'Skillet' in Seattle, Washington

I’m very excited about this gem because it’s in one of my favorite cities, SEATTLE! ‘Skillet’ is a triple threat find because the owners have made it into a food truck business, a local shop where they sell some of their items (bacon jam & pumpkin ketchup?!), and two diner locations! Let’s start with the food truck, which is never in the same place each day plus the menu changes weekly. They also provide vegetarian/gluten-free options to those who would like it J This week’s menu includes ‘poutine’ which is homemade French fries with gravy and herbs; grass fed beef burger with bacon jam and arugula (which recently won the Seattle weekly burger battle!) ; and a fried chicken Sammy with jalapeno aioli and kale slaw! Moving on to the diner where there are tons of choices that catch my eye, the blue shirt specials particularly! Each day of the week they have a different special! Mondays are designated for ‘mama’s meatloaf’, made with a combination of duroc pork and wagyu beef with potatoes and veggies; Tuesdays you can expect the braised pork tacos accompanied with spicy sweet potato, and salsa verde; Wednesdays are for herb roasted chicken roulade (A slice of meat rolled around a filling and cooked) with mashed potatoes and squash; Thursday is balsamic bbq pork rib day, St. Louis style with squash and arugula; Friday (my personal favorite choice) is braised lamb with mascarpone polenta (made with cornmeal), wild mushrooms, and caramelized onions! The choice of meat at ‘Skillet’ is clearly immaculate in taste, and quality. Their dishes are carefully thought out with pleasant variety and difference. ‘Skillet’ also has a selection of sweets like ‘arins’ oatmeal raisin cookie sammy’ with cinnamon ice cream, caramel, and an oatmeal raisin cookie, and the vanilla bean cheesecake with whipped cream, banana, and caramel. They also have a large variety of breakfast items, house crafted cocktails, coffees and ice cream shakes/sundaes!

'Skillet' is located at '2034 NW 56th Street, Seattle, WA 981

http://skilletstreetfood.com/

'The Stinking Rose:A Garlic Restaurant' in Beverly Hills, California

The Stinking Rose gives a whole new meaning to 'follow your nose.' I learned that garlic is universally known as 'the stinking rose.' The 'stinking' part being because of the smell obviously and the 'rose' part, well nobody knows. This restaurant uses one and a half tons of garlic a month! The menu is full of non other than..GARLIC!! I love garlic so needless to say, I'm excited about this entry! We'll start by ordering the 'Bagna Calda' which is 'garlic soaking in a hot tub' or so says the menu. They take oven-roasted garlic cloves in EVOO and butter with anchovy, spread on their house-baked focaccia bread. Among some of the 'favorites' on the menu are: '40 clove garlic chicken' which pretty much speaks for itself. They have every kind of meat you can think of! Salmon, Crab, Ribs, Rabbit, Meat Loaf, Prime Pork Chop, Lamb, and Prime Rib! All roasted in their secret garlic sauce! Of course a garlic restaurant couldn't go without having pizza on the menu. The BBQ garlic chicken pizza sounds great, served with cilantro and fontina. When I go there in the future I would like to try their 'Neon Ravioli,' filled with potatoe and cheese garlic basil alfredo sauce, yikes my mouth is watering! The lasagna would also be a must made with wild mushrooms and a tomato mozzerella cream sauce. For dessert, they offer Gilroy's famous garlic ice cream, umm not sure about that one though! I think either the chocolate truffle mousse cake, or the italian wild strawberry cheesecake would fit my liking ! In closing, If your nose leads you to this place, it'll surely be a happy camper! http://www.thestinkingrose.com/

'Defonte's of Brooklyn' in New York, NY

This week we're vacating to the great state of New York! 'Defonte's of Brooklyn' started with Nick Defonte, who bought the place for $100 in 1922 after immigrating to America from Mori di Bari, Italy, and decided to make it into a sandwich shop. This menu, split into breakfast sandwiches, cold heros, hot heros, salads, and hot dishes, is packed with flavor and variety! Let's start with the 'Nicky Special' which consists of ham, capocolla (an italian cold cut), salami, fried eggplant, provolone, hot salad, marinated mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar! If that won't get your tastebuds a talkin' I don't know what will! Next, we'll go with the 'Defonte's Cuban' which has roast pork, Virginia ham, swiss cheese, pickles, and garlic bread! The 'Sinatra Special' has steak pizzaiola (steak made with a delicious tomato sauce) and fresh mozzerella. I'll finish with the 'Deli King' which has corned beef, swiss cheese, coleslaw, and mustard! That's it for sandwiches, now moving on to the hot dishes! Steak Pizzaiola, Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan, and Meatball Marinara are most of the choices. They also have a variety of sides to choose from to add to your meal and make it extra yummy, like stuffed cherry peppers, potato salad, fire roasted red peppers, and marinated mushroom salad! Visit http://www.defontesofbrooklyn.com/ for more info! This place is definitely on my list of places to eat in the future!

'Crawdaddy's Kitchen' in Shreveport, Louisiana

This week, It's time to head to Louisiana to the family owned 'Crawdaddy's Kitchen.' They have been serving cajun cuisine to the public for 15 years, and are still going strong. Serving seafood, catfish, crawfish, and authentic cajun dishes, keeps their customers coming back for more! The menu has a variety of different kinds of food from fried alligator to frog legs, and even gumbo. Some popular hits on the menu include Poboys, which are Louisiana style submarine sandwiches. These Poboys come with any kind of meat you can think of! As well as their famous crawfish and crawfish etouffee, which has crawfish tails in a creamy sauce over a bed of rice. YUM! For dessert they give you an array of choices such as carrot cake, turtle cheesecake, southern peach cobbler, and the chocolate thunder! To check them out go to their website at http://www.crawdaddyskitchen.com/. Until next time, as they say on their website "laissez les bons temps rouler!"

'The Irma' restaurant in Cody, Wyoming

Today we take a trip to Cody, Wyoming to visit Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel and restaurant/saloon. With the nostalgic wild west setting, this place brings customers in with their famous buffalo ribeye, steak, salmon, and other delicious favorites! Buffalo Bill actually founded Cody, Wyoming in 1895. In 1902 he built the Irma Hotel. Among some of the items on the menu, the buffalo lasagna and the famous bread pudding with whiskey sauce both sound like something tasty that I myself might order. The Irma also offers free gunfight shows monday through saturday. You can call 1-800-745-IRMA for info or hotel reservations. This place sounds like a real blast from the past for your taste buds and your inner cowboy! Visit irmahotel.com for more! Until next time, looking for great restaurants around the U.S. to inform you about!