Eat More Pancakes

In 1961 Robert Baldwin founded a Nashville institution when he first opened the doors to the Pancake Pantry. Robert wanted to create a family friendly atmosphere and he succeeded beyond his  wild imagination I suspect. Not only has the Pantry become one of Nashville’s “Go to” places for breakfast or lunch and a favourite of local celebrities (not the least of which is Taylor Swift). In 1988 it become a second generation family run joint and if all goes well, someday a third generation will be at the controls. If all that isn’t enough it’s now on the national radar. If it wasn’t already that is. In June of 2011 Adam Richman and the Man v. Food Nation crew paid the Pantry a visit. Adam was shown how to make the Sweet Potato pancakes which he then sampled. To say he loved them is an understatement. You can see more of his visit and reaction here.

From the outside the 150 year old building sits prominently on a corner. It's not overly dressy looking but has that beautiful old brick look to it. Another feature of the exterior is the long line up. This is common at Pancake Pantry and at first, I was a little disheartened. Experience has shown me thought that this line up moves pretty quickly. About 15 - 20 minutes was all it took to get seated. It seems the smaller your party the better chance you have to jump the cue as well. 

Inside is quite nice with it's high ceiling and large open dining room. This gives the busy restaurant plenty of room for noise to dissipate. So it's often crowded the additional volume means the din of peoples conversation does not intrude. On this particular day the nice summer sun was shining through the windows. The seats are jammed in as tight as they feel they can get them while still allowing for room to maneuver. For both patron and staff alike.

In the kitchen secret recipes foods are prepared fresh daily. The grains are from a mill in east Tennessee so you know they're fresh. So let's have a look at them shall we??

 There are two syrups waiting on the table for you. The obvious one is maple of course. The second is a Cinnamon Cream Syrup. Slightly caramelly with a proud but not over powering cinnamon taste it's absolutely fabulous. The cream pulls it all together to a smooth rich sauce. My only complaint about it is they should serve it warm. Perhaps keep some in a slow cooker and then ladle into a teapot for service. Other than that, I can't say enough great things about it. As you can tell, I love cinnamon. Especially counterbalancing sweet.

The Sweet Potato Pancakes are quite nice. Not overly tasting of sweet potatoes however not void of any notes. They were nice and fluffy yet still dense enough to have some heft. They recommend you use the Cinnamon Cream Syrup on them and it's a perfect fit. Cinnamon is a great match with sweet taters as most people know so they go together perfectly.

Their regular pancakes as just as good as any I've had. Perhaps the ones I make at home are better but as with most things, I prefer mine. These are a great, solid, straight up pancake just itching for the whipped butter and sweet stuff. I started with Maple Syrup on the first one but the cinnamon was drawing me. It was just perfect with these as well. They have some different fruit compotes. We tried Strawberry and Blueberry. The later being far and away superior.


The Cook's Grill Medley is a pile of food. Good thing I was starving. As described, "Mounds of hash browns with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and ham, all grilled up crisp. Add to that: melted American and Swiss cheeses with two fried eggs on top." Just a nice blend of flavours and textures. The toast on the side was pretty nice too. Nothing special, just good.

They do offer lunch fare but lets face it, this place is built on breakfast.

So there you have it folks. A great start to your day at the favourite haunt  of one of the brightest young stars in pop music.

You can find The Pancake Pantry in the heart of Hillsboro Village at 1796 21st Avenue S. Nashville, Tn.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Well that's all folks, see y'all next time in the food court.

Davwud

Urban Revival

Call it a sign. Call it coincidence. Call it dumb luck. Whatever you call it you have to admit there did seem to be some cosmic forces at work to point me in the direction of Slows Bar B Q in Detroit.

Less than a week before we depart on our Thanksgiving trip (which takes us through Detroit) I see Adam Richman and the Man vs. Food crew showing off the Triple Threat Pork sandwich at this down town Detroit establishment. As if that wasn’t enough to put it on my radar a day before we leave I notice someone hailing the TTP sandwich as one of Detroit’s top 10. It had to be a sign.

I always approach BBQ joints north of the Mason Dixon Line (or Ohio River) with trepidation. Far too many places up north don’t get it. Old school, down home BBQ is an art form. Something, sadly, most northern joints can’t seem to master. Part of that is simply experience. You don’t just pop a couple shoulders and a few racks of ribs into a smoker and poof!! Great BBQ. Nope, truly awesome Q takes years upon years to master. The big BBQ craze afoot has seen many Johnny Come Lately’s who figure mastering a grill is all the prerequisite they need. Top it off with northerner’s pension for wanting to “Upgrade” and it most often falls well short. Why try to reinvent the wheel, right?? But we feel the idea of three types of pig in one convenient package was enough to warrant a stop in Motown at Slows.

