Et Tu Cracker Barrel?

I love Cracker Barrel. Does that surprise you at all? It shouldn’t.

As modern as my tastes are in art and culture, I’m a bit of an old soul. I love “down home”and “old-timey” kitschy stuff. I also love eating copious amounts of food that is probably okay if you’re out working in the fields all day, but pretty bad for the rest of us. So Cracker Barrel is right up my street.

Cracker Barrel is often thought of as a restaurant only for senior citizens, and while that is their largest demographic, it’s certainly not an exclusive thing. Many families go to Cracker Barrel for extended family meals. Some go while on vacation just to have a bite somewhere familiar because it brings a feeling of homey-ness, which is a word I’m pretty sure I just invented. You’re welcome.

We regulars go to Cracker Barrel because we want to eat chicken and dumplings, biscuits and gravy, have breakfast at night, and get a mess of okra on the side. We want to wander around the general store looking at products and clothing we don’t need but, ehh, we may pick up something anyway if it’s unique enough, or would make a good last minute Christmas gift. We’d also like a few of those old timey candies and sodas, too, as long as we’re at it. Basically, Cracker Barrel is a vibe that lets us feel connected somewhat to the past (fabricated though that feeling may be), and puts us in touch, ever so slightly, with an idyllic, small town America that, for the majority, no longer exists.

And they’re going to take it away from us.

Yep. Rebranding. Ugh.

It seems that the corporate yahoos over at the CB offices have noticed a bit of a decline in business. That’s pretty much true with restaurants across the board since Covid, of course, but there you are.

According to the brand’s new CEO, the chain “isn’t as relevant” as it once was. Umm…okay. Has Cracker Barrel ever been relevant? Depends on your definition, I suppose, but I would tend to say “no” to that one. Which is okay. It’s not supposed to be hip and relevant. It’s supposed to be kitschy and uncool. That’s why we love it!

The aim, of course, is that the chain will appeal to new customers while continuing to please the current base. Seldom does this work. Sure, there’s usually an uptick in business when the new changes roll out, but that’s mostly due to curiosity. Once the sheen wears off, many businesses find themselves in trouble just like they were in before. Which tends to start the cycle all over again.

It has also been stated that the chain will focus on better tasting items. This is good. However, that generally means that the chain will be simplifying the menu (throwing out your favorites). That could go either way.

Basically, what the company is trying to do is to modernize while still keeping the nostalgia factor. That’s going to be hard. No doubt there will be an overhaul inside the restaurant, probably removing most of the crazy crap on the walls and painting them in a muted shade of beige. They’ll probably try to bring in some sort of technology aspect as well, which could be anything from replacing the waitstaff with tablets for ordering (shudder) to an electronic version of the peg game. No good can come of this.

They’ll probably even redesign the logo. Every other restaurant on the planet has adopted streamlined, soulless logos, so why wouldn’t Cracker Barrel follow suit?

The logo we all know and love. I may or may not have bought this tee shirt exclusively for this post.

Okay, I know I sound like a grumpy old man here, but, I mean, honestly. Nobody wants this. Other than the guys in the suits, I mean.

Do you wanna turn things around Cracker Barrel? Here’s what we want:

– Better tasting food. It’s not that the food is bad as is, but there is room for improvement on some of your dinner items. Okay, sure, the food is gummable which helps the seniors out, but not everything needs to taste like it was boiled. The menu doesn’t need changing as much as the recipes do, and even then, you don’t need to CHANGE. Just tweak a little. Except for your breakfast items. They rule. All of ’em. Leave them be.

– Lower prices. This is difficult in these times when food is overpriced across the board, I know. Maybe run more specials? Discounted prices for smaller meals? Themed specials, perhaps, like “Okrafest”, or “Dumplin’ Days” maybe? There are lots of possibilities here.

– Better connection with customers. How about some big community outreach programs? Maybe partner up with some local charities to get people in the door to spend money and donate to causes that affect their neighbors and friends. Perhaps this is already done, I don’t know, but if so, I’m not aware of it. So if there is a charitable arm of Cracler Barrel, make some noise about it. Involve yourselves in your customer’s lives, and people will notice.

