Grassy Knoll Diner

Old Mill Restaurant - Gatlinburg

2012-01-04T15:19:00.001-05:00

Old Mill Restaurant

I have been going to Gatlinburg for over 20 years and finally stopped for dinner at the Old Mill. I had heard good things about the Mill, good food, good service, fair prices.

Being November, of course this was a 20-30 minute for a table, but no problem, the air that evening was warm and the Christmas lights were on. The wait wasn't as long as expected and we were seated in less than 20 minutes. Rolls, butter, and an assortment of breads were brought right out along with menu's. So far so good.

Soup, Salad, Rolls

I ordered one of the popular house entree dinners, Southern fried chicken. Soup, house salad, mashed potatoes and corn came with the meal. I asked the waitress if I could have macaroni and cheese (Which was a side order on the menu) but she flatly said that no substitutions were permitted with the dinners. I politely pointed out that it was on the menu as a side but she again said no substitutions were permitted.

No big deal. Odd, but no big deal. My soup and salad were delivered to my table in minutes. Not bad service and not a bad salad either. The soup, chicken noodle, was bland, edible at best.

Southern Fried Chicken

As you can see, the fried chicken was golden brown and the pieces were average sized. And it tasted OK. The batter was crispy and the chicken juicy, as expected. The potatoes were all right but the corn was horrendous. (Now I understand why there were no substitutions, they were pushing the corn.)

The cost was just under $20 without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 2.5 out of 5 shots as the food was average, nothing special, and points deducted for not being able to substitute a side dish and with that does not recommend the Old Mill for lunch or dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Vending Machine Cheese Curls

2012-01-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

Vending Cheese Curls

Take a good look people. What you see is one dollar's worth of a vending machine snack, Herr's Cheese Curls. That's 15 churls to a bag. One ounce for $1 dollar. Is this a good deal? Depends on how hungry you are and the availability of other viable choices. For me, for that day, the vending machine was one of two options. Insert a $1 dollar bill into the machine or go hungry.

As cheese curls go, well, they were puffy and crunchy. They had fake cheese glued on them. And they are orange.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 1.25 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Vending Machine Cheese Curls for a snack. My advice, pack a lunch.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Youngstown - A&W Restaurant Last Meal

2011-12-30T18:35:00.000-05:00

A&W Going Out of Business 12-31-2011

A&W Family Restaurant located on Route 224 and West Boulevard is closing tomorrow. The details are sketchy but apparently the owners wanted to retire and attempted to see the business but there were no takers. So, on December 31st, 2011, A&W will serve it's last mug of root beer and close it's doors for good. I believe Advanced Auto Parts purchased the property and will begin building shortly after the new year.

A&W was one of those old fashioned fast food restaurants. So old fashioned that they had car ports and waitresses would come out to your car and take your order and bring it out on a tray and attach it to your car window. Just like at Arnold's from the Happy Days television sitcom. The car ports are still there but alas, that type of service was discontinued a long time ago.

However, I remember back in my teens I would take my 68 Camaro to A&W and order up some cheeseburgers and root beer floats. The food was good as fast food goes, and the root beer was unique, a very good blend. Those were the days. But those days are gone my friends.

Patty and I went inside to order, it was not busy, perhaps 10 people sitting in the booths and two people ahead of us in line. We placed our order, I went with the double cheeseburger special. (A double cheeseburger and Root Beer for $3.49) I added a large order of french fries ($1.99) to complete my last meal at A&W.

A&W Double Cheeseburger And Fries

Our meal took about five minutes to be ready and we took the tray of food to our table. As I unwrapped the cheeseburger, it didn't look at all like the A&W burgers from old. The bun was a generic bun, you can see the powder on the top of the bun. It was not buttered, not toasted, not warmed, just a plain old generic small bun. The burgers were also small, not at all as I remembered. And the taste, well, it was nasty. I liken the taste to horse meat. Patty told me to keep my voice down as I was ranting about the terrible taste. I replied, "What are they going to do, close the place down!" I choked down half the burger and left the rest in the wrapper.