I’ve always viewed Detroit with both contempt and sadness. I’ve looked down my nose at the “Shit hole” I see from the interstate. Murder capital and all that it is, wondering why anyone would live there. The thing is, as I’ve ventured off the interstate and down to ground level sniffing out food, a different Detroit reveals itself. A once vibrant city sits in ruins yet those who’ve remained are voraciously proud. To people who’ve never been, I’ve likened it to Muhammad Ali. Once great now ravage by time and circumstance. A once hulking champion now regarded with sadness. Well enter businesses like Slows. Leading the charge in the rebirth of Detroit headed by part owner Phillip Cooley. Cooley has been named chairman of the mayor’s Detroit Works Project. Helping to map out Detroit’s potential future. Just one of several boards on which Cooley sits. He isn’t alone and his efforts to return Motown to it’s former glory aren’t going un-noticed. Slowly, very slowly people are returning to the city. They see bargains and find them a little too good to pass up. The architecture is beautiful albeit blighted. Nothing some TLC won’t fix though. Take the Michigan Central Railway station across the street from Slows as a microcosm. Majestic yet sits derelict. Waiting to be returned to its former glory. Much like the city itself.

The rebuild is taking place in the Corktown area where Slows has grown to the point of bursting. Long line ups are a common sight in the evening and on weekends. Arriving after 1pm on a Monday saw the place very crowded but no line. The smallish dining room has a nice warehouse feel to it with exposed brick and beams. Perfectly complimenting the late Victorian Era exterior. Opening the front door I was sadly not met with the smell of smoke hanging in the air. Boo. There was however the unmistakable smell of pig fat that I was more than eager to drink in. Yea!!

So how was it?? Oddly enough we stayed with the more traditional style offerings and we were quite pleasantly satiated. The more normal Q offerings would have to wait for another day.

First, let’s talk sauces. Slows makes 5 of them. All good but two really stood out. Although the Apple and Sweet were nice, the Spicy (while not very spicy) was even better. The NC and Mustard sauces were however the clear winners. The NC hinted strongly at Buffalo Chicken Wing sauce and seemed clear that it would be terrific on poultry. The mustard sauce had a nice honey like sweetness to it for great balance. Perfect for pork.

The Brisket Enchiladas were good but not the homerun that AR made them out to be. Not good enough for a second try but certainly satisfying. One criticism I have is that the beef had very little Q taste. It tasted like beef but no real Q hints.

You seldom see fish on a southern BBQ menu and certainly not battered and fried. But Mrs. Sippi loves catfish and tempura so she couldn’t resist. It was simply outstanding. Crispy on the outside with melt in your mouth fish inside. The lighter tempura didn’t over power the delicate flavour of the fish and the creole mustard remoulade was an excellent compliment.

Then of course there’s the whole reason for the visit. The Triple Threat Pork sandwich. Bacon, pulled pork and ham stacked on top of each other. Fabulous right off the line it was made even better with the mustard sauce. A truly outstanding sandwich worthy of the praise heaped upon it. 

I will point out a couple things about the pulled pork since a few large pieces fell out and were consumed al a carte. It doesn’t have the big smoke flavour that I prefer and didn’t really scream “Rub” or anything like that. What it did have was an incredible pig flavour. The meat itself was some of the best tasting pork I’ve had.

So all in all, my views on BBQ and especially northern joints has taken an uptick. Seems you can do this nouveau Q thing and make it work. As I’ve always said, taste trumps all.

You can find Slows in Detroit’s Corktown district at 2138 Michigan Ave.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and twitter.
 

Well that's all for now folks. See ya next time in the food court.
 

Davwud

Lincoln’s Other Gettysburg Address

By the mid 19th century, Edward Everett was at the apex of his oratorical career. Well known as an educator and politician Everett was bestowed the honour of “Featured speaker” at the Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Everett’s speech would last just over two hours. Charged with the task of following Everett, President Abraham Lincoln would say “A few appropriate remarks” in officially dedicating the cemetery. Lincoln spoke but a couple minutes and retook his seat. Feeling his address was a “Total failure” the President is said to comment that, like a bad plow, his words “Won’t scour.”

The following day in a letter to the President, Everett would pass along the greatest of compliments. “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes" he would write. 

The president was in Gettysburg for only 24 hours. He arrived the night before and spent the night at the Willis house as a guest of David Wills. A local lawyer and the man responsible for the creation of the cemetery. It’s unknown where he took his meals but if his namesake diner was around back then, he’d have done a lot worse than to have eaten there.Located just north of Lincoln Square and directly across the street from the very train station that began and ended Lincoln’s time in Gettysburg the Lincoln Diner gleams. The polished stainless steel and neon eatery is a shining example of the great American diner.

Inside, like all diners there’s counter service and booths along the windows. The colours are those of a different era and like most diners now, its had a large dining room added.

Diner’s first appeared around the turn of the last century in the guise of lunch wagons. Eventually the Worcester Lunch Car Company would sell lunch wagons with seating all over New England.

The Jerry O’Mahoney Diner Company would build about 2,000 “Rail car” style diners between 1917 and 1952 with about 20 still remaining. They’re often credited with having created the first diner.

Prefabricated buildings would follow with more seating and still allow proprietors to set up a food service building cheaply. 

While the depression of the 30’s would be hard on the industry the diner more or less held its own selling meals at more affordable prices than other restaurants. With the end of WWII and a return to prosperity the diner thrived.

