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THE ORIGINAL POST:

The World Tour

As the days grow shorter and darker we thought it might be fun to make these dismal weeks pass quickly with a mid-week adventure. We love food, and we love our friends, so why not celebrate both?  We’ve selected 6 ethnic favorites to visit on Wednesdays 11/4 through 12/9. You’ll find the locations at http://theworldsayseatme.wordpress.com along with a map, a brief description of the location, and the food they offer. We’ll warn you: this is not a “white tablecloth” tour. In fact, in some cases clean silverware may not even be an option! But one thing is for sure, the food will be an adventure.

The plan is simple. By Monday of the week just e-mail, post on the blog (DO THIS BY POSTING A COMMENT IN THE ‘REPLY’ SECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RESTAURANT’S PAGE YOU ARE INTERESTED IN), phone, or stop by to let us know you want to be a part of that week’s tour (No smoke signals or beating drums please). That will give us a chance to let the owners know if it’s just Em & I or all 50 people we’ve invited. On a couple of dates, we may need to determine attendance a bit further in advance. In those cases, we’ll let everybody know via email. As the confirmations come in, we’ll post the attendees on the blog. Then, on Wednesday, we’ll meet collectively at the location at 6:30 and descend upon the eatery in force. On the following day we’ll post a review on the blog – maybe even pics!

But wait, there’s more! We’ll have passports prepared for each attendee. Anyone who has their passport stamped at least 3 of 6 Wednesdays will be invited to a mid-winter fiesta at the El Meyer Hacienda. We’ll feast on a traditional Mexican spread and, if it’s a success (the Tour, not the spread), we’ll plan the February through March six-week Encore Tour.

We realize everyone lives a busy life. Please note that we’d love to see you whether it’s one time or six. Invite a friend, invite a stranger, or come alone. In any case you’re a welcome addition on our first stupendous, glorious, and supremely over-reaching Summit City World Tour.

-Mark

SESSION #1

(Already completed)

Week 1

Korean

at Seoul Garden Korean Restaurant

1820 W Coliseum Blvd

Fort Wayne , IN 46808

(260) 484-0395 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (260) 484-0395      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
MAP
Why Seoul Garden?
This tiny place on West Coliseum has been there for years but is one of those overlooked gems. They have a variety of traditional Chinese dishes but the real stars are the Korean dishes like Dolsot Bibimbap and various Bulgogi, like the Hot Kim Chee Chicken Bulgogi. The appetizers are an interesting mix of pickled delicacies but nothing compares to the hot & spicy kim chee soup.  Prices range from about $10 and up. Wine and beer is available.

Tour Stop 1,  November 2

28 show up for the first night!

We warmed up with squid, kim chee, cucumber, fish cake, and seaweed then moved on to the main dishes of bulgogi (It’s really not spicy Crystal, believe me), bibimbap, jap chae, and a few other dishes with even more difficult names. We finished with Jackson’s birthday cake (Happy 17 Jackson!) and a verse of Happy Birthday. It was a great start to our 6-week world tour. Thanks all for being there and those that couldn’t make it – see you at Bourbon Street on THURSDAY!

Week 2

N’awwwlins Style

at Bourbon Street Hideaway Restaurant

135 W Columbia St
Fort Wayne , IN 46802

(260) 422-7500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (260) 422-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

MAP

Tour Stop #2,  November 9

THE BOURBON STREET HIDEAWAY

Week Two at the Bourbon Street Hideaway saw our little group grow to 40. All agreed the food was spectacular. No temporary visas this week – it was time for the real thing. Everybody got their official passports stamped for each week attended. We’ll see how many get all six…

For all of you that made the trip remember you can add your comments below. You can also post pix or send  them to me and add them to those below. See you next week at Salvatori’s…and don’t be bashful about inviting friends. We’re shooting for 50 next week!

Week 3

Italian

at Salvatori’s

12244 Mackenzie Dr
New Haven , IN 46774
(260) 748-2057 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (260) 748-2057      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
MAP

Why Salvatori’s?

Forget that this place is in a gas station. Generous portions and nice people. I’ve heard they have plans for another location – they might even have one by now – but how can you top this? Pasta, pizza, high octane, and a lottery ticket! Beer and Wine with meals from about $8 and up.

