Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Strawberry Pancakes

by Cassondra Murray

Yes, I'm blogging about food again.

I had a different topic picked out, but I got to thinking about this and couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the other subject. So we'll save that one for another day because I have to tell you about this.

I've been traveling, which is why I've been scarce around the lair, and one of the worst things about travel, for me, is that I tend to eat badly. Not because I want to, but because when I travel and I'm trying to keep on a schedule, quite often I end up at drive- through windows, eating junk.

Chicken McSugarbombs, grease crunchies, and oh, yes, bread. Lots and lots of bread. Bread and more bread. And if it's not overt bread, it's bread pretending to not be bread. None of the stuff in this paragraph is on my diet.

I love good food. It's one of life's most wonderful sensual pleasures.

Don't get me wrong. I eat common food much of the time. Last night we had quickie taco salads made with an off-the-shelf seasoning packet. It wasn't very good, but it was fast and filling.

Right now I'm typing this with a bowl of cereal in front of me. Raisin Bran Crunch to be precise. That's what I'm having for supper.

But I love all kinds of good food, and take great pleasure in it when I can find it. Real Italian pasta sauces. A thick, medium rare steak. Fajitas steaming on a cast iron pan. Fresh gulf shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce. Wonderful sushi. I won't even talk about the wine. That's a whole nuther blog.

And if there's time, almost anywhere I am, I can find good food that actually fits into my diet. One of my favorite things to do in any new place I go is to find where the locals eat, and eat there.

It comes down to being interested in people and cultures I guess. I feel like if I eat the food that is native to a region, and drink their wine or beer (or tea or lemonade if the occasion calls for it), I get to know those people and their culture a little better. I just don't get that from eating in a chain that's the same no matter where you plunk it down.

So a little stage setting here....I flew to Baltimore two weeks ago, where The Duchesse, a.k.a. Jeanne, picked me up at the airport, and from there I proceeded to run like crazy from Thursday until Monday, and although there were a few bright notes, the entire experience can be summed up in three words. Hotel Banquet Food.

Yeah. It was bad.

Good company, fun people, but the food? Blech.

Then we got to Charlotte.

And right here, in front of God and everybody, I will say that in Charlotte, North Carolina, I had some of the best food I've had in ages.

I was there with Jeanne, and fellow Banditas, Donna and Nancy. Nancy knows the area well, and she played tour guide. Between rounds of working on book plots, we went all kinds of interesting places to eat. This was my first visit to Charlotte, if you don't count the inside of the airport, and it's now on my list of top ten food cities.

I have two new favorite places to eat.

Mama Ricotta's is one of the best Italian restaurants I've found. Granted, I don't live in an area where there is a large Italian community, but I love Italian food. I could eat Italian several times a week without getting bored. Bandit Buddy Dianna once took some of us to a great little place in downtown Charleston, WV, and that was pretty high on my list, but Mama Ricotta's is right there with it.

That's a picture, on the left, of the inside of Mama Ricotta's. I tried to hire our server, McGregor, to join the cabana boy staff, but he would not take the bait. Apparently word has gotten around about Ermingarde the dragon.

So if you're passing through Charlotte and have time for dinner, Mama Ricotta's is the place to go.

But for breakfast or brunch, nothing--and I do mean nothing--has ever come close to the strawberry pancakes at The Pancake House. We went there just before we left. I understand that this is a franchise, but I'd never been to one. The service was just okay, but sometimes the food is so good that all else falls away.

Yes, they got the eggs right, but I completely forgot eggs and bacon when they brought the pancakes. Three pancakes piled on a plate, covered with sliced fresh strawberries and real whipped cream. The crowning glory, though, was the syrup. This was no sugar water glaze out of a package. These people took fresh strawberries and pureed them in a blender, poured that liquid magic into a little pitcher and brought it to the table to use as syrup.

I took one bite and about had a heart attack. It was so good I wanted to put my face in it. I was about to, but Jeanne stopped me. Thank goodness, because there were other people around. I finished it all and if I hadn't been there with polite people I would have licked the plate.