Now. What we don’t want is the standard, boring, lifeless makeover. We also don’t want these changes to come at the cost of people. Please find a way to avoid the “minimize choice and minimize workforce” system that so many other restaurants have followed in the past. This idea may help the bottom line, but it usually results in longer wait times and grumpy employees. Which leads to grumpy customers. Certainly, this is not the change you are looking for.

Alright, rant over. I’ve complained about this sort of thing before, and no CEOs have listened to me yet (rude!), but I still feel obligated to raise a ruckus.

You’re one of the few consistent, reliable, comfortable, “happy place” restaurants left, Cracker Barrel. Don’t let us down.

Thanks for reading, MonDavers. See you next time.

Brink Family Vacation 2024-Part Two

If you’ll recall, part one of this story saw us experiencing car trouble, losing a full day of our vacation due to said troubles, and finally arriving at our destination.

What you didn’t find out about was that youngest daughter Melody got car sick. Once in the van, and then again inside the lobby at Wally’s gas station when we stopped shortly after. I thought I was saving her some embarrassment by not sharing these details, but she insisted they be included for the sake of accuracy. Honestly though, I think she just likes to see her name come up in the blog.

So,

Melody, Melody, Melody, Melody, Melody, Melody, Melody.

Melody.

There, that should make her happy. Now, on with the blog.

DAY 1: De PERE
We spent the first day of our suddenly three day vacation tooling around De Pere WI, where our Vrbo was located. We picked up a few provisions for the house (snacks, drinks, and what-not) at Festival Foods. This is a local chain store that is not only impressively huge, but has arguably better selections than any store I can think of locally. No real story to share here, just giving a plug.

We also went to Scray Cheese, which is a small cheese shop/factory (Cheesery?) just outside of town. Not only do they sell their own wares, but you can also watch through the display window as the cheese is being made. There are plenty of choices to be made and samples to be tasted. This is where I tasted my first, official, fresh cheese curd. Not the fried kind from Culver’s, but an honest-to-goodness, made fresh that morning cheese curd, the state snack of Wisconsin! They are super chewy, and squeak when you bite them. So that’s a no from me. However, the various cheeses we bought and snacked on back home were all excellent.

De Pere is a nice, quiet suburban community with the kind of small “downtown” area one would expect. Except that this town has the Fox River running through the middle of it, separating East from West. There is a really cool section with a park where you can walk along the river and see the locks. Lots of people can be found fishing in this area, and during the Summer, pelicans gather on the river as well, giving some pretty neat photo ops. It’s a gorgeous little area, but it was quite a windy, chilly, and rainy day when we went, so our exploration of downtown De Pere was a bit more brief than it could have been. See, we are used to hot Summers here in St. Louis. While we knew it would be a little cooler than we were used to, it wound up being more than we expected. I brought along a hoodie just in case, and Tessa wore it all day long. Dad gets a W on that one.

We went out to dinner that night at The Village Grill, which is a nice, but reasonable restaurant featuring American fare. Recommended if you’re ever in the area. The rain got heavier as we ate, and continued poring down, so we went back to the house and had a nice quiet evening, resting up for Day Two.

DAY 2: SHEBOYGAN! WHO KNEW?

Okay, so this requires a little backstory. Early in the school year, many teachers will play “getting to know you” games with their classes. Melody (there’s that name again) can’t stand these. She is a very guarded person, and isn’t much of a sharer. So when her teacher asked the class where their dream vacation destination would be, she came up with Sheboygan. Because a.) it was funny, and b.) she figured there wouldn’t be too many follow up questions. She did, however, have to stick with the bit at school, and it became sort of an “in joke” with her friends and with the family too.

So, when we decided we wanted to travel to the Lake Michigan area, and we realized that Sheboygan was right on the lake and not far from where we’d be staying, a visit was an absolute must. We figured we’d probably spend an hour or two wandering around and then move on to another adventure. I mean, how great could Sheboygan be?

