Foodie Craze

Steve Carter's January 2011 Dive of the Month: Cave Man Kitchen in Kent, Washington

While driving on West Valley Highway in Kent, Washington recently, I pulled a u-turn at the sight of a sign which read “Cave Man Kitchen.”  Heck, who wouldn’t stop when they see a sign like that?  Tucked in between the Circle K Mobile Home Park, the Goody Goody Mart, and a car wash sat an unassuming building that looked like a double-wide with another trailer attached to the front of it.  The side yard had a number of picnic tables in various states of disrepair.  It is interesting to note that people were eating at the picnic tables on a typical misty day in Seattle, as well as in their pickup trucks.  This was a good sign that the food inside the Cave Man Kitchen might be something special!

Inside, you belly up to the counter and order from one of the most interesting selections I have come across in some time.  My dumbfounded look must have amused Vicky, the person taking orders – she knew I needed some help.  It was lunch time, so I was thinking of a sandwich.  Where to start?  A salmon dip (pulled smoked salmon with cream cheese on buttered and oven-roasted French bread), BBQ beef (smoked sliced beef on oven-roasted French bread), BBQ pork sandwich (smoked pulled pork on, yes you guessed it, oven-roasted French bread).  These were the more basic sandwiches.  The Dinosaur Poor Boy with two kinds of salami, smoked ham, cheese, and thousand island dressing on the oven-roasted French bread; the Missouri ham (I guess there is no Washington ham), which featured smoked ham with a chutney sauce on the oven-roasted French bread; or the Beasta Peasta which turned out to be French bread pizza with sliced Polish sausage, melted mozzarella and various spices.  This is only a small portion of the menu board, but you get the idea:  interesting stuff.  I went for the salmon dip, and my two Carhartt compatriots went for the pork and beef, respectively.

Needless to say, there were sides to consider as well.  They had the typical slaw, baked beans, potato salad and so forth, but what caught my eye was something called a Dragon Wheel.  If you were ever in Boy Scouts, you have probably eaten a foil dinner.  You know – all kinds of uncooked vegetables mixed with hamburger, wrapped in foil, and thrown in the coals for a period of time.  After awhile, you burn your fingers fishing it out of the coals, and eat burned hamburger and raw onions, raw potatoes, and raw carrots.  I never really understood the value of the “meal.”  The Dragon Wheel turned out to be what a foil dinner was meant to be.  You get a tin foil package that has sat in a smoker for several hours.  When opened, it contains perfectly-cooked potato wedges, chunks of carrots, and onions.  The gift with purchase:  nice pieces of cubed pork tucked in with the roasted vegetables.  Shoot, if a foil dinner had ever turned out like this in scouts, I would still be in a troop!  This was an interesting side.  We passed on dessert ( I was heading downtown for a crab salad for dessert), but the bootlegger pudding looking interesting, as I am a fan of bread pudding with raisins, and the whisky sauce was, I am sure, a treasure.

We ventured out into the mist to eat our selections.  We stood by a picnic table and opened up the sandwiches.  Wow!  I can see why they make such a big deal of the fact that this is a smoke house, not a BBQ joint; the smell of the smoke mixed with the smoked meat sandwiches we unwrapped was almost too much to bear!  I still say that a perfume with the scent of smoked hardwood would be a big hit in my book.  We stationed ourselves next to a huge pile of hardwood which was used for smoking.  Outside the building and surrounded by a privacy fence was a huge contraption which looked a lot like a giant still.  It turned out to be the largest smoker I had ever laid eyes on.  They smoke a lot of salmon, pork, and beef as evidenced by the dinner menu.  They smoke chicken, ribs, hams, whole pigs, their own sausage, beef, and anything else they can throw in there!  For $2.00 or less a pound they will smoke pretty much whatever you come by with.  They have been doing this for 43 years.

Oh yeah, back to the sandwich.  As you can imagine the pulled salmon was great:  a hint of gentle smoke which did not fight with the great flavor of the salmon.  The cream cheese was a pleasant surprise, and I can see why they make a big deal out of the oven-roasted French bread.  It is the perfect way to convey this treat to your mouth.  The bread was crusty on the outside and held up well to the fish.  The same could be said for the pulled pork and sliced beef.  They concoct their own BBQ sauce, but in the future I would take the meat sandwich without the sauce.  A place with this much character should have a bit of zip in the sauce.  At least the sauce didn’t mask the great smokiness of the meats.  The beans were typical BBQ style, with enough smoked meat in them to make them interesting.  If you happen to stop in, try the Dragon Wheel for your side; the sandwiches are HUGE which makes getting a couple of sides overkill.

If you are in the area I suggest you pull into the Cave Man Kitchen.  Before you order BBQ remember that this is a smoke house and you are in the Seattle, Washington area.  If you want BBQ with a bit of punch, head on over to Dixie BBQ in Bellevue, another place with a lot of character.  I recommend you go for the salmon at Cave Man, and you won’t be disappointed.  If you are in the neighborhood and can’t find it, just follow your nose to the place where the wonderful smell of hardwood smoke is coming from.  Eat in your car or sit at a picnic table.  Enjoy the sights of cars coming out of the carwash, crows picking at Cave Man Kitchen remains, and a line of people that has Carhartt folks shoulder-to-shoulder with The North Face crowd.  You gotta love Seattle!

The Cave Man Kitchen
807 West Valley Highway
Kent, Washington 98032

Monday – Saturday 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Sunday 11:00AM – 8:00PM
253-854-1210
www.cavemankitchen.com 

 

 

 

 

Steve Carter's November 2010 Dive of the Month: Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City

I was going to hold off on writing this month’s edition of the Dive of the Month until I visited Philadelphia next week.  A return to Tony Luke’s is on the agenda!  After going through my dive files, I came upon some notes from a BBQ joint in Kansas City that deserves its just rewards.  When I read a menu and my mouth starts watering it is time to write it up!  Those who have followed the Dive of the Month for the past few years know of my love of BBQ.  Though there is indeed BBQ all over North America, great BBQ is tough to find.  Tough to find unless you happen to be in the epicenter of great BBQ, Kansas City.  I have many favorites in the Kansas City area.  Gates (Hi, may I help you?), Arthur Bryant’s (the legendary king of ribs), Winslow’s BBQ (smoked wings), Lil’ Jakes (the home of KC brisket), Hayward’s Pit BBQ (burnt ends paradise), LC’s BBQ (celery seed accented sauce), Rosedale’s BBQ (Blue collar BBQ), Smokestack BBQ (the best BBQ beans in the universe), Woodyard BBQ (just follow your nose), and on and on.  Today we learn a little about a relative newcomer on the KC BBQ scene, Oklahoma Joe’s.

