We need posts!!!

I have to update as well!!!! We need posts from Louisiana, Yakima, Decatur, Atlanta, Missouri, Omaha, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City.

Oh the corned beef!

There are few places in the world where man stares in awe at the awesome site that dwarfs his existence; the Egyptian Pyramids, Eiffel Tower, The Statue of Liberty, whatever monstrosity ride Disney creates, and Niagara Falls. However, when gazing on a sandwich from Harold's NY Deli in Edison it is nothing short of looking into the eyes of God...if they were made out of pastrami...delicious pastrami. Calling the portion sizes at Harold's even "portion sizes" is misleading. When a Ruben comes out larger than your head it's no longer a "portion", it's a "structure". If you go only once, get the corned beef. It is a testament to the way corned beef should be; moist, easily to pull apart, and wonderful with deli mustard. But honestly, everything is great on this menu. Just be prepared to take the rest home with you, or bring some friends. And trust us, 2 sandwiches will serve 4 people nicely. Oh and don't forget the dessert!!!

Come for the beer, leave for the food...

After schelping gear all day, sometimes a great beer is just what my AA sponsor ordered. And JJ Bitting in Woodbridge, NJ offers a wonderful lineup of in-house brewed froth. The IPA and Victoria's Golden Ale are great. They even had a 10% ABV on tap that was a true sipping beer...or a really get drunk fast so you can talk to that girl at the end of the bar...beer. Everything JJ's offers on tap is great, and sure to find a home in your stomach. But the food...meh...the offerings are plentiful, but nothing that we have sampled in the past 2 years really makes the cut. The only thing we enjoyed was the spinach and artichoke dip, to which our server said "just don't get it with the parmesan crust. It's hard to dip." Don't you think that's a sign? Other morsals were a chicken quesadilla and a chicken salad. Both bland and really non appealing.

JJ Bitting is a great place to start your evening, or even end it. Pony up to the bar, order something on tap...then go across the street for dinner.

Ristorante Venezia

We all know there's a few things you get when you come to the Northeast; a hoggie, Italian food, and 37 gallons of Dunkin Donuts coffee. Last year, the crew found a hidden gem outside of Edison, NJ in Ristorante Venezia. We stumbled on it while aimlessly driving trying to find something in Edison other than industrial park and hotels. We didn't. So we ended up in Woodbridge, a short 10 minutes. It was nothing short of a culinary oasis, or piazza; whatever. This year we all enjoyed appetizers and a few entrees. You can trust anything on special, but the menu has old staples. Complimentary bread, bruchetta, and roasted egg plant tapanade is AMAZING! The fried calamari is great, and a shrimp appetizer special was maybe the most tender shrimp I have ever had. The four cheese ravioli in a pink vodka sauce, and the veal were the winners. Dessert was a ricotta cheese cake that was fluffy and decadent. Edison might not have much, but a short drive to Woodbridge brings you back home to old world style Italian.

Champions @ the Marriott Copley Place in Boston (Kansas?)

What you should have: Magner's Cider and the Clam Chowder

What you shouldn't have: The Fenway Dog and maybe the Rigatoni with meatballs. The meatballs were great, but the pasta was over-cooked.

Legally...Clemans

We begin our blog by explaining the genius behind the idea...Steve Clemans. As a frequent traveler Steve enjoys spending his free time at dining establishments of all calibers. During a trip to Boston in 2009 enjoying clam chowder at Legal Sea Foods, Steve suggested a blog. A simple source of information, free flowing, to write about all the places us "crew folk" eat, drink, and be merry. As a tribute to Steve we ask you to share your culinary experiences...good and bad...so that if you ever find yourself in a big city without "Mom and Dad" you`ll still be surrounded by the comfort of food. And it all takes place...between set and strike.