Upper Midwest Foodie Tour Summer 2017
The Upper Midwest!! Cheese and crackers, beer and Packers! The part of the country where Amish farmers and basketball fanatics share the road, where it's a "bubbler," not a water fountain and where it's "hot dish," not casserole. The Great Lakes states are great states in my opinion. I met some of the kindest people and had some of the best food of my life on this trip!
I'm really falling in love with road trips. Even though driving under the hot sun can be tiring I have loved driving all over America this summer. In my rush to visit all 50 states I designed a higgle piggle route through Kansas, Nebraska, South and North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri to hit some cities and states I've never visited. After this trip I only have 6 states left to visit! (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, West Virginia, Hawaii and Alaska) As James Brown sang in Living in America, "You may not be looking for the Promised Land but you may find it anyway." I did indeed. Here's where I went and here's what I ate:
I left early Thursday morning from Dodge City and had a very early lunch in Manhattan, Kansas. I quickly learned about the Wildcats vs Jayhawks rivalry as soon as I moved to Kansas so I needed to visit both Manhattan and Lawrence (to see whose food was better.) When I got to Manhattan I had lunch at Fuzzy's Tacos. Two beef tacos, cilantro rice and hash browns. I drove around Aggieville to take pictures and then went to Starbucks for an iced coffee for the long drive ahead. I drove in to Lincoln, Nebraska and thought about eating at LeadBelly again. I had been fantasizing about the burger with the cinnamon roll bun drenched in chili, nacho cheese and chips from last summer. There was no time for a second lunch with five hours left to drive so I walked through the Burlington antique shop and the I Love Nebraska store to buy a coffee mug. I drove on to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and ate at MB Haskett Delicatessen. I'd read about this place online and it was so delicious! I had the pan fried chicken with capers, onions and lemon, some mashed potatoes and pan seared squash. Then I walked up and down Phillips Avenue. The weather was beautiful at sunset. I loved the cute shops, the local patisserie and buffalo themed everything. I then drove another hour north to spend the night in Brookings, SD.
Friday
I drove over to Nick's Hamburgers at 8:00 AM to have a bag of burgers for breakfast. This is the perfect way to start the morning. Nick's was the reason I stayed in Brookings, SD. My new friend Sarah Schaefer grew up there and she had told me about these mouth-watering sliders. They were so delicious with all the toppings: cheese, relish, onions, mustard and ketchup. I also had a breakfast burger with a fried egg on it. I drove on to Fargo, ND and walked up and down Broadway. Fargo was a cool, old city. It reminded me of a gold mining town for some reason with its tough, wind whipped buildings. But it was also charming and homey inside the shops and cafes. I found an Indian/Persian restaurant called Darbar Palace. I was thrilled that it had a yummy lunch buffet. I stopped in Josie's Corner for gluten free cookies (an especially delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookie) and a coffee. And just like that I had finally visited North Dakota. I then headed off to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The city was busy as I drove toward my Bloomington hotel. I checked in and drove down the street to Trader Joe's, World Market and Michael's. For dinner I had the Spanish tapas cheese sampler, white apricots, and jerk chicken from Trader Joe's with bread I'd packed at home.
The Upper Midwest!! Cheese and crackers, beer and Packers! The part of the country where Amish farmers and basketball fanatics share the road, where it's a "bubbler," not a water fountain and where it's "hot dish," not casserole. The Great Lakes states are great states in my opinion. I met some of the kindest people and had some of the best food of my life on this trip!
I'm really falling in love with road trips. Even though driving under the hot sun can be tiring I have loved driving all over America this summer. In my rush to visit all 50 states I designed a higgle piggle route through Kansas, Nebraska, South and North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri to hit some cities and states I've never visited. After this trip I only have 6 states left to visit! (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, West Virginia, Hawaii and Alaska) As James Brown sang in Living in America, "You may not be looking for the Promised Land but you may find it anyway." I did indeed. Here's where I went and here's what I ate:
I left early Thursday morning from Dodge City and had a very early lunch in Manhattan, Kansas. I quickly learned about the Wildcats vs Jayhawks rivalry as soon as I moved to Kansas so I needed to visit both Manhattan and Lawrence (to see whose food was better.) When I got to Manhattan I had lunch at Fuzzy's Tacos. Two beef tacos, cilantro rice and hash browns. I drove around Aggieville to take pictures and then went to Starbucks for an iced coffee for the long drive ahead. I drove in to Lincoln, Nebraska and thought about eating at LeadBelly again. I had been fantasizing about the burger with the cinnamon roll bun drenched in chili, nacho cheese and chips from last summer. There was no time for a second lunch with five hours left to drive so I walked through the Burlington antique shop and the I Love Nebraska store to buy a coffee mug. I drove on to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and ate at MB Haskett Delicatessen. I'd read about this place online and it was so delicious! I had the pan fried chicken with capers, onions and lemon, some mashed potatoes and pan seared squash. Then I walked up and down Phillips Avenue. The weather was beautiful at sunset. I loved the cute shops, the local patisserie and buffalo themed everything. I then drove another hour north to spend the night in Brookings, SD.