While they have only been around as a restaurant since 1996, Joe Stehney was well known on the BBQ competition circuit as the boss of the Slaughterhouse Five team.  His first smoker was an Oklahoma Joe smoker bought in 1991.  The team racked up about every award imaginable, and became known all over the country for their fantastic BBQ.  During this time he met the owner of the Oklahoma Joe Smoker Company, Joe Don Davidson.  In 1995, a BBQ joint opened up in Stillwater, Oklahoma as a result of the relationship, but soon closed as Joe sold his smoker company and moved out of Oklahoma.  A Kansas City location opened up in 1996 attached to a gas station.  It didn’t take long for the BBQ faithful to hear about the opportunity to buy Slaughterhouse Five BBQ!  The lines started to form and they haven’t stopped since.  A second location opened up in Olathe, Kansas in 2005.  If you plan on lunch, get there before 11:30 or be prepared to wait in line.  With the excellent smell of smoke and meat. it is not like doing hard time to stand in line.  It is almost a pleasure just to be inside the door!

The menu is on a chalk board, and it has the usual BBQ fare.  Pulled pork, smoked turkey, beef brisket, ribs, BBQ sausage, smoked chicken, and so forth.  I might be so bold as to have you skip your traditional favorite here and try one of their specialty sandwiches.  The Z-Man is certainly something that came out of a long night enjoying adult beverages.  Beef brisket is thinly sliced (this isn’t Lockhart, Texas!), topped with smoked provolone cheese, and garnished with a couple of onion rings.  This is served on a Kaiser bun with a touch of Q sauce.  A BBQ purist might blanch at this, but I can only ask you not to judge a book by its cover!  Serve this up with some of their seasoned fries (real fries) and a cup of their red beans and rice, and you will be ready for whatever comes your way.

The other sandwich I recommend is the Hog Heaven.  A great blend of pulled pork and their unique sliced sausage on a bun.  A whole hog way to enjoy a couple of great items on the menu.  Serve this up with a side of the made on-premises onion rings, spicy slaw, and your favorite beverage, and you might find yourself looking for property in Olathe just to be close to this place!  We have a Carhartt retailer who just opened a store a stone’s throw (well, a pretty long throw) from the Olathe location.  When I visit Eric Edwards, you can be sure where we will be going for lunch!

Oklahoma Joe’s, named for a smoker, started as a hobby and turned into a business.  The American dream!  Stop by either location when you visit the BBQ capital of the country and you will enjoy the experience.  You will have great BBQ served up by people who enjoy the working environment, and you will be surrounded by people who know where to find great BBQ!  They have not been spoiled by being featured on about every food show possible featuring BBQ or for being written about in numerous foodie blogs.  It is still about great meat and great smoke equaling mouth-watering perfection. 

Oklahoma Joe’s
11950 S. Strang Line Rd
Olathe KS 66062
913-782-6858
Monday – Thursday 11:00AM – 9:00PM
Friday – Saturday 11:00AM – 10:00PM
Closed Sunday 

Oklahoma Joe’s (the original)
3003 West 47^th St
Kansas City KS 66103
913-772-3366
Monday – Thursday 11:00AM – 8:30PM
Friday – Saturday 11:00AM – 9:30PM
Closed Sunday

www.oklahomajoesbbq.com

Steve Carter's October 2010 Dive of the Month: Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco

October 2010 Dive of the Month:
Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco
By Steve Carter

     
If you don’t mind trudging up and down hills, overpaying for hotels, putting up with tourists from seemingly every corner of the world, and having to deal with a constant cold damp fog, well then, San Francisco is the place for you!  I can put up with any of the above to have the opportunity to visit some of the best dives around.  For those of you who have visited San Francisco, or are lucky enough to live in its environs, you know what a beautiful, eclectic city it is.  I recently arrived on a Sunday afternoon and immediately went over to the Union Square area.  It happened to be one of the six perfect days they have each year in San Fran, and the center of the city was filled with shoppers and lookers alike.  I was definitely not back in Detroit!

With a Sunday afternoon at our disposal, the intrepid Carhartt crew decided the best course of action was to walk the hills of San Francisco and stop at several dives.  We headed to the Wharf.  The streets were mobbed, as seemingly everyone in the city was starved for sunshine.  We visited several places on the Wharf and filled up on walking crabmeat salads, oysters, mussels, and perfect sourdough bread.  We were planning a visit to The Swan Oyster Depot, so we were careful to pace ourselves and walk up and down plenty of hills – there is a reason there are so many skinny folks in San Fran!  We soon found out that Swan Oyster Depot was closed on Sunday.  This was perhaps the only place in the city closed on Sunday, so this was a dream deferred.  As we all know, many times the lemons we are served up in life can be turned into lemonade, and this turned out to be the case on this fine Sunday afternoon.  Walking up Columbus Street we happened upon Piazza Pellegrini, which had some outdoor seating right on the sidewalk.  A perfect view of Washington Square and Saints Peter and Paul Church, not to mention the parade of people whiling away their time on a Sunday afternoon.

We shared a truly great thin crust pizza with Italian sausage and mushrooms topped with pepper-infused olive oil.  One of my favorite adult beverages topped off a nearly perfect hour.  I say nearly perfect only because while at Piazza Pellegrini, I received a call from home letting me know that “my” dog had been nailed by a skunk.  Being about 2,800 miles from the site of the incident, there was little I could do except take a bit of heat from the home front.  I let the home front know that I was somehow soldiering on in a cold dark city having a crust of bread for dinner.  There was little to do after the call except to have another local adult beverage and soak up more sites of this nearly perfect corner of the world!

On Monday we finished our appointments by 3:30 and decided to visit a few stores in the area.  Before doing so, I called The Swan and found out they are open until 5:30 p.m. six days a week.  We jumped into a cab and headed over to the Swan Oyster Depot.  I had heard that this place can have a line half-way around the block, so when we saw that there were only a few people in line, we knew we had been rewarded for dining so close to a beautiful church the day before!  As you stand in line, you look at the seafood in the front window.  The window is loaded with ice and the seafood is arranged on trays.  If you can’t ignore a few flies here and there among the display of seafood, then this (or many other places like this) is not for you.

Once you reach the doorway you are immediately offered the opportunity to order an Anchor Steam.  This signifies you have gained access to the club and your wait is about over!  Opened in 1912, this place hasn’t changed too much.  The Swan Oyster Depot was opened by four Danish brothers who distributed seafood throughout the city and also served up a basic menu.  In 1946, Sal Sancimino and his three cousins bought it.  A couple of generations of the family can be seen working behind the bar. It is poetry in motion as they shuck oysters and cherrystones and crack crabs.  They engage everyone in the place, and it is obvious that they enjoy what they do.

