Gibson's Donuts

We stopped at Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN on our way out of town for breakfast. I knew they had an impressive neon sign, which we didn't get a great picture of due to the lighting at the time of day we were there, and I knew the place seemed to have a following.
Inside it was your pretty basic donut shop with cases of donuts, coffee and people enjoying said goodies. What caught my eye almost immediately was what looked to be a red velvet cake donut starting at me from the case.

Indeed it was a red velvet donut, and it was wonderful and rich, topped with the perfect cream cheese icing.
They also had real cream for their coffee, none of that powdered crap.
The icing on the cake for this stop, though, was meeting the owner, Don, in the dining room and having a nice chat with him about the remainder of our vacation plans. He told us about the Memphis zoo and also clued us in to a restaurant called Middendorf's that serves thin fried catfish in Louisiana. We had a thoroughly enjoyable conversation with him and we will be "regulars" at Gibson's now any time we are in town.

Gibson's Donuts
760 Mt. Moriah Rd.
Memphis, TN 38117 

Arcade Restaurant

We've been to Memphis, TN many times, but on our visit this summer I decided to see what type of historic restaurants were in the area, since we love soaking in the character of these beauties. I came up with the Arcade Restaurant, Memphis' oldest restaurant, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to their web site, Greek Speros Zepatos founded the restaurant in 1919. In the 1950s, his son updated the restaurant to it's current diner style. The Zepatos family still runs the restaurant.
The attractive Arcade has even been featured in scenes from many movies.

We rode our bikes to the Arcade for breakfast, but another great way to arrive is via the Historic South Main street car line, which will take you on a scenic route through one of Memphis' restored business districts. We used the street cars a lot on this trip, and they are very beautifully restored. Each ride was only $1 (make sure you have exact change) and the drivers were friendly and helpful. A helpful rider also told us that day passes can be purchased for just over $3.


Arcade Restaurant  
540 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103

Brown's Fine Food

Last weekend we set out for points west in Illinois to visit a restaurant my husband has been wanting to try for about a year.

Alas, our food choices were not to be had when we got there, so we hit the road again and kept our eyes peeled for another option.

We drove into Canton and soon a retro sign complete with arrow caught the attention of both of us at almost the same instant: Brown's Snappy Service.

I love spotting old signs, and it's even better when the business still exists and lives up to the legacy.

A lucky break! Brown's Fine Food was open so we walked in and found the place comfortably worn around the edges, with about a dozen stools mounted in front of the white, gold-flecked countertop.

Tables lined the wall behind, stretching back into a narrow back room.

We took seats at the counter to better check out the old equipment and decor, and looked over the menu while our server went to get us some iced teas.

Entrées were reasonable: chicken fried steak for $5.75, two smoked pork chops for $6.75, fried chicken for $6, all served with two sides plus bread a butter. Sandwiches started at $1.70 for the sandwich alone and $3.20 for a platter.

StfRon asked the gent serving us if the hamburgers were frozen, and he said no. Then he asked if they were thin patties, and found out they were. Our server added that they are very good, so that was enough for us.

I ordered a cheeseburger platter and StfRon ordered a bacon cheeseburger platter. Both came with fries and cole slaw.

Our food came out quickly, the burgers tasty as promised, complete with crispy edges, creamy cheese and soft buns.

The fries were a similar cut to McDonald's fries, but I enjoyed their crispness and taste much more than any Mickey D's fries I've had in the last decade.

The slaw was a creamy style, and the portion was pretty generous.

Brown's has been providing snappy service since 1937, and the original building is still intact. There have been some additions over the years, but I had taken notice of the ceiling over the grill area while waiting for my food before I knew about the add ons and you can still

imagine what the little place must have been like in its heyday.

Mounted to a post next to the old host stand area there is a neat photo of the original building.

I'm glad the sign caught our attention.

Brown's Fine Food

124 N Main Street

Canton, IL 61520

Charlie Parker's

We first heard of Charlie Parker's on Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives.

My husband was in Springfield, Illinois one day for work and called me around lunch time to ask if I could direct him to the place so he could check it out.

