This part of my travels wasn’t really on rails, but I saw no point in screwing up the theme 🙂 I arrived in Portland, OR safe and sound on Friday the 23rd of June, my birthday, and when I deboarded the train, it was just over 90 degrees outside. It wasn’t humid, and aside from…
Fat Guy on The Road – Concert Edition – By Adam
This past weekend, a long-time dream came true — I had the privilege of attending a concert by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of none other than John Williams. Anyone who was to look at the program for the evening would understandably wonder about my excitement, but the answer to that question, as…
Fat Guy on Rails Part 2 – A Travelogue by Adam
Of the great named passenger trains in the US of the mid-twentieth century, few names evoked such a sense of wonder or power as the Great Northern Railway’s “Empire Builder”. The Great Northern Railway was started by the late 19th-century rail entrepreneur, James J. Hill. He was known as the “Empire Builder” and the Railway’s…
Fat Guy on Rails Part 1 – A Travelogue by Adam
When you tell people that you’re going to take a train across country as part of a vacation, the responses come in a few forms. For the most part, thanks to the fact that I only have a few friends and even fewer hobbies, those closest to me were not surprised at all by this…
Icing on the Lake – Erie, PA – Fat Guy reviewer: Scott
We tend to be a tad meat-centric here on FGA, but we definitely love our baked goods as well; with Lunch dessert being the most important dessert of the day. If you have not been by the West Erie Plaza lately, there is a lot going on. It is in the midst of a major…
Federal Hill Smokehouse – Erie, PA – Fat Guy Revisit by Adam
I know what you’re thinking, well maybe not, but you MIGHT be thinking to yourself right now that we are a little obsessive about this place. A third review? Really? It’s not really a full review. It’s just a quick revisit OR you might say that we’ve decided to have Seconds. OR maybe it’s a…
Pineapple Eddie Southern Bistro – Erie, PA – Fat Guy Reviewer: Adam
Fellow Fat Guy Reviewer Scott and I have been to Pineapple Eddie’s quite a few times before this review, and one of the things that makes it stand out in the sea of eateries in the Erie area is its home-style Southern/Cajun offerings. No LOCAL places (not a chain) offer food that could be billed…
Fathead’s Brewery & Saloon – Cleveland, OH – Fat Guy Reviewer: Adam
Over the last couple of months, I have spent some of my weekend time off with friends in the Cleveland, OH area, and there’s one source of good food that stands out, Fathead’s Brewery & Saloon in North Olmstead, OH. Website here: http://fatheadscleveland.com/ The restaurant building itself doesn’t stand out as anything remarkable, but you…
U Pick 6 Public House – Erie, PA – Fat Guy reviewer: Scott
It’s always a delight to visit Public House. As with the other U Pick 6 locations it is owned by John Melody, a very pleasant Irishman who is no stranger to the Erie restaurant and bar scene. All of his establishments I have visited are top notch. If you frequented Molly Brannigan’s in its earlier…
Casablanca Grill – Erie, PA – Fat Guy reviewer: Adam
The Casablanca Grill is a hidden gem within the culinary landscape of Erie, PA. It is located on West 8th Street just east of the intersecction of West 8th and Pittsburgh Avenue on the North side of the road. The restaurant itself may be small in size, but the flavors and level of customer service…