Shucked To Order Apizza

Pizza fanatics are generally well-acquainted with Connecticut’s glorious fresh clam pizzas.  There’s nothing like them anywhere else.  Oh, sure, you can find clam pizzas elsewhere.  Most of them use canned clams, a few of them may use fresh clams, some even label them as New Haven-style, and we’ve never found one that even vaguely resembles the classic Connecticut pie.  But Zuppardi’s Apizza (Roadfood.com review) of West Haven has raised the bar even higher: they shuck the clams for your pie when you place your order!  Jane and Michael Stern appeared on Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s The Splendid Table this past weekend to talk about Zuppardi’s, and you can listen in online.  Here is the Sterns’ segment, and here is the whole show if you’d prefer.  One more note: if you order a clam pie, don’t ask for mutz!

Finding Boston’s Roadfood Gems

As we all know, Roadfooding is made even better when in the company of friends. When we found out that Buffetbuster and The Travelin Man were coming to Boston, we drew up a rather ambitious itinerary for the weekend: a schedule that mixed bonafide classics with under-the-RF-radar treasures. Realizing that Buffetbuster might like to complement his Friday-night Durgin-Park dinner with a dessert breakfast (!), we proceeded to the North End and Mike’s Pastry. After a few decadent cupcakes and a Florentine cannoli, we then drove to East Boston and Santarpio’s. The pepperoni & garlic pizza and chargrilled lamb & sausage were amazing as usual, augmented only by our jovial waiter cutting up with us the entire time. Before heading back to Cambridge, we stopped at Royal Roast Beef for a tender Super Beef cut in quarters.

Bethgrd and Karilyn met us at R.F. O’Sullivan & Son in Somerville for gourmet burgers, and they brought a mixed berry pie from Petsi Pies across the street. After chowing down on burgers and potato wedges, we walked over to Petsi to sample more of their cream pies and pastries. The crowning moment of the day came at our next stop, Kickass Cupcakes, where The Travelin Man called their Root Beer Float cupcake “the best that I have ever eaten—no lie!” Needing some dairy relief, we then drove into Cambridge to Toscanini’s and enjoyed wild flavors of ice cream such as Fluffernutter and Vienna Finger Cookie. Our final stop of the day was in Harvard Square at Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage, one of the state’s featured stops in George Motz’s Hamburger America. Three burgers and fresh lime rickeys later, we strolled around Harvard Yard and Square before calling it a night.

Sunday morning found us forking into fluffy omelets at Kendall Square’s Friendly Toast in Cambridge, marveling at their zany interior of vintage signs, very bad paintings, and pop-culture paraphernalia. Parking in Brookline, we left the car for a foursome of neighborhood stops. Clear Flour Bakery already had a line out the door, but there were plenty of buttery croissants and German pretzels, freshly baked and subsequently inhaled by all of us. Buffetbuster was a little skeptical about our Mexican food choice, Dorado, but one bite of his homemade chorizo cemita (a sandwich layered with meat, Oaxaca string cheese, avocado, and black beans) quickly changed his tune, and their fish taco, roasted corn, and watermelon agua fresca garnered highest praise.

We then met up with TTM’s friend John over slices of pepperoni pizza at Upper Crust, after which we crossed the street to J.P. Licks for peanut butter-marshmallow sundaes, Coffee Oreo and Noodle Kugel ice creams, and the curious but delicious Manischewitz sorbet. After sampling fresh oysters, the original Boston cream pie, and the famous Parker House rolls at the Omni-Parker House downtown, we drove to Belmont for our final stop, Rancatore’s, and more ice cream and incredible hot fudge. Many thanks from the bottom of our stomachs to Buffetbuster, The Travelin Man, Bethgrd, Karilyn, and John for trusting us to call the shots—let’s all do this again soon! (Some photos courtesy of Buffetbuster and Karilyn)

Route 66: Epilogue

After finally unpacking and scrolling through 1,000+ photos, here’s our Best of the Best on Route 66. Becoming “through-drivers” on the Mother Road was a mightier task than we thought. Most folks that we met were driving only sections of it, while others saw the Route as a colorful daytime detour from the interstates. We were surprised at the magnitude of Europeans (mostly German, French, and Italian) traveling on Route 66; a couple from Venice, Italy told us that they were so enamored with American ’50s-’60s culture that they vacation every year on U.S. backroads. Arizona and New Mexico’s stretches of Route 66 were the most traveled of the other states, due to the Route’s close proximity to I-40, the Grand Canyon, and some of the Mother Road’s most photographed sites. Conversely, there were long stretches in Kansas and Missouri where we didn’t pass any cars at all.