He's been a regular ever since.

I had a chance to visit Charlie Parker's myself last month and found the 50s-themed restaurant, located inside a former WWII airplane hanger Quonset hut, bustling on a late Saturday morning.

There is counter seating, booths along the wall, and we ended up at a table in the middle of the room, one of the last two open.

Since it was Saturday and since they serve breakfast all day I had breakfast, but my husband's standard fare at Charlie's is the Springfield classic, a horseshoe. The pork tenderloin shoe topped with tater tots, I believe.

Everything we ordered was very good, and though the corned beef hash is not the same as you find at most places (this version is homemade), it was great.

If you like extreme food, you can go for the challenge of finishing a four stack of their giant pancakes. If you do, the cost of your four flapjacks will be on the house.

Charlie Parker's is open seven days a week but is not open for dinner, offers daily specials, and gets even more kudos from me for having a bike rack on site.

If you're looking for comfort food in a unique building, Charlie's should be on your list.

Charlie Parker's

700 North Street

Springfield, IL 62704

Whitehouse

The Whitehouse is a long-standing restaurant in Logansport, Indiana, we visited in early October of this year.

Most of the signs on the building listed the name as one word, but there was a sign listing it as two words as well.

The exterior is charming and time-worn, a small stone diner-style building with an old Coca-Cola logo board atop a rusty sign proclaiming the restaurant name.

We took a seat at one of the 13 small counter stools and were immediately able to order drinks and soon were sipping them, perusing the menu.

Along the countertop was a jukebox, and there was a full size one near the door.

We found by talking to the woman running the grill that this Whitehouse is considered Whitehouse number one and that at one time there were three or four of them. This location, opened in 1941, is the only one remaining.

Their ground beef comes from a local Cass County meat locker, I believe she said it was called Royal Center, delivered fresh daily. They hand make the burger patties once the meat arrives at the restaurant.

I was going for the Whitehouse burger, which we were told has cheese and bacon on it, until our grill master told me about the spicy chicken sandwich, an all white meat chicken breast breaded with a peppery mix.

When she brought it out from the back to place it on the grill, presumedly frozen and institutional, and I feared I may have made a bad choice. Once I tried it though, I was happy with my selection. The chicken breast was hot and juicy and the seasoning on the breading was delicious.

My husband had a double cheeseburger, after a discussion about how thick the patties were. He was assured he wanted a double, and was pleased with the sandwich.

The prices were incredible compared to what we see in Illinois: $2.30 for a double cheeseburger. Our entire meal, including two drinks, an order of onion rings and a slice of sugar cream pie, was less than $10.

In addition to the counter seating, there are four booths along the wall.
The Whitehouse opens very early, 4 a.m., and closes fairly early as well. On the Saturday we were in, they closed at 1 p.m.
Next time I am in the area, the Whitehouse will certainly be on my list.

Whitehouse

87 S 6th Street

Logansport, IN

Triple XXX Family Restaurant

Driving through Lafayette, Indiana one time, my husband and I noticed a rather gaudy orange and brown striped building on the hill. We saw a sign that said Triple XXX, and wrote it off as some odd college shop or bar.Much to our surprise while watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network a few months later, we recognized the orange and brown building, which was featured on a burgers episode.

It was then that we decided the next time we were in Lafayette, we had to check the place out.

Why the name Triple XXX? The restaurant was named after a root beer brand of the same name sold in the 1900s.

There were once several Triple XXX root beer stands. Besides the Lafayette, IN location, one remains in Issaquah, WA.

Arriving at the restaurant in Lafayette in late August, we pulled up to the former drive-in area, which was filled with tables of people waiting to get inside and eat.

On this Saturday, it didn't appear that they were offering curb side service, and I am not sure if they do so anymore.

Walking in, we were told that it would be a few minutes wait for seating inside, so we started to head out to wait, but just as we reached the door we were told to grab a couple of the round orange vinyl stools that had just opened up.

All of the seating in the Triple XXX Family Restaurant is counter seating, and depending on which section of the room you're in, you may be starting across the oval counter at someone sitting just across from you.