Friday
I drove over to Nick's Hamburgers at 8:00 AM to have a bag of burgers for breakfast. This is the perfect way to start the morning. Nick's was the reason I stayed in Brookings, SD. My new friend Sarah Schaefer grew up there and she had told me about these mouth-watering sliders. They were so delicious with all the toppings: cheese, relish, onions, mustard and ketchup. I also had a breakfast burger with a fried egg on it. I drove on to Fargo, ND and walked up and down Broadway. Fargo was a cool, old city. It reminded me of a gold mining town for some reason with its tough, wind whipped buildings. But it was also charming and homey inside the shops and cafes. I found an Indian/Persian restaurant called Darbar Palace. I was thrilled that it had a yummy lunch buffet. I stopped in Josie's Corner for gluten free cookies (an especially delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookie) and a coffee. And just like that I had finally visited North Dakota. I then headed off to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The city was busy as I drove toward my Bloomington hotel. I checked in and drove down the street to Trader Joe's, World Market and Michael's. For dinner I had the Spanish tapas cheese sampler, white apricots, and jerk chicken from Trader Joe's with bread I'd packed at home.
Saturday
I woke up feeling disconnected from the trip. I didn't really want to be a traveler and yet there was nothing at home in Kansas that I needed to be doing either. I drove to Starbucks and ordered my usual iced coffee with hazelnut and read Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood for a while. By the time the coffee kicked in I was ready for the Minneapolis Museum of Art. An hour later when I had thoroughly cocooned my brain in inspiration and the calm that comes with staring at art in a clean white space, I drove to Hennepin Ave. The "Northeast" of Minneapolis is such a great place to explore! There are so many restaurants to choose from and most of them preserve the history of their Eastern European immigrant first owners. I ate a light lunch at Lu's Sandwiches before joining the guided food tour of Northeast Minneapolis that I'd booked in advance. I really loved this tour! For three hours we walked around Hennepin, Central, University and Nicollet Island. The history of Minneapolis is fascinating and our tour guide knew all about the neighborhoods. We had: Kramarczuk's Deli for yummy sausages and red cabbage, Gorkha Palace for pakoras, Lund's Grocery for a cheese tasting, Gardens of Salonica Greek food for baklava and chocolate cornets, Punch Pizza for a ratatouille pizza and Wilde Cafe for gelato.
After the tour ended I went back to Lund's Grocery to pick up some yummy chicken salad and a beet juice cocktail. I bought postcards in some cute shops and a few doughnuts in the very fun Glam Doll Doughnuts, and bought gf beers in Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese. This store was my first favorite discovery of the trip. It even has an outside walk up window to order cheese and pirogues to go. I gathered up all my food loot and had dinner in the hotel in front of Forrest Gump. An hour and a half before the Mall of America was supposed to close I decided to drive down the street to get the lay of the land. Though huge it was simple to get in and out. It was the end of a very busy Saturday at this mall and when I walked in Zara it literally looked like baggage claim had exploded. I explored the first floor and saved the rest of it for the next day.
Sunday
I was so crazy about Hennepin Avenue that I decided to go back there for lunch the next day. I had Italian sausage and spicy sauerkraut at New Bohemia Wurst and Bier Haus and then spent the rest of the day at the Mall of America. As I walked around all three levels and all the food courts and all of Nickelodeon World I remembered why I love malls so much. They are the truest escape from reality. I also know what I have missed the most about living in a big city and what I miss about Memphis in the early aughts. For my birthday every year I used to make a pile of all the "free gifts" coupons I would get in the mail for my birthday. Then on my birthday I would go to the Oak Court Mall and use them. I usually started in Origins where I would get a eucalyptus gum ball out of the machine and then shop at Banana Republic and eventually make my way to Aveda where I would be treated like an honored guest given the delicious earthy tea they serve customers in there. This was long before Memphis had Anthropologie, IKEA, Sur La Table or Penzey's. This was old Memphis. And I found this again at the Mall of America. Though crowded on a Sunday afternoon, there were all my favorite old stores lined up, clean and pristine, full of merchandise to stare at. It was a happy trip to the past. I had dinner in one of the food courts at Shake Shack. I got the SmokeShack Burger that has red peppers on it. Combined with the special sauce it makes the burger taste like it has a layer of pimento cheese. They should just market this burger in the South as the pimento cheese burger. I went back to the room to watch the Travel Channel and pack for Wisconsin.
I woke up feeling disconnected from the trip. I didn't really want to be a traveler and yet there was nothing at home in Kansas that I needed to be doing either. I drove to Starbucks and ordered my usual iced coffee with hazelnut and read Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood for a while. By the time the coffee kicked in I was ready for the Minneapolis Museum of Art. An hour later when I had thoroughly cocooned my brain in inspiration and the calm that comes with staring at art in a clean white space, I drove to Hennepin Ave. The "Northeast" of Minneapolis is such a great place to explore! There are so many restaurants to choose from and most of them preserve the history of their Eastern European immigrant first owners. I ate a light lunch at Lu's Sandwiches before joining the guided food tour of Northeast Minneapolis that I'd booked in advance. I really loved this tour! For three hours we walked around Hennepin, Central, University and Nicollet Island. The history of Minneapolis is fascinating and our tour guide knew all about the neighborhoods. We had: Kramarczuk's Deli for yummy sausages and red cabbage, Gorkha Palace for pakoras, Lund's Grocery for a cheese tasting, Gardens of Salonica Greek food for baklava and chocolate cornets, Punch Pizza for a ratatouille pizza and Wilde Cafe for gelato.
