mmm-yoso!!!

Road Trip-Day Five: Detroit/Ann Arbor, MI to St Louis-ish, MO

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog, written in some creative ways.  This time it is Cathy, writing about food across America and back.  We are now heading back ... towards San Diego. 

Hello again.  We are all back in the car and heading west...albeit slowly.  First, breakfast...

Cracker Barrel is along our entire driving route- except, not in California-the closest one to us is 3 hours away, in Yuma. It is good in the sense that all are laid out the same way and I know exactly where the restrooms are-just past the "General Store" lobby (filled with souvenirs and knick knacks and candies)...and they serve breakfast all day. There is a small game on every simply set table. Coffee is $1.39-but I am spoiled by the consistency of Starbucks- cross country(as a side note- we used 6 tanks of fuel and 7 stops at Starbucks on this drive East) I can get a fresh cup of coffee whenever we stop; I can tell you stories of the strangest tasting brown colored hot water I have consumed on prior road trips. This year the signage for Starbucks is better( "Exit 159, Turn Left" with a Starbucks symbol, nothing else) and there are more locations right off the freeway.

So, back to Cracker Barrel, The Mister got the "Holiday Sampler" breakfast plate ($7.19) A choice of country or sugar ham, a slice of wonderful country bacon (it is not crispy, but a cured smoked ham thin sliced and pan fried -different than what most of you grew up with), a wonderful sausage patty, two eggs, hash browns, spiced apples, grits, a regular biscuit, an apple biscuit and country gravy-not too spicy(needed to add pepper), not at all lumpy.Plenty of food. I got the two biscuits with ham and side of spiced apples- they are cooked with the skins on....still crispy in a thick, non-cinnamon, non-sweet sauce. 

One thing I like about Cracker Barrel is that you can get a book on tape (or CD) at one location and then drive while listening to it and return it at any other location whenever.  It ends up costing you less than $5 and is a good way to pass time if you don't have satellite radio.  Regular AM/FM stations end up fading so fast while driving (at best one station will last 2 hours) that having something to hold your concentration, besides conversation, helps tremendously.

Wonderful... said our goodbyes and and we were off in the car again. First stop, the University of Michigan. North Campus. Food.

Yes, you are reading correct- Bagel Fragel. A fragel is ...yep, a fried bagel.

Raisin packed bagel dough, fried to a golden brown (instead of boiled).  Coated in cinnamon sugar. More sugar than cinnamon-perfect.  (I don't crave cinnamon) (89¢) An Ann Arbor tradition for 30 years.  {The original Bagel Fragel place used to be located on South University, but now is North of North Campus, on Plymouth Road.}  I would get one every Saturday morning.  Had to get one now.  Had to. While I could. It is bread-y inside and the crust is lightly crispy...not hard...still chewy but a little crunch. Healthier than a donut...not as healthy as  bagel...like I care. 

A salt bagel, toasted, with butter.  (72¢) It is quite difficult to find salt bagels around San Diego.  These are good, fresh, inexpensive....and salty! The shop also sells muffins, danishes, sandwiches and breakfast bagels.

Then the traditional  Ann Arbor stop at The Cube, a beautiful installation art piece that spins on its axis, either with the help of a push, or just the wind.  Made in 1966-67, by Tony Rosenthal, it is located near the Michigan Union,  {just off of State Street, on Maynard} and has a "twin"of itself in New York City.  As a size reference, the corners parallel to the ground are worn out.  Those corners are arm level - where you push. 

Then, our primary traditional food indulgence.  Crazy Jim's Blimpy Burger.  This small restaurant (Capacity of 50) seems to be patronized by a lot of people after graduation. The people working the grill were commenting about how many "old" people were in there when we were.  Eh, after Thanksgiving, the town seemed filled with alumnae.  The Mister and I both lived in South Quad, a dorm located only a block away from Blimpy's and frequented this simple restaurant regularly when undergrads. 

