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Tag Archives: chef

Throw-back Monday– 1989-The Conch Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge

Twin Rock Lobster Tails broiled to perfection, some Saffron Rice, real butter from Wisconsin. What can be better?

American Press Travel News-March 25th–Bob and Barb “Remembering great places to dine and visit! Today, the Conch Restaurant is gone. Whoever bought it after Allen Stoki passed, changed names and then new owners changed names again!

When Barb and I were pleasantly researching our book in 1988: “The Best Restaurants in The Florida Keys”, of course, we visited the Conch Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge in Islamorada, owner operated by Allen Stocki. We’d been there before and on another date, I also joined Ted Williams there for dinner when I was creating the International Gamefish Release and Enhancement Foundation. I had hoped Ted would become a Board Member-he did!

OK! I Just heard Conch prounounced “konsch” not Konk; I straightened that lure-maker out at the ICAST giant fishing show. He is now “Konk” prepared when he visits to try out his lures in the Keys!
One of the very personal specialties Stocki taught his wait personnel, was to learn by heart the more than 80-ways he could prepare a Keys Lobster. They would tick off “lobster Hawaiian, Parmesan, Lobster cheesy and Florentine, en cruet sauce, and my favorite Lobster prepared at that sorely missed by many; their Lobster Imperial!” This dish required the lobster to be taken out of the shell, sautéed in butter and then covered with Crab Imperial. The dish would be baked and served with Béarnaise Sauce. Stocki’s Chef then garnished this masterpiece with Key lime slices and parsley and served with fresh homemade bread. A dish you just never could forget! This, and more than 60-restaurants in my book, are gone now, but fortunately, many other very fine restaurants have stepped up to the plate, so-to-speak!  We miss that great restaurant in our original book: “The Best Restaurants in the Florida Keys” I still have about 45-books from that first printing. Just email us for your half price signed copy!!!

Food Trucks, Trailers and Kiosks Are Becoming Ubiquitous In America

This Chevy bread delivery truck is being transformed into a food truck business.
This Chevy bread delivery truck is being transformed into a food truck business. It is a work in progress, best left to various professionals in the electric and propane areas.
In the process of being turned into a kitchen!
This truck is In the process of being turned into a kitchen and serving vehicle!

P1020750APtravelnews-July 31st, Frederick, Maryland--Food entrepreneurs have come out of the kitchen and onto the road delivering great “eats” at reasonable prices to folks who want a tasty meal fast and on the “cheap” too! Today there are food trucks selling a huge variety of sandwiches, plated gourmet dishes, hot dogs and burgers, tacos, pizza, slurpies, shakes, lemonades and innumerable rice and spaghetti dishes too! There are many reasons for the success and failures of these individualized purveyors of prepared foods. The successful food vendors know their customers tastes and offer items that are easy to eat on the go, are tasty and filling, can be considered mainstream dishes that are not fad prone and prices are reasonable. The failures miss all the above, or a couple of those customer needs and expectations.  As we travel we see all manner of soft ice cream trucks, crepe vans, pizza wagons, meatball and sausage and peppers trailers (seen at all outdoor fairs and expositions) the truck seen in this post will be a gourmet beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken enterprise served on home made sesame and onion buns with a special sauce concoction that could be considered addictive in it flavor and aroma too! The name of this new truck is: Mobile USA Cuisine-basically a true barbecue emporium on wheels and steroids provided by the very excited owner-Josh, our grandson! Look for it parked in prominently fun places all over Maryland!