I had hope for the fries. Alas, they were simple standard generic fries. No real taste to them and salty as all hell. And for $1.99 I was expecting perhaps a little more fries.

A&W Root Beer

Perhaps the root beer would be better than the meal. After all, the root beer is what made the restaurant favorite. I remember the tall thick frosty mugs they used to serve for in dining orders. That root beer just tasted fantastic. Not today's however. It was in a paper cup, and was flat and stale. No fizzle, no taste. I would think it was perhaps the worst soft drink I had the displeasure of tasting.

That was strike three for me. Patty however, said the chili dog was excellent so we have that.

Perhaps the restaurant was merely unloading what was buried back in their freezer long ago. (They never did find Jimmy Hoffa's body you know) Perhaps they didn't want to change the CO2 tanks in the soft drink machine. Who knows. Who really cares anymore. The place will be open only another 24 hours or so.

With heavy heart, because I really wanted A&W to go out of business on a high note, The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 1 out of 5 shots for the final meal at A&W Family Restaurant in Boardman, Ohio.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Antone's - Chicken Parmesan

2011-12-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Anton'e Restaurant - Chicken Parmasan

Antone's Italian Restaurant, just off Western Reserve Road, has been around for many years. Many people know them for their famous "Fried Cheese" but they have much more to offer than that.

For some reason, the restaurant is never crowded when we dine. It is a small place, so perhaps it is better known as a quick take out service restaurant.

Anyway, we were seated quickly at a booth and our waitress asked for our drink orders. Diet pops all around. In a few minutes she returned with the drinks and asked if we were ready to order. We were. As you can see from above, I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and I added a meatball for luck. (Actually, the meatballs are very good and I had to have one) No famous fried cheese this time around for I usually do not finish the meals in front of me.

Our waitress returned with our meals in about 10 minutes and I was surprised at how much pasta and chicken was on the plate. Two pieces of breaded chicken, layered with cheese and sauce and a very generous portion of rigatoni with sauce. And of course topped off with the meatball.

The chicken was moist, tender, hot, and tasty. It was not greasy and the cheese was just enough, not overpowering, but a compliment to the chicken. The rigatoni was well cooked, and with the sauce atop they were very good. Of course the meatball was good.

The cost was about $11 dollars without tip or drink. A very fair deal for the amount of food on the plate. And no, I did not finish all the pasta.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Antone's Italian Restaurant for dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

C Staples - BBQ Chicken Dinner

2011-12-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

C Staples BBQ

Charlies Staples BBQ restaurant has been around Youngstown for many years serving his own special blend of BBQ Ribs, Chicken, Pulled pork, and even Fish. This evening I was in the mood for chicken.

The restaurant was crowded, must have been a party happening that evening. (Wink) I made my way to my table and was quickly approached by our waitress who asked us for our orders. Very nice waitress and very fast service. I commend them for such service on such a bust evening.

The dinner consisted of four pieces of chicken smothered in a tangy BBQ sauce, two pieces of bread, and french fries. I received a breast, leg, thigh, and wing. The breast was the main part, and was fair sized and meaty. All the pieces were well cooked. The BBQ sauce just tangy enough to let you know you were dining in a BBQ restaurant.

The fries were surprisingly good. Well cooked and crunchy enough. I left the white bread alone.
The cost was just under $10 dollars with a diet Coke which was very reasonable.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends C Staples Restaurant for dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Longhorn Steakhouse - Filet Mignon

2011-12-11T23:16:00.000-05:00

Longhorn Steakhouse - Youngstown

The city of Youngstown has plenty of restaurants to choose from with many good steak houses. Longhorn Steakhouse in Boardman, Ohio was our selection for dinner tonight. We were seated quickly and our waitress came over to take our drink orders. A few minutes later she took our dinner orders

Longhorn Salad

Our salads were delivered to our table. The salad was standard fare. It was fresh, had adequate lettuce and tomatoes, crunchy croutons, and several assorted other greens. The good thing about the salad was that it was fresh. That goes a long way.

Longhorn Fresh Rolls

The rolls were delivered at the same time as the salads. The rolls were warm, fresh, and appeared to be home made. They tasted very good as the butter melted right into the dough.