After the tour ended I went back to Lund's Grocery to pick up some yummy chicken salad and a beet juice cocktail. I bought postcards in some cute shops and a few doughnuts in the very fun Glam Doll Doughnuts, and bought gf beers in Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese. This store was my first favorite discovery of the trip. It even has an outside walk up window to order cheese and pirogues to go. I gathered up all my food loot and had dinner in the hotel in front of Forrest Gump. An hour and a half before the Mall of America was supposed to close I decided to drive down the street to get the lay of the land. Though huge it was simple to get in and out. It was the end of a very busy Saturday at this mall and when I walked in Zara it literally looked like baggage claim had exploded. I explored the first floor and saved the rest of it for the next day.
Sunday
I was so crazy about Hennepin Avenue that I decided to go back there for lunch the next day. I had Italian sausage and spicy sauerkraut at New Bohemia Wurst and Bier Haus and then spent the rest of the day at the Mall of America. As I walked around all three levels and all the food courts and all of Nickelodeon World I remembered why I love malls so much. They are the truest escape from reality. I also know what I have missed the most about living in a big city and what I miss about Memphis in the early aughts. For my birthday every year I used to make a pile of all the "free gifts" coupons I would get in the mail for my birthday. Then on my birthday I would go to the Oak Court Mall and use them. I usually started in Origins where I would get a eucalyptus gum ball out of the machine and then shop at Banana Republic and eventually make my way to Aveda where I would be treated like an honored guest given the delicious earthy tea they serve customers in there. This was long before Memphis had Anthropologie, IKEA, Sur La Table or Penzey's. This was old Memphis. And I found this again at the Mall of America. Though crowded on a Sunday afternoon, there were all my favorite old stores lined up, clean and pristine, full of merchandise to stare at. It was a happy trip to the past. I had dinner in one of the food courts at Shake Shack. I got the SmokeShack Burger that has red peppers on it. Combined with the special sauce it makes the burger taste like it has a layer of pimento cheese. They should just market this burger in the South as the pimento cheese burger. I went back to the room to watch the Travel Channel and pack for Wisconsin.
Monday
After a trip to the gym and another hot breakfast at the hotel I drove out of Minneapolis toward Green Bay. Like North Dakota there were lots of cones in Wisconsin set up for miles of construction work. Between these two states I'm wondering if there are any cones left to use elsewhere in the country. A weird thing happened when I was a few miles outside Green Bay. One of my favorite Wham songs had just come on the radio and I was jamming out speeding along at 70 mph with 6 or 7 other cars zooming alongside me. The interstate curved and as we rounded we all came upon a pickup truck parked sideways blocking three lanes of the interstate. All of us slammed on our brakes and my tires screamed to a stop miraculously not hitting another car. My hands were shaking and I wanted to scream at someone! The reason for the sudden stop? The owner of the truck had gotten out of his vehicle and was running around in circles flailing his arms. He was chasing a mother duck and her ducklings! He was shooing them out of traffic. (!!!!!?????) I'm glad this was Green Bay because I'm sure if this had happened in Memphis someone would have shot that man.
For lunch I went to the Green Bay Distillery close to Lambeau Stadium. I ordered the fried cheese curds and had a cup of the best chili I've ever had outside of Cincinnati. Then I drove over to the bay to take pictures and by chance I found the Zippin Pippin roller coaster! I later looked it up and the rollercoaster (built in the early 1900's, located in Memphis at Liberty Land and Elvis's favorite ride) was sold to Green Bay where it's now in use! After that it was on to Milwaukee! As soon as I got to the city I went straight to the Wisconsin Cheese Mart that I'd read about in Food and Wine. I needed to buy cheese for snacking on the next two days. Then I walked across the street to Mader's, a German restaurant for an unbelievably delicious dinner of 5 year aged Wisconsin cheese and sausage plate and stuffed cabbage soup. The waitress brought me a taste of two treats that I didn't order: a sip of Lake Shore gf beer and also pretzel bread. That beer was so good that I bought a 6 pack before I left town. Then I went in Spice Market, a store somewhat associated with Penzey's Spices. One of the relatives of the Penzey's people opened this store separately. I walked up and down Old World 3rd Street and then went back to the hotel for Food Network and Travel Channel time.
