WOW!
That is about the best way I can start this blog. We went to Tina's about a month ago, I just haven't taken the time to write about it yet. This cozy little place is located at about 6th and South street. I use the word cozy because the restaurant seats around 20 people with no elbow room to spare. Tina's is dripping with character from head to toe. The walls are adorned with knick-knacks, old photos, and NASCAR memorabilia. I have been wanting to try this place for quite a while and we had attempted to go there a few weeks prior, but they close at 11am on Saturday's and I'm not quite sure if they are open on Sunday's.
More importantly the food is AMAZING! We all went with our "usual's"- Pancakes and bacon for Z, biscuits and gravy for Abby, and ham and eggs for myself. Tina's really sets itself apart by making everything fresh, from scratch. Luckily we arrived when we did because Abby got they very last of the biscuits and they are something that shouldn't be missed. Abby rates them near the very top of her list, maybe THE best in the city after our recent re-visit of Two Twins. I stole a bite of Zander's pancakes and they were top notch. Very light and fluffy and the taste was amazing. (I realize I'm using the word "amazing" a lot, but no other adjective will do.) My ham and eggs were good but the real star of the show was the hash browns. From the way they tasted I wouldn't be surprised if they shredded each potato to order. They really tasted that fresh. Heck, everything tasted that fresh. After eating their potatoes it is easy to tell what you are missing when you go to a places that gets them frozen out of a bag.
The service was friendly and the food came quick. Even when I try to be nit-picky I can't think of anything to complain about. Tina's Cafe is doing everything right. Homemade, made from scratch food, that is simple yet extremely delicious. My new "Best Breakfast Place" in Lincoln.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Shoemaker's vs. Shoemaker's
If you are unaware the owners of the longtime truck stop on West O street called Shoemaker's split a year or two ago and one of them built a new Shoemaker's directly across the street from the old one. The new place brought the name with them and the old place is now called the Cobbler Cafe. My friend Michele gave me the idea to try both places and then blog about which Shoemaker's is better.
New Shoemaker's:
We decided to try the new place first on Halloween morning. The new building is very large and very nice and when we arrived the restaurant was about 90% full, but we didn't have to wait to be seated. It seemed to take quite a while for the waitress to come to the table. Took a while to get our drinks. Took a while a get the waitress to come back to take our order. And that was just the beginning of the waiting.
Abby ordered her usual B&G's, Z his usual Pancakes and bacon, and myself ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs. It was the first thing on their menu and listed as their "specialty". Sounded good to me.
A while after ordering we noticed something very odd: No one in our entire section of the restaurant had any food. You could tell people were getting restless, and finally when the table next us got theirs they informed the rest of us in the hungry mass that it took an hour and fifteen minutes from the time they ordered. A gentleman at the table at the opposite side of us joked about having to change his order from breakfast to lunch.
An hour after ordering we finally got our food. I'd like to say it was worth the wait, but it wasn't. Abby's biscuits and gravy had no visible signs of sausage in them and the biscuits were overly chewy. I would rate my chicken fried steak as average at best. The coffee was ok, but I never did get the cream that I asked for. Z had no complaints about the food, and thankfully they had crayons for him to color with. I wish I could say more about the food specifically, but it's really nothing to write home about. (Man, that is a very lame but true pun)
Old Shoemaker's:
Yesterday we ventured out to the old Shoemakers, now the Cobbler Cafe. Joining us for breakfast was the Arney family. The restaurant was busy but we were seated right away. We arrived before the Arney's so we were not in any sort of a rush, but neither were the wait staff. Right away I started to notice a trend between the two Shoemakers. It took 20 minutes for them to bring menus, two of them for the six of us. I cant remember how long after that it took for them to return take our orders, probably not less than 15 minutes. After we ordered I really wondered if they completely forgot about us. It was nice having another family there for the conversation, and the two kids seemed to keep each other occupied.
Finally, after a solid hour most of our food came. Biscuits and gravy for Abby, pancakes and sausage for Z, Aleena had toast and scrambled eggs, an omelet covered in chili for Josh (Josh had to wait for his omelet), and the "Benedict Arnold" for Christy and myself. The "Benedict Arnold" is a layer of hashbrowns topped with eggs and Canadian bacon then topped with another layer of hashbrowns then smothered in hollandaise sauce. They have several varieties of these hashbrown monstrosities and all of them looked pretty good.
