Good Grounds Coffee & Bistro serves coffee and breakfast sandwiches in a cool, modern space. I was on my cross-country roadtrip when I decided to stop for a quick snack. I love a good frozen hot chocolate and breakfast burrito. I could've done without the extra chocolate at the top of the drink, which lent a little bitterness. But, otherwise, it was delish. The breakfast burrito was full of sausage, potato, egg & cheese. It was good, but a bit dry overall. Some salsa or sour cream or even more cheese would have hit the spot. Grade: B

Did you know that on swlect Mondays Chow Thai transforms into a ramen pop-up. Usually, they offer two bases. On this occasion, spicy miso and tonkatsu were available. I went with the latter, which was super rich and flavorful. That jammy egg is my favorite. Have you been?

Winstead's Steakburgers has been named Food Network Magazine's the Best Hamburger in the state of Kansas. Famed food critic Calvin Trillin also considers Winstead's to have the world's best cheeseburgers. And, it was one of the first drive-in restaurants in the country. With those impressive accolades, the art deco/streamline moderne restaurant was a must visit for me when I traveled to Kansas City. I ordered a single Winstead with "everything," which includes mustard, ketchup, pickle, and onion. I also added cheese. A strawberry shake topped off the meal. A solid, tasty burger? No doubt. The best burger in America? No chance. There was some good burger seasoning, but lack of melted cheese and a lackluster bun knocked a few points off for me. Grade: B

Pappy's Smokehouse has been "NAMED BEST RIBS IN AMERICA BY THE FOOD NETWORK & BEST BBQ IN MISSOURI BY SOUTHERN LIVING."

Known for their dry-rub ribs, this St. Louis restaurant's house specialty involves slow smoking over apple and cherry wood.

St. Louis ribs, cut from the belly of the pig, are flatter, meatier, and have a higher bone-to-meat ratio compared to baby back ribs, which are more tender and come from the pig's loin. I ordered a half-slab ribs with fried corn on the cob and potato salad. these were excellent. I have learned that you don't necessarily want ribs to completely fall off the bone. The ideal is a small tug that easily pulls away, but if they are too soft, they're overdone and lose some flavor. These had great tangy, sweet flavor. and, the texture was on point the potato salad and corn were nice accompaniments to round out the meal.

Grade: A

Schoop's Hamburgers is a burger restaurant in Indiana and Illinois that dates back to 1948.

"Fresh and never frozen, handcrafted and cooked to crispy perfection, a Schoop’s burger spills out of the bun. Throw in an order of golden French fries, a thick, rich shake, Chili & soups that are made fresh daily, all amongst a throwback feel, and it’s no wonder that the Calumet Region folks have been coming to Schoop’s for generations."



I had to try the burger, which was a bit smooshed but not lacking for condiments. Flavor was decent; pretty standard.



Grade: B