Tuesday
My first stop Tuesday morning was the Milwaukee Public Market. I also hit two coffee shops: Anodyne Coffee and Colectivo Coffee, both tasty. As if that wasn't enough coffee, I then stopped in a Starbucks for an iced coffee and a city mug. For lunch I went to Lucky Ginger for tum kha soup and curry rice with shrimp, cashews, and pineapple. I had to eat at this place since I'm a lucky Ginger who travels to all these wonderful cities. Then I went to the Penzey's factory store. I couldn't be in Milwaukee and not visit Penzey's Spices! I've been a fan of their spices for 10 years and it was exciting to see the water tower in Wauwatosa with the Penzey's logo. Then I visited the beautiful and unusual Milwaukee Art Museum and took pictures of it from different angles. I drove back to the Wisconsin Cheese Market, picked up a Subway sandwich and ate it with the butterkass Wisconsin cheddar I'd picked up earlier. I went back to the hotel and spent a couple of hours organizing souvenirs and planning the rest of the trip.
After a trip to the gym and another hot breakfast at the hotel I drove out of Minneapolis toward Green Bay. Like North Dakota there were lots of cones in Wisconsin set up for miles of construction work. Between these two states I'm wondering if there are any cones left to use elsewhere in the country. A weird thing happened when I was a few miles outside Green Bay. One of my favorite Wham songs had just come on the radio and I was jamming out speeding along at 70 mph with 6 or 7 other cars zooming alongside me. The interstate curved and as we rounded we all came upon a pickup truck parked sideways blocking three lanes of the interstate. All of us slammed on our brakes and my tires screamed to a stop miraculously not hitting another car. My hands were shaking and I wanted to scream at someone! The reason for the sudden stop? The owner of the truck had gotten out of his vehicle and was running around in circles flailing his arms. He was chasing a mother duck and her ducklings! He was shooing them out of traffic. (!!!!!?????) I'm glad this was Green Bay because I'm sure if this had happened in Memphis someone would have shot that man.
For lunch I went to the Green Bay Distillery close to Lambeau Stadium. I ordered the fried cheese curds and had a cup of the best chili I've ever had outside of Cincinnati. Then I drove over to the bay to take pictures and by chance I found the Zippin Pippin roller coaster! I later looked it up and the rollercoaster (built in the early 1900's, located in Memphis at Liberty Land and Elvis's favorite ride) was sold to Green Bay where it's now in use! After that it was on to Milwaukee! As soon as I got to the city I went straight to the Wisconsin Cheese Mart that I'd read about in Food and Wine. I needed to buy cheese for snacking on the next two days. Then I walked across the street to Mader's, a German restaurant for an unbelievably delicious dinner of 5 year aged Wisconsin cheese and sausage plate and stuffed cabbage soup. The waitress brought me a taste of two treats that I didn't order: a sip of Lake Shore gf beer and also pretzel bread. That beer was so good that I bought a 6 pack before I left town. Then I went in Spice Market, a store somewhat associated with Penzey's Spices. One of the relatives of the Penzey's people opened this store separately. I walked up and down Old World 3rd Street and then went back to the hotel for Food Network and Travel Channel time.
Tuesday
My first stop Tuesday morning was the Milwaukee Public Market. I also hit two coffee shops: Anodyne Coffee and Colectivo Coffee, both tasty. As if that wasn't enough coffee, I then stopped in a Starbucks for an iced coffee and a city mug. For lunch I went to Lucky Ginger for tum kha soup and curry rice with shrimp, cashews, and pineapple. I had to eat at this place since I'm a lucky Ginger who travels to all these wonderful cities. Then I went to the Penzey's factory store. I couldn't be in Milwaukee and not visit Penzey's Spices! I've been a fan of their spices for 10 years and it was exciting to see the water tower in Wauwatosa with the Penzey's logo. Then I visited the beautiful and unusual Milwaukee Art Museum and took pictures of it from different angles. I drove back to the Wisconsin Cheese Market, picked up a Subway sandwich and ate it with the butterkass Wisconsin cheddar I'd picked up earlier. I went back to the hotel and spent a couple of hours organizing souvenirs and planning the rest of the trip.
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wednesday
Chicago for the day! Chicago is only an hour and a half from Milwaukee so I made it a day trip. I drove to Long Grove Village first. Long ago in the early aughts I used to visit my college roommate Dana and she took me to this village in Long Grove, IL. It's a collection of beautiful old homes that have been turned into specialty stores. It's charming to walk around and it brought back happy memories. I then drove to Wrigleyville and Andersonville for Trader Joe's bread and Chicago souvenir bags. If you know me you know I'm a sucker for a canvas bag or a vinyl bag with a cute logo. My childhood obsession with purses has morphed into this. I ate the delicious buffet lunch at Reza's and shopped in Women and Children First, a feminist bookstore I've shopped in for almost 20 years. I walked along N Clark St and went in cute shops, then drove around West Surf, Broadway, Diversey and all my other favorite streets. I drove down Belmont to make sure the wacky store Hollywood Mirror was still there. I didn't want to drive all the way to the Loop for an Argo bubble tea because I didn't want to get into all the traffic. To my sheer delight there was an Argo Tea on Broadway and a parking spot in front of it! I ordered the mango raspberry cold green tea with fruity tapioca bubbles and nearly fainted when I tasted it! Like most restaurants and cafes Argo tea represents the past. Hanging out in Washington DC with my college friend Rebecca who introduced me to bubble tea plus a tea centered trip to Chicago with my French friend Alice (when we both became Argo tea crazed at the same time). I bought caramel and cheese mixed popcorn in Nuts on Clark and then drove back toward Milwaukee. I stopped in Kenosha, WI at Mars Cheese Castle for the advertised "huge selection of Wisconsin cheeses." Sometimes when I discover a new store that I love I just stand in the middle of it and stare in wonder for a few seconds. Basically I want to move to Kenosha, Wisconsin just to shop at this place daily. Next time I'll eat in the attached bar where people were huddled around tall beers and dark orange cheddar fondue platters. For dinner that night I made a smorgasbord of all the odds and ends I picked up in Chicago and Kenosha and watched TLC.
