John Sharpe, chef at the acclaimed Turquoise Room restaurant at the historic and massively successful La Posada hotel in Winslow, Ariz., revealed a few newsworthy items in his regular email newsletter Sunday. First, construction on all the hotel's rooms is about to come to an end. Sharpe said: We are presently at 49 and will top … Continue reading La Posada nearly finished with all the rooms
Category: Restaurants
Arizona Route 66 restaurant destroyed by fire; owner killed
A natural gas explosion is believed to have started an explosion and fire that destroyed Linda's Cafe & Deli in Golden Shores, Ariz., and killed its owner last Thursday, reported the Mojave Daily News. The body of the restaurant's owner, Ronald Lee Hansen, 58, of nearby Topock, Ariz., was discovered by firefighters as they tried … Continue reading Arizona Route 66 restaurant destroyed by fire; owner killed
The Sooner State’s best BBQ
I'm sticking my neck out, but I'm going to say it anyway -- Burn Co. BBQ in Tulsa serves the best barbecue I've had in Oklahoma. I've visited great places in the Sooner State, including Van's Pig Stand in Shawnee and The Boundary on 66 near Luther. But I've eaten three times at Burn Co. … Continue reading The Sooner State’s best BBQ
Wienermobile stops at Emma Jean’s Holland Burger
A new Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made a Route 66 stop on Thursday at the legendary Emma Jean Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville, Calif., on the way to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, according to the Victorville Daily Press. According to the newspaper: On Thursday, patrons at Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville were able to … Continue reading Wienermobile stops at Emma Jean’s Holland Burger
Boot Hill restaurant put up for sale
The owner of the Boot Hill Saloon & Grill in Vega, Texas, has put the restaurant up for sale. However, Boot Hill will continue operating until it finds a buyer. Boot Hill chef and owner Rory Schepisi, known for her reality television roles in CMT's "Popularity Contest" and "The Next Food Network Star," has an … Continue reading Boot Hill restaurant put up for sale
Another town sees surge of Route 66 tourism
It isn't just Pontiac, Ill., seeing a big increase in Route 66 tourism in recent years. According to an article today in the Springfield State Journal-Register, the small town of Atlanta, Ill., is experiencing a surge, too. From the newspaper: In Atlanta, sales tax revenue jumped 43 percent last year during the peak tourism season … Continue reading Another town sees surge of Route 66 tourism
Rock Cafe owner appears in Chickasaw Nation spot
A few months ago, Dawn Welch, owner of the Rock Cafe on historic Route 66 in Stroud, Okla., said she'd been interviewed for a commercial spot by the Chickasaw Nation. Here it is: UPDATE: I forgot about this blog spot, in which Dawn talks about her Native American lineage. (Hat tip: Kathy Anderson)
Was the cheeseburger invented on Route 66?
The Pasadena Sun newspaper investigates the claim that the cheeseburger was invented in a diner on Route 66 in Pasadena, Calif. It turns out the case is fairly strong: Legend has it that teenage short-order cook Lionel Clark Sternberger invented the cheeseburger one fateful day in the mid-1920s at a restaurant called “The Rite Spot” … Continue reading Was the cheeseburger invented on Route 66?
County Line Barbecue set to reopen
The County Line Barbecue, a restaurant that counted nearly 80 years off Route 66 in Oklahoma City, has obtained new owners and will reopen as a destination eatery, reported The Oklahoman newspaper. The County Line closed in 2010. The restaurant, according to the newspaper, was sold to a local investment group, and the restaurateurs have … Continue reading County Line Barbecue set to reopen
Drink and ink
A couple of fellows who walk into the Iron Hog Restaurant and Saloon in Oro Grande, Calif., during a Route 66 trip bump into one of the tattoo artists of the stars: https://youtu.be/W5OLfA4L27k I've had enough of these incongruous encounters on the Mother Road, the above episode doesn't surprise me. The video is part of … Continue reading Drink and ink