Like many good things though, the diner suffered from the advent of the Interstate system and the proliferation of the fast food chain. They remain a part of American pop culture occupying their own special niche. Their menu and (mostly) Art Deco style seem to transcend time.Among the many things diners are noted for is their desert case. A great diner will have it’s own bakery and a glass “trophy” case in which to display its wares. The Lincoln Diner is no exception. Their desert case was chock full of tantalizing treats. Sadly we were both too full to partake. Perhaps next time.So enough of the history lessons and let’s have a look at the food shall we??

We both ordered off the specials board with chicken croquettes and baked mac and cheese with ham. She had a side of mac and cheese and I had cucumber salad and we split the corn fritters.

Even from the picture you can tell the mac and cheese was kinda dry and pasty. It tasted okay and was certainly helped where some juice from the ham dripped on it. Which brings me to said pig product. It was great. Not too salty and a little smokier than most. I think I’d have preferred one thicker piece rather than two thinner pieces but that’s just splitting hairs.The accompanying cucumber salad was great. More or less sliced cucumbers in a creamy slaw dressing. I used the dinner roll to soak up as much dressing as it would hold. I really liked it and it’s caused me to make cucumber salad at home now.Mrs. Sippi’s chicken croquets were very tasty. She’d never had them and I hadn’t in years so we don’t really know how good they were. Other than we enjoyed them.The corn fritters tasted exactly as my mom used to make but with one significant difference. These were tossed in some sort of breading. I didn’t much care for that part so all in all I’d say good but could’ve been great.

You can visit the Lincoln Diner at 32 Carlisle St. in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

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Well that’s all for now history buffs. See ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Good Homecooking

In 1976 Wilhelmina Patterson decided to convert the storage room in the little market she owned to a lunchroom. She probably had no idea at the time that she was giving birth to a local legend. Serving soul food from old family recipes the lunchroom outgrew the storage room and eventually pushed out the market. Converted full time into a cafeteria style restaurant the Kleer-Vu Lunch is now 80 (or so) seats big and jammed just about every day at lunch. They say you can’t get near the place between the hours of noon and 1pm most days.
Now run by her daughter Becca and granddaughter Anita a who’s who of Murfreesboro eat along side the workaday.
Kleer-Vu has, of course, caught the eye of the famous such as Robert DeNiro. Perhaps it was the words of Roots author Alex Haley that meant the most. “I’ve eaten at Maxim’s in Paris, a 5 star restaurant but I would swap it any day to come here and eat. This right here takes you back home.”

The dining room is simple and highly functional. All food is served cafeteria style and even on trays from Decherd Elementry School (‘74 – 75). “Have a good day today and pass it on” is the slogan on the tray. A visit to Kleer-Vu will put you well on your way toward that good day.

 

 Noted for fried chicken, meat loaf,  pigs feet and chitlin’s  they’re most famous for their hotwater cornbread. An old southern peasant staple seldom seen anymore. You pick your special off the daily white board or from the list of plate lunches behind the counter. Get in line, get served, then find a seat.

 

Where to begin, it was all so good.

Okay so not all of it was good. The hot water cornbread (front left) was pretty much lost on me. It’s little more than cornmeal and hot water. Some sort of leavening is used and it’s fried not baked. It really doesn’t have much taste. Even used for sopping it wasn’t all that interesting.

 

The black eyed peas (back right) were terrific. They really didn’t have much of a porky taste nor evidence that pork was used to cook them but all in all, if you like the earthy taste of BEP you’ll like ‘em.
The pinto beans (back left) were really good. Same cooking as the BEP (no pork, etc.) but once again, terrific.
The mac n cheese (front right) was exceptional. As is to be expected it’s the old school style, very creamy and cheesy type.
The country ham was awesome. Not overly salty as country ham can be it did have a great smoky flavour. Just great.

The fried chicken is now my clear cut favourite. Juicy, well seasoned, crispy and fabulous. Everyone I talked to said it’s the best and I could see why.

 

The chess pie was also excellent. The creamy, custardy “Old South” piece of pie was the perfect cap to a great meal.

 

Oh and by the way, Mrs. Sippi gave thumbs up on the tea.

You can find Kleer-Vu Lunchroom at 226 S. Highland Ave in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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Well that’s if for now folks. Have a good day. And pass it on.
 

Davwud

Hands Down

The best country ham I've ever had.

I've tried a lot of country ham in my time and a lot of it has been very good. Broadbent's in Kuttawa, Kentucky is definately the best. If you don't believe me, one of their hams sold for half a million dollars at the Kentucky State Fair in 2006. That's good ham.

At the north end of Lake Barkley, just off I - 24 you'll find their operation. We stopped in for lunch in their little cafe. We were there on the recomendation of the Chamber of Commerce and Broadbent's did not disappoint.

I had the "Sweet and Sassy" (a ham and apple sandwich) on sour dough.

My wife had the "Pepper Bacon, BLT" on wheatberry bread.

We finished with a slice of chocolate silk pie.

There was a few samples throughout the store. All of which were great as well.

Click "Hands Down" to visit Broadbent's online.

Davwud