Nathan's in Coney Island, NY

I was in New York. I had just rode thirteen miles on a unicycle from the Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island. The end of this epic ride was in front of the original Nathan's Famous hot dogs. It was time to eat and a hot dog seemed like an appropriate food.

The inside of Nathan's was very busy with lines stretching out of the building. I got the feeling that most people in here were tourists, just like me, coming to get their taste of a famous Coney Island food.

I ordered a hot dog with sauerkraut. It was exactly as I expected, just like what is served at the countless other Nathan's locations around the country. It was a hot dog, nothing more. The sauerkraut did dress it up a bit, but in the end it was still a pretty standard hot dog.

Nathan's hot dogs are highly overrated, but a visit to Nathan's in Coney Island isn't really about the food. It's about the whole experience of going to a fast food landmark. Just don't throw up your hot dog when you get sick on the Cyclone or Wonder Wheel afterwards...

Seashore Sweets' in Disney's Boardwalk Hotel

Yesterday was National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I couldn't find how or why June 12 was assigned to peanut butter cookies, or why it is only national rather than international, but the holiday is a good reason to eat a cookie. I happened to be at Disney's Boardwalk Hotel and decided to find a peanut butter cookie to celebrate.

We tried the Boardwalk Bakery first. They had a nice cookie selection, but peanut butter was nowhere to be found. Not that easily defeated, we moved a few stores down to Seashore Sweets'. On the top shelf of their pastry case, they had a giant Mickey Mouse shaped peanut butter cookie. It was horribly expensive for a cookie at $5.49, but this was in a Disney hotel and it was a cookie holiday, so the cookie was purchased.

The cookie was huge, but it was also a bit disappointing. It was horribly dry in the part not covered in chocolate. The person who I shared it with described the cookie as being similar to eating a dog biscuit. Not sure how many dog biscuits she has eaten to know this, but I was expecting better from a Disney bakery. Our local supermarket chain has better peanut butter cookies.

Regardless of this cookie being really dry, it still served served the purpose of celebrating National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I highly doubt I'd get one of these cookies again, but I hope the rest of the baked goods from Seashore Sweets' are better...

Boardwalk Pizza in Winter Park, FL

I shared a cheese pie from Boardwalk Pizza in Winter Park. The pizza was pretty middle of the road in my opinion. A little messy looking and nothing outstanding, but not bad either. If I was hungry and in the area, I might stop in here to get a slice or two...

The Taco Maker in Davenport, FL

I happened to be looking through a coupon book and found some coupons for a place called The Taco Maker. I had never heard of them, but I took the coupons just in case I ever came across The Taco Maker. Later that day, I was in Davenport, FL in the strip mall that sits on the former site of the Circus World and Boardwalk & Baseball amusement parks. As luck would have it, I spotted The Taco Maker hidden away at the end of the mall and decided to stop.

I got out my coupon for "Free Crustos," not having a clue to what Crustos were and entered the restaurant. It turned out that Crustos were fried tortillas covered with cinnamon and sugar. They seemed very similar to Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists. They were okay for what they were, but Crustos were not a dessert I would purchase in the future if I didn't have a free coupon.

While I did not try anything else, I wasn't too impressed with what I saw as far as the rest of The Taco Maker's menu. Nothing on their menu really made me want to return. As far as the whole mall goes, I'd rather a circus themed amusement park still be there rather than some chain retail stores...

Happy 4th of July!

What better way to celebrate July 4th than to visit Coney Island for Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?

I visited Coney Island back in 2007, back before this blog existed, and enjoyed some of the very varied food that is for sale on the boardwalk. I started out at Nathan's in honor of today's hot dog eating contest. I'm not a big fan of hot dogs, but this place is classic. I wish I knew they had frogs legs, lobster rolls, and clam chowder before I ordered from the outdoor window that only served hot dogs.





Besides from Nathan's, Coney Island had all sorts of other interesting food.









Ralph's Italian Ices had a stand set up on the boardwalk.

Over the past few years, Coney Island has been going through some controversial redevelopment. A company named Thor Development has been buying up property and evicting the occupants in order to build mostly condos and a few new rides. In 2008, Coney Island's Astroland park had it's last season. This food stand from the park has since been removed. The famous rocket on the roof was once an early simulator ride and has apparently been bought by a Coney Island history museum.



And what visit to Coney Island is complete without a ride on the historic Cyclone Roller Coaster after eating the boardwalk's food?

Soggy Broadway at the Beach Pizzeria Uno Pizza

After the Hard Rock Park while in Myrtle Beach, I ate at a Pizzeria Uno at Broadway at the Beach, near the Planet Hollywood that I ate at previously.

I had a deep dish pizza filled with assorted vegetarian items. The toppings were good enough, but the pizza was sitting in a puddle of something on the plate that made the entire bottom of the pizza soggy. Soggy waterlogged pizza isn't something most people like...