Salvatori’s welcomes 35

Our tables were filled with pasta, pizza, breadsticks, and vino and not one disappointment. Dan swears by his spicy sausage/penne combo , Jim for the very unique Pizza Supreme spaghetti, Emma for the Chicken Apulia (SP?), and a whole bunch of folks for the HUGE helping of the clam linguini special.  Ryan and Kylie were so impressed that Salvatori’s pasta will be appearing at their September reception. Thanks again to all of you who got their Stop 3 passport stamped. See you Wednesday at El Paraiso for 99-cent taco night…and look for some info the next day or two on stops 5 & 6.

Mexican

at El Paraiso Taqueria

4135 Hessen Cassel Rd
Fort Wayne , IN 46806
(260) 441-9007 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (260) 441-9007      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
MAP

Why El Paraiso?

This is a traditional taqueria tucked in the back of a supermercado on Hessen Cassel just across from McMillen Park. Wednesdays are $1 Taco night – not your Americano crispy thing with lettuce and cheese but a double soft corn tortilla covered with chopped onion, cilantro, and your choice of bistek (steak), pastor (pork), lengua (tongue), or chorizo (sausage). You might also try the very fresh guacamole mixed in a pestle with fresh lime, not poured from the carton. No beer or wine here but excellent Mexican sodas or Topo Tico agua mineral. Very inexpensive. You’ll be well fed on $6.
**

35 for our visit to Mexico at El Paraiso

We had another great turnout, this week to an out-of-the-way gem that will now be on the radar for a number of folks. We had a lot of new faces this time to replace some regulars who had holiday weekend commitments. We missed you all but welcomed Abby, Rob, Phil, Adam, Colleen, Bill, Caitlyn (did I spell it right C?),  Betsy, the whole Antisdel clan,  and our Bloomington satellite travelers Shawna & Dan. We enjoyed our unique tacos (I think Tommy went back for “fourths”!) and all raved about the fresh, I mean fresh, guacamole. Our host Martin Serrano and crew did a great job handling the crowd (although poor Eric had to order three times…hard to miss a guy 6′5″…but he got a free guacamole  for his troubles so he’s not complaining…). They wheeled out an additional table to help seat us all. It sure was nice to see a whole table full of Metzgers together for the holiday. A lot of folks followed the meal with a trip through the grocery – I think I saw Jan leaving with two 6-gallon cans of hominy followed Deb & Rick with four more…
Remember to get back to me as soon as possible with your reservation or regrets for next week’s visit to Macedonia.  You’ll want to be a part of this historical event as we enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest party ever assembled within the walls of Southtown Inn.
Pix to follow…finally

Why Bourbon Street?

You gotta include the U.S….and what better place than Nawlins? This cozy little spot under Columbia Street West features some New Orleans favorites. Just don’t make the same mistake I did by ordering pasta. Nawlins is known for many things but pasta is not high on the list. What was I thinking? With any luck they won’t run out of Abita Amber Ale… A full bar with meals $12 – $20.

Week 5

Macedonian

at Southtown Inn

6811 Decatur Rd
Fort Wayne , IN 46816

(260) 447-9101 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (260) 447-9101      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

MAP

Why Southtown Inn?

Thank you Dan Metzger for one of my finest Fort dining experiences. I can guarantee there is not another place quite like this. First, you’ll wonder if its open, then you’ll wonder how it stays in business…until you taste the food. Pickled eggs, pickled cabbage, the “Macedonian” & “Hillbilly Steak” sandwiches, stuffed peppers, and if we’re lucky, Stefado, a traditional Macedonian stewed beef over buttered rice.  I’ll need to know nine days in advance for this one – especially if we want any chance for the 2-days-in-the-making Stefado…And FYI: The pic above is a stock photo Em grabbed from the internet.  No tablecloth here!  Full bar (it is a bar!) with meals well under $10 if you can show better restraint than I.

PICS!

Vietnamese Food

at The Saigon

2006 S Calhoun St
Fort Wayne , IN 46802
(260) 456-8550 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (260) 456-8550      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
MAP

Why The Saigon?

Soup, soup, soup. This is a cold day please-warm-me-up stop on the tour. They have several traditional Chinese dishes but the go-to dish is soup. There are beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and vegetable combinations all served with a plate of sliced jalapenos, bean sprouts, and cilantro, with a few hot sauce options to stir into the broth. Nothing fancy, and not for the faint of heart. Please note that anybody who orders sweet and sour chicken will be sent home. Beer with most dishes well under $10.