Well, “pretty darn” is the answer to that question. Situated right on the lake, there’s a really cool marina, and a lighthouse you can walk out to. It’s a really beautiful area, that feels a little bit like you’re on the ocean (just don’t let the locals hear you say that. I mean, they probably wouldn’t laugh right at your face, but you never know). There’s also a city park with a white sand beach for sunbathing and water activities, though when we were there, although it was Sunny with temps in the 80’s, the lake water was still freezing. No swimming for us but a few brave souls waded in up to their ankles. My soul and ankles are not that brave.

Next stop was the river walk, where the river and lake meet. There are some nice houses, a few shops, and restaurants to explore here. We ate at a barbecue restaurant called Parker John’s, which I misread as “Porker John’s” due to the cute little pig in the logo, and which is a way better name. This was a pretty standard place with lots of wood and tin décor, lots of signs and crazy crap on the walls, and a staff wearing T-shirts that read “We have the best smelling butts in Sheboygan”. BBQ Humor at its…finest? anyway, it was a big, satisfying meal, though honestly, Wisconsin is just a little too far North to get GREAT barbecue, but it was good and we all enjoyed it. Except for Patterson, who ordered Pizza, but he gave that a thumbs up too.

We spent the remainder of our time in Sheboygan exploring 8th street and the area right around it. 8th is one of those main streets you often see in vacation towns with lots of fun shops, cafés, and boutiques all up and down. One of our favorite stops was Freaktoyz, which is one of the coolest toy stores I’ve ever been in. They had lots of retro figures from Star Wars to He-Man, Strawberry Shortcake to the Smurfs, Funko Pops, horror icons, superheroes, and just about anything else you can imagine, both in and out of the box. Freaktoyz also carries video games-also often in the original box, going back as far as the Atari 2600, all the way up to the Nintendo Switch. Definitely a fun time!

While we were on 8th, we also went to a fancy boutique for Tessa, got some candy at an old time candy store, and a T-shirt for me. While walking around, we stopped in to the Kohler Art Center, just to cool down for a bit and use the free bathroom. Valerie and I both wished we could have stayed longer and explored the museum, because their bathrooms were amazing! There was art everywhere on every surface (I kind of felt bad using the facilities, to be honest), and we both took pictures to prove it. Of the art, I mean, not anything else. Don’t make this weird. Anyway, if that much attention was paid just to the bathrooms, how cool must the rest be?

That’s the question we were left with about Sheboygan itself: how cool must the rest be? There are still quite a few things we didn’t see. Obviously more shops and restaurants are waiting to be discovered. There is also a state park we’d like to explore, and a botanical garden with displays based on children’s literature, which for a family of readers sounds like a delight. We didn’t get to see one of the popular boat parades, or hang out for the live music and food trucks in the green space either. Who knew that this town would be so charming and have so much to do? I think a return visit will be happening some time in the future.

Sheboygan feels like it’s on the cusp of becoming well known as a vacation destination-not just to Wisconsinites and Illinoisans, but to everybody else too. We were there on July 3rd, and it wasn’t overcrowded or overly touristy at all. It’s a great little destination to spend a day or two, and I’m glad we discovered it.

Before we left Sheboygan county, we had one more stop to make. Johnsonville. Home of, you guessed it, Johnsonville Brats! It’s actually kind of funny, as you are driving to the factory/store, all you see around you is farmland. Then, suddenly, there’s this giant, gleaming, steel and glass office mecca that is the world headquarters-and it’s HUGE!!! The factory is right next to it, and the factory store right across the street. It was far too late in the day for a tour (if they even give them), but the factory store was open. Apart from being able to buy all sorts of bratwurst-with flavors I have not seen anywhere else- and Summer Sausage, there is just, like, a TON of merch. From useful stuff like coolers and grilling supplies (all branded with the Johnsonville logo of course), to hoodies, jackets, sweatshirts, t shirts, and more, the Johnsonville store is a slightly tacky, though undeniably delicious, sight to behold. I bought some sausage. And a baseball cap.

