Untitled

I was in the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore taking advantage of the offer to stand by and get a free flight voucher from Southwest. Since I had some new found time I went looking for a place to eat. The first thing I do when I get to a terminal when I arrive is check out to see what my options are as for food, and if the time is appropriate a drink. I walked past Obryckis first thing in my search and my mind was pretty much made up. I wanted a crab cake since I got to Maryland a week earlier, but it was still early in the morning. While walking by Obryckis had a sign out front that answered all my problems, “Crab Cake Eggs Benedict for $19”. One glimpse of that sign and I was hooked in. The price was a bit high, when it comes to food in an airport I don’t mind paying for quality. While I’m not sure if it is always like this, but at breakfast they you can seat yourself. So I wandered right in a made myself comfy by the wall with a outlet to charge my phone. As soon as I sat down a very pleasant lady came over, gave me a menu and took my drink order. I love regular eggs benedict so the inclusion of these famous crab cakes, with a side of breakfast potatoes, seemed like a home run to me. After placing the order I received my meal in about 15 minutes, which was quite impressive. I dug right in to the meal as soon as I received it. My main concern was how the crab cake taste would be complimented with the hollandaise sauce. My worry was to much Old Bay would kill the Hollandaise taste, but my fears were for nothing. This blend of taste worked out perfectly. Mellowing out the old bay and the natural seafood taste a bit, but still left you knowing you were eating a true Maryland Crab cake. Before coming here I never heard of Obryckis before, but after eating here at the airport I did a little light research. I now wish during my trips to Baltimore as a child that my family that we went to the original. I am glad that this proud Maryland companies name and traditions are at least beigh carried on for future generations to enjoy just like I did. Everything from the quick service the to the great tasting meal makes Obryckis Fat Kid Tested Fat Kid Approved. Stay peckish my friends

I did have the pleasure of attending this meal with a Landry’s select club member. One of the biggest factors of this especially at the Disney locations is the priority seating. This locations can have up to an hour wait even with prior reservations. We were lead past the other customers with crying kids waiting for their tables, and sat in a pretty central location. Another perk of the card is you get preferential treatment by the staff. You get visited by managers to see how everything is. Bussers swoop on in to grab any empty plates right away. All the other needs are taken care of by the server who was close by to assist you. Rainforest Cafe has the same menu at each of it’s locations. I ordered the BBQ bacon burger medium rare, with bbq sauce on the side. This comes with your choice of sides, which I went with the safari fries. It’s the same meal I can get at the Rainforest café in Atlantic City NJ. When the food arrived the burger was Medium not medium rare. It was close enough for my liking, but still can be a issue for picky eaters. The Safari Fries are really just seasoned fries, heavy on the salt. The meal was forgettable to say the least, which is disappointing due to the price and its location at Disney. It is fair to say that without the Landry’s select member I will not probably be back. It is just not really worth the price or the wait time that is involved. You really are just paying for the atmosphere. The food is just okay, and with new places like Morimoto Asia and The Boathouse moving in. Rainforest Café needs to offer a better product to compete with the new and far superior food options becoming available. Is Rainforest Café Fat Kid tested Fat Kid approved? Sure if you’re a Landry’s member or you have kids. If not I would suggest another place with better food right down the walkway. Stay Peckish My friends

