Miningman they only serve and make their own home made fresh drinks on site .. the Pineapple and Loganberry are my favourites
Ya know, just a couple of weeks before I was born Cleveland's legendary Euclid Beach Park closed for good. It was owned by the Humphrey family and they served Phez Loganberry Juice and Ginger Ale at the concessions.
It's one of those things I've always wondered what it tasted like.
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
I'll tell you what boys, talkin' about food is a hell of a lot more fun than some of the other BS we get our noses out of joint about!
Jeez, I'm hungry again, and I just ate!
Overmod-- The QEW ( Queen Elizabeth Hwy) is a first class multi multi lane highway. Certainly not a minor road ... anyway as you leave the Peace Bridge into Niagara Falls and arrive in the Dominion there are 2 great Poutine places available almost immediately on Victoria Ave. You really can't miss it because you're already on it. They are very close to each other 1) Smokes Poutine 2) Nikos Place, both infamous for their Poutine. A bit further out is Potato Heads...all 5 star ratings.
Ok now that you have stuffed yourself take the QEW to Hamilton. As you glance out your driver side window you will see you are parallel to CN's mainline to Niagara and Fort Erie. You will see trains, guaranteed. After maybe 35 minutes driving you arrive in Hamilton and time for more Poutine. Best 5 stars are 1) The Ship 2) Charred Rotisserie House and if you're feeling a bit homesick try the Poutine at Memphis Fire BBQ Company. You will not be disappointed .
Now you are well stuffed. At Hamilton you exit Hwy 6. This is an older original highway but 4 lanes and widened to six in spots. It passes through old towns, first Caledonia ( CN tracks lifted .. went through here on 6218 in 60's excursions on track that had not seen a passenger train in decades), then Hagersville ( CASO! Tracks lifted but the tower is still there) then Jarvis ( CNR/Wabash) tracks lifted but the beautiful quaint station is still there, can't miss it, its perpendicular to the highway right at the highway. I think that CN still has tracks going to Nanticoke and you can spot that and the signals in the distance from the station.
Almost there, a few miles to go. You pass through Dogsnest. Stop and take a selfie at the Dogsnest sign as you enter and pass. The sign is frequently stolen so let's hope you get a good day.
You descend a hill. There is sparkling Lake Erie laid out before you. The first thing you will see as soon as you cross the bridge over the Lynn River at the bottom of the hill is The Arbour.
Stay at the Erie Beach Hotel. Have dinner there the next day and be sure to order at least 4 pieces of toasted Celery Bread for yourself. Each person needs 4... and a relish tray with the horseradish salad and pickled pumpkin. The Erie Beach Hotel is one of the last places with old old country service that is not phoney. It would be what Harvey House of Santa Fe fame was like.
As you leave the Hotel you will see a sign that states "Please Walk on the Grass". Take off your shoes and socks and walk barefoot on the front lawn. It is a meticulously kept golf green with that special grass. The owner is a golf nut. What a great foot massage.
No trains or tracks in Port Dover but the old Grand Trunk Station is there and looks great . It's a gift shop. Just around the corner from the Hotel. The pier and lighthouse are right there too.
Imagine the trains all the way out to the end of the pier, the GT roundhouse right on the beach and steamer ferries along the dock.
It's all good.
I never called them dirty water hot dogs, to me they were just hot dogs. Sabrett's seemd to be the most common of the street vendor dogs. As fas as delis are concerned, I tend to stay away from the Stage and Carnegie type places- I don't need to eat a pastrami sandwich fit for an army! Give me a good neighbourhood deli with Boar's Head meats and that's all I need. Roast beef on a hard roll, mayo, onion, a lot of black pepper and some horseradish.
In Buffalo and points east to Syracuse, a lot of bars will serve what they call 'Beef on weck" which is short for Kummelweck, a German hard roll covered in caraway seeds and crusty salt. I had one once, the salt was too much so I order it on a regular roll now. The roast beef is always awesome. There used to be a place in Syracuse called Clark's Ale House that had an amazing roast beef sandwich for 3 bucks. That was it, the entire menu. Then in Binghamton, the thing is spiedies which is a shish-ke-bob of chicken or whatever served on a bun. Like a souvlaki, just a little different. It's amazing how just a few hundred miles apart food changes so much. 3 hours away in Poughkeepsie, no one ever heard of a spiedie.
The pizza in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York is excellent as well. To all Godfather buffs out there, Niagara Falls is where Fabrizio opened a pizza joint and got blown up in his car in 1958 as revenge for killing Appolonia, Michael's first wife.