The restaurant has been serving up chop steak burgers (from sirloin ground in house) since the late 1920s, so of course we both selected items off the burger menu, after ordering a chocolate malt for me and a root beer for my husband. After the fact, I noticed they had butterscotch malts and wished I had ordered one of those.

I decided to be a bit adventurous with my meal after seeing this description on the menu: "The Duane Purvis All-American - A very special taste treat! 1/4 lb. of 100% ground sirloin served on a toasted sesame bun with melted cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Spanish onion and French fries. Add thick creamy peanut butter on the lower deck and you're in for the touchdown!"

While we waited for our food, my husband headed to the small ATM located in the corner of the restaurant, as the only form of payment accepted was cash. He headed back to his stool, and soon our food arrived.

Surprisingly, the peanut butter was not a big standout when I bit in to my burger, but was more of an interesting side note.

I would not be shocked to find myself putting some peanut butter on a burger some time in the future, but if you had told me that before I tried the Duane Purvis, I would have thought you were crazy.

The fries were okay.

The restaurant is currently open 24 hours and also serves breakfast.

The thing I enjoyed about dining at the Triple XXX was the hustle and bustle of everything, and the fun of people watching while basking in a bit of history.

Triple XXX Family Restaurant

2 N Salisbury St

West Lafayette, IN 47906

Lou Mitchell's

We popped by Lou Mitchell's this July when we had a bit of time to kill near Union Station waiting for a flight in Chicago.
In business for more than 85 years and located near the start of Route 66, the restaurant has history on its side.
There were about three groups ahead of us waiting for tables, so we crammed inside the door to wait. A server carrying a wicker basket of donut holes gave us each one as we waited, however, no one offered me any of the Milk Duds I saw in the basket nearby, guarded by a note that said the hostess would give them out.
The bustling restaurant has a spartan diner decor, complete with old coat racks at the tables, which I could imagine festooned with hats and trench coats in the 1920s. Round globe lights grace the ceiling.
From the looks of things, we missed the boat by not ordering breakfast, but instead went with a couple of burgers and hand cut fries, which were fine. The big standout to me was the hamburger buns. They were covered in sesame seeds. There must have been hundreds of them, and I enjoyed the buns a lot.
They squeeze their own orange juice, which I would like to try next time, along with some of their breakfast options.
We also noticed several patrons enjoying small cups of ice cream, which the restaurant gives out as well.

Lou Mitchell's
565 W Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60661-5701

Route 66 Garage Sale

June 12 and 13 marked the third anniversary of the Route 66 Garage Sale, and that Saturday we decided to check it out for the first time.

The towns involved included Atlanta, Lincoln, Broadwell and Elkhart, all in Illinois.

We didn't find much of interest at the garage sales themselves. Maybe all of the goodies were snatched up on Friday before we got there.

We spoke to a gentleman at Krotz & Sons in Lincoln who said that the first year these garage sales were held, people lined up their wares along Route 66. This time, the sales were found by following many hand made signs weaving back and forth into neighborhoods, which made it a bit difficult for people not familiar with the area.

We did take the opportunity to do a bit more exploring of the Route 66 area while we were out.

I found out that the Palms Grill Café in Atlanta had recently been reopened for breakfast and lunch, and seeing that they served chocolate malts, I decided this would be the perfect time to stop in and sample one.

The back of the menu read: Step back in time at the Palms Grill Café. The Grill, as folks in town called it, opened in August 1934 in "the center of Atlanta on Rt. 66", serving locals and travelers alike. The Grill provided home-cooked meals, plus Bingo games and weekly dances in the backroom. Atlanta's children took advantage of its weekday "School Children's Plate Lunch" — which included a "choice of three meats and two vegetables and drink" all for 45 cents! The Grill was the local Greyhound Bus Stop, so if you wanted to catch the bus, you just flipped the switch for the light on the bottom of the Grill's large neon sign. The original Grill closed in the late 1960s. The Atlanta Library and Museum, along with generous financial support from Atlanta citizens, the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, and the National Park Service's Rt. 66 Corridor Preservation Project, have recreated the Grill so it can once again serve Rt. 66 travelers and folks of this fair community.

