Thank you, Food Network

As mentioned in my previous post, Ben and I have a love for the Food Network. Specifically, Ace of Cakes, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Diners Drive-ins and Dives (from now on will be referred to as "Triple D"). So, when we planned our little trip we for sure had to visit some of the awesome restaurants on these shows. I guess what's so much fun about eating at these places is the fact that 9 times out of 10 you wouldn't just run into them. Plus, we love to try new restaurants and this is a sure way to know that the new restaurant you're going to try is going to be a good one. Added bonus, none of these places are fancy or expensive!
So, we start in Boston where we visited a Triple D called Sam LaGrassa's. It's in downtown Boston and it's known for it's sandwiches, Ruben's in particular. I'm not a fan of the Ruben, but Mollie is, so that's what she had and Ben and I had others on the menu. They were huge and definitely delicious. Now, I really wanted to post the little segment of all of the restaurants, but I can't figure out how to post a YouTube video to the blog, so if you're interested, I'm adding the links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD5Z9npYKzY


Next stop was the Shady Glen in Manchester, CT. This was on Best Things "Cheesy" episode.

This is our awesome car we drove!

This diner has their own cheese made so it will do this:

Crazy spaceship burger

The shakes weren't bad either!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnhyNVcX5fQ

The first night we were in Philly, we just happened to turn on Man v. Food on the Travel Chanel (sorry food network, no props for this one) and the host was in Philly eating not a Philly cheesesteak, but an Italian pork sandwich. The next day we ventured into Reading Terminal Market, which we probably wouldn't have and we are so happy we did because it was the neatest indoor market with a ton of food vendors. We got one sandwich from Dinics, which is an Italian sandwich with sharp provolone, pork and broccoli rabe, and another cheesesteak from Carmen's Deli, which was featured on The Best Thing "Between Bread" episode. Ben preferred Dinics, I preferred Carmen's, but they were both delish!


My favorite stop on our culinary tour was The Pop Shop in Collingswood, NJ (just across the river from Philadelphia). This restaurant was featured in Bobby Flay's grilled cheese Throwdown and we knew we had to visit as soon as we saw the episode because we both LOVE grilled cheese. It's the cutest little diner in the cutest little town I've ever been to. They have a full menu, but they're obviously known for their 31, yes, I said 31 different types of grilled cheese. I had the Calvert, a grilled cheese special featuring Monterey jack cheese, roasted turkey, apple-wood smoked bacon, avocado and balsamic mayonnaise on rosemary focaccia bread. This is the sandwich they made for the competition. YUM! They also had a huge list of ice cream sundaes for dessert. I would probably eat there once a week if given the opportunity. Cole loved his mac and cheese, but he also loved the ice cream of course! Added bonus, their menu was in the form of a newspaper, so we took it with us and have been creating really delicious grilled cheese at home.

Yum-O!

Do I have a little something on my face?

Finally, in Baltimore, we stopped at Chap's Pit Beef, which has been featured on both Triple D and Best Thing "Between Bread" episode. All I have to say here is awesome, tender, bbq beef sandwiches. Oh so tasty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81D8lqg4bnk



We obviously had a lot of fun trying all of these new restaurants and we hope this inspires you to take the time to look up and try some local favorites in your neighborhood or when you travel. You'll get a great meal, support local businesses, and have fun at the same time! Bon Appetite!