"We're parked next to the green sign, " my sister Di told my wife. We were on the way to Cabela's parking lot to pick up her and my brother in law up to go try Eddie Lee's in Toledo.

She had a hot tip that Eddie Lee's was THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo.

She had also told my wife that they would be where they parked the last time we went to Toledo. After my wife had ended the phone conversation with her, she looked at me and asked, "Do you remember where they parked last time? " I replied, " Uhhh no, that was only probably 6 months ago." "Well, we'll just look for the green sign", Rebbel said.

As we pulled in Cabela's, we realized that there were green signs all over the place. Thousands of them. We tried to figure out just where they were parked last time. Finally we called them back to find that they had gone in the store and weren't even in the vehicle parked by the green sign where they had parked last time we went to Toledo. So we snatched them from the doorway and off we went to what we hope was THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo.

Eddie Lee's is located at 4700 Nantucket Dr. Once you see the Target store on Monroe, turn on the next street and you are there. The restaurant was very clean, and the service was extremely good. We were one of the first customers that day. In fact we waited in the car with hungry appetites just waiting for THE PLACE for prime rib to open.

My wife, sister, and brother in law all ordered the prime rib. I thought that I would order the perch just to try something different. I have to say I wasn't that impressed by the perch. I think it had to do with the type of breading that was used. The prime rib did bring tears to my wife's eyes though. That was only after she tried the horse radish and discovered it was just a little stronger than she thought. We decided that the prime rib wasn't the worst we had ever tasted,

it just wasn't the best. The seasoning wasn't there. Maybe we just had high expectations.

We did try their dessert, and I thought the fudge cake was delicious! My wife thought it was too fudgey!!!!???? My sister and her hubby shared a slice of cheesecake and that was also delicious.

What can I say about the restaurant over all??? In my humble opinion, it would be an o.k. place to take the family. The price is good, the service is good, the place is clean, and the food is so, so. For those who like fudge in their fudge cake, and real horse radish, it rocks! Just don't expect it to be THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo, and whatever you do, don't tell the people you go with to find you parked next to a green sign at Cabela's. They may never find you.

Jackson Michigan is the birthplace of many things. After all, it is the birthplace of the Republican party, Tony Dungy, my friend Tim B.,who now resides in Durango ,Co, and Jackson is known as the crossroads of Michigan. After all those things, it seems that Jackson could just sit back and say we did enough, but lo and behold, I have found out that Jackson, Mi. might also be the birthplace of the coney island hot dog! Now according to an article in Wikipedia, some people in the New York area refer to a spicy pork hot dog with kraut as a coney, but I am referring to the dog with meat chili, onion and mustard. Which in some parts of New York is called a hot dog with Michigan Sauce.
There is some discussion if the sauce from Michigan was developed by Todoroff''s in Jackson, or in Flint, or at American Coney Island in Detroit. I have decided, I don't care where it was originally created. I just want the best!
The best I have had so far, is at a place called Jackson Coney Island in Jackson, Michigan. It is located at 615 Michigan Ave. by the Amtrak station. The coney meat tastes great and is hard to duplicate. We have tried. The hot dog looks like a grilled beef dog, not the greatest, possibly a Gordon's Food Service, but not awful. The coney sauce more than makes up for it though. People buy these things by the bagful. We ate some in the truck and the delicious aroma was there the next day. You can start a taste test of your own, there is a Virgina Coney Island on the same block. Drop me a line telling me your favorite coney place at bullwinkle1961@gmail.com .

We did it again. We took Guy Fieri's advice and drove to the South Side Soda Shop and Diner in Goshen Indiana. The place looked interesting. According to the history they have been a soda shop since the 1940's. They were in the movie Lonesome Jim. We thought it would be safe. It had been a whole week since we saw the show featuring the place on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins , and Dives, and we were sure that the crowds have simmered down by now. We were wrong. Turns out the show had been on again the night before. We were able to sit as soon as we got in the door, but they were out of the two things we were wanting to try. The service was a little slow, thanks to the show, but we passed the time with the trivia cards sitting on the table. They are supposed to have award winning chili and lemon meringue pie, but not on the night we were there. They were looooooonnnnnggg gone!
I ordered a cheese steak , and a spiral fry. Rebbel settled for a corned beef sandwich. Rebbel's sandwich was o.k. but nothing to blog about. My sandwich was good. The cheese steak had a good flavor and the spiral fry was also good, but all I could think about was the award winning pie and chili I could not order and the gas it took to get to this big disappointment. Darn Guy! Why did he have to let everyone in on this place??? My wife even explained to the waiter that we had came all the way from Michigan! A fact that probably didn't impress the waiter because Michigan's border was just up the road. (I guess she should have held up her hand and showed him we were from the other side of Michigan.) They did have the green phosphate the owner's daughter and Guy chugged on the show. I didn't try it but it looked interesting.
You can find them on the web at http://www.southsidesodashopdiner.com/

. Just call and make sure they have plenty of pie and chili before you drive there. Oh yeah, Guy, if you're out there buddy, just drop me a line next time you are going to be in the area so I can beat the crowds your show attracts. I will appreciate it and I promise not to tell, ha ha.

