Memorable Dinners
We travel, So we do a number of overnight trips. This means that we eat a number of meals that you wouldn't want to tackle on a Hamburger Run. Here then is a summary of memorable dinners we have eaten. They are arranged by state for easier reference, but the date is included so you can have some idea of the age of the information.
For those of you who live in the area of some of these, we know there may be other, perhaps better, places to eat. But first, that judgement is purely subjective and second, we were only there for a short time and couldn't visit them all.
Georgia
Hilton Head Island
Marley's (3/13/06)
We found this place in spite of the map on the tourist brochure. It was definitely an upscale place with a menu (and prices) to match, but what would you expect in this place?
The food was excellent and the service was good. I had a pork tenderloin that melted in my mouth.
Peachtree City
Georgia Shrimp Company (3/11/06)
The place is in a corner of a strip mall off the main drag. Not very visible, But right in front of us while waiting in line for tea and nuggets at the Chik Fil A drive thru. It is well worth the effort to look for if you are in the area.
As the name implies, we had shrimp. It was very lightly breaded or lightly floured (depending on the dish and very good. The meal was great in a reasonably good atmosphere with excellent service. I went for the Key Lime pie for dessert which was also good. Total bill with tip was about $40.
Louisiana
New Orleans
Acme Oyster Bar (3/8/04)
This place is(was) on the Ponchartrain boat basin. Katrina destroyed it, but if it is ever rebuilt, it might be worth a visit.
We arrived just ahead of the dinner rush, and leisurely went through the entire ritual; appetizer, entree and dessert. All the food was excellent and the waitress was right on top of everything until the combination of the dinner rush and a waitperson that didn't come in due to an accident caused a big mess. Every effort (including the manager being on the floor) was made to cover the rush with good humor and the drop in service level was noticeable only because it had been so good.
I did the entire "cajun" thingy. Raw oysters, gumbo, and crawfish etouffe. It was all good to excellent.
Mississippi
Natchez
King's Tavern (10/14/04) (3/7/07)
This place is "number one with a bullet" on our list of places to go. We have been twice and already have a date for late june 2009.
Both times, we have had the stuffed flounder and licked the plate. Nuff said?
Tunica
Blue & White Diner (3/6/07)
This is just a country diner. It has a full menu and plain but excellent food.
New Mexico
Carlsbad
Stevens Grill (3/9/04)
This is the house restaurant for a nice downtown hotel. The food was very good and the atmosphere was nice.
Oklahoma
Alva
The bowling alley cafe (6/16/05)
After pumping the lineguy and eliminating the national chains, this is what was left. The atmosphere was what would be expected from a bowling alley, but the food was something else. Typical downscale menu, but well prepared, seasoned and served. The capper was the home made Boston Cream Pie for dessert.
Texas
Brenham
Burton Cafe (4/13/02)
The Burton Café is an authentic rustic downtown café, offering a simple menu and live entertainment on Saturday night. The Chicken Fried Steak is fabulous and a piece of pie later was also great. The entertainment was a couple playing an eclectic mix of music, old and new. A most enjoyable evening for less than $30 (including tip for the entertainment).
Galveston
Gaidos (12/19/04)
Seafood deluxe in a very good atmosphere. Somewhat upscale, but well worth it.
Mount Pleasant
Luigi's
It is Italian, what else can we say? This was technically a hamburger run, but we were late enough to get the evening menu. When I jokingly told the waitress to bring the pitcher when we ordered our tea, that is just what she did. The menu was surprisingly broad and all well prepared and seasoned.
San Marcos
Texas Red's (5/7/04)
Hard to find, but well worth the effort. They have cow done just about any way you could think of and what we had was excellent. Service and atmosphere were both worth the pricey menu.
Fredericksburg
Der Lindenbaum (3/10/05)
I had as good a Wiener Schnitzel as I have had since my time in Germany nearly 40 years ago. The raspberry cake was also good.
Wyoming
Sheridan
Sheridan Inn (6/20/05)
This was Buffalo Bills home here. The wait was long even on a Monday night, but the food and atmosphere were well worth it. I had prime rib that was mouth wateringly good.