http://www.roadfood.comRestaurant reviews from the most memorable local eateries along the highways and backroads of America.en-us(c) 2009, Roadfood.com. All rights reserved.30We went to Argyle for dinner recently. Have been to many New Jersey restaurants, but have not had such bad service before. Took ten minutes to get menus, with waitstaff all around us. Then it went downhill from there. We had the simplest of orders, fried fish and fried clams, yet many others who sat down after us had finished their meals before we even received ours (there were only five people in our party). Rather than get an apology, we got a "thank you" for our patience. The food was OK, but nothing spectacular. The fried clams were overcooked. The fried fish was light and fluffy and not too fishy. The presentation was comparable to the photos published by Mr. Stern. If you're in the neighborhood and have the luxury of time, or if you're a regular and they know you, certainly give it a shot. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=455Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:13:00 GMTSwan Market is a true Rochester gem and a great throwback to yesteryear. This place has got it all: friendly staff and delicious food all washed down with a nice German brew in a traditional butcher shop/market atmosphere. I'm a huge fan of the Hungarian goulash, which sometimes is a little spicy. I also regularly enjoy the German Sampler platter which always changes depending on the specials that day. The sauerkraut and red cabbage sides are delicious. I've never been a fan of German potato salad until I had Swan's. Their smoked ham (speck) is terrific, more like a fine Italian prosciutto than your typical deli-case ham. I would be there once I week if I could afford it. All meals are served with delicious German rye bread to start. They also stock imported German grocery items. If you're a fan of traditional German food and find yourself in the Rochester area, then this place is not to be missed.http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=5156Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:53:00 GMTWe both grew up in the suburbs of New York City during the 1960's, and have fond memories of the breads turned out from the ovens of our local Italian bakeries. These brawny Italian loaves were destined to be split and layered with cold cuts or loaded with meatballs and Italian sausage for heroes, or sliced vertically every inch or so and spread with garlic butter, then wrapped in foil and baked for 60s-style garlic bread. Sometimes we'd just eat hunks torn from the loaf and smeared with margarine (or, rarely, butter), leaving the table blanketed with crumbs from the shattering crust. Decades later, the local bakeries are pretty much still there but the breads have lost their oomph, having become cottony analogues of their former selves. So we were thrilled to walk into Rose & Joe's, under the elevated tracks in Astoria, to find a bakery that still makes the toasty, crusty, honest loaves of old. The regular seeded Italian breads, tight-crumbed semolina bread, and luxurious prosciutto bread are classics: not the exquisite, new-old levain breads of craft bakers, but just as good in their own way. These breads turn up at delis all around the city, but we like to come right to the source. Don't miss the pizza sold by the slice at the back counter. It's Sicilian-style, baked in large rectangular pans and cut into smaller rectangles. Unlike the typically thick and doughy Sicilian pizza found in many New York pizzerias, the well-oiled crust on this pie is light, crisp, and airy, with a bubbly pockmarked underside, barely thicker than the crust of a Neopolitan pie. A variety of toppings are available, and we've enjoyed such variants as broccoli slices, but less is definitely more here. The crust is the point (this is a bakery, after all), so stick with the unimproveable combination of crust, oil, tomato, oregano,and cheese. We're wary of creating high expectations, because at first taste you may think "It's pretty good, but what's the big deal?" By the end of your first slice, you'll probably find yourself ordering a second. As you eat this tomato-and-cheese topped bread its simplicity grows on you. On our first visit, we ended up taking out a box of eight slices, which we promptly popped in the oven as soon as we arrived home. Those eight slices didn't last long. The bakery also makes a variety of cookies and pastries, and we enjoyed a pair of excellent, crisp-shelled cannolis. We recommend bringing home a box of those, too, for a wonderful, completely boxed dinner.http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=3655Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:47:00 GMTWhen Bill and Alice Jennison opened Tecolote in 1980, they did so with a sense of mission. Their goal, stated on the back of the menu, was "to serve a wholesome, tasty meal, at a reasonable price, in a comfortable and cheerful environment." On occasion they have opened up for evening meals, but the Jennison's specialty, and the distinction of Tecolote, is breakfast. Lines of