On my wife's recent birthday, we decided to head north to the Brighton - Howell area of our home state of Michigan. They have kitchen shops at the Outlet shops and Rebbel loves kitchen shops. We were actually headed for Brighton to eat, but somehow we ended up in Howell instead because we lost Brighton. (This is not surprising because a couple of months earlier my wife wanted to show me the new shopping center in Brighton on I-96 and had found a duplicate shopping center on U.S. 23. It had all the same stores and restaurants. Now what happened to the Shopping Center on I-96? Turned out that there was only one shopping center. It was the same one that she thought was a duplicate!) Anyway, we totally missed Brighton and ended up in Howell at a restaurant called T.W. and Friends. What an awesome dinner we had there!
We started off with the fried ravioli. This was the first tome either of us had fried ravioli. A friend at work told me she always had it at the Olive Garden. We decided to try T.W.'S. They use cheese and jalapeno pepper in theirs. They deep fry the ravioli. It was cheesy and good. They served it with a house made marinara sauce. Two weeks later, I tried the Olive Garden's and decided that I liked T.W.'s better. They also had delicious bread and dipping oil. The bread tasted like it had just come from the oven.
For an entree, I had a pizza that was good, and Rebbel had the horse radish encrusted salmon. They fixed it to perfection! Would I try this place again?? You betcha!!! If you are in the Howell /Brighton area looking for the duplicate shopping centers (ha,ha) I recommend you give this place a try. You can find them on the web at: http://www.twandfriends.com/default.htm

We took off from the Mother in Law's in Florida in the late afternoon. We ended up that night in Marianna, Fla. We first pulled into the a Motel near the highway with a big gold Q. We checked in went in the room when our Grandson asked if it was normal for bugs to be on the table? As we quickley gathered our suitcases, he saw some in the heater and the bed. Aparently we had checked into the roach motel. We went to the desk to checkout where the clerk apologized and told us that the exterminator had been called but had not come back.

The next morning, wishing we could take that room with us, we departed for Missouri. We had been to Lambert's near Branson before, so we knew what to expect. The Grandson's were very impressed. I ordered a country fried steak and my usual diet soda to ward off any extra calories. My wife ordered the roast beef. The boys ordered a grilled cheese, and chicken. First we got our drinks. They were served in a huge container that would quench any thirst. The country fried steak was served in a huge skillet, and my wife got more than a generous portion of beef. Then came the thing that the boys were waiting for. The rolls. They bring the rolls out, and if you want one you raise your hand and they throw it to you. We had to stop the Grandchildren after their third roll. The servers at Lambert's hit their targets with the precision of a major league pitcher, although the youngest Grandson learned real fast not to use his face as backstop for a warm roll. As you're sitting there eating your feast, they keep coming around with pass arounds asking if you want some. Fried okra, back-eyed peas, fried potatoes, etc. The steak was probably the biggest and best country fried steak I had ever ate. My wife said her beef was good too. I highly recomend this place, just bring a big appetite and sure grip hands! Maybe you could use the honey they keep on the tables as stick-um.

"You have got to try this place!" Jodie my step-daughter told me over the phone. She told me that Jeff my step-son had just finished a 20 oz. cheeseburger and had his picture taken for accomplishing this feat. Sounded like a challenge to me. The type of challenge I have been training for most of my life. They were calling me from a place called Cheeburger, Cheeburger in Livonia, Michigan. This chain restaurant has been around for 21 years and voted best burger in 28 cities! I had never heard of it until the call.
We rounded up my sister and her hubby ( who live close to the restaurant, and never told us about it even though she thinks she did) and Jodie. The challenge was on!
Cheebuger, Cheeburger looks pretty cool inside. It is decked out to look like an- old fashioned 50's-60's malt shop. They have Cheebugers of various sizes, and chicken sandwiches. You can pick from 8 different cheeses and a whole lot of different toppings. They also have good onion rings, fries, shakes and malts. They use 100% Angus beef, never frozen and cooked to order.
I sat down and contemplated what I wanted on my cheeburger. It bugged me that my picture was going on a board as you entered. You always dream about what great things you are going to accomplish, but being a piggy wasn't on the short list. Then the waitress told me that she will not only take my picture, but also announce to the restaurant that I had finished the burger. At least I wasn't in my home town. I ordered the 20 oz cheeburger and a diet soda. Wouldn't want any extra calories!
I finished the cheeburger and ate some; o.k.; most of the onion rings my wife had ordered. The announcement was made, people applauded, and I got my picture on the board. I told Jeff later that night, and he told me he had put down a malt too and was still hungry. Then and there, I proclaimed him the BIG winner of the Cheeburger contest, even though he only weighs about 150 lbs.! At least I beat my sister her hubby, Jodie, and my wife! I think! You can find a location close to you at http://cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp

On our recent trip to Florida over Christmas vacation, my wife and Grand kids were very hungry after our excursion to Universal. Rebbel had planned a few places out in advance that she had seen on t.v. We had discussed going to a barbecue place called Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar b que, but after spending close to $40.00 on four cheeseburgers, fries and drinks at Universal, we decided to just go to Pizza Hut, after all we were tired and hungry and didn't know where exactly this Bubbalou's was located.

Before the trip we bought a Tom Tom One XL, so I plugged in Pizza Hut as a Point Of Interest.

We had already left the Orlando area and were making our way down Florida's Turnpike. The GPS took us back what seemed like for miles. Of course time always go by slow when you have hungry Grand kids in the backseat and a hungrier wife driving.

We finally got to where Tom Tom sent us. There was that English lady saying "you have reached your destination." (We have the English lady because she sounds a lot more pleasant than the other voices and less bossy.) We looked all over the place and there was no Pizza Hut.

We pulled in to this shopping center's parking lot and what did we see??? Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar b que!! We decided that we were supposed to eat there and so we did!

The ribs were delicious. They had a smokey flavor and were tender. The prices were reasonable and service pretty good. I would still put Oakwood first, but these were good ribs too. So if you are ever in the Orlando Area, just put Pizza Hut into your Tom Tom and let it take you to Bubbalou's. They have at least three locations, we still don't know which one we were at, and you can check them out on the web at http://www.bubbalous.com/.