Why the name "Palms Grill Café"? Atlanta local Robert Adams was inspired by the palm trees

he saw in California while on a trip there. When he returned to Atlanta to open a restaurant, he wanted to be reminded of the sunshine state, so he named the establishment The Palms Grill Café and ensured that a live palm three was included in its interior decor.

I loved the decor of the restaurant, from the marble countertop where we enjoyed our wonderful chocolaty malts to the white

tin stamped ceiling, to the tile on the bathroom floor. Almost everything looked clean and new, yet period appropriate.

There was even an old refrigerator behind the counter (you can see a glimpse of it behind our malts), which we assumed was just for display, but we got a kick out of seeing our server grab hold of the old curved metal handle to pull open the door, revealing a nice array of fresh pies inside.

Even the glasses and saucers we were served with seemed period appropriate. There were a lot of nice touches used.

Moving down the road to Lincoln, we stopped at an antique store downtown.

Stepping out of the car, we noticed a retro looking metal box hanging on a pole near the curb.

Thinking it might be a meter of some sort, I looked at the name plate on the front: Traf-O-Teria, which gave me a chuckle.

My husband walked into the antique store as I was snapping a photo, and the lady inside was laughing and asked if I had never seen a ticket payment box before.

Our next stop was Broadwell, where we got out at the Pig Hip museum and visited with the former owner and his wife. Very nice folks! I felt like we would have been at home stepping up into the kitchen and joining Ernie at the kitchen table while he ate his lunch.

The Pig Hip Restaurant operated from 1937-1991, then housed Route 66 memorabilia until fire destroyed the building in early 2007.

There are several photographs, newspaper stories and books on display at the site.

Our last stop on the route was Elkhart.

We checked out Horsefeathers wares, then headed out to Springfield for a late lunch.

I soon realized that we had forgotten to look for an attraction I had heard about in Elkhart, the 1915 John P. Gillett Memorial Bridge, so on our way back home we hunted it down.

This photo does not do the bridge justice. The arch is very tall, and the area is heavily wooded and beautiful, with trees creating a lovely shady canopy over the bridge.

The bridge was built by Emma Gillett Oglesby in memory of her brother, John Parke Gillett, and was on the "Ten Most Endangered" historic places list in Illinois in 2005. The bridge has since been stabilized.

On our way to the bridge along County Road 10, we saw a beautiful cemetery, supposedly haunted by the ghost of Emma Gillett Oglesby. From this website I learned her ghost: still visits the (Oglesby) tomb. However, as she kneels before the vault she is interrupted by a group of spectral Indians who chase her off across the bridge leading over the road by the cemetery. A number of photographs have captured weird phenomena as mist and apparitions, not seen by the eye, appear in pictures. A swirling vortex was photographed over one grave. At the back of the cemetery there is a fence separating the grave yard from the woods. Here, people have reported seeing dark colored apparitions and hearing the sounds of voices and footsteps.

The cemetery is also very beautiful, flanked by intricate iron gates. The gates are Gillett memorial gates erected November 1939. Again, it was difficult for me to capture how beautiful these were with my point and shoot.

In the cemetery we also saw a wonderful Gothic stone chapel, the John Dean Gillett Memorial Chapel, which is the only privately owned and operated church in Illinois.

The chapel was built by the wife of John Dean Gillett.

Palms Grill Café

110 SW Arch Street

Atlanta, IL 61723

Elkhart Cemetery, John Dean Gillett Memorial Chapel and railroad bridge

County Rd. 10 (700th Street)

Elkhart, IL 62634

Highland Park Diner

We originally visited the Highland Park Diner in mid July, 2007.

