WebMD recently did a series of posts about fast food choices which I wrote about recently. The news was mostly bad, especially when it came to salt content of even what WebMD considered the best alternatives in several categories.
A McDonald’s breakfast platter my mother once loved.
Italian restaurants always worry me these days, not because I don;t love Italian food, but because my post-angioplasty diet means I shouldn’t eat regular pasta, or any sauces that are high in sodium. So when a friend suggested meeting for lunch at Primo in Gurnee, Il., not far from the Great America amusement park, I was apprehensive.
Octopus and potatos at Primo’s. Bravo!
My fears were misplaced, however. First we were told the minestrone soup for the day was low-sodium, I cannot remember when I’ve been told that in a restaurant before. I did not try it, but did yet the octopus appetizer, along with a half-dozen oysters, for a seafood lunch. Continue reading “Primo in Gurnee (IL.) — a primo lunch spot”→
A recent visit with my son and daughter-in-law in St. Paul, Mn., gave me a chance to try a host of places there that fit into the farm-to-table movement my son has become so passionate about. The movement is all about local food, local production and organic farming methods.
I love the concept, saving on fuel and other transportation costs while putting people back in touch with their food supply. I worry about the cost for the average and below-average income earner, but presumably as more of this happens, costs will come down.
The Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Cafe is owned by the Seward Co-Op, which also runs the supermarket in Minneapolis my son regularly shops at. And while the lunch menu was full of local foods, I remained a bit worried that most dishes might have too much salt for me, so I opted for an omelet, which has become a go-to dish for me when in new restaurants for lunch. Continue reading “Minneapolis’ Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Cafe”→
Austin, Texas, is known for music, the University of Texas, and, of course, Texas barbecue. Ribs, brisket and various sausages all are served as various barbecue spots in this beef-country city. That’s cold comfort for someone like me on a low-fat diet since my 2012 angioplasty.
My County Line Combo plate!
So rather than torture myself every night I was there, I resolved to go off my diet one night to try some barbecue. My wife, who spends more time in Texas for work these days than at home, recommended a place she’d gone before, County Line. It’s nestled in the foothills on the edge of town and looks exactly like you’d want a roadhouse barbecue place to look. The one we went to apparently is the original location, there are others. Continue reading “Going off my diet in the foothills of Austin — hello County Line”→
No salt, no sugar, no fat diet. That’s what the first nutritionist I saw after my 2012 angioplasty told me to follow, or as low of each of those as possible, 1,500 mgs of sodium a day, 40 grams of fat, 10 of saturated, and 40 grams of sugar.
Nathan’s hot dogs and waffle fries, wondrous stuff that were a major splurge for my diet.
Menu nutrition labeling for restaurants and in-store foodservice operations is being delayed another year by the Food and Drug Administration. The new date to comply with a law requiring such labeling that was passed in 2010 is now Dec. 1, 2016.
Restaurant meals like this will go another year without nutrition labeling, a loss for the American people.
The FDA basically caved to food industry pressure. Restaurant and supermarket lobbyists have been saying it would be too difficult to meet the deadline this year and the FDA bought it, even though major chains already have such information posted on their websites.
Visiting New York is all about going to Broadway shows, I think. My wife and I try to see at least one and sometimes two when we’re in town like we were in early June this year for my birthday.
The theater district, like all of New York, has no end of choices for eating after a show and we’ve gone many places over the years. But one of our favorite things to do after a show is go New York old-school and have Nathan’s hot dogs for our late dinner.
Nathan’s hot dogs and waffle fries, wondrous stuff.
The original Natahan’s is in Coney Island, about six or seven blocks from where we lived while I was in high school and college. Its an hour-plus subway ride from Manhattan, but if you have the time, experience it, especially in summer when it’s packed with people. That way you can say you’ve done something real New Yorkers do. Continue reading “Broadway and Nathan’s hot dogs, the perfect match”→
Junior’s restaurant in downtown Brooklyn boasts on its website that it serves “The World’s Most fabulous Cheesecake.” If it’s true, is it a boast?
Junior’s is one of the few things in Brooklyn that’s still there from my childhood so, so many years ago. It’s also a place that binds my family together. My parents went there before I was born and then took me there in the days when downtown Brooklyn was where we did our major shopping.
Lunch at Junior with my wife Carolyn, and wonderful friend Vic.
We ate breakfast there in 2011 with my daughter as she was about to graduate from New York University. Even a vegetarian like her loved Junior’s cheesecake!
So my wife and I planned a Junior’s meal as part of my birthday dream week in New York recently. When I realized a wonderful high school friend worked nearby, we invited him to join us, turning a great meal into a great meal with great company as well. Vic was one of my closest friends in high school and now, even though he lives 1,000 miles away from us, has become a major supporter of my new theater company. Continue reading “Junior’s in Brooklyn — coming home, eating amazing cheesecake”→
My wife and I were looking for some relatively healthy food our first night out on my recent birthday week in New York. Food is everywhere in New York, literally on every street corner, so finding a place to eat is easy. Finding one with food that isn’t full of salt, far and sugar, is another matter.
Octopus at SNACK Eos was cooked perfectly. I loved it.
But my wife had gotten to town a few days before me and looked around the area near our West Side hotel. She spotted Snack EOS, a cozy place that describes itself as “Greek inspired cuisine featuring seasonal ingredients, classic technique and flavors of the Mediterranean. With a stylish vibe and friendly, professional service, Snack EOS is a warm and welcoming space that features barrel-vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls and floor to ceiling windows.”
The first chair I sat on was broken and almost sent me to the floor, so that wasn’t exactly welcoming. But once we got past that, the food was wonderful, simple yet flavorful. And while I tasted more salt than I normally eat at home, it wasn’t overwhelming as it is at many restaurants. Continue reading “Snack EOS, a tasty neighborhood spot in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen”→
My birthday this year was very special for me because, thanks to my wonderful wife, I was able to spend it in my hometown, New York City. We saw two Broadway shows and went to a Tony Awards party while there. And I also resolved to eat the foods I grew up loving, plus some new favorites, during my five days there.
The result of my food vacation? I gained 6.5 pounds over the five days we were there.
My wife Carolyn and I ended our New York dream trip with very late-night drinks at one of the Waldorf’s bars.
My splurge included pastrami and cheesecake at Junior’s, a classic Brooklyn deli and cheesecake emporium, hot dogs and waffle fries at Nathan’s, the classic New York hot dog spot, a slice of NYC-style pizza at a street corner storefront, Italian ices, an unbelivable breakfast in bed at the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and the most exquisite sashimi I’ve ever eaten at at Iron Chef Morimoto’s New York restaurant on my birthday night. Continue reading “My New York food vacation”→
