A food addict and connoisseur of tasteful films reviews Food in Film, starring...
… Old 96er
While vacationing at a lakeside resort, Chet Ripley (John Candy) and his family dine at a Paul Bunyan themed restaurant. Chet orders the "Old 96er"--a 96-ounce prime aged beef steak--and if he consumes the entire thing, including gristle, his family will eat for free (The Great Outdoors, 1988).
A few bites of steak and I'm good. If I eat more it sits like a brick in my stomach. When the Old 96er arrives at the table, I cringe.
Scene: Chet eats the Old 96er.
We like to eat local cuisine while on vacation. Themed restaurants can be fun, and if we eat at a franchise restaurant, we select one that isn't available where we live. We don't want same-o, same-o.
Sometimes we select a diner based on the amount of cars in the parking lot, other times we ask locals for recommendations. Once in awhile we try a place simply because of an intriguing name, like Lizard's Thicket (South Carolina). And sometimes limited cafe options in a small town give us so-so foods but fun family memories, like Pickle's Place in Arco, Idaho.
I have visited all 50 of the United States and although I can't recall every dining experience, these restaurants (listed in alphabetical order) stand out in my memory:
Sometimes we select a diner based on the amount of cars in the parking lot, other times we ask locals for recommendations. Once in awhile we try a place simply because of an intriguing name, like Lizard's Thicket (South Carolina). And sometimes limited cafe options in a small town give us so-so foods but fun family memories, like Pickle's Place in Arco, Idaho.
I have visited all 50 of the United States and although I can't recall every dining experience, these restaurants (listed in alphabetical order) stand out in my memory:
- Bette's Place, Hood River, Oregon. (Eggs Florentine Benedict!)
- Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, New Orleans, Louisiana (Crawfish Ravioli, and their Crab and Crawfish Bake. Oh my!)
- Cupboard Cafe, Dillard, Georgia
- Doc's Seafood and Steaks, Padre Island, Texas
- Flying Iguana, Neptune Beach, Florida (Featured in my "F" post: Fried Green Tomatoes)
- Harry's Seafood, St. Augustine, Florida
- Il Fornaio, Coronado, California
- Pacific Catch, San Francisco, California
If we visited your area, what eatery would you recommend?
I might have been able to do it in my early twenties, but these days it would make me puke.
ReplyDeletePhillip | O is for an Octopus named Hank He’s also Orange!
If a restaurant really did offer such a huge steak, I wonder if they also have an ambulance nearby.
DeleteTrudy,
ReplyDeleteI remember the flick and the scene. I recall years ago when we ate out I hated to leave anything on my plate because I felt guilty for the waste but I'd rather toss it instead of having to work to burn those calories off now.
This is a tough one. I reckon my favorite place to eat in town is Copper Cellar. The ambiance and food are excellent. I love to dress up when we dine there. It breaks my heart to see folks walk in to this establish in casual attire, I mean casual shorts, flip flops,.. People just don't take care to look nice when eating out anymore. I guess it's not a big deal with many always eating on the run but for me it's an experience to savor.
Thanks for visiting. Have a good day!
Art Sketching Through the Alphabet “O” (Owl)
Oh wow! I used to live 40 miles from that area, and never ate there! We usually went to Calhoun's on the River.
DeleteAnd you are right... we don't see very many people dress up for dining. Prom night seems to be the exception. Now I am wondering if my state of dress affects what and how much I eat. Thanks to your comment, I want to step up my dress standards next time I dine out.
I have eaten in restaurants the world over. For me the cuisine of the country is one of the things I most like to experience. If you were to visit me we would eat in one of the many independant family run village pubs - the Fish Inn Amble Bay is a good place to start!
ReplyDeleteAmble Bay's Orchestra
Ooooooo... Would we get to meet Jeremiah, the nice but vague ghost, at the Fish Inn?
DeleteGreat movie. I love that scene. I can't imagine doing that. Oy! The best place here in Cheyenne is the Restaurant at the Plains Hotel! Excellent spinach salad and clam chowder - my fave.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious, Launa! I love a good spinach salad, and clam chowder.
DeleteMy mum could cook (very basically) steak and chops - I think I grew up on those two things and once I left home I almost never ate them again! I'm a chicken and fish girl most days - a hunk of steak like that would stick in the craw wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteLeanne | cresting the hill
It certainly would stick in the craw. Ugh. Like you, I prefer chicken and fish. Or a nice soup and salad!
DeleteWhere I'm living now (north Morocco), you will enjoy very different meals... :)
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you have visited all 50 states!
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Eva - Mail Adventures
P is for Paradise.
I've had Moroccan food, but it was here in the U.S., so I'm not sure how authentic. It was delicious, though.
DeleteI am not a steak lover. Or even a beef lover. I do love a good hamburger though and if we have a local place called the Red Coat Tavern that makes really good ones.
ReplyDeleteRedcoat Tavern. Interesting name. At first I thought it must be in the New England area, then I realized it's in Michigan.
DeleteAlthough I like beef, I am rarely in the mood for steak or hamburgers. And oddly enough, for such a heavy food, I usually eat hamburgers in the summer when we attend family gatherings and picnics.