Eats & Treats in NY and OH

While on a (mostly) southern states road trip traveling from New Hampshire to Florida, we're sampling foods along the way. It's part of the road trip fun for us. Here's where we recently dined in NY and OH.

We are both diner fans from years of living in NJ, known as The Diner Capital of the World. Our home state was also home to the the largest diner maker in the world, the Jerry O’Mahony Diner Company, which produced over 2,000 diners from 1917 to the early 1950s.

So, when we spotted a highway billboard sign for the Eveready Diner which said "as featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network" we opted to give it try  The exit was coming up within a few minutes and we were ready for a lunch stop by early afternoon.

Stepping inside this eatery was like entering a 1950s time warp with its classic retro styling, large upholstered booth seat, and shiny chrome throughout. I didn't photograph the interiors as a lot of other folks were dining at the same time as ourselves.

The food menu (left above) had some fun menu titles like "Bring My Baby Back Ribs" and "Hound Dog" hot dog. It was a busy place when we visited, but service was good and the food came out quickly. Baked goods are done "in house" and the "New York style" cheesecake looked wonderful in the above dessert menu, but we restrained ourselves from having dessert (this time).

It was a busy place when we visited, but service was good and the food came out quickly. Grenville enjoyed one of his diner favorites, pastrami on rye with coleslaw on the side. I tried the eggplant panini which came with one of my favorite sides, sweet potato fries, and (yeah) no "up" charge. The first (original) Everyday Diner is in Hyde Park, NY. If we've ever in that area, we'll try that one as well.

Our first dining experience after arriving in OH was at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, formerly known as Cheddar's Casual Cafe. It was also a first in that we had never dined in one and this first one in the Dayton area opened in 2016 at the Cornerstone of Centerville, a recently developed restaurant and lodgings complex, also where our hotel was located.

It's hard to see in this photo but within the restaurant's name is the date 1979 which is when it was founded by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers in Arlington, TX. The chain is now headquartered in Irving, TX, and as of 2018 with over 170 locations in 28 states. There's none (yet) in New England.The interior of Cheddar's is unique with giant sweeping fans made of bamboo in a central area. There's also a very large aquarium separating the bar from the rest of the restaurant and it's a popular viewing spot for children. 

Few chain restaurants have much of a reputation for making menu from "scratch." Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen differs from competitors and promotes itself by its the claim that it uses “simple, honest, natural ingredients” and “scratch-made recipes, handcrafted with care and time.” 

Cheddar’s features traditional and modern American fare. One of the appetizers was Homemade Onion Rings, which are a personal favorite that I've been known to try at many places we've dined. Cheddar's did not disappoint and Yes I shared with Grenville.

Meat loaf is one of Grenville's favorite comfort foods and it's become his personal standard to judge eateries by when it's listed on their menu. He declared that the Cheddar's offering was "pretty good but a bit on the spicy side." The House Smoked Baby Back Ribs was my choice. They're advertised as being "slow-smoked for a minimum of four hours" and were "fall-off-the-bone" good. The side of mac and cheese while not the best (pasta was overdone) was thankfully a small portion and very cheesy.

Since we were celebrating our 1st date anniversary (details in an upcoming post) and the start of our road trip, we ordered dessert — a decadent chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream which we shared. We were glad that we didn't order two separate desserts as this one was quite enough for two (or more).

Bagger Dave's Burger Tavern was also within waking distance of our Centerville, OH, hotel. This tavern restaurant chain was founded in 2008 by Michael Ansley in Berkley, MI.  Most locations were in Michigan and Indiana; two opened in OH over the past 3 years. 

On its website, the unusual company name is explained: Bagger was selected for no special reason, other than it sounded good with Dave which is in memory of Ansley’s late father-in-law. Tavern was added to celebrate a local place serving fresh food.

The restaurant features “build-your-own” and signature prime-rib burgers, hand-cut fries, soups, salads, and 10 craft-beer taps. Its slogan is “Different kinds of burgers, different kinds of beer.” 

