trying local food places

Eating On Grand Island: Adrian’s Custard & Beef

Written by tepetravels June 29, 2021November 30, 2021

The boys and I picked up lunch from a restaurant down the street from the campground called Adrian’s. Every time we drove by, there were people there, so we figured it must be good!

We picked up a few things from the menu: hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken finger sandwich, roast beef sandwich, and some custard. The beef sandwich was called a Beef On Weck. The weck is the bun, a bun topped with salt and caraway seeds. The sandwiches were delicious and I loved the taste of the weck bun.

There were a ton of choices for the custard. We tried peanut butter swirl, peanut butter chip, and Kahlua Almond. It was all really good. We got the small, which had 2 scoops!

Exploring Maine, Food

Traveling Lobster

Written by tepetravels June 13, 2021November 30, 2021

One of the things everyone told us to do on the East Coast was to get the local seafood. Massachusetts’ lobster roll left the taste buds wanting and didn’t seem any different than what we could get back home in Ohio.

Maine was sure to be the mecca for lobster, but we waited quite a while to try one, as prices were high. All lobster (and seafood) items were at market prices. We were there early in the season and prices were still high.

After one of our hikes, we surprised Ben with a lobster roll from lunch from the Travelin Lobster, which was a cute roadside store only minutes from the campground. There were outdoor tables to eat at, or you could order it to-go. It was still expensive ($23.95 for a small), but it looked like a lot more lobster than the one we got in Massachusetts.

It came with on a bun, with a bed of lettuce between the bread and the lobster. It also came with a pickle and a bag of chips. Ben said it was cooked well (no “gumminess”) and tasted extremely fresh. The lobster was the star of the meal.

Their lobster is brought in every morning, so once it’s gone it is gone. I would definitely try them if you are near Bar Harbor!

Exploring Maine, Food

Cheesecake On Demand: Momo’s Cheesecakes

Written by tepetravels June 10, 2021November 30, 2021

We were in the mood for something sweet, but a lot of the places were either in downtown Bar Harbor or had already closed. (Lots of places seemed to close pretty early.) We didn’t want to go back into Bar Harbor, as it was getting busy and the parking had been full when we left. After Maps directed us to someone’s house instead of a pie store, Ben found another option. A cheesecake shop that was open 24/7. What?! Yes, please!

Momo’s was located inside a converted garage of the nearby house. There were several display fridges of individual cheesecakes, as well as some whole cheesecakes for sale. Payment was on the honor system and they took cash, PayPal, Venmo, or checks. You could also order a cheesecake and those were placed in a separate fridge. The store had boxes or bags to help carry out your goodies and even had stickers available.

There were so many options that we ended up buying 7 slices to try. Our favorites were the mocha and lemon raspberry. Nick and Ben liked the confetti.

If you are in the Bar Harbor area, I would definitely check this place out!

Video: Walking Through Momo’s Cheesecakes

Exploring Massachusetts, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Salem, Massachusetts

Written by tepetravels May 24, 2021November 30, 2021

We’ve made it to Massachusetts! We have a few things we wanted to see while we were here. We had already been to Boston, since my sister lived there for awhile. However, Salem was on our list of places we wanted to see and it was about 1.75 hours from our campground. It has been on our bucket list for awhile, so we took the trip with my parents who were visiting us.

Salem wasn’t quite what we thought it would be. It was very new, very modern, with only a few historic houses. The The houses under the National Park Service were not open, but the House Of Seven Gables was (had to purchase tickets ahead of time online). The National Park Service had two Visitor Centers for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The boys got a Junior Ranger badge, although the booklets/pamphlets were not available since they were still building some of the exhibits needed to work on the books.

We did get to see the Friendship of Salem ship and walk onto the deck. We were not allowed underneath though (COVID). We walked down and saw the lighthouse as well.

We grabbed lunch at Brodie’s Seaport. I had the chicken pecan salad, which was delicious.

Physical menu on a board outside had pricing, whereas the scan by phone QR code menu did not

I’m glad we went, since it was on our list of cities we wanted to see, but I would not go back again.

Exploring New York, Food, Sightseeing

New York City: Junior’s Restaurant

Written by tepetravels May 23, 2021November 30, 2021

We stopped at Junior’s for a late lunch. They had several locations around the city, but we ate at the 45th St. location near Times Square.

We had a nice seat on the outdoor patio and an amazing waiter. We ordered the Something Else, a Ruben sandwich, and the Brownie and Strawberry Cake Shakes.

We ate dessert first. The Cake Shakes were huge and we all shared them. Our waiter brought out plates, so we took the cheesecake off of the shake glass to eat. Everything was so good. The other cheesecakes on the menu looked amazing as well. Our sandwiches were also good. The Ruben was a big surprise because we are not normally Ruben lovers. However, our waiter recommended it so we gave it a try. It was the best sandwich we had eaten in a while! Their dressing on the side was delicious and really brightened up the sandwich.

If you have a chance to stop at Junior’s, try their cheesecake and a Ruben!

Exploring Pennsylvania, Food

Alaska Pete’s

Written by tepetravels May 16, 2021November 30, 2021

So our initial plan was to go on another hike (not part of the Park Service). We got to the trail and were told it closed at 4:00 (it’s 4:30). It worked out in the end, since this placed charged to hike. We were a little hungry, so we headed back into town and stopped at Alaska Pete’s for dinner. It was a large restaurant and we had seen a lot of signs in the area for it.

