Jaunted

Memphis / Barbeque / Jaunted Field Trip / → All Tags

Memphis: Airport Eats

How long does it take to figure out that Memphis is fixated on barbeque? You won't even have time to get to the baggage claim upon arrival in the airport; there are two separate BBQ establishments in the terminal itself. Trust us, you'll smell them, even at 930am.

One is an outpost of Jim Neely's Interstate Barbeque (near gate B14), and is the one we'd recommend visiting on your way home. The other is Corky's, (near gate B36) which is to BBQ as Taco Bell is to Mexican food, and is looked down upon by locals. Corky's uses smoke flavoring, instead of actually smoking their meats. Shocking. We won't stop you, however--sometimes highly processed foods hit the stop before you fly. The question remains: Why isn't the pizza at New York's airports as good as the BBQ in Memphis?

[Image via abbyladybug/Flickr]

Memphis / Barbeque / Jaunted Field Trip / → All Tags

Memphis: Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ

They take their barbeque very seriously in Memphis, and you'll be hearing plenty about it in the next couple of days. While the Rendezvous--the BBQ joint of choice for the President when he came to town last week--is the most famous of Memphis' smoked meat options and the home of dry-rub ribs, it has plenty of company in the BBQ pantheon. Among them is Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ, conveniently located on the way to the airport, and among the best of the BBQ giants in town.

A "small" order of pork ribs gets you two sides and some white bread. Sides include classics like baked beans and cole slaw, but another option is the BBQ spaghetti. It tastes pretty much like it sounds, although the sauce is more tomato-based than what goes on the ribs and pulled pork, both of which are smoky and tender. The sauce is definitely wet without getting too sloppy, with a slightly sweet finish. Polishing off that small order was enough to give us the meat sweats, so unless you're a member of the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, it should be more than enough for a meal.

We especially liked Neely's logo: The interstate springs forth from the pigs neck, as if his aorta has been severed and his lifeblood is the interstate itself. For a barbeque restaurant, that's pretty darn profound.

Related Stories:
·   Jaunted in Memphis [Jaunted]

Jaunted Field Trip / Memphis / → All Tags

Hot to Tot

Tots Ahoy! Frank Bruni may always be the man everyone loves to hate (or at least Democrats and restaurateurs do), but we're tempted to heed his advice from time to time. During his fast-food road trip, Lil' Frankie said the following about the tater tots at Sonic:

The tots at Sonic, a chain prevalent in the South, were the sultans of spuds. Since all of these potato variants are about exterior crackle, not interior vegetable, the tot configuration, with more crests and buttes and ridges, won the day.

Truly, the best fast-food potato product around? This we had to try. Departing a Memphis-area Sonic, (which features a drive-up, not a drive-thru) we found their tots are indeed impressive. Tater tots have a reputation as soggy cafeteria fare, but these were 90% crunchiness and 10% potato interior, an ideal ratio for any snack food.

Can they compare with the reigning champ, McDonald's fries? We're not so sure. They're harder to wedge into the odd spaces in your car during a road trip, and don't come with that same rush of saltiness and Fry-o-lator magic that is so addictive. If you're driving past, it's worth a visit, but don't change your itineraries just yet, tot fans.

Jaunted Field Trip / Memphis / → All Tags

Hi-Tone in Memphis has New Grit, True Grit

Your intrepid editor spent the nation's birthday in Memphis, TN. While we'll get to the smoked and grilled meat later in the week, including a comparison of what's available at the airport, but we'll start things off with a nod to the Hi-Tone.

Memphis is famous for music, of course, and there are plenty of swank clubs on Beale Street, but our favorite venue remains the Hi-Tone. Housed in a small, boxy building in Memphis' Midtown with tables practically on the stage, the Hi-Tone plays host to locals and heavyweights alike, including Cat Power and Elvis Costello.

Although it only opened in 1998, it's dirty and authentic enough to feel much older. The Hi-Tone was voted the #1 place to see live music by locals 6 times since it opened, impressive for a city with no shortage of venues. Sometimes the sound of beer bottles being tossed in the trash can disrupt the more intimate performances, but it's still worth checking out who's playing the next time you swing through town.