We assumed that one could simply follow the Route 66 signs from one end to the other. Wrong! Illinois and California featured more than ample signage to keep us on the correct path; however, route signs were few and far between in Oklahoma and Texas. Sometimes Route 66 was merely a frontage road that paralleled the interstate; in other instances, the interstate was built over it, so we were forced to take the superslab on certain stretches. In some states, we even had options: the pre-1937 route or later? We were indebted to Jerry McClanahan’s EZ66 Guide for Travelers, a spiral-bound book of maps with turn-by-turn directions, for without it, we would’ve lost our way many more times than we actually did. McClanahan, who has traveled the Route hundreds of times, makes updates and posts tips from travelers on his helpful website.

Route 66 chronicles what has become an abandoned America: gas stations, tourist sites, and small towns that were left behind in the building of the U.S. Interstate System—the underlying theme of the 2006 movie Cars (for which Route 66 was the original title). There are plentiful ghost towns, decrepit garages, rusting signs, and derelict houses that dot the present-day landscape of the Mother Road, though the perseverance of many residents has helped Route 66 preserve its rustic appearance while underscoring a bygone era of westward expansion and travel. All in all, Route 66 offers a myriad of businesses new and old, vintage neon signs, and classic buildings that capture our imagination and inspire us to explore this great country!

Total miles traveled, including all detours: 5,250

States visited: 10 (8 on Route 66 itself, plus Minnesota and Iowa before starting the Route)

Roadfood-reviewed spots visited on Route 66: 18

Non-RF-reviewed spots visited on Route 66: 44

Places that should be RF-reviewed: 32

Best gourmet burger: Green chile cheeseburger, Bobcat Bite, Santa Fe, NM

Best diner burger: Onion burger, Robert’s Grill, El Reno, OK

Best hot dog: Cozy Dog, Cozy Dog Drive-In, Springfield, IL

Best sandwich: Pig Sandwich, Van’s Pig Stand, Oklahoma City, OK

Best bar food: Provel & pepperoni pizza, Riley’s Pub, St. Louis, MO

Best pizza: Green chile & roasted chicken with blue corn crust, Golden Crown Panaderia, Albuquerque, NM

Best ethnic food: Carne adovada, Perea’s, Corrales, NM

Best barbecue: St. Louis ribs, Pappy’s Smokehouse, St. Louis, MO

Best snack food: Piñon nuts, roadside stand, Albuquerque, NM

Best doughnut: Fresh peach donut, The Donut Man, Glendora, CA

Best pie: French Silk, Country Dove Tea Room, Elk City, OK

Best ice cream: Yogurt & olive oil gelato, Bulgarini Gelato, Pasadena, CA

Best milkshake: Javanilla, Diablo Burger, Flagstaff, AZ

Best breakfast: Apple & cheese omelette, Lou Mitchell’s, Chicago, IL

Best splurge meal: Dr Pepper braised hog jowls & blue cheese grits, Tinderbox Kitchen, Flagstaff, AZ

Best “new to us” meal: Slinger, Courtesy Diner, St. Louis, MO

Finally, we’d like to thank all the fine folks who fed us, put us up for the night, and gave us personal tips for the finest food, especially: Jane & Michael Stern, Bruce Bilmes & Sue Boyle, Lynne Rosetto Kasper, ChiTownDiner & Patty, Charlene & Mark Johnson, Jenna, Buffetbuster, Carolina Bob, Battra & Ali, Dr of BBQ; the Briesch, O’Connor, Boes, Porter, and Tinder families; Marissa, Heather & Zach, Autumn & Hayden, Dorothy & Stan, Angela & Jeremy, Christie & Glenn, Erin & Noah, U.S. National Park rangers, free wifi, and all the fine servers, owners, and customers of Roadfood spots and vintage motels on Route 66!

Blossom Deli of Charleston, WV to Close Saturday

The Charleston Gazette is reporting that the Blossom Deli of Charleston, West Virginia will be shutting down after Saturday’s lunch service.  Owner Bill Sohovich plans to discuss his reasons for closing the restaurant on Wednesday, but Charleston’s mayor noted that business has been particularly slow lately for downtown restaurants.  In his Roadfood.com review Michael Stern said, “An Art Deco dairy bar restored to gleaming perfection, the Blossom Deli is an upscale eatery with beautiful steaks, seafood, vegetarian dishes, and one heck of a good hot fudge sundae.”

