U.S. Restaurants Archives - Travel Blue Book

4 Must-Try Portland Food Carts

May 21, 2015 By Anne Keery Leave a Comment

Portland, Oregon is home to a plethora of food carts, hundreds of them, in fact. Thanks to progressive regulations, the food cart scene has been able to flourish in Portland, unlike most major cities in North America.

Portland food carts can be found all over the city, primarily in groupings known as pods. Food Carts Portland produces a very convenient map and even has an app for iPhones and Androids that shows current locations!

With so many food cart choices, things can get a little bit overwhelming. Here are 5 must-try Portland food carts, to get a taste of the city. [Read more…]

Burger Queen: Best Burgers in Alaska

September 17, 2014 By Mel Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: By budandjackie via Flickr and Creative Commons

The next stop on our Alaskan culinary delights trail is a small house (a step up size wise from Tracy’s King Crab Shack) that is a treasure among the locals in Ketchikan, Alaska – Burger Queen.

Despite the very unassuming façade and being slightly off the beaten path, Burger Queen has the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever eaten. I’m not even a big fan of cheeseburgers as a whole, yet Burger Queen always cooks them to such perfection and offers such a wide array of burgers that I looked forward to visiting Ketchikan just to pick one up. [Read more…]

Sipping on Spruce Tip Ale at Skagway Brewing Company

September 10, 2014 By Lauren May 4 Comments

The small Alaskan town of Skagway is home to one of the best brewpubs that you’ll find in the Last Frontier. The Skagway Brewing Company, known simply as Brew Co to the locals, is arguably the best watering hole in town. Open year round, this pub does major business during the summer cruise ship tourist season, as Skagway is one of the ports of call on the popular Inside Passage cruise route. [Read more…]

Saltwater Grill: A Seafood Lover’s Delight

August 13, 2014 By Greg Johnson 2 Comments

Us in front of the 25,000 gallon aquarium at Saltwater Grill

Fact: I love vacation. I especially love beach vacations. And, one of the things I like best about going on a beach vacation is the food. Just thinking about all of that yummy, deliciously delectable seafood is making my mouth water! From mahi to grouper, prawns to oysters, I’ll take it all…and I’ll take it now! As you can probably gather, I’ve eaten a LOT of seafood – particularly on the Gulf Coast. During my travels, I’ve found that few places do seafood better than Saltwater Grill in Panama City Beach, FL. [Read more…]

Picnicking at Ten Spoon Winery

August 6, 2014 By Anne Keery 1 Comment

Ten Spoon Winery is a short ten minute drive up a canyon from downtown Missoula. The winery sits just off of Rattlesnake Drive, which leaves downtown as N. Van Buren Street and heads straight north. At one point, there is a sharp right turn to stay on the main road, however it is very clear which direction you ought to head! The winery pops up on the left hand side, as you are heading north, with a few dozen vines appearing first and a one way driveway shortly after.

Pulling off the road, you drive past the main building and have your choice of parking in a rather large gravel lot. If you are lucky, you will spy a songbird poking its head out from one of the several bird feeders along the fence line.

I hope you remembered to bring a picnic! [Read more…]

Tracy’s King Crab Shack: Best Legs in Town

July 30, 2014 By Mel 5 Comments

I spent five summers working on a cruise ship in Alaska. There are lots of things I think back on nostalgically now, but nothing makes me miss Alaska more than seeing pictures on Facebook of my friends eating at Tracy’s King Crab Shack.

My love for Tracy’s runs deep!

A co-worker of mine literally made up a song about how Thursdays are crab day at Tracy’s (Thursdays were when we would port in Juneau).
There were times when my mood the entire week was set by whether or not I was able to get off the ship and get crab at Tracy’s.
Honest to goodness, I am currently writing this article while wearing a Tracy’s Crab Shack shirt.

Seriously people. It is that darn good. [Read more…]

Five on Black – An Amazing Brazilian Restaurant

June 25, 2014 By Anne Keery 2 Comments

325 North Higgins Avenue looks like pretty much every other business on the street. It has a brick street front, a few tables outside and an awning, with a few gooseneck lamps pointing at the sign.

While it may look like everywhere else, you might see a little bit of a line winding its way out the door. If there is, don’t worry, it won’t take long. This is the home of Five on Black Brazilian Grill. Get yourself in that line!

Five on Black is a newcomer to the food scene in Missoula, Montana, opening in April of 2013. It has already become wildly popular and it isn’t hard to figure out why. [Read more…]

FireFly: Panama City Beach, FL

June 11, 2014 By Greg Johnson Leave a Comment

Panama City Beach, Florida is the self-appointed home to the most “beautiful beaches in the world” – and they just may be right! Although the wonderful waters of the “Emerald Coast” can’t quite compete with the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, there is no place on Earth with more exquisite beaches. Located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, travelers from around the globe come to this Florida panhandle city to enjoy the lovely weather and the sugary white beaches that you just can’t find anywhere but the northern Gulf Coast. And, typically, where there are tourists, there is great food. In a city filled with excellent restaurants, the best of the best is FireFly. [Read more…]

Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant – Miami’s Seafood Must

March 20, 2014 By Greg Johnson 2 Comments

Photo Credit: FoodOfMiami (Own work) [Public domain], <ahref=”http: file%3ajoesstonecrabs.jpg”=”” wiki=”” commons.wikimedia.org=””>via Wikimedia Commons

If you are visiting Miami Beach and are looking for great seafood, Joe’s Stone Crab is an absolute must visit. This popular Miami institution recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The restaurant comes from humble beginnings, opening in front of Smith’s bathing casino as a beachside seafood counter in 1913. Since then, Joe’s Stone Crab has become a Miami landmark, blossoming into a full service restaurant and serving some of the best seafood and land fare around. [Read more…]