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Burlington, North Carolina In October, Don and I took a road trip that involved a few days visiting our son, who moved to Burlington, North Carolina two months ago. Burlington is known as the Stocking Capital of the world... no big food titles here. However, we enjoyed some memorable food adventures in Burlington!  I didn't get any food pics from of our best Burlington food experience. That was the night that Scott grilled some local sausages, from a quaint downtown Food Co-op. We sat in these wonderful chairs, which should give 3 bonus points for Scott's great meal! Zach's Hot Dogs Scott's girlfriend, Chali is in her third year at nearby Elon University. She introduced Scott to Zach's a year ago. Zach's has been serving the best dogs since 1928!  On a Saturday afternoon we were lucky to be seated without a long wait and we were even luckier to get Travis as our waiter! He served us our drinks and dogs in record time, all the while grinning and chatting! 3 Bonus Points for Zach's big smile in the picture! The prices are amazing at Zach's. Not only are the menu items cheap, but they are oddly priced. 1.79 for a hot dog I believe! Cheese! Not everyone would be impressed by cheese splattered glass...but I love getting to watch food prep anywhere! 2 bonus points for having glass there! (or my camera would have been splattered) And did you know that you can get a cheese dog without the dog?! That's only $1.39!  I will give Zach's 4 points for hot dogs! They remind me of White Castle Burgers, back in St. Louis! You kind of feel a little guilty for eating them...mostly because you are tempted to down about 5 at a time. But I have to give a negative 1 Bonus point for not getting to meet the current Zach! His grandfather emigrated from Greece in 1928 to open this fine place. (different location) Well maybe next time! Biscuitville Each of our 4 mornings in Burlignton started at Biscuitville. (mostly because Scott does not have a coffee maker in his apartment) We did sample the biscuits one morning!  Each of our 4 mornings in Burlignton started at Biscuitville. (mostly because Scott does not have a coffee maker in his apartment) We did sample the biscuits one morning! Thelma Even though there is a fast food- chain feel to Biscuitville, Thelma greeted us with a "0ne of a kind smile" each morning! "Welcome to Biscuitville, will you dine in or have carry out!" 4 bonus points for Thelma!
I asked Thelma if she had any idea how many biscuits they made per day and she laughed and shook her head. "Why, I never even thought about that!" Which I thought was odd, because I would think about it daily if I worked there! I don't have the answer about the biscuits, but on the website, Burney Jennings (son of the original flour broker) claims they go through 28,600 pounds of flour per week! Viewing Window
Got to love a place that has a viewing window...for biscuit making! Biscuitville got its' roots in Burlington in 1966, when flour broker, Mr. Jennings opened two bread stores. Bread stores became pizza shops, then a family biscuit recipe lead to 50 Biscuitvilles in North Carolina and Virginia.
Burlington gets 11 Points for Dining Fun! (Of course these points don't make sense, because they are combining a few dining experiences. Oh well.)
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Okay, DJ's Deck is not International...  ...but it needs to go into the Dining Blog for quirky regional dining! Top Tuna  Most folks, whether they arrive by boat or bike or Dusty Honda Element, will remember this place for the oysters. However, I will always remember it for the curious characters! On a balmy Tuesday evening, we arrived just in time to see the grimy TOP TUNA pull up to the dock with 2 days worth of shark! You can see I am admiring the colorful plastic overalls on my new friends, Dwayne and Tom. 6 Bonus points for this very salty people encounter! Tom and Dwayne  Dwayne's son worked with Tom at record speed, unloading about 20 headless sharks, then prepping them for the seafood shop next to DJ's. They went at these slippery fish with big hooks and knives, grumbling and laughing and answering all my stupid questions. I learned about all the government regulations that make fishermen mad...like having to "deal with the shark 2 times!". Only the beheading can be done off shore. Shark  Most of the shark went into a big cart which was rolled into the seafood shop. But the shark fins were piled into the basket and sent off to China, for shark fin soup...according to Tom! Dwayne, on left said he won't eat shark anymore. He was hoping "Mom" would cook spaghetti and meatballs that night, before they headed out to sea in the morning. Food at DJ's  Since it was October...a month with an "R", Don and I ordered a dozen oysters. I'm no authority on oysters, but I at least enjoy the idea of eating oysters in Florida. 3 points to DJ's for food. Hey, the oysters were a little small. ( as if I really even know what I'm talking about when it comes to oysters) Oyster Memory 40+ years ago when I lived in Florida, I remember my parents devouring oysters at Posie's Pool Hall near St. Marx. The 4 Meyer kids cringed while we sipped our Cokes and whined about the fact there was no food on the menu besides oysters. I remember wanting to climb the big mountain of oyster shells ouside Posie's.  I was curious why there was no such mountain outisde DJ's. When I questioned our server about what they did with all the oyster shells, he just shrugged. "We just put 'em in the trash. The trash is really heavy when you carry it out." Negative 1 point for no oyster shell mountain! Sunset  5 big old bonus points for DJ's having one of the nicest viewing spots for the sunset. Since my younger years in Florida and California were closer to the gulf and Pacific, I kind of forgot we would only see the sunrise from Daytona. But the colorful Adirondack chairs at DJ's, provided a perfect spot for viewing the Halifax River with rocking boats and glowing sun!
