|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jun 28, 2014 14:50:59 GMT -6
Me and the wife's anniversary today so we went to the farmers market a melting pot of cultures for sure. many foods for sale and great prices. Got some real pita bread fresh still warm in the pack, also some large pita bread for pizza crust dirt cheap do not know how they make any money. Amish selling sweet corn and breads. Got a loaf of cinnamon bread oh yum. Fresh candy sweet onions, green peppers and local honey . Some good music being played and Italian pastas and fresh meats . We then took a tour of the roasterie coffee plant , had some Awsome coffee and found that to be very interesting. They are a speciality coffee company so any coffee they buy from growers must have a score above 80 to be roasted and bagged. They had some rare coffees there at 50.00 per lb not for me:). I like Sumatra coffee and blended darks , got a neat bean saver that extends the freshness of whole beans by 2-3 weeks and also has a great cup of red Sumatran coffee while there. Then onto boulevard brewery and watched them make some beer, they are not brewing their dry stout many IPA's being brewed today in many micro brewery's just can't do them way too bitter for me. Anyhow FWS I went and got me some culture today  . Hey the Italian place had a fresh octopus salad Yeh no need to try it Ended with my boys baseball game he played good at third base and went 2/2 with a triple and a single and two runs scored. |
|
|
|
Post by FWS on Jun 29, 2014 14:56:10 GMT -6
Why not ? If it's done right octopus is great stuff, they were a common bycatch and I sold a lot of them and ate them in all different kinda ways. They make a great ceviche'............  There's like 8 micro breweries within 15 minutes of my house and they ship all over, one of my friends is the assistant brewmaster at one of em', I've watched the whole process many times and tasted the results, some as you say are too bitter, some are like dessert and are meant to be drank with desserts. She's another biologist who was my study partner for several 'ology type courses, studying with her always meant beer was present and flowing freely. I drink very little but if asked I'll sample.............. There are a couple botanists here who travel a lot to find coffee and buy it for import, they get to go wander around developing nations, have AK 47's pointed at them, and have an otherwise great time............... I rarely drink coffee but I get to go to their tastings............ |
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jun 29, 2014 19:03:42 GMT -6
Don't drink coffee? What? . Coffee and me go way back I am good for a pot a day and more in the winter. The owner of this one was born and raised in Iowa and travels all over looking for stellar beans. His cupper a 30 year old kid competes in the world cupping deal. They roast some great coffee. What have you got against coffee any how? Micro brews are a dime a dozen for sure, one of my best friends is a home brewer and can make beer with the best of them. he makes some very good beer ! Gives it out to ranchers for gifts and in the winter is when he does most of his brewing when predator control slows down. I have sampled his beer and it is darn good. He has one that is a whiskey barrel beer brewed in an old whiskey barrel and the backside gives you a slight note of whiskey not strong or over powering and last for only a few seconds, a complex beer but darn good. A few good ones in the St. Louis area, schlafly makes excellent beer a coffee stout that is very good. They also had a well,known Cajun place as well that makes excellent crepes I am told and also gumbo and jambalaya and PO boys , super busy place will try a PO Boy and gumbo some time, but see the south has come to the Midwest so no need to leave to taste other things I can have it all in downtown K.C. when I get the itch. |
|
|
|
Post by FWS on Jun 30, 2014 12:58:55 GMT -6
Well hopefully you'll get a reasonable facsimile of Cajun/Creole food, but you'll still need to go to South Louisiana to discover that. Where there is a very well developed food culture as evidenced by it's spread around the world, trouble is that a lot of places claiming the mantle of being Cajun or Creole don't measure up. That's part of my heritage on dads side and I grew up with it. Hard to replace the ingredients too, like seafoods fresh out of the Gulf. Or Leidenheimer's French rolls for making po' boys (need good bread for any sandwich), or beignets from Cafe du Monde,  Or big Gulf shrimp barbecued Nawlins' style, which is different than you think,  Get's me thinking of a deep fried oyster po' boy with a homemade remoulade, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomatoes.   |
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jun 30, 2014 15:03:25 GMT -6