When I found out we would be coming through Rochester, NY, I made note of the address of the Highland Park Diner so we could stop by and visit this landmark.
When we drove up to the building, we were instantly charmed by it.
The diner is an original 1948 art-deco styled diner manufactured by the Orleans Diner Company, still occupying its original location.
It may be the only surviving one of this manufacturer, as only two or three were produced.
Most of the interior was removed in the 70s, but it was purchased by a new owner in the 80s and restored.
We tucked into a cozy booth in the back corner and admired the retro decor, from the quilted stainless backsplash to the neon lining the arched ceiling.
The Highland Park was cool and clean, the service friendly and the food was good.
We even tried the apple pie because apparently Conde Nast voted in best apple pie a few years back. It was good, but I won't say it was the best apple pie I've ever had. But if I ever find myself anywhere near Rochester again, I will definitely be back.

Highland Park Diner
960 Clinton Ave S
Rochester, NY 14620

Mickey's Diner

Mickey's Diner is a gem nestled in the shadows of towering downtown office buildings in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The diner was manufactured in New Jersey and made its way via rail to St. Paul where it has been in operation since the late 1930s.
Mickey's was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
I had to stop in, knowing it was so close to my destination.
Despite having a light breakfast at 7:30 a.m., I figured I could squeeze in an early lunch. I set out on foot, and arrived around 10 a.m.
I pulled open the original art deco styled door and stepped inside. I took my place at one of the dozen or so counter stools, facing a small glass tower of single serving desserts.
The diner retains its original character and charm, with stainless steel and decorative mahogany trim throughout.
I took note of the signs lining the wall near the ceiling which stated Mickey's is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
I was promptly greeted by the server who offered me a menu and some coffee. Since I'd already had a couple of stout cups, I went with some iced tea.
Perusing the menu, it didn't take me long to decide I would go for the Classic.
The staff of Mickey's seemed to enjoy their work and were friendly and cheerful, often singing along with the oldies music. Waiting for my food, I felt right at home.
My meal arrived around 10:15 and consisted of a cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun accompanied by three generous slices of dill pickles, a gut busting serving of thick shreds of hash browns good, greasy and browned to perfection and a cup of Mulligan stew. Everything was great. I finished almost all of the hearty stew, all of the burger and about half of the potatoes.
My waitress offered me some more tea when I got low, but I had plenty.
Sadly, I soon had to be on my way, so I went to the register to pay my bill. Mickey's does not accept checks, and you can't put your tip on a credit card.
Starting down the sidewalk, I passed a gent who had been sitting next to me and had stepped outside for a smoke. He bid me a nice day and I was on my way.
As I walked back to my destination, I reflected on the fact that the Minnesotans I encountered on my trip were very nice. I hadn't heard the term Minnesota nice until I was in the thick of it, and I certainly found it to be true on this visit.

Mickey's Diner
36 7th St. W
St. Paul, MN 55102

Hamburg Inn

We visited the Hamburg Inn the weekend of November 4, 2007

This weekend took us to Iowa City, and the Hamburg Inn No. 2, Iowa City's oldest family restaurant, recommended to us by our friend Minney.
The little place was packed when we got there, so we sat at the counter, facing boards listing menu items. The shakes & malts board caught my attention, with the choice of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, butterscotch, strawberry, blueberry, cherry, pineapple, orange, lemon and maple. We placed our order for a butterscotch malt.

The back wall of the Hamburg Inn, established in 1948, is covered with political advertisements and memorabilia.
From their web site: " The Hamburg Inn story began in the mid 1930's when Joe Panther started Hamburg Inn on Iowa Avenue." There were, at one time, three locations of the Hamburg Inn. Number 2, launched in 1948, is the last remaining location.
For lunch, I had to try the sweet potato pancakes, so I ordered just one, and a California burger, topped with cheese, avacado and pico de gallo.
StfRon went with a bacon cheeseburger, fries and chips. The chips were homemade, toasty brown, and pretty good. The burgers served are 1/2 pounders.
The sweet potato pancake was huge, enough to almost cover a dinner plate. The sweet potato and spice flavor is subtle; at first I thought it was just an ordinary pancake, but it's a nice change.
The butterscotch malt was awesome. I might have to make several more trips back to to get my fill!

Hamburg Inn
214 North Linn
Iowa City, IA 52245