Posts from the ‘Diners and Delis’ Category

Dave’s Pizza – Coldwater

The story goes that at one time, Dave managed a Pizza Hut franchise. When the delivery truck failed to show up, he improvised to create his own delicious crispy crust and pizza sauce.

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Stockton – Shirley May’s Deli

When I first moved to western Kansas, I used to like to stop in at a little friendly mom and pop corner gas station in Stockton, Kansas. It was a nice change from the normal franchise convenience store atmosphere.   Like a lot of small town businesses, I stopped by one day, only to sadly discover that it was closed. Unfortunately, the building sat empty for quite a while.

 This year, the old corner gas station was given new life as the  home of Shirley May’s Deli. The deli itself is not new, but the location is. Shirley May’s has long been associated with the grocery store up the street. The deli was originally located in the back corner of the store. The new location is certainly an improvement. There is ample parking and you no longer have to wait in the grocery check out line, just for a sandwich.

Welcome to Shirley May’s

My first impression was about how clean the place is. It may have once been an old gas station, but I think you could eat off the floors now. (Not that you would want to, but you could.)  My next impression was about the great selection. I counted nearly thirty varieties of cheese. The meat selection was any pork lovers dream.  Nearly thirty deli meat choices included sliced roasted pork, smoked ham, honey ham, black forest ham and maple ham. I didn’t even know there was maple ham!

Shirley May’s = Amazing ham and cheese selection.

 The price of a sandwich was $4.99, which just barely beats one of those yellow franchise foot longs. The food however, beats a franchise deli foot long to no end. I had a roasted pork sandwich with colby-jack cheese on fresh potato bread. My wife had a black forest ham sandwich. Both sandwiches looked and tasted absolutely delicious.

In addition to sandwiches, you can get a soft drink or cappuccino while you shop a selection of bbq rubs, spices and equipment. They also have a refrigerated case with salads so big they could be a complete meal on their own. Upon leaving the deli, I noticed a bbq smoker next to the front door.  How can you go wrong with a place like that?!

 Until Next time, Swine and Dine!

 - Chris

Hays – Gella’s Diner and LB Brewing Company

Van reads: This soccer-mom van is just a disguise. Its really clever, like a curly mustache and big glasses. We’ve got awesome food in here. We just don’t want to get mobbed.

As my wife and I were on our way to a mid –August wedding at one of the 8 wonders of Kansas, the St. Fidelis Church, we decided to make a stop in Hays, Kansas for lunch. We picked a hip spot in downtown Hays called Gella’s Diner and LB Brewing Company.  You would expect to find a modern, trendy joint like this in Kansas City or Denver however; it is a nice surprise to have such a place out on the Kansas high plains. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is the only brewery between Manhattan, Kansas and the Denver, Colorado area.

There were plenty youthful and outgoing staff members on hand to serve the two dozen or so lunch time diners. To satisfy my pork craving, I ordered the pork pibil tacos. The tangy and juicy pork tacos were served with two sauces, both a green and red chili sauce. I preferred the red, which hinted of a chipotle sauce. The juicy pork made the hard-shell corn tacos a bit soggy, and with that in mind, I would have preferred them to have been served up in soft flour tortillas. Or better yet, put that flavorful pork on a fresh bun and serve it up as a Memphis style pulled pork sandwich!  Either way, pork tacos are certainly a rarity on most menus.

I would encourage you to check out Gella’s Diner, located in the Historic Chestnut Street District for a taste, and atmosphere, of something different.

- Until next time…swine and dine!

Chris