[Image via Chucktm/Flickr]

Belgium Field Trip / Jaunted Field Trip / Bars / → All Tags

Non-Tourist Tourism in Brussels :: Le Tavernier

Le Tavernier is a trendy bar near the University of Brussels. It is trendy, but by no means over the top. There is an outside area with picnic table type seating and an inside area where a DJ spins chill tunes.

Since it is so close to the Uni, you are bound to run into U of B students having a drink, but don't worry, it isn't the same as running into a bunch of American college kids having a drink. We heard no chanting, hooting, or other frat like noises from the tables filled with students.

The bar also features live jazz periodically, check their web site for detes.

Related Stories:
·   Belgium Field Trip [Jaunted]

Belgium Field Trip / Jaunted Field Trip / → All Tags

Non-Toursist Tourism in Brussels :: Ixelles Bar Scene

Want to know where the hipsters hang in Brussels? Try Ixelles, a small bohemian area just south of the touristy Grand Place--full of cafes, lively pubs, and plenty of Art Nouveau buildings. Ixelles has a bit of a history--Karl Marx and Alexandre Dumas both lived here for a time and the place still has that struggling artist feel. For those of you familiar with San Francisco, if Ixelles was an SF neighborhood, it would be Cole Valley. Or to put it in geek--if Craig Newmark lived in Brussels he would live in Ixelles.

Avenue Louise, where all the Brussels high end retail shops sit, divides Ixelles into two areas. We spent our time south of Louise, and walked through the tres Belgian streets and squares until we found our spot, on Ru Du Bailli. Here, just up the street from Parv de la Trinite, we found a bar on all four corners of a square, each with its own plusses and minuses. We split our time at two spots: Roxi (82 Rue du Bailli), a definite hipster hang, and the Irish Bank which was a full on sports pub, and, or so we were told, the only Irish pub in Brussels. The evening we were sipping Chimay, France was involved in some late night football action, and the crowd was decidely French, of course. Late night at Roxi we learned our first important lesson about drinking in Belgium--mixed drinks are overpriced and not always made right, so stick to beer.

Once the sun goes down on the rue (after 10pm in late June) the nearby Ste Trinite should light up the night sky for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and the bars are all within stumbling distance of most Avenue Louise hotels.

Related Stories:
·   More Ixelles Photos [Jaunted/Flickr]
·   Belgium Field Trip [Jaunted]

Flickr / Jaunted Field Trip / Belgium Field Trip / → All Tags

Shouldn't the Food Be Painted Too?

Mwargh! Statue chomp! We knew that Belgium was famous for a love affair with comic strips--as well as for being a mating ground of European bureaucracy--but this is a bit silly, wouldn't you say?

OK, it's just one of the many snaps that Jaunted's Publisher/Fearless Leader Mark has posted of his recent foray through Belgium. No word yet if he used the Von Schlieffen Plan to work his way through the country, but we hear he enjoyed himself nonetheless.

Anyway, you can check out his photos here and don't be shy: you can add photos to our pool no matter where your travels take you.  

Jaunted Field Trip / San Francisco / → All Tags

We Take Boat Tours, Too

We know: Fort Point, underneath the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio, is a touristy thing to go see. But, like Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building, or even riding the Circle Line, they are things that must be done, even when your anti-fannypack sensibilities are mortally offended. Plus, we really enjoyed ourselves.

Fort Point was constructed at the mouth of the bay to protect San Francisco from attack and was originally completed in 1861. There were over 100 cannons positioned there, and any ships entering the bay would have been forced to run the gauntlet. Troops were withdrawn from the fort about twenty years afterwards, but it was still used as a storage depot, and was later the headquarters of operations during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now it's a historical site--certainly the windiest historical site we've ever been to--and there's even an hourly reenactment of how the canons were operated, by a volunteer in a civil war uniform. We could have done without that part, but the views from right under the bridge are spectacular. C'mon, suck it up and go visit the next time you are in town. We won't tell anyone else.

