Inaugural Post!! Boston to St. Louis

Hi everybody! Welcome to my new blog about travel and food, which, along with brown paper packages tied up with strings, are two of my favorite things. Here you will find various stories (and reviews) of trips I have taken (past and present) and foods I have sampled. What better way to start than to recount my most recent, "A Culinary Trip Through Those Eastern States." In this journey, my brother and I traveled from Boston to Saint Louis in the summer of 2008. Here goes:

Boston, MA. What trip to Boston would be complete without some coffee and a Boston Kreme Donut from Dunkin' Donuts? According to their website, 1 Boston Kreme Donut holds 270 Calories, or enough energy to load 3 boxes of books into the moving van. Luckily, I had black coffee that morning, saving myself the 105 Calories that come from cream and sugar.

Buffalo, NY. After searching in vain for a Buffalo wing joint on the outskirts of Buffalo, I thought I would have to miss out on authentic Buffalo wings in Buffalo, NY. After we checked into our hotel, we were able to order wings for delivery. So we got some honey sesame wings from Buffalo's Best Pizza and Wings, along with some Deep Fried Cauliflower, which was far superior to its steamed cousin. Mmm mmm.

Cleveland, OH. We met up with some friends in Cleveland for some brunch at First Watch, a breakfast/lunch chain in the midwest. I have now eaten at First Watch in Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Cleveland. Good breakfast fare, and good times with friends.

Squinting, Carew Tower
Cincinnati, OH. Plans to eat Skyline Chili failed because they weren't open past 4pm; I mean, come on; seriously: 4:00? So we decided to try McCormick and Schmick's. It was a very good meal. We also headed to the observation deck in the art deco Carew Tower, the tallest building in Cincinnati. It's a great view from up there, and costs far less than either the Empire State Building or the Sears Tower ($2 for each person). From the 49th floor you can see 3 states, the Ohio River, and all of Cincinnati.



Louisville, KY. Steven's in-laws took us to Lynn's Paradise Cafe for brunch, and we got to experience the Louisville classic. Wikipedia notes that it "is known for its kitschy style in both decor and food," and I must agree. You can shop for all your little oddities in the "World of Swirl" while you wait for your table, and you can view the ugly lamps from the "Ugly Lamp Contest." I decided to go for a half-order of the Bourbon-ball French Toast, which was featured on Food Network's "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay." A decadent breakfast, it was every bit as good as the description on the menu.

Saint Louis, MO. Our final stop on this whirlwind road trip was St. Louis. We were treated to a St. Louis favorite, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, which, according to Wikipedia, "in a poll of St. Louis citizens, 96% would go to Ted Drewes for frozen custard over any other establishment." And when we headed there one summer night, I think about 96% of St. Louis citizens were there; the line looked something like this:
But of course, the wait was worth it, as the Oreo Concrete was very good. Steven and I visited Union Station the next day, and had lunch at Key West Cafe. I had the Alligator Bites, with the Irish Fries (potato slices lightly fried).











Ted Drewes


Alligator Bites