I never had a cheesesteak until I went to school at Glassboro State in 1971. They just weren't a North Jersey thing, but new friends turned me on to 'em and there was no going back!
North Jersey and South Jersey are two different worlds!
Anyway, two places in town did a great job with them, Cavalier's Sub Shop and Tarantella's Pizza.
I don't think they're there anymore. Then again, the whole place has been so built up it's just not the place Lady Firestorm and I remember. Last time we drove through I thought to myself "It's all changed. Now I know what a ghost feels like." We won't be going back. No point.
Anyway, whenever I'm in the Philly area I NEVER pass up a chance for a cheesesteak!
With provalone!
A place in Collegeville PA, Franco's, make some good ones! No need to go to the city.
I just found this. The Maestro speaks, and with a little something for the Chicagoland crew...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN5VfiDX_9Q
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Haven't thought about State Line Lookout in years- But, deep fried hot dogs? I didn't know that was a thing.
A little further south in Runnymede, New Jersey is Marino's. It says they have the best cheesesteaks in South Jersey. No arguments from me! When my ship was in drydock in Philly, I shared an apartment with a guy from the ship that was about a mile from Marino's. Best in the world, I'd say!
https://www.marinospizzarunnemede.com/
But here's a funny thing- I was at the Hershey classic car show this past October and there was a trailer selling cheesesteaks. I asked the guy what kind of cheese they used and he, trying to be a hard-ass Philadelphian, said gruffly, "a Philly cheesesteak uses Cheez-Wiz!" I told him that back in the 1970s every place used provolone. I told him about Marino's and how they used provolone and about a place on the west side of Broad Street under the approach to the Walt Whitman bridge run by an ex-Marine and they used provolone too. He finally agreed that provolone sounded better than CW.
To take this back to a railroad subject, I used to ride the Metroliner from NYP to 30th street a lot back then and was always impressed with the rail coverage around Philadelphia. It was all PCC streetcars then. In 1993 I was in King Of Prussia on business and me and some friends rode the Norristown line to the end of the subway and then took it to Dock Street brewing, one of the first decent brewpubs I've ever visited. Boy, a cheesesteak and a glass of beer would go down good right now!
Penny Trains Nathan's or Hebrew National on lightly toasted Italian bread (with sesame seeds). No cat soup, no moose turds, no nothin! Naked, as some restaurants call them!
Nathan's or Hebrew National on lightly toasted Italian bread (with sesame seeds). No cat soup, no moose turds, no nothin! Naked, as some restaurants call them!
+1
I'm a Chicagoan, but I've always felt that "fully dressed dogs" are just a cover up for tasteless wieners.
Time to put in a plug for the "home folks," and reduce my self and Overmod to tears of frustration, homesickness, and wails of "I wanna go HOME!"
Deep fried hot dogs, melt-in-your-mouth-burgers, great fries, and the late, great Anthony Bourdain's favorite "happy place," I'm talkin' about...
https://www.bringfido.com/restaurant/3928 Great picture!
"Dogs, burgers, and brew, since 1932!"
Let's go inside!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6KTFzTVLcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oitr2haKEaM
And, now it's a "historic site," if that's the right term...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX-L8o69_rU
And not far away, for good eats THIS place is well worth a visit!
https://www.njpalisades.org/stateline.html
"Refreshments" doesn't do it justice! They've got a full-line menu of platters cooked fresh. Not-super fast but more than worth the wait!
And you can't beat the view!
Yes, 2.5 would have solved 1, but even stowing away on a barge isn't possible any more. I have a British car here and it has performance issues when there is excess dihydrogen-monoxide mixture richness. For a change, not a Lucas thing. I suspect it would also have severe traction issues; they are bad enough in a few inches of snow.
There is a somewhat further problem with going by way of Buffalo: it looks as if it's fairly minor roads from there all the way back, and over, to Port Dover (Rt 6 is the preferred route there from the east, right?) and the trip time likely excessive for even 12" of dog. I'd be taking 20 up to Buffalo anyway, not just for watching what I still call the Water Level Route but because there is a lengthy stretch of pavement on 90 that broke both front shocks on the Jaguar when I went to Buffalo to fix crApple's latest update-related bricking, so even longer trip time ... but that's all moot if the place is closed 'til spring.
I'm lazy ... when will it be open for 'best experience'?