New Parasol Owners Hope For Early October Reopening

The new owners of the now-closed Parasol’s Bar in New Orleans hope to have it reopened by early October, according to this story in The Times-Picayune.  John and Thea Hogan recently purchased the locally, and nationally, beloved Parasol’s, and Mr. Hogan says they will be keeping things pretty much as they’ve always been: “I know how New Orleans people are after having been married to one for a while.  You don’t mess with their stuff.”

Parasol’s Closes Today; Tracey’s Opens Tomorrow

Today is the last day of Parasol’s Bar (Roadfood.com review) in the Irish Channel section of New Orleans.  Jeffrey and Jaimee Carreras have been running Parasol’s for the last 12 years, and over the years have turned the humble bar into the city’s premier po-boy joint.  The building has been sold and the new owners want the Carreras out.  All is not lost, however, as the Carreras have landed down the street at 2604 Magazine.  They will call their place Tracey’s, which was the original name of Parasol’s.  The whole Parasol’s staff will be moving along with the Carreras, as will the menu of po-boy classics.  And opening day is tomorrow, believe it or not.  We’re anxious to hear reports from anyone who gives Tracey’s a try.

You can read the details of the move on the Parasol’s website, although we are not certain how long that info will remain up after the sale and move takes place today.

Six Sensational Sandwiches

Pictured above is a pig sandwich at A&R Bar-B-Que in Memphis, honored in a story Embassy Suites asked us to write for the Business Balance website about Six Sensational sandwiches across the country. You can check out the story here; and just so you know, we perforce excluded hot dogs and hamburgers and even lobster rolls, considering each of those a category unto itself.

Pres Goes Roadfooding

President Obama paid a visit to New Orleans yesterday to mark the five-year anniversary of Katrina, and to give a speech at Xavier University.  You can read all about it in your local newspaper.  But this is Roadfood, not CNN, so what we really want to know is, where did he eat?  And the answer is the famous po-boy purveyor known as Parkway Bakery (Roadfood.com review), which we ranked a close second to Parasol’s (which closes tomorrow, and will reopen a few blocks away as Tracey’s on Wednesday) during a springtime po-boy tour of the Crescent City.  What did he get?  The glorious shrimp po-boy, which overflows with snapping-fresh, perfectly cooked critters.  Evidently, his concern for his waistline prevented him from ordering the surf-and-turf po-boy.  Read more on this CNN blog.

Local Tomatoes and Sweet Corn

The Roadfood.com poll asked: Local Summer Vegetables: What Do You Crave?  The overwhelming response was tomatoes and sweet corn.  No doubt the sorry supermarket versions of these vegetables play a big role in that preference.  Both tomatoes and corn are especially suited to local eating: tomatoes have to be picked before they’re ripened to withstand the travel and rough supermarket handling, and while supermarket corn can be picked ripe, it has to be enjoyed within hours of picking for maximum flavor.  We’ve been hitting up our local farmers market week after week for corn and tomatoes and we haven’t tired of them in the least.  It’s a long, cold winter filled with pink tomatoes and frozen corn niblets.

Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival

There are festivals galore dedicated to corn or apples, seafood or sausage, and we’re all for them, but c’mon, how often do you get to attend a festival that celebrates the lowly rutabaga?  That’s what the town of Askov, Minnesota does each year and this year’s festival is taking place this very weekend (8/27/10 – 8/29/10).

It’s too late for the parade but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the exhibits and crafts, museums, dancing, contests, live bands, and tonight’s fireworks.  Best of all, in our book, is the food, led by the famous æbleskiver & rutabaga sausage stand.  Æbleskivers are little Danish baked pancakes, more spherical than flat, served with jam.  Rutabaga sausage is, well… your guess is as good as ours but we assume pork sausage that incorporates the root vegetable.  Both sound interesting and delicious.  There’ll also be fair food both common, like corn dogs, and more regional, such as cheese curds, brats, and pork chops.  And there will also be a beer garden.  The festival closes with tomorrow morning’s pancake and sausage breakfast, put on by the Lions.

For more info, see the Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival website, where you’ll also see recipes for all sorts of rutabaga delicacies, such as Rutabaga Pudding and Ontario Rutabaga Spice Cake.