Leong’s Asian Diner: Original Springfield Style Cashew Chicken

Connie Food & Drink, Missouri March 30, 2016August 4, 2016americas best springfield mo, asian foods, best places to eat in springfield mo, best restaurants in springfield mo, chinese chef springfield mo, chinese food springfield mo, david leong, fine dining springfield mo, leong, leong's asian diner, leongs chinese, springfield cashew chicken, springfield chicken, springfield diner, springfield style cashew chicken 8 Comments

Chicago has deep-dish pizza. Philadelphia has Philly cheesesteak. And Springfield, Missouri, has Springfield style cashew chicken. Springfield style cashew chicken, a regional favorite, was invented in the 1960s by David Leong. You can find copies of Springfield style cashew chicken all over town, but you can get the original only at Leong’s Asian diner. Read more

Oklahoma City: Surprisingly Foodie

Connie Food & Drink, Oklahoma March 24, 2016August 4, 2016cattlemens cafe, cattlemens cafe okc, cheevers cafe, fassler hall, iron star urban barbeque, iron star urban barbeque restaurant, kemps 1910 cafe, oklahoma city restaurants, restaurants in Oklahoma City, waffle champion, waffle champion okc 10 Comments

I expected Oklahoma City to have great steak and barbecue restaurants. The city didn’t disappoint in those areas. What I didn’t expect was the broad expanse of gastronomic delight that the city offers, from casual eateries to fine dining. Here are seven Oklahoma City restaurants that my husband, Skip, and I experienced during our 48 hour stay in the city. Read more

Oatman: Burros, Route 66 and a Honeymoon Suite

Connie Arizona, Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Road Trips February 3, 2016August 9, 2016arizona route 66, arizona towns, gold mining in arizona, gold road mine, gold road mine oatman az, kingman route 66, Oatman, oatman arizona, oatman arizona burros, oatman arizona donkeys, oatman arizona ghost town, oatman arizona hotel, oatman arizona route 66, oatman az burros, oatman az ghost town, oatman az hotel, oatman az route 66, oatman burros, oatman ghost town, oatman hotel, oatman hotel oatman az, oatman mine, oatman route 66, oatman usa, oatmanaz, route 66 arizona, route 66 in arizona, route 66 oatman, route 66 oatman az 0 Comment

Oatman has a lot going for it, considering its business district is one short block. Descendants of burros used in the mining industry until World War II and then set free roam the street begging tourists for handouts. Visitors can peek into the room at the Oatman Hotel that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stayed in on their honeymoon. And the main road that runs through the town is part of Historic Route 66.

Milwaukee Public Market: Exploring Lunch Options

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Wisconsin January 11, 2016September 25, 2017best milwaukee restaurants, best restaurants in milwaukee, city market milwaukee, downtown milwaukee restaurants, food in milwaukee, food milwaukee, good restaurants in milwaukee, milwaukee downtown restaurants, milwaukee food, milwaukee public market, milwaukee public market vendors, milwaukee restaurants, milwaukee restaurants downtown, milwaukee shop, public market milwaukee, restaurants downtown milwaukee, restaurants in downtown milwaukee, restaurants in milwaukee, restaurants in milwaukee wi, restaurants milwaukee, restaurants milwaukee wi, restaurants near milwaukee, the public market milwaukee 2 Comments

Seafood…paninis…salads…soup…sushi. So many choices. How to decide what to eat? Of the 18 vendors in the Milwaukee Public Market, nine of them offer lunch. Others sell baked goods, candies, coffee or wine. Read more

Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub: Serving Nostalgia in Milwaukee

Connie Food & Drink, Wisconsin December 22, 2015August 22, 2016bars milwaukee wi, beer pbr, blue ribbon milwaukee, blue ribbon pub milwaukee, brew house pub, historic pabst brewery, jackson blue ribbon pub, jackson pub, milwaukee pub, milwaukee pubs, old pabst brewery milwaukee, pabst bar, pabst blue ribbon bar, pabst blue ribbon brewery, pabst blue ribbon milwaukee, pabst blue ribbon pub, pabst brewing company, past blue ribbon beer, pbr brewery, pbr location, pbr locations, pbr pabst, pbr ribbon, pubs in milwaukee 2 Comments

Milwaukee’s former Pabst Brewery is breathing new life. Pabst beer is no longer brewed here, but it is being served. The Pabst property is being repurposed, building by building, and Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub has taken up residence in one of those buildings.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four articles about Milwaukee’s Pabst family and the historic Pabst Brewery, at one time the nation’s largest brewery. Read more

Miss Fitz 260 Café: Pancakes, Eggs and Americana

Connie Arizona, Food & Drink December 18, 2015August 22, 2016260 cafe. miss fitz 260 cafe, cafe, fitz cafe, miss fitz cafe, payson az, payson az restaurants, payson restaurant, restaurant payson az, restaurants in payson, restaurants in payson az, restaurants payson, restaurants payson az, the fitz 0 Comment

As we step into the small Miss Fitz 260 Café, an elderly Native American gentleman sitting to the side of the entrance tries to sell me a pair of hand-crafted earrings. “I don’t have pierced ears,” I tell him, showing him my earlobes. “That’s okay. I have necklaces, too.” I politely turn him down.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in U.S. Long Cuts. We are merging U.S. Long Cuts with Midwest Wanderer, adding a “Beyond the Midwest” menu option. Read more