Longhorn Potato Soup

One of my favorite types of soup is potato soup. Longhorns version of potato soup had of course chunks of potatoes in a creamy sauce. A sprinkling of bacon bits, shredded cheese, and some chives. The soup was very good, not the best, but very good.

Longhorn Filet Mignon

Of course, when you are in a steakhouse, you order the steak. I selected the Filet Mignon and loaded baked potato. I asked for medium well done and to butterfly the steak. In less than 15 minutes, my filet was delivered to our table. It was cooked perfectly. BTW, this is the 9 ounce filet, and it was juicy and tender and bursting with flavor. There was not one iota of fat on this steak. It ranks up in the top 5% of filets.

The baked potato was well cooked. I hate when the potato is only halfway cooked and hard in the center. This one was hot and flavorful, with plenty of butter, melted cheese, and enough bacon covering the top to compliment the entire taste of the potato.

Longhorn Cheesecake

Feeling saucy, I went for dessert. I was full from all the food but the cheese cake looked intriguing. I ordered a slice. I wanted cherry cheese cake but alas, they did not have that on the menu. The closest they could get was strawberry sauce. The dessert capped off an almost perfect dinner. The cost of the dinner was right around $30 dollars not including tip but including dessert.

Also a plus was that Longhorn offers Coke Zero. I see more and more restaurants are offering this most excellent diet soft drink. Zero calories but all the Coca-Cola taste.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Japonais Restaurant - Mirage Hotel Las Vegas

2011-12-03T23:36:00.000-05:00

Japonais Filet

The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has several outstanding restaurants and Japonais ranks as one of the best. As most of you are aware, I am not a friend of oriental cuisine so when I walked into Japonais, I had the feeling that I may not enjoy the evening. I was wrong!

Filet Mignon - Japonais

The seating was not traditional, simply small tables low to the floor with bench seats and low lighting. As expected, the restaurant had a Japanese theme. (Hence the name) But that isn't what's important.
As you can see, I ordered filet mignon with creamy potatoes. It was served on a square low brim hot clay plate. The filet was around $40.00 without tip. A coke was added to complete my meal.

Surprisingly, the fillet was very flavorful, tender, juicy, and excellent. I was a little skeptical about the potatoes as well but they were very good. Instead of mashed, they were puree style with grilled asparagus.
The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 shots out of 5 and recommends Japonais restaurant for dinner. Minor deductions for a minor mishap with our waitress and the cost being just a tad to pricey.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Metro Grill - Cheeseburger And Fries

2011-11-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Metro Grill - Inside Chicago Crowne Plaza Hotel

I was in town during the Transworld Halloween show was in Chicago and made my hotel reservation with the Crowne Plaza. The Plaza is just a five minute walk to the convention center where the show is housed. Winning! Being in a suburb of Chicago and without a car, the dining experience was limited. The first night I opted for the hotel restaurant, the Metro Grille.

The restaurant was not crowded when we walked in. I recall perhaps ten people dining. Perhaps this wasn't a wise choice. The hostess seated right away and brought us some water. A few minutes later our waitress took our order.

Cheeseburger And Fries

I went with a safe bet, a bacon cheeseburger and fries and a diet Coke. Like Indiana Jones, I choose wisely.
In about ten minutes my order was delivered to our table.

As you can see, it was a bacon cheeseburger. Upon further inspection, I noticed the bacon was not cooked completely. It was still fatty and greasy. I could overlook that if the rest of the burger was alright. A quick glance to my left to survey the french fries, which were well cooked and standard tasting, but seriously, if you can count the fries on your plate, the portion is small.

To the burger itself. The bun was fresh, lightly buttered and toasted. The beef was well cooked, well done as I specified. It was juicy with good flavor and the cheese melted added that extra touch. It wasn't a big burger, certainly no half pounder, perhaps a little larger than a quarter pound, but no more. Nothing special, nothing terrible, just a typical burger.

