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All posts by bobandbarb

Team Bob and Barb Tasked to Update Their Popular, Sold Out Book: “The Best Restaurants in the Florida Keys.”

Little Palm Island paradise! Barb and a Margarita libation, with a pastel sunset!
Little Palm Island paradise!
Barb and a Margarita libation, with a pastel sunset!

AmericanPressTravelNews-Sept. 23rd, Florida Keys–Bob and Barb “On the Road again?” Yes, we are booked to do an updated book of our original sold-out book: “The Best Restaurants in the Florida Keys.” The first book reviewed 60-Florida Keys restaurants, many still in business, some not since the 1980’s. The book had distinctly tropical recipes, comments on each page by charter captains about their favorite restaurants and dishes, collected articles from my column in the Miami Herald, and many of my own recipes one of which is being served in many restaurants across the country; “Fish Pizzaiole.”  There have been nearly 100-new restaurants opened in the Keys since the 1980’s and Bob and Barb have been tasked to include them in the new book while updating all the original food emporiums they visited and tasted. This book will be hard-cover, full-color, and with an expanded Keys recipe section from the best of the best in the Keys! 

For an original signed copy of the last 25 books I have held on to, contact Bob Epstein 772-812-0933 or bobepstein@aol.com

 

This resort and restaurant is no longer open to the public. It is now part of the City of Islamorada's outdoor venues for residents and visitors.
This resort and restaurant is no longer open to the public. It is now part of the City of Islamorada’s outdoor venues for residents and visitors.

Sid’s on Main in Canton Located In the Imperial Hotel-“One of the States Best 2-Dollar Hotels.”

Sid's on Main in the newly renovated Imperial Hotel in Canton, NC, Haywood Counties new showpiece in a paper mill town.
Sid’s on Main in the newly renovated Imperial Hotel in Canton, NC, Haywood Counties new showpiece in a paper mill town.

APtravelnews-Canton, N.C. September 19th, —Sid Truesdale and his wife Page are the Imperial Hotels Restaurateurs and a great bunch of offerings that they provide. Antiques punctuate the Imperial Hotel, and our dining area featured an early roll top  desk and various other neat early period furniture. For lunch Barb and I enjoyed “Ruben” sandwiches, Crab Cakes, burgers, wonderfully tasty chicken salad, Po-boys, Club sandwiches and a list too long to include here.  Yes, we tried a taste of all of them listed.

The newly and ongoing restoration of this hotel which was first opened as a brick home in 1876, renovated in the 1920’s as the Imperial Hotel that announced to all that it was the “best 2-dollar hotel in N.C.” Today after a current major restoration, the hotel will soon open again and like early times when it catered to the new boom town-needs of a Champion paper mill town, it will offer, besides Sid’s fine establishment that is open now for lunch, dinner, special occasions, banquets and catering,  apartments, hotel rooms, a banquet hall, meeting and party rooms as well as retail space. The Hotel is located at 117 Main St., Canton, NC, phone at Sid’s is: 828-492-0618 www.sidsonmain.com 

A major player in the new renovations of the Imperial Hotel tells writers about the history of this venerable hotel and restaurant.
A major player in the new renovations of the Imperial Hotel tells writers about the history of this venerable hotel and restaurant.

Maggie Valley; Have Breakfast With The Locals – Carver’s Maggie Valley and Joeys Pancake House

Restaurateur, Carver poses with a cardboard image of now deceased Popcorn Sutton, a legend now in Maggie Valley!
Restaurateur, Carver poses with a cardboard image of now deceased Popcorn Sutton, a legend now in Maggie Valley!

DSCF4326APtravelnews-September 19th–Maggie Valley, N.C.--You “gotta” eat, eh?  Well we had a great appetite enjoying  all the outdoor things to do in Maggie Valley such as hiking and identifying mushrooms, trees and plants, visiting museums such as the Shelton House in Waynesville, browsing a weekend Farmer s Market full of jellies, cheeses, veggies and crafts too!  So we headed to Carver’s Maggie Valley Restaurant. We met with owner, James Carver. The Carver Family has owned and operated the restaurant for 50-years. Did you ever watch the White Lightening TV Show about the North Carolina Moonshiners, with “Popcorn Sutton?” Well Carver knew this curmudgeonly man quite well. Actually,everyone did know this old time local character-he was a true one-of-a-kind personality, as some mountain folks are known to be when they hard-scrabble their way through life, bereft of a steady, 9-5 job– hard to find in the wild mountain regions of NC and other areas of the Smokies. Lets just say; they were as independent as one could be. Our eggs, pancakes, bacon and coffees were far above reproach. We’ll definitely go back again and again to Carvers place!

Located at 2804 Soco Road., Maggie Valley (828) 926-0425.

Great exercise walking the wild, scenic trails of the Cataloochee Hills and mountains.
Great exercise walking the wild, scenic trails of the Cataloochee Hills and mountains.
Hiking with a naturalist who showed us mushroom identification methods.
Hiking with a naturalist who showed us mushroom identification methods.

 

While hiking gorgeous water features make themselves known loudly and clearly along the way in Haywood County!
While hiking, gorgeous water features make themselves known loudly and clearly along the way in Haywood County!
Miss Maggie visits businesses along the main Street of Maggie Valley. A continuing hostess representing This vacation paradise!
Miss Maggie visits
businesses along the main Street of Maggie Valley. A continuing hostess representing This vacation paradise! She stopped in at Joey’s to welcome us and have a chat!

A day later, we enjoyed excellent pancakes and eggs (I had  their special of eggs, pancakes,  real, really good corned beef hash and coffee that tasted like the high priced mocha)!  Barb had the same, but her meat was Country Ham.  Frankly, the pancakes were fluffy and far above the average cakes we eat on our travels to and through the USA. Joeys Pancake House, 4309 Soco Road, Maggie Valley – www.joeyspancake.com (828) 926-0212

 

 

All Things Grape at the Grape Discovery Center in Westfield, New York Near Lake Erie

This is the place to find local wineries
This is the place to find local wineries

– www.americanpresstravelnews.com -September 15,-Lake Erie, N.Y.-Love Concord grapes, so we just had to visit “The Grape Discovery Center”. The Lake Erie Grape Discovery Center is the official Visitor’s Center for New York State, Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt Heritage Area. It is about all things, but especially the Grape!

Enjoyed their tasting bar which has a selection of wines and grape juice from local wineries.We browsed through the Discovery Center which is both informational and hands on information. and and found the gift shop had a beautiful selection of locally made crafts. They had a tasting of local dipping oils and sauces. Once we tried them, just had to take some home. This is a great place for your first stop if you want to pick up information on local wineries. Not only do they have the information. but they will direct you to the place that is best for your travel destinations.

Lake Erie Country is the Concord Grape Belt Stretching over 60 miles along the Lake Erie Plain, the Concord Grape Belt was formed by the advance and retreat of glacial ice more tn am 12,000 years ago. The conditions for grape growing -viticulture -are so perfect that the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt, "America's Grape Country,"is the largest Grape Growing region in the world.
Lake Erie Country is the Concord Grape Belt Stretching over 60 miles along the Lake Erie Plain, the Concord Grape Belt was formed by the advance and retreat of glacial ice more tn am 12,000 years ago. The conditions for grape growing -viticulture -are so perfect that the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt, “America’s Grape Country,”is the largest Grape Growing region in the world.
You will learn all about grapes at the interactive discovery center
You will learn all about grapes at the interactive discovery center.

For information either call: (716) 326-2003 or take a look at the website: www.grapediscoverycenter.com