Fish Tale

In the late 1960's Oscar Gutierrez relocated from California to Huntsville, Al. With Oscar came years of experience in the restaurant business. In the fall of 1990 he decided it was time to open his own place. Serving burritos, tacos, tamales and the like. Oscar's place would do as much from scratch, in house as would be possible. The resulting consistency was the back bone of the business. Bandito Burrito Company has gone on to become a local icon, win several awards and has found their Fish Taco's named #7 on al.com's list of Huntsville's 20 Most Distinctive Dishes.


Occupying what seems to be an old Burger King or some other fast food restaurant, BBC offers parking in front. I hear plenty of comments that the place looks abandoned. Not so, the faded facade only adds to the charm.
Inside the décor matches the outside. A little worn but all in all, charming. It’s typical fast food in that you walk in, order, pay then take a seat in the dining room.
The kitchen is in back and that’s where all the good stuff comes from.

So let’s get a look at these Mexican goodies.



Situated by the cash register is a dispenser labeled "Ghetto Grape Drank." The obvious question begged the young lady serving us, what exactly it was. Well, we're told it's Grape Kool Aid loaded with sugar. Me being me, I just had to try it. That said, I'm not stupid nor do I want diabetes. So just a taste was all I permitted myself. I can assure you it's not as sweet as I was expecting and to be honest, in a small dose it was actually quite pleasant. The word is, one customer not only drinks a full cup with his meal but also gets two refills. Wow!!

The Taco Burger is pretty neat. It’s simply a taco (Old El Paso style) in a cheap burger bun rather than a shell. There’s not much more to say other than 1 or 6 of these seems like something perfect for those either stoned or drunk.

You get a side of salsa and corn chips with your order and really, they're worth the price of admission on their own. The chips are cut up tortillas that are deep fried, not from a bag. The salsa is just plain fabulous. Nice and fresh tasting with a pretty decent amount of heat. 

The burritos are well known around these parts. This Combo Burrito is filled with a cumin and lime seasoned ground beef, refried beans and cheese. All in all, about exactly the taste you'd expect and very well executed. You could tell that they use nice fresh cumin. Cumin doesn't sit well for long periods once it's ground (not that it won't hold it's flavour for a while mind you) and I find puts a displeasing taste on things. While freshly ground cumin adds such a nice, sweet earthiness that screams Mexican.
The refried beans are nice but nothing special. Nor is the rice. I don't have a problem with that. They're serviceable sides to the main. 
The Enchilada and Chili Rellenos platter here is good but not great. The relleno is really quite tasty. Like a large jalapeno popper without the heat. Sadly, the enchilada for which this combo platter is named really misses its mark. The tortilla/filler combination is fine but the pink highlighter enchilada sauce is thoroughly unflavourful. I tried it plain and it just didn't deliver anything. So, being the creative person I am, I poured a bit of the salsa on it. Much better. The beans and rice are the same as the other meals.

That list of Huntsville's 20 Most Distinctive Tastes is what first led me here. The Fish Tacos are simply awesome. White corn tortillas stuffed with a filet of lightly seasoned tilapia, cabbage, tomato, onions, cilantro, lime and their special dill sauce. The magic is in the sauce. Made with lime, dill and Mexican Crema it added a certain richness that became very addictive.

So there you have it. Terrific Mexican food in a Huntsville legend.

You can find Bandito Burrito Company at 3017 Governors Dr SW. Huntsville, Al.

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You can also find them on facebook.




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

Nashville Institution

You’ve probably heard me mention George Motz and his book, Hamburger America. A must read for any and all hamburger aficionados BTW. Around Christmas time I bought the eBook version for the iPad and I’m glad I did. We were heading home from the in-laws a few days after New Years and thought a burger for lunch was a good plan. But where in Nashville should we go?? Well, pull out the iPad, check the eBook and see where George had been. We found Brown’s Diner both convenient and well recommended. Plot a course on the GPS and away we go.

Some may scoff at all the newfangled technology that inundates us these days but these hi tech gadgets led us to one of the most low tech of places I've seen. Brown’s is easily the antithesis of the iPad. It’s as basic as basic can be. It's "Oldfangled." It’s what’s so great about it.

In 1927 Charlie Brown (no not that one) parked a mule drawn carriage that was part of the old Nashville trolley system on a corner in Nashville and opened a restaurant. He got what is now Nashville’s oldest beer license and sold hamburgers as well. Over the years Brown's has changed hands but little else has. It's still locally owned. Musicians, both struggling and renown still play. The beer is still as cold as ever and “New” owner Jim Love (he bought it in ’72) still cranks out what is often cited as Nashville’s best hamburger.

Since I’ve started writing this blog I’ve been in some really nice places. I’ve been in some dime a dozen places. I’ve been in some, “Bless their hearts”, dumps. The latter I mean with a great deal of respect. As I’ve said before, they ooze charm, ambience and credibility as far as I'm concerned. Browns falls squarely in that latter, dishevelled category. Much like the other places I’ve mentioned and seen on Triple D, it wears the “Dive” title with pride.

Brown’s original rail car sits prominently on a grassy knoll in the south end of town. Approaching from the south it almost looks like someone’s home. There's a patio with wrought iron fencing and an awning above a "front door." Save for the Browns Diner name, on first glance you'd swear someone lived there.