As noted above, I'm an onion rings fanatic, so we gave tried them here, but I neglected to take a photo, probably because they didn't compare to ones we enjoyed two nights earlier. We ordered the "signature burgers" — Grilled Pastrami Burger (Grenville) and Crispy Cheese Bacon Burger for me, but skipped the buns and opted for a bed of lettuce. (We tried to "save" some calories after the lackluster onion rings.) We agreed there was nothing unique about this burger chain that would compel us to try it again. We’ve had better burgers at a favorite (non-chain) eatery back home in Nashua, NH.

Thanks, as always, for virtually traveling along with us. We've been reading and appreciating all your comments. Our days are spent on the road touring and eves are spent posting about our adventures. Blog reading may fall behind, but I'll catch up as time allows.

Traveling to OH

Our southern road trip officially launched on May 15 from NH to FL and will return to NH by the last week of June or first week in July. We plan to stop in as many states as possible within a limited timeframe. It's impossible to see everything in all of them, but we will try to visit interesting or unusual places in as many as possible.

Since leaving NH, we've been on interstates in MA, NY, PA, and OH as well as a couple of scenic back routes. Sometimes, the GPS will select an alternate route it has determined will save time and it does provide a break from the fast highway driving, much to Grenville's relief.

Traveling mid-week often means there are less congested roadways as well. Luckily, there were only a couple of intermittent rain showers. 

The Hamilton Fish Newburgh–Beacon Bridge is a cantilever toll bridge that spans the Hudson River in New York State. It reminded me of my brother's childhood Erector set.

Driving through PA there's some really impressive roadway hills. We stayed overnight in Williamsport, but there wasn't time for sight-seeing in this city known as the birthplace of little league, which was founded in 1939 as a three-team league. Nearby South Williamsport is the headquarters of Little League Baseball and annually hosts the title League World Series in late summer. In the late 19th century, Williamsport was known as "The Lumber Capital of the World" because of its thriving lumber industry. 

Currently, we're in Centerville, OH, near the site of the largest amateur ham radio gathering, Hamvention® at the Green County Fairgrounds and Exposition Center in Xenia. Thousands of ham radio operators from the U.S. and worldwide, including Grenville, are attending this annual event, sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA). Grenville, a first-time attendee, is already planning to return next year.  That's also means another road trip for us.

Internet source: United States Air Force Museum

Before leaving OH, we're visiting the National Museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. 

It's the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display. It's a bargain as well with free admission and free parking and photography is allowed too. A future post will have more details on our visit which is sure to be long based on the number of exhibits and aircraft on display.

Also in Dayton, we plan to visit America's Packard Museum. It was founded in 1992 and has  taken the name of the original dealership, The Citizens Motorcar Company. The museum is housed in an original 1917 Packard dealership building and has a large collection of Packard Motorcar Company automobiles and memorabilia with over 50 cars in the restored Art Deco showroom and service department. Car Collector magazine named it one of the "Top Ten" Auto Museums in the U.S.

Internet source: Citizens Motorcar Company

The Packard Motor Car Company was a major U.S. automaker in the first half of the 20th century and has been credited with introducing the modern steering wheel and 12-cylinder engine. These luxurious vehicles attracted some of the wealthiest auto buyers worldwide. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899. The last Detroit-built Packard was the Packard Predictor in 1956 .

Auto museum visits are high on our list of must-see places and always offer a look-back in time. On last year's cross-country road trip, we toured the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN and the National Auto Museum (The Harrah Collection) in Reno, NV. 

After OH, we'll travel through KY and TN. We're not sure where we'll be stopping, but Dollywood, singer Dolly Parton’s Appalachian-themed park, won't be a stop because this type of attraction isn't our thing. We prefer museums, state capitols and roadside oddities. Sometimes, that includes touring a prison like last year in WY and IN.

Five Women Dining in NYC

Many of you, like myself, have most likely come across vintage family photos and wanted to find out more information.