Chicago for the day! Chicago is only an hour and a half from Milwaukee so I made it a day trip. I drove to Long Grove Village first. Long ago in the early aughts I used to visit my college roommate Dana and she took me to this village in Long Grove, IL. It's a collection of beautiful old homes that have been turned into specialty stores. It's charming to walk around and it brought back happy memories. I then drove to Wrigleyville and Andersonville for Trader Joe's bread and Chicago souvenir bags. If you know me you know I'm a sucker for a canvas bag or a vinyl bag with a cute logo. My childhood obsession with purses has morphed into this. I ate the delicious buffet lunch at Reza's and shopped in Women and Children First, a feminist bookstore I've shopped in for almost 20 years. I walked along N Clark St and went in cute shops, then drove around West Surf, Broadway, Diversey and all my other favorite streets. I drove down Belmont to make sure the wacky store Hollywood Mirror was still there. I didn't want to drive all the way to the Loop for an Argo bubble tea because I didn't want to get into all the traffic. To my sheer delight there was an Argo Tea on Broadway and a parking spot in front of it! I ordered the mango raspberry cold green tea with fruity tapioca bubbles and nearly fainted when I tasted it! Like most restaurants and cafes Argo tea represents the past. Hanging out in Washington DC with my college friend Rebecca who introduced me to bubble tea plus a tea centered trip to Chicago with my French friend Alice (when we both became Argo tea crazed at the same time). I bought caramel and cheese mixed popcorn in Nuts on Clark and then drove back toward Milwaukee. I stopped in Kenosha, WI at Mars Cheese Castle for the advertised "huge selection of Wisconsin cheeses." Sometimes when I discover a new store that I love I just stand in the middle of it and stare in wonder for a few seconds. Basically I want to move to Kenosha, Wisconsin just to shop at this place daily. Next time I'll eat in the attached bar where people were huddled around tall beers and dark orange cheddar fondue platters. For dinner that night I made a smorgasbord of all the odds and ends I picked up in Chicago and Kenosha and watched TLC.
Thursday
I drove through South Bend, IN for lunch and then on to Detroit. Thursday was basically a driving day. I got a late start because I wanted to work out at the gym attached to my hotel one more time. I stopped in South Bend, Indiana because it was a midway point to eat lunch and I wanted to see the Notre Dame campus. After getting through the morning traffic in Chicago the only thing I wanted to see was lunch. I drove to downtown South Bend and ate at the Chicory Cafe. I love New Orleans and I love Cajun food. The Chicory Cafe had delicious muffulettas and sriracha deviled eggs. I inhaled everything on my plate and then walked next door to the Chocolate Cafe. I thought about getting some cocoa hot pepper popcorn but decided against it. I drove on to Detroit and arrived at my hotel just as a small jazz festival was kicking off along the river behind it. Finding my way into the hotel was confusing and I felt conspicuously Southern and well, different from everyone else. When I checked in everyone was friendly and I started to relax into the easy groove of a city that knows it has a bad reputation but is a great place to call home. I unpacked, walked around my old hotel and then called my friend Stephanie to catch up on the phone and plan our upcoming food extravaganza in Charleston. And as usual I ended the day with a phone call to my sweet husband.
Friday
I hate to admit the truth about my low expectations for Detroit but I'd read the negative headlines and watched TV shows about renovating the sad abandoned neighborhoods. What I found in person was... a foodie paradise! I drove first to Parks and Rec Diner, a place I started following on Instagram months ago. I ordered the Standard breakfast platter (fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon and spicy hash) with a side of house made raspberry jam and cheesy popcorn grits. This breakfast was delicious! And the eggs were topped with micro greens and an orange marigold! I knew that marigolds are edible from watching the movie Monsoon Wedding so I tasted it! It was tasty! After this meal I drove over to the Eastern Market. I chatted with the one of the family owners of Devries and Co, a 3 story cheese and gift shop. She asked me to tell others how wonderful Detroit is and I told her I would. I felt a kinship with this woman because I too love the city of Memphis even with its problems and bad reputation. Home is home. I stopped in the wine store next door and picked up a build your own 6 pack of Michigan beer for Paul. Then I drove all over downtown Detroit looking at the restaurants all along the streets I'd studied on maps for months. I stopped in Avalon International Breads for a strawberry crumble. I drove out to the suburb of Hamrick to eat at Polish Village Cafe, the best Polish restaurant in Detroit according to the Michiganers I talked to on a Brooklyn food tour in early June. They weren't kidding. It was grandmother food and the boarding house it was in the basement of had been around for at least 80 years. I drove back to the Eastern Market area and had coffee in Germack Coffee. I stopped by Milano Bakery for a corned beef sandwich called the Detroiter with potato salad and a piece of pineapple upside down cake. And my last stop of the day in Detroit was Sister Pie, another cool place I follow on Instagram. The slice of salted maple pie I had was just as beautiful and delicious as I'd imagined it could be. I made yet another smorgasbord of collected goods for dinner. I talked to Rebecca Green on the phone to confirm my visit and binged on Lifetime movies for four hours before bed.