This place exemplifies atmosphere!  About 20 stools are lined up at a marble bar.  The place is about 18 feet wide and 50 feet long.  It’s a tight fit, but it makes for a sociable time.  The blend at 4:00 in the afternoon was a few folks from out of town, but mostly locals heading home.  The phone rings constantly as people call for carry-out and to find out what time they close.  Since the hours have been the same for decades, the staff merely roll their eyes and carry on.

The menu is a sign on the wall.  It reads like a roadmap to heaven.  Cherrystone clams, various types of oysters, smoked fish, chowder, crab salad, shrimp salad, octopus salad, crab cocktails, prawn cocktails – it goes on, but you get the idea:  real fresh seafood that can be served very efficiently.  We only had one shot at this, so we started off with the oysters – after all, this is an oyster depot!  The oysters were perfect.  They tasted like a cold, clean, and fresh bite out of the ocean.  They are served with a lemon, cocktail sauce, and a habanero mignonette sauce.  I take mine without the accoutrements, but I did taste the habanero mignonette, and it was special!

The crab salad was excellent, but all the crab salad I had in San Francisco was excellent.  The prawns were fresh and firm, with a wonderful flavor that one doesn’t always get with a prawn cocktail.  I have had plenty of “rubber” prawns in my day, but these are what prawns should be!  The clam chowder was called Boston Clam Chowder, but I found it a very thin chowder wanting for a few more pieces of clam and not like any true New England chowder I have had.  It was fine, but certainly not a star in my book.  The half cracked crab with Louie sauce was a great way to end the meal.  The crab was sweet and succulent and the Louie sauce was expertly prepared.  One would expect nothing less, as many feel that Crab Louie has its origins in San Francisco in the very early 1900s.  (I know you folks in Seattle will not agree with this.)

We polished off the last of the meal (did I mention the great sourdough bread?)  right before the closing bell at 5:30.  We had experienced 90 minutes of San Francisco culture, we were regaled with a show from the bar staff, and we experienced the taste of fresh seafood.  Not a bad late afternoon on the streets of a truly wonderful city to visit.  If you hit the Swan Oyster Depot, take plenty of cash (they don’t take plastic), be prepared to wait to get in, and tell them the guys from Carhartt sent you.

Swan Oyster Depot
1571 Polk St.
San Francisco, California 94109
415-673-1101
Monday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:30 p.m.

Specialty Acronyms for Local Authentic Dining (SALAD)

Which dining delicacies distinguish your city or town?  In other words, if someone is visiting from somewhere else, what local food specialties would you recommend to them as indicative of your regional cuisine, and which are either unavailable or not as good elsewhere?

I came up with an acronym to remember Detroit's dining delicacies, and challenged some of my foodie friends to do the same for their locales.  Here are five offerings.  Feel free to comment to offer similar acronyms for your home town.

1. Detroit
by Stan Garfield

MAGIC JOHNSON
(the college and NBA basketball star from nearby Lansing - the greatest point guard and Michigan State Spartan in history)

• Mexican: Taqueria Mi Pueblo, Azteca's
• Arabic: Al-Ameer Restaurant, Le George Mediterranean Bistro
• Greek: Pegasus Taverna, Laikon Cafe
• Indian: Haandi, House of India
• Coney Island: Lafayette Coney Island, American Coney Island
•  
• Jewish Deli: Stage Deli, Bread Basket
• Oyster Bar: Tom’s Oyster Bar, Kabin Kruser’s Oyster Bar
• Hamtramck (Polish): Polonia Restaurant, Polish Village Café
• No frills: Miller's Bar, Red Coat Tavern, Tomatoes A Pizza, Buddy's, Shield's, Fleetwood Diner, Don's of Traverse City, Scotty Simpson's, Brown's Root Beer, Tom’s Root Beer
• Soul: Lady Louisa's, Baker's Keyboard Lounge
• On the Water: It's A Matter of Taste, Zukey Lake Tavern, Sinbad’s at the River
• Nice: The Whitney, Opus One, Coach Insignia, The Lark

2. Washington, DC
by Roger Garfield

BIG JOHN THOMPSON
(the legendary basketball coach of Georgetown University)

• Ben's Chili Bowl
• Injera (Ethiopian)
• Greek
•  
• Jumbo Slice Pizza
• Ooohs and Ahhhs (soul food)
• Horace & Dickey's
• Naan (Indian)
•  
• The Crab Bomb (Jerry's Seafood)
• Half-Smoke
• Oriental (Chinatown)
• Mobile (food carts)
• Pupusas (El Salvadoran)
• Seafood
• Ox-Tail (and other Jamaican specialties)
• Nexus (this represents carry-out places, where all of the cuisines of the world are connected and on the menu)

3. Philadelphia
by Sean Mellody

MICHAEL JACK SCHMIDT

(As a Phillies fan, I went with the iconic Phillies third-baseman)

• Morimoto (Sushi Iron Chef style) 
• Ice Cream (Bassetts – oldest ice cream stand in the country)
• Cloe (original BYOB of the amazing BYO scene here in Philly)
• Headhouse Square (oldest continues farmers market in the country)
• Amada (Spanish Tapas by Iron Chef Jose Garces)
• El Joracho (home of the Mexican Three Meat Torta)
• Little Vietnam (the area around the Italian market has become known for its Asian influence)
•  
• John’s Water Ice (40 years strong)
• Amis (fine Italian dining)
• Carts (gourmet food carts are all over, from tacos to cupcakes)
• Kraftwork (one of many Philly Gastropubs)
•  
• Soft Pretzels (Philly’s breakfast of champions; who needs a bagel?)
• Cheese steaks (need I say more?)
• Headhouse Market (oldest – since 1700s - and best farmers market in the city)
• Monk’s Café (the original Belgian Beer Bar)
• Italian Market (Rocky ran through here, I mean, come on!)
• Di Bbruno Brothers (Italian Marketing house of cheese and cured meat)
• Tastykakes (Hostess look out, you and Little Debbie have nothing on our Kakes)

