You say Po-TAY-to....

I say Po-TAH-to....

And I say HOLY COW...look at the size of THIS!!!!


This, ladies and gentlemen, is a "Giant Spud"...from McAllister's Deli, one of my favorite places to eat. This was the first time since the place opened late summer (2007) that I tried the potato, in all its glory. I KNEW that they were big...but not like this. Folks, that is MY hand next to it! I kid you not...this thing was at least 10 inches long....a meal in itself. And yes, it WAS yummy.

Now, McAllister's Deli is my favorite place for many reasons. They make a decent sweet tea (which is usually only available in the SOUTH...Nestea in a can is NOT sweet tea!), and have a "tea club card" so you get a punch every time you buy one (only size only...HUGE!). They also have amazing prices for KID meals.

You see, I live right next to Panera Bread. I love to go there, but hate taking kids because they won't eat most of the stuff on the menu. We end up settling for the PB&J sandwich meal (I cringe about paying for PB&J's since I can MAKE those at home for next to nothing!). This meal, at Panera, costs $4.59. For a PB&J sandwich, chips and yogurt (only strawberry, no other choices, so that means that Scotty can't have it, since he's allergic). Not much for alternatives...and not particularly healthy.

Now...McAllister's....they sell a PB&J for $0.99. That's right...NINETY-NINE CENTS. For the MEAL. Which consists of the sandwich, a "side" (and since you can actually CHOOSE the side, it's most often a fruit cup!) and a small packet of Teddy Grahams. The "MacDog" and the macaroni and cheese meals are also only 99 cents. Now THAT'S worth it. They have a GOOD selection of kids items, those mentioned above, along with a kid "pita pizza" and sandwiches. So it's a good place to eat. I don't feel so bad throwing away a small piece of a 99 cent sandwich...but I'd probably force-feed my kids or bring stuff home from Panera in order to justify the cost.

Anyway - McAllister's has some great sandwiches too...they have a Mufalatto ("olive salad" and hams on a great flat bread) that kicks! And all their sandwiches are great...I've had several different kinds, and like to try a new one every time (though I go back to the mufalatto often). So, if there's a McAllister's near you (look at the link above and see if you can locate one!), you should try this place!!!

Hungry?

If not, I hope the following pictures will make you reconsider!

Chicken with pineapple salsa, Rice Pilaf, mixed greens, from The Radisson - Junction City, KS
Crème brûlée cheesecake from Washington Street Grille - Junction City, KS
Tiramisu from Washington Street Grille - Junction City, KS

Now, lest you think I am the one who ate all of this, I ALMOST did. Actually, the chicken and the cheesecake were mine. The tiramisu belonged to a friend of mine. We belong to OCSC (Officers and Civilian Spouses Club) and had attended the monthly luncheon. Several of us were still quite hungry after our meals (at The Radisson), so we headed out for dessert. I couldn't help but photograph my friends and the desserts. One photo didn't come out quite as nice as I would have liked; it was Double Chocolate Oreo pie. I'm posting the picture simply because even if it is not quite CLEAR, you can STILL discern the absolute yumminess of it!
Double Chocolate Oreo Pie from Washington Street Grille - Junction City, KS

Notice the wonderful presentation for the desserts. Sometimes, just getting a NICE LOOKING plate makes a huge difference. Can you see the word "Enjoy" written in caramel on the tiramisu? Washington Street Grille has a small selection of desserts, but I have had (or tasted) most of them now, and they are ALL fantastic.

And of course, the company was wonderful too. They all balked at getting their photos taken. I took them anyway! Here are two of the gals I was with:

This is Sandra. I met her in Germany. Her kids and my kids are pals! We have hit the milestone of our youngest children being the age that our OLDEST children were when we met! Our birthdays are a day apart, though we call her the baby of our "group"...since her husband, my husband and I are all at the 40+ mark, and she's not there yet!
This is Cassandra...she didn't want me to take her picture at ALL. This was taken on the sly, and I think it is beautiful. She is a lovely woman with a ready smile and lots of energy. She has to, she sells Partylite and has young kids!

We had one other friend there, but her picture came out even blurrier than the oreo pie! She was laughing and she moved just as I clicked. I will get a picture of Lori eventually! Lori is quite an amazing woman. She is the mother of SIX children! Her husband is a nurse in the Army, and recently, Lori was accepted into the Army nurse corps and will be attending training at the end of March.

Primanti Bros.

As promised, the post about Primanti's (the locals prounounce it Prah-MAN-ees, no T involved!) restaurant in Pittsburgh. There's a lot of history behind the place. The food, well, it's AWESOME. They have great pizza. It's a local favorite. They support the local sports teams (Go Steelers!).