You walk in, between tables, and queue up. The menu is on the wall behind the tray line (click to enlarge and read).

You grab a tray and tell the cook your order. Then you watch it being made. The beef is ground daily, set up as a ball of meat in single, double, triple and quad packs, and slapped down on the grill to cook and seasoned with a salt/pepper mix. If you are getting fried items, you order from the fry cook...finished sandwich items are

topped to your wishes (ketchup, mustard, mayo,  lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions, relish, yellow peppers) and wrapped at the end of the line ... you pay and find a seat.

Mine. Double. Provolone. Fried egg. Mayo. Tomato. Onion. Pickle. ($2.85 plus 55 cents for the egg)

His. Triple. Blue cheese. Everything but onion. ($3.95)

Small mixed fried veggies. ($3.45) We sat at 2 of the 5 barstools looking out the front window,  onto South Division, as we had many years ago. Enjoyed every last bite. 

Oh, the burgers are juicy, flavorful and absolutely the best you will ever have.  It has been said you can feel your arteries hardening with each bite.  The mixed fries are plentiful, lightly crispy, not too greasy..a mix of onions, zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms-no potatoes...perfect. We cleaned our tray and left...already awaiting the next visit. It is cheaper than food...and so good.

We ate more today, but I will just add it to tomorrow's post...

Cracker Barrel website.  Numerous locations.

MD Bagel Fragel  (734)332-1020  North Campus (Plymouth Road)

Crazy Jim's Blimpy Burger 551 S. Division, Ann Arbor 48104 (734)663-4590

Road Trip-Day Three: Joplin, MO-Detroit, MI

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog.  Cathy is blogging about food and some other stuff this Thanksgiving week.

Hi.  Yes the third day in the car with The Mister, one small dog and one cat.  We do this.  Annually.  You get to peek in and see what it is like, sort of.   I would like to take this time to let everyone know that XM stereo radio is the most wonderful invention, ever.

One small note. yesterday (or the day before-it is all a blur), we had passed under the World's Largest McDonald's, which crosses over the Will Rogers Turnpike in Oklahoma. Usually we stop- as there is fuel sold on either side- but we did not need to this time. I'll post more on the way back. I know someone may have noticed... In the morning, we stopped at the Russell Stover/Whitman's Chocolates "Superstore"...the adversting has changed; it used to be an "outlet" and does sell some candies in a "scratch and dent/basic box style, as we,, as items in the fancy wrapped boxes for less than list price. My brother happens to crave the butter toffee almond sticks...and I had a few of the samples offered. They also sell Blue Bunny ice cream cream in the store- not that I wanted any; it was very windy and about 50 outside..ooohhh...cold (for us from California).... We ended up stopping at a Panera in Rolla, MO so I could post yesterday, and then driving on. Then, the outskirts of St. Louis and a Local Chain- Lion's Choice. A simple menu and simple decor. You can have the beef on your sandwich cooked to your liking if it is available (you know, they do run out of rare at some point in the day) although you would have to wait for 'well done', since most of the beef is rare to medium rare... and the meat on the sandwich is topped with a seasoning salt- but it is not too salty; in this case, we asked for it to be cooked as rare as possible...and the bread is toasted and buttered....in the photo, the top is the large, bottom is a small...there is au jus available (it is not at all salty) as well as horseradish sauce....it isthe most wonderful roast beef sandwich, ever. If you see a Lion's Choice, you should stop and partake.Oh, the small was $2.79 and large was $3.29 and that is a small fries. Then, seemingly soon, we were in Illinois...and this sign, which we always see off the side of the road...Foot High Pies. You can see the building used to be a Stuckey's. Most of the height is the merengue, of course. We got a slice of chocolate and one of banana- also available are coconut and lemon. $4 each slice and $14 for the whole pie... it is wonderful and so fresh. The restaurant makes great food...menu on wall in back...We will have to eat there next time.... Not much scenery for you, for now...It was a driving day... Gotta go shopping. Now. Bye!