Sorcery of Lastrene

What cops know about food

As I have previously mentioned we cops get asked a lot of questions. Strangely enough we often get asked about stuff that is not exclusively police related, but the questioning parties figure we have a unique or above average knowledge of the matter at hand. Questions like, “What hotel should I stay at or not stay at”, or, “We are moving to Oak Ridge and we were wondering if such and such is a good neighborhood”, and my all time favorite, “Where are the best places to eat?” Now I am not a food critic but in truth we cops do in fact know where the best places are to eat within our jurisdiction. This is a constant fact weather you are in Chicago, Houston, Toronto, or yes, even Oak Ridge, we cops know where the best grub is. Point of fact, I have been asked this question so often, that I have decided to put the answers in print. I have no intention of covering where I do not eat or what food places I do not like, because as I stated, I’m not a critic, but just this once, I will go over, in my own individual opinion, where I think the best food can be found locally. The best steak I have ever eaten here in Oak Ridge was at Sagebrush. It was a strip steak that was cooked perfectly, (medium), with thick cut fries and sautéed mushrooms. It all but melted in the mouth and the flavor was excellent. My favorite Mexican food can be found at the El Canterido on S. Tulane Ave. This is a favorite of many city employees because it is right across the street from the Municipal Building and boasts the best chicken fajita nachos north of Texas. Grilled chicken, onions, peppers, strong spices, and cheese sauce all atop a pile of tortilla chips. Slap a glob of sour cream in the middle of this tasty mess and dig in. The best local Asian snarfage can be found at Betty’s located just off of the Turnpike almost directly across from the east end McDonalds, tucked in neatly between a dry-cleaners and a Mexican market, in a small “hole in the wall” type metal building. Ms. Betty’s spicy chicken cashew is the daily special and is absolutely fantastic. She can make it mild or hot enough to set your eyebrows on fire. The flavor is like an assault on your taste buds that urges you to shovel in more and more to keep the aggressive and delicious flavors coming. Sauce covered chicken, onions, peppers, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, peas, carrots, ground habanero peppers, and of course cashews, all served over steamed rice with a side of fried won ton. I gotta tell ya, I’ve already had lunch today but writing this is sort of making me crave the robust tongue tantalizing cornucopia of flavors that is Ms. Betty’s daily special. For sandwiches I personally have found that two places in town are about on equal footing. Nixon’s deli and Firehouse subs can fix you any combination of sandwich or sub that you can think of. Custom made, topped with your choice of meats, vegetation, and cheese, then steamed to meld it all together into a flavor explosion. Bag of chips and a drink and you’re in business. Fried chicken, KFC and Chick-fil-a. Burgers, Wendy’s. Fish, Long John Silver’s and Captain D’s are about even to me, but obviously the Red Lobster reigns supreme among local seafood eateries. The jumbo shrimp scampi is really hard to beat. And then there is the local icon of food service. A landmark in Oak Ridge just as surely as Y-12 or the West Gate. One of the first restaurants I ever ate at. Heck for all I know it may have been THE first place I ever went out to eat at. I first remember eating at this place with my family in 1969. I was three years old when I remember digging into my first Big Ed’s pizza and I have been hooked ever since. For native Oak Ridgers and visitors alike, Big Ed’s pizza is the last word in Atomic City cuisine. I have family who live in Chicago, (home of allegedly the worlds best pizza), and every time they visit Tennessee, Ed’s is a must stop for them, as they have stated that nothing compares. Looking basically exactly the same as it did 35 years ago, a shrine to sports and the military, Ed’s still serves the best pizza that can be found anywhere. When it comes steaming hot to the table you would be well advised to let it cool for a few moments because once you start eating you will not want to stop until the entire pie is gone. If you dig in right away you may find that the cheese will act like napalm and adhere to the roof of your mouth fixing itself in place. It will hurt but it just tastes so darn good you won’t care about the pain and you will continue shoving slice after slice of molten perfection into your blistered, but very happy, mouth. Give the pizza a 3-minut …

Richard dutrow jr

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