I looked at the manager and said, "how do you do this?"

"We grow our own yeast in the back," he said.

I'm now wondering if ordinary, everyday people can grow yeast in a kitchen, and just how much trouble it is to make scratch pancakes the way they do. This is the ultimate pancake.

I am not a food snob by any means. I love trying out the food wherever I am. I like little greasy spoon diners and catfish houses. I've been known to stop for the occasional pecan waffle at Waffle House. I've also been lucky enough to taste fantastic food in New Orleans, and I've had plate-licking experiences in San Francisco. The pizza at Patsy's under the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC is the best pizza I've ever eaten.

But for down-home, can't put the fork down, eat until you pop, all-out yumminess, the strawberry pancakes at The Original Pancake House--at least the one in Charlotte--gets the award.

Y'all have to go there. I'm certain they got the recipe from God, and if they didn't, when I die, Heaven better have a shuttle to Charlotte, NC, because I want those Pancakes every morning. With no calories of course.

Now tell me Bandits and Buddies, what is the best meal you've ever had?

Are there cities you love to visit because of a certain restaurant you love?



What's your favorite kind of food? Chinese? Mexican? Greek? Italian? Sushi?

Have you traveled to other countries? If so, did you like the food?

Do you tend to stick to the tried and true, or you adventurous when it comes to food?

When you eat out at your favorite place, do you always get the same thing, or do you try something new each time?

If you were a roving food reporter, what places would be your top three recommendations?

Have any of you been to The Pancake House in Charlotte?

Is there a Pancake House where you are?

46 comments:

Kim in Baltimore said...

Aloha!

Kim in Baltimore said...

I am fortunate to have the time zone on my side to keep the GR for a second day! Maybe we'll hop over to the Big Island!

Breakfast in Hawaii is a little different - the most popular dish is Loco Moco - fried egg atop hamburger patty with a scoop of white rice!

Cassondra said...

Wooot!

The GR gets another day in Hawaii! You think he's planning it this way?

Cassondra said...

Kim, that actually sounds really good to me. Wonder how that came about though? Do you know the history?

And do you like it?

Kim in Baltimore said...

Aloha, Cassandra! I looked up Loco Moco and here's what I found:

The birth of this dish is shrouded in more mystery than an episode of Lost, but legend has it that the loco moco was born in Hilo at the Lincoln Grill, which closed in the ’60s. The majority of reports indicate that the dish was created as a faster alternative to the bento.

Jane said...

I attended a luau in Hawaii and I did enjoy the kalua pig. I loved the cuisine I sampled in Japan(udon and tempura) and Holland(chicken schnitzel.) I've never had pizza at Patsy's, but one of my favorites is John's Pizza.

Anonymous said...

Hi Cassondra.

I'm eating strawberries and reading your post. Okay, those pancakes look divine. Bon Appetit magazine has their RSVP section where they ask restaurants for recipes on their reader's behalf.
The Bay Area has some great restaurants, and I've eaten my share of good meals, but I was in Vancouver BC years ago and had chili Dungeness crab, crab with black bean sauce, and several orders of dim sum. The food was far better than what we have in SF. I think part of the reason was the fish and the crab was local and the water is much colder up there. Nom.Nom.Nom.
Cheers!
Pink

pjpuppymom said...

::Groan:: Cassondra, I'm trying so hard to be good and here you come tempting me with all this glorious food! Strawberries are in season down here in the Carolinas - all plump, juicy and sweet. I could eat them for every meal! :)

Italian is my favorite type of food followed closely by Greek. The best Greek food I've ever had was in a little restaurant by the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, FL, the kind of place you'd walk right by if you weren't looking for it. Glorious food, fabulous Greek wine, unparalleled hospitality, lively music and great fun!

In Italy, my favorite country to visit, I love searching out the little, out of the way restaurants where the locals eat. The very best places to eat!