The food at the Cobbler Cafe was tons better than the new Shoemaker's. I liked the Benedict Arnold quite a bit, and I would go back and have it again. Christy agreed. Zander finished his pancakes and sausage without taking and breath and even stole a piece of toast from Josh. Abby's biscuits and gravy were very good even though they were lukewarm by the time she got them. They were the sausage biscuit sandwich covered in gravy variety, and the sausage was remarkably good. After finally getting his omelet, Josh said that it was good.
To me it seemed like the Cobbler Cafe offered a lot more variety than the new Shoemaker's and there are several other items that I'd like to go back and try, if I have the time. They had some gigantic homemade cinnamon rolls that looked phenomenal.
Verdict:
In the battle of Shoemaker's vs. Shoemaker's I have to say the the OLD place wins. The Cobbler Cafe's food was better but both places tried VERY hard to lose this battle. I would caution anyone from trying either place without a couple hours of your day to kill.
Here is an off the cuff rating that I just came up with:
New Shoemakers:
Food - C- Service - F
Old Shoemakers:
Food- B Service - D-
New Shoemaker's:
We decided to try the new place first on Halloween morning. The new building is very large and very nice and when we arrived the restaurant was about 90% full, but we didn't have to wait to be seated. It seemed to take quite a while for the waitress to come to the table. Took a while to get our drinks. Took a while a get the waitress to come back to take our order. And that was just the beginning of the waiting.
Abby ordered her usual B&G's, Z his usual Pancakes and bacon, and myself ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs. It was the first thing on their menu and listed as their "specialty". Sounded good to me.
A while after ordering we noticed something very odd: No one in our entire section of the restaurant had any food. You could tell people were getting restless, and finally when the table next us got theirs they informed the rest of us in the hungry mass that it took an hour and fifteen minutes from the time they ordered. A gentleman at the table at the opposite side of us joked about having to change his order from breakfast to lunch.
An hour after ordering we finally got our food. I'd like to say it was worth the wait, but it wasn't. Abby's biscuits and gravy had no visible signs of sausage in them and the biscuits were overly chewy. I would rate my chicken fried steak as average at best. The coffee was ok, but I never did get the cream that I asked for. Z had no complaints about the food, and thankfully they had crayons for him to color with. I wish I could say more about the food specifically, but it's really nothing to write home about. (Man, that is a very lame but true pun)
Old Shoemaker's:
Yesterday we ventured out to the old Shoemakers, now the Cobbler Cafe. Joining us for breakfast was the Arney family. The restaurant was busy but we were seated right away. We arrived before the Arney's so we were not in any sort of a rush, but neither were the wait staff. Right away I started to notice a trend between the two Shoemakers. It took 20 minutes for them to bring menus, two of them for the six of us. I cant remember how long after that it took for them to return take our orders, probably not less than 15 minutes. After we ordered I really wondered if they completely forgot about us. It was nice having another family there for the conversation, and the two kids seemed to keep each other occupied.
Finally, after a solid hour most of our food came. Biscuits and gravy for Abby, pancakes and sausage for Z, Aleena had toast and scrambled eggs, an omelet covered in chili for Josh (Josh had to wait for his omelet), and the "Benedict Arnold" for Christy and myself. The "Benedict Arnold" is a layer of hashbrowns topped with eggs and Canadian bacon then topped with another layer of hashbrowns then smothered in hollandaise sauce. They have several varieties of these hashbrown monstrosities and all of them looked pretty good.
The food at the Cobbler Cafe was tons better than the new Shoemaker's. I liked the Benedict Arnold quite a bit, and I would go back and have it again. Christy agreed. Zander finished his pancakes and sausage without taking and breath and even stole a piece of toast from Josh. Abby's biscuits and gravy were very good even though they were lukewarm by the time she got them. They were the sausage biscuit sandwich covered in gravy variety, and the sausage was remarkably good. After finally getting his omelet, Josh said that it was good.
To me it seemed like the Cobbler Cafe offered a lot more variety than the new Shoemaker's and there are several other items that I'd like to go back and try, if I have the time. They had some gigantic homemade cinnamon rolls that looked phenomenal.