We have a great fish place that gets fresh gulf shrimp daily so no need to travel to try good stuff. The guy that owns the Cajun place was born and raised in KC but was a chef merker studied and cooked food in New Orleans FWS so as I hear there food is the same as being in New Orleans and the reason they are packed. I can trust the busy nature of a business and talking with people to know if it is a good thing or bad. They have a bread company down there that charges a lot for a loaf of bread but the samples I had where outstanding and buy the shear bulk of business he gets the bread goods must be worth the 6-9 per loaf asking price. His motto is bread done the correct way and the stuff I sampled was great, but not enough for me to pull 8.00 from my wallet for a loaf of bread Bloom baking company is their name. My favorite PO Boy is clams and crawfish ones and I have had some good ones yep even in South Dakota:) |
|
|
|
Post by FWS on Jun 30, 2014 17:01:34 GMT -6
That's where he'd go if he wanted to learn.......... Ever notice there are no Minnesota themed restaurants or specialties served in restaurants out of state. Same for the Dakota's, IN, IA, etc. Lot of stuff out of Chicago, and even WI. Mmmmmhhhhhmmmmm................. But Midwesterners don't eat seafood remember ? BTW, pretty much all of the walleye sold in the U.S. is from Canada, wild caught, since there is no commercial fishery for the most part for them in the U.S. |
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jun 30, 2014 20:28:12 GMT -6
FWS walleye. It easy to grow commercially although they continue to work on it, but one must be able to sell at a price point people will buy. Tough for not to do so with walleye for now. Yet still would eat the mover many ocean fish and others would to. The wild walleye is sought after and found in many grocery stores in the Midwest.
Tough to do make a chain of Midwest themed resteraunts but there are a few look up maid rite started in Iowa in 1926 and still going strong in 7 Midwest states.
The best foods in the Midwest don't come from large national chains but smaller in state chains. many BBQ places, Hotdogs and burger joints smaller mom and pops with better ingredients and attention to detail than any large chain joint.
Kuchen is all South Dakota it is the state dessert of choice. beans and ham hocks, morels, persimmon pudding,lutefisk, runsza, kringle, all Midwest type foods.
|
|
|
|
Post by FWS on Jul 1, 2014 7:56:32 GMT -6
No, it's a losing proposition because the input of feed is far greater than output of salable flesh, and the feeds have to be protein rich which means fish meal and fish oil, both of which are the products of marine fisheries. All seem to have originated elsewhere............ Like this stuff, Because nobody wants to go to the 'Hotdish Palace'............ |
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jul 1, 2014 14:23:50 GMT -6
To have a chain that expands and grows you need a large market to start in its cases and in many Midwest states you do not have such like larger more populated states, but again there are a few.
easy to grow was a typo not easy to grow walleye at this time is whatI meant to say. I understand why but thanks....... yet people still search it out and pay good money for fresh walleye fillets in Midwestern grocery stores. I have always liked to catch my own as wild caught is wild caught. catfish and walleye are two very important fish in the Midwest and as you know seafood will never be what it is on the coast here in the Midwest for many reasons. it is seen as a luxury food to most and not a staple like catfish,crappies, walleye and others. As you have a lot of people that fish and eat their own catch or gift many lbs to others each year and then more who buy pond reared catfish as well.
Red lobster and such is ok but not many people in the Midwest search out and eat at seafood joints weekly say on a Friday night. Midwestern people tend to mix up their outings and food choices at the grocery stores. Chicken and hog still the kings of protein here and in many places due to cost and dishes desired.
|
|
|
|
Post by thorsmightyhammer on Jul 1, 2014 19:15:05 GMT -6
Every Red lobster i have been to on a friday night has a pretty long waiting line.
|
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jul 1, 2014 19:40:32 GMT -6
Steven sure they do but not the same people every Friday night, the crazy thing is in this area every Friday night every resteraunt has a long waiting line , doesn't matter which choice you make all are busy from 5-7:30 or so. tons of people eat out on Friday nights more so than years ago I feel. The longest line in this area is Texas Roadhouse steak place, if your not ere by 5 PM and seated you can plan on 45 mins easy and it has been hear for a few years. I will not wait anywhere for almost an hour for food, my wife knows that and we go to places I can get in much quicker if later for sure. Wr have a place called the landing nice sized the outdoor covered patio is packed with people but we can sit inside and get a table rather quickly most weekend nights and the food is great and nothing over 11.00 on the menu.
