Brunch at Alcenia’s, Memphis, Tenn.

Memphis has more than its share of famous barbecue joints, and I’ve been proud to share my experiences at a few of them on this blog.  But when it comes to soul food in the “Home of the Blues” the conversation begins with Alcenia’s. 

A commoner dines at Charcoal Inn South, Sheboygan, Wis.

The Sheboygan Series of blog posts concludes with one that certainly delivers as advertised – the Charcoal Inn.  There are two locations in Sheboygan.  This post is about my visit to the south location, as it was open for dinner.

The Charcoal Inn is not unlike many local diners with a menu focused on burgers, sandwiches and sides (and the obligatory Friday fish fry in Wisconsin).  How it prepares many of the sandwiches is how it stands out.  

Smelt and the Scenic Bar, Sheboygan, Wis.

Have you ever driven past a business’s sign so often that eventually you couldn’t help but stop and try what they were selling?  It happened to me in Sheboygan, Wis.  The place was the Scenic Bar, an otherwise unassuming little tavern among several others in the neighborhood known as the Indiana Corridor. 

   

The thing that hooked me in was the smelt.