morning customers waiting to get in are testimony to their fulfillment of the mission. This sprawling roadhouse serves some of the tastiest breakfast in the southwest. Personally, we like Tecolote's atole piñon hotcakes best of all. Made with blue cornmeal and studded with roasted piñon nuts, they actually resemble wide, low-rise cakes more than ordinary flattened-out flapjacks. Pale blue inside with a faintly crusty exterior from the grill, each cake is ethereally fluffy; and gosh, what joy it is to bite into a little lode of those roasty-rich nuts! There are blueberry hotcakes, too, made with a similar, from-scratch batter, and plain ones -- each available singly, as a short stack (two), or a full stack (three). Of course there are omelets galore and eggs of every kind, including shirred on a bed of chicken livers; as the crown of corned beef hash; "rancheros" style -- fried on a corn tortilla smothered in red or green chile and topped (at your request) with cheese. One non-traditional meal we hold dear at Tecolote is a gallimaufry called "sheepherder's breakfast" -- new potatoes boiled with jalapeño peppers and onion, cooked on a grill until crusty brown, then topped with two kinds of chile and melted cheddar cheese. On the side come hot flour tortillas. Lunch at Tecolote includes enchiladas, tacos, and chile, as well as hamburgers accompanied by those great breakfast potatoes. If you want a truly local meal, we recommend Tecolote's superior carne adovada, for which lean pork, marinated in chile sauce, is cubed and stuffed into a flour tortilla and topped with cheese, then served along with beans, posole (hominy corn) or potatoes. One of the perks of eating Tecolote's good food is its good spirits. The staff is young, hip, and friendly. The art on the walls ranges from a collection of unicorn needlepoints to serious works by local artists (for sale). The dining rooms are wide and comfy, mellow and informal (paper napkins, bare tables, yellow-checked tablecloths). The coffee is good, and served with real cream. Tecolote, by the way, is an Aztec word that means owl, chosen by the Jennisons because Bill had been fascinated by a nearly-deserted village by that name in northern New Mexico. "We like to think of him as our 'wise friend,'" says the Tecolote menu, "and hope that you will think of those of us at Tecolote Cafe that way." http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=1422Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:43:00 GMTWe stumbled on Ridgewood Barbecue back in the 70s --- it was hard to find even then --- and for the past 30+ years we've driven 90-120 minutes several times a year just to eat there. We always take company there and we get a lot of company, since we live in the most scenic part of the Blue Ridge. The beans are beyond description! The occasional chunk of fatback explains the taste (I know that sounds awful, but that's probably why that delicious flavor is unfamiliar these days). The pork sandwich is extraordinary, with the coolness of the slaw contrasting with the spiciness of the sauce. I don't know what more to say about the food! The "ambience" is old-time Southern small-town working-class --- with walls covered with inscribed pictures of 50s-60s-70s celebrities and politicians. Actually the fun begins outside: the smoker is right there by the parking lot with the slightly turpentiney aroma to get your tastebuds set for what's inside...http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=446Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:30:00 GMTBK's was a best-kept secret for quite some time. If you have the time I highly suggest you go to their original location on 12th Avenue to get the full authentic feel of great neighborhood Mexican street food. The tortillas are so fresh and soft. Grab yourself a caramelo with carne asada. The carne asada meat is tender and full of flavor and the melted Mexican white cheese is plentiful. The salsa bar is filled with freshly chopped toppings and a variety of salsas. The bacon-wrapped hot dogs are juicy and best done fully loaded with pinto beans, tomatoes, onion, mayo... the works! Grab plenty of napkins and a cold bottled soda. I now live in Virginia Beach and I crave the caramelos and hot dogs loaded. My last trip out that way, I stopped on my way to the airport and brought a dog and two caramelos back with me. I wish I could open one up here!http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=5273Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:13:00 GMTWith all due respect to Bruce and Sue, passing on a restaurant's signature dish is just crazy. So I'll pick up their slack and tell you that the Mel-O-Dee IS Broasted chicken. I'm willing to bet they didn't invent Broasting, but it's safe to say they've perfected it. And no plate with their Broasted chicken would be complete without a helping of their homemade coleslaw and their out-of-this-world mashed potatoes with their own gravy. I know I'm supposed to give paragraphs of details but sometimes that just isn't necessary and this is one of those times. Bruce and Sue nailed everything