Pearl Bistro

While anticipating being stuck at the Holiday Inn/waterpark on the outskirts of Indianapolis one day, I looked ahead for a good place to eat and read some good reviews about a little place called Pearl Bistro. Not a terrible rating on Yelp, within a few miles of the hotel, and they even offered a Restaurant.com gift certificate at the time (those are no longer available).

The first time I tried to go there for dinner, I found out they’re only open for brunch and lunch on Mondays. Next time I was in Indy, which was quite a few months, I finally got a chance to use my gift certificate and it took me a few tries to find the place because it’s stuck in the back of a strip mall area. Don’t let its location fool you because it’s still a quaint little place with some stained glass windows looking out on a shaded courtyard. Probably 5-8 tables in the whole place. Real small and intimate.

While reading the menu and looking at the small list of options, I was excited to find out the owner of the restaurant left her career as a biologist to pursue her passion in the kitchen. Cool, right? The service was pretty good and I decided to go with a glass of red wine and the ‘Chicken Italiano.” I don’t remember exactly what was in it or how it was prepared, but look at the image above and know that my taste buds could’ve died and gone to heaven it was so tasty!

The menu here is small and always changing by season and based on local ingredients, so don’t expect a real quick meal or very inexpensive pricing. However, it’s a nice place to have a quiet, enjoyable dinner with fantastic tasting food.

[ official site ]  [ Yelp ]

Nosh and slosh in S-town

We don’t do a whole lot of travel in Missouri, but when we do, it’s all you can do to avoid the misery. Hope that you have a car and can head out to downtown Springfield for a nice evening away from the hotel. Down on Walnut Street, just a few blocks from University Plaza Hotel, is a pretty good area for food and beverage. One night on the town with my presenter led us to the following two establishments: Ophelia’s Tapas & Wine Bar and Finnegan’s Wake/Revival.

Ophelia’s

This quaint little place specializes in wine and custom cocktails, but also serves hors d'oeuvres and tapas for your nibbling pleasure. Neither my presenter or I had any food here, but the patrons seemed to be enjoying themselves. We really stepped in for a little liquor to start the night right. I was in the mood for something strong, but sweet, so we stepped up to the bar and started chatting with the bartender.

After half-gazing at the menu and chatting about nightly specials, the bartender started asking me my liquor preferences and some flavoring ideas. Just a minute or two later, out came one of the best chocolate martinis I’ve ever had. My presenter had a similar experience and loved whatever he concocted for her. His name is Adam and is pretty damn good at his job. Ask for him if you decide to stop by.

Their nightly specials are pretty good from what I remember and the place has a nice Art Nouveau décor. Great service and a relaxing atmosphere are exactly what you need at a place like this, and they definitely deliver.

[ Yelp ]  [ bartender Adam showing off his skills ]

 

Finnegan’s Wake, Finnegan’s Revival, and South Ave. Pizza Co.

 

Less than two blocks away on South Street, you can find a pretty decent Irish Pub called Finnegan’s Wake. Certainly not an original name or concept, but always a safe bet. After we left Ophelia’s, my presenter and I were in the mood for some real food and somewhere to sit down and relax. As soon as we walked past the front door, we knew this would be the next stop of the night.

It ends up that Finnegan’s Wake is strictly a bar, but attached next door is Finnegan’s Revival (a.k.a. South Ave. Pizza Co.). More great drink specials, really good thin crust pizza, billiards, dart boards, and shuffleboard were all in attendance at this place. We happened to catch the beginning of Trivia Night and settled in with some delicious pizza and some pitchers of beer. Certainly not anything you can’t find anywhere else, but it was a relaxing and fun evening when we otherwise would’ve been stuck in the hotel ordering room service or take-out.

[ Finnegan’s Wake on Yelp ]  [ South Ave Pizza Co. on Yelp ]

We be jammin’!

Alright, this review comes directly from a presenter’s recommendation and no personal experience, so no photos, sorry.

What: The Windjammer Restaurant
Where: South Burlington, VT
Why: This place has a salad bar that could rival one of my all time favorites: The Library II in Voorhees, NJ (Cherry Hill).

The photos from their website make this place look real cozy, but maybe a little too swanky if you’re saving your per diem for a weekend rager in Vegas. Currently ranking 4/5 stars (only 42 reviews) on Yelp, it seems like the experience could be worth the hype. I’ve been told to do Happy Hour upstairs at the bar for cheap eats. It’s called the Upper Deck…hehe.

Overall, Barb Blanke tells me it’s great food for an inexpensive price. She’s one of my favorite presenters, so take her word for it.

[ official site ]  [ Yelp ]

P.S. They’ve got a hotel and conference center attached, so try and convince Logistics to start booking there.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 4th location

If you’ve paid attention to this blog long enough, you’ll know that Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, a small NY-based chain of BBQ restaurants, made an early appearance and hasn’t quit since. Welcome to the fourth installment of this restaurant’s ever-growing list of locations: Troy, NY.

Just outside of Albany proper, this location backs up to the Hudson River in downtown Troy and is right next to the town’s Riverfront Park, so if  the weather’s nice, it makes for some pretty good views. Plenty of seating, bar space, and good music to go around.

 

 

 

 

These places have consistently good food, a good selection craft beers (including their home-made brews as well), and plenty of atmosphere and attitude to go around. The Honey Hush cornbread and mac ’n’ cheese is to die for.

At the time of my last visit, the Troy location was the most recent addition to the chain, but now they’re in Newark, NJ and Stamford, CT as well. In my time with BER, I made it a point to visit all the locations, but now have those last two to add to my list, damn. You, however, are still traveling on company dime and I highly recommend stuffing your face full of this sweet, sweet meat.

Whether you saddle up to the bar, find a seat on the (hopefully) sunny patio, or cram into a corner somewhere, you gotta’ find some time to fit Dino into your schedule. Yet another great place to take your presenter(s) and unwind after a long evening on the road.

Check out reviews for some of the other Dino Bar-B-Que locations here on the blog.

Elmo’s

I think there are too many Big Bird jokes to make here…

One evening at the Ramada – Amherst with a rumbling in my belly, I sought out some authentic Buffalo wings. After a quick stop by the hotel’s front desk and perusal of some online reviews, I decided on Elmo’s Bar & Restaurant. If you’re a fowl connoisseur, you probably know that the original Buffalo wing is fabled to have been created at a place called Anchor Bar by owner Teressa Lenz as a late-night drunk munchy for her son and his friends. Many claim Anchor Bar to still have the best wings in Buffalo, but some also claim a place called Duffy’s.
From what I heard and tasted, however, the best chicken wings in Buffalo are actually served at Elmo’s.

Cooks at Elmo’s prepare their wings with the B.F.G. method. Brining, Frying, and Grilling these wings gives them their unique flavor and texture. Moist, chewy meat (and lots of it) meets your mouth while still being covered in an outer layer of crunchy, crispy skin. Pictured above are the honey mustard wings with a side of bleu cheese.

If you’re feeling frisky and/or have a fridge in your hotel room, try the special: a double portion of wings + pitcher of beer = little over $20.

The ambiance and look of this place couldn’t matter less; it’s a divey kind of place with TVs to watch The Game on. Eat at the bar or get the wings to go. Your taste buds won’t regret it.

[ website ] – [ yelp ]

You better scream for this cream!

[thanks, sister]

In Denver there is the best damn ice cream you will ever eat. Period.

Enter, Little Man Ice Cream.

Locally-owned and operated in the Highland neighborhood, Little Man Ice Cream opened on the 4th of July, 2008 and has been serving tasty, unique frozen cream one scoop at a time ever since. The building is shaped like a giant milk can, there’s plenty of outdoor seating (and even a few window seats), and a slide down to the store next door for the little ones. The variety of flavors is in constant rotation and each one is as delicious as the last, this even includes their selections of gelato and sorbet!

Little Man is constantly playing host to a variety of events like pumpkin carvings for Halloween, 4th of July parties (also their birthday), and even adults only YouTube nights. Heck, even you lactose intolerants can head over and throw down an extra $0.50 for some Lactaid!

From day one, Little Man has participated in a self-created program called “Scoop for Scoop,” which donates one scoop of rice to hunger- and poverty-stricken folks worldwide for each scoop of ice cream they sell.

Do yourself a favor and get your butt over to Little Man for a tasty little treat. Even if it’s snowing.

[ website ] – [ yelp ]

A Slice Above, Cleveland, OH

If you knew me, you’d know that it pains me not to have photographic evidence of a good meal. Especially when I know that I’ll be posting about it later here on the blog. Well, it happened. I ate some coma-inducing, stomach-filling pizza and got so caught up in things that I forgot to grab the camera. That’s really saying something.

Less than 3 miles from the Cleveland airport Crowne Plaza is A Slice Above Pizza.
Yup, the name really does say it all!

Tons of unique topping combinations, five types of crust to choose from, a few different sauces, homemade ice cream, and even “take and bake” pizzas (baking tray included). Holy cow, what more could you ask for from a tiny little take-out-or-delivery pizza joint?

I took a hint from a Yelp review by Lisa S. and chose one of the staff favorites, the “Honey Bee.” With a real honey base, pieces of ham, big bacon strips (not crumbles), sharp white cheddar, and mozzarella, this pizza was finger-lickin’ good.

[website]    [yelp]

Meat so soft you could drink it…

Maybe it was because I was halfway into my flight of beer samples, but when my server asked if everything tasted okay, I responded with, “Words cannot describe the happiness in my mouth right now.”

That right there should be more than enough to convince you carnivores out there to step into Champaign, IL’s Black Dog Smoke & Ale House. Not far from either Holiday Inn that we use (albeit a little farther from the Stoney Creek Inn), Black Dog is in downtown Champaign and is almost a literal hole in the wall; I drove past it twice on the first visit. It’s a barbeque joint in a small college town that can’t be missed.

• Killer barbeque that melts in your mouth? Check.
• Always packed with locals? Check.
• To-die-for cornbread? Check.
• Home-made infused tequilas? Check.
• Rotating cast of seven craft brews on tap? Check.
• A 7-sample flight of those tap beers for only $12? Check!

[facebook page]   [yelp]   [map]

Get to the Greek

As with a few of the hotels we visit, the Holiday Inn & Suites in Columbia North has no in-house food options for lunch and the only restaurants within walking distance are Waffle House and some chain steakhouse. For your sake, I hope you have access to a car because there’s no hotel shuttle. We only drive to Columbia from Raleigh or Atlanta, each of which is over three and a half hours.

Anyway, inspired by my presenter’s craving for a Greek salad, I get on the trusty ol’ Yelp and find the closest Greek eatery is this place called Nick’s Gyros & Subs #3. I get a taxi from the hotel and start telling my driver where to go, but before I can even finish telling him, he pulls down a menu for this joint and exclaims, “Man! That is my PLACE!”

The place is less than two miles from the hotel and looks to be in what could easily pass for an old Wendy’s building. They specialize in Greek food, but serve a little of everything: Italian, seafood, burgers, rice & beans, salads, and whatever. All at very reasonable prices and with pretty quick service, so just keep the meter running.

Great food, many options, cheap, and an obvious favorite of the locals makes this an obvious choice. Oh, and they’re open until 2 a.m. every night except Friday and Saturday when they’re open ‘til 4 a.m.

[yelp]

These sandwiches will mess you up (in the best possible way)

I'm sure that your first reaction on going to Cleveland is something along the lines of a very enthusiastic, wholehearted "Meh." Well, seriously... dare I say I love Cleveland, after today. Here is something that will absolutely blow your mind.

Here. This. Go here. Please just go here.

Melt Bar & Grilled has had some awesome media coverage, including Man vs. Food, NBC, USA Today, and so on and so on. I heard about it through my friend who is an executive chef at a fancy food establishment back in Seattle, and he gave me the "you just have to try it" speech. The concept is .. basically, gigantic gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. They've gained some notoriety for having a "tattoo club": anyone who gets a Melt tattoo gets a 25% discount off of their sandwiches/meals for life. There are over 200 people who have done this.

They have three separate locations in Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, and Independence. I went to the Lakewood restaurant, and it was really hip and pretty big -- there's a full service bar with great local beers, the waiters are super friendly, and there are a ton of both meaty/cheesy and vegetarian/vegan options. Their special sandwich for the month was a "meatloaf melt," and I went ahead and had the vegan version of that.

Seriously. Go here.

No joke, this sandwich will feed you for a week. A family of four. A pack of hungry, vicious, vegan tigers. A horde of relentless cheese and meat hungry gorillas. It was several thousand kinds of delicious. The bread was phenomenally crispy and fluffy, the meatloaf was pretty dense, and the sandwich itself was packed full of mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes. In a sandwich. What is this, Christmas??

Their menu is huge, their beers are great, the portion sizes will put you in your place and the sandwiches are, for lack of a better word, one-of-the-best-things-I've-ever-eaten-oh-my-goodness. It will make you happy to be in Cleveland and itching to come back.

website yelp

Like a TGIFriday’s that didn’t sell out

A foggy night in downtown Sacramento

A few of my aunts and uncles lived in Sacramento back in their youth and, when I asked for suggestions of places to go at night in Sacramento, one of them answered immediately with what turned out to be a great place to get a little local flavor, cheap booze, and some pretty tasty burgers. Fanny Ann’s Saloon is in Old Sac and is a 4-level building that was originally, you guessed it, a saloon. There’s kitsch everywhere and license plates nailed to the wall from all over. One Yelper wrote this apt description: “Imagine a universe where a TGI Friday's was actually cool and not a gimmick.”

A few interesting things before you go:

• The place has four levels and the atmosphere on each is different, so check them all. The bar/food counter is on one, an arcade area on another, karaoke on another, and a level with more secluded booth dining.
• The bartenders make STIFF drinks, so make sure you know how you’re getting back to the hotel safely. They also don’t keep tabs, so pay in cash or you can charge $5 to your credit card and get wooden coins to use as payment.
• Be wary of the restrooms; choose your door wisely.
• Good food and drink specials are listed on their website

[ official site ] – [ Yelp ]

Phoenix Pasties

No, not the stripper kind. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Staying in Mesa, AZ and in need of some tasty treats? Look no further than the Cornish Pasty Company near Arizona State University.

This place is tucked away on the wrong side of an already too tiny strip mall and it’s about 3 feet too narrow inside, but once you’re there, it all somehow seems to fit. The place is filled with hipster kids, tatted from head to toe, but they cook some mean pasties. Just trust me on this one.

[ official website]
[ Yelp page ]

Yeee-haw in OKC!

My first visit to Oklahoma City entailed staying at the Clarion Meridian Hotel near the airport and, of course, being thoroughly unimpressed by the facilities. Having driven a few hours from Texas and not looking forward to staying at that hotel, my presenter and I were pretty tired and willing to settle for one of the many chain restaurants in the area.

We drive down the road and pass this one place with a parking lot that was absolutely PACKED. Well, this is usually a good sign, so we stopped to check it out. Enter Cimarron Steakhouse:

We walk right in and I’m immediately cheered up because of the bombastically-incredible décor. I mean, just look at the place! It was huge and absolutely full of Western-themed souvenirs. Old timey wagons, Cowboys & Indians dioramas, animal pelts, and lots & lots of leather. Leather everywhere.

The food is decidedly mediocre, but don’t let that stop you from checking it out. If you’re in the mood for good ol’ fashioned Western food, this is the place because it is Cheap (with a capital ‘C’)! The meat was really good (chicken fried steak for me) and I would say that and the place’s atmosphere are really the best reasons to go there.

The salad was laughable (more lettuce with my dressing, please) and the rice was pretty bland, but when you look around and realize every other person in the joint is wearing denim (skirts, overalls, whatever), it’ll bring a smile to your face. At least it did for me.

[ Yelp review ]

Airport Sushi in Portland

Flying out of Portland, OR with some time to kill? Don’t go through security just yet and check out the Beaches restaurant near the D gates.

Front dining area of Beaches restaurant during weekday Happy Hour

My cab driver used to work as a manager there and told me to check out some of their happy hour specials during my wait before flying out of Portland. The place was pretty full of business travelers ordering food and multiple drinks. $2 4-piece sushi rolls, $4 margaritas/cocktails/house wine, and other such deals. No to-go orders of course, but TSA probably wouldn’t like you trying to sneak some sushi rolls through the x-ray anyway.

For $2, these rolls were simplistic but very tasty

Artichokin’ in Manhattan

I had my first taste of Artichoke Basille’s pizza after being introduced to it by Tyler B. on a one-night trip into NYC from Newark (because what the hell else were we supposed to do?). We were getting drunk in the East Village and looking for some late-night snacks. He had been to the area before and knew that it was a short walk, would be open, and was awesome good.

Three nights later, during my stayover in the city, I found myself heading back to the place. Their specialty spinach and artichoke pizza is amazing and they serve huge to-go cups of Bud Light for $5.50. There are other things to buy, but I’d say are hardly worth mentioning in comparison. Two visits in four days and two cases of burnt hard palate. Totally worth it, though.

 

The East Village location is really popular, being just a short walk down 14th from both Trader Joe’s and Union Square (where you can catch the L train to Brooklyn). They have one more location in Chelsea and are opening another in Greenwich Village soon.

[ official site ] [ Yelp page ]

Jonge-what’s?

 A Long Beach favorite for decades!

If you feel a little bored on the drive between Pasadena and Anaheim, I would suggest taking a detour through Long Beach. Sure, go ahead and do some sightseeing in the downtown/Seal Beach area because it’s nice, but head north towards the 405 and the airport when you get hungry.

I think this quote from LA Times food writer Russ Parsons sums up the place nicely:

“Its food will never be mistaken for cuisine — nothing is reimagined and garnishes are usually limited to a single sprig of parsley — but over the last 15 years, I would guess that my family has averaged at least two meals a week there, and if I was being completely honest, probably more. If you’re lucky, you have a place like it near you.” [ link ]

Pronounced something like “young ward’s,” I was introduced to Jongewaard’s by a presenter who grew up in the Long Beach area and has been a frequenter of the restaurant for the last 50+ years (she always gets the burger special with a slice of lemon cream pie). If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

Whatever appeals to you on the menu (to-die-for chicken pot pie), please make sure to get some of their baked goods for desert. Cake, pie, cookies, cinnamon buns, and on and on and on!

A Gobblerito?

That’s right, folks: a Gobblerito!

( Fire not included )

Inside the Days Inn hotel in State College, PA there lives a Mexican/American fusion restaurant called Mad Mex. They serve burritos the size of your head. Yes, the SIZE OF YOUR FREAKIN’ HEAD!

( As unappealing as this may look, it was a fantastic burrito the size of my melon )

I opted for the seasonal specialty burrito, which was basically a Thanksgiving feast wrapped in a tortilla. Absolutely delicious, especially in mid-November! Decent prices, good food, and apparently an enjoyable selection of beer all make Mad Mex worthy of your time. Also, Amber has been to the one in Columbus a bunch and has equally good things to say.

[ website ]

Sacramen-thai

Okay, corny title, I know. Simply put, Bangkok @ 12 in Sacramento, CA is an awesome Thai food restuarant just two blocks away from The Sterling Hotel.

Avocado curry, Bangkok @ 12

I tried the Avocado Curry with chicken and was pleasantly surprised. Many of the reviewers on Yelp! [ Yelp! page ] agreed that their curry is great and I'd have to join their ranks. As you can see from the picture, their portion sizes are more suited for 2-3 people, but priced for one. The hotel has a fridge and microwave guests can use, so get the leftovers to-go. $6.95 lunch specials and $2 beers/wine for Happy Hour make this a great option for you or your participants during lunch.

Manchester's Only Brewery

While it doesn't seem like anything to brag about, Milly's Tavern [ link ], next to the UNh-Manchester campus, is Manch-Vegas' only brewery and does a damn good job at it.



Find some extra time in the evening and head on down to happy hour from 4-7pm each night for $1.50 draft beers and half price appetizers. Happen to be there on a Tuesday? Skip Happy Hour and catch their 'Beat the Clock' specials after 7pm where beers start at $0.50 each and go up in price $0.50 each half hour (or hour?). Apparently the place turns into a dance club at night, too.

The beer is excellent, the appetizers are also great (what fried food doesn't go well with beer?), so if you decide to skip Unwine'd head on down, but please don't order a salad; I quickly learned the errors of my ways with that one.

Pit Stop Munchies

Keene, NH is a small college town that seems to have a lot to offer a bored and hungry Program Manager on the road. Small shops and theaters, as well as independent restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops line the streets of downtown.

Keene's location, nearly half way between Albany and Manchester, make it a perfect pit stop option before continuing your multi-hour drive. Tell your Garmin to take Route 9 through the countryside instead of the interstate because it's worth the detour if the weather's nice!

Port Authority Cafe - Keene, NH

One of the many eateries near Main Street is the Port Authority Cafe. [ Yelp! page ] Pretty typical college town menu: burgers, sandwiches, and beer, but the food is all made from scratch and includes some vegan options as well. What caught my attention were the multiple reviews raving about their veggie burger. I had to try it.

Veggie burger w/ sweet potato fries@ Port Authority Cafe

I'd certainly say I wasn't disappointed. It was so hearty that I finished the fries and just half the burger, taking the second half to-go. The shop is super small; it takes up just the corner of the building and the seating uses less than half of that space (in warmer months, outside seating must be available). I'd certainly stop by again if I found myself in the area.

Obligatory tourist picture @ Bennington Battle Monument

Along the drive you'll pass through Bennington, VT. You should stop by the Bennington Battle Monument [ website ]. At over 300 feet tall, this monument was built to commemorate an American (or future-American) victory in 1777 that would prove to be a turning point in the Revolutionary War. Excuse the lame tourist picture.