It had a fun interior and an interesting menu, although the prices were not cheap. (Milkshake $8.95. Cheeseburger $13.95. Hamburger $12.95. Chicken Sizzler $19.95. Side of Mac & Cheese $3.50. Water $10.) We ordered waters for everyone, but were told that they were not “allowed” to give out cups of water. We had to buy a bottle of water at $2.50 (soft drinks were $3.50). This is the first time we had heard of anything like this, but it’s not like you are going to eat your entire meal without a drink!

It had a neat name, an interesting interior, and a huge outdoor patio that had its own separate bar. The food was ok. They brought some toasted bread to the table while we waited for our food. The burgers were well done (not medium as ordered), the Mac & Cheese only tasted like Velveeta, and the chicken was plain on the sizzler plate. However, the fries were really tasty. The shake was good, although it did not look like what was advertised on the menu. We were full, but I would not go back there again. It was too expensive for what we got.

Exploring Virginia, Food

The Island House Restaurant (Virginia)

Written by tepetravels May 3, 2021November 30, 2021 2 Comments

After exploring Assateague for a few hours, we decided to head back home. We kept seeing signs for The Island House restaurant, so we decided to stop for linner (lunch/dinner).

We asked to eat outside and sat on the back deck on the Bay. It was a great view and kind of peaceful with the water and birds. We saw a couple of fishing boats coming in and out.

The boys shared a Seafood Platter, so they got to try some new foods (flounder, crab cake, scallops). We started the meal with a garlic clams appetizer. They also brought out sweet potato biscuits. The clams were local and the boys seemed to enjoy them. Ben had a soft-shelled crab sandwich. He’s been wanting to try soft shell crab for a while, but we haven’t been in the right season at any of our stops so far, so he was excited to see it on the menu. I got a BBQ pork plate and a side salad. I am not a big fish/seafood fan, although I did try a clam.

The food was pretty good, although maybe a bit more on the expensive side. The boys got to try new things, which is always good. Will liked the flounder, Nick did not. Nick liked the crab cake, Will did not. They both seemed to like the scallops and the clams, which was a little surprising. They tried a bite of the crab sandwich too, which was a hit with all three of my guys.

It was a nice meal and had a nice location. There were lots of little gnats unfortunately, so we didn’t stay for dessert.

Exploring Virginia, Food

Sting-Ray’s Restaurant (Cape Charles, Virginia)

Written by tepetravels April 28, 2021November 30, 2021

For our adventure at Kiptopeke State Park, we stopped at Sting-Ray’s Restaurant to pick up some food for a picnic lunch. The restaurant is attached to an Exxon gas station and other than some taxidermy fish and shark on the walls, isn’t too much to look at. However, we had read several good reviews and wanted to give it a try.

We ordered a few different things to share: a BBQ pork sandwich with fries, an order of hush puppies, a rockfish sandwich, a salad with grilled chicken, a side of coleslaw, and a 3 piece fried chicken with green beans, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. I also got a sweet tea. It wasn’t a super cheap meal at $51.02, but we enjoyed all of it!

The salad was surprisingly good with grape tomatoes, croutons, a mix of lettuces, carrot and onion slices. There were a few radish slices as well, which Nick gobbled up.

The fried chicken was delicious. They had a really nicely flavored breading.

All in all, it was a good meal and just goes to show that you can find good food in surprising places! If you are in the area, I would check it out.

Exploring South Carolina, Food, Sightseeing

Pie Hunting in South Carolina: Carolina Cider Company

Written by tepetravels March 15, 2021November 30, 2021 1 Comment

We are likely posting this a day late as Pi Day was yesterday on 3/14. But, really Pi day is everyday if you are living life well.

We first saw the Carolina Cider Company store while exploring the area around us. It was closed for the day, but that did not deter us. We came back the next day. It was super cute inside with several different types of cider, pies, and jellies.

It was close to closing time, so there were only 3 pies left. We got a pecan apple pie, a small blueberry cider, small Black Bing Cherry cider, and a Muscadine jelly (a type of grape). ($38.80 total)

There was also a coffee shop attached to it, Clockwise Coffee. Ben got a plain coffee and I got a mocha. Mine came with a nice design in it!

Everything was delicious and I am glad we stopped, it was definitely worth the trip.

Hope you had a great Pi day! If you did anything special to celebrate, post it in the comments. I can’t wait to read all about it.

Exploring Georgia, Food

Goose Feathers Cafe, Savannah, Georgia

Written by tepetravels March 13, 2021November 30, 2021

We headed back down to River Street in Savannah. There were so many restaurants to try, that we decided to grab breakfast in the downtown area while exploring the city. We found a great parking spot right on the river and walked around for about an hour. We were pretty hungry and stopped at Goose Feathers Cafe for breakfast.

We got a coffee, a frozen mocha, a Baileys Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pie, a breakfast burrito (eggs, cheese, potatoes, turkey sausage), an “Eggetarian” (poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on a croissant), and a blueberry bagel with cream cheese. ($31.43, plus tip)

It was the boys’ first time trying a whoopie pie, so they thought it was a nice treat. The cake part was a little dry, but the flavor was nice. The Bailey’s and mint were a nice nod to Saint Patrick’s Day.

Everything was good, but Savannah has so many amazing restaurants, I wouldn’t go back instead of trying another new place. The Cafe did have a few tables outside and the tables inside were pretty well spaced out. It seemed they were doing the best they could with the pandemic, although I’m sure the ambiance was not quite the same as it used to be. The inside decorations were really cute with a glass display case and a tin ceiling.

If you have been to Savannah, what were your favorite restaurants?

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