Related Stories:
·   Jaunted Field Trip [Jaunted]

Jaunted Field Trip / San Francisco / Food / → All Tags

Countertop Classic

Our favorite restaurant experience in San Francisco this past weekend was at a wee spot called Canteen, next door to the Commodore Hotel. It's tiny--there are only 20 seats, half of which are at the lime green countertop, the rest at cozy booths which fit two comfortably, and four in a pinch. It's a recipe for long waits without a reservation at dinnertime--when the menu gets a little more esoteric--but at breakfast during the week, it's just about perfect.

Do sit at the counter; the kitchen is open and you can watch everything as it is made. The diner theme continues here, as vintage appliances are used to make toast and milkshakes. Canteens not totally diner-retro, however. While we ate our Eggs Benedict and sampled the beef hash (made fresh on site), 70s punk came through on the stereo. Nothing beats a little Wire or Siouxsie Sioux with your eggs.


[Image via antimega/Flickr]

Jaunted Field Trip / San Francisco / → All Tags

Black Oak Books Tempts Us Mightily

While we think it's entertaining that there's a part of Berkeley that's called the "Gourmet Ghetto", we won't be writing up Chez Panisse of any of its ilk in the near future. Instead, let's take a look at Black Oak Books, also on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. (There's also a pair of locations in San Francisco proper). It's one of the nicer bookstores we've visited, especially their selection of secondhand reads.

A big problem with the Strand in New York City--in addition to being terribly overheated--is that the selection consists of either remaindered books that you don't really want, or reviewer's copies that seem to cost more than they should. Black Oak has a good mix of contemporary and older works in the stacks of used books for sale--good condition paperbacks seem to run about half of their original cost--but the selection of new releases laid out was equally impressive.

Like Three Lives, also in New York, there seemed to be someone carefully selecting what to sell. Even if we will never read quite so many political books in our lifetime, it makes for an enjoyable browsing experience nonetheless. Only the weight limit for luggage prevented us from making too many purchases.

Jaunted Field Trip / San Francisco / Food / → All Tags

The World Leader in Fried Foods

Yank Sing may be a high-class experience, but a place like Taiwan puts it to shame. Part of a strip of restaurants on Clement street in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, Taiwan serves Chinese and Taiwanese specialties at a fraction of the price of Yank Sing.  Their dumplings are no slouches--they're made to order right in the front window. The steamed chicken variety is served with pieces of raw ginger, which gives them an added zing, and the potstickers are only lightly fried, which prevents them from being too heavy.

Taiwan also makes an appetizer that should become the national dish of the United States: Deep-fried spare ribs. Served with a slightly sweet sauce, they stay crunchy nonetheless. Crisp, fried and battered pork--is there anything better in this world? We think not. If you must have your fried fix without the meaty goodness, you can always try the Chinese doughnuts instead. We're happy to see American ingenuity is being put to good use, by making Asian food fattier and less healthy.

[Image via iamblueone/Flickr]

San Francisco / Jaunted Field Trip / Food / → All Tags

Plump Dumplings

Penny-pincher alert! Dim sum is known to add up in your belly, with the scattered remains of dumplings and other little dishes littering the table by the end of the meal. If you're not careful, it can add up on your bill, especially at a place like Yank Sing, certainly one of the toniest dim sum houses we've ever experienced.

Nestled inside the Rincon Center, a mall-like complex near the San Francisco Ferry Terminal and the Embarcadero, Yank Sing looks like a banquet hall at first glance, but don't be fooled. It's built for speed. Waiters zip around the restaurant, pushing carts containing untold deliciousness: snow pea dumplings, Peking duck, even soup and spare ribs. By 12:15 on a weekday, it's jammed with lunch patrons snagging the many dishes passing by.

While it's unclear how much things cost coming off the cart, the headsets that the waiters wear should be something of a tip-off that you've moved into more expensive territory. Think $100 with tip for two, including alcohol. Even so, we have such fond memories of the snow pea dumplings that we'd be happy to return for lunch sometime soon, as long as someone else is picking up the tab.

[Image  via yewco/Flickr]