The cost of this feast was $15 dollars without tip. Let's see, uncooked bacon for a topping, a scant amount of french fries, a less than average size burger, for $15 dollars. It should have been set at around $10 dollars, no more.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.25 out of 5 shots and only recommends Metro Grille Chicago for dinner for it's convenience and proximity to my hotel. If you have a car, take the ride to plenty more options.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

The Smoky Mountain Brewery - Large Pizza

2011-11-20T20:10:00.001-05:00

The Brewery - Pizza

As you can tell, the Smoky Mountain Brewery and Restaurant is one of my favorite places in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This trip, I decided on their famous home made pizza. I choose BBQ chicken as the topping. During football season, it is better to get to this restaurant early lest you want to wait a while. We got lucky and got squeezed in before the crowd came to watch the many college football games on the numerous flat screen television sets positioned around the restaurant.

As you can see, the pizza was a large, a 12 inch pizza. It was delivered in about 20 minutes, which is pretty damn quick as it takes about that time for the pizza to bake in the oven. The crust was thin and crunchy, the cheese plentiful and the sauce zesty and good. And oh yea, the BBQ chicken topping was generous and tasty.

The cost was fair, about 14 dollars without tip. The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 stars out of 5 to the Smoky Mountain Brewery Pizza and recommends them for dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Peddler Steakhouse - Filet Mignon

2011-11-19T23:08:00.002-05:00

Peddler Steakhouse Salad

The Peddler Steakhouse has a reputation as being the best steakhouse in the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountains. We are all about to put that reputation to the test.

Yes, the Peddler has already been critiqued, but the steak was so good last time, it would merit a second visit. As usual, the Peddler was packed, all the tables occupied and about 100 people waiting to get a table. Knowing the little secret to secure a table we moved to the cocktail area overlooking the scenic stream. (You see, there is usually an hour to two hour wait for a table down stairs but if you go to the cock tail area, there are tables scattered about and you can order dinner and sit there.)

Our waitress came over and asked us what we wanted to drink. I went with the diet Coke and said we would also like to order dinner as well. (In like Flint) I began with the salad, one you make yourself from the salad bar down stairs. Notice the huge chunks of ham and hard boiled egg halves plus real bacon, not those cheap baco bits. The salad is a meal in itself. There were dozens of choices to select from. No two salads are the same.

Peddler Filet Mignon

The Gatlinburg Peddler is famous for steak, so of course I ordered the filet mignon and a baked potato. For the restaurant being so crowded, the service was quite peppy. In less than 20 minutes our steaks were delivered to our table plus another round of diet Cokes. Of course the filet was prepared perfectly. The taste was exquisite, yes, I said exquisite. Zero fat and juicy and tender and bursting with flavor. One of the best steaks I have ever had.

The only setback for the Peddler is it's own popularity. No matter when you go, no matter what day, you will always wait. Always. A one hour wait time is the average to get a seat.

The cost for the dinner is around $45.00 without tip but you get a fabulous salad, great steak, big ass baked potato, hot fresh rolls with butter, and the soft drink, (Coke) of your choice.

Yes, the Gatlinburg Peddler Steakhouse reputation does exceed expectations. With that, The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4.75 out of 5 shots to the Peddler and recommends the steak house for dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Champions Restaurant – Philadelphia

2011-11-13T18:52:00.000-05:00

Champions Restaurant - Philadelphia

After running the Philadelphia Museum Of Art steps ala Rocky Balboa, "Rocky Steps" we were hungry and stopped at Champions Restaurant, inside the Marriott Hotel in downtown Philadelphia for dinner.

My order was very simple. A bowl of chicken noodle soup and an order of chicken strips.

Champion Chicken Noodle Soup

After an almost 30 minute wait, (And there was no excuse for the restaurant was not crowded at all) my chicken soup came. It looked delicious and it was good. I was concerned for the restaurant was not busy, and as most restaurants, the soup of the day is prepared early and readily available in a minutes notice. Yet, it took almost 30 minutes for it to arrive. I wonder how long i would I have to wait for the main entree.

Champions chicken Strips

Before the chicken strips arrived, the server brought out fried fish and macaroni and cheese. I told him that wasn't what I ordered and he actually argued with me. I asked to speak to my waitress. She came over and saw the mistake and said she would put a rush on my order. No apology, no batting of the eyes, nothing. I wasn't holding out much hope on the rush part.

