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Food for the Travelling Angler

Since chow is near and dear to my stomach, and by popular demand, in random order, here are a few places I have eaten at while on fishing trips and liked. There are many good spots I have forgotten in each of these spots as well, so experiment.

By City,State:
Tucson, Arizona
• Chacos Cafe 2027 S Craycroft Road near back gate to Davis Monthan AFB...Very Authentic Mexican excellent especially for Lunch!
Valparaiso, Florida
• Boathouse Landing Worth a drive from Destin or Fort Walton for sure. 124 N John Sims Pkwy in Valparaiso FL..order the amberjack. Also very scenic! Not far from Eglin AFB back gate. Ask to see the fish picture album.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida and vicinity
• Ricks Crab Trap ...anything steamed, grilled, or fried. Eat outside, very inexpensive :0)
Destin, Florida
• McGuires Irish Pub ...they also have a spot in Pensacola..both are very good...get the burger or whole salad and come VERY hungry.
• AJs...pull up in a boat and do lunch. They have a branch on Okaloosa Island and Cinco Bayou (easiest to get into).
Islamorada, Florida and surroundings
• Mangrove Mikes...Breakfast is their Game and they are Pros...SHOW UP EARLY i.e. 6AM!!!! Next to the Sunset Inn
• LoreLei Eat on the sand, get there by 4:30ish...food and drinks, live music, and a sunset party. Parking is tough, but if you stay at the Lamplighter, Bluefin, or Sunset Inns, it is an easy walk. Drinks are full strength, be warned :0)
• Islamorada Fish Company (the one in Islamorada) in Islamorada (The original...behind Worldwide Sportsman on the Gulf)..a little more pricy but also good. Get there around 5PM ish or you will wait. On the up side if you are late the nurse sharks and tarpon like to show in the middle of the dock around dark.
• Ballyhoos Resturant All you can eat Stone Crab Claws a must.
Titusville, Florida
• Dixie Crossroads Worth a drive from anywhere! Come early and explore the gardens. Get the rock shrimp!
Homosassa, Florida
• The Starting Gate Breakfast, smoked mullet and dips and sandwich bag lunches to go.
• Mango Tangos Dinner and drinks
South Bend/Mishawaka, Indiana
• Bonnie Doon Drive-In on 2704 Lincoln way W, Mishawaka, IN 46544 Ice Cream and the yummy like.
Portage/Burns Harbor/Trail Creek/Michigan City Indiana
• Leroys Hot Stuff Porter Indiana...excellent music, Mexican food ,and fried lake perch...yummy. Midwest Seafood and Mexican food in one gulp.
Branson, Missouri
• Danas Barbeque and Burger...a favorite lunch spot for burgers, onion rings, chicken, beef, and pulled pork,and shakes, and not far from the Hatchery Hwy 165 near Fall Creek Rd
• Local Flavor Branson Home cooking to fill the belly!
• Cheeky Monkey Bar BBQ and other classic bar favs, beware the blue drink unless you are not driving and done fishing, then enjoy away LOL.
• Fall Creek Steakhouse Hot rolls, good fried catfish, and steaks.
• The Farmhouse RestaurantYummy Midwestern and Southern food, especially for breakfast. On 76 in old town Branson.
(see my book on Lake Taneycomo for more)
Springfield, Missouri
• Buckingham Smokehouse BBQ417 886-9979 2002 South Campbell Dr. Springfield MO (Accross from the Bass Pro Shops Catalog Outlet, next to the monster Bass Pro Shops HQ). Plentiful, good, and inexpensive BBQ, from smoke salmon to brisket and pulled pork. If you happen to be in the area, or on the way back from fishing Tanneycomo, a good side stop.

