January 13, North Carolina

Well I spent a good portion of my time at lunch today writing a blog for today and it is stuck somehow and won't publish.  Bummer. 

Well we have been at Havelock, NC for 4 breakfasts and 3 of those 4 we ate at a place called The Bayview on main street.  I guess you could say it was pretty good since we ate there 3 out of 4 days.  I am kind of at a loss for words as i did have this day all written up.  Anyhoos...  The bayview has, as I was saying a great breakfast.  I understand on great authority that the corned beef hash is exceptional.  I had the steak and eggs today and the pork tenderloins and eggs morning before.  Both of them were great as well.  Steak was very tender and cooked to a great medium rare.  Can't get that most places in a breakfast steak.

Betsey and I did some geocaching and came across this place called Fat Fellas and it was great.  I am not a big fan of North Carolina BBQ but this was great.  I specifically left sauce off and it was great stuff.  Betsey and I both ordered the small bbq plate and Betsey had beets (of which she is very thankful that she can get theses on the side here in the south) and BBQ coleslaw.  The BBQ coleslaw was just the vinegar NC BBQ sauce that they use put in the slaw instead of mayo.  It was great stuff - may have to try that the next church potluck.  

I had okra and fries and the okra was breaded just right and both the fries and the okra were hot out of the fryer.  Of course we did get there just at closing time at 2 in the afternoon.  Chrystal was very hospitable and when she found out it was our fist time there she brought us two samples of the bbq along with a to go menu to take with us.  Sampling the bbq sealed the deal with what we wanted to eat.  

Just as we were leaving the restaurant and heading towards Morehead City we came upon a kayak/canoe rental place.  Newport River Adventures looks like a place that we will be going to the next time that we are in the area.  We did end up going back after we picked Josh up and got a chance to meet the owner.  What a place and gives a 10 percent discount to military and a 5 percent winter discount.  BUT give him a days notice in the winter.  

Josh wanted us to drive to Jacksonville, NC to see a friend of his (great kid - we met him before and Josh traveled across country with him).  And they wanted to meet at Fuddruckers.  If you haven't experienced a Fuddruckers - it is good stuff.  They boast themselves as the best hamburgers but I would argue that point but I will say that they are great hamburgers.  Their hamburgers are limited only by your imagination. 

Chow and Chow Down

Blessings to Ya'll
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Kevin

Back at it - Finally - Bonner Springs, KS BBQ

Well the couple that started it all, Roy and Annette, and Betsey and I went out for BBQ last night.  As you may remember in an earlier post Roy was the one that said "You should start a food blog".    And that started on a trip to BBQ in Lawence at Biggs BBQ which needs to get to the food channel somehow.  I think Biggs could be the best in the area for BBQ.

Last night was Papa Bobs BBQ in Bonner Springs, KS.  This happens to be the closest restaurant to Topeka (where we live) listed on Foodie Pie (except for BoBo's in Topeka) which is a wonderful site "For Foodies Only! Find the foods and restaurants as seen on The Food Network & The Travel Channel."

Wow was there a squirrel in here?  Something distracted me - could have been that 49ers Falcon game.  Good ending. 

Back to the BBQ last night.  The ride there and back was marvelous - well the ride back had a little snoring from the back seat and it wasn't Annette.  The atmosphere at Bob's was great - small and quaint but what one might expect from a roadside bbq spot on a Kansas secondary highway.  Miranda was our waitress and she took very good care of us - but we might have been one of her only tables.  Not too busy on a Saturday night. 

The appetizers that we had were good - the Deep Fried Cauliflower and the Deep Fried Okra were both very good but I dont think they were prepared in house.  But they came out extremely hot and were good.  Sweet tea was disappointing - could have been a mix and not sweet tea or could have been sitting around awhile.  I know what you all are thinking "Sweet tea in Kansas???"; yes there are some restaurants that have sweet tea figured out.



I had ribs, sausage, pulled pork; Roy had ham and beef; and the ladies both had the burnt ends.  To me the highlight of the meal was the sweet and sour cole slaw and the beans.  The beans had almost as much meat in them as beans.  Burnt ends were a smaller cut than the gals were used to which could have attributed to their dryness.  Roy said the ham was good and the beef brisket was ok.  The ribs were the highlight of my meats and the sausage was good as well.  Pulled pork was average. 


Ask them for some of the "crummy" sauce.  Bob came out with a little and it was quite tasty - had some cinnamon in it.  A newer taste for the BBQ sauce field.

As I read what I wrote it sounds like I wouldn't recommend this place or go back but I will.  The service, hype, and the fact that Adam Richman lost the challenge for the Ultimate Destroyer of which you get 45 minutes to eat it brings us foodies in.  Don't think I would attempt the Ultimate Destroyer.  Papa Bobs is reasonably priced and good bbq. 

Oh, and if you are looking for a good pulled pork recipe just put a rubbed (I use Corkys seasoning) pork shoulder butt roast (whatever you want to call it) in a baking dish with 3 cups of root beer and cover with foil - 325 degrees for about 6 hours - check in 5 and if you can stick a fork in it and it pulls apart easily it is done.  Take it into the living room put it on a tv tray and use 2 forks to pull it apart.  Make sure you have a good meat bowl and a bad meat bowl because you will want to discard some of the fat.  Let me know if you like it.