Cosmo Cafe was a gem in the National Mall in Washington D.C. that I found completely on accident. A  buddy of mine, who works in DC, told me he was getting married. I decided to make it a vacation. I decided to hitch a ride with him to the National Mall before he had to be at work. One would not know it by looking at me, but I am a big history nerd. I guess I got it from my Dad, who was a history teacher. When I was a tiny fat kid, I was begrudgingly  dragged to Washington DC.  Now as an adult, I can appreciate the Smithsonian Museums and the monuments. It's very different from the Walt Disney resorts that have become increasingly popular with families. I digress, his job started early in the morning and there was no hope for breakfast. This became my mission. I was determined to find somewhere to satiate my cravings for sausage, eggs, waffles, and other breakfast morsels. It only took a few blocks until I found what seemed to be my breakfast oasis: Cosmos Cafe. The setup was like a cafeteria, but nicer than the one in your local public school. The clientele is more of a business, government employees, and construction workers. Its far enough away from the National Mall area to keep the tourists away.   How Cosmos works is you take a container, fill it up, and bring everything to the register.  They charge you based on the weight of the container. Don't forget to grab the perfect breakfast beverage, which they had a decent selection to chose from. The breakfast fare provided was exactly what I wanted. Every and any kind of breakfast combination possible you can imagine. Want French toast with bacon? Pancakes with scramble eggs? A tub of breakfast meat combination? They had all of these options and more thanks to the buffet and grill area. The fare wasn't exactly world class but, needless to say, I left feeling stuffed enough for the whole day's historical adventure. The only down side to the entire experience is that the cost per pound is a little high. Other than that I find Cosmo Cafe is fat kid tested fat kid approved Stay Peckish My friends

What is a trip to Downtown Disney with out a quick bite at one of the many "Quick Service" restaurants? Tucked between Disney's Days of Christmas and Disney's Pantry is Wolfgang Puck Express. I will be perfectly honest, I am quite familiar with the Downtown Disney area, and had a tough time finding the place. Overall, I would have to say I wasn't all that impressed with the food, but the service was on point. Never having had tried any of the other Wolfgang locations before, but recognizing the high profile name, I had high expectations going in, but what I received was rather normal fare. As the name applies it's an express service. You order like you would at any other Quick service in the Disney parks. This part is streamed lined very well. They take your order and give you a number card, and drink cup. However, as a warning, this drink cup is not a souvenir cup, or a to go paper cup, but has unlimited free refills while dining.   The restaurant is seat yourself, I decided to go out onto the sun porch area, a server greets you and brings over your place setting. Your food arrives quickly. This whole process I like quite a lot. It takes away the normal quick service feel, but still keeps the efficiency alive and well. I decided to start with something simple, a barbecue chicken brick oven pizza. My order, drink included, came out to around seventeen dollars. I was disappointed with my pizza because where as it was delicious it did not meet my expectations of the brand. I wasn't quiet sure if I got a good value for my dollar. In reality I was happy with the quality and all. Just I guess I was just looking for more robust flavors than what I got. I would come back to Wolfgang Puck Express and I would suggest it to my friends. However, I would not get the pizza again. The atmosphere is great, friendly and attentive employees, and lastly real quick service. I can definitely say Wolfgang Pucks Express is Fat Kid tested Fat Kid approved. As Always Stay peckish my friends.

My parents, a few of my friends, and I went to this restaurant for a relaxing meal. We have driven by it many times and wanted to give it a try. So when my parents came to town for a visit, I thought that it was a good as time as any. Now even though it is a nice place, dressy attire is not required. They understand they're in a tourist town so you can wear what you want. After you sit they serve you spicy pickles. This I found to be odd, but they're something original and definitely worth a try. Spicy pickles though are probably one of those foods you have to form your own opinion on though. I don’t like cucumbers all that much, which are relatives to pickles, but I tried one and wasn’t all that impressed. The menu is very diverse. They have the usual basics such as chicken, seafood, and steak. I’m a huge fan of bacon and right there staring at me on the menu was a strip of bacon for $3.50. I was picturing a nice fatty piece of fatty bacon. Not exactly what I got. It wasn’t all bad but it was more just like a skinny slice of ham. Next thing I got was a Cesar salad, and we got a garlicky, buttered piece of bread. Both were really good, and the bread wasn’t your normal garlic bread either. It was more like a monkey bread made with butter and garlic. It is a kind of messy and greasy bread, but it sure did taste good. By the way the bread comes with your meal. As for the Cesar it was made just the way I like it, with a nice even coating of dressing on every piece of lettuce and crouton. For my main course I went with their hand breaded jumbo shrimp. This I was disappointed in a bit. I know it was just breaded shrimp, but it just tasted like something I could get at Red Lobster. It had no pop to it, no flare at all that would make it stand out from anywhere else. Lastly for desert I went for the crème brulee. I have always been a fan of this dish and when it is done right it can be a thing of magic. This one was pretty good. Again like the breaded shrimp, it had nothing to make it great, but it wasn't bad. Over all I can say Johnnie’s Hideaway is fat kid tested and fat kid approved, but I probably won’t be making it a regular spot at all. It's just a little expensive to be just good. Stay peckish my friends