But the best thing about the place? The sammiches (sandwiches!). Here's where you can read a brief history of Primanti Brothers

This restaurant chain has been featured on the Food Channel as one of the best places for sandwiches. They tell the story as follows: Truckers used to stop in for lunch on their way in and out of the Strip District. They wanted to be able to take their meals with them, so the owner of the restaurant put the fries and coleslaw right on the sandwich.

Now - this sounds kind of disgusting at first. But listen closely, and your mouth will WATER:

My favorite sandwich is the cheesesteak.

Take a thick slice of freshly baked Italian bread, about 1 inch thick. Add a slab of meat and cheese (the meat is not a chopped thin steak, it is more like a slice of meatloaf, but it doesn't TASTE like meatloaf). Top this meat with home cut, FRESH french fries, skins still on, cut right at the restaurant. Add a large pile of the special Primanti's coleslaw, which is not a creamy, mayonnaise-based slaw, but a sweet and sour version. Add other toppings if you'd like (I stick with tomatoes, but you can put onions on too). Top all of that with yet another thick slice of Italian bread. It's not served on a plate...it is served on wax paper. This is a meal worth savoring.

The Primanti Bros. Sandwich

Halfway done - great cross-section!!!!
We took Scotty in for his very first visit to Primanti's. Hannah wanted to stay home and eat pancakes at grandma's instead. Of course I photographed him enjoying the place! Of course I will share these photos!


Daddy and Scotty - not the greatest shot of the boy, but Dad looks handsome!!!
Scotty concentrates on coloring - natural light shot!

5 places I love to eat...

I was tagged by Military Mommy on my top five places to eat at my CURRENT location. This kind of stinks, because one of my all time favorite places is her #1...but I don't have it here....waaaaah!!!

So - here are mine:

List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your current location.

1. Sonic - yes, Suzanne, I am doing this just to torture you (JUST KIDDING!!!). I LOVE this place, even though they no longer serve the shake that reeled me in, hook, line, and sinker (that would be the chocolate-covered cherry shake). But c'mon...it's a drive-in (or thru, whatever floats your boat). The servers wear roller skates (most do, anyway). They have awesome stuff (I totally adore their chili-frito wrap!). The kids aren't too keen on it, but they don't mind it once in awhile, which is a good thing, for I'd be a blubberifous whale by now!

2. Los Cazador - Christy, I'm sure you remember this place, lol! This is sort of a local chain Mexican food restaurant. Christy at My Three Gifts who was my good friend in Bamberg and had lived here before, tells a story of how the place got raided for illegals once...but it might have been the JC restaurant. In any case...it reminds me of my favorite restaurant in Augusta, GA, called Mi Rancho. They make their cheese quesadillas just like Hannah likes...they have a "to die for" quesadilla that rivals Mi Rancho's "Quesadilla Espescialle". And the kids love it there...oh...and best of all? SMOKE-FREE, which is something that not everyone in this town appreciates.

3. China Buffet - or something like that...they've changed the name a few times..it might be Bamboo Garden or who knows....but they have a FANTASTIC Chinese buffet. They have Bubble-eye goldfish in their tank (along with fantail, bubble brain and some angel fish) that can entertain the kids endlessly. Hannah is always up for going to this place. Scotty loves the red jello (that's about all he'll eat sometimes!). I can get good crab rangoons...so hey, I'm happy.

4. Gambino's Pizza - okay - not a restaurant, but we have two kids...how often do we REALLY get out to eat??? But they have great pizza, awesome good deals, and they deliver for free, and are pretty quick...even if they make fun of my street name and call it bush....it's BRUSH, folks!

5. Baskin-Robbins/Dairy Queen - okay, not really for the food, but the desserts. After spending a year in Germany and having the "Baskin Robbins 6 flavors" store, it was almost overwhelming to see over 48 flavors in our local store. It's not a "Baskin Robbins/Dunkin' Donuts" (though I'd KILL for a DD in this area!!!), but a full-fledged BR! And it ties with DQ, because now DQ has the Wafflebowl sundaes, and I can get a chocolate drenched waffle bowl, with vanilla icecream, covered in the "dilly bar" chocolate that hardens up, with REAL strawberry topping...oh YUM!

Okay...so I am supposed to tag 5 people for this: So, I tag, Susan, Suzanne, Lisa B, Debbie, and uh...hmmm...who else....well, I'll shoot for Amy M or Charmaine....have fun, ladies!