I drove through South Bend, IN for lunch and then on to Detroit. Thursday was basically a driving day. I got a late start because I wanted to work out at the gym attached to my hotel one more time. I stopped in South Bend, Indiana because it was a midway point to eat lunch and I wanted to see the Notre Dame campus. After getting through the morning traffic in Chicago the only thing I wanted to see was lunch. I drove to downtown South Bend and ate at the Chicory Cafe. I love New Orleans and I love Cajun food. The Chicory Cafe had delicious muffulettas and sriracha deviled eggs. I inhaled everything on my plate and then walked next door to the Chocolate Cafe. I thought about getting some cocoa hot pepper popcorn but decided against it. I drove on to Detroit and arrived at my hotel just as a small jazz festival was kicking off along the river behind it. Finding my way into the hotel was confusing and I felt conspicuously Southern and well, different from everyone else. When I checked in everyone was friendly and I started to relax into the easy groove of a city that knows it has a bad reputation but is a great place to call home. I unpacked, walked around my old hotel and then called my friend Stephanie to catch up on the phone and plan our upcoming food extravaganza in Charleston. And as usual I ended the day with a phone call to my sweet husband.
Friday
I hate to admit the truth about my low expectations for Detroit but I'd read the negative headlines and watched TV shows about renovating the sad abandoned neighborhoods. What I found in person was... a foodie paradise! I drove first to Parks and Rec Diner, a place I started following on Instagram months ago. I ordered the Standard breakfast platter (fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon and spicy hash) with a side of house made raspberry jam and cheesy popcorn grits. This breakfast was delicious! And the eggs were topped with micro greens and an orange marigold! I knew that marigolds are edible from watching the movie Monsoon Wedding so I tasted it! It was tasty! After this meal I drove over to the Eastern Market. I chatted with the one of the family owners of Devries and Co, a 3 story cheese and gift shop. She asked me to tell others how wonderful Detroit is and I told her I would. I felt a kinship with this woman because I too love the city of Memphis even with its problems and bad reputation. Home is home. I stopped in the wine store next door and picked up a build your own 6 pack of Michigan beer for Paul. Then I drove all over downtown Detroit looking at the restaurants all along the streets I'd studied on maps for months. I stopped in Avalon International Breads for a strawberry crumble. I drove out to the suburb of Hamrick to eat at Polish Village Cafe, the best Polish restaurant in Detroit according to the Michiganers I talked to on a Brooklyn food tour in early June. They weren't kidding. It was grandmother food and the boarding house it was in the basement of had been around for at least 80 years. I drove back to the Eastern Market area and had coffee in Germack Coffee. I stopped by Milano Bakery for a corned beef sandwich called the Detroiter with potato salad and a piece of pineapple upside down cake. And my last stop of the day in Detroit was Sister Pie, another cool place I follow on Instagram. The slice of salted maple pie I had was just as beautiful and delicious as I'd imagined it could be. I made yet another smorgasbord of collected goods for dinner. I talked to Rebecca Green on the phone to confirm my visit and binged on Lifetime movies for four hours before bed.
Saturday
I left Detroit at 6 am and drove to Indianapolis. I didn't know much about Indianapolis but I'd kept a Food and Wine article about it from a year ago. This article said to enjoy Virginia street where Milktooth and Bluebeard are the hottest new restaurants. I tried. Milktooth had a huge group of people waiting outside to be seated and Bluebeard was only open for dinner. I decided to have tandoori tacos with a side of spicy shrimp and chana masala at Spice Box. This place was delicious!! And not crowded either. I walked in Calvin Fletcher's Coffee Company for an iced coffee and then went to Amelia's Bakery. Amelia's was one of the best discoveries of the whole trip! The gluten free scones and financiers were unbelievably delicious! I drove to Fountain Circle and then on to the Broad Ripple neighborhood. This neighborhood was love at first sight! Street after street after cute little bridge over the canal after bakery after restaurant after bakery after bridge after more cuteness! I found presents for everybody in this part of town. I found Nicey's, an artisanal popsicle shop and had the strawberry rhubarb popsicle. Delicious! I walked to a house turned cafe called simply Cake Bake where I took pretty pictures but felt too full to eat anything. (Side note: David Letterman grew up in Broad Ripple and was a local meteorologist. He was fired because he kept trying to be a comedian with the weather. Apparently the final straw was the day he told viewers that the rain would be so heavy that it would be like raining canned hams outside.)