It's like going down a rabbit hole, which are the same words, I've used in an earlier post(s) about efforts to learn more about my family history. That project hasn't been abandoned, but been put aside as I find other distractions projects.

That's what happened this past weekend, as I re-discovered this photo that I first saw 4 years ago when my brother, husband and myself were cleaning out my mother's home after her death. It shows five women (in their 20s then) and all friends who lived near one another in Scotch Plains, NJ. They were dressed up and "out on the town" dining in New York in 1944. Two of the women are my relatives.

The back of the photo is stamped with a date of Oct 4, 1944. My 22-year old mother, Clara, is pictured second from the right (in the light colored dress). Her sister, Anna, (then about 25) is second from the left, wearing a white hat. I know the names of two other women: Angie is in the photo center and "Derp" is on the far right next to my mom. The name of the woman at the far left is unknown and remains a mystery. My mother died at age 92 and she was the last remaining member of the group.

The photo was taken at Rogers Corner, a popular restaurant and bar which was opposite Madison Square Garden on 8th Ave and 50th St in NYC. It was enclosed in this folder. which features the U.S. Army Eagle symbol above the name. 
The folder back has the photo price and location: "Souvenir Photo $ 1.00 — Remembrance of a pleasant evening at Rogers Corner." Extra copies could be obtained from by including the date and club name and a photo description. The back of my mother's photo was stamped with a 1944 date and a handwritten #105.

The above postcard was included in the souvenir photo folder. Rogers Corner billed itself as "America's Most Unusual Restaurant" and it featured the Pan American Room and the Rondevoo restaurant. Notice in the top left corner that the restaurant would also mail the postcard for its patrons. This was a nicety in the war years as many service personnel dined in these places.

No menu was included in the folder; however, I found this one at an online auction site. It was dated November 1944, a month after my mother and friends dined there. Notice the complete De Luxe dinner prices were under $2 with the exception of roast prime ribs (of NY) at a whooping $2.50 (75 years ago). 

Look close and you will see that a ham steak or broiled chicken dinner were more costly than sea trout, lamb or duckling choices. The opposite is truer these days. Better yet, the dinner included two sides, dessert choices that included home-made pie, and coffee, tea or milk. I sure would like a deal like that now — wouldn't you?

Many other NYC dining places also were popular gathering spots during the 1940 World War II years. The above photo shows Grenville's parents, Bob and Betty, seated on the right and his aunt (Mabel) on the right. It was taken an unknown (to us) New York restaurant.

Despite many online searches this week, I failed to find historical information about this long-gone restaurant, which from the photo folder illustration, looks like it was a sizable establishment. I also read another blogger's post from several years ago about a similar search without success.

What I did find were various online sites selling Rogers Corner "souvenir" photo folders and postcards, perhaps from folks going through family photos. Many folders included photos with WW II service members. Prices ranged from $15 to $18.

Even if I never locate more information than these scant bits, it doesn't matter. Whenever I look at the photo of my late mother, her sister and friends, I imagine them enjoying a wonderful adventure together in NYC.

What better memory, indeed.

NYC City-Scapes

Aside from time spent at a family wedding in NYC last month, we had some time to explore areas near our downtown hotel and see some iconic architecture.

Grand Central Station is just as grandly large as its name suggests with so many people coming and going. It's a great place to people watch, but our time was limited.

Evening views of the Chrysler Building seen on an after dinner walk and the Empire State Building (from our hotel room) were impressive and colorful.

This rainy and foggy view near the Chelsea Piers area was taken before the ceremony. The piers, not visible here, served as a passenger ship ferry in the early 1900s. The piers were used by the RMS Lusitania and were the destination of the RMS Titanic.

We made brief stops at a few landmark NYC buildings: Chrysler Building (top left and bottom left) with its art deco look, Daily News (top right and bottom right) with no sign of Clark Kent, and the Waldorf Astoria (bottom middle) with its signature 1893 World's Fair lobby clock. It was designed to commemorate Columbus' discovery of America.