My son is at Mercyhurst so I expect to be in this 'neck of the woods' on and off for the next several years, if I live that long. So spring is a tempting possibility. Are there any known-good 'poutine opportunities' on the way? I don't care if it squeaks.
54light15I'm in Plymouth Michigan every summer for the Concours of America car show and I will be trying their dogs!
Don't miss the pizza, either, if you can still eat that stuff. Worth NOT missing even if you need a plausible-denial excuse...
Miningman- next time I'm in Port Dover I'm going to check Arbour's out and Backshop- the same for Buddy's. I'm in Plymouth Michigan every summer for the Concours of America car show and I will be trying their dogs!
Are you in Erie, PA? Long ways from Memphis.
2.5 problems for you on this.
1) Lake Erie... 40 miles across but 250 miles around to get from Erie to Port Dover via Buffalo... via Detroit even further.
2) The Arbour closes in the winter. No set date but they stay open until winter has taken a firm hold. For sure they are closed now.
2.5) The Ferrys no longer run at all... used to be plenty, from Cleveland, from Erie, from Buffalo but they are all in the past because we are very dumb people and civilization is dead.
As to Lesters, well, I recommend yellow Mustard ( use French's) and a monster Kosher Dill pickle fresh from the brine barrel is good. Their custom made sodas are ... well... unique.
I suppose now might be the time to ask the Canadian consensus on Lester's. What do you dress them with?
The Arbours is less than 40 miles due north of me. There is only one slight problem.
Overmod Buddy's does do it right, including knowing where pepperoni should go if you don't want it withered. Is Farmington Hills still the best location?
Buddy's does do it right, including knowing where pepperoni should go if you don't want it withered. Is Farmington Hills still the best location?
I'll take a Schneiders Foot Long Red Hot on their fabulous steamed home made buns with their home made specialty mustards any day. Available only at The Arbour in Port Dover, Ontario.
Can't buy a Coke or Pepsi either, they only serve and make their own home made fresh drinks on site .. the Pineapple and Loganberry are my favourites but there are several others. Golden Glow ( orange) is the most popular. Definitely worth it!
Best fries and so consistent anywhere. Malt, Cider and white vinegars. Unbelievable selection of condiments. Red skin peanut parfaits a foot high. Walk up outside counter service only. Big counter takes orders 6-8 at a time. Big parking lot. Lake Erie around the corner.
Been there over a hundred years.
Sometimes life is kind.
( back in da day one could watch very close by the Lake Erie & Northern interurbans one way and the other way Canadian National steam from 2 branches, Hamilton and Brantford. You could hear the NYC Hudsons and Mohawks whistle on the CASO. Wabash and Pere Marquette too... now that's a day of railroading ..... and guess what?... every single bit of it is gone.... the Arbour is still there though)
See, the problem is that you need dirty water for the dogs to get the authentic New York Sabrett's vibe. I don't know if Chicago has a special mix, but I bet they do... simmer them long and simmer them right.
Hmm, that sounds like something I'd try gladly!
Mustard. You know, I've tried Dijon, Grey Poupon, Kosciusko, you name it, but I keep coming back to Guldens. The only thing I don't like about Guldens is that squeeze bottle they put it in now! Solid black, so you can't see when the end is coming! I miss the jar!
Live in the present? Feh! It's so much nicer here. I was in Italy in 2004 (is that present enough for ya?) and the pizza sure wasn't much to write home about and Flintlock is right, New Jersey, NYC and Buffalo all have excellent pizza, better than any I've had anywhere in Europe and that's a fact, Jack! There's good pizza here in Toronto too. For good pizza, you must go to where Italians settled when they came to the new world.
And I sure remember Shofar's hot dogs! Dijon mustard for me and that's all. Brown mustard like Gulden's is excellent and so is Kosciusko's which I buy whenever I'm in Buffalo- superb on smoked meat which is the Canadian version of Pastrami.
charlie hebdo Perhaps you should try living in the present?
Perhaps you should try living in the present?
Overmod 54light15 But, it was years before I learned about the Whitefish. Hey Wayne, how about one of Jersey's very finest:
54light15 But, it was years before I learned about the Whitefish.
Hey Wayne, how about one of Jersey's very finest:
Ah, smokin' hot Joan Jett! But the thing is, she ain't a Jersey Girl. She was born in Pennsy, raised in Maryland and LA. Maybe she LIVES in New Jersey now but I haven't been able to determine that.