except the chicken. It's priced right, tastes great and looks great; what more do you what in a family-owned joint? If you do like pressure-fried foods, especially chicken, take the short two mile detour off of Interstate 70 at exit 41 to experience the best in Broasted chicken. I've eaten my fair share of meals at Mel-O-Dee and have NEVER been disappointed with any dish.http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=2255Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:16:00 GMTThis extremely well-worn cafe has been remodeled many times since it originally went up in 1939 as the last of Route 66 was being paved. Roy Rieves built it out of rocks removed as the highway was constructed, and from 1959 to 1983 it was operated by Mamie Mayfield, who became a legendary hostess among long-haul truckers and road trippers on the old Mother Road. For the last thirteen years, the proprietor has been Dawn Welch, a prodigious cook whose legendary hamburgers are still sizzled on the old original Rock Cafe grill. Among Dawn's menu innovations are a fabulous chicken fried steak she makes out of a pork cutlet rather than a slab of beef. It is thick and juicy and fallapart tender, sheathed in a luxuriously brittle crust. Having been married to a man from Switzerland, she also broadened the menu with spaetzel (topped with melted jack and cheddar cheese) and apple streusel crepes. There are Mexican dishes, stir fries, po-boys, beignets, tall stacks of pancakes, and a short bowl of beans with cornbread on the side. A cool destination halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, the Rock Cafe is a cozy diner with curious booths that remind us of automobile bench seats and a couple of counters with low stools from which customers carry on conversations among themselves and with the kitchen through a large pass-through window. Every inch of cedar-paneled wall is packed with nick-nacks, souvenirs, and silly kitchen homilies. With the menu (which is in the form of a multi-page newspaper), customers are given a guest book to sign. "We are from Oslo," wrote Greta and Stein. "This is the only place between here and there," another customer contributed. Someone else drew a map of Corsica with a star marking home. Please note: after being closed by a fire in 2008, the Rock Cafe has reopened. In June, 2009, we received this note from Rebecca Williams: "Just wanted to let you know, the Rock Cafe in Stroud has re-opened after the devastating fire last year. The food is as good as ever, and they now have twice the seating (the kitchen has moved to an addition on the back)." http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=3536Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:02:00 GMTI have to say, the Glenwood Drive-In is a fine establishment. Everything and anything I've had there has been wonderful. I've yet to try their soft shell crab sandwiches and lobster rolls, but I've heard nothing but good about them. Their foot-long hot dogs (the only size they sell) are amazing! The bread is always fresh, the dogs are juicy, and the little fixins bar on the side is a great convenience to the customers. You have your choice of diced onions, sauerkraut, hot and spicy relish, sweet relish, ketchup, yellow mustard, and spicy brown mustard. Their onion rings are great too. They are made to order and are battered and fried right there. The clam strips are hand-battered as well, and they are great for any fried clam craving. After dinner or lunch, go over to Kelly's Kone Konnection for an ice cream cone or a cup. All the ice cream flavors Kelly's offers are homemade! She also makes great ice cream cakes and pies. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=654Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:23:00 GMTBill's Donut Shop has all the classic donuts: glazed, French crullers, long johns, donut holes, etc. Anything you would imagine would be in a typical donut shop, they have it. They don't really have anything that you don't see elsewhere but what they do, they do very well. While the pretzel donut is not that much of a stretch from the regular glazed donut, somehow the shape and the consequential texture elevate the donut to a level all its own. The highlights of the donut selection would definitely be the glazed pretzels, caramel Persians, and the donut sticks that seem to disappear faster than they are put into the bag. You are always greeted with a warm smile and hello when you walk in; they have no problem waiting while you make up your mind. I know because I always have a hard time figuring out what other two donuts I want to go with my pretzel. Yes, I get three donuts because I can't eat just one as that would be a waste of so many donut possibilities and to deprive my taste buds of that would be cruel. All the prices are reasonable and you can easily walk out with three donuts and a drink for well under five dollars and, considering three donuts could suffice as a filling lunch or breakfast, what a deal!http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6601Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:42:00 GMT