I went here on Tuesday night with two friends. It was my first time, but not theirs. They suggested the place as they know I love a great burger, wings and beer. Well, I'm glad they suggested this place. It’s a little bit of a hike from the Disney area, but well worth the drive. We were greeted at the door by a nice host covered in tats. She welcomed us right away and asked if we wanted a table or booth. I love this detail; being big, I don't really like booths, and this attention is nice. It’s like recognizing that I'm big and accommodating it without pointing it out at the same time. The place itself seems kind of like a biker bar, but it’s a very nice, clean one. Once seated, you see that it isn't that at all. In fact, all kinds are welcome here. The night I went, they had some sort of Cosplay group there. To add to that, there were people sitting there drawing as well as a table of obvious beer snobs. All seem to be having a lot of fun in a pretty much judgment free zone. One of the best things is they have an actual dart board. I have not seen one of these since I moved to the area. Plus, they have pool tables to enjoy. As for the food and beverage part, their menu mostly consists of burgers and appetizers. They did, however, have an awesome special that night of gourmet hot dogs. I wanted to try everything they had so we divided the menu up. I ordered an order of the special, which were double Wild bill dogs, a hot frank covered with cole slaw, french fries, bacon, cheese and BBQ sauce. For an app I got an order of BBQ wings. My buddy got a Wild Bill Burger, which is the same as the dog, but instead of bacon you get pork belly. He also ordered pork belly sliders. We pretty much split up all the food between us. Everything tasted great, but my favorite was by far the sliders. The pulled pork just melted in my mouth. I can't say enough good things about this dish. Now, if you’re a beer, fan Oblivion is the place for you to visit. The menu they have isn't for food - the food menu is just one page. The beer/cider menu consists of at least four pages. Now, I have been to beer clubs before, but I'm use to just picking a number and giving it a try. Here they go into great detail of each beer so there isn't much of a guess here. You should know or at least have an idea what your drinking. I will warn you about one thing. If you’re just going out for a Budweiser or a Miller Lite, you may want to look elsewhere. Sure, they probably have it, but this really isn't the place for it. I have to say all things considered, I really do like this place. Yes, the food is great, and the meal portions are humongous, but that's not why I like it so much. I like that anyone can come and feel like they’re at home. You can sit here and be in a judgment free zone. So come on in, grab a pint, a meal, and relax. Because Oblivion Taproom is definitely fat kid tested, fat kid approved. Stay peckish my friends.

As always stay peckish my friends. 

As always stay peckish my friends

As Always stay peckish my friends.