I'll be in Charlotte for a week later this month. I'm thinking a visit to The Pancake House may be in order. I haven't been there before and those strawberry pancakes are calling my name. Did you go to the one on Sharon or the one on Charlottetowne?

Trish Milburn said...

Oh, great, now I want pancakes. :) Just looked on the Original Pancake House's website, and the nearest one to here is Birmingham, Alabama. That's a bit far to go for pancakes.

I've had lots of good food in lots of different places, but my must-have when I go to a certain place is actually a little drive-through fast food chain in Northeast Tennessee. There's a place called Pal's, and they are just these pale blue cinderblock buildings with a giant hot dog, soda and fries on the roof. But I love, love, love their chipped ham and cheese sandwiches and seasoned fries. Yum! I even put them in one of my books, Her Very Own Family, which was set in the area.

Louisa Cornell said...

Pal's is a real place, Trish? I remember it from Her Very Own Family! (Love that book!)

The GR is no fool, Kim. Another day in paradise? Sign him up!

Pancakes! MMM ! Sounds like you had some blue ribbon food on your little trip!

There is a little place in our area called Casa Napoli and they have the best Chicken Alfredo I have ever eaten, including some of the food I had in Italy!

Best goulash on the planet can be had in a little cafe across the street from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

Best paprika chicken and Black Forest Cake - the ski lodge in Berchtesgaden, Germany.

Best Po Boy sandwiches - a place called Poor Richard's in New Orleans. I have no idea if it is still there after Katrina.

Susan Sey said...

Good morning, Cassondra! I love your posts. They make me hungry.

I have to say, my favorite food, bar none, is pizza. It's perfect. Bread, cheese, tangy sauce, salty toppings. It hits every one of my favorite food groups. Polish it off with an ice cream cone & you have my best Friday night ever.

Well, you have my every Friday night at least. :-)

I'm a homemade whole wheat crust girl with a little whole grain corn meal thrown in for texture. I make a big batch of sauce & freeze it in pizza sized containers & when it's summer the kids & I head out to the garden for fresh rosemary & basil & tomatoes.

I only wish I could grow olives.

Yum.

And now I can't wait for tomorrow night. It's pizza night.

Hope you're home now from your travels & resting easy!

Donna MacMeans said...

Congrats Kim - that's one lucky rooster!

Cassondra that picture of the baskets of strawberries made me drool! Love, love, love fresh picked strawberries - and now is the season for them. Yum!

I really enjoyed the food at Mama Ricottas in Charlotte AND the book club that was seated next to us - how cool was that? One of the problems of eating while traveling is that you can't really take home a doggy bag - and you can't really waste all that food (can't forget those starving kids in China!) so you absolutely MUST eat everything on the plate!

I was traveling a lot that weekend as well (figures the perfect storm of conferences/retreats/and plot groups hit the weekend when gas peaked at 4.29 a gallon) and really should be exercising to get that extra poundage off before it gets too comfortable on my hips - but I'm off again this weekend for Jacksonville FL. So if anyone knows of a great place in Jacksonville, give me a shout out!

pjpuppymom said...

Donna, Jacksonville is a huge city. In what part of the city are you staying?

Dtchycat said...

We don't have any Pancake Houses up here in the northeast - but when we head south, we stop every time! I am not an adventerous eater, at all. Yes, I am a waitress' worst nightmare, because no matter how many times I tell them not to bring me my food unless it is DEAD, the chef always seems to think that means I want it medium rare-rare. My most favorite type of food is seafood - I love the Weathervane (based out of Kittery Maine, though there are several chains here in northeast) - for me, it is the whole package of both ambiance (lobster traps, fishing gear on walls, worn tables), the oversized portions and the just caught taste of you dinner. Highly recommend the Fried Haddock Dinner with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert - my husband recommends the bucket of lobster claws as an appetizer, the baked fisherman's catch dinner.

Unknown said...

Hello all.

It's still morning here, and this vampire needs coffee. Be right back.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Those were, by far, the best pancakes EVAH!

I've been to a lot of good eateries. There's that restaurant that was opposite the hotel in San Fran? OMGosh, that was superb food. I ate there three times while we were at conference.

There's a place in chapel Hill, NC, near the UNC Campus in a little boutique hotel called Il Palio. FAB-U-Lous. I'm not a fan of Thai, usually, but there's a place in Durham, NC called Thai Cafe. Andother OMG experience. In DC, there's the place my DH takes me when I'm getting homesick for the South. It's called Georgia Brown's. Peach butter biscuits (AKA Cat-head-biscuits), gried chidken to die for, greens...yum.

There was also this wonderful roadside lobster shack in Kittery Maine....YUM!!!

Unknown said...

Kim said:

The birth of this dish is shrouded in more mystery than an episode of Lost, but legend has it that the loco moco was born in Hilo at the Lincoln Grill, which closed in the ’60s. The majority of reports indicate that the dish was created as a faster alternative to the bento.

How interesting! Wonder why they adopted that as breakfast? I figured there would be some ancient native food most people still ate for breakfast there. Hamburgers aren't really that old. What a surprise that they'd adopt that.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

PJ - I love Greek food! There's a Greek restaurant in Winston-Salem (Not sure it's still there) that was to DIE for!

Unknown said...

lots of questions...LOL
Well the best food...Great granny's hand rolled raviolis!!! The best and now I have that reciepe :0)
As for a pancake house around here ...Yes we do and I've been to a few of them...it's actually a thing to do after a New Kids on the Block concert....LOL (Yep I'm Old) I haven't been to the one in Charolette maybe when I travel in July.
I'm an adventure when it comes to food...I LOVE to try new foods...if it smells funny I plug my nose and go for it...LOL
Sometimes the food that smells the worst taste AWESOME! I've only been to a few countries but I've been to different resturants around the states so I can't wait til the kids move out so I can travel and try more foods!!!!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

DtchyCat said:My most favorite type of food is seafood - I love the Weathervane (based out of Kittery Maine, though there are several chains here in northeast)

OH!!!! We ate at this place! I can attest that it is FABULOUS. Loved it. We were in Kittery, ancestor hunting. Grins. We're related to the folks who built the Hanscom shipyard up there, Dtchycat, hence our stop in Kittery. but I'll never forget the food either. Grins.

pjpuppymom said...

We have a local place here called Betty's Hungry House Cafe. Best biscuits in the South and a parking lot that's *always* full!

Unknown said...

Jane said:

I attended a luau in Hawaii and I did enjoy the kalua pig. I loved the cuisine I sampled in Japan(udon and tempura) and Holland(chicken schnitzel.) I've never had pizza at Patsy's, but one of my favorites is John's Pizza.

Oh, I've never been to any of those places abroad and they sound wonderful! I love Japanese food as a rule, though. So much so that our sushi chefs will make up something strange in a small bowl and hand it over the counter to Steve and me. We don't even ask. We just eat it. *grin* You'll have to tell me where John's is, so I can try it when I'm up there this summer!

Unknown said...

Jennifertanner said:

I was in Vancouver BC years ago and had chili Dungeness crab, crab with black bean sauce, and several orders of dim sum. The food was far better than what we have in SF. I think part of the reason was the fish and the crab was local and the water is much colder up there. Nom.Nom.Nom.

I LOVE seafood. San Francisco was my first experience with actually liking fusion food, and I absolutely loved everything I ate there. I'm surprised at your saying Vancouver was that much better, but yes, it makes sense that if the water is colder, the crab is going to be better and thus the entire dish would be much better.

This is one of the things that interests me. The black bean sauce with the crab does not seem intuitive to me, and I'd love to taste that. Its fun to find new (or new to me) combinations.

Unknown said...

PJ said:

Italian is my favorite type of food followed closely by Greek. The best Greek food I've ever had was in a little restaurant by the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, FL, the kind of place you'd walk right by if you weren't looking for it. Glorious food, fabulous Greek wine, unparalleled hospitality, lively music and great fun!

Okay now I want to visit that Greek place because on my list of favorite foods, Greek is right near the bottom. I think it's because I haven't had any really good Greek food. I have this idea of it being all black olives (which I can eat, but don't like much) and vinegar. This is an unfortunate holdover from events I used to run in Nashville. Ever year one of the big city wide events would get Whole Foods to cater for their volunteer staff, and it was olives and pickled everything. Very Greek-ish in nature, but it ruined me I think. Blech.

In Italy, my favorite country to visit, I love searching out the little, out of the way restaurants where the locals eat. The very best places to eat!

Slurp. I have yet to visit Italy. I can't wait. When I get to go, I'm coming to you for food suggestions.

I'll be in Charlotte for a week later this month. I'm thinking a visit to The Pancake House may be in order. I haven't been there before and those strawberry pancakes are calling my name. Did you go to the one on Sharon or the one on Charlottetowne?

Hmmm...you'll have to ask Nancy. She navigated us there and I just tagged along. I found what I think is a picture of it, but there was no address attached. Perhaps she'll be along in a bit.

Unknown said...

Trish Milburn said:

Oh, great, now I want pancakes. :) Just looked on the Original Pancake House's website, and the nearest one to here is Birmingham, Alabama. That's a bit far to go for pancakes.

Yeah, but y'all have Pancake Pantry down in The Village, and that's the next best pancakes I've ever had. LOVE their crepes. I've been known to drive down there and actually arrive before 10 in the morning, just for their silver dollar pancakes loaded with fresh fruit toppings.

I've had lots of good food in lots of different places, but my must-have when I go to a certain place is actually a little drive-through fast food chain in Northeast Tennessee. There's a place called Pal's, and they are just these pale blue cinderblock buildings with a giant hot dog, soda and fries on the roof. But I love, love, love their chipped ham and cheese sandwiches and seasoned fries. Yum! I even put them in one of my books, Her Very Own Family, which was set in the area.

Oh, that's very cool. And one of my favorite things to do is seek out small, hole-in-the-wall diners. I've never been to a Pal's. I'll have to look for one.

Unknown said...

Louisa said:

There is a little place in our area called Casa Napoli and they have the best Chicken Alfredo I have ever eaten, including some of the food I had in Italy!

Okay now I want to drive to Ala-Dam-Bama for Chicken Alfredo. And I just might do it some day. I love Italian that much, and I don't particularly love any of the Italian I can get in Nashville. Seems that's the only ethnic food that isn't done particularly well in that city.

Unknown said...

Donna said:

I really enjoyed the food at Mama Ricottas in Charlotte AND the book club that was seated next to us - how cool was that? One of the problems of eating while traveling is that you can't really take home a doggy bag - and you can't really waste all that food (can't forget those starving kids in China!) so you absolutely MUST eat everything on the plate!

There you are! I was hoping you'd show up and chime in about Mama Ricotta's. I wish you'd been there for the pancakes. We stopped just before we left town. If they could ever get the perfect combination of good rich, strong coffee and those pancakes--that would be Heaven.

I've never been to Jacksonville, so I'm no help there.

Unknown said...

Susan Seyfarth said:

I'm a homemade whole wheat crust girl with a little whole grain corn meal thrown in for texture. I make a big batch of sauce & freeze it in pizza sized containers & when it's summer the kids & I head out to the garden for fresh rosemary & basil & tomatoes.

Oh! You can make homemade pizza? OMG. I would love to be able to do that. I've never tried it. Never taken the time because it always seemed like the learning curve on the crust would be kind of steep and I figured I didn't have time to make it come out right.

Unknown said...

Dtchycat said:

My most favorite type of food is seafood - I love the Weathervane (based out of Kittery Maine, though there are several chains here in northeast) - for me, it is the whole package of both ambiance (lobster traps, fishing gear on walls, worn tables), the oversized portions and the just caught taste of you dinner. Highly recommend the Fried Haddock Dinner with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert - my husband recommends the bucket of lobster claws as an appetizer, the baked fisherman's catch dinner.