4. Austin
by Lesley Campbell and Chris Campbell

STEVIE RAY VAUGHN

• Sushi:  Uchi, Uchiko, Musashino, Maru
• Tex Mex:  Trudy’s, Chuy’s, Santa Rita, Fonda San Miguel (Interior Mexican), Zocalo
• Everyday:  Taco Deli, Frank’s, Hoover’s, Magnolia Café, Hyde Park Bar & Grill, Amy’s Ice Cream
• Vietnamese:  Le Soleil, Sunflower, Lulu B’s Bahn Mi, Hai Ky, Tam Deli
• Indian:  Clay Pit, Swad, Bombay Bistro, Madras Pavilion
• Eclectic:  Barley Swine, Casa Colombia
•  
• Red Wine:  Vino Vino, Uncorked, Mulberry, Trio, Max’s Wine Dive
• Asian:  Tatayia’s (Thai), Korente, Korea House
• Yonder BBQ:  Salt Lick, Louis Mueller, Coopers, Smitty’s
•  
• Vegetarian:  Mother’s Café, Daily Juice, Beets Café, Counter Culture
• Austin BBQ:  Franklin, Stubb’s, Iron Works, Vic’s (for ribs)
• Uber Local:  Trace, Texas Chili Parlor, Saturday’s Republic Square Farmer’s Market (great vendors: Kocurek, Dai Due)
• Grocery Stores:  Central Market at Lamar/38^th, Whole Foods World Headquarters at Lamar/6^th
• High end:  Wink, Paggi House, Eddie V’s, Vespaio, Jeffrey’s, Jasper’s
• Not covered elsewhere:  Trailers ~ Odd Duck, Gordoughs, East Side Kings, Izzo’s, Flip Happy Crepes, Chilantro, The Flying Carpet

5. St. Louis
by Steve Carter and Stan Garfield

STAN MUSIAL

• Slinger: originated at the late, lamented OT Hodge Chile Parlor, this late night delicacy includes two hamburger patties, two fried eggs, and hash browns, totally covered with chili
• Toasted Ravioli: a St. Louis appetizer offered at all Italian restaurants, including marinara dipping sauce
• Amighetti's: the best sandwiches anywhere, including great bread, meats, cheeses, and condiments - the Combination is no longer available, so get the Special
• Newport: an ice cream sundae (pronounced "sun-duh" in St. Louis) including nuts and a cookie, available at the legendary Crown Candy Kitchen in an otherwise-neglected section of St. Louis
•  
• Mini-Crete: a smaller version of the famous Ted Drewes Concrete, a thick frozen custard concoction, named for the fact that you can turn it upside down and it will stay in the cup. But don't leave it upside down too long on a hot St. Louis summer day. Try the Heath, Dutchman's Delight, or Terra Mizzou.
• Unusual: local specialties including the brain sandwich, the St. Paul sandwich, gooey butter cake, the Adam Bomb (named for Adam Richman of Man v. Food) at Pappy's Smokehouse, and IBC root beer served in frozen mugs out of a giant barrel in the middle of Carl's Drive-In, a tiny establishment with two entrances and 8 counter seats on each side
• Salad: the Rich & Charlie's salad includes romaine and iceberg lettuce, parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, red onions, and pimentos - it is delicious
• Italian: the best cuisine in St. Louis, especially on The Hill - order veal and pasta
• Anheuser-Busch: take the brewery tour, drink some free Bud, and buy a frosty cold Busch Bavarian at Busch Stadium while watching the Cardinals in the best baseball town in America
• Lou Boccardi's: the thinnest pizza in the world, topped with Provel cheese, and served on trays - this is the way pizza should be made

Steve Carter's September 2010 Dive of the Month: Lou Boccardi's - St. Louis

Dive of the Month

By Steve Carter

Lou Boccardi's, St. Louis, Missouri

 

    

 

I had the pleasure of taking a trip across Missouri this past month with a few Carhartt associates.  We started off in St. Louis and ended up in Kansas City.  As you can imagine, while the trip was all about visiting some great Carhartt retail partners, we also hit some of my favorite joints from my old stomping grounds.  The trip was bookended by Lou Boccardi’s in St. Louis and Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City.  In between these bookends we also visited Ted Drewes in St. Louis, Quinton’s in Columbia, and Stroud’s in Kansas City.  Not a bad I-70 road trip!  While all of those places deserve a writeup of their own (The Dive of the Month has already written up Stroud’s), we will focus on Lou Boccardi’s in St. Louis.  There will be other days to write about the rest, and with a recent trip to Portland and an impending trip to San Francisco in the offing, there will be other adventures as well!

 

There is a special place in St. Louis referred to as The Hill.  The name comes from the fact that this is the highest point in the city.  This is the part of the city that was settled by Italian immigrants who came to this area in southwest St. Louis during the late 19^th century to work the clay mines and smelters that were common in that day.  The Hill is a neighborhood that has been almost immune from the urban blight that has destroyed many of the ethnic neighborhoods which once abounded in St. Louis.  The homes are modest but neatly kept, and the practice of washing driveways and alleys is still alive on The Hill.  Many of the homes were built with free lumber that was hauled from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.  For generations, the center of this community has been, and remains, St. Ambrose Catholic Church.  The famous statue in front of the church (and across the street from one of the best sandwich places in the universe, Amighetti’s) is simply called The Italian Immigrants, and remains a symbol of the community.

 

Today The Hill is known not only for its well-kept houses and green, white, and red painted fire hydrants, it also maintains neighborhood grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants.  The restaurants have long been a reason for St. Lousians to make the trek to The Hill.  Most people from The Hill have their favorites.  Zia’s, Mr. B’s, Giovanni’s, Favazza’s, Dominic’s, Cunetto House of Pasta, and Bartolino’s are but a few of the places that cover this small area.  While you can get great Italian food at many of the places on The Hill, I love to go there to sample St. Louis-style pizza.  A great place to get the authentic taste of a St. Louis pizza is Lou Boccardi’s on The Hill.

 

St. Louisians have a taste for a unique style of pizza.  The crust is cracker thin and obviously contains no yeast.  The cheese of choice is Provel cheese.  This is a fusion of white cheddar, provolone, and Swiss.  Many of the sauces are Sicilian in origin and have a wonderful sweetness with a very generous amount of oregano.  All the standard toppings are available, and this is the perfect crust to layer them on.  The pizza is normally cut into small squares.  An interesting fact about St. Louis pizza is that no matter how long you wait for it to cool off you will still burn the roof of your mouth.  It is best to keep some of the King of Beers close by when you chomp into this for the first time.  This pizza is an acquired taste, and not everyone loves St. Louis-style pizza.  For those who have grown up with it, no other pizza compares.

 

As noted, Lou Boccardi’s is a place I recommend for you to try this special pizza.  Located in the heart of the hill just across the street from Cunetto House of Pasta (the place everyone needs to try once for their fettuccini Alfredo), sits a modest restaurant that has been a part of the neighborhood since the 60s.  You walk into Lou Boccardi’s and you will be immediately greeted as a friend.  This place has that warm kind of vibe.  You can choose to sit at the bar and eat or you can sit at a table upstairs.  The place is cramped, but that is part of the charm.  You get to know your neighbors in here!  The menu is a typical Hill menu.  Toasted ravioli, breaded calamari, Italian sausage and peppers, marsalas of the typical variety, veal parm, eggplant parm, cannelloni, cavatelli, lasagna – you get the idea.  All of the typical fare served without a lot of flair – pretty basic food.  If you are looking for this type of food on your one trip to The Hill, I might suggest a different venue.  Their basic food is just that – basic honest food – and while nothing to be ashamed of, it is nothing to write home about, either.  Come here for two things.  Get the pizza and have a salad with their green homemade dressing made with a celery and anchovy base.