 After spending days upon days working out in the 95-100 degree heat for the past month, I was looking forward to spending the day floating down the Delaware.  My grandparents lived along this very same river when I was kid, and I’ve watched thousands of people pass by through the years.  That being said, the first chance I had to go back, I decided to jump on it.  I talked my friend Ash into taking the journey up north with me.  Out of all the days enduring the heat wave, we managed to pick the one with a temperature of a balmy 75 degrees.  Needless to say, the water was a bit on the chilly side, but overall it was a fun trip. There are a few things to note, however, so you are not taken by surprise like we were. When you arrive, you have to pay $7 for parking. Not a huge deal, but it would have been nice to know.  This might have been on the website, but if so, I didn’t see it.  Also, while looking at the website for prices, they list the group pricing first instead of individual. This caused a bit of sticker shock when paying for the tubes. Once again, it certainly wouldn’t ruin a trip, just make sure you look at the correct price. Finally, when you rent the tubes, it is definitely worth paying for the upgrade with the head rest, and make sure you bring water shoes. You will be happy you did in the long run.   Once on the river, I suggest staying in your tube.  I decided to get out and swim. I found out the hard way that it is not a wise idea.  First off, it is impossible to get back into the tube while in the current, and secondly, the only consistency the river floor has is that it is covered with big boulders.  If you are out of the tube, you get beat up by said boulders.  About half way through you have the option of stopping at the The Famous River Hot Dog Man (it’s included in your ticket price so stop by), but it is really easy to float past, so watch out for it.   As for the food itself, it is exactly as you would expect; nothing really spectacular aside from the fact that the stand is floating on the water.  The hot dogs were definitely a welcome snack, and they give you enough to eat.  Plus, if you want more, they do have the option but you need to pay extra. That is only, of course, if you managed to not have lost your money to the river.   The second half of the river goes a lot faster.  We chose not to follow the suggested route and went the wrong way around the island. It was indeed slower than the suggested path, but we found a small cut-through which contained the fastest water we hit all day.  At the end of the day, the process was quite simple. Get out on the left side of the river, walk up a slight hill, and wait for the bus back. The whole trip took about 4.5 hours and was a very fun experience, and I plan on making a return visit next summer.                                                                   

What memories are brought back walking the boardwalk of Seaside NJ, a place where my family would go to take day trips when I was growing up. A lot of things have changed since those days on the boards. Back then seaside was not as popular as it is today. Sure it had its beach that was always packed with people. The rides on the piers were pleasing kids of all sizes just as they are today. Since those days, MTV brought the shore houses in the 90's and The Jersey Shore show is in town now, which has brought a whole lot of changes to the small beach resort. Depending on who you ask those changes can be considered good or bad. Upon my resent visit to Seaside I saw a mixture of both old and new. One thing is for sure though, the town is definitely striving in a time where traveling and entertainment budgets are tight. One of those that are new to the area and making great food is Bubba's Dog House. Located on the boardwalk's north end right next to the world famous Jersey Shore house, it gets plenty of foot traffic from the tourist trying to get a picture of Snooki or J-wow. I actually had no idea the place existed before I happened to stumble by it on my way back down the boardwalk to my car. I have been craving a specialty hot dog since the last time I was in Providence and had one of Spike's. After studying the menu for awhile I finally settled upon what is called a Big Blue Dog. It is a simple foot long hot dog topped with bacon, blue cheese, and BBQ sauce. I really don't know how to describe how good this dog tasted. I being the lover of sauce that I requested extra to satisfy my craving. The blue cheese is an acquired taste and can make or break anything you use it with. If too much is present then you overpower the taste of just about everything else. On the other hand, too little just teases you with the taste. Bubba has seemed to find just the right amount that he needs. It blends perfectly with the sauce and bacon to complete this great dog. I love finding places that are willing to go out of the norm when it comes to hotdogs. Don't get me wrong, the classic with mustard, ketchup, relish or kraut is great, but a little adventure never hurt anyone. Bubba, please keep up the good work and come up with some other creations for those who are brave enough to try. So if you find yourself fighting to walk down the boardwalk in Seaside this summer. Know that there is a hot dog Mecca at the end of it, and Bubba's is definitely fat kid tested fat kid approved. As always Stay peckish my friends

