Chicken-fried steak at Clanton’s May 16, 2013
Posted by Ron Warnick in Food, Restaurants.2 comments
KTUL-TV in Tulsa continues its series about restaurants that serve chicken-fried steak with a road trip down Route 66 to Vinita, Okla., to visit Clanton’s Cafe.
If you can’t see the video, just click on the link below:
KTUL.com – Tulsa, Oklahoma – News, Weather
Although the segment doesn’t mention it, Clanton’s also is famous for serving calf fries — a delicacy in many parts of rural Oklahoma.
Clanton’s fame for those two dishes shouldn’t dissuade you from ordering other things on the menu. I’ve had a wide variety of meals at Clanton’s, and I’ve never been disappointed.
Chicken-fried steak at Tally’s May 15, 2013
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KTUL-TV has been producing a series of stories about an all-Oklahoma dish — chicken-fried steak — in Tulsa.
The station featured Tally’s Cafe, which has become a strong alternative for Route 66 dining in Tulsa since the Metro Diner was demolished a few years ago.
KTUL.com – Tulsa, Oklahoma – News, Weather
What’s interesting is Tally’s is owned and run by Talal Alame, whom you’ll often find running the cash register. He’s one of many Lebanese-Americans who’ve learned the dining business in Oklahoma. Alame also organizes a free Thanksgiving dinner at his restaurant each year.
Taking a big stomach to The Donut Man April 20, 2013
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Naader “Freak8r” Reda, a competitive eater, takes on a tiger tail during a visit to The Donut Man, a Route 66 institution in Glendora, Calif.
Donut Man is best-known for its equally humongous (and delicious) strawberry doughnuts.
Tulsa restaurant’s unique big burger March 17, 2013
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KTUL-TV in Tulsa recently posted this article about the unique one-pound burger offered at the Go West Restaurant & Saloon on the southwest edge of town. It’s on New Sapulpa Road, which served as Route 66 for years.
KTUL.com – Tulsa, Oklahoma – News, Weather
It should be known that Go West isn’t even the only restaurant on Route 66 in Tulsa that serves a one-pound burger. Hank’s Hamburgers, on the old Admiral Place alignment of 66, has dished up a one-point Big Okie for decades. And Bill’s Jumbo Burgers, a stone’s throw from that alignment, also has served a one-pounder for decades as well.
But, having dined at Go West several times, I have to give credit to Go West for serving comfort food and cowboy-themed cuisine with some panache. It’s a restaurant worth checking out.
Palms Grill Cafe pie-maker honored by state March 10, 2013
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Lumi Bekteshi, a pie-maker at the historic Palms Grill Cafe in downtown Atlanta, Ill., on Route 66, was honored by the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism, according to a story by Lee News Service.
Bekteshi won the award in Rosemont as part of a series of “Lincoln Awards,” inspired by the Oscar-nominated Steven Spielberg film. The awards honored people who work behind the scenes to promote tourism through their jobs or other means.
“I didn’t expect anything like this,” she said last week. “It means a lot to me and it means a lot to the people of Atlanta because they are a part of it.”
Bekteshi, a native of Albania, has lived in Atlanta for 12 years and became an American citizen a year ago.
A few months ago, the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway posted this video about Bekteshi and her pies:
A few weeks ago, the nonprofit board that owns the Palms Grill Cafe announced it would seek a new operator for the restaurant by May. However, the board said the pie recipes would stay with the business regardless.
It’s maple sirup time March 10, 2013
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Food.2 comments
Mark Rivera, a reporter at WAND-TV, paid a recent visit to Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup in the Route 66 town of Funks Grove, Ill. This is about the time of year that the Funk family begins its annual harvest.
You can order their delicious products here.
UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune also posted a story and video about the Funks Grove operations.
One of the takeaways from the article is the 2012 drought prompted the Funks to be more cautious in tapping their trees this year for the sap harvest.
UPDATE2: I took down the video because it came in an ill-advised autoplay format that cannot be deactivated. However, you can still watch it by clicking on the Tribune’s link.
Grand Canyon Cafe will be in film about history of Chinese food February 23, 2013
Posted by Ron Warnick in Food, History, Movies, Restaurants.1 comment so far
The historic Grand Canyon Cafe in Flagstaff, Ariz., will be one of the subjects of a documentary about the rise of Chinese food in the United States, reported the Arizona Daily Sun.
A crew from WD Films, which is producing “The Search for General Tso,” will visit the Route 66 restaurant to interview senior citizens and their families.
The newspaper described the purpose of the visit:
On Friday, March 8, from 1 to 5 p.m., the film crew will host “Chop Suey Stories,” a communitywide interview event at the historic Grand Canyon Café. Did your family eat at Chinese restaurants in the 1940s and 1950s, the “golden age” of chop suey? Do you have memories of a favorite Chinese restaurant or a favorite Chinese dish in decades past?
Senior citizens and their families are invited to attend “Chop Suey Stories” and share their memories on camera.
Go here to watch a six-minute sample of “The Search for General Tso.” (Note: the video could not be embedded.)
The Grand Canyon Cafe recently marked its 70th year, and has been owned by Freddie and Tina Wong’s family for nearly the entire time.
I suspect the filmmakers liked the restaurant because it’s a prime example of immigrants who Americanized their business — in addition to Chinese food, the Grand Canyon Cafe also serves all-American dishes such as chicken-fried steak.
(Photo by sfgamchick via Flickr)