All American Drive In-NY

All American Drive In
4286 Merrick Rd
Massapequa, NY 11758

As seen on
-Hamburger Paradise

All American is a Long Island institution. One of the last real drive ins still around. All American has all the classics. Hamburgers, hotdogs, fries, onion rings, and milkshakes. Always busy with the locals, this place reminded me of a better McDonald's. The food was really good and the fries were the highlight. They were just perfect. The cheeseburgers were like the Clown but with better bigger real meat. I almost forgot how cheap this place was. A burger was less then $2 and a double or quarter pounder was around $2. I haven't been to a food stop this cheap in a long time. If this place was anywhere near where I lived I would be her constantly. A great piece of American history.

Durso's Pasta-NY

Duro's Pasta
18901 Crocheron Ave
Flushing, NY 11358

As seen on
-Throwdown

Durso's was featured on Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Bobby Flay went head to head with the Durso's Ravioli. Bobby Flay won! Scandalous!
This was by far the best ravioli I have ever had. Nothing even comes close. Fresh made every day. Cooks in 2-3mins. The cheese filling was so light and creamy it was amazing. Durso's is the type of neighborhood deli where the customers are known by their first names, and so is the owner.This place sells all kinds of authentic Italian pasta and other Italian goodies. The service was super friendly and knowledgeable also. Lines can be a little problematic on weekend mornings. But that's OK, chit chatting with the "locals" is part of the fun. I wish I could go every week. Please make the trip you wont regret it.

Jim's Steaks-PA

Jim's Steaks
400 South St
Philadelphia, PA

As seen on
-$40 a Day

Jim's Steaks might not be Pat's or Geno's but they might be the third most famous cheesesteak in Philly. The line wrapped around the block and once inside twisted and turned. Waited over an hr to get served. The line at Pat's and Geno's was no more then 5mins. They cook up the steak right in front of you while your in line. You can watch them chop and cook threw the glass. Got a few cheesesteaks to go which was a bad idea. By the time we got to eat them at a park about 20min later the cheesesteaks had steamed themselves in the bad and were soggy and wet. Really ruined the whole thing. You have to eat them right away. Its hard to compare Jim's to the other cheesesteaks in Philly because ours really did get soggy and cold. With the line as long as it was on South St they must be doing something right. Most of the cheesesteaks are really really close in flavor taste and make. Don't forget to order your cheesesteak the right way. Cheese Wit

Coccadott's-NY

Coccadott's
1179 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12205

Update
As seen on
-Cupcake Wars 8/9/11

I try not to blog about places that don't have anything special or any culinary significance. Coccadott's hasn't been on TV and doesn't do anything special that we haven't seen before. Having been to so many cupcake places I thought I would show you guys the closest one to us in the Hudson Valley. Located in Albany, Coccadott's is a tiny cupcakery that also makes a few cookies and pastries. They have a sweet cupcake truck that they bust out in the summer all over the city. The cupcakes were smaller then regular but not mini cupcakes. They definitely had a nice selection of flavors. Cookies and cream, cheesecake, almond joy, boston creme, red velvet ect. They were delicious. Even though these cupcakes are probably the best cupcakes in a 1hr radius they really don't compete with some of the places in Manhattan. If you are from Albany they might do the trick but not worth a trip. I much prefer the 2 cupcake shops in Ridgewood NJ which are about an hr south.

Callie's Biscuits-SC

Callie's Biscuits
498 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 2940


As seen on
-Unwrapped
-Oprah
-Unique Sweets


Saw these on TV and noticed they were from Charleston. I am a sucker for all things Charleston, so I had to try them. I also noticed that they won numerous praises from the food bloggers. Winning best biscuits in the country on Serious Eats. It took me a awhile to figure out where I could even find these. The nearest retailer is in NJ. A frozen dozen biscuits was like $18 yikes! They are fairly small but they are pretty good. Callie's makes all kinds of varieties. Cheese, cinnamon, ham, buttermilk to name a few. Next time I would try the ham or cinnamon as a nice dessert. I'm a sucker for Bisquick though soooo.....

Callie's Biscuits
makes 8-10 biscuits
 The Washington Post

2 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter for glazing
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

• Place flour, butter, and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour with a fork or with your fingers (I find fingers easier), until the butter and cream cheese are the size of small peas.
• Add buttermilk to the flour, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. The dough will be wet.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Flour the top of the dough, then gently press out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness (I usually don't press it out quite this thin).
• Cut dough with 2-inch biscuit cutter or similarly sized drinking glass, cutting as close together as possible.
• Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet so they are just touching, and brush tops with melted butter (I skip the butter glaze to lessen the calorie count) and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.
• Biscuits are best served hot.

Charm City Cakes-MD

Charm City Cakes
2936 Remington Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 235-9229

As seen on
-Ace of Cakes

Ive stopped by the famous Charm City Cakes twice in the last year. They wont let you inside and they don't sell anything to the public. They are apparently booked over a year in advance and a 1layer cake starts at $500. I think Ace of Cakes is way better then the Cake Boss. Duff is way cooler then Buddy. Anyways enjoy.

Mike's Deli-NY

Mike's Deli
2344 Arthur Ave
Bronx, NY 10458


As seen on
-Throwdown


Located in the heart of Arthur Ave in the Bronx, Mike's Deli is dishing out all the authentic Italian classics. Seen battling Bobby Flay with his eggplant parmesan on Throwdown and bringing the victory to the REAL little Italy. Anyways Ive tried getting to this place a few times but every time i go to the Bronx its a Sunday and they are closed. Well I finally made it. They are located inside a small shopping market with a few other shops. With meat and cheese hanging from the ceiling and barrels of olives i found my eggplant. I got some hot to go. Now although this did not blow me away at first bite, the deeper i got into the dish the more i realized this is what eggplant parm is suppose to taste like. If there was a definition of eggplant parm in the dictionary this would be the taste and picture. Its what you think its suppose to taste like in your head. I cant say Ive had any better.  Mike's Deli is known for having amazing sandwiches with only the best Italian meats and cheeses. Arthur Avenue is a trip any foodie should make. Its part of NY history and every single shop is worthy of a blog post.

Walter's Hot Dog Stand-NY

Walter's Hot Dog Stand
937 Palmer Ave
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
www.waltershotdogs.com


As seen on
-No Major Tv Shows


This hot dog landmark has been serving up weenies in Mamaroneck since 1919.Clearly they are doing something right. There are no tourist attractions in Mamaroneck, the stand isn't even on the main road, yet there is a line 30 deep. Walter's is the destination. The dogs are split down the  middle, grilled in butter, placed on a toasted bun, and topped with homemade famous mustard. That's it. Hot dog simplicity. Sure its a bummer that Walter's doesn't serve sauerkraut or onions, bacon or cheese, but they are are all about purity. Keep it good and simple. This place was super cool. Housed in a building with a copper roof, now oxidized green and reminiscent of a Chinese Pagoda, Walter's is the kind of place foodies are all about. The actually experience of eating at Walter's might be better then the dogs themselves. The dogs are good though, really good! A good time was had by all and that's what keeps customers coming back for nearly 100 yrs.

                                         

 A double dog !!!