About McCracken County, KY

Patti's Restaurant, Grand Rivers KY

This is an update to my original review of Patti's Restaurant ORIGINAL BLOG.

Patti's Restaurant is a great place to drop in for lunch, like Marsh & I did, yesterday. Anytime we are anywhere near Patti's Restaurant anywhere near a meal time, we just can't resist. The food's always special, even when there is no special occasion.

And, even though we often drop in without reservations and miraculously get seated, we almost always sit at the same table. I have no idea how that happens. Yesterday was no exception. I took a couple of photos from my chair to show you just a tiny bit of what Patti's Restaurant looks like around Christmastime.

The picture on the left is the ceiling above our table, and the one on the right is the wall beside us.

These are just typical of the hundreds of thousands of lights Patti's puts up for the Christmas celebration. It's an entire village.

You'll just have to see the rest for yourself. It's an awesome sight.

That's the first reason for this update, since my review in my ORIGINAL BLOG was written during the summertime, when Patti's only has their "ordinary" decorations in place.

The second reason for the update is simply to say that, out of all the great dishes we have enjoyed over the years at Pattie's, I just might have had my new favorite, yesterday. Bean soup with pork. Yes, that's right, white beans. Not very exotic, I admit.

But, it was undoubtedly the best white beans I've ever eaten. I will be experimenting for the rest of my life trying to duplicate the flavor of Patti's bean soup, unless Chip Tuller reads this and offers to end my misery by offering me his recipe.

The look, the texture and the taste were as near perfect as one can get with something as simple as white beans with pork. I might have gotten carried away. I had my third helping for dessert, while Marsh enjoyed a huge slice of Patti's famous "mile-high" Coconut Meringue Pie ;)

Kirchoff's Bakery & Deli, Paducah KY

I have a reminder set in my phone calendar for Saturday, March 17, 2012. What's the occasion? Corned beef & cabbage with boiled red potatoes at Kirchoff's!

I happened to eat lunch at Kirchoff's on St. Patrick's Day this year, and the corned beef was about the best thing I have ever eaten in a restaurant.

I asked a few weeks later, "When are you going to cook up some more of that corned beef & cabbage? That was great!" "Oh, we only have that once a year - on St. Patrick's day." March 17, 2012 will be the first time I have ever driven downtown to eat lunch on Saturday.

Set your calendars, folks, but plan to get there early. The word is out!

Kirchoff's Bakery & Deli is one of my favorite eating places in Paducah KY. Louie Kirchoff has taken an old family business, that was first established in 1873, and turned it into one of the most unique & tasty restaurants I've ever experienced, and I've eaten in a lot of great restaurants.

Kirchoff's has so many great things to eat that I'm going to have to leave most of them out, but I have to mention a few of my favorites. John has taken my order every time I've ever eaten at Kirchoff's. Sometimes I wonder if Louie ever lets him have a day off. He asked me not to put his phone number on the internet, because he would have to go into hiding with all the girls chasing him down.

The first time I ate the "1/4 of a Muffuletta" I was hooked. But, as I was leaving I said to John, "Um, as I remember from high school geometry, one fourth of a circle is ninety degrees but this seems a bit narrower." John didn't hesitate, but replied,"It's really a sixth. We just call it a fourth."

Now, when I drop by for lunch, someone always asks, "How about a sixth of a Muffuletta, today?"

Many days I'll have the soup of the day, it's not "soup de jour" at Kirchoff's, and one of their specialty pizzas. The soup might be Essence of Portabello or a great red beans & rice combo. Sometimes, it has andouille sausage & pasta. They're all homeade and tasty.

Try to imagine a pizza made with homemade cracker crust, thinly-sliced new potatoes, andouille sausage, a little spinach and some good cheese & spices. Yummy!

One of my favorites is the Cajun Fried Shrimp Salad with romoulade dressing. All of the sandwiches are great. Lots of meat and no bad "healthy" influences ;) Whether you prefer the Classic Greek Gyro, or just a simple Reuben, they're all tasty. And, . . . I finally experienced Falafel, after wondering what Jerry, Elaine & George were talking about during an entire episode of Seinfeld.

