Month: March 2013
East Side Marios 2013
Easter weekend is a great time for good eating, and what better place to go than East Side Marios who have the absolute best soup, burgers, and Italian cuisine around.
When you have had your fill of Easter eggs and ham, this is the destination for you.
The setting of the restaurant is New York, specifically what you would find at the corner of Canal Street and Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan. Ficticious windows of ficticious New Yorkers surround you along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
Great place to visit, great atmosphere, great food, and reasonably priced. Although the setting is in New York, and the cuisine is American/Italian, the company is actually owned by a Canadian company so you have a little bit of America, a little bit of Italy, and a little bit of Canada working to give you a very entertaining meal.
Easter 2013
Easter 2013 had its ups and downs for sure. Earlier in the week Aunt Peg had to go to the Wyandotte hospital for a leg infection which was certainly a major “down”. However the arrival of a new member of the feline part of our family, a yellow cat named Cindy (short for Cinnamon), a couple great outings Easter weekend at East Side Mario’s, Screamers, and the pet store were certainly major “ups”. Michigan beating Florida Easter day to advance to its first final four in twenty years also was a major “up”!
James and his family would certainly like to thank all the family members who sent cards (and in James case, cash)! James seems to have a new interest with his gains each year. Last year it was Wii point cards, this year its Itune cards.
In case you are wondering why we took a picture of a green easter egg and a slice of ham, it was James idea. He wanted to finally try “Green Eggs and Ham”!
Remembering Teresa Graf 1928 – 2013
When Teresa Eva Graf Pingitore was born on April 1, 1928, in Saskatchewan, Canada, her father, Sarafino, was 34, and her mother, Susanna, was 22. She married Joseph Conrad Graf on November 15, 1952, in Detroit, Michigan. They had three children during their marriage. She died on March 12, 2013, in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the age of 84.
According to Ancestry Terese was the “wife of James Great Uncle” but she was so much more. James Dad has many fond memories of his Aunt Terese, including going camping with her and her family in their trailer at Proud Lake and at Silver Lake. She was a big Tiger fan (as is everyone in the family, but she was a little more out spoken when a call was made against the tigers) and a great cook. James Dad remembers going to Tiger Stadium to watch the Lions with Aunt Terese and her family. The Lions lost that game (no surprise there) but we did see Lem Barney return a punt for a touchdown during the game.
Dinosaur World Kentucky 2013
Although we stopped at Dinosaur World on the way down to Nashville, the weather was so wet we knew we could not possibly go through the park so we decided to stop on the return trip from Nashville on a much more pleasant day.
Dad and James went through the park and then we met Mom in the gift store. The picture to the left shows James in the center of the park where there are herds of huge dinosaurs (Brachiosaurus I think, although I think they used to be Brontosaurus like Dino in the Flintstones).
James wanted to do something different this year and have a picture taken at every single exhibit in the park (his logic being that we cannot tell whats new unless we know whats old), so let the tour being.
Nashville Phillips Toy Mart 2013
A visit to Nashville would not be complete without a visit to their largest toy store known fondly as “Phillips”. James simply loves this place and you can go in and see toys you have never seen before. A great option to the mainstream toy stores and they try to focus on toys that our educational or help in devlopment (They are not known for Nintendo or Playstation).
The store has been a fixture in Nashville since 1946 and if you get a chance be sure to stop in. Even if you don’t need toys or don’t want to spend money on toys, you will enjoy the traditional layout and the opportunity to watch their train display running.
Grandpa’s Birthday Roadtrip in Nashville 2013
When we went to Nashville we rented a special van that had a wheel chair lift so that Grandpa could get out (Grandpa picked up the bill on this). He requested a couple stops including the graveyard where his parents and son were buried. We had a nurse come with us as well just in case and while we did not have any medical issues, Grandpa did slip out of the chair as Grandpa was secured in the van and the chair was secured in the van, but Grandpa was not secured in the wheel chair and he slowly slid downward.
We try to get Grandpa out each time we visit. He is very fun to be with and tells us stories of the places we take him. Since he has lived in Nashville his entire life, as did his family as far back as we can trace, he knows more than most about the city we are visiting.
Anyhow the road trip was our gift for Grandpa, we sure hope he enjoyed it.
Continue reading “Grandpa’s Birthday Roadtrip in Nashville 2013”
Loveless Cafe Nashville 2013
Perhaps you have already seen or heard about the Loveless Cafe. Stories about the Loveless Cafe continue to be told around the world.
USA Today named us the “Top Down-Home Dining Spot” and one of the “10 Great Places to get a Southern-style Biscuit.”
Southern Living named the Cafe one of the “Five Must-See Sights in Nashville,” in addition to “Favorite Southern Dives” and the “South’s Best Breakfast Spots.”
Taste of the South magazine included us as one of the “35 Iconic Southern Restaurants,” saying we serve the “South’s Best Pies.”
The Atlanta Journal Constitution included the Cafe as one of the “8 Restaurants to Try if you Want a Taste of Nashville.”
The Tennessean called the Cafe’s pulled pork sandwich one of the top 5 in Nashville, a city full of legendary barbecue joints.
Thrillest online said the Loveless Cafe is one of “Nashville’s Best BBQ Joints.”
The TV cameras just love the Loveless Cafe too, from The Today Show to CBS News to Ellen DeGeneres to the Martha Stewart Show. When we ate there it was so good that we got up early the next day and brought a breakfast to Grandpa.
Grandpa’s Birthday 2013
Our annual visit to Nashville was one for the books as far as weather was concerned. As nice as it was last year in January, it was equally lousy this year with lots of rain and wet weather for early March. But we made it in time for Grandpa’s birthday (March 1) which we celebrated with a small cupcake party in his room the first day in Nashville.
Saturday was a road trip for Grandpa as a wheelchair van gave him a ride out to the cemetery. Again, the weather made things difficult and Grandpa actually slid out of his wheel chair in the van, but he did get to visit his parents graves which was the goal.
Other highlights of the trip include breakfast at Loveless Cafe, dinner with Uncle Bill at Bar B Cutie, Friday night pizza at the hotel, and a trip to Nashville’s most famous toy store.
Sunday morning we met Uncle Bill at Grandpa’s room and said our good byes. Hopefully we won’t be away for a year this time.