My wife ordered a Philly steak and cheese. It came without cheese! WTF! It also went back.

Finally, after another 20 minutes, our correct dinners arrived. I will admit the chicken strips tasted great, but i just can't get past the rude and lousy service we received.

Taking into account the shoddy service, the arguing, and the incorrect meals, the Grassy Knoll Diner awards 1.75 shots out of 5 and does not recommend Champions Restaurant inside the Downtown Marriott Marquis Philadelphia hotel.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Francesco’s Italian Restaurant – Las Vegas

2011-11-12T21:19:00.001-05:00

Francesco's Italian Restaurant - Las Vegas

Francesco's restaurant, nestled inside the Treasure Island casino was hard to find. It blended right into the casino atmosphere. Luckily, we found it and wandered in for dinner.

Appetizers

There were a few of dining that evening so table table appetizers were ordered. Above is a fine selection of seafood dishes from the menu.

Chicken Parmasan

I ordered the chicken parmigiana. Before I did, I saw an order delivered to a table next to us and it looked fabulous. It would not disappoint.

The chicken was very lightly breaded, well cooked, juicy, smothered in cheese, with a tangy tomato sauce covering a tender chicken breast. The taste was very good. The sauce was tangy, the cheese good, and the chicken well cooked and good tasting. The meal was cooked to perfection and the service very efficient. And the cost, surprisingly low at around $25.00 without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 3.75 shots out of 5 to Francesco's Italian Restaurant and recommends them for dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Aunt Mahalia's Chocolate Confections

2011-11-04T13:23:00.001-04:00

Aunt Mahalia's Cashew Turtle

Walking on the Parkway, (The main drag in Gatlinburg) I happened by Aunt Mahalia's Homemade candy store. A huge picture window dominated the store showcasing all the sweet confections.

I decided on the artery busting cluster confection of chocolate, cashews, and caramel.

In a word, it tasted delightful. However, the cost was $2.49 for this one piece of delightful. Not so delightful anymore. (Do you think I can squeeze the word delightful in this post one more time?) The cashews were fresh, and whole, (Whole cashews just seem to taste better than pieced cashews) the chocolate was divine, and the caramel nice and thick. It was very good tasting for sure.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 2.5 shots out of 5 and only recommends Aunt Mahalia's delightful (Ding, ding, ding) convection only if you got money to throw out the window.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Hungry Howie's - Calzone

2011-11-02T21:13:00.000-04:00

Hungry Howie's - Calzone

A new fast food delivery restaurant opened up in Youngstown recently. It looked like a typical pizza joint place, and being the blue plate special king, decided to try them out.

I used the flyer that was in my mailbox and called in my take out order. I ordered the above item, which by the menu is a sausage and cheese calzone.

Pickup was painless, the order was ready, and it was correct. When I got home, I unwrapped my dinner and found this. A big blob of soggy dough, cheese, sauce, and what appeared to be rabbit turds.

The taste was, well, terrible. A soggy mess of ingredients congealing wrapped up in a box. I cannot confirm if it was sausage or rabbit turds. Or cheese for that matter. However, the sauce was plain tomato paste, no spice whatsoever.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 1.25 shots out of 5 and does not recommend Hungry Howie's for lunch or dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Star Bagel - San Francisco Breakfast Sandwich

2011-11-01T11:03:00.000-04:00

Star Bagel - Menu - San Francisco

The last time we were in San Francisco, we stopped for breakfast at Star Bagel, located at 1475 Polk Street, (Between Pine St & California St) San Francisco, CA 94109 in the Nob Hill area. Star bagel was a short walk from our hotel. We stepped in and bellied up to the counter. I ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese toasted bagel.

Star Bagel - Bacon, Egg, Cheese Bagel

The counter guy took to task and began to cook our eggs and bacon on his grill. he cut our bagels and toasted them. In less than five minutes, our order was up.