The decor is as unique as the menu at Kirchoff's. The building was built about 50 years after George Rogers Clark's brother, William, surveyed the town that became Paducah KY, and much of the original structure is still there.

Skylights bring the sunshine right to your table inside, if you don't want to eat at a table on the sidewalk.

On pretty days, you can also pick up a sandwich from the Big Lou cart out front.

Once each week, I pick up a sack of homemade crackers to take home. They are so much better than store bought.

Most of the better restaurants in town serve breads baked by Kirchoff's Bakery. You can't buy better bread. I especially love the Cranberry Walnut loaf. Drop a couple of pieces in the toaster, and it's a whole meal.

I can't leave without visiting the cookie counter on the way out. My favorite is the Cranoatie, with dried cranberries & white chocolate chips. The Honey Walnut cookie is also special. No matter what your taste buds crave, Kirchoff's has a cookie for you.

The other day, I looked on top of the counter and found individual homemade fresh blackberry pies. Hmmm, couldn't turn those down.

Another reason I can't go home without stopping at the cookie display is because my grandson's first words when I drive in are, "Did you bring me a cookie?"

If you're visiting Paducah KY, don't even think about leaving town without visiting Kirchoff's Bakery & Deli.

You'll be glad you did ;)

Kirchoff's Bakery & Deli

114-118 S. Second Street

Paducah KY 42001

http://kirchhoffsbakery.com/

Huntin' On Empty. My daughter wandering across the country shooting stuff in a TV series. Who'd a thunk it.

Several years ago, the boys from our church youth group had come to our house one Saturday morning to play paintball in the woods. It was raining. They played in the rain. None of the boys cared much if it rained, just as long as it didn't pour down all the time. Meanwhile, my daughter, Traci, called her mom to say, "I'm going to cancel my trip to the mall because it's raining."

Pretty decent illustration of the difference between boys and girls. Pretty decent picture of Traci before she morphed into the big game hunter.

Traci's husband, Mark Hatcher, grew up hunting, being a guide and about everything else related to hunting. His business, Big Buck Properties, sells hunting land. Traci, on the other hand, was a school teacher and a Realtor in my office, well, until she heard the word "camera." The rest is history. Now, she's an acomplished bow hunter with numerous trophies, and an excellent marksman.

Traci & I recently took training together to get our concealed deadly weapon carry permits. If that's not redneck, I don't know what is. Some guys would probably be embarrassed having a daughter who shoots a gun better than they can, but I was just proud to know her.

Last fall, Traci & Mark took off in an RV and spent four months driving across America with two camera crews filming a reality TV series called Huntin' On Empty. The premier was this past week.

The series is real-life husband & wife team traveling and shooting stuff, with the good and the bad all out there in front of God and everybody. Traci said the first episode is when they still liked each other ;)

The picture on the right is from the first day of moose hunting, when Traci shot a huge moose, and is probably in "the good" category.

The reviews have been great, and people who commented on Huntin' On Empty's Facebook Fan Page said it is a different kind of hunting show. They all liked it.

I missed the first episode, because I was on my way home from high school church camp on a bus with 43 teenagers. The bus even had Direct TV, but the driver couldn't get it to work.

It was fun, though, just being able to tell everybody on the bus that we were missing my daughter's TV show.

It seems like only yesterday when she was having tea parties with Barbi.

Huntin' On Empty is on the Pursuit channel, Direct TV 608, Dish 240, if you're a hunting enthusiast and want to watch the rest of the series. I'm going to have to catch up on Tivo.

UPDATE - Here's a link to Episode 6 online for those who want to watch Traci shoot that huge moose, but don't have Direct TV or Dish ;)

Patti's Restaurant, Grand Rivers KY, the perfect place to take your wife for your anniversary, or to take a bus load for your birthday celebration!

How does a restaurant in a town of 350 people feed 350,000 people? You'll just have to see for yourself.