 

The star of the show in this lovely hole in the wall is the St. Louis style-pizza.  This is why locals make the trek at least once a month and the reason that Enterprise Rentals has this address programmed into the GPS at the airport rental spot.  Out-of-towners make this their first stop.  The pizza is served on a tray that will remind you of an old school lunch tray.  This is pretty standard for many St. Louis pizza joints.  The crust is perfect in every respect.  Thin with a nice crunch along the edges.  This crust will not get too soggy as the leftovers turn into cold, day-after pizza.  The cheese has just the right bite, and unlike the basic mozzarella, you won’t have a stringy pile of goop in front of you as you pull this apart.  The sauce is used sparingly, but the amount is just right, as the sweet tomato sauce with the heavy oregano overtones tastes like it has been simmering on the back of a stove since morning.

 

We opted for the sausage, pepperoni, onion, and mushrooms on top.  After the first bite took the skin off the roof of my mouth, I was good to go.  An excellent St. Louis-style pizza.  The locals may argue that Talayna’s, Imo’s, Faraci, Farrato’s, Bono’s, Pi, Vitale’s, or Fortel’s (just to name a few) are superior.  For my money, if you want to experience St. Louis-style pizza in an authentic location, head to Lou Boccardi’s.  Sure the place is a hole in the wall and the bathrooms are miniature, and you might question the overall cleanliness of the institution, but if you can get past these minor issues and want to experience a St. Louis-style pizza go to a place that will welcome you and will remember you the next time you come back.  You will get a feeling about what makes The Hill a special place.

 

Lou Boccardi’s

5424 Magnolia Ave

St. Louis, MO 63139

313-647-1151

 

Tuesday – Thursday    11:00AM – 11:00PM

Friday – Saturday     11:00AM – 12:00AM

Sunday     4:00PM – 10:00PM

Steve Carter's August 2010 Dive of the Month: Cadieux Cafe - Detroit

Dive of the Month

By Steve Carter

Cadieux Café, Detroit, Michigan

  

Tucked away on the east side of Detroit sits a hidden gem.  The Cadieux Café is one of the most eclectic joints in town.  To understand the vibe of this place, you have to go back to the 1930s, when the Cadieux Feather Bowling Club was founded in Detroit.  This was a place for the Belgian community to enjoy a favorite pastime from their native country.  Feather bowling is more like bocce ball, shuffleboard, or even curling then it is like bowling.  The court has dirt-packed, 60-foot concave lanes with a pigeon feather planted at each end (house rule:  no high heels).  There are six balls for each side.  The colors signify the team:  red or yellow.  The balls resemble a large round of cheese.  The first team rolls its six balls trying to get as close as possible to the feather, and then setting up a defense around the balls that are close to the remaining balls.  The other team then attempts to blow up the defense and get its ball closest to the feather.  After all twelve balls are rolled, the one closest to the feather gets points.  There is a point system, but I won’t get into that; after all, this is about the food, not only the sport!  Needless to say, there are a lot of adult beverages consumed and the atmosphere can get raucous at times. The two lanes were opened to the public in the 1980s, and they have since become a destination for folks from all over the Detroit area looking for an adventure.

 

Through a doorway from the bowling alley you enter the Cadieux Café, a throwback joint opened by the Devos family in 1962.  It was, and still is, the center for Belgian culture in the Detroit area.  The beer list helps confirm this.  The café is dimly lit, with a tin ceiling and a bit of a stage toward the front.  I entered with a couple of Carhartt folks from the Netherlands and one of our partners from North Carolina.  The folks from Europe and the guy from the South both felt at home at once.  That tells you something.  We arrived around 6:30 and there was only one other table occupied.  The action was next door at the feather bowling alley where leagues were in fierce competition.  We were approached by a server who was very helpful in providing an understanding of the origins of the place as well as the top foods on the menu.  Her reading material was Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, so I knew we were dealing with someone not to trifle with.  If you haven’t read an Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, you should pick one up.  There are more than ten million of the various volumes in print.  They contain the most amusing trivia, written in an irreverent manner.  The perfect holiday gift!

 

The crew was hungry, so we got right to work.  We noted that there is a special served every day of the week.  The special of the day is Belgian sausage on Tuesday.  I need to get back for the Belgian rabbit which is served every Sunday.  We started out with the liver pate, hot wings, mozzarella cheese sticks, and pommes frites (which we were told were of Belgian origin, not French).  The pate was great with crackers and onions.  Though I had low expectations for the wings, they were much better than average and had a distinctive flavor with a nice spicy barbecue sauce.  The fried cheese sticks were, well, they were fried cheese sticks!  Our friends from Holland were amused.

 

The star of the show at the Cadieux Café are the mussels.  They have the standard mussels steamed in white wine and vegetables.  We had all been there before and we were looking for something a bit different.  They also serve pails of Mussels Citroen (steamed in garlic butter and dill broth), Mussels Marinara (pretty self explanatory), and Mussels Forte Dei Marmi (in garlic, white wine, and olive oil).  Our Uncle John’s Reader friend suggested the Mussels Forte Dei Marmi, so who were we to argue?  The mussels are served with spinach mashed potatoes, fries, corn on the cob, and the rest of the usual suspects for sides.  The top selling dinner outside of the mussels was the roast beef dinner, so we had one of those brought to the table as well.  The roast beef was very good.  Real comfort food, not the kind of roast beef meal that is covered with rainbows, this is well-prepared roast beef with great mashed potatoes smothered in a heavy gravy and corn on the cob.  We also felt the need to bring in a bit more comfort food, and went for the grilled three-cheese sandwich.  This has American, Cheddar, and Holland cheese.  A very international grilled cheese indeed.

 

The mussels arrived and we dug in.  We were taught a trick by our colleague from the Netherlands, as he showed us how to use a discarded mussel shell as a kind of forceps to extract the mussels from the shells.  A brilliant idea, as I was used to using a fork to get them out and dip them in the broth.  This was much more efficient as we churned through several orders of the mussels.  We all enjoyed the family style of sharing meals from the same bowl or off the same plate.  Did I mention the perch?  Lightly battered fillets from a local source and served with nothing but a wedge of lemon.  My mouth is watering and it is only 8:15 in the morning!  We missed several interesting items on the menu, including the Belgian Onion Soup, the Holland Patty Melt, the Peter Paul Reuben, the Croque Monsieur or Madame, and the Steak Valerie.  Mussels Rockefeller, Smoked Mussels, Mussels Escargot, Mussels Creole – you get the picture.  All of these are worth trying, and I will be back to do so.  Did I mention pitchers of adult beverages?  They have a great selection of both bottled and draft beers.