As you can see, this was a big bagel with plenty of filling. I estimated three scrambled eggs were used for my bagel. They were cooked perfectly. On the bottom was 4 crispy pieces of bacon, well cooked, and delicious. A piece of cheese surrounded by a buttered toasted bagel completed the ensemble. The taste was very good.

The bagel was $2.25 plus added bacon and cheese totaling $4 dollars. There was not a lot of places to sit, and it wasn't the absolute cleanest places, but the bagel was fresh, well cooked and tasted good.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Star Bagel of San Francisco for breakfast.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies - Home Made

2011-10-30T19:01:00.002-04:00

Halloween Cookies

Forget about all the chocolate candy and sugared candy you get for Trick Or Treat. For me, it's all about the cookies. As in home made cookies. Made in the shape of Halloween pumpkins. Add a healthy coating of orange and green frosting and you have the makings of a very tasty cookie.

Beginning November 1st, I will be updating the Grassy Knoll Diner daily with dishes from Youngstown, Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Gatlinburg, Houston, and San Francisco.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Home made Halloween Cookies for a treat.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Taco Bell Taquito’s

2011-10-20T12:13:00.001-04:00

Taco Bell Taquito

Well you knew I would get around to this some day. Taco Bell has a new item on their menu, (Seems to have something new every month) the Taquito that comes in two styles, the chicken or steak Taquito.

Basically, it's a grilled soft taco shell wrapped with chicken wedges with melted cheese all for only 99 cents.

As far as fast food fare goes, the Taquito wasn't bad. It was hot, with enough chicken and cheese except at the end of the shell, which was empty.

The cost, at 99 cents, it was a good deal for a fast food pick me up type of meal.

Reluctantly, the Grassy Knoll Diner awards 2.5 out of 5 shots to Taco Bell Taquiot's and recommends them for late night dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Apple Barn - Potato Soup

2011-10-18T13:29:00.001-04:00

Apple Barn - Gatlinburg - Potato Soup

I have already critiqued several meals from the Apple Barn in Gatlinburg, Tennessee so tonight it's all about the soup. As in potato soup.

When you order an entree at the Apple Barn, you get your choice of soups and I always selected the chicken noodle but just recently, potato soup was added to the mix.

The broth was thick with bits of bacon and plenty of cheese melting on top. Of course, big generous chunks of potato wedges were swimming in the cup.

And the taste, absolutely wonderful.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 5 shots out of 5 and recommends the potato soup at the Apple Barn.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Pizza Joe's - Breakfast Pizza

2011-10-17T13:09:00.004-04:00

Everyone Goes To Pizza Joe's

Usually when I think of pizza, it's for lunch or dinner. When Mike, Rocket Scientist #9 told me about Pizza Joe's breakfast pizza, I had to try it.

As you can see, it is a traditional round pizza, 12 inch size, with regular crust. Instead of pizza sauce and traditional toppings, the breakfast pizza was topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese.

The pizza was in a traditional box (The word traditional was on sale today so I bought it in surplus) and cut in a traditional 8 slice. And of course the pizza was traditionally hot.

The crust was crunchy, not soggy, and the toppings well cooked. I was a little skeptical at first about the taste, but it was very good. It was like a breakfast omelette without the grease smell or taste or sogginess.

The cost was $8 which was a dollar a slice which was very reasonable. With McDonald's bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit costing around $2 dollars, the pizza was a bargain.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Pizza Joe's breakfast pizza.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Burger King Bites

2011-10-16T14:57:00.002-04:00

A Pathetic Burger King Presentation

Just the other day I was driving through Ripley,West Virginia and found myself low on gas and hungry. Needing to press on and get back on the road, I foolhardily stopped at the local Burger King that was just off the Route 77 highway. I have not eaten at Burger King in over four years. I now remember the reason.

I go to the counter and order a hamburger and fry to go. About five minutes later, my order number was called and my order was handed to me. There was absolutely no interaction at all. The employee simply held out the bag until I walked over and took it out of her hand. She (The Burger King employee) said nothing like, Thank you, Have a nice day, Thank you for eating at Burger King, she just simply held the bag out over the counter.