DAY 3- BAY BEACH

Okay, so now it’s July 4th, and we haven’t been to Green Bay yet. We were hoping to get into the downtown area, but first stop was to be Bay Beach Amusement Park. This is the only city run amusement park that I know of, and it is a city park. There are plenty of picnic tables and pavilions, a playground, lots of green space, and an amusement park that sits right on the bay. The park consists of carnival rides that were purchased by the city, rebuilt and refurbished on the park grounds. A lot of the classics are there, from the Tilt-A-Whirl to The Scrambler, a giant Ferris Wheel, a giant pirate ship ride, kiddie rides, and more. It is also the proud home of the Zippin’ Pippin’ rollercoaster, which according to lore, was Elvis Presley’s favorite ride. We rode it twice, and the air time you get in that thing is unreal! A classic wooden coaster to be sure.

Here’s the other cool part. Since it’s a city park, parking at Bay Beach is free and so is admission. You do have to pay for the rides individually by buying tickets, in true carnival fashion. The tickets are only .25 per! The most any ride takes per rider is six tickets, so do the math, and find me a better deal out there for families who want to spend a day at an amusement park. We spent $40.00 on tickets and rode everything we wanted to. We also had hot food in the cafeteria, which was also reasonable and tasted a bit better than you’d expect. So we got out of the whole day with food and rides for under $75.00, which is about what we’d pay for one ticket anywhere else. Sure, it’s all carnival rides like you’d see pull up in your neighborhood shopping mall-no state of the art stuff here-but they are a lot of fun. These rides are classics and make the rounds every year for a reason! For a family day out, you really can’t beat it. It was a really cool way to spend the 4th of July for us.

Remember that rain we had on Day 1? Well, it came back late afternoon. This prevented us from going to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, and kind of put me off trying to find my way around an unfamiliar downtown. So back to the house we go, with smiles on our faces, and yes, another t-shirt for Dad.

The rain did clear up in the evening, but we heard very few fireworks, outside of the faint noise of an official display somewhere in the distance. This is a far cry from where we live-every neighborhood sounds like a war zone on the 4th. I’m not against people having their fun, but it goes on and on into the wee hours of the night every year, to the point where the dogs are frightened and anyone who has to work the next day is going in with bags under their eyes for sure. This was a nice change.

A few more observations:

Wisconsin is super into roundabouts. I mean, we have them here too, but there were A LOT of them in WI. It’s almost as if the entire state decided that traffic lights were pure witchcraft and put in roundabouts instead. They mostly go smoothly, but some people are a little more bold than others in the roundabouts-so you have to keep your guard up.
In St. Louis we have, and love, our Quik Trip convenience store/filling stations. In Wisconsin, they have and love Kwik Trip. they are largely the same, only misspelled with a K, and still missing the “c”. Turns out it’s the same company owns both, so whoever named these things must think we all learned our “A, B, D’s.”
Anyway, the differences are notable. Better selection of fountain drinks? QT. Better donut selection? KT. More variety of premade food? KT. Food made to order? QT. Quality of hot food? Kind of a tie. So it all evens out, but, not gonna lie, it did kind of feel like Bizarro World in there.

In the end, we had a good vacation. It started off pretty rocky, but we made some nice memories and had a good time. Since we wound up having to “wing it” a little due to missing the first day, there were quite a few things we didn’t get to do or see, but sometimes that happens. Besides, this is a trip that can be driven in a day (providing your car doesn’t freak the heck out in Milwaukee) and we could easily do it all again. Only next time we stay in Sheboygan!

Thanks for reading, Mon-Davers. If you’re doing any traveling of your own this Summer, I hope you stay safe, keep yourself open to finding a new, unplanned adventure, and make some great memories along the way.

See you next time.

Horseshoes And Salsa

Well, here we are. Another Monday is upon us, and with it comes yet another one of these messages from my brain-box sure to delight, amaze, and enlighten. Okay, probably not, but at the least it should give you a nice distraction for a few minutes.

I’ve got a few topics simmering away waiting to be presented soon but I checked on them a little while ago and they’re not quite ready yet. Still, a deadline’s a deadline, right? A commitment’s a commitment, a promise is a promise, and I promised you faithful MonDAVEs readers that I’d be back this week. So I needed a topic but quick. I have decided to turn to outside help.