Joe's Crab Shack is busy as well but no more so than twin peaks, Logan's, Mongolian BBQ , outback steak house or many others. I also like a local chicken place called strouds fried chicken again get there early or plan on waiting so when I want chicken we leave in enough time to be the mad rush. I go to red lobster maybe 2-3 per year over rated in my book, if I want fish I have better places for such and cheaper as well. Our place is a dive type place as some might call it in a small town but I can get great catfish and frog legs for less than 9.00 and no waiting there. Another is Fubbler's in a town of less than 1,000 people they have walleye every Friday night and you get good sized potions for less than 10.00
A review on tiny our place bar and grill “Great place for breakfast or dinner.”
Reviewed September 28, 2013 via mobile
Ate at Our Place for breakfast at least 10 times and dinner a couple of times. The staff is always friendly and the food consistantly great and priced very reasonably. Best place for an early morning breakfast, even though it was a few miles out of the way. Defintely will go back if I am back in the
Everything is delicious and at 9 it turns into the best social atmosphere around!!! Owners get to know every one personally
Was this review helpful?Yes
Here is a review on Fubbler's cove.
This is one fun off the wall place in a tiny little Missouri town. We only travel for lunch or dinner there on Fridays but for good reason: their walleye dinners. Fancy it isn't but Fubbler's does offer friendly service and good old comfort food. Definitely not a MacDonalds look alike. It's an original. I order my fish with slaw and French fries. Almost get the feeling you caught those fish yourself when you're filling your face.
very few chain places I go to like the mom and pops types overall better service and better food IMO.
Another great place is the golf course yep a golf course a city owned one at that, the lady has been cooking there for 20 years and makes the biggest and freshest pork tenderloin sandwich I have ever had. Less than 6.00 bucks. You will be taking some lion meat home unless your really starving and have time to sit and eat it all.
|
|
|
|
Post by bblwi on Jul 1, 2014 19:46:17 GMT -6
The Olive Garden is trying to sell their Red Lobster end of the business or maybe they just have done so. Red Lobster has been a money loser for them for some time now.
Bryce
|
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jul 1, 2014 19:50:11 GMT -6
Yep Bryce what you get and what you pay? Sorry I go because of my wife and all I ever Order there is clam strips they are good and decent priced but the fish? no way is that any kind of value at all and I have tried a few different types there and for what you pay sorry I will go to my mom and pops places first.
|
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jul 1, 2014 19:53:52 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by bblwi on Jul 1, 2014 20:04:08 GMT -6
Was not saying they are good, bad or whatever, just that they have been losing money. I don't know about the rest of the Midwest but in eastern WI Friday night fish fries are the main events and have been for generations. Mostly, lake perch, perch, walleye, cod etc. Most are volume based type things with batter fried fish being the norm. I typically take the boiled fish when I choose to go and usually walleye or Cod.
Bryce
|
|
|
|
Post by trappincoyotes39 on Jul 2, 2014 3:49:49 GMT -6
Bryce has to be a reason they are losing money correct?
Over all the food business is a tough deal as many to choose from and more new ones all the time, still an area mom and pop can compete and do well. Provided they offer good service, good consistent food and at a price that average Americans can and are willing to pay.
|
|
|
|
Post by FWS on Jul 2, 2014 7:07:45 GMT -6
It's actually Darden Restaurants that owned Red Lobster, and still owns Olive Garden and others. If anyone recalls it was the then CEO of Darden who was funding David Wills who along with Sollman, Boynton and Co. were selling their 'master plan' to the NTA, promising a golden shower of fundraising riches, an uber plan of corporate governance, build armies of trained advocacy advocates to do soccer mom outreach at the malls, and so on.......... All of which fell apart........... The NTA did get a 'golden shower', just a different kind......................... Red Lobster lost money on their all you can eat crab and shrimp promos since the market prices for those products has increased because of global demand and they underestimated how much a patron could eat and how long it took em' to do so. Otherwise the food is mediocre. The best seafood is done by independently owned restaurants who get seasonally available fresh caught product, or by home cooks who either catch or have access to the best raw ingredients and respect them enough to prepare them right. |
|
|
|
Post by bblwi on Jul 2, 2014 10:38:05 GMT -6
The reason they may be losing money is poor management and poor vision and a lack of how to judge what customers want or will pay for. average food quality many times is a management choice as well.
Bryce
|
|
|
|
Post by trappnman on Jul 2, 2014 15:45:09 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by FWS on Jul 2, 2014 16:19:58 GMT -6
Trappnman, from your link, it states, They raise them to fingerling size for stocking, here's a good read on growing walleye for the food market. Walleye Culture in Minnesota |
|