DJ's gets a TOTAL of 13 POINTS!! Turkish Food with Heidi  My daughter Heidi has always enjoyed food! 2 bonus points for having her home for the weekend from Austin and getting to add her to the Diverse Dining List blog! Her dinner manners have improved quite a bit since this picture 22 years ago, but she still enjoys and ponders the flavors with the same intensity! Upper Kirby, in Houston  Heidi and I got on the internet to brainstorm what kind of food we had never tried. It had to fit into our small window of time mid Saturday and it needed to be casual so Heidi could wear her only clean clothes, a Michigan tee shirt. ( the washer did numerous loads over the weekend!) So we decided on Turkish food at Turquoise Grill, on Upper Kirby. After 45 minutes of driving, (half the time in road construction traffic) we arrived at this small restaurant, tucked into the ground floor of a mid-rise office complex. We put aside all our grumbling over traffic when we were greeted by owner/chef, Yilmaz "Jim" Dokuyucu upon entering! Jim Jim, with his huge smile and turquoise shirt showed us to the table...with turquoise napkins. (do like that color...1 bonus!) We talked for about 10 minutes, about everything from Jim's degree in chemical engineering to his work in textiles... to the mayor of Sugar Land and of course his passion for his restaurant.  Then Jim brought over two young, Turkish grad students who work with him and we all chatted some more! As I've said before, my dining ratings have only so much to do with food. "People encounters" at restaurants rate highly and Jim and his friends could not have been more welcoming and delightful! 6 bonus points!. The Food
 A basket of complimentary shepherd's bread arrived early, sprinkled with sesame seeds and an olive oil, feta and herb dipping sauce. Heidi and I agreed this was worth the 45 minute drive! Mixed Grill  We had to be careful not to fill up on bread, which we also dipped into an order of hummus. Then, we shared a platter of mixed grill. The refreshing cucumber dip and veggies helped balance out the hearty, perfectly seasoned and tender chicken, lamb and tenderloin. My favorite was actually the gyros, which was a surprise to me. I expected them to be be less tender, but they melted in my mouth with a bit of the jasmine rice! Sucuk Pide  I expected Turkish food might taste a little like Greek or Middle Eastern, but the Turkish brick oven offered us some different surprises! This Sucuk Pide, which is described as a calzone with Turkish beef-sausage, was a real treat! I have to admit I kind of like pizza and calzone oozing with extra cheese...but now I'm a fan of this fresher tasting dish with feta cheese and lighter, crispy dough. The sausage added a little zing, too. Yea! Baklava and Turkish Tea After we finished our meal, Jim insisted we relax a little longer with some complimentary baklava and Turkish tea. ( he said the extra baklava was for Heidi) Not only was that a generous gesture, but it was a nice reminder that in this day and age you really can linger over lunch.  How different a meal experience is, when you sit back and sip on something warm. (even on a hot day, Jim insisted) True! Ah, to relax after a meal...however, I can't tell you how I hated it when my parents ordered coffee after a restaurant meal, when all I wanted was to get back home and play. But there is something so satisfying about savoring the dining experience! Food Points!! I usually give 5 points at the most, but I'm giving 5 plus 2 bonus for the great food at Turquoise Grill! Limited Pics  Now this is just a woven wall hanging I found in the hall near the restroom, but I'll use this photo to describe the atmosphere of the restaurant. I have no interior shots, since I was trying not to click my camera obnoxiously at the few diners! I liked the European deli feel of this quaint place. There's nothing new and flashy about it, like I'm assuming you'll see at the new Turquoise Grill that Jim has just opened in Sugar Land. But I like the casual layout with framed maps and photographs on the walls. I like seeing a few diners who seem to be regulars and might even be Turkish. Once again, I like a place that takes me on a trip somewhere else. This is as close to Turkey as I may ever get! So 5 bonus points for atmosphere! Total points for Turquoise Grill - 21!!! Oh yes my ratings continue to climb!
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
March 2022
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