While I can't identify these buildings (except the green-topped Chrysler building) the structures were impressive. There's never a shortage of amazing architecture in NYC.

These "modern" buildings presented interesting angles and some fun with lines.

 

NYC has always been an amazing destination for me.

Homes with a View

This is the view crossing the Hudson River on the Tappanzee Bridge in New York heading to New Jersey.

Imagine being one of the folks who live on this hill when autumn is in full color.

And, without all those highway lights on Rte 287, the views are much prettier.

These photos were taken enroute as there were no scenic overlooks.

Autumn in New York

It’s one of Grenville’s favorite seasonal songs, especially when sung by Frank Sinatra, who is among the many well-known vocalists to have recorded the song. And, driving through New York State, Grenville was humming this song (although nowhere as good as Sinatra sings it).

Vernon Duke (1903-1969) an American composer/songwriter who wrote the words and music for Autumn in New York for the 1934 Broadway musical Thumbs Up! Duke also wrote under his real name Vladimir Dukelsky and his other songs include Taking a Chance on Love with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche, I Can’t Get Started with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, April in Paris with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg (1932), and What Is There To Say for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1934.

Vernon collaborated with lyricists such as Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn and his works have been performed and recorded by Count Basie, Bunny Berigan, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, the Modern Jazz Quartet, André Previn, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis, and many others.

Autumn in New York has become a jazz standard, even though it began as a theater song. Like most theater songs, it includes a verse, which sets up the main lyric and is sometimes considered as good as the better-known refrain or chorus, although the one to this tune seems as difficult as the rest of the song. Usually, the verse is omitted when the song is performed in a pop setting, as was the case for this song. Duke’s lyrics to the verse could be the message from a post card: “It’s time to end my lonely holiday, and bid the country a hasty farewell.”

Duke wrote Autumn in New York while vacationing in Westport, Connecticut. Both the long “conversational” verse and the constantly modulating refrain did not contain what the Harms music publishing company called ‘popular appeal” in 1934. It wasn’t until 1947 with recordings by vocalists Jo Stafford and Frank Sinatra that the tune made any kind of “popular” splash; later popular recordings followed by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.

Perhaps, some of you, like ourselves, are familiar with at the song title and some of the refrain (chorus) BUT never really paid close attention to all the lyrics, so here’s what’s being sung.
Autumn in New York — by Vernon Duke
Verse
It’s time to end my lonely holiday
And bid the country a hasty farewell.
So on this gray and melancholy day
I’ll move to a Manhattan hotel
I’ll dispose of my rose-colored chattels
And prepare for my share of adventures and battles
Here on the twenty-seventh floor,
Looking down on the city I hate and adore!
Refrain
Autumn in New York,
Why does it seem so inviting?
Autumn in New York,
It spells the thrill of first-nighting.
Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds
In canyons of steel,
They’re making me feel I’m home.
It’s Autumn in New York
That brings the promise of new love.
Autumn in New York Is often mingled with pain.
Dreamers with empty hands
May sigh for exotic lands;
It’s Autumn in New York
It’s good to live it again.
Autumn in New York,
The gleaming rooftops at sundown.
Autumn in New York,
It lifts you up when you’re run down.
Jaded roués and gay divorcees
Who lunch at the Ritz
Will tell you that “it’s Divine!”
This Autumn in New York
Transforms the slums into Mayfair;Autumn in New YorkYou’ll need no castles in Spain.
Lovers that bless the dark
On benches in Central Park
Greet Autumn in New York
It’s good to live it again.
For film fans, Autumn in New York is also the title of a 2000 romantic-drama film directed by Joan Chen and starring Richard Gere, Winona Ryder, and Anthony LaPaglia. The film follows the relationship of a successful middle-aged restaurateur and womanizer (Gere) who falls in love with a free-spirited, much younger woman (Ryder) who is terminally ill.