ON TOUR : KANSAS CITY

Tour starts in Kansas City and I took the train from Los Angeles to meet the boys. I arrived at 7:30am and headed down the boulevard to Czar Bar less than a mile away. I started to panic because there were no places to eat on the way until I finally arrived at the venue. Right next door Sally's Deli just opened for the day and they serve Breakfast! Eggs, Bacon and WiFi… What more can a Hungry Bear ask for?!

THE RUSTY CRANE

The Rusty Crane just opened in Tulsa and it's one of many new businesses making good of gorgeous brick buildings downtown in the Brady District. They do a mash up of Tex Mex and BBQ. We started with fried to order Chips and three Dips that lasted about 35 seconds cause we were all starving. As an entree, I had the Pulled Pork with Sweet Potato Fries. OMG, the Pickles and Red Onion put it over the top. Johnathon had a Veggie Burger, of course. Carla-Rose and her mama Ms. Linda Branch split a Veggie Burger and this concoction called a Yumlada... Part Enchilada, part Wet Burrito. Completely delicious!

ON TOUR : Mobile

Never in a million years did I think I'd be in Mobile, Alabama. Actually, I never even heard of it until now. Turns out the same gentleman that founded New Orleans founded Mobile. Two blocks down from the Alabama Music Box is Wintzell's Oyster House. I had to go cheap and cheerful, so the Fried Shrimp Basket it was. The Cocktail Sauce was sweet and spicy. The Tarter Sauce was creamy and tangy. Both were delicious on Perfectly Cooked Shrimp, but the best part... Wait for it... The Jalapeño Hush Puppies. I mean... Could you die?

ON TOUR : Tampa

I'm back! It's been a while, but my life is conducive again to documenting my dining experiences. I'm currently tour managing for BRONCHO. So, this time around the challenge is finding good food in towns we visit on tour. We woke up this afternoon in Tampa, FL, drove around and found Ella's. Our reasons for trying this place were the amount of people waiting outside, the beauty of the building and the "Florida for Obama" sign in the window. Johnathon and I ordered the same thing except he had the Vegan versions. I think mine were better! Sliced BBQ Pork on a gorgeous Bun with a specialty side of Bacon Mac n Cheese. Carnivores: 1 Omnivores: 0

TRAVEL

I've never taken the train before and to my surprise they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining car. They even take reservations. For lunch I had the Angus Burger with Potato Chips and a Pickle. It was pretty good and sitting next to strangers allows for a moment to hear about peoples coming and going. Those moments are rare these days. I liked it.

THE RED INN

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world. I've stayed in Ptown every summer for the last four years and The Red Inn is what I look forward to the most. It's the best New American/French cuisine on the beach with an ocean breeze and sunset. We all had Kettle One Martinis, extra dry with Olives. It gets the party started. The appetizer is always the Lobster Fondue. Decadence! This time my entree was the Double Cut Pork Chop with Asparagus, Baked Mac and Cheese and a side of Mashed Potatoes. Bill had the Cod with Green Beans and Roasted Potatoes. Fredrik had the Lamb Chops with Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes. For dessert was Crème Brûlée and Pecan Pie. As usual it was a beautiful experience.