Indianapolis is such a fun city! With such great food! If it hadn't been such a sunny hot day and if I hadn't been running on fumes from all the eating and driving and thinking I'd been doing for almost two weeks I'd have stayed another two hours at least. I certainly would love to go back and spend more time in Indianapolis (especially Broad Ripple).
Sunday
I left Indianapolis early and drove straight to Ballwin, MO to see Rebecca Green Ell my friend from college (we were both French majors). She and her hubby met in Washington DC and settled down near St Louis. After catching up with them I drove on to Kansas City, my current favorite city to shop and eat. It was time to celebrate my birthday with my precious husband and my precious dog! I got to Kansas City a couple of hours before Paul arrived and drove straight to "my" candle store 5B&Co for candles and presents for Stephanie who discovered this store with me two years ago. I ordered takeout from Chuy's Mexican and watched Travel Channel while eating chicken flautas and jalapeño ranch sauce. I took a nap and then laid out all the souvenirs for Paul: Wisconsin and Michigan beer, sharp cheese, elk sticks and other treats! He was ecstatic to walk into our hotel room and see so many new beers to try! We took Zeno for a walk around the pretty fountain park near the Country Club Plaza and went to Minsky's Pizza for dinner. This is my favorite pizza of all time. Yes, it's as good as Giordano's because they use the same Wisconsin cheese! Paul ordered a calzone Hawaiian style and it was delicious too! Ham, pineapple and a spicy sweet sauce, mighty fine flavors!
Monday
I decided to celebrate my birthday two days early since I didn't know which stores would be closed on the 4th and 5th of July. I started the day in the hotel gym and then I drove to Brookside where my favorite KC grocery is. Then I got Starbucks and ate a couple of granola bars while I mentally went through my plans for the day. Paul and I walked around the Plaza stopping in Barnes and Noble before lunch at Cheesecake Factory. I love having small plates at Cheesecake Factory: kale salad, chicken tacitos and Asian lettuce wrap tacos. We went to Sur La Table and The Better Cheddar and I discovered that L'Occitane closed at the Plaza! I had planned on buying some new perfume there. Then we drove to Overland Park, KS to walk up and down Santa Fe Avenue. There's a record shop, cute bakeries, a fancy liquor store and a Penzey's all on this street! (And on Saturdays they have a huge farmer's market.) We stopped in the Russell Stover Outlet and then I went back to Brookside to shop and get a cup of Roasterie coffee. For dinner Paul took me to The Melting Pot! When Paul and I first started dating almost 11 years ago The Melting Pot in Memphis became one of our favorite places to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Sadly it closed and though making fondue at home is fun, it's not the same. We walked over to the restaurant from our hotel and dove into the "big night out" that includes cheese fondue, salad, assorted meats fondue and chocolate caramel fondue! As usual Paul and I heaped our favorite sauces on the chicken, steak, shrimp and raviolis. Our faves are the plum ginger sauce and the green goddess sauce. I could eat the green goddess sauce by itself. And to add bliss to bliss, they now have gf bread and desserts for dipping! The whole world is now acknowledging gf customers! What a happy day (and happy summer) I've had celebrating my birthday!
Tuesday
The last day of the trip I woke up early and drove over to a place in KC I'd never tried: Donutology. This delicious shop is in Westport and they have a whole separate case of gf doughnuts and pop tarts! I bought a box of gf and regular doughnuts for Paul. Each one was wonderful! I drove to the Roasterie for one last coffee and shopped at the Plaza until lunchtime. Paul and I ate KC's famous BBQ burnt ends, coleslaw and cheesy corn at Jack Stack and then headed home. Since we had driven separately I stopped at Trader Joe's for groceries and drove through beautiful Lawrence, KS, the official last stop on my long itinerary. Lawrence is the home of the Jayhawks and the very cool Massachusetts Ave chock full of shops and restaurants. I wish I'd had the energy to explore it but I was 11 days exhausted. I'll just have to go back when I have more time and energy! I really want to try the Greek restaurant I drove past.
And that's the whole adventure, folks! I drove, I ate, I conquered. The Upper Midwest is for foodies. I came home a beer loving cheesehead with so much inspiration to cook. I have a better understanding of the cohesion of American accents, traditions and food. The conversations I had with people along the way changed me in a positive way and helped me understand my place as a Southerner living in Western Kansas. I love the USA and James Brown was right, driving around this country, somewhere along the way, you might just find out who you are.