Verdict:
In the battle of Shoemaker's vs. Shoemaker's I have to say the the OLD place wins. The Cobbler Cafe's food was better but both places tried VERY hard to lose this battle. I would caution anyone from trying either place without a couple hours of your day to kill.
Here is an off the cuff rating that I just came up with:
New Shoemakers:
Food - C- Service - F
Old Shoemakers:
Food- B Service - D-
Monday, November 1, 2010
Virginia's Travelers Cafe
I remember eating at Virginia's with my parents when I was a kid. Ironically enough this was the first place that I took my son. Abby and I were brand new parents and we had been home with our new baby Z for a week or two when cabin fever started to set in. I don't know why we chose Virginia's, I hadn't been there for close to 20 years, but that is where we had our first family outing. Our first meal together at a restaurant. Walking in the doors after all that time was like stepping into a time machine. Absolutely nothing had changed. For those of you that haven't been to this hidden gem it's whats most people would call a "greasy spoon". To me that term is a really poor way to describe the place. It is a throw back to the classic cafe. No frills, good food, large portions and an even better price. I cant remember for sure what I ate but a good guess would be ham and eggs for me and french toast for Abby. Probably more food than any sane person could eat for a total of around $12 or so.
Virginia's has turned into our old standby. When the line at the other place is too long or we just can't decide where to go we head to Virginia's. We know we are going to get good food at a great price. The last time we ate there we had tried to go to The Engine House with my parents, grandfather, and brother. We arrived at The Engine House at the same time as everyone else in Havelock so we headed up the street a way's to Virginia's. I think the total bill for all seven of us was $48 and everyone was stuffed.
Abby doesn't rank the biscuits and gravy very high but she really likes the french toast. Lately I've kind of jumped all over the menu but I've never had anything that I didn't like. Go eat there, you wont be disappointed.
Virginia's has turned into our old standby. When the line at the other place is too long or we just can't decide where to go we head to Virginia's. We know we are going to get good food at a great price. The last time we ate there we had tried to go to The Engine House with my parents, grandfather, and brother. We arrived at The Engine House at the same time as everyone else in Havelock so we headed up the street a way's to Virginia's. I think the total bill for all seven of us was $48 and everyone was stuffed.
Abby doesn't rank the biscuits and gravy very high but she really likes the french toast. Lately I've kind of jumped all over the menu but I've never had anything that I didn't like. Go eat there, you wont be disappointed.
Greenfields
I need to start this off by saying we did not intend to go to Greenfields. In my mind I had lumped it into the same category as Village Inn, Perkins, and IHOP. Not saying that those places are bad, just that I view them all as being the same. They are corporate owned and basically have the same menu. Everything is "OK" but nothing is outstanding. Our original destination, Stauffer's Cafe, is not open on Sundays and we didn't know that till we drove to the other side of town. Geenfield's came up so we headed that direction. The parking lot was packed, but we didn't have to wait more than a couple minutes for a table. For being extremely busy I thought the service was very good.
Abby ordered her staple biscuits and gravy, Z had is usual pancakes and bacon, and I ordered some sort of sampler consisting of eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and bacon.
Abby rates their B&G's as average or slightly below. The were a slightly different take on the classic. A sausage patty placed on a biscuit split in half then covered in white gravy. Essentially a sausage sandwich covered in white gravy. The gravy itself had virtually no flavor, which she found disappointing. Z rates his meal as "good" and he was happy that they had crayons to occupy his time while waiting.
I thought the pancakes were pretty good, probably second to Two Twins but the real star was their breakfast potatoes. They are a cross between home fries and mashed potatoes, I guess I could call them "smashed home fries", and they were amazingly good. They seemed to be cooked in the left over sausage grease with little pieces of sausage in the potatoes. Next time I go back I'm just going to order a big plate of them and skip everything else. I love potatoes, I could eat them every day. These are the best potatoes I have ever eaten. Abby agrees.
Even though Abby doesn't rate this restaurant very highly (two separate "Top Lists" coming soon) I disagree. Eating at Greenfield's taught me two things: 1. Leave my preconceived notions about restaurants at home. and 2. Good food can be found anywhere. Point number 2 drives home point number 1.