This week I am using a “Blog Ideas Generator” from hubspot.com. The directions were quite simple. I was to enter up to five unique nouns and the generator would shoot me back a week of blog ideas. I knew all those hours of playing Mad Libs would pay off someday!!! Anyway, this process went about as well as you’d expect, with fairly predictable results. Still, it’s a fun experiment, so I’ll walk you through this experience by letting you know which nouns I entered, what the results were, and give a brief analysis of the same.

Five Random Nouns:
-Dogs
-Horseshoe
-Ballerina
-Salsa
-Flower

The results:

This week’s Top Stories About Flower
Well, it’s Winter here, so there probably aren’t many flower stories, but let me check. (Googles “Flower News”) Oh, well, yeah, okay, it’s almost Valentine’s day so there are a few articles about how people will spend stupid money on flowers next week (almost $26 billion all told) and how Miley Cyrus won a Grammy for her song called “Flowers”. Not bad for a slow news cycle I guess. Maybe we’ll check back in Spring.
Horseshoe Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters
Oh, well, yeah, okay, um… here goes: “A horseshoe is a shoe for horses which we somehow turned into a game played at picnics which nobody understands except that one guy who’s really into it.” How’d I do?
Will horseshoe Ever Rule The World?
In what context? Like, do I think horseshoe will ever become the biggest game in the world? Nah, there’s not enough flash to the game, and corporate sponsorships would ruin the purity of the whole thing. But then, I do live within driving distance of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall Of Fame And Museum (true) so it must be a fairly popular game. I mean, bowling is televised and up for Olympic consideration, so who knows?
Or, wait, did I read this wrong? Is the question implying that there may be a horseshoe that becomes sentient and will lead a successful campaign for world domination? You know, there was a point when I would have said no, but nothing has surprised me since like 2019, so sure.
The Next Big Thing In Horseshoe
Why the hell is this generator so obsessed with horseshoe? Is this the best AI can do? Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Unless it knows something we don’t…which would lend support for the world domination thing…hmmm. Now I’m kinda freaked out. You know, horseshoes are supposed to be good luck. Well, for us humans anyway. I’m not sure how the horses feel about it. Look, can we move on to a different topic, please?
Salsa: Expectations Vs. Reality
Ooh, here we go. There are few better snacks than chips and salsa, and few worse things than getting a less than satisfactory salsa dip. I’m not sure about you, but I always expect the salsa to be nice and thick, with the onions and pepper and whatnot clearly identifiable on my chip. I can’t stand a thin salsa. I mean, I’ll eat it, obviously, but I won’t get a second bowl. Also, what’s up with the smooth, pulverized salsa you get at low end restaurants? It’s not thick or thin, but there are no recognizable bits, and there is always a little runny stuff left over. It’s weird.
Then there’s the heat factor. When I dip my chips into a salsa I expect lots of flavor, but not too much kick. A little is fine on the back end, but don’t burn my tongue unless you warn me first that it’s going to be a hot one. Then I can prepare with the right drink and some extra chips at the ready.
Plus, what’s the deal with all the fire roasted salsas I am encountering now? I don’t care for that. It tastes like somebody burned the salsa somehow. Again, warn me before I dig in. My favorite salsa variety is Peach Salsa (particularly Mrs. Renfro’s), but the fire roasted versions some brands use do it no favors.
Oh, I should emphasize that this section pertains only to the standard red salsa varieties. I never touch that green stuff. Y’all are on your own with that.

All right, there you have it, five blogs in one! Sort of. More like two with subsections. Anyway, that’s what I get for trusting a random generator I guess. Interesting that it completely ignored both “dogs” and “ballerina” as topics, since they would actually make pretty decent ideas. Still, I am a pet owner, and my daughter is very much into dance, so chances are these topics will come up at some point anyway.

Take care of yourselves. Back soon with more stuff.

P.S.-The horseshoe sandwich is also a delicacy (?) originating in Springfield, Illinois involving toasted bread, beef patties, french fries, and cheese sauce served open faced mostly to college students and people who are out way later than their normal bedtime.

P.P.S. Also…a horseshoe crab is a thing. Make your own joke, I don’t know. Just figured it belonged here somewhere.

Winter Is Coming-And So Is The Food!

Winter is just about here, y’all. I know it doesn’t officially begin for a few weeks yet, but it will be here before you know it. Some areas of the country are already receiving snow. Here in St. Louis it is going to be unseasonably warm for the next week or so, but the bottom will fall out soon enough.

While I’m not a big fan of cold weather, there is one thing about the Winter months that I do truly enjoy: comfort food.

There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s day than to come home to a rich, hearty meal that both warms the bones and fills the belly. Though we may not technically need to start making these foods quite yet, it might be time to start thinking about the coming months and what we’re going to need to stock up on to make our favorite cold weather dishes.

The list that follows are my favorite cold weather comfort food meals. While I won’t be giving out any family recipes or anything (would you?), I will be discussing what makes each dish great. Hopefully you’ll agree with these classic choices. Maybe you’ve got a different spin on these dishes when you make them, or perhaps you just want to enjoy a classic meal. Either way, let’s get to reading and get to cooking!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
This is a simple, classic comfort food that satisfies both kids and adults. While I prefer just a plain, classic grilled cheese, there’s nothing saying you can’t spruce it up a little. Want to add some bacon? Ham? Avocado? Spinach? Chicken? Go nuts! It’s your sandwich, make what you want. You can also use any kind of cheese you wish to get different tastes. The tomato soup is a perfect balance to the cheesy goodness making this a can’t lose option that can be whipped up fairly quickly and is sure to bring a smile to the face of all who eat it.
Potato Chowder
There are many ways to make a chowder, and they are all delicious in their own right. In the Brink household we make ours with potatoes, corn, milk, bacon, sausage, and a few seasonings. Basic, sure, but oh, so filling and so, so good. We feed it to family who visit in the Winter months as an expression of our love. Again, there are multiple variations one could use, but as long as the basics are there, chowder is always a win.
Chili
I know, I know, this is a no-brainer, but a list such as this wouldn’t be complete without this old standby, now would it? The thing that makes chili an amazing choice to me is all the different ways it can be prepared. You can go from the traditional Texas chili to white chili, Southwestern style, and more. It can be third-degree-burn hot with all manner of peppers, or mild and semi sweet. Cheese on top? Sure. It’s all fair game.
The only question is, “to bean or not to bean?” At risk of offending some purists, I am a bean guy, though I have enjoyed chilis without them on several occasions. I know that this choice would disqualify me from most chili cook off contests, but then I haven’t entered any, so I guess I’m okay. Anyway, no matter how traditional or non-traditional your chili may be, it’s always awesome.
Macaroni And Cheese
I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. Mac n’ Cheese is only a side if you a.) don’t make enough of it, and b.) eat another dish with it. There are plenty of ways to make your mac into a meal. My wife makes a really scrumptious ham, mac and cheese casserole. Oher ideas include adding buffalo chicken, vegetables like broccoli or spinach, tuna, bacon, breadcrumbs, or just plain hot dogs to give the kids a treat. I agree, it makes a fine side dish, but don’t sleep on Mac as a meal.
Beef Stew
So simple, and classic. Beef, broth, vegetables. Add a few seasonings and some tomato paste. Maybe a little stout beer poured in if you’ve got some Irish in you. That’s really all you need. Don’t forget to serve with some home made bread or biscuits to sop up the leftovers in the bottom of the pot. Man, I feel full just thinking about it!
Chicken And Dumplings
A true American staple, although many of us are divided as to what constitutes a “dumpling”. While dumplings are technically fried dough, there are generally two types of dumplings used for this dish, rolled and drop. Rolled dumplings are what I grew up with, and what I’d always had when ordering at restaurants. Rolled dumplings are kind of like noodles, with the dough being very pasta like.
Drop dumplings are dough that is formed into balls, usually using a spoon or scoop. They often sit on top of the dish, and when done correctly are light and airy, like a biscuit. This was the type of dumpling my wife grew up with. The first time she made Chicken and Dumplings for dinner was a learning experience for us both.
Whichever version you prefer, this is a classic American dish that is sure to satisfy on a cold winter’s evening.
Meatloaf
Some people don’t like meatloaf. I hear you. I do wonder, though, if maybe you haven’t had a good meatloaf? Most people who dislike it claim that the dish is too dry, or that it’s bland and tasteless. Well, good meatloaf is anything but. It should be well seasoned, and not overcooked. The sauce should be home made (not just ketchup) and drizzled lightly on the top. Honestly, though, if a meatloaf is done right the sauce isn’t absolutely necessary-it’s good, and a nice addition flavor-wise, but the sauce shouldn’t be overused. If the sauce is what tenderizes the meat, you’re in trouble. Having a good meatloaf vs. a bad one is kind of like comparing school cafeteria food to fine dining. That said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but for my money a well prepared meatloaf is a meal I will always happily devour.
Y’all have no idea how hard it was not to make a Rocky Horror or Bat Out Of Hell joke just now.
Lasagna
I am not one for most pasta, especially in red sauce. Not my thing. Tomato sauce can give me heartburn, especially as I get older. One exception to this rule is pizza, and lasagna is the other. A good homemade lasagna can’t be beat. The cheese melting into the layers of pasta and meat is a wonderful thing. Once again though, we’re talking home made here, not from a box. Boxed, pre made lasagna will have me grabbing a bottle of TUMS by the end of the meal, and, besides, it just won’t taste very good. Home made, though? Superb.
Chicken Pot Pie
One way to settle, or maybe avoid the dumpling debate is to serve chicken pot pie. It’s more or less the same thing, only with vegetables, and is contained in a nice pie crust. Well, until you cut into it, then it kind of goes everywhere. It’s still a nice meal though, and a staple of many houses come Winter time.
Hot Cocoa/Hot Chocolate
Alright, so this isn’t a meal, it’s more of a treat. But, come on, can you imagine going all Winter without at least a few mugs? I can’t, nor do I want to. Some people are team “cocoa” and some “chocolate” when it comes to this yummy drink. I don’t notice much of a difference, really, taste-wise. One comes from a powder, and one from pellets. Whatever. Call it whatever you want, I’ll drink it. There are lots of variations on this drink too, from peppermint or other flavorings, to marshmallows floating inside, whipped cream on top, or what have you. The bottom line is that it’s a tasty treat that can and should be enjoyed by all ages all winter long.