She's got a Jersey Girl vocabulary though. Almost as colorful as Lady Firestorm's! Almost. She's still a beginner.
Amusement parks? I'll give you an amusement park. I'm sure Overmod remembers this one, or maybe he's a bit too young? For all I know he may be the baby of the group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkNVwV5zquM
And the classic commercial, or maybe this belongs under "Transit?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjVF0IKKlZc
Hot dogs? Gimme one with mustard, good BROWN mustard! That's all I need! And preferably a Hebrew National, Nathans, or Sabretts if there's any around. Boars Head is a pretty good one too. Shofars were a great brand as well, but they're not made anymore.
Pizza? Anywhere in North Jersey, pick a place, they're all good! There's more pizza expertise in North Jersey than you can shake a stick at!
54light15 Well- it was excellent to my 6 year old self. I wasn't exactly a connoisseur (thanks!) back then. Here we call hot dogs from street vendors, street meat. People here (not me) put all kinds of garbage on them. Corn! Olives! Who the hell puts that stuff on a hot dog? Chicago style pizza? That's more like a lasagna type of food than pizza. Apples and oranges for that, comparing theirs to anyone elses. Best pizza? Not in Italy, that's for sure. Pizza in Naples in the 1970s when I was there in the Navy was a disc of bread with a mashed up tomato on it including seeds, skin and the stem, a sprinking of nasty tasting cheese, one olive and one anchovy. Take one bite, throw in the nearest garbage can. I can only hope it's better today.
Well- it was excellent to my 6 year old self. I wasn't exactly a connoisseur (thanks!) back then. Here we call hot dogs from street vendors, street meat. People here (not me) put all kinds of garbage on them. Corn! Olives! Who the hell puts that stuff on a hot dog?
Chicago style pizza? That's more like a lasagna type of food than pizza. Apples and oranges for that, comparing theirs to anyone elses. Best pizza? Not in Italy, that's for sure. Pizza in Naples in the 1970s when I was there in the Navy was a disc of bread with a mashed up tomato on it including seeds, skin and the stem, a sprinking of nasty tasting cheese, one olive and one anchovy. Take one bite, throw in the nearest garbage can. I can only hope it's better today.
Perhaps you should try living in the present? The experiences of servicemen in foreign countries ~40 years ago are pretty irrelevant to the present day. For the record, my impression of Italian pizza in Naples or Rome over the last 20 years is very positive, as confirirmed by many pizza parlors here serving something similar, including wood-fired ovens. New York- style pizza is much better than the increasingly passe Chicago-style deep dish or double crust glop.
An amusing story. In Michigan, hot dogs with chili, onions and mustard are known as coney dogs and are served at "coney islands". Years ago, my BIL and I were at Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. We were eating at the food concession and noticed something called the "Michigan hot dog". We asked the waiter what it was. He had previously worked at Fort Mackinac in northern Michigan and he laughed. He told us that it was a coney dog. I found it ironic that in NY, it has a MI reference and in MI, it has a NY one.
PS--the best pizza is Buddy's.
CSSHEGEWISCHExcellent hot dogs at Nathan's?? Surely you jest. The hot dogs are infinitely better at Portillo's.
Chicagoans think their pizza is better, too. Heck, they'd claim Chicago-style New York cheesecake would be better.
And perhaps they are. But there's no reason to go full-court San Francisco and denigrate others too...
[PMs are down with all the other IT wackery, so I have to note connoisseur here. Fix it and I'll delete these two sentences...]
54light15 I also remember going to the Nathan's that was a counter right on the street (Surf Avenue?) where I couldn't see over the top of the counter. But wow, the hot dog and french fries were excellent!
I also remember going to the Nathan's that was a counter right on the street (Surf Avenue?) where I couldn't see over the top of the counter. But wow, the hot dog and french fries were excellent!
Excellent hot dogs at Nathan's?? Surely you jest. The hot dogs are infinitely better at Portillo's.
54light15But, it was years before I learned about the Whitefish.
I was last in Coney Island in about 1961. I was six years old and I sort of remember the steeplechase building but I don't remember going inside. I did ride the Wonder Wheel and the Thunderbolt roller coaster. I also remember going to the Nathan's that was a counter right on the street (Surf Avenue?) where I couldn't see over the top of the counter. But wow, the hot dog and french fries were excellent!
But, it was years before I learned about the Whitefish.
Dreamland:
Luna:
Steeplechase:
Today parks are judged against Disney. But back then it was these three magnificent parks against which all others were judged.
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