I was talking to someone about food this morning. Last night I dined with the kids, the X, and one of her brothers at Applebee's. I had combo fajitas, but, they were nothing to write home about. Good, but certainly not memorable. The ones I make are!
This made me think how Over the past 20 years before marriage, and the divorce the X and I had searched for the perfect:
Bowl of French Onion Soup
Strawberry Daiquiri
Batch of Combo Fajitas
Barbecue Ribs
The first two were located in the same place! The Historic town of Smithville in New Jersey. Masterpieces in fact! French Onion soup with fresh baked bread and sweet onions, and a broth so flavorful the memory of it haunts me still! A layer of cheese so thick and so perfectly browned, the memory brings a tear to my eye! A Daiquiri that was so tart, so tasing of fresh berries, yet with the kick of a mule...well! These have have made most other places versions pale in comparison, though some have come close! I would bet at least on the Daiquiri side, the X may have found a better one. Back when we were growing the family she did not drink alcohol for quite awhile. Now she does, and I have not had any in about three years now. I hate to drink alone and besides these days I am afraid I would get morose and blue, heck, outright depressed! ANYWAY this had nothing to do on the food tale, so, back to it!
The best combo fajitas were found in a small, family owned hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in Old Town (near Orlando) down in Florida that we discovered on our honeymoon. Homemade tortillas and salsa....meat that was seasoned so expertly and fire grilled to perfection....tastes so explosive they lodged themselves in your memory not to ever be dislodged! Yes! A treat never to be forgotten! Alas, after enjoying this place two years in a row, the third trip found it had been turned into a place selling electronic organs. What a sin! You can buy that kind of stuff in hundreds of places.....truly masterfully created food is a rarity! You know what I am talking about! Those rare few meals you have out that you remember for years and years, and find yourself comparing subsequent inferior meals too even those that come close to, but not quite as good as, these previous culinary marvels you have partaken of!
The Best ribs were found down in Florida at a place called "The Firecracker Factory" down in Disney's Shopping Village in Orlando. They even had bottles of the sauce you could take home and often we would buy some, carefully wrapping it to insure it's safe arrival back home, and then would we enjoy it over the summer months. Sadly this ended up being another place we enjoyed for a few years and then was turned into a cowboy bar with.....shudder....I can't say this without getting queasy, fighting down the bile...reaching for that plastic lined paper bag normally found on airplanes....thrusting it over my mouth before it is too late......Line Dancing!
Since the demise of the Fireworks factory the best ribs (and on Monday all you can eat rib night) are now found at a place in New Jersey called "Porky's A Place For Ribs" Sadly, Porky's is too long a drive from Michigan and they have no web site. These ribs are wonderful! Slow cooked for hours and hours, falling off the bone, incredible flavor and not covered in sauce like most place's ribs are to cover the fast 'assembly line' preparation that is usualy used.
This made me think how Over the past 20 years before marriage, and the divorce the X and I had searched for the perfect:
Bowl of French Onion Soup
Strawberry Daiquiri
Batch of Combo Fajitas
Barbecue Ribs
The first two were located in the same place! The Historic town of Smithville in New Jersey. Masterpieces in fact! French Onion soup with fresh baked bread and sweet onions, and a broth so flavorful the memory of it haunts me still! A layer of cheese so thick and so perfectly browned, the memory brings a tear to my eye! A Daiquiri that was so tart, so tasing of fresh berries, yet with the kick of a mule...well! These have have made most other places versions pale in comparison, though some have come close! I would bet at least on the Daiquiri side, the X may have found a better one. Back when we were growing the family she did not drink alcohol for quite awhile. Now she does, and I have not had any in about three years now. I hate to drink alone and besides these days I am afraid I would get morose and blue, heck, outright depressed! ANYWAY this had nothing to do on the food tale, so, back to it!
The best combo fajitas were found in a small, family owned hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in Old Town (near Orlando) down in Florida that we discovered on our honeymoon. Homemade tortillas and salsa....meat that was seasoned so expertly and fire grilled to perfection....tastes so explosive they lodged themselves in your memory not to ever be dislodged! Yes! A treat never to be forgotten! Alas, after enjoying this place two years in a row, the third trip found it had been turned into a place selling electronic organs. What a sin! You can buy that kind of stuff in hundreds of places.....truly masterfully created food is a rarity! You know what I am talking about! Those rare few meals you have out that you remember for years and years, and find yourself comparing subsequent inferior meals too even those that come close to, but not quite as good as, these previous culinary marvels you have partaken of!
The Best ribs were found down in Florida at a place called "The Firecracker Factory" down in Disney's Shopping Village in Orlando. They even had bottles of the sauce you could take home and often we would buy some, carefully wrapping it to insure it's safe arrival back home, and then would we enjoy it over the summer months. Sadly this ended up being another place we enjoyed for a few years and then was turned into a cowboy bar with.....shudder....I can't say this without getting queasy, fighting down the bile...reaching for that plastic lined paper bag normally found on airplanes....thrusting it over my mouth before it is too late......Line Dancing!
Since the demise of the Fireworks factory the best ribs (and on Monday all you can eat rib night) are now found at a place in New Jersey called "Porky's A Place For Ribs" Sadly, Porky's is too long a drive from Michigan and they have no web site. These ribs are wonderful! Slow cooked for hours and hours, falling off the bone, incredible flavor and not covered in sauce like most place's ribs are to cover the fast 'assembly line' preparation that is usualy used.
OK, who's hungry! I think I may have to make homemade Fajitas over the weekend!
5 comments:
Ive never seen french onion soup have a layer of cheese on it.. even in france! :P
I make a fairly mean french onion soup.. well I did the time I tried it anyway
Chris,
I should never have read that, realizing all I have in the way of food here is sunflower seeds!
- David
French onion soup always has a layer of cheese on it, at least it always has when I've had it in restaurants, and that's the way I've seen it made on Food Network.
After all that, this ham and cheese sandwich and diet Pepsi's not looking so hot anymore...
Cindy, David, I must apologize (and cindy so nice to see you here!)
However, from writing that in the first place I am ravenous and the front of my shirt is copiously (so copiously) covered in my own drool I fear to leave my cube at work least I be the target of ridicule!
And cindy, I agree on the soup, the X wife and I easily sampled over 100 creations spanning quite a few states (and up in Canada), and all came with cheese.
Take care!
And Liz, no matter how good your French Onion Soup is, it will be better with a layer of cheese on the top!
:)
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