Well then. I don’t know about you, but that’s made me hungry. Now that I’ve started thinking about my favorite cold weather comfort meals, I’m just about ready for Winter to be here. Well, almost.

Actually, no. I am SO not ready for freezing temperatures, ice, and snow. Maybe with a nice hot chocolate and some savory dinners though, I think I’ll make it through.

See you next week for more MonDAVEs.

Nostalgia November Part 3: Restaurant Edition

Welcome back to Nostalgia November.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. This coming ThursDAVE, err…sorry, Thursday, most Americans will sit down with family and friends for a feast of epic proportions. While many will have a home made meal, there are several who will prefer to go out to eat. This got me thinking about the restaurants and fast food joints of my youth that are no more.

So let’s go back in time, pull up a chair, place an order, and spend some time together in the fine eateries of yesteryear.

Rax
Remember Rax? Remember the theme song? “I’d rather Rax, rather Rax, rather Rax, wouldn’t you?” Eh, it sings better than it reads.

Anyway, for those who may not remember, Rax was a roast beef sandwich place that dared to take on Arby’s and Lion’s Choice. For a short period there in the 1980’s it actually seemed that they might do just that. Not only were there delicious sandwiches, Rax also featured burgers, baked potatoes, and endless salad bar, and a dessert bar. At one point, they even had a taco bar if memory serves.