I opened the bag to find this pathetic example of a hamburger. What the Hell, did someone take a bite out of my hamburger before they wrapped it up. It certainly looks like someone did.

Anyway, the hamburger was dry, small, had a bite taken out of it, and was devoid of taste. The bun was soggy and flat. The cost of this single hamburger was $1.78 not including the fries. The fries were adequate, standard fare fast food fries except these were salted several times to much.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 0 out of 5 shots and will never visit Burger King again and DOES NOT recommend Burger King for lunch or dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Bob Evans - Bacon Omelette - Take Out

2011-10-15T22:58:00.001-04:00

Bob Evans - Take Out - Bacon Omelette

Sunday morning, the Lead Scientist of the Grassy Knoll Institute surprised us with breakfast take out from the local Bob evans restaurant in Boardman, Ohio.

My order was a Bacon omelette ala carte. No hash browns, or toast, just the omelette.
The omelette was quite large, cooked well, with plenty of bacon sprinkled on the outside and plenty inside. It was topped with a light coating of cheese.

The take out container was a little above standard fare, a sturdy plastic container that didn't smash the food beyond recognition.
The omelette was hot, fresh, and with a little pepper for flavoring was very good tasting.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 out of 5 shots and recommends Bob Evans for breakfast.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Coke Zero Taste Test

2011-10-14T14:55:00.001-04:00

Real Coke Taste

Pay No Attention To The Sexy Blond Model Wearing Nothing But The Coca-Cola Zero Logo In Body Paint

Coca-cola has introduced yet another diet soda product to their long list of soft drinks. Coke Zero, being a diet soda, has zero calories, (Hence the name) zero total fat, zero total carbs, zero protein, zero sugar, and 40 mg of sodium which is 2% daily intake. I will hazard a guess and say that most diet soda's claim the same low calorie intake. But Coke Zero separates itself from all the others for one reason.

Taste!

I have tried many diet pops in my time and all of them left me not wanting for more. The only diet pop that is tolerable is Diet Dr. Pepper. (I ordered a Dr. Diet Pepper at a restaurant once and my son and wife almost fell over laughing at my mistake) All the other ones have such a bitter taste and a nasty after taste. I think these diet pops can be used as diesel fuel in a pinch.

Coke Zero however, as the commercials tout, it does taste a hell of a lot like Cokes flag ship brand cola, Coca-Cola Classic. Now hold on a minute! I didn't say it tasted exactly like Classic, but very close.

I was truly skeptical and I had to find out for myself if the Coke commercials were lying or not. I went to the local gas station, fueled up and went inside and purchased a 20 ounce size plastic bottle of Coke Zero. The cost was 99 cents, right in line with Classic, same price. (I mention this for a few years back, Coca-Cola introduced Coke C2, half the calorie soda but 50% more in cost. A 20 ounce bottle was $1.49 compared to 99 cents.)

Coke Zero - best Diet Cola

I took the bottle of Coke Zero home and placed it in the fridge to get it ice cold. (Nothing better than an ice cold pop) A couple hours later, it was time to test the new Coke Zero.

I twisted the cap off and it fizzled just like Coke Classic which was a good sign. Then I went for it and took a big guzzle. Zero had that full bodied taste that did not disappoint. If I didn't already know, I would swear it wasn't a diet soda. After taste? Forgetaboutit! Absolutely none. The first sip left me wanting more. I savored the rest of the bottle and each sip was as good as the last.

Coke Zero is the best diet soda on the market today and the Grassy Knoll Diner awards 5 out of 5 shots and highly recommends Coca-Cola Zero for a refreshing thirst quencher.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

California Pizza - Bacon Pizza

2011-10-13T18:21:00.001-04:00

California Kitchen - Pizza

While the Mirage Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas has fabulous restaurants for fine dining, it also has the California Pizza restaurant. Don't get me wrong, California Pizza is a fine establishment, with a great menu including some top shelf pizza's, but instead of having the ambiance of Stack Restaurant, it has the feel of a quaint little pizza shop where you can order your favorite pizza and toppings.

We waited in line for roughly 10 minutes, which really isn't bad at all, and were seated and greeted by a friendly waitress. Water and plates were brought to the table in minutes. The waitress took our order and said she would be right back with our drinks.

