Some sandwiches don't need to be

We hosted a woman riding her bike around the world last week. She has travelled across Europe, Asia and half of the United States--over 7000 miles so far. She stayed a couple days while Beth advised her on good routes across Wisconsin and I pestered her for stories. Beth rode out of town with her since that's the hardest part of bike touring--finding your way in and out of cities. Beth had so much fun riding with her that she went almost the whole day and called me to pick her up.
Beth talked me into picking her up by reminding me that the town she was stopping in, Miesville, has a bar famous for hamburgers. I met her and Ann at King's. I had eaten there a long time ago and the burgers were good. I didn't remember there being quite so many on the menu, though. I had a hard time choosing but I was drawn to the large number of burgers featuring coleslaw and/or hot dogs. Hmmm... I couldn't not try a burger with a hot dog and coleslaw on it, right? I don't regret trying it, but it's not really a sandwich that needs to exist. The burger patty was good, but it was topped with a lukewarm and mediocre hot dog, a scoop of so-so coleslaw,and a slice of cheese on top of the whole mess. What's the opposite of gestalt? Is there a term for something less than the sum of its parts?
Anyway, if you go to King's get a normal burger. Skip the gimmick!
And if you get the chance to host an around the world cyclist, by all means say yes!

On the way home

We took a couple detours on our way home from the East Coast.

First up, we decided to swing by Gettysburg. It wasn't too far off the route and we figured we check it out quickly and head on our way. Silly us. We got there right after lunch and finally had to stop looking around because the sun was setting. We still had driving to do! We weren't crazy enough to hit the road again without something in our stomachs, though.

Luckily we happened upon the Springhouse Tavern in the Dobbin House. The house was built over a spring in the 1770's. You can still see the spring, right next to the entrance to the tavern. It was a really cool building with the original stone walls and timber ceiling. I got the Maryland Crabcake Sandwich. The crabcake was really tasty and one a toasted bun with letuce and tomato. Delicious. I only had my cell phone with me so the picture is awful. Bear with me.

Spending so much time at Gettysburg made for a long second day of driving. We stayed on the turnpikes and stopped as minimally as possible. We were approaching Chicago around dinner time, though. I wished out loud that Mr. Beef had an outlet right off the freeway so we could get their amazing Italian beef sandwiches. No luck. But the GPS did lead us to Ricobene's which had a suitable substitute. It's no Mr. Beef, but it'll do in a pinch!

Vacationwich Round-up

We've been back from vacation for a week and I finally feel like I'm recovering. It's about time I shared some more sandwiches I loved while on the East Coast.

We went to Basin Head beach on P.E.I. It's famous for it's singing sands. The sand squeaks under your feet!

It also has a snack stand selling all sorts of seafood and burgers. I was feeling peckish, so I couldn't pass up on the scallop burger. What's a scallop burger? It's a handful of fried scallops on a beautifully soft bun with tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato. Perfect.

We spent a day in Boston at the end of our trip which meant we got to go to the Greek Corner with some of our Boston family and friends. I had a lamb souvlaki sandwich and it was tasty.It was even better because I got to eat with this little guy.

Maine makes good lobster rolls, too

On our way home from Prince Edward Island, we stopped at Acadia National Park in Maine. This being a trip with my crazy brother, we got there just in time for sunset. We sped up Cadillac Mountain just in time to catch the amazing view and the pink and red sky.
After taking in the view we started to look for dinner. All of the places that were hopping with customers at 8:30 when we drove past them on the way to the park were closed up at 9:30. Except for the Down East Lobster Pound. They might not have been too excited to see us roll up at 9:45, but they were happy to sell us lobster rolls, chowder and blueberry pie.We checked out their lobster pots, which featured some rarities like this blue lobster and giant orange one. Then we sat down in their screened porch and prepared to feast. The sandwich was gorgeous. It was filled with sweet lobster and a little mayo. The roll was toasted perfectly. And the coleslaw was nice and crispy with a little zing. The chowder and pie were great too!

P.E.I. Sandwich Night

We have been sampling the local delicacies of PEI during our trip: Mussels, poutine, oysters, new potatoes, MSG-laden meat flavored potato chips, Canadian candy bars, etc. And lobsters, of course.

One night we cooked up three huge ones and ate them with butter. They were the best lobsters I’ve ever had. I think I closed my eyes and said “Mmmmm” with every bite. The next night we decided to get some more, but to make lobster rolls. Meghan mixed up lobster, chopped celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. We toasted soft sandwich buns and spooned a big pile of lobster salad on each one. They were delicious!

A little South Minneapolis in PEI

We’re staying at a cottage right on the water in Prince Edward Island. It’s awesome. But we don’t feel too far from home because there are Minnesota caliber mosquitoes everywhere. And because we made Jucy Lucy’s for dinner.

I made them from ground turkey for a change. And filled them with processed cheese. That’s what they call it Canada. No American cheese here! I grilled them and only had a couple leak. Not bad, if I don’t say so myself. We didn’t have buns so Meghan cut rounds out of slices of bread. Then we rolled up the remaining parts of the slices for additional bun substitutes. For condiments we had yellow mustard and onion dip. Aaah, vacation.

Vacationwiches, Part 1

My brother invited us to join his family at a cottage on Prince Edward Island this summer. All we had to do was get to Boston and ride up there with them. We considered our options and decided to drive to Boston since it would save a little money and we could bring our bikes.

What I didn’t know was that we would be able to revisit some of the places Beth biked through last summer on her cross country tour. We made it to Conneaut, OH just in time for an early lunch at the White Turkey Drive-in. The White Turkey was a beacon of joy in Beth’s long slog along the shore of Lake Erie. The signature sandwich features perfectly juicy chopped roasted turkey. I opted for the Large Marge which adds a slice of American cheese and some bacon. (My lifetime love of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure may have influenced my decision as well.)

The Large Marge was excellent. The turkey was perfect--juicy, just salty enough, full of turkey flavor. The cheese and the bacon added the right amount of savoriness. And the soft white bun had flecks of salt on it. Yum! To top it off, they serve delicious root beer in frosty mugs. A beacon of joy, indeed.

Oh Heavens!

I can't get enough of the sandwiches at the St. Paul Cheese Shop. Everything is so delicious! Check out this beauty, on special the other day. That's blue cheese, garlic confit, fig jam and greens on a ciabatta roll. There was an explosion of joy in my mouth with each bite.