RSVP by December 7

PLEASE NOTE: 5:30PM START

Tour Deux:

Week 7

Thai

Switta Thai

(2/3/10)

5820 Challenger Parkway

Fort Wayne , IN 46818-1714

(260) 497-9429          (260) 497-9429      

This family run place on Washington Center, just west of the Cracker Barrel food factory, comes highly recommended by the JG restaurant critic Ryan Duvall. As a result, if you’re disappointed with the food be sure to go easy on me and direct your displeasure to Mr Duvall. Of course, if you enjoy it, feel free to praise my gifted choice. I’ve eaten here only once but was impressed by the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of the dish. This is the priciest stop on the tour with entrees in the $9 – $13 range but worth the price. Be sure to leave room for dessert, if for no other reason than the appealing presentation. Also, leave room for the Thai beer that reminded me of my Indian favorite, Kingfisher.

Week 8

Caribbean

Tropic Chicken

(2/10/2010)

1122 Taylor Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46802-4305

(260) 422-3012               (260) 422-3012      

Lucy & Franklin offer authentic Dominican dishes along with a variety of sandwiches & empanadas common to the Caribbean.  Don’t let the strip mall location fool you, this is the real thing. You might want to do a bit of Googling before coming to get a clue as to just what some of these menu items might be: sweet plantains, tostones, yuca fritas, monfongo, and ceviche. This will be a tight & cozy evening easy on the pocket book with nothing on the menu exceeding $8.50.  I don’t know about you but how can you not be intrigued by something called “monfongo”?  And they have that magical green Jarritos too!

RESCHEDULED TO THURSDAY 2/11 DUE TO THE WINTER STORM….THE FUN’S DELAYED…SAME TIME, SAME LOCATION, JUST 24 HOURS LATER.

Week 9

Burmese

at True Friend Tea House

(2/17/2010)

2310 South Calhoun Street

Fort Wayne, IN 46807

(260) 255-1500            (260) 255-1500      

This is totally unchartered territory here. I have not had a meal here but am excited about trying the cuisine of our growing Burmese population.  I would guess that the size of our group will be a bit of a challenge for this family operation so be patiently prepared for a leisurely evening.  I’m hoping we’ll find the incredible samuzas served at Mahnin, the Thai/Burmese restaurant down the street. When I stopped by the first time they were awaiting new carry-out menus. I’ll stop by again so look for updates on this location as we get closer to the date. Very modest prices, so a cheap date night!

NOTE:

THE RESTAURANT IS CLOSED FOR REPAIR ON THE SCHEDULED DATE OF 2/17. WE HAVE REPLACED WITH EL ALAMBRES ON NORTH ANTHONY (SEE THE HOME PAGE)

WE HAVE RESCHEDULED FOR 3/17

 

Week 10

Cuban

Caliente

(2/24/2010)

             (260) 748-2057      

(E. State Phone #)

UPDATE

We will be going to the Caliente 2 location on 2/24. Plans for opening the 3rd location (noted below) have been delayed due to some remodeling issues. Caliente 2 will offer their menu of various sandwiches including arguably the best Cuban in town. They will have a variety of non-menu items for our special group. They hope to open #3 in mid to late March…

THE VISIT

The Caliente Cuban

Week 11

Japanese

Sakura

(3/3/2010)

5828 West Jefferson Boulevard

Fort Wayne, IN 46804-1675

(260) 459-2022           (260) 459-2022   

I’ll be truthful, Asakusa is my local favorite, actually my regional favorite, but every time I go to Sakura I get swayed their way a bit more. The atmosphere is more casual and certainly more conducive to our large group. Their tempura is top-notch and the service is consistently good. Try their specialty rolls to experience something different. They have beer and wine available. Emma says go Asahi, I say plum wine. Either way, you’ll be okay. This night can be a bit pricey if you go the sushi route (and you should!) but the don and tempura options will be reasonable. With any luck we’ll be slamming saki-bombs toasting the 60-degree weather! And just maybe, we’ll be walking away saying, “Look out Asakusa!

Week 12

Amish

at The Delilah & Melvin Graber home

(3/10/2010)

10108 Graber Road

Grabil, IN 46741

Thanks to our newest tour members, Jim & Connie McGowin, we have an in to an Amish family that hosts dinners in their home. The Delilah and Melvin Graber family are inviting us into their Graber Road home just off IN 37 northeast of town. We will have a full-course meal served by our hostess assisted by her extended family. They’ll be serving grilled pork loin, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, brown butter noodles, cole slaw or applesauce, green beans or creamed corn, and fresh baked bread with sugar cream & apple pies for dessert. The dinner will be served please-pass-the-chicken family style.  Donations are requested with $15 the suggested amount. These are some real nice folks!