Abby ordered her staple biscuits and gravy, Z had is usual pancakes and bacon, and I ordered some sort of sampler consisting of eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and bacon.
Abby rates their B&G's as average or slightly below. The were a slightly different take on the classic. A sausage patty placed on a biscuit split in half then covered in white gravy. Essentially a sausage sandwich covered in white gravy. The gravy itself had virtually no flavor, which she found disappointing. Z rates his meal as "good" and he was happy that they had crayons to occupy his time while waiting.
I thought the pancakes were pretty good, probably second to Two Twins but the real star was their breakfast potatoes. They are a cross between home fries and mashed potatoes, I guess I could call them "smashed home fries", and they were amazingly good. They seemed to be cooked in the left over sausage grease with little pieces of sausage in the potatoes. Next time I go back I'm just going to order a big plate of them and skip everything else. I love potatoes, I could eat them every day. These are the best potatoes I have ever eaten. Abby agrees.
Even though Abby doesn't rate this restaurant very highly (two separate "Top Lists" coming soon) I disagree. Eating at Greenfield's taught me two things: 1. Leave my preconceived notions about restaurants at home. and 2. Good food can be found anywhere. Point number 2 drives home point number 1.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Two Twins
So this culinary journey of ours really started at Two Twins on North Cotner. I had read about it on the Lincoln Journal Star website, and had been wanting to try it for a while. On Fathers Day we decided to give it a shot.
Being that it was Fathers Day we had no expectation of getting seated quickly, and we did have to wait for a half hour or so for a table. Waiting was enjoyable though, being that they bake everything in house and the place smells terrific. I think that I ordered the usual (ham, eggs, white toast), Abby had the biscuits and gravy, and Z ordered pancakes and bacon.
Now for Abby to say her biscuits and gravy were good would be an understatement. They are now what all B&G's are measured against. The bar has been set. I tried them and they are amazing I can not argue against her position on this at all.
My "usual" breakfast was fine. Ham and eggs, just like I've eaten a million times. An old favorite, just like putting on your favorite pair of jeans. Its what you expect and what you like but... the best thing I ate that day was not what I ordered.
Zander had his "usual" as well. Pancakes and bacon. He typically doesn't finish all of his meal, so while we were waiting for the check I tried a bite of his pancake. AMAZING! I can honestly and without a doubt say this was the best pancake ever created by man. For once I was glad that he didnt eat all of his meal. More pancakes for me!! I'm really not even a pancake kinda guy. I eat them, and they are usually OK, but never like this. I can hardly put into words how good they are. Go there and order them.
That day we learned a few things about Two Twins:
1. All biscuits and gravy wish they could be their biscuits and gravy.
2. They make the best pancakes on the entire planet. (I'm kinda getting sick of talking about them, but they are THAT good)
3. They have the top spot on our list, and it will take a heck of a lot to dethrone them.
4. The line at the door wasn't because it was fathers day.
Being that it was Fathers Day we had no expectation of getting seated quickly, and we did have to wait for a half hour or so for a table. Waiting was enjoyable though, being that they bake everything in house and the place smells terrific. I think that I ordered the usual (ham, eggs, white toast), Abby had the biscuits and gravy, and Z ordered pancakes and bacon.
Now for Abby to say her biscuits and gravy were good would be an understatement. They are now what all B&G's are measured against. The bar has been set. I tried them and they are amazing I can not argue against her position on this at all.
My "usual" breakfast was fine. Ham and eggs, just like I've eaten a million times. An old favorite, just like putting on your favorite pair of jeans. Its what you expect and what you like but... the best thing I ate that day was not what I ordered.
Zander had his "usual" as well. Pancakes and bacon. He typically doesn't finish all of his meal, so while we were waiting for the check I tried a bite of his pancake. AMAZING! I can honestly and without a doubt say this was the best pancake ever created by man. For once I was glad that he didnt eat all of his meal. More pancakes for me!! I'm really not even a pancake kinda guy. I eat them, and they are usually OK, but never like this. I can hardly put into words how good they are. Go there and order them.