The parking lot is around the side and back and reveals a second trailer of some sort as well as a more conventional addition. It’s pale grey colour with black trim are again as basic as basic can be. It’s just portends what’s inside.

The more conventional part and where the door from the parking lot is, is the main dining room. There's a seating for a few dozen or so. Regulars really just see this as “the room you walk through to go to the bathroom” as Love once remarked. All the action is up front in the bar area housed in the old rail car. At any given time you can find a cast of characters laughing, joking and talking football (or whatever) with Jim or one of the other staff members. A place like this has so many long time regulars they almost become part of the furniture. Definitely a part of the experience. There are a few TV's scattered about for patrons to keep up to date with the Titans, Predators, Commodores or whoever they may cheer. The kitchen and storage areas are basically housed in the old trailer.

So let’s have a look at what’s coming out of that kitchen.

The Frito Chili Pie posed an interesting conundrum for me. Do I like it because it tasted really good or dislike it because it absolutely is not Frito Chili Pie?? Heck, it doesn’t even have Frito's in it. (Though I understand there once was). FCP is quite simply a pile of corn chips topped with chili topped with grated cheddar. Garnish with minced onion if you like but that’s it.
Anyway, what we have here is Nachos. As Nachos go, these are really good. I’d like more cheese on them but this is a tasty way to start.
As an aside, the chili is a house specialty as well and it’s quite good. Very heavily chili flavoured and quite rich.

The Cheeseburger is great. It’s as simple as it can get and that’s absolutely what I like about it. Quality ground meat, hand formed, simply seasoned and done on a flat top (ding). It’s not over thought. It’s not trying to be anything more than it oughta be. It's how I remember my mom making them in a fry pan during the winter months. It's just a simple thing of beauty.
The fries were from a bag and good enough. I'm not a french fry snob so I'm okay with that. As was Mrs. Sippi.

So there you have it folks. One of the best burgers Nashville has ever produced. Served up in a legendary place.

You can find Browns at 2102 Blair Blvd. in Nashville, Tn.

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You can also find them on the web and facebook.



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

The Most Famous Buns in the Midwest

In June of 1972 Burt Reynolds was in Toledo, Ohio playing the "Rainmaker" when he received an invitation to dine at a local legend, Tony Packo's Cafe. "He's gotta eat somewhere" thought Nancy, daughter or Tony Sr.
After dinner Nancy, wanted to commemorate the visit. A tradition of signing buns at Tony Packo's was born when Burt decided to put pen to bread.
Since that day, scores of hot dog eating celebrities have signed buns that can be seen adorning the walls in Tony Packo's Front Street Restaurant.

But that's not why Tony Packo's is famous.

In 1932 Tony, a factory worker and his wife cobbled together $100 and opened a restaurant severing the Hungarian population of Toledo. The new place was an instant hit serving authentic Hungarian food on a menu that included a unique invention of his. The Hungarian Hot Dog.

But that's not why Tony Packo's is famous.

Nope, Tony Packo's became famous on February 24, 1972 when Corporal Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr, a native Toledoan) uttered the words, "If you're ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo's got the greatest Hungarian hot dogs. Thirty-five cents..." during an episode of the most popular show on television, M*A*S*H*.

The early success meant that in 1935 the cafe moved to a wedged shapped building situated near the banks of the Maumee River in Toledo's Hungarian part of town. Renovations and expansions have occured over the years as well, the addition of merchandising and mail orders. Packo's now boasts 5 locations and can even be found in the local supermarket.

We started with the Chili on Chips. Round tortilla chips topped with onions, cheese, sour cream and Tony's "World famous chili." This was a nice little appetizer that tasted about how you would expect. It was good but did not WOW.

Mrs Sippi opted for the Chili Mac and Hot Dog combo which came with a creamy cucumber salad. The cucumber salad (seen in the picture with my chili) was okay. It mostly tasted of cucumber and not much else. There's a light dressing on it which seemed to be sour cream and vinegar.
The "Chili Mac" is that only by name. There's chili but no mac. Instead dumplings (Spaetzle) provide the carbs in this dish that's topped with cheese and garnished with pickles. While it was an interesting and somewhat enjoyable combination, I'd just as soon have macaroni instead. Mrs. Sippi agreed. The pickles were nice and slightly sour.

I had a feast. Litterally. The "Tony Packo's Feast." A hot dog, bowl of chili and cabbage roll. it came with a garnish of pickles and oyster crackers.

The cabbage roll is almost a meal in itself . What seemed like a half pound of meat and rice wrapped in cabbage and slow cooked. The filling was meat loaf like in taste and different from the Ukrainian style that I'm more familiar with. Very good though.

Tony's secret recipe chili is a somewhat soupy concoction of meat and beans with a strong cumin flavour and a hint of spice which I suspect comes from hot Hungarian paprika. I very much like it but could go even spicier. I thought about asking for hot sauce but didn't.

And now, the star of the show. The "Hungarian Hot Dog" is more a sausage along the lines of a keilbasa than a hot dog. Garlicky and not overly spicy, it's larger in diameter and is cut in half and grilled. It comes with "The works" which is onions, mustard and hot dog sauce on a soft bun. There's cheese to top it if you like. The hot dog sauce is pretty similar to the chili but has little broth and no beans. I always top with the cheese and devour.



Across the street from the parking lot is a beautiful old, newly renovated church which the Packo family still attends. If you can, it's worth a visit.


So that's it from the food court for now. Check back once in a while for more updates.

Davwud