Pier 23 - San Francisco, CA

Pier 23 was one of the more mediocre Triple D experiences I've had, but I will put a big asterisk beside this one. The reasons being: We ended up going during their off-season, at 3:00pm, on a Tuesday.  The food was okay, and the atmosphere was pleasant - but it wasn't all that memorable.  I would like to give this place another shot, preferably on a summer weekend, and I'd bet I would have a better story to tell.  The big problem is, I don't find myself in Cali all that often... so, to be continued, eventually.

Melt Bar & Grilled - Cleveland Heights, OH

  

Before I even ordered, I knew this was one of those places where my meal would go unfinished.  The monstrosity of the surrounding sandwiches could not go un-noticed.  I perused the ample beer selection and ordered my fist pint, Flower Power on tap - not too shabby.

The seemingly endless selection of grilled cheese variations stumped me for a while, but I decided to stay true to one of my favorite movies and ordered 'The Dude Abides' - a sandwich tribute to The Big Lebowski. A meatball and mozzarella cheese stick concoction complete with additional provolone and marinara sauce, (the whole thing) dusted in Romano cheese.  Of course, it showed up piled high with French fries... I think I may have eaten one just to try them.

The sandwich was fantastic as was the beer, a very good selection of US micro-brews (about 10 taps and plenty of bottles). I could only finish half of this monster sandwich, but was it ever good.  I would definitely return and recommend it to anyone in the Cleveland area. 

Jamaica Way Kitchen - Nashville, TN

The Broken Record - San Francisco, CA

Review to follow...

Crazy Burger - Naraganset, RI

Review to follow...

Charlie's Diner - Spencer, MA

Brandy's - Flagstaff, AZ

Review to follow...

Lake Effect Diner - Buffalo, NY

Review to follow

The Tomahawk - Vancouver, BC

Review to follow...

The Red Wagon - Vancouver, BC

We made the most out of a pre-cruise layover in Vancouver, knocking The Red Wagon and The Tomahawk off of the Triple D to-do list. Our plane touched down around 9:00am and by 11:00am we had made it to our hotel and onward to The Red Wagon. Not exactly on the sunny side of the street, but well worth the cab ride through the Hastings district - I do not advise walking to this location.

How was it, you ask?  Five words: Jack Daniels Pulled Pork Pancakes... need I say more. I do not classify myself as a pancake-type-of-guy, but these blew me away.  Light and fluffy, porky goodness with maple and a hint of booze... the perfect balance. The coffe was fresh and plentiful, and you could tell there were a lot of regulars in the joint - on a Thursday!  Be sure to visit if you're in town.

Cabo Fish Taco - Charlotte, NC

Cabo Fish Taco is about a 15 minute cab ride from downtown Charlotte, tucked away in a little artsy district called "NoDa".  There was a pleasent atmoshphere and some decent beers on tap - good start.  Tortillas and homemade salsa were delivered, the salsa was great and the tortillas were very fresh.  For my lunch, I ordered the BBQ Mahi Tacos, as featured by Mr. Fieri and they did not disappoint.  All in all, I would return in a heartbeat.

Smoque BBQ - Chicago, IL

Not exactly in the heart of the city (about 30 mins away from the downtown core by car), Smoque is worth the drive!  Classic BBQ and killer sides; it was, hands down, some of the best  food of its kind since I visited Matrin's BBQ in Tennessee.  I had the brisket and the pulled pork, with their signature baked beans, slaw and their mac and cheese.  I strapped on the feedbag and went to it, bloody fantastic!  It was a Thursday night and the place was packed, the line moves quickly though and the helpful staff will help you find a seat to devour your cow and/or pig.

The one downside, they are not licensed to sell liquor.  Not a huge deal, but a beer would have been nice with this meal.  That being said, you can BYOB, which I did not know ahead of time.  In summary, grab a few cold ones and head on down to Smoque, you will not be disappointed.

Bro's Cajun Cuisine - Nashville, TN

An old multi-leveled house turned restaurant, Bro's is a really cool place with a great atmosphere and fantastic food!  We ate there with a rather large group, so we had a generous portion of food to sample around.  We tried the crawdads, not my cup of tea, but if you like them, apparently theirs are top-notch.  Personally I had the gumbo as an app and jambalaya for my main.  The gumbo was excellent and the jambalaya was probably the best I've ever had. 


Other notable favorites around the table were the boudin balls, the catfish po-boy and the muffuletta.  It's about a 10 minute drive from downtown Nashville and well worth your time.  Enjoy!

http://www.broscajuncuisine.com

Martin's Bar-B-Que - Nolensville, TN

This place is completely "off the hook"... probably the best brisket I have had ANYWHERE to date.  Located about a half hour outside of Nashville, Martin's is well worth the drive.  A relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff made the stop all the more enjoyable.  We went as a group and sampled many of the menu items (all fantastic), including the whole-hog approach to pulled pork.  We were lucky enough to get there when the trap door opened up to reveal a sight that almost brought a tear to my eye - a whole pig cooking in a giant custom made smoker (below).  For anyone looking for a great BBQ meal, Martin's is a must.

Chino Bandido - Phoenix, AZ

After getting off the plane in Phoenix and arguing for an hour with the fine folks at the Budget rental counter about seemingly nothing, we had worked up quite an appetite.  Next stop, Chino Bandido.  This DDD joint is not much to look at, but the food and service was absolutely fantastic! 

They have a very eclectic menu comprised of a fusion of Mexican, Chinese and Caribbean items.  You can mix and match and if you don't know how to order, they are more than happy to help you out.  I had the Jen Red Pork (to die for), the Jerk Chicken Quesadillas with Jerk Fried Rice.  I would highly recommend this stop if you're in the vicinity.

DDD - The Eveready Diner, Hyde Park NY

On a road trip to New York state, my friend Kurt and I took a detour to check out the Eveready Diner in Hyde Park, NY.  My memory of the visit was a little bit fuzzy as I was nursing what was probably the worst hangover of my life.  After getting hammered in Albany, and staying the night at a dreadful flea-bag hotel, we forged on to Hyde Park.  No amount of grease could cure what I was going through.  All I seem to remember from the experience was triple shots of top-shelf scotch, a very uncomfortable bed, a shower with a moving floor, something about goats written on a window, getting stuck in a condemned elevator... and the Eveready Diner.  I do believe I ordered the Ruben Sandwich, a bowl of French Onion Soup, a root beer and a kick-ass piece of fluffy cheesecake.  From what I remember, the soup kicked ass, the sandwich was nothing to write home about and the cheesecake was plentiful and tasty as hell.  I'd like to go back one day in a more human state to judge the site properly, but for now - this is my review of the Eveready Diner.

On a side note, the Ruben is being compared to some pretty healthy competition.  I've had Rubens at Katz's and Wolf's in New York as well as the Stage Deli in Las Vegas.

The Eveready was featured on Diner, Drive Ins and Dives - check out the clip here: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVolPZ8Vxj0