IMPORTANT!

We need to confirm the final count by February 25 prior to the family’s vacation. A maximum of 60 (Yes, 60!) spots are available so please make your intentions known as soon as possible. Please use the “Submit Comment” function on this page to leave your reservation. We’ll talk a bit more about this as we get closer to the date…

The Final Stop…’til We Meet Again!

As you’ve heard so many times, “…save the best for last.” I think we managed to do just that with our sixth and final stop on the TWSEM Dos! Tour. It was a fantastic mix of nice weather, fine folks, and fantastic food. The extended Graber family set a beautiful table (three of them in fact!) and served old time favorites that were so good you almost wanted to cry. I am a hater of creamed corn, but to be courteous, I put a spoonful on my plate…and then tried that spoonful…and then another…and another.  No longer am I a creamed corn hater – I’ve been reformed!  The fried chicken and grilled pork tenderloin were soooo good as were all the other sides. And then dessert….apple, strawberry, and sugar cream pies. I think a lot of folks just had to try all 3!

Hats off (or hat’s on) to Terry, George, Rick, Deb,  and Roger for earning their safari hats by successfully navigating all six stops on the Dos! tour. And a special tip of the hat to Kayla and Mark who earned a perfect 12 by hitting all the stops on tour 1 & 2. I bet they’re still proudly wearing those beautiful trophy hats to work each day!

Thanks again to all of you for making the tour the highlight of my winter. Those cold ugly days really flew by for me – I hope for you too. I have a yet-to-be determined plan for Saturday, April 17, 4PM – 6PM, for our wrap-up dinner. Please keep the date open and trust that I’ll come up with something worth your while. More to come…

TWSEM #3

WEEK 1 (VOL 3:1)

Greek

Liberty Diner

(11/3/2010)

Greek @ The Liberty Diner

Opa! Take Me to the Greek!

We're starting the third tour in our own special room at The Liberty Diner. Our hosts George & Elena will be creating a special Greek-only menu. You can choose from a number of favorites including their award-winning  Mediterranean Chicken or Pork Chops and souvlaki.  You can also choose from gyros, spanakopita (Spinach Pie) , dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves), and maybe, just maybe, a surprise. Dinners will include a salad and their awesome avgolemono lemon rice soup.

The Liberty Diner has a great reputation for good food but its topped by their service. This should be just the right place for launching the third tour. See you there!

The Liberty Diner2929 Goshen Rd  (Corner of Coliseum West & Goshen Rd

(260) 484 - 9666

Well I was sure proud of myself for remembering the camera but I FORGOT to take pics of the food! Wonderful soup, delicious salad, and a great selection of entrees including dolmades, souvlaki, moussaka, and Mediterranean Chicken. My dolmades looked beautiful floating in an ocean of lemon rice sauce - take my word for it. Our hosts printed out a special menu and flyer and made us feel at home in a back room all to ourselves.  

Two thumbs up for George and Elena and their staff for a nice evening. If you're looking for a place for your party rest assured they will take care of you! 

Stop 2

WEEK 2 (VOL 3:2)

Midwest Comfort Food

Balyeat’s Diner

(11/10/2010)

Balyeat’s on the Old Lincoln Highway

Hail to Beef ‘n Noodles!

As you know, this tour is not always about the food. I’m a real believer in atmosphere as a contributing factor to a good meal. But when the food is just plain good too, well, that’s a TWSEM tour stop! Balyeat’s was born in the roaring 20’s and still boasts the first neon sign in Van Wert, Ohio. They’ve been serving classic cafeteria comfort food ever since. They’ll have a few large tables set up but you might want to grab a stool to watch the activity behind the bar. And, as an added benefit, you’ll be a lot closer to the pie cooler!

Yes, Balyeat’s is in Van Wert – a whole different state! But, it’s really not as far as it seems. You might want to check with fellow travelers on car pool options. We’ll also have a slightly later start at 6:45PM to accomodate the distance.

Balyeat’s Diner

133 East Main Street

Van Wert, Ohio  45891

(419) 238-1580

Here's the pix...finally. We definitely need to get an event photographer.! We had a small but festive group willing to make the trip to distant Van Wert. The pay off, especially for those lucky enough to have both the roast pork and the Oatmeal pie, was a good ol' homestyle meal. A special tip o' the hat to Susan Pinney for making her first stop, all by herself, in distant Ohio!