The inside of the restaurants were a little bit upscale for fast food as well, with a solarium (fancy word for sunroom) featuring multiple potted plants to add atmosphere, along with wood elements in the dining rooms. The idea was to bring a little style and class(?) to the experience of dining at Rax.

Unfortunately all this experimentation wound up being too much for most consumers as the focus of the restaurants became less clear. This also brought about price increases, or at least the perception of them, and middle class families began to stay away. A last ditch marketing effort featuring the bizarre animated character “Mr. Delicious” pretty much helped seal the fate of the chain.

As I type this there are still a few locations open, less than ten at last count, which is a far cry from their peak of 504 locations in the 1980s.

I used to love Rax, and would eat there any chance I got. I always felt that their roast beef sandwiches were the best. If I ever stumble upon one of the few remaining locations I am definitely stopping in, but for now I will keep my memories of this favorite fast food place.

Burger Chef
Another fast food blast from the past is burger Chef. This was a burger chain that was quite popular in the 1970s, in fact being second only to McDonalds in number of locations by 1972. This was the year that Burger Chef introduced the “FunMeal”, the industry’s first meal aimed at kids. McDonald’s Happy Meals appeared in 1979. Burger Chef sued over this, but lost. This, along with expansion into Australia that bombed, was the beginning of the end for Burger Chef. The chain, owned at that point by General Foods, sold to Hardee’s in 1982, who began to switch many locations over to Hardee’s restaurants, or just close them down. By 1996 the chain was no more.

It’s a shame that such a popular chain should go down that way. I was a youngster when our local Burger Chef closed, but I remember their mascots, Burger Chef and Jeff, and eating there on multiple occasions. I used to love going, and I remember being kind of sad and missing it when they closed Burger Chef down. A Hardee’s did replace that location eventually, though I think that became a donut shop after a while. Anyway, I’d like the chance to go back and grab a Big Shef burger, or even the FunMeal (so I can keep up with the adventures of Burger Chef, Jeff, Fangburger, Burgerini and the gang, and get my toy-seriously how did they lose this lawsuit?) and I’m sure I am not the only one.

Bonanza/Ponderosa Steak House
These were buffet restaurants that featured a salad/desert/food bar, and individual entrees. They both made their claim on the steaks, which were passable, but the buffets were the main attraction. I’m a sucker for a good buffet, or even an average one, come to think of it, and it’s because of extended family dinners at these restaurants.

So at this point you’re probably expecting a compare and contrast section between the two, or at least an explanation for why I grouped them together. Well, the two are so similar that, other than appearance and décor, there’s nothing much to compare or contrast, so there goes that option. My grouping however, does have a legitimate reason.

Although two different companies initially, Bonanza and Ponderosa merged in 1988. So not only were they similar, they became basically the same entity, which is why you could have one of each in your town and nobody thought twice about it. Unlike the whole Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. thing, these two names were allowed to live on simultaneously. After a decline in popularity for buffets in general, a total of less than 25 locations remain in the U.S.

Fun fact: Bonanza steak house was started by “Hoss Cartwright” himself, actor Don Blocker, who starred on the hit TV show Bonanza, which was set at Ponderosa Ranch. Sometimes things are just meant to be, I reckon.

Hot Sam
Dude.

Hot Sam was THE pretzel place in the mall. No trip to Jamestown Mall was complete for me without a stop at Hot Sam for hot, soft, Bavarian style pretzels. No offense to Auntie Anne, I’m sure she’s a lovely person, and she makes a good product, but Hot Sam was the best. They even had a cool little pretzel maker guy as their logo. The titular Sam, one would imagine.

Hot Sam was a mall staple throughout the U.S., eventually being acquired by Mrs. Fields foods in 1995 and merged it with another soft pretzel company they owned called Pretzel Time. Eagle eyed viewers of Stranger Things may notice a Hot Sam location recreated for the show’s scenes in the local mall. Notice it’s Hot Sam, not Pretzel Time that gets the shout out. As it should be.

Okay, I have to stop now. I could go on, but this is making me hungry and I keep snacking every time I get to a stopping point. Not good. I need some room in my belly for Thursday.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. See you next week for more MonDAVEs.