I ordered the personal 10 inch size pizza with bacon as a topping. Twenty minutes later, it was brought to the table.

The pizza was cooked very well, all the slices were completely cut, (I so hate when pizza shops cannot cut the pizza correctly, missing parts of the crust or not cutting all the way through causing a mess) and the bacon topping was adequate, not generous, but adequate. BTW, the bacon topping was cooked well, not fatty like other pizza shops do.

The pizza tasted good, was of course hot, just came from the oven, and the price was adequate, $15 dollars not including tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 3 shots out of 5 and recommends California Pizza at the Mirage Hotel for lunch and or dinner.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Moore's Tavern - Cheeseburger Take Out

2011-10-12T19:37:00.002-04:00

Take Out Cheeseburger

Moore's Tavern located on South Avenue in the heart of Youngstown, Ohio is a popular restaurant for lunch for dining in and take out. As you can see, I ordered take out.

I ordered the half pound bacon cheeseburger with fries. The cost was $6.95 which is reasonable considering a quarter pound of beef, cheese, bacon, and fries. It came all nice and neat in a styrofoam container. (At least it was all in the container)

The burger was well done as ordered, the bacon crunchy and cooked, and the cheese melted but not dripping messy, and the fries, crunchy and tasty although not to plentiful. For 7 bucks, I was expecting more, not less.

The order was correct, and was on time when we went for pickup which is always a huge plus.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 3 out of 5 shots and recommends Moore's Tavern for lunch.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Cheeseburger In Paradise - Orlando

2011-10-11T11:24:00.001-04:00

Margaritaville - Cheeseburger In Paradise

During Spring Break, Patrick, the Lead Scientist ventured to a warmer climate to soak up the suns rays and investigate several conspiracy theories the Grassy Knoll Institute is working on.

Patrick found himself at Universal Theme Park (Of course he was hard at work chasing down a hot lead concerning Amanda Bynes and thong underwear, or lack thereof)

I Like Mine With Lettuce And Tomato

After a very thorough investigation, Patrick stopped for dinner at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville located inside the theme park. Although the restaurant was busy, it was not crowded and was seated right away. The waiter came over promptly and took their orders.

Of course, Patrick ordered the famous Cheeseburger In Paradise, well done, with fries on the side. A very short wait and the sensuous treat on a big old bun was brought to the table.

The burger was cooked perfect, just exactly as asked. the cheese melted but not sloppy. The tomato and lettuce were crisp and fresh, and the bun warm and toasty. Fries were an after thought, but could stand alone as they were well cooked and plentiful.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards the cheeseburger in paradise 4.5 shots out of 5 for Margaritaville in Orlando, Florida for dinner.

I'll leave you with the lyrics to Jimmy Buffett's famous tune, cheeseburger In Paradise.

Tried to amend my carnivorous habits,
Made it nearly seventy days.
Losing weight without speed, eating sunflower seeds,
Drinking lots of carrot juice and soaking up rays.

But at night I'd have these wonderful dreams,
Some kind of sensuous treat.
Not zucchini, fettucini or bulgur wheat,
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat.

Cheeseburger is paradise.
Heaven on earth with an onion slice.
Not too particular, not too precise.
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz Fifty-seven and French fried potatoes.
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer.
Well, good God Almighty, which way do I steer,
For my cheeseburger in paradise.

Heard about the old time sailor men,
They eat the same thing again and again.
Warm beer and bread they say could raise the dead,
Well, it reminds me of the menu at a Holiday Inn.

But times have changed for sailors these days,
When I'm in port I get what I need.
Not just Havanas or banana or daiquiris,
But that American creation on which I feed.

Cheeseburger is paradise,
Medium rare with mustard be nice.
Not too particular, not too precise,
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes.
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer,
Well, good god Almighty which way do I steer.

For a cheeseburger in paradise,
Making the best of every virtue and vice.
Worth every damn bit of sacrifice,
To get a cheeseburger in paradise.
To be a cheeseburger in paradise.
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise.

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL