Pat and David, Author at Hungry Travelers

Pat and David

Green chile puts bite in Hawt Pizza at Low ‘n Slow

Posted on May 9, 2023May 8, 2023 by Pat and David

The Low 'n Slow bar inside Santa Fe's Hotel Chimayo (125 Washington Ave, Santa Fe; 505-216-1066; hotelchimayo.com) draws its inspiration from the Lowrider culture of northern New Mexico. Inside the bar, that translates into hot car artwork and chrome hub caps. The hotel's own modified 1964 Chevy Impala might be parked out front. Hotel guests can climb in to cruise around town on a guided tour. The bar isn't just for drinking (though the Chimayóso Margarita rimmed with Chimayó red chile is certainly popular). Half the space is devoted to Hawt Pizza Co. The roughly 12-inch pies are adequate to feed two people with modest appetites. But they're good enough that many folks want their own. As a nice stylistic compromise between New York thin...Read More

Bandelier’s green chile burger comes with side of majesty

Posted on May 5, 2023January 20, 2024 by Pat and David

Green chile is one of New Mexico's official state vegetables, and it figures in the official state question (“Red or green?”). One state legislator has even introduced a bill to make roasting green chile the official state aroma. Moreover, the state has a more or less official green chile cheeseburger trail (newmexico.org/things-to-do/cuisine/culinary-trails/green-chile-cheeseburger-trail/) with dozens of stops. Truth be told, the green chile cheeseburger isn't exactly rocket science. Place a good burger with melted cheese on a nice bun and add chopped green chile. That's the bare-bones recipe, of course. Every establishment tries to put its own twist on the the formula. Lettuce, tomato, onion, and sometimes pickle slices make it onto many variations. Some restaurants use simple chopped green chile; others cook the chiles into...Read More

Santa Fe Farmers Market rich with green chile

Posted on April 28, 2023April 17, 2023 by Pat and David

Our first morning in Santa Fe was a Saturday so we made a beeline to the Santa Fe Farmers Market. It operates all year long in the Railyard (railyardsantafe.com), an emerging redeveloped district south of the old city center. Several art galleries, cafes, and breweries have opened in the Railyard and it's home to a weekend “world market” as well as a market of artists and artisans. It's also the northern terminus of the New Mexico Rail Runner commuter rail service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. But we were after food to cook in our casita kitchen. Vendors set up their tables in the large warehouse building adjoining the train tracks. In the summer, the market spills out onto the plaza around the building. But...Read More

Green Chile Chronicles begin in Cimarron, NM

Posted on April 24, 2023April 17, 2023 by Pat and David

Green chile isn't just a vegetable — it's the iconic flavor of New Mexico. It's a motif that runs through almost all of our experiences in the state. Once we crossed the line from Oklahoma into New Mexico, we could have driven straight to the little Santa Fe casita that we had rented for the month of April. Instead, we hightailed it to Cimarron, a mountain town right out of the Old West. We went for the St. James Hotel (617 South Collison Avenue, Cimarron, NM; 575-376-2664; exstjames.com). The hostelry is the stuff of Western legend — plus it also serves green chile mac-and-cheese in its barroom restaurant. Founded in 1861, Cimarron was a trading crossroads where the high plains met the Rocky Mountains. After...Read More

Chicken at Stroud’s skips the fryolator

Posted on April 21, 2023April 13, 2023 by Pat and David

When we researched Kansas City, Kansas, we expected to find that the James Beard Foundation had bestowed the America's Classic designation on a barbecue joint. But instead, the Beard folks have honored Stroud's as “The Home of Pan Fried Chicken.” Actually, Stroud's did begin life as a barbecue restaurant in the 1930s, but introduced pan fried chicken during World War II when beef was scarce. The original Stroud's, which sounds like a colorful joint, closed in 2006. But the pan fried chicken has demonstrated real staying power. The restaurant now has three locations including the one we visited in Overland Park (8301 West 135th Street, Overland Park, Kansas; 913-499-0135; stroudsrestaurant.com). The modern restaurant sits in a little shopping mall. But our waitress told us that...Read More

Who could pass up a hot salami sandwich?

Posted on April 19, 2023April 20, 2023 by Pat and David

We made an exception of scheduling only dinner at James Beard American Classics when we discovered an irresistible deli/sandwich shop in a city we'd be passing around noon. Besides, it was only a 10 minute detour from the interstate to enjoy lunch in a historic Italian American neighborhood in St. Louis. How could we possible drive past? Gioia's Deli (1934 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-776-9410, gioiasdeli.com) has anchored a corner of “The Hill” in St. Louis since 1918. It sits across the street from Berra Park in the Italian American neighborhood. Although the park is not named for Yogi Berra, the Yankees catcher and manager did grow up here and locals are happy to point you to his house. We like to imagine that...Read More

St. Elmo Steak House is Indianapolis classic

Posted on April 17, 2023April 13, 2023 by Pat and David

St. Elmo Steak House (127 South Illinois Street, Indianapolis, Indiana; 317-635-0636; stelmos.com) sits in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, near Lucas Oil Stadium. It's the snazziest America's Classic that we've encountered. “Famous Since 1902,” the dining room turned out to be a bit more formal, fancy, and (frankly) expensive, than we were bargaining for. Fortunately, St. Elmo also boasts a “Chicago saloon-style” bar, built around an actual wooden bar made by the Brunswick family of bowling alley fame for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. There are a few tables in the bar area, but grabbed a couple of barstools to watch the action while we ate and drank. St. Elmo's was busy enough to be lively, but not so busy that the bartenders didn't have...Read More

Following James Beard to Santa Fe

Posted on April 14, 2023April 13, 2023 by Pat and David

Since 1998, the James Beard Foundation has honored a handful of “America's Classics” each year. The foundation probably didn't intend the list to be a travelers' database for touring the country, but that's exactly how we use it. When we set out at the end of March to drive from the Boston area to Santa Fe, we broke the trip into 7- to 8-hour segments, then looked for an America's Classic. We knew that these homey, often mom-and-pop casual restaurants would guarantee a welcoming place with local character after a day on the road. Once we'd settled on a place to eat, we looked for a nearby modest motel. The Anchor Bar (1047 Main Street, Buffalo, NY; 716-883-1134; anchorbar.com) in Buffalo, New York, was our...Read More

Omnom puts the ice (cream) in Iceland

Posted on April 7, 2023March 15, 2023 by Pat and David

Omnom Chocolates are possibly the best known of Iceland's culinary exports, rivaled only by Icelandic sea salt (see this post). We think that they are cleverly named. Say it three time fast and it will sound like you're devouring a chocolate bar. The sophisticated flavors include a licorice white chocolate and ‶burnt and black barley.″ They're widely available in the U.S. and Canada. But you'll have to go to Iceland to try Omnom ice cream, made in the same boxy factory (above) as the chocolates. The location (Hólmaslóð 4; +354 519 5959; omnom.is) is a bit of a schlep from central Reykjavik, but we were happy to go to great lengths for gastronomic research. Omnom sits in a warehouse district only a few streets northwest...Read More

Hot dog, Iceland’s unofficial national fast food

Posted on March 31, 2023March 14, 2023 by Pat and David

Judging by America's local-pride food blogs, you'd think that any of a dozen cities in the U.S. invented or perfected the hot dog. But not even New Yorkers who adore Coney Island red hots can claim a greater loyalty to the humble frankfurter than Iceland. (Close as we can tell, the particular sausage originated in Frankfurt, Germany, but that's another story.) You'll find the most important culinary landmark in Iceland at Tryggvagata 1 in Reykjavik. That's the location of Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (www.bbp.is), the kiosk whose name (we're told) translates to English as ‶best hot dogs in town.″ Opening at 10 a.m. and closing between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. (longer hours in the midnight sun of summer), it has been in the same spot...Read More