That's a state I've never been to--Maine. And I've always wanted to go. One of the reasons is the seafood. My understanding is that it's the best ever. That's one of the bad things about living in Kentucky--it's landlocked and there's really no good seafood. The sushi is fresh, as it's flown in, but everything else comes out of a bag, frozen. :-(

Unknown said...

Jeanne said:

There's a place in chapel Hill, NC, near the UNC Campus in a little boutique hotel called Il Palio. FAB-U-Lous. I'm not a fan of Thai, usually, but there's a place in Durham, NC called Thai Cafe. Andother OMG experience. In DC, there's the place my DH takes me when I'm getting homesick for the South. It's called Georgia Brown's. Peach butter biscuits (AKA Cat-head-biscuits), gried chidken to die for, greens...yum.

There was also this wonderful roadside lobster shack in Kittery Maine....YUM!!!


Next time we drive through Durham, I wanna stop at that Thai place.

I'm drooling now.

Off to get a napkin.

Unknown said...

Jeanne said:

PJ - I love Greek food! There's a Greek restaurant in Winston-Salem (Not sure it's still there) that was to DIE for!

See!?!? I know I'm missing something.

I love love LOVE Baklava. It's my favorite dessert. But the rest of it? I just haven't had good Greek food.

Joan said...

Cassondra, sounds like ya'll had a great time in Charlotte!

I have too many favorite meals to list. I too LOVE bread! In fact I got up this morning and went to a nearby diner for their biscuits and gravy...yum.

I've also had a thing for pancakes lately though I don't have an IHOP or anything close by. And for the first time in my life I'm putting syrup on them....so many new experiences LOL

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

I think you've just not had good Greek food, Cassondra. It's yummy, and not olive-y at all. I don't like olives either, my evil twin, and yet, I adore Greek food.

catslady said...

I try to order food that goes with the restaurant or area. I don't order meat at a restaurant known for fish, etc. But when I'm in Florida, fish it is lol. My two favorites are Italian and French. But since I am Italian and know the real stuff, it has to be a retaurant that knows what it's doing. My husband is part French and lived there for a while so he introduced me to a lot of French foods such as escargot! I use to love pate until I found out how it was made so it has been off my list for a long time (as is veal).

Cassondra said...

Joanie said:

Sounds like y'all had a great time in Charlotte

Actually we had a lot of trouble with the place we stayed. It wasn't a good experience and we won't ever stay there again, but it was great to get together and work. Wish you could've been there. :0(

I've also had a thing for pancakes lately though I don't have an IHOP or anything close by. And for the first time in my life I'm putting syrup on them....so many new experiences LOL

Okay Joanie...you've never put syrup on pancakes? I am squinting toward the north--in your general direction-- about this. What DID you put on your pancakes???? Inquiring minds want to know.

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said:

I think you've just not had good Greek food, Cassondra. It's yummy, and not olive-y at all. I don't like olives either, my evil twin, and yet, I adore Greek food.

That's what I was guessing. I find that different regions of the country have populations of particular ethnic backgrounds or religions. We don't have a high number of Greek descendents in our area. We have a whole bunch of Bosnians, a fair number of folks who've immigrated from India, a few from China, and quite a large number of Vietnamese Americans, and now we have a lot of folks from Mexico. We have a fair size Japanese population as well--many of those are here with manufacturing interests in our area. So we have all of those cuisines. But very few of the traditional European cuisines--Italian (I'm sorry, but Olive Garden just does not count as ACTUAL Italian, though I do like their food usually)German, Greek--and French. We have NO French or German restaurants here. No Irish or Scottish either.

We do have a couple of Thai places.

Cassondra said...

Catslady said:

when I'm in Florida, fish it is lol.

Me too! If I'm near the water, I'm eating fish because we don't really get fresh seafood up here.

My two favorites are Italian and French. But since I am Italian and know the real stuff, it has to be a retaurant that knows what it's doing.

Ohhhhh! Now I know who to go to with my Italian cooking questions!