This place has been hyped up to me for the past few months by a friend of mine. Before I go any further, you have to understand that all my friends and family say that I have to “go here” or “try this place out.” Usually I do, eventually, get to the places they recommend, but it does take me some time. Especially when it comes to places like this one, which was unfortunately located nowhere near me. These usually require some unusual circumstances for me to get to it. Well, eventually, the untimely passing of a family member brought me to a funeral home right across the street in this circumstance. After attending the somber event, I decided I could use a little pick me up. Nothing is a better pick-me-up for a fat kid than BBQ. Would it meet the hype my friend has been saying for months, or would it fall short of my standards like so many of my friends’ suggestions have in the past? I am happy to say my buddy was right. The food was fantastic and the service was beyond friendly. When I walked in, it was about twenty minutes before closing. I know what it’s like to be the server seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and wanting to go home. I said I would be putting an order for take-out since they were closing soon. The hostess/counter person responded with a smile and said it would be no problem if I wanted to stay and eat. I really appreciated this, but was extremely tired and really just wanted to get home. So I went about placing my order, which consisted of an appetizer of BBQ skins and the main dish of Pig on Pig. Plus the biggest Pepsi they had, and a refill before I left. Now, here is what made the place for me: as I stood there waiting for my food to come out (I could have had a seat but probably would have fallen asleep), the nice young lady who took my order conversed with me the whole time, making the ten to fifteen minute wait feel like mere seconds. It took me awhile to get home and the intoxicating smells in my car didn’t help make it faster at all. So once I got home, I quickly dove right in. First I pulled out the BBQ skins. I ordered these based on the description which got my attention, and I really didn’t know what to expect. I have to say, it was a good choice. First off, feel free to share these. The natural starch of the potatoes fills you up quickly. Two is the perfect amount for one person, but they give you more than that. The mix of the succulent meat with the crunchiness of the potatoes went perfect together. Next up was the main dish. Out came the Pig on Pig sandwich. I picked this sandwich simply because I couldn’t make up my mind on what I wanted. This sandwich is a blend of different cooking methods and cuts of pork. In its basic form it was a pulled pork sandwich topped with bacon, but this sandwich was so much more. First off, the bacon is so thick, crisp and flavorful, it could have been alone on a sandwich and it would fall off the grill. (They do have it so you can just order the bacon by itself.) I do have to say though, the sauce is what did it for me. It has a nice, sweet and tangy spice to it. I fell in love with it instantly. After the meal, I wished three things were different. The first is that I had the opportunity to eat this succulent meal as soon as it came out of the smoker. Second is that I had actually gotten a dessert as well (not as if I had room anyway). And third is that The Meat Co. was closer than it is to me so I could actually remedy the first two wishes and go by more often. I will tell you that The Meat Co. is fat kid tested and fat kid approved. Stay peckish my friends.

Stay peckish my friends

To start off I have to say I was glad to see BBQ finally coming to Mercer county. I first saw it doing last minute Christmas shopping with a friend. That night (Christmas Eve, of course), we were in too much of a rush to stop by, but the scents were calling my name. So a few days after the holiday season passed, I brought a fellow BBQ lover, Big Rig, with me to try it out. The service was good, not that knowledgeable on the product, but she was cheery, perky, and nice, so she held up her end of the bargain well enough. The food runner seemed a bit out there and brought me the wrong meal at first, but eventually I got the right stuff. Now here is where our trip began to take a nose dive. I ordered the BBQ combo that consisted of 2 meats ( I picked BBQ beef and Carolina pulled pork) and a piece of garlic Texas toast, plus 2 sides (sweet potato fries and mashed potatoes with gravy. Big Rig got a half roasted chicken with the same sides. When my meal came out it was apparent that it spent some time under the heat lamp, and the meat had a grayish tint to it, not to mention it was on the dry side. Big Rig's chicken was the same way. That being said they do have some good sauces in squirt bottles on your table. And it was these sauces that saved the meal for us. The sides were okay but nothing really stood out to either of us. Overall the experience was nice one, even though my food got lost. The place has a nice decor to it. Now if they can only get their food to not come out dry it would be great. So even though the people are nice and the place looks pretty, due to their food being subpar, I have to say that Woody's BBQ is fat kid test but not fat kid approved. As always stay peckish my friends.

I know the location isn't really close to any major area of New Jersey besides the bases but I suggest going a little out of your way to come by and give it a try. Once you do you will be hooked just like me. Local Smokes BBQ is definitely Fat Kid tested Fat Kid Approved As always stay peckish my friends.