 

Following the meal, we were fortunate enough to get one of the two lanes without an advance reservation.  We were told that this was rare, but we were living right!  Off through the door we went to our lane.  It was girls’ night out on the other lane and these gals were having a ball!  Trash talk and swagger isn’t just a guy thing.  Our group of four spent a great hour enjoying a game that is hundreds of years old and can only be played in one location in the entire United States.  During the game we noticed the noise level picking up in the café.  Little did we know that every night there is some type of music here.  It could be jazz, big band, or a local artist, but on that night it was Karaoke!  Following the game (won by Albert and me – thanks for the T-shirt, David), one of our group indicated that he would blow away the crowd with his rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”  When we walked through the door, the café was transformed.  It was loaded with people enjoying the music, working on laptops, and sitting at large tables getting caught up with each other.  After listening to three performers, Mr. Sweet Caroline realized that the performers were pros.  He will dust off his act for his next visit.  We left the Cadieux Café with smiles on our faces and songs in our hearts.  On the corner of Cadieux and Waveney Street on the east side of Detroit there lives a magical place.  When you are in our neighborhood give us a call so we can take you to the Cadieux Café.  This is our kind of dive!

 

The Cadieux Café

4300 Cadieux Rd.

Detroit, Michigan 48224

313-882-8560

Monday – Saturday open 4:00pm – 2:00am

Sunday open 4:00pm – 12:00am

http://www.cadieuxcafe.com

Steve Carter's July 2010 Dive of the Month: Frank Pepe Pizza - New Haven

Dive of the Month

By Steve Carter

Frank Pepe Pizza Napoletana - New Haven, Connecticut

 

 

I recently had the opportunity to drive from Detroit to Cape Cod.  I decided to take my time and stop at local joints along the way and visit a few Carhartt retail partners.  I could write a short book about the trip –  the places I visited and the great dives I visited.  Fortunately for you, I am not allowed that much space in this monthly column!  Suffice it to say I found that in flying from city to city, a lot is missed.  I intend to take a road trip to visit stores and dives at least once a year!

 

I had great hot dogs, deli sandwiches, tenderloins, burgers, lobster rolls, clam rolls, soups, and even granola for breakfast on one occasion (my one tip of the cap toward healthy food).  With all of the dives and the variety of food I experienced, I have to share one special place with you. 

 

Eighty years ago, Frank Pepe opened a pizzeria on Wooster Street in New Haven.  In an area of no more than a few blocks, some of the best pizza in North America is sold.  Modern Apizza and Sally’s Apizza are within a stone’s throw of Frank Pepe’s.  I had heard about Frank Pepe’s from friends for many years, but I had never taken the time to stop in while visiting the New England area.  What better time to check this off than on my road trip!  Getting to 157 Wooster Street was no picnic, given the typical traffic on I-95 and enough detours to dissuade all but the most determined food fanatic.

 

I had heard that lines at Frank Pepe’s are to be expected.  I hoped that arriving at 3:00 in the afternoon might mitigate the wait.  Not only did I park off the street in the small lot in front of The Spot, but I was seated in the front room where I could watch the pizza masters at work.  The place is a classic, and I don’t imagine it has changed much over the past several decades.  A constant flow of people – cooks working the dough on large tables, a handful of spices being thrown about, and clouds of flour wafting in the light.  Tables with enough wear that you know they have been in service for years.  The wait staff was perfect.  Just enough attitude to let you know that they were in charge, but the soft side came out when they discovered that I was on a quest.

 

The menu is very simple:  The Original Tomato Pie, The Original Tomato Pie with Mozzarella, Clam Pies, Chicken Pies, Fresh Tomato Pie (summer only of course), and a list of basic ingredients.  I had come for the clam pie with white sauce. This pie had been described to me by Jon Sturdevant, a 20+ year veteran of Carhartt from the New England area.  When Jon talks food, it pays to listen.  I ordered the freshly-shucked clam pie and thought I would get mozzarella cheese on it as well.  Even though it describes it on the menu, my waitress would not allow me to get the cheese on it.  She told me if I loved clam and garlic, why screw up a great love affair?  Who was I to argue?

 

I ordered a Foxon Park root beer and thought I would check a few emails.  My waitress came back with the root beer and told me to put away the iPhone.  I was at Frank Pepe’s, and I should enjoy the ambiance of just being there.  She was right; I watched the masters making pizza and shoving them into the brick ovens, I watched the waitresses greeting regulars, I listened to a group of workers who came in for a beer and a pizza pie (it was Friday afternoon) as they talked about what they would be doing over the weekend.  I could actually imagine that this same scene had played out for generations.

 

My attention to surroundings was rewarded by the waitress as she slapped a slice of sausage pizza in front of me.  “I gave you a bit of mozza on that slice” she said as she flew by.  An excellent treat, as the thin pizza with the charred crust was the perfect vehicle to carry the savory sausage into my mouth. Twenty minutes went by very quickly and before I knew, it a clam pie with white sauce was set down before me. 

 

The experience was like no other.  I have eaten pizza just about everywhere.  From Alaska to Florida, from Maine to California.  I have had great pizza in St. Louis and Brooklyn.  I have had my share of Chicago pizza.  I have been to the touchstone of pizza in Phoenix. At Carhartt, it seems that pizza from some oven in Dearborn or Detroit is brought in every day for a lunch meeting.  I view pizza as a basic food group unto itself.  I, as I imagine you, have eaten five times my body weight in pizza.

 

My first bite was one I won’t soon forget.  The thin crust covered with fresh shucked clams and a garlic white sauce brought tears to my eyes.  The wonderful brinyness of the clams was in itself worth the 1200 mile drive.  The edges of the pizza were charred, which showed that the pizza master had turned the pizza to get the perfect finish to the crust.  The waitress sat down and explained why they use fresh shucked clams as opposed to canned clams.  She told me that the guys making the pizza have been working on average 18-20 years at Frank Pepe’s.  She told me I should try a Foxon Park white birch with the rest of my pie.  She also doubted that I could eat the whole pie.

 

She was right about the white birch soda, but was wrong about me finishing the pie.  I left Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana very full, but very happy.  I was sorry I didn’t get a chance to walk down to Sally’s or buzz over to Modern, but I knew that this could not be outdone.  If I am ever in a position to order a last meal for myself, the clam pie from Frank Pepe’s will certainly be part of it!

 

If you find yourself stuck in traffic on I-95 someday, take exit 46 and wind your way to Wooster Ave.  You will like the vibe and love the pizza.  Yet another place in North America that still cares about what they put in front of you.  A meal continues to be something more then merely getting full.  It continues to be about meeting people, hearing stories, and understanding the work ethic that goes into running a family restaurant.  Support your local dives.