My husband is part French and lived there for a while so he introduced me to a lot of French foods such as escargot!

Yummmm...In January I had the first escargot I've ever eaten that wasn't chewy. I always wondered if that was just it's character or if it was being mishandled. Most people just assume it's supposed to be rubbery, but this wasn't, and it was AMAZING. I love it.

I use to love pate until I found out how it was made so it has been off my list for a long time (as is veal).

I don't do veal any more either because I don't want to support that. I'm a voracious carnivore and love all kinds of meat, but I just can't do the veal any more.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Funny you should be talking best foods, Cassondra.

Last week I went to lunch with my CP Jo Davis and we ate at Brio's. Lovely place that is quiet enough to let us chat. First up on the menu?

Steak Bruchetta for an appetizer. OH My God. The steak was tender and seasoned perfectly, the salad of fennel, arugala and charred tomato succulent, the Gorgonzola on top delicious and the balsalmic vinegar just the perfect dressing for the whole thing!

Then I ordered the chicken and roasted sweet potato risotto and a salad. The salad was delicious, however I could've done without it.

The risotto...HEAVENLY!! Perfection! Creamy gift from God!!

It was so good that it's been on my mind for days. Last night, I recreated it for my husband. He had thirds!!

Anna Campbell said...

Cassondra, trying again. Blogger was having conniptions last night for some reason! Great post! Love to eat!!!! Wish I didn't ;-)

Beth Andrews said...

Cassondra, those pancakes sounds wonderful! We had breakfast at the Pancake Pantry when we took our son to Nashville last fall and it was wonderful. Pancakes to die for! Wish I could figure out how they make them so dang tasty *g*

When my son and I went to Boston to check out a school we ate at a Thai place called Brown Sugar Cafe. I still think about the Pad See Ew I had. Sooo good :-)

Helen said...

Blogger just ate the post I did down for maitenance last night LOL

Kim have fun with him

Cassondra
Loved the post and the pictures of the strawberries one of my favourite foods.

Back in the 70's we had a great pancake place called Happy Granny's and they made the best banana pancakes a stack of fluffy pancakes topped with whipped butter mashed bananas sprinkled with walnuts and topped with the best maple syrup I have ever tasted sadly they are no longer around and I have never had any as nice. We do have a place called pancakes On the Rocks and they are good.
I love Italian and Greek food actually there is not much I don't like (except mangos) and I do like to try new things with different flavours.
We don't go out that much but I wish we did LOL

Have Fun
Helen

Kathy Ivan said...

Ah, The Original Pancake House. I discovered one only a few miles away from where I live and we went to brunch there on a Sunday Morning.

OMG, they do have the lightest, fluffiest pancakes you've ever tasted.

Have you tried their omlettes? Loaded and stuffed with outrageous fillings, they are HUGE! They start them on the stovetop and then bake them in the oven. So light and absolutely delish. But plan on taking at least half or more home with you for later.

Heck, now I want to go have breakfast. (Plus their thick cut bacon is wonderful.)

Pissenlit said...

I can be adventurous when it comes to food but it's not always evident. My friends tend to pick similar-type restaurants and so I order the exact same thing at each of them. If fish & chips is on the menu, that's what I get...with the exception of that one restaurant that also offered fried battered fish on a kaiser and fries..I picked that over fish & chips(for "variety", ha!)...but they've since removed it from the menu and so the last time I went, I had fish & chips. LOL

I'm not a huge fan of pancakes but those pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream looks pretty tempting!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

katmarsullivan said: Heck, now I want to go have breakfast. (Plus their thick cut bacon is wonderful.)

OMGosh is it ever good! YUM!!! I love bacon anyway, but that was faboo...

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Well blogger was rude and I missed it all

Caren Crane said...

Cassondra, I'm so sorry this post got taken down. You know I could talk about food ANYTIME and ALL THE TIME! Those strawberry pancakes and the fresh strawberries looked delicious! By the way, it's strawberry time here in NC and they are fabulous this year!