Stop 3

(11/17/2010)

Mexican from Chiapas – Mexico’s southernmost state.

Fresh! Fresh! Fresh!

Our host Juan Carlos  will serve up a pre-set menu of dishes from his homestate of Chiapas,  Mexico. His homeland borders on Guatemala and is referred to as “The Doorway to North America”, hence the name “Los Portales”.  Juan has worked many years in construction and is pursuing his dream of a restaurant serving food of only the freshest ingredients. His tortillas are made fresh daily and his unique drinks (like the tamarind tea-like drink) are made fresh to order.

 The restaurant is small and to better accommodate his small staff we’ll have a pre-set menu of items served buffet style. It will include nopalitos (cactus) salad, a wonderful black bean tortilla soup, enchiladas verde, tamales, dessert, and drink. We will have a limited number of seats available so it will be critical to confirm this stop early.

Los Portales

3300 Block East State Blvd

Fort Wayne, IN

Stop 4

WEEK 4 (VOL 3:4)

Pan Asian & Sushi

Naked Tchopstix

(11/24/10)

Indy’s Favorite opens in the Fort.

Molly Night

Naked Tchopstix is one of the city’s newest eateries. This is an unusual choice for the tour – it’s a chain! But only loosely. Naked Tchopstix has two highly-acclaimed locations in Indy and a 3rd at the track in Anderson. When the owner, a native Korean raised in Japan, chose to expand to Fort Wayne he tapped his favorite customer to run the operation. Manager Renee often drove all the way from upstate Michigan to eat at her favorite Indy restaurant. Something tells me that a place that generates that kind of fanaticism must be doing something right.

We will be able to order from their diverse menu which you can check out at http://www.tchopstix.com
As an added treat, they will be setting us up in our own private room that can accommodate up to 60.

This is officially “Molly Night” in honor of my beautiful granddaughter flying in from Scottsdale just to eat with her grandpa. Since she’s only a few months old she’ll be bringing her mom and dad too…and the aunts & uncle are sure to show up as well. I can’t wait!

Naked Tchopstix

US 24 @ I-69

Fort Wayne, IN

260-436-2211




We filled the backroom with over 60 travelers this week. Despite the large crowd we were able to order off the menu - and what a variety! The flaming Playboy sushi roll was certainly a hit but so was everything else. 


Once again I was a lame photographer with only a handful of pix - you'll have to rely on your memory....

Stop 5

WEEK 5 (VOL 3:5)

Indian…Finally!

A Taste of India

(12/1/2010)

At long last…a visit to the land of Naan!

A Buffet Awaits!

It seems every time I mention the tour I’m asked if we’ve visited India. At long last, we will do just that.  We’ll have two large tables and a limited menu served buffet style to give you a chance to try a little of all the entrée items, salad, naan, and dessert. I hope to provide a little more detail on the menu items as we get closer to the date.

They also have a selection of Indian drinks including the very tasty Kingfisher lager that Emma introduced me to from her travels to India. That’s reason enough to drag myself out on a chilly December night.

A Taste of India

5515 Coldwater Road

(Coldwater Crossing)

Fort Wayne, IN

(260) 471-6040


Our first cold, blustery night but 30+ brave souls still made the trip for a nice little Indian buffet. It took everything I had to keep from stuffing my pockets full of leftover nan when I left. I may have done it if my hands weren't full carrying out the nice surprise birthday "cake" (Scotcheroos). Thanks Gayle!

Yum!

Stop 6

WEEK 6 (VOL 3:6)

Tummy Warming Pho

Pho 888

(12/8/2010)

The soup that made Viet Nam famous! 

Another Vietnamese Finale 

We’ll finish Tour 3 just as we did Tour 1 with our winter-chilled hands warmed around a big bowl of steaming Vietnamese pho. Our hosts Vanh and Linh will serve a pre-set menu of papaya & shrimp salad, spring roll, two soup options, two fried noodle options, and a special homemade dessert not offered on the menu. Drinks are available including a number of asian beer options. We will again have a large area with room for two big tables so make this a night to introduce a friend to the tour just to whet their appetite for the sure-to-follow TWSEM IV!  

PHO 888

4916 Illinois Road

Suite 100

Fort Wayne, IN

(260) 969-6669

We had a roomful for our stop at Los Portales. Juan's new room worked out great with plenty of space for our four course meal of nopalitos, soup, enchiladas & tamales, and arros con leche. The bean & tortilla soup is calling my name - I will be back soon!