 

Frank Pepe Pizza Napoletana

157 Wooster Street

New Haven, Connecticut

201-865-5762

Monday-Sunday, 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

http://www.Pepespizzeria.com

 

 

 

 

Raisins and Almonds - a new cooking blog

My sisters, Joan Garfield and Ann Olszewski, have started a new blog.  Here are their first three posts.

Raisins and Almonds - Descriptions of our cooking and culinary adventures, at home in Ohio and Minnesota, and around the world.

• Melt-in-your-mouth raisin and almond cookies
• Summer vegetable curry with raisins and almonds
• Our culinary heritage

Steve Carter's June 2010 Dive of the Month: Wild Orchid - Hamilton, Ontario

Wild Orchid - Hamilton, Ontario

by Steve Carter

This month we head up north to visit our Canadian friends.  Canada has several cities of note.  Most of us tend to think of Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver when we think of Canadian cities.  While those cities are certainly wonderful in their own right, I have a new favorite Canadian town.  Hamilton, Ontario is today thought of as the halfway point between Toronto and Buffalo by many people.  On the road, one tends to look at the steel plants belching smoke and fire and dismiss the thought of taking the Hamilton exit.  Believe me when I tell you that this is your loss!  Hamilton is known as the steel city of Canada.  Among its many nicknames, my favorite is “The Lunch Bucket City.”  This is the quintessential working class city of Canada.  I think I favor it because the town reminds me of the rust belt cities of the states.  Another reason I favor it is that the industries brought a very diverse population to Hamilton in the early 1900s.  The French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Eastern European influences are found throughout this ethnically diverse city.  Where one finds a diverse population one also finds eating adventures. 

 

Hamilton has admittedly lost its luster over the past 50 years.  The steel mills have changed hands more then a few times and fewer people are punching the time clock in support of this industry.  The working class neighborhoods are a bit worn around the edges and bring to mind some of our northeast cities such as Springfield, MA, Worchester, MA, and Providence, RI.  When you visit these cities you find remnants of a culture in their bars and restaurants that sit among long-since closed department stores and specialty shops in the once vibrant downtowns.  This is not to say that Hamilton doesn’t retain some of its charm.  The Concession Street area is still vibrant and has great examples of architecture from a century ago.  Princess Point is a place of beauty.  Dundurn Castle is an amazing place with a very interesting history.  The Canadian Football Hall of Fame resides in this blue collar city.  For crying out loud, they even have the Workers Art and Heritage Centre (I love the way Canadians spell center) which celebrates the heritage of the working class people of Canada!  There is a lot to love about this place for a Carhartt guy.  It is important to have a flavor of the city to understand that it is a great melting pot and has a noble past.  With this said, let’s get to the food!

 

I was with friends as we walked the neighborhood around James Street North.  We visited a small marketplace in front of Christ Church Cathedral.  It was the typical baked goods, jewelry, and tie-dyed t-shirt gathering.  It did give you a sense of neighborhood.  We walked past the armory.  This is an incredible building dating back to 1887, housing the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry along with a museum I will take in on my next trip.  This section of town is heavily influenced by the Portuguese community.  The bars and cafés had a decided Portuguese influence.  As we walked down the street we decided to try the Wild Orchid.  We were the only ones in the place around noon, so I had to wonder if we had chosen correctly.  The smell of cleaning disinfectant was very strong and the fact that there were tablecloths almost sent me bolting for the door.  Thank goodness a helpful soul came out of the backroom and gave us a table by the front window so we could still keep an eye on the street traffic.

 

A basketful of Portuguese bread and olive oil along with a cold Sagres had us comfortable in no time.  The lunch menu was modest but offered a taste of Portugal.  We ordered the Mediterranean Bruschetta as if the Portuguese bread wasn’t enough of a carb load.  The bruschetta was excellent, a thin crusty bread with tomato sauce, onions, and plenty of garlic.  The Prince Edward Island mussels were sautéed in a tomato-based sauce that called for more bread to sop up all remaining traces.  This could have been a meal in itself, but we were on a quest.  Next came the grilled sardines.  There were three nice sardines about eight inches long brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt, and grilled over an open flame.  If the only sardines you have ever had came out of a can, you haven’t tasted what a sardine should taste like.  These were excellent!  We had our eye on trying one of the more traditional Portuguese entrees.  We had a hard time deciding between the Bras (shredded cod tossed with potatoes and egg), Carne Alentejana (cubed pork potatoes, and clams), Massa de Carmarao (tiger shrimp with fettuccine and Alfredo sauce), and several other tempting dishes.  We settled on Prego no Prato.  This is a pork steak served with rice and topped with a fried egg.  The pork was marinated for a very nice flavor, and the rice served as an agent to pick up the flavor of the egg and pork mixed together.  A good choice. 

 

As we ate, no other patrons came into the place.  Our waitress, who I suspect was also the cook, barmaid, and cleaning crew, let us know that lunch traditionally starts around 2:00 in the afternoon and dinner starts after 8:00PM.  I think we caught her by surprise showing up for lunch at the silly time of noon.  I look forward to another trip to this blue collar city.  I would gladly try the dinner menu at the Wild Orchid, but there were several other interesting looking joints on James Street North, many of them without tablecloths.

 

If your travels take you by Hamilton, do yourself a favor and jump off the beaten path.  Venture out past The Keg or a Tim Hortons. Walk into a place that welcomes you and appreciates the fact that you are there to experience their rich cultural tastes.  I am heading to Cape Cod in the near future and look forward to trying some Portuguese places in Provincetown which I have driven by over the years.  I am now hooked!

 

Wild Orchid

286 James St. North

Hamilton Ontario

905-528-7171

Tuesday – Sunday

11:00 am till the last customer leaves

www.wildorchidrestaurant.ca

 

Steve Carter's May 2010 Dives of the Month: More Detroit Delis

Hygrade Deli and Mudgie’s Deli

by Steve Carter

 

This month I bring a close to my Detroit Deli Quest.  I visited 13 delis, and there are many more that I will be visiting over the next year or so.  I need a break.  I have discovered excellent corned beef.  I have learned about the corned beef legend, Sy Ginsberg, from many sources.  I have discovered that great crusty rye bread is still served in this town.  I have come to understand the beauty of egg salad prepared with love.  I truly believe that if we could bring world leaders to a deli in any city, that we might have a chance for world peace.  I wrote about several of the delis a couple of months ago, and I have tweeted about many more.  I have found something to like about each business I visited.  In this final segment on Detroit delis, I want to write about another secret ingredient I have found:  the people that run them.

 

You have all heard plenty about Detroit.  The city that has fallen into decay just a generation removed from being one of the gems of the industrialized world.  Closed factories, burned out buildings, thousands of boarded up homes, an unemployment rate that is unfathomable, the city of lost dreams.  Sure, we have heard all about it.  Most of what you hear is certainly warranted, but Detroit has a special blue collar ethic that won’t die no matter how hard it is kicked.  This is exemplified in two different delis that are in business in the city and looking forward to calling you a customer.

 

Hygrade Deli

3640 Michigan Ave

Detroit Michigan 48216

Monday - Friday 6:30AM – 3:00PM

Saturday 7:00AM – 2:00PM

313-894-6620

 

The first is The Hygrade Deli.  Located on a part of Michigan Avenue that could be used as a set for a movie about an abandoned city, the Hygrade shines like a beacon of hope.  Walk in off the street and Stuart Litt will look up from his meat slicer and great you like he means it.  Stuart took The Hygrade over from his dad, who bought it from Nate Stutz in 1972.  The place has been a deli for the past 56 years.  In its heyday, workers from the Cadillac plant lined up for breakfast and lunch.  Today the Cadillac plant and the tool and die factories that supported it are rubble.

 

Stuart says that the Hygrade is like an island.  Not quite in the hip part of town which is making a comeback, and not close enough to Dearborn to bring in a lunch business.  This place is a throwback.  An owner who seems to know everyone that walks in the door, a wait staff that is clearly professional and knows how to give just the right amount of sass, and a truly eclectic customer base.  No one just happens to drop into the Hygrade.  When you visit you will see what I mean. This is a destination.

 

The menu is huge and the prices are as much of a throwback as the Formica tables.  The soups are homemade and change everyday.  I have sampled the split pea, chicken rice, mushroom barley, and chili.  All the soups are very good.  I suggest a cup before you tuck into the star of the show.  You can have a knockwurst sandwich, egg salad sandwich, tuna fish salad sandwich, fried egg sandwich, tuna melt, hot dog, salami sandwich, or just about any other kind of sandwich you can fathom.  Stuart has several entrees on the menu ranging from roast brisket of beef, roast turkey, hamburger steak, to a breaded veal cutlet (all served with sides).  The most an entrée will set you back is $7.95.  Hygrade offers up the traditional corned beef and hot pastrami as well.  Of course most of his corned beef comes from just down the street from Sy Ginsberg’s United Meat and Deli.  Unbeknown to me, I had lunch next to Mr. Ginsberg one day – had I only known, I could have talked to the legend of corned beef!

 

I won’t get into the triple deckers and hot sandwiches he offers, because the star of the show at this place is the Reuben.  It is the perfect combination of great corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing, served grilled on rye bread.  Dang, my mouth just started to water!  Here in a part of Detroit which has fallen on tough times, the Hygrade lives on.  Stuart and his team serve up food they can be proud of to the many faces of Detroit.  If you want to meet part of the soul of this city and understand why it won’t quit, go visit The Hygrade.  They open at 6:30 in the morning and close at 3:00. Tell Stuart the guy from Carhartt sent you.

 

Mudgie’s Deli

1300 Porter St

Detroit Michigan 48226

Monday – Saturday 11:00AM – 9:00PM

Sunday 11:00AM – 4:00PM

313-961-2000

 

The second place on our visit to what makes this town special is down Michigan about a mile or so to the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.  This is the location where professional baseball was played in Detroit for 104 years.  The flagpole is still standing and you can still make out where the infield was if you peer through the chain link fence.  This is the Detroit neighborhood known as Corktown, an area working hard to stage a comeback.  Take Trumbull south of Michigan and venture into the heart of Corktown and turn left on Porter.  If you drive to Most Holy Trinity Church, you have missed Mudgie’s Deli.  It is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for the sandwich board out in front of the building.  I have visited Mudgie’s on several occasions over the past couple of months.

 

My first visit was with a friend and visitor of dives, Stan Garfield.  We entered the well-maintained and rather quaint building at noon to find ourselves the only patrons in the place.  We seated ourselves and a young lady proceeded to tell us about the food selection.  Homemade soups, interesting salads, potato salad made with red skin potatoes, apples, red peppers, and Guinness whole grain mustard.  Cole slaw made with red peppers, fresh cabbage, and fresh parsley.  Macaroni salad made with fresh basil, baby spinach, egg, carrots, red peppers, and Michigan dried cherries. You get the idea – this place cares about the food they serve and they want to make it a bit differently.  Greg Mudge roasts his own turkey, chicken and beef.  The corned beef comes from Sy Ginsberg but is roasted in-house.  Mudge isn’t just buying deli meat from Sysco – he is roasting his own for the sandwiches he makes.  This is not to be taken for granted in this day and age!

Mudgie’s has at least 25 specialty sandwiches on its menu.  Let me give you the scoop on just two.  The Mudgie is a combination of Michigan-raised grass-fed beef, house roasted turkey, homemade cream cheese, lettuce, red onion, Brownwood Farm Kream mustard served warm on an onion roll.  The Madill is made from that house-roasted turkey, Nueski apple wood smoked bacon (a bit of Wisconsin is brought into the house), avocado, tomato, lettuce, homemade garlic mayo, and melted pepper jack cheese served warm on an 8 inch bun.  I won’t even get into the Pressley, the Jerk, or the Bat Outta Hell.  Aside from these special sandwiches, the wait staff, which is well schooled, encourages you to build your own or listen to how they customize some of the favorites.

 

Being there for the first time on a Saturday made me a bit nervous, as I was concerned that a place that was so caring about their food wasn’t being supported.  My subsequent trips have been during the work week, and I feel much better.  People are lined up to get in.  They do a brisk carryout business as well as the sit-down crowd.  Like the Hygrade, the clientele is very eclectic.  Workers from the casino wanting a taste of real food, suits from downtown, hipsters, cops, trades people, and students.  A great mix which adds to an already great vibe.  Greg Mudge worked at Eph McNally’s which was formerly housed in the building.  McNally’s moved to Woodward, and Greg stayed on to carve out his own niche in the city by opening Mudgie’s in 2008.  He is doing it with local food whenever possible, homemade basics, and a lot of hustle.  This place represents yet another reason why Detroit has a future.  A guy with a work ethic that won’t quit and a passion for quality.  The only complaint I have about Mudgie’s is the bread – man, I wish he could get some great crusty rye to go with his awesome sandwiches!

 

Two places that anyone visiting or living in Detroit should try.  The Hygrade is a place that has what it takes to work through the toughest of times.  Mudgie’s is the type of place willing to open up when all the odds are against you.  Both places have the vibe of success because they are run by people who can look forward.  Detroit needs more of this.  Support your local deli!