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San Diego, California
• Brigantine Seafood Not a bad seafood spot
• Claytons Coffe Shop Yummy Breakfast!
• Pomodoros (Point Loma) Walking distance from the Point Loma landing fishing docks, wonderful authentic Italilian food.
• Walk on Water Cafe and Snack Shop A must go to. Yes..very good food on a fishing pier..eat and fish! Lobster tacos, fruit pancakes, and expresso.
• Cotixan Mexican Food ... 6785 Mira Mesa Blvd #145 Hard to find but yummy. Many more locations.
• Goldfish Point Cafe ... Next to La Jolla Cove, 1255 Coast Blvd, very pretty views, very inexpensive, sandwiches, soups, expresso, and wraps,and lots of Goldfish crackers with every dish.
• Casa De Pico Was in Old Town long ago, now 5500 Grossmont Center .
(again lots more places...explore, explore :0)
Los Angeles CA and Long Beach CA
• The Counter Burger Next to La Brea Tar Pits. Get the Graceland Shake and the Counter Burger.
• Venice Whaler Next to the Venice Beach Fishing Pier. Fish tacos and clam chowder with local beers and wines.
• Belmont Brewing Company Next to the Belmont Shores Veterans Fishing Pier. Microbrewery with decent seafood.
• Kings Fish House Local LA Basin micro-chain specializing in seafood. Pricey but good.
Maine (York Beach just across the border from NH)
• Fox's Lobster House...eat the whole lobster in the summer! near York Beach..brrr cold water
Nashua/Merrimac, New Hampshire
• The Lobster Boat...453 Daniel Webster Hwy anything seafood is great and fresh...fried smelt in winter to steamers or lobsters in summer.
Albuquerque NM
• Sadies Dining Room Off 4th in Albuquerque NM. Red Sauce = burn off the tongue :0), Green= warm but tastey.
Chicago, Illinois
• Soundings in Shedd Aquarium Right next to a good fishing spot or two, good food, not too bad of prices. Lunch.
(yes there are MANY MANY more in Chicago, this one is right next to a good fishing spot though)
Aberdeen, Maryland
• Maimie's Cafe (with Love) 939 Beards Hill Road, Great homestyle food (including seafood and crab cakes), wicked good soups, and decadent deserts, all very reasonably priced
• Riverside Pizzeria Belcamp MD, right off the interstate, then east. Italian and also good local seafood inc. crab cakes

Carlyle, Illinois
• Wheelan's BBQ Shack Very small spot, but a good lunch spot, southern style BBQ, inexpensive. Not too far from the Swinging Bridge or Dam.

Around my neck of the woods Missouri
• Big T Deli (Inside the gas station) Biscuits and Gravy, anything with sausage, deli sandwiches. Very inexpensive and very good midwestern and deli chow. Warning: the spicy sausage biscuit is SPICY.
• Grotto Grill Flint Hill local spot, very busy, but yummy. Get the fried khale or sacatini.
• Al Badia Mediterreanian (i.e. Arabic, Greek)..falafel, gyros, etc.
• Indian Aroma Fully Authentic Indian food, i.e. can be as spicy as you want and some (or not). Dosa, sag, Curries inc. fish, pugilisi, etc. A favorite.
• Ethyls BBQ Smoked Catfish and apples is my fav, right down the street from S&S (BBQ is very competitive around here)
• Rendezvous Cafe Crab Cakes, Expresso, Bakery, and light cafe fare, lots of wines and beers.
• Pantera's Pizza Pizza, very midwestern style. Tell Al or Scott I said hi. Get the Hunk.
• Stefanina's Pizza Pizza and Italian food, St. Louis Style Thin Crust Pizza and good Lasagna, toasted raviolli, and Mostaccioli.
• Copper Chimney Indian food and buffet next to Mid Rivers Mall.
• Thai Kitchen St Peters Thai food, excellent and inexpensive. My Favs are the Green Curry Grouper, Spicy Catfish, and Kao Soi w/Chicken and Sticky Rice. The Crying Tiger is also yummy, but it is all good.
• Green China on Salt Lick Rd St Peters MO My favorite Crab Rangoon anywhere, with good other stuff too.Take out or Delivery too.
• Main Street Diner St Peters, MO Breakfast and lunch midwest classics, inexpensive and simple, on Old Main St. off I-70 Exit 222 north. Parking can be tight on sunday morn.
• Francesco Pizza St Peters MO A teeny family resturant, St Louis Style thin crust pizza, and St Louis Hill style Italian. 429 S Church St, St Peters, MO 63376. Not far from Mid Rivers Mall.

Winfield, Missouri
• The Market Grill Right on Hwy 79 in town. Get the monster Tenderloin! Good breakfast too. For dessert is Sunday Funday accross the street.

Defiance Missouri near Busch Wildlife Area
• Piazza Pizza and Deli Strombolis (!), hot and cold subs (good chicken salad), pizza, fresh pies and cookies and cakes (gooey butter cake, brownies), and hand dipped ice cream. Right at the intersection of DD and D, just a few miles from Busch Wildlife Area.
Wine trail starts in St. Charles, then picks up again in on Hwy 94 in Defiance to Augusta to Washington to Herman then picks up again towards Jeff City to KC. Litteraly dozens and dozens of wineries, many overlook the river valley and some are over 150 years old. Most grow world class grapes for award winning wines. There are tours of course, and some take the 'wine train' (MO River Runner) from Washington MO to Herman MO and beyond. Also bus tours and soon, boat tours. My favs are along 94, with side runs to Washington and Herman which have lots of eateries, wineries, breweries, Bed and Breakfasts, hotels, and distilleries too. Keep driving to Herman and hit this spot:
• Herman Wurst Haus German Deli, Microbrew, and German food...really good to fill the belly before doing all the wineries and distilleries. West end of the Missouri wine run along the Katy Trail and Hwy94 (aka Rhineland on the Missouri river).

St Louis MO (a few anyhow, that you have never thought of likely)
• Joey B's on the Hill Watch out for those portions, they are excessive (in a good way). Pasta (be warned..one serving of Fettuchini Alferado equals enough for 3, and has enough cheese to solidify once cooled), sandwiches, Italian in general, low key, casual (i.e. shorts and a shirt are AOK). Not far from either the Zoo or Botanical Garden/Tower grove. IF you go here hit Ted Drewes frozen custard for dessert.
• Nobus Sushi Not to be confused with the chain. 8643 Olive Blvd Saint Louis, MO 63132. This is a very small, family run sushi bar (Pop does the food, Mom does the waiting) and Japanese food spot. My Favorite sushi spot in 'the Lou', and maybe anywhere in the US (and I have eaten sushi everywhere in the US). Take I-170 to Olive north, look for the blue roof on the left. A bit further down the road is the biggest live seafood shop in STL if you get bored afterwards at Seafood City.
• India Palace Tell AJ and Singh I sent you. Lunch Buffet and dinner menu. VERY scenic view of the airport runways, especially at night. Good Indian food from all over the subcontinent.
• Lombardos Resturant Again, good Hill style Italian esp pastas . Fettuchini Alferado is wicked good and wicked rich, becomes a solid block upon cooling .

St Charles MO Riverfront
• Hendricks BBQ Deviled Eggs, Moonshine, Pork, Chicken, and other wonderful tasty things. Right next to the Katy Trail access and the Louis and Clark Museum. Eat inside or out. In the old Waterworks building on the coblestones. Hit Grandama's Cookies (see below) for dessert if the pies don't tempt you first.
• Tony's on Main 132 North Main Street Excellent lunch buffet, good italian and midwestern menu, in a very old building (was a tavern in the paddleboat era). Park in the back.
• Grandma's Cookies The name says it all. Cookies that will destroy any diet and bring your palette to Heaven itself. My Fav is the Chocolate chip (which is scoop shaped), though they have a wide variety. They are a vice of mine. 401 S. Main St. on the cobblestones. 636 947 0088.

Memphis TN Metro and Arlington TN Region
• Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q 2359 N Germantown Pkwy, Cordova, TN 38016 Good southern Style BBQ. Staff is friendly. Hot links and Mac and Cheese are insanely good.
• Off The Hoof Burgers Interesting and yummy burgers and fries of many types. A small spot off the beaten path.12013 US Highway 70 Arlington, TN 38002

Huntsville AL Region (and Ardmore TN)
• Big Papa Gyro...Good greek and med. food. Super crowded for lunch, but not bad at all for dinner.
• Old Greenbrier Restaurant Again, off the beaten path, but beyond yummy. Excellent Hush Puppies, really good ribs and catfish. Use the white sauce on the catfish and hush puppies. Look for ice cream in the back and bring a quarter. 27028 Old Highway 20 Madison, AL 35756
• Ol Heidelberg Cafe Ist gut. Very good German food, from Schnitzel to the wursts to Spatzle. 6125 University Dr NW E14, Huntsville, AL 35806

Hannibal MO and Quincy IL
• Mark Twain Family Resturant in Hannibal Good food, plentiful, resonable, classic river town chow, such as fried catfish, tenderloins, etc. and homemade root beer and sasperilla. Right in downtown Hannibal.
• Maid-Rite in QUINCY IL The only Maid-Rite that counts, trust me (I have eaten at many others).507 N 12th St Quincy IL. This one is a very old resturant, next to Blessing Hospital so it gets busy over lunch. Like going back to the 1930's. Get the maid-rite sandwich, or two, and large fries (my fav fries of anywhere I have been to date), a shake, and a slice of pie, and you will have spent a miniscule amount of cash. And BTW, bring cash, since they don't take credit cards, or allow tipping.
• Sprout's Inn in Quincy IL 2814 N 12th St Quincy IL. Back open after a big fire, a fav of my G-ma, get the fried chicken. Midwestern food, plain and simple.
• The Coach House in Quincy IL Midwestern food, good pancakes and breakfast. 2431 Broadway, Quincy, IL 62301

Alexandria VA ( Washington DC Area)
• Asian Wok Cafe Excellent No-MSG Chinese food, very small place. Not far from Daingerfield Island. My favs are the Pad Thai (yes-I know that is Thai food), and Honey-Walnut Shrimp. Look for odd sodas in the fridge too (Birch Beer goes good with Chinese).
• Trattoria Da Franco Very Good italian and seafood. hand-made pastas.
• The Royal Resturant Good seafood, italian, salad bar. Not far from Daingerfield Island
• Indigo Point-Light fare, wines (pricey, but good) on Daingerfield Island

Monterey Bay CA and vicinity
• Isidros Taco Shop and Taqueria 3046 Del Monte Blvd, Marina, CA 93933 A small place with horchada and excellent mexican and central american food, very good service, on the way north from Monterey Bay and across from Marina park. Tell them who sent you. One of those random hole in the wall finds I love.
• Paradiso Trattoria Cannery Row at Monterey Bay, a bit pricey but yummy, right down the street from the MB Aquarium, overlooks the harbor, and is upstairs from Ghirdelli's ice cream and chocolate (for dessert).

San Francisco and South San Francisco CA and vicinity
• El Farolito Taqueria (South SF locale) 394 Grand Ave South San Francisco, CA.(650) 737-0138. Not far from the Oyster Point Fishing Pier or SFO. Good breakfast burritos, horchada, and other yummmy Mexican food belly fillers.
• The Franciscan Crab House Pricey, but excellent views, good CA wines, and of course excellent seafood including Dugeness crabs (which is what I got). Look at the famous folks in the photos at each table. Walking distance from Fisherman's Wharf.

Long Branch (So. Jersey Shore Region) NJ
• Rooneys On the water in NJ, good fresh seafood such as flounder, clams, blue crabs, etc, a bit pricey.

Taunton, Middleborough and Plymouth MA
• Fireside Grille Local chain. Classic New England Chow, esp. cod and clam chowder.
• Stoneforge Tavern and Publick House Local chain. Classic New England Chow, and local beers.

Maui HI
• Tasty Crust 1770 Mill Street, Wailuku, HI 96793. Opakapaka and Pancakes!
• Coconut Glens On the Hana Hwy. Coconut Ice Cream.
• CharliesOn the Hana Hwy in Paia, 142 Hana Highway Paia, HI 96779 Willie Nelson Fans rejoice, excellent and reasonable breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Hawaiian and western food, interesting decor.
• Tante's Island Cuisine 100 Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, Hi 96732 Island style food (including Macaroni Salad and Rice as a side with any meal).
• Vietnamese Cuisine Excellent Vietnamese food 1200 S. Kihei Rd ste 107 In the Azeka Makai Kihei, HI 96753
• See my Maui travel Article for more

Leavenworth KS (KC Region)
• All Slabbed Up Very small BBQ shack, with classic KC Barbeque, including ribs!, brisket, burnt ends, etc. Four miles from the Army base. (913) 727-5227. 405 Muncie Rd Leavenworth, KS 66048.

Detroit MI metro
• Al-Ameer 12710 W. Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126 , Tel: (313) 582-8185. Good middle eastern food including falafel, hommos, fresh fruit juices, shish kababs, etc.
Shatila Bakery A paradise of mediterranean yumminess. Baklava, ice cream, french, indian, and middle eatern sweets and pasteries. The baklawa fingers taste like Christmas as if it were a dessert.

NOTE: I accept no liability for the links, appearence, environmental sensitivity, quality, fitness, location, existance, non-existance, listing, healthiness etc. If you choose to eat at these spots, or follow links, you are on your own.

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