I left Detroit at 6 am and drove to Indianapolis. I didn't know much about Indianapolis but I'd kept a Food and Wine article about it from a year ago. This article said to enjoy Virginia street where Milktooth and Bluebeard are the hottest new restaurants. I tried. Milktooth had a huge group of people waiting outside to be seated and Bluebeard was only open for dinner. I decided to have tandoori tacos with a side of spicy shrimp and chana masala at Spice Box. This place was delicious!! And not crowded either. I walked in Calvin Fletcher's Coffee Company for an iced coffee and then went to Amelia's Bakery. Amelia's was one of the best discoveries of the whole trip! The gluten free scones and financiers were unbelievably delicious! I drove to Fountain Circle and then on to the Broad Ripple neighborhood. This neighborhood was love at first sight! Street after street after cute little bridge over the canal after bakery after restaurant after bakery after bridge after more cuteness! I found presents for everybody in this part of town. I found Nicey's, an artisanal popsicle shop and had the strawberry rhubarb popsicle. Delicious! I walked to a house turned cafe called simply Cake Bake where I took pretty pictures but felt too full to eat anything. (Side note: David Letterman grew up in Broad Ripple and was a local meteorologist. He was fired because he kept trying to be a comedian with the weather. Apparently the final straw was the day he told viewers that the rain would be so heavy that it would be like raining canned hams outside.)
Indianapolis is such a fun city! With such great food! If it hadn't been such a sunny hot day and if I hadn't been running on fumes from all the eating and driving and thinking I'd been doing for almost two weeks I'd have stayed another two hours at least. I certainly would love to go back and spend more time in Indianapolis (especially Broad Ripple).
Sunday
I left Indianapolis early and drove straight to Ballwin, MO to see Rebecca Green Ell my friend from college (we were both French majors). She and her hubby met in Washington DC and settled down near St Louis. After catching up with them I drove on to Kansas City, my current favorite city to shop and eat. It was time to celebrate my birthday with my precious husband and my precious dog! I got to Kansas City a couple of hours before Paul arrived and drove straight to "my" candle store 5B&Co for candles and presents for Stephanie who discovered this store with me two years ago. I ordered takeout from Chuy's Mexican and watched Travel Channel while eating chicken flautas and jalapeño ranch sauce. I took a nap and then laid out all the souvenirs for Paul: Wisconsin and Michigan beer, sharp cheese, elk sticks and other treats! He was ecstatic to walk into our hotel room and see so many new beers to try! We took Zeno for a walk around the pretty fountain park near the Country Club Plaza and went to Minsky's Pizza for dinner. This is my favorite pizza of all time. Yes, it's as good as Giordano's because they use the same Wisconsin cheese! Paul ordered a calzone Hawaiian style and it was delicious too! Ham, pineapple and a spicy sweet sauce, mighty fine flavors!
Monday
I decided to celebrate my birthday two days early since I didn't know which stores would be closed on the 4th and 5th of July. I started the day in the hotel gym and then I drove to Brookside where my favorite KC grocery is. Then I got Starbucks and ate a couple of granola bars while I mentally went through my plans for the day. Paul and I walked around the Plaza stopping in Barnes and Noble before lunch at Cheesecake Factory. I love having small plates at Cheesecake Factory: kale salad, chicken tacitos and Asian lettuce wrap tacos. We went to Sur La Table and The Better Cheddar and I discovered that L'Occitane closed at the Plaza! I had planned on buying some new perfume there. Then we drove to Overland Park, KS to walk up and down Santa Fe Avenue. There's a record shop, cute bakeries, a fancy liquor store and a Penzey's all on this street! (And on Saturdays they have a huge farmer's market.) We stopped in the Russell Stover Outlet and then I went back to Brookside to shop and get a cup of Roasterie coffee. For dinner Paul took me to The Melting Pot! When Paul and I first started dating almost 11 years ago The Melting Pot in Memphis became one of our favorite places to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Sadly it closed and though making fondue at home is fun, it's not the same. We walked over to the restaurant from our hotel and dove into the "big night out" that includes cheese fondue, salad, assorted meats fondue and chocolate caramel fondue! As usual Paul and I heaped our favorite sauces on the chicken, steak, shrimp and raviolis. Our faves are the plum ginger sauce and the green goddess sauce. I could eat the green goddess sauce by itself. And to add bliss to bliss, they now have gf bread and desserts for dipping! The whole world is now acknowledging gf customers! What a happy day (and happy summer) I've had celebrating my birthday!
Tuesday
The last day of the trip I woke up early and drove over to a place in KC I'd never tried: Donutology. This delicious shop is in Westport and they have a whole separate case of gf doughnuts and pop tarts! I bought a box of gf and regular doughnuts for Paul. Each one was wonderful! I drove to the Roasterie for one last coffee and shopped at the Plaza until lunchtime. Paul and I ate KC's famous BBQ burnt ends, coleslaw and cheesy corn at Jack Stack and then headed home. Since we had driven separately I stopped at Trader Joe's for groceries and drove through beautiful Lawrence, KS, the official last stop on my long itinerary. Lawrence is the home of the Jayhawks and the very cool Massachusetts Ave chock full of shops and restaurants. I wish I'd had the energy to explore it but I was 11 days exhausted. I'll just have to go back when I have more time and energy! I really want to try the Greek restaurant I drove past.
And that's the whole adventure, folks! I drove, I ate, I conquered. The Upper Midwest is for foodies. I came home a beer loving cheesehead with so much inspiration to cook. I have a better understanding of the cohesion of American accents, traditions and food. The conversations I had with people along the way changed me in a positive way and helped me understand my place as a Southerner living in Western Kansas. I love the USA and James Brown was right, driving around this country, somewhere along the way, you might just find out who you are.
