realized how much was gone. Wow! To die for! Many of the kids got spaghetti and kept repeating the phrase "Mama mia" in an attempted Italian accent. I think they think it means "Oh, my goodness!" Our last DDD stop was in vain as it had 1.5 hr wait to be seated and a 3/4hr wait for take-out. We couldn't waste that much time so we had to leave it behind. :(
We put some more road behind us and ended up in Toledo, Ohio. Olive Garden became the spot of choice (since Steve didn't want fast food). We did have the kids try calamari and it was a hit!
Food is so much fun!
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