Patti's isn't exactly a "local" restaurant like my other favorite Paducah KY restaurant blogs, but if you're anywhere near Paducah it's definitely worth the 40-minute drive to experience the Patti's atmosphere and culinary delights.

We didn't get the memo that our grandson's baseball game had been rescheduled last Friday night, and found ourselves half-way to Grand Rivers, so naturally, we took advantage of our good fortune and moved on up the road for a delightful dinner.

I stuck with Patti's signature 2" pork chop prepared with their secret seasoning (which you can buy and take home) with steak fries and fresh grilled asparagus. Their spinach salad with hot bacon dressing is the perfect beginning and is scrumptious.

I recently grilled some pork chops and liberally applied Patti's seasoning for a family dinner. My brother-in-law, Bill, wasn't there so my sister took a couple home for his lunch. He sent word back that they were the best pork chops he had ever eaten. Thanks for making me look good, Chip!

My wife, Marcia, can't resist a good steak, and Patti's knows how to cook a great steak.

Don't leave without trying one of Patti's famous pies for dessert. My favorite is the John Y. Pie, which is a chocolate chip pecan named for our ex-governor, John Y. Brown.

Patti's is more than a place to eat a great meal. It's a night's entertainment all in itself. Each of the private dining rooms is decorated in a unique manner. And, . . . it wasn't even a special season Friday night.

It's worth the trip just to see all the lights, both inside and out. You should see what they bring out for the Christmas seaon. It's a winter wonderland!

An entire wedding party showed up while we were waiting for our table, and they all fit in one room.

I don't know how many people Patti's can accomodate at the same time, but it has to be at least 3-400.

The first time I ever wandered into the restroom, this guy almost gave me a heart attack. There's no telling what you might run into at Patti's, but it's always fun!

Patti's Restaurant

Grand Rivers KY

(270) 362-8844

http://www.pattis-settlement.com/

BBQ On The River, Paducah KY, is when my favorite eating places moves outside. Every September, you'll find me wandering the streets in the midst of sixty (60) TONS of BBQ pork & chicken prepared by about fifty different pros. What more could a serious BBQ Ribs connoisseur ask?

My trek down BBQ lane begins a week before the start of BBQ On The River when the local paper publishes the map of booths.

Don't try to break my concentration while I'm busy circling last year's winners' locations for this festival. That's when I finalize my plan of action.

I'm a BBQ ribs guy, and nobody makes BBQ ribs like western Kentucky BBQ pits. The secret is hickory wood. No other wood creates the smoked flavor that hickory does.

You have to have a separate fire pit to burn the wood down to smoldering coals, and then smoke the meat at a pretty low temperature for a LONG time. That's the REAL THING.

I grew up on Leigh's BBQ. Leigh's has been in business since about the time I was born, and I always compare any BBQ I eat with Leigh's, but once a year it's my duty to sample all the ribs I can eat in three days.

And, I have to tell you, I can eat a LOT of ribs in three days if I work really hard at it!

I usually eat several meals right at the booths. Then, I buy a slab of ribs from one of the other prize winners on my list to take home for my next meal.

Buzzard Brothers is one booth you don't want to miss.

Ed White always comes away with an award, too, and you can find his ribs any Thursday night a Whaler's Catch, 2nd & Jefferson Streets in Paducah.

There are a lot of great ribs at BBQ On The River, but you'll just have to find out for yourself. I'm not going to give you ALL my secrets ;)

There are lots of other good things to eat besides ribs, but I just can't pass up ribs when they're around.

I did try a deep-fried Oreo last year. They're not bad, actually. Who'd a thunk it! My favorite non-rib food at BBQ On The River is Grandma's Fried Pies - I never leave without a sackful.

And, besides great eating opportunities, there are lots of activites and all the profits go to charity.

Plan your fall trip through Paducah around BBQ On The River this September. You'll be glad you did!

Current info: www.bbqontheriver.org

Donnie McKinney CCIM

Coldwell Banker Commercial Purchase Realty Group

3906 Hinkleville Road Paducah KY 42001

270-450-2222

Commercial Real Estate Academy