That day we learned a few things about Two Twins:
1. All biscuits and gravy wish they could be their biscuits and gravy.
2. They make the best pancakes on the entire planet. (I'm kinda getting sick of talking about them, but they are THAT good)
3. They have the top spot on our list, and it will take a heck of a lot to dethrone them.
4. The line at the door wasn't because it was fathers day.
The method.
How Abby and I come up with our rankings is pretty subjective. She has made it her mission to find the best biscuits and gravy while I like to try whatever I think sounds good at the time. I could eat ham, eggs over easy, and white toast every single day of the week. Abby was quick to point out to me that no matter where I go the ham and eggs will be the same. That is fine with me because that is my favorite thing to eat, but for the purposes of finding the "best" place in town I have to expand my breakfast horizon. Zander is a pretty big fan of pancakes and bacon. Sometimes sausage.
I try to find out what each particular place does the best, or if they have a specialty and try it. Otherwise I'll try to order a good cross section of what they have on the menu; pancakes, potatoes, assorted meats, you get the idea.
So if one of us is always ordering biscuits and gravy and the other orders something different at each place how can we determine what is the "best"? Well, we argue. Ok, not really, but we do discuss it quite a bit. Basically it comes down to whatever tastes the best. We are simply out to find the best food that this town has to offer.
I try to find out what each particular place does the best, or if they have a specialty and try it. Otherwise I'll try to order a good cross section of what they have on the menu; pancakes, potatoes, assorted meats, you get the idea.
So if one of us is always ordering biscuits and gravy and the other orders something different at each place how can we determine what is the "best"? Well, we argue. Ok, not really, but we do discuss it quite a bit. Basically it comes down to whatever tastes the best. We are simply out to find the best food that this town has to offer.
The beginning.
I've been kicking around the idea of starting a food blog for quite some time. I really like food, but more importantly I like good food. I'll try anything once and if I like it I'll come back again. I figure a food blog would be a good way to share the places we like, the ones we dont like, and hopefully this blog will lead us to new hidden treasures.
So, who are "we"? We're a family of three. Abby, my wife of almost 9 years, our four year old son Zander, and myself, Mike. Being a family with a young son it is hard for Abby and I to get out by ourselves and go to restaurants on Friday or Saturday nights, not as often as we would like anyway. We can enjoy a family breakfast somewhere on Sunday mornings though. We've been to all the chain places too many times so we decided to go to all of the places that we said "we should go there sometime".
That led Abby and I to try to find the best breakfast place in Lincoln. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal, which is weird considering I almost never eat it. Most days I'll grab a granola bar on the way out the door just get get something in my stomach. That probably explains why I love breakfast so much though. I really look forward to it, especially when I have time to enjoy it.
Even though this blog is called "Snodgrass Breakfast Blog" it will most certainly not be limited to breakfasts, even though that is what most of the first post will pertain to. We will also blog about other restaurants that we try, or whatever we find interesting. This blog will be an honest, hopefully unbiased account of where we eat.
I plan on keeping a fluid ranking of the restaurants on the page as decided by Abby and myself. We might have to have two lists depending on how intense it gets. I hope you enjoy reading it.
So, who are "we"? We're a family of three. Abby, my wife of almost 9 years, our four year old son Zander, and myself, Mike. Being a family with a young son it is hard for Abby and I to get out by ourselves and go to restaurants on Friday or Saturday nights, not as often as we would like anyway. We can enjoy a family breakfast somewhere on Sunday mornings though. We've been to all the chain places too many times so we decided to go to all of the places that we said "we should go there sometime".
That led Abby and I to try to find the best breakfast place in Lincoln. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal, which is weird considering I almost never eat it. Most days I'll grab a granola bar on the way out the door just get get something in my stomach. That probably explains why I love breakfast so much though. I really look forward to it, especially when I have time to enjoy it.
Even though this blog is called "Snodgrass Breakfast Blog" it will most certainly not be limited to breakfasts, even though that is what most of the first post will pertain to. We will also blog about other restaurants that we try, or whatever we find interesting. This blog will be an honest, hopefully unbiased account of where we eat.
I plan on keeping a fluid ranking of the restaurants on the page as decided by Abby and myself. We